THE WORKS OF JOSEPH HALL. Doctor in Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. With a Table newly added to the whole Worke. LONDON, Printed for Nath. Butter, dwelling near Saint Augustine's Gate. 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY MONARCH OUR DEAR AND DREAD SOVEREIGN LORD, JAMES, BY THE good providence of God, King of Great BRITAIN, FRANCE and IRELAND; the most worthy, and most able Defender of the Faith, and most gracious Patron of the Church; All Peace and Happiness. Most gracious Sovereign: I Cannot so overlove this issue of my own brain, as to hold it worthy of your Majesty's judicious eyes; much less of the highest Patronage under Heaven: Yet now, my very duty hath bidden me look so high; & tells me it would be no less than injurious, if I should not lay down my work, where I own my service; and that I should offend, if I presumed not. Besides; whither should the rivers run, but into the Sea? It is to your Majesty (under the Highest) that we own both these sweet opportunities of good, and all the good fruits of these happy opportunities: If we should not therefore freely offer to your Majesty some praemetiall handfuls of that crop, whereof you may challenge the whole harvest, how could we be but shamelessly unthankful? I cannot praise my Present otherwise, then by the truth of that heart from which it proceedeth: Only this I may say; that seldom any man hath offered to your Royal hands a greater bundle of his own thoughts (Some whereof as it must needs fall out amongst so many, have been confessed profitable) nor perhaps more variety of discourse: for here shall your Majesty find Morality, like a good handmaid, waiting on Divinity; and Divinity, like some great Lady, every day in se●●●●dresses; Speculation interchanged with experience; Positive Theology with polemical; textual with discursorie; Popular with Scholastical. I cannot dissemble my joy to have done this little good: And if it be the comfort, and honour of your unworthy servant, that the God of Heaven hath vouchsafed to use his hand in the least service of his Church; How can it be but your Crown and rejoicing, that the same God hath set apart your Majesty, as a glorious instrument of such an universal good to the whole Christian World? It was a mad conceit of that old Heresiarch, which might justly take his name from madness; That an huge Giant bears up the earth with his shoulder; which he changes every thirtieth year, for ease; and with the removal causes an Earthquake. If by the device he had meant only an Emblem of Kings (as our ancient Mythologists under their Saint George, and Christopher, have described the Christian Soldier, and good Pastor) he had not done amiss; for surely, the burden of the whole world lies on the shoulders of Sovereign authority; and it is no marvel if the Earth quake in the change. As Kings are to the World, so are good Kings to the Church: None can be so blind, or envious, as not to grant, that the whole Church of God upon earth, rests herself principally (next to her stay above) upon your Majesty's Royal supportation; You may truly say with David, Ego sustineo columnas eius. What wonder is it then, if our tongues and pens bless you; if we be ambitious of all occasions, that may testify our cheerful gratulations of this happiness to your Highness, & ours in you? Which, our humble prayers unto him, by whom King's reign, shall labour to continue, till both the Earth and Heavens be truly changed. The unworthiest of your Majesty's servants, IOS: HALL.. THE SEVERAL TREATISES contained in this BOOK. MEditations and Vows. 3. Centuries. Page 1 Heaven upon earth. One Book. 73 Art of Divine Meditation. One Book. 105 Holy Observations. One Book. 135 Some few of David's Psalms metaphrazed. 155 Characters of Virtues, and Vices. Two Books. 173 salomon's divine Arts. Ethics. In four Books. 207 Politics. One Book. 229 Economics. One Book. 239 The Song of Songs paraphrased. 249 Epistles in six Decades. Three Volumes. 1. 275 2. 315 3. 361 Sermons. 1. Pharisaisme and Christianity. 407 2. The Passion Sermon. 423 3. 4. The Impreze of God: In two Sermons. 441 451 5. A Farewell Sermon to the Family of Prince Henry. 461 6. An holy Panegyric. 473 7. The deceit of Appearance. 489 8. The great Impostor. 501 9 The best Bargain. 515 10. A Sermon at S. john's. 525 11. The true Peacemaker. 537 12. Noah's Dove. A common Apology against the Brownists. One Book. 549 A serious Dissuasive from Popery. 613 No Peace with Rome. One Book. 633 Quo vadis? Or a Censure of Travel. 669 The Righteous Mammon. 693 The honour of the Married Clergy. In three Books. 1. 719 2. 753 3. 771 A short Catechism. 799 Contemplations upon the principal passages of the holy Story. Eight Books. In two Volumes. 1. 809 2. 883 Contemplations, the third Volume. In three Books. 1. 967 2. 993 3. 1017 Contemplations, the fourth Volume. In four Books. 1. 1043 2. 1073 3. 1099 4. 1027 Contemplations upon the History of the new Testament, the fifth Volume. In two Books. 1. 1159 2. 1185 Contemplations, the sixth Volume. In three Books. 1. 1231 2. 1255 3. 1281 Contemplations, the seventh Volume. In two Books. 1. 1311 2. 1351 MEDITATIONS AND VOWS, DIVINE AND MORAL: SERVING FOR DIRECTION IN CHRISTIAN AND CIVIL PRACTICE. III. Centuries. By IOS: HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, SIR ROBERT DRURY, KNIGHT, ALL INCREASE OF TRUE HONOUR AND VIRTUE. SIR, that I have made these my homely Aphorisms public, needs no other reason, but that though the world is furnished with other writings, even to satiety and surfeit, yet of those which reduce Christianity to practice, there is (at least) scarce enough: wherein (yet) I must needs confess, I had some eye to myself, For, having after a sort vowed this austere course of judgement & practice to myself, I thought it best to acquaint the world with it, that it may either witness my answerable proceeding, or check me in my straying therefrom. By which means, so many men as I live amongst, so many monitors I shall have, which shall point me to my own rules, and upbraid me with my aberrations. Why I have dedicated them to your name, cannot be strange to any, that knows you my Patron, and me your Pastor. The regard of which bond, easily drew me on to consider, that whereas my body, which was ever weak, began of late to languish more, it would not be inexpedient (at the worst) to leave behind me this little monument of that great respect which I deservedly bear you. And if it shall please God to reprieve me, until a longer day; yet it shall not repent me, to have sent this unworthy scroll, to wait upon you in your necessary absence; neither shall it be, I hope, bootless for you, to adjoin these my mean speculations unto those grounds of virtue you have so happily laid: to which if they shall add but one scruple, it shall be to me sufficient joy, contentment, recompense. From your Hal-sted. Decemb. 4. Your Worships humbly deuouted, IOS: HALL.. THE FIRST CENTURIE OF MEDITATIONS AND VOWS, DIVINE and MORAL. 1 IN Meditation, those, which begin heavenly thoughts, and prosecute them not, are like those which kindle a fire under green wood, and leave it, so soon as it but gins to flame; losing the hope of a good beginning, for want of seconding it with a suitable proceeding: when I set myself to meditate, I will not give over, till I come to an issue. It hath been said by some, that the beginning is as much as the midst; yea, more than all: but I say, the ending is more than the beginning. 2 There is nothing (but Man) that respecteth greatness: Not God; not death; not judgement. Not God: he is no accepter of persons. Not nature: we see the sons of Princes borne as naked as the poorest: and the poor child as fair, wellfavoured, strong, witty, as the heir of Nobles. Not disease, death, judgement: they sicken alike, die alike, far alike after death. There is nothing (besides natural men) of whom goodness is not respected. I will honour greatness in others: but for myself, I will esteem a dram of goodness, worth a whole world of greatness. 3 As there is a foolish wisdom, so there is a wise ignorance; in not prying into God's Ark; not enquiring into things not revealed. I would fain know all that I need, and all that I may: I leave God's secrets to himself. It is happy for me, that God makes me of his Court, though not of his Counsel. 4 As there is no vacuity in nature, no more is there spiritually. Every vessel is full; if not of liquor, yet of air: so is the heart of man; though (by nature) it is empty of grace, yet it is full of hypocrisy, and iniquity. Now, as it is filled with grace, so it is empty of his evil qualities; as in a vessel, so much water as goes in, so much air goes out: but man's heart is a narrow-mouthed vessel, and receives 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 nearer to fullness than another: so the best vessel 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 have, nor impatient of God's delay; but every day I will endeavour to have one drop added to the rest: so my last day shall fill up my vessel to the brim. 5 Satan would seem to be mannerly and reasonable: making, as if he would be content with one half of the heart, whereas God challengeth all or none: as (indeed) he hath most reason to claim all, that made all. But this is nothing but a crafty fetch of Satan; for he knows, that if he have any part, God will have none: so, the whole falleth to his share alone. My heart (when it is both whole, and at the best) is but a straight and unworthy lodging for God: if it were bigger and better, I would reserve it all for him. Satan may look in at my doors by a tentation: but he shall not have so much as one chamber-room set a part for him to sojourn in. 6 I see that in natural motions, the nearer any thing comes to his end, the swifter it moveth. I have seen great rivers, which at their first rising out of some hills side, might be covered with a bushel; which, after many miles, fill a very broad channel; and drawing near to the Sea, do even make a little Sea in their own banks: So the wind 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 he is regenerate) is made natural to God-ward: and therefore, the nearer he comes to heaven, the more zealous he is. A good man must not be like Ezekias' Sun, that went backward; nor like joshuahs' Sun, that stood still; but David's Sun, that (like a Bridegroom) comes out of his chamber, and as a Champion rejoiceth to run his race: only herein is the difference, that when he comes to his high noon, he declineth not. How ever therefore, the mind (in her natural faculties) follows the temperature of the body, yet in these supernatural things she quite crosses it. For with the coldest complexion of age, is joined in those that are truly religious, the feruentest zeal and affection to good things: which is therefore the more reverenced, and better acknowledged, because it cannot be ascribed to the hot spirits of youth. The Devil himself devised that old slander of early holiness; A young Saint, an old Devil. Sometimes young Devils have proved old Saints; never the contrary: but true Saints in youth, do always prove Angels in their age. I will strive to be ever good; but if I should not find myself best at last, I should fear I was never good at all. 7 Consent harteneth sin; which a little dislike would have daunted at first. As we say, There would be no thiefs, if no receivers: so would there not be so many open mouths to detract and slander, if there were not so many open ears to entertain them. If I cannot stop another man's mouth from speaking ill, I will either open my mouth to reprove it, or else I will stop mine cares from hearing it; and let him see in my face, that he hath no room in my heart. 8 I have oft wondered how fishes can retain their fresh taste, and yet live in salt waters; since I see that every other thing participates of the nature of the place wherein it abides. So, the waters passing thorough the channels of the earth, their savour with the veins of soil, thorough which they slide. So, brute creatures, transported from one region to another, altar their former quality, and degenerate by little and little. The like danger I have seen in the manners of men, conversing with evil companions in corrupt places: For, besides that, it blemisheth our reputation, and makes us thought ill, though we be good; it breeds in us an insensible declination to ill; and works in us, if not an approbation, yet a less dislike of those sins, to which, our ears and eyes are so continually enured. I may have a bad acquaintance: I will never have a wicked companion. 9 Expectation, in a weak mind, makes an evil, greater; and a good, less: but in a resolved mind, it digests an evil, 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 do, as Satan to Christ; some, what they could, but mean not to do, as the sons of jacob to the Sechemites; some, what they meant for the time, and after, retreat, as Laban to jacob; some, what they do also give, but unwillingly, as Herod; some, what they willingly give, and after repent them, as joshua to the Gibeonites: So great distrust is there in man, whether from his impotence, or faithlesness. As in other things, so in this, I see God is not like man: but in what ever he promises, he approves himself most faithful, both in his ability and performances. I will therefore ever trust God on his bare word; even with hope, besides hope, above hope, against hope; and onwards I will rely on him for small matters of this life: for how shall I hope to trust him in impossibilities, if I may not in likelihoods? How shall I depend on him for raising my body from dust, and saving my soul; if I mistrust him for a crust of bread, towards my preservation? 11 If the World would make me his Minion, he could give me but what he hath. And what hath he to give? but a smoke of honour, a shadow of riches, a sound of pleasures, a blast of fame; which when I have had in the best measure, I may be worse, I cannot be better: I can live no whit longer, no whit merrier, no whit happier. If he profess to hate me, what can he do, but disgrace me in my name, impoverish me in my estate, afflict me in my body? in all which, it is easy, not to be ever the more miserable. I have been too long beguiled with the vain semblances of it: Now henceforth, accounting myself borne to a better world, I will in an holy loftiness bear myself as one too good to be enamoured of the best pleasures, to be daunted with the greatest miseries of this life. 12 I see there is no man so happy as to have all things; and no man so miserable, as not to have some. Why should I look for a better condition than all others? If I have somewhat, and that of the best things; I will in thankfulness enjoy them, and want the rest with contentment. 13 Constraint makes an easy thing toilsome; whereas again, love makes the greatest toil pleasant. How many miles do we ride and run, to see one silly beast follow another, with pleasure! which if we were commanded to measure, upon the charge of a Superior, we should complain of weariness. I see the folly of the most men, that make their lives miserable, and their actions tedious, for want of love to that they must do: I will first labour to settle in my heart a good affection to heavenly things: so Lord, thy yoke shall be easy, and thy burden light. 14 I am a stranger even at home: therefore if the dogs of the world bark at me, I neither care nor wonder. 15 It is the greatest madness in the world, to be an hypocrite in religious profession. Men hate thee, because thou art a Christian, so much as in appearance. God hates thee double, because thou art but in appearance: so, while thou hast the hatred of both, thou hast no comfort in thyself. Yet if thou wilt not be good as thou seemest; I hold it better to seem ill as thou art. An open wicked man doth much hurt with notorious sins; but an hypocrite doth at last more shame goodness, by seeming good. I had rather be an open wicked man, than an hypocrite: but I had rather be no man, than either of them. 16 When I cast down mine eyes upon my wants, upon my sins, upon my miseries; me thinks no man should be worse, no man so ill as I; my means so many, so forcible, and almost violent; my progress so small, and insensible; my corruptions so strong, my infirmities so frequent and remediless; my body so unanswerable to my mind. But when I look up to the blessings that God hath enriched me withal, me thinks I should soon be induced to think none more happy than myself: God is my friend, and my father: the world not my master, but my slave: I have friends not many, but so tried that I dare trust them: an estate not superfluous, not needy; yet nearer to defect, than abundance: A calling, if despised of men, yet honourable with God: a body not so strong, as to admit security, (but often checking me in occasion of pleasure) nor yet so weak, as to afflict me continually: A mind not so furnished with knowledge, that I may boast of it; nor yet so naked, that I should despair of obtaining it: My miseries afford me joy, mine enemy's advantage; my account is cast up for another world. And if thou think I have said too much good of myself, either I am thus, or I would be. 17 The worldlings life is (of all other) most uncomfortable. For, that which is his God, doth not always favour him: that which should be, never. 18 There are three messengers of death; Casualty, Sickness, Age. The two first are doubtful; since many have recovered them both: the last is certain. The two first are sudden: the last leisurely and deliberate. As for all men, upon so many summons, so especially for an old man, it is a shame to be unprepared for death: for where other see they may die, he sees he must die. I was long agone old enough to die: but if I live till age, I will think myself too old to live longer. 19 I will not care what I have; whether much, or little. If little, my account shall be less; if more, I shall do the more good, and receive the more glory. 20 I care not for any companion, but such as may teach me somewhat; or learn somewhat of me. Both these shall much pleasure me; (one as an Agent, the other as a Subject to work upon) neither know I, whether more. For though it be an excellent thing to learn; yet I learn, but to teach others. 21 If earth (that is provided for mortality, and is possessed by the Maker's enemies) have so much pleasure in it, that Worldlings think it worth the account of their heaven: such a Sun to enlighten it, such an heaven to wall it about, such sweet fruits and flowers to adorn it, such variety of creatures, for the commodious use of it: What must heaven needs be, that is provided for God himself, and his friends? How can it be less in worth, than God is above his creatures, and Gods friends better than his enemies? I will not only be content, but desirous to be dissolved. 22 It is commonly seen, that boldness puts men forth before their time, before their ability. Wherein we have seen many, that (like Lapwings, and Partridges) have run away with some part of their shell on their heads: whence it follows, that as they began boldly, so they proceed unprofitably, and conclude not without shame. I would rather be haled by force of others to great duties, than rush upon them unbidden. It were better a man should want work, than that great works should want a man answerable to their weight. 23 I will use my friend as Moses did his rod: While it was a rod he held it familiarly in his hand: when once a Serpent, he ran away from it. 24 I have seldom seen much ostentation, and much learning met together. The Sun, rising, and declining, makes long shadows; at midday when he is at highest, none at all. Besides that, skill when it is too much shown, loseth the grace: as fresh-coloured wares, if they be often opened, lose their brightness, and are soiled with much handling. I had rather applaud myself for having much, that I show not; than that others should applaud me for showing more than I have. 25 An ambitious man is the greatest enemy to himself, of any in the world beside: for he still torments himself with hopes, and desires, and cares: which he might avoid, if he would remit of the height of his thoughts, and live quietly. My only ambition shall be, to rest in God's favour on earth, and to be a Saint in heaven. 26 There was never good thing easily come by. The Heathen man could say, God sells knowledge for sweat; and so he doth honour for jeopardy. Never any man hath got either wealth or learning with ease. Therefore the greatest good must needs be most difficult. How shall I hope to get Christ, if I take no pains for him? And if in all other things the difficulty of obtaining, whets the mind so much the more to seek; why should it in this alone daunt me? I will not care what I do, what I suffer, so I may win Christ. If men can endure such cutting, such lancing, and searing of their bodies, to protract a miserable life yet a while longer; what pain should I refuse for eternity? 27 If I die, the world shall miss me but a little; I shall miss it less. Not it me, because it hath such store of better men: Not I it, because it hath so much ill, and I shall have so much happiness. 28 Two things make a man set by; Dignity, and Desert. Amongst fools, the first without the second is sufficient: amongst wise men, the second without the first. Let me deserve well, though I be not advanced. The conscience of my worth shall cheer me more in others contempt, than the approbation of others can comfort me, against the secret check of my own unworthiness. 29 The best qualities do so cleave to their subjects, that they cannot be communicated to others. For whereas patrimony and vulgar account of honour follow the blood, in many generations; Virtue is not traduced by propagation, nor learning bequeathed by our Will to our heirs; lest the givers should wax proud, and the receivers negligent. I will account nothing my own, but what I have gotten; nor that mine own, because it is more of gift, than desert. 30 Then only is the Church most happy, when Truth and Peace kiss each other; and then miserable, when either of them balk the way, or when they meet and kiss not. For truth, without peace, is turbulent: and peace, without truth, is secure injustice. Though I love peace well, yet I love main truths better. And though I love all truths well, yet I had rather conceal a small truth, than disturb a common peace. 31 An indiscreet good action, is little better than a discreet mischief. For in this the doer wrongs only the Patient: but in that other, the wrong is done to the good action: for both it makes a good thing odious (as many good tales are marred in telling) and beside, it preiudices a future opportunity. I will rather let pass a good gale of wind, and stay on the shore; then launch forth, when I know the wind will be the contrary. 32 The World teacheth me, that it is madness to leave behind me those goods that I may carry with me: Christianity teacheth me, that what I charitably give alive, I carry with me dead: and experience teacheth me, that what I leave behind, I lose. I will carry that treasure with me by giving it, which the worldling loseth by keeping it: so, while his corpse shall carry nothing but a winding cloth to his grave, I shall be richer under the earth, than I was above it. 33 Every worldling is an hypocrite: for while his face naturally looks upward to heaven, his heart grovels beneath on the earth: yet if I would admit of any discord in the inward and outward parts; I would have an heart that should look up to heaven in an holy contemplation of the things above, and a countenance cast down to the earth, in humiliation. This only dissimilitude is pleasing to God. 34 The heart of man is a short word, a small substance; scarce enough to give a Kite one meal, yet great in capacity; yea, so infinite in desire, that the round Globe of the world cannot fill the three corners of it. When it desires more, and cries, Give, give; I will set it over to that infinite Good, where the more it hath, it may desire more, and see more to be desired: when it desires but what it needeth, my hands shall soon satisfy it. For, if either of them may contain it, when it is without the body; much more may both of them fill it, while it is within. 35 With men it is a good rule; To try first, and then to trust: with God it is contrary; I will first trust him (as most wise, omnipotent, merciful) and try him afterwards. I know it is as impossible for him to deceive me, as not to be. 36 As Christ was both a Lamb, and a Lion: so is every Christian; A Lamb, for patience in suffering, and innocence of life: A Lion, for boldness in his innocence. I would so order my courage and mildness, that I may be neither Lion-like in my conversation, nor sheepish in the defence of a good cause. 37 The godly sow in tears, and reap in joy. The seedtime is commonly waterish, and lowering. I will be content with a wet Spring, so I may be sure of a clear and joyful Harvest. 38 Every man hath an Heaven and an Hell. Earth is the wicked man's Heaven; his Hell is to come: on the contrary, the godly have their Hell upon earth; where they are vexed with tentations, and afflictions, by Satan and his complices: their Heaven is above in endless happiness. If it be ill with me on earth, it is well my torment is so short, and so easy: I will not be so covetous to hope for two heavens. 39 Man, on his Deathbed hath a double prospect: which in his life-time the interposition of pleasure and miseries debarred him from. The good man looks upward, and sees heaven open, with Steven, and the glorious Angels ready to carry up his soul: The wicked man looks downward, and sees three terrible spectacles; Death, judgement, Hell, one beyond another, and all to be passed thorough by his soul. I marvel not that the godly have been so cheerful in death, that those torments, whose very sight hath overcome the beholders, have seemed easy to them. I marvel not that a wicked man is so loath to hear of death; so dejected when he feeleth sickness, and so desperate when he feeleth the pangs of death; nor that every Balaam would fain die the death of the righteous. Henceforth I will envy none, but a good man: I will pity nothing so much as the prosperity of the wicked. 40 Not to be afflicted, is a sign of weakness. For, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because he sees I can bear no more. God will not make choice of a weak Champion. When I am stronger, I will look for more: and when I sustain more, it shall more comfort me, that God finds me strong, than it shall grieve me to be pressed with an heavy affliction. 41 That the wicked have peace in themselves, is no wonder: they are as sure as Tentation can make them. No Prince makes war with his own subjects. The godly are still enemies; therefore they must look to be assaulted both by stratagems and violence. Nothing shall more joy me, than my inward quietness. A just war is a thousand times more happy, than an ill-conditioned peace. 42 Goodness is so powerful, that it can make things simply evil (namely, our sins) good to us: not good in nature, but good in the event; good, when they are done, not good to be done. Sin is so powerful, that it can turn the holiest ordinances of God into itself: but herein our sin goes beyond our goodness; That sin defiles a man or action otherwise good; but all the goodness of the world cannot justify one sin; as the holy flesh in the skirt, makes not the bread holy that toucheth it, but the unclean touching an holy thing, defileth it. I will loathe every evil for it own sake: I will do good, but not trust to it. 43 Fools measure good actions by the event after they are done; Wise men beforehand, by judgement upon the rules of reason and faith. Let me do well; let God take charge of the success. If it be well accepted, it is well; if not, my thank is with God. 44 He was never good man that amends not. For, if he were good, he must needs desire to be better. Grace is so sweet, that who ever tastes of it, must needs long after more: and if he desire it, he will endeavour it; and if he do but endeavour, God will crown it with success. God's family admitteth of no Dwarves (which are unthriving, and stand at a stay) but men of measures. What ever become of my body, or my estate, I will ever labour to find somewhat added to the stature of my soul. 45 Pride is the most dangerous of all sins. For, both it is most insinuative (having crept into Heaven and Paradise) and most dangerous where it is. For, where all other Tentations are about evil, this alone is conversant only about good things; and one dram of it poisons many measures of grace. I will not be more afraid of doing good things amiss, than of being proud when I have well performed them. 46 Not only commission makes a sin. A man is guilty of all those sins he hateth not. If I cannot avoid all, yet I will hate all. 47 Prejudice is so great an enemy to truth, that it makes the mind uncapable of it. In matters of faith, I will first lay a sure ground, and then believe, though I cannot argue; holding the conclusion in spite of the premises: but in other less matters, I will not so forestall my mind with resolution, as that I will not be willing to be better informed. Neither will I say in myself, I will hold it, therefore it shall be truth: but this is truth, therefore I will hold it. I will not strive for victory, but for truth. 48 Drunkenness and Covetousness do much resemble one another. For the more a man drinks, the more he thirsteth: and the more he hath, still the more he coveteth. And for their effects, besides other, both of them have the power of transforming a man into a beast; and of all other beasts, into a Swine. The former is evident to sense: the other, though more obscure, is no more questionable. The covetous man in two things plainly resembleth a Swine; That he ever roots in the earth, not so much as looking towards heaven: That he never doth good till his death. In desiring, my rule shall be necessity of nature, or estate. In having, I will account that my good, which doth me good. 49 I acknowledge no master of Requests in Heaven, but one; Christ my Mediator. I know I cannot be so happy as not to need him; nor so miserable, that he should contemn me. I will always ask, and that of none but where I am sure to speed; but where there is so much store, that when I have had the most, I shall leave no less behind. Though numberless drops be in the Sea; yet if one be taken out of it, it hath so much the less, though insensible: but God, because he is infinite, can admit of no diminution. Therefore are men niggardly, because the more they give, the less they have: but thou, Lord, mayest give what thou wilt, without abatement of thy store. Good prayers never came weeping home: I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask. 50 I see that a fit booty many times makes a thief: and many would be proud, if they had but the common causes of their neighbours. I account this none of the least favours of God, That the world goes no better forward with me: For, I fear, if my estate were better to the world, it might be worse to God. As it is an happy necessity that enforceth to good; so is that next happy that hinders from evil. 51 It is the basest love of all others, that is for a benefit; for herein we love not another so much as ourselves. Though there were no HEAVEN, O Lord, I would love thee: Now there is one, I will esteem it, I will desire it; yet still I will love thee for thy goodness sake. Thyself is reward enough, though thou broughtest no more. 52 I see men point the field, and desperately jeopard their lives (as prodigal of their blood) in the revenge of a disgraceful word against themselves, while they can be content to hear God pulled out of Heaven with blasphemy, and not feel so much as a rising of their blood. Which argues our cold love to God, and our over-feruent affection to ourselves. In mine own wrongs, I will hold patience laudable; but in God's injuries, impious. 53 It is an hard thing to speak well; but it is harder to be well silent, so as it may be free from suspicion of affection, or sullenness, or ignorance: else loquacity; and not silence, would be a note of wisdom. Herein I will not care how little, but how well. He said well for this; Not that which is much, is well; but that which is well, is much. 54 There is nothing more odious than fruitless old age. Now (for that no tree bears fruit in Autumn, unless it blossom in the Spring) to the end that my age may be profitable, and laden with ripe fruit; I will endeavour that my youth may be studious, and flowered with the blossoms of learning and observation. 55 Revenge commonly hurts both the offerer, and sufferer: as we see in the foolish Bee (though in all other things commendable, yet herein the pattern of fond spightfulness) which in her anger inuenometh the flesh, and loseth her sting, and so life's a Drone ever after. I account it the only valour, To remit a wrong; and will applaud it to myself as right Noble and Christian, that I Might hurt, and Will not. 56 He that life's well, cannot choose but die well. For, if he die suddenly, yet he dies not unpreparedly: if by leisure, the conscience of his well-lead life makes his death more comfortable: But it is seldom seen, that he which liveth ill, dieth well. For the conscience of his former evils, his present pain, and the expectation and fear of greater, so take up his heart, that he cannot seek God. And now it is just with God, not to be sought, or not to be found, because he sought to him in his life time, and was repulsed. Whereas therefore there are usually two main cares of good men, to Live well, and Die well: I will have but this one; to Live well. 57 With God there is no free man, but his Servant, though in the Galleys: no slave, but the sinner, though in a Palace: none noble, but the virtuous, if never so basely descended: none rich, but he that possesseth God, even in rags: none wise, but he that is a fool to himself and the world: none happy, but he whom the world pities: Let me be free, noble, rich, wise, happy to God; I pass not what I am to the world. 58 When the mouth prayeth, man heareth; when the heart, God heareth. Every good prayer knocketh at heaven for a blessing: but an importunate prayer pierceth it, (though as hard as brass) and makes way for itself into the ears of the Almighty. And as it ascends lightly up, carried with the wings of faith; so it comes ever laden down again upon our heads. In my prayers my thoughts shall not be guided by my words, but my words shall follow my thoughts. 59 If that servant were condemned of evil, that gave God no more than his own, which he had received; what shall become of them that rob God of his own? If God gain a little glory by me, I shall gain more by him. I will labour so to husband the stock that God hath left in my hands, that I may return my soul better than I received it; and that he may take it better than I return it. 60 Heaven is compared to an hill; and therefore is figured by Olympus, among the Heathen; by mount Zion, in God's Book: Hell, contrariwise, to a pit. The ascent to the one is hard therefore, and the descent to the other easy and headlong: and so as if we once begin to fall, the recovery is most difficult: and not one (of many) stays till he comes to the bottom. I will be content to pant, and blow, and sweat in climbing up to heaven: as, contrarily, I will be wary of setting the first step downward towards the pit. For, as there is a jacobs' Ladder into heaven, so there are blind stairs that go winding down into death, whereof each makes way for other. From the object is raised an ill suggestion: suggestion draws on delight, delight consent, consent endeavour, endeavour practice, practice custom, custom excuse, excuse defence, defence obstinacy, obstinacy boasting of sin, boasting, a reprobate sense. I will watch over my ways: and do thou Lord watch over me, that I may avoid the first degrees of sin. And if those overtake my frailty, yet keep me that presumptuous sins prevail not over me. Beginnings, are with more ease and safety declined, when we are free; than proceed when we have begun. 61 It is fit for youth to learn, than teach; and for age to teach, than learn: and yet fit for an old man to learn than to be ignorant. I know I shall never know so much, that I cannot learn more; and I hope I shall never live so long, as till I be too old to learn. 62 I never loved those Salamanders, that are never well but when they are in the fire of contention. I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs, than offer one: I will suffer an hundred, rather than return one: I will suffer many ere I will complain of one, and endeavour to right it by contending. I have ever found, that to strive with my superior, is furious; with my equal, doubtful; with my inferior, sordid and base; with any, full of unquietness. 63 The praise of a good speech standeth in words and matter: Matter, which is as a fair and well-featured body; Elegance of words, which is as a neat and well-fashioned garment. Good matter, slubbered up in rude and careless words, is made loathsome to the hearer; as a good body misshapen with unhandsome clothes. Elegancy without soundness, is no better than a nice vanity. Although therefore the most hearers are like Bees, that go all to the flowers, never regarding the good herbs (that are of as wholesome use, as the other of fair show:) yet let my speech strive to be profitable; plausible, as it happens: better the coat be misshapen, than the body. 64 I see that as black and white colours to the eyes, so is the Vice and Virtue of others to the judgement of men. Vice gathers the beams of the sight in one; that the eye may see it, and be intent upon it: Virtue scatters them abroad; and therefore hardly admits of a perfect apprehension. Whence it comes to pass, that (as judgement is according to sense) we do so soon espy, and so earnestly censure a man for one vice; letting pass many laudable qualities undiscerned, or at least unacknowledged. Yea, whereas every man is once a fool, and doth that (perhaps) in one fit of his folly, which he shall at leisure repent of (as Noah, in one hours' drunkenness, uncovered those secrets, which were hid six hundred years before) the world is hereupon ready to call in question all his former integrity, and to exclude him from the hope of any future amendment. Since God hath given me two eyes; the one shall be busied about the present fault that I see, with a detesting commiseration; the other about the commendable qualities of the offender; not without an unpartial approbation of them. So shall I do God no wrong, in robbing him of the glory of his gifts, mixed with infirmities: nor yet, in the mean time, encourage Vice; while I do distinctly reserve for it a due proportion of hatred. 65 God is above man; the brute creatures under him; he set in the midst. Lest he should be proud that he hath infinite creatures under him, that One is infinite degrees above him. I do therefore owe awe unto God; mercy to the inferior creatures: knowing, that they are my fellows, in respect of creation; whereas there is no proportion betwixt me, and my Maker. 66 One said, It is good to inure thy youth to speak well; for good speech is many times drawn into the affection: But, I would fear, that speaking well without feeling, were the next way to procure an habitual hypocrisy. Let my good words follow good affections; not go before them. I will therefore speak as I think: but withal, I will labour to think well; and then I know, I cannot but speak well. 67 When I consider my soul, I could be proud, to think of how divine a nature and quality it is: but when I cast down mine eyes to my body (as the Swan to her black legs) and see what loathsome matter issues from the mouth, nostrils, cares, pores, and other passages, and how most carrion-like of all other creatures it is after death; I am justly ashamed to think, that so excellent a guest dwells but in a mere cleanly dunghill. 68 Every worldling is a mad man. For, beside that he preferreth profit and pleasure to Virtue, the World to God, Earth to Heaven, Time to Eternity; he pampers the body, and starves the soul. He feeds one Fowl an hundred times, that it may feed him but once; and seeks all Lands and Seas for dainties, not caring whether any, or what repast he provideth for his soul. He the body with all rich ornaments, that it may be as fair without, as it is filthy within; whilst his soul goes bare and naked, having not a tag of knowledge to cover it. Yea, he cares not to destroy his soul, to please the body; when for the salvation of the soul, he will not so much as hold the body short of the least pleasure. What is, if this be not, a reasonable kind of madness? Let me enjoy my soul no longer, than I prefer it to my body. Let me have a deformed, lean, crooked, unhealthful, neglected body; so that I may find my soul sound, strong, well furnished, well disposed both for earth and heaven. 69 Asa was sick but of his feet, fare from the heart: yet because he sought to the Physicians, not to God, he escaped not. Ezechiah was sick to die: yet because he trusted to God, not to Physicians, he was restored. Means, without God, cannot help: God, without means, can, and often doth. I will use good means, not rest in them. 70 A man's best monument is his virtuous actions. Foolish is the hope of immortality, and future praise, by the cost of senseless stone; when the Passenger shall only say, Here lies a fair stone, and a filthy carcase. That only can report thee rich: but for other praises, thyself must build thy monument alive; and writ thy own Epitaph in honest and honourable actions. Which are so much more noble than the other, as living men are better than dead stones: Nay, I know not if the other be not the way to work a perpetual succession of infamy, whiles the censorious Reader, upon occasion thereof, shall comment upon thy bad life: whereas in this, every man's heart is a Tomb, and every man's tongue writeth an Epitaph upon the well-behaved. Either I will procure me such a monument, to be remembered by; or else it is better to be inglorious, than infamous. 71 The basest things are ever most plentiful. History and experience tell us, that some kind of Mouse breedeth 120 young ones in one nest: whereas the Lion, or Elephant, beareth but one at once. I have ever found, The least wit, yields the most words. It is both the surest, and wisest way, to Speak little, and Think more. 72 An evil man is clay to God, wax to the Devil. God may stamp him into powder, or temper him anew; but none of his means can melt him. Contrariwise, a good man is God's wax, and Satan's clay: he relents at every look of God, but is not stirred at any tentation. I had rather bow than break, to God: but, for Satan, or the world, I had rather be broken in pieces with their violence, than suffer myself to be bowed unto their obedience. 73 It is an easy matter for a man to be careless of himself; and yet much easier to be enamoured of himself. For, if he be a Christian, whiles he contemneth the world perfectly, it is hard for him to reserve a competent measure of love to himself: if a worldling, it is not possible but he must overlove himself. I will strive for the mean of both; and so hate the world, that I may care for myself: and so care for myself, that I be not in love with the world. 74 I will hate popularity and ostentation (as ever dangerous; but most of all, in God's business) which who so affect, do as ill spokesmen; who when they are sent to woo for God, speak for themselves. I know how dangerous it is to have God my Rival. 75 Earth affords no sound contentment. For, what is there under Heaven not troublesome, besides that which is called pleasure? and, that, in the end, I find most irksome of all other. My soul shall ever look upward for joy, and downward for penitence. 76 God is ever with me, ever before me. I know, he cannot but oversee me always; though my eyes be held that I see him not: yea, he is still within me, though I feel him not: neither is there any moment, that I can live without God. Why do I not, therefore, always live with him? Why do I not account all hours lost, wherein I enjoy him not? 77 There is no man so happy as the Christian. When he looks up unto heaven, he thinks, That is my home: the God that made it, and owes it, is my Father: the Angels, more glorious in nature than myself, are my attendants: mine enemies are my vassals. Yea, those things, which are the terriblest of all to the wicked, are most pleasant to him. When he hears God thunder above his head, he thinks, This is the voice of my Father. When he remembreth the Tribunal of the last judgement, he thinks, It is my Saviour that sits in it: when death, he esteems it but as the Angel set before Paradise; which with one blow admits him to eternal joy. And (which is most of all) nothing in earth or hell can make him miserable. There is nothing in the world, worth envying, but a Christian. 78 As Man is a little world: so every Christian is a little Church within himself. As the Church, therefore, is sometimes in the wane, through persecution; other times in her full glory and brightness: so let me expect myself sometimes drooping under Tentations, and sadly hanging down the head for the want of the feeling of God's presence; at other times carried with the full sail of a resolute assurance, to heaven: knowing, that as it is a Church at the weakest stay, so shall I, in my greatest dejection, hold the Child of God. 79 Tentations on the right hand, are more perilous than those on the left; and destroy a thousand, to the others ten: as the Sun, more usually, causeth the traveller to cast off his cloak, than the wind. For, those on the left hand miscarry men but two ways: to distrust, and denial of God; more rate sins: but the other, to all the rest, wherewith men's lives are so commonly defiled. The spirit of Christians, is like the English let; whereof we read, that it is fired with water, quenched with oil. And these two, prosperity and adversity, are like heat and cold: the one gathers the powers of the soul together, and makes them abler to resist, by uniting them: the other diffuses them; and, by such separation, makes them easier to conquer. I hold it therefore as praiseworthy with God, for a man to contemn a proffered honour, or pleasure, for conscience sake; as, on the rack not to deny bis profession. When these are offered, I will not nibble at the bait; that I be not taken with the hook. 80 God is Lord of my body also: and therefore challengeth as well reverend gesture, as inward devotion. I will ever, in my prayers, either stand, as a servant, before my master; or kneel, as a subject, to my Prince. 81 I have not been in others breasts: but, for my own part, I never tasted of aught, that might deserve the name of pleasure. And, if I could, yet a thousand pleasures cannot countervail one torment: because the one may be exquisite; the other, not without composition. And, if not one torment, much less a thousand. And, it not for a moment, much less for eternity. And, if not the torment of a part, much less of the whole. For if the pain but of a tooth be so intolerable, what shall the racking of the whole body be? And; if of the body; what 〈◊〉 ●hat be, which is primarily of the soul? If there be pleasures that I hear not of, I will be wary of buying them so over-deare. 82 As Hypocrisy is a common counterfeit of all virtues: so there is no special virtue, which is not (to the very life of it) seemingly resembled, by some special vice. So, devotion is counterfeited by superstition: good thrift, by niggardliness; charity, with vainglorious pride. For, as charity is bounteous to the poor; so is vainglory to the wealthy: as charity sustains all, for truth; so pride, for a vain praise: both of them make a man courteous and affable. So the substance of every virtue is in the heart: which, since it hath not a window made into it, by the Creator of it, (but is reserved under lock and key for his own view) I will judge only by appearance. I had rather wrong myself, by credulity; than others, by unjust censures and suspicions. 83 Every man hath a kingdom within himself: Reason, as the Princess, dwells in the highest and inwardest room: the senses are the Guard and attendants on the Court; without whose aid, nothing is admitted into the Presence: The supreme faculties (as will, memory, etc.) are the Peers: The outward parts, and inward affections, are the Commons: Violent Passions are as Rebels, to disturb the common peace. I would not be a Stoic, to have no Passions: for that were to overthrew this inward government God hath erected in me; but a Christian, to order those I have. And for that I see, that as (in commotions) one mutinous person draws on more; so in passions, that one makes way for the extremity of another, (as excess of love causeth excess of grief, upon the loss of what we loved:) I will do as wise Princes use, to those they misdoubt for faction; so hold them down, and keep them bare, that their very impotency and remissness shall afford me security. 84 I look upon the things of this life, as an owner; as a stranger. As an owner, in their right; as a stranger, in their use. I see, that owning, is but a conceit, besides using: I can use (as I lawfully may) other men's commodities as my own; walk in their woods, look on their fair houses, with as much pleasure as my own; yet again, I will use my own, as if it were another's; knowing, that though I hold them by right, yet it is only by Tenure at will. 85 There is none like to Luther's three masters; Prayer, Tentation, Meditation. Tentation stirs up holy meditation: Meditation prepares to Prayer: and Prayer makes profit of Tentation; and fetcheth all divine knowledge from Heaven. Of others, I may learn the Theory of Divinity; of these only, the Practice. Other masters teach me by rote, to speak Parrot-like of heavenly things: these alone, with feeling and understanding. 86 Affectation is the greatest enemy both of doing well, and good acceptance of what is done. I hold it the part of a wise man, to endeavour rather that fame may follow him, than go before him. 87 I see a number, which, with Shimei, whiles they seek their servant, which is riches, lose their souls. No worldly thing shall draw me without the gates, within which God hath confined me. 88 It is an hard thing for a man to find weariness in pleasure, while it lasteth; or contentment in pain, while he is under it. After both (indeed) it is easy: yet both of these must be found in both; or else we shall be drunken with pleasures, and overwhelmed with sorrow. As those, therefore, which should eat some dish over-deliciously sweet, do allay it with tart sauce, that they may not be cloyed: and those that are to receive bitter pills (that they may not be annoyed with their unpleasing taste) roll them in Sugar: So in all pleasures it is best to labour, not how to make them most delightful; but how to moderate them from excess: and in all sorrows, so to settle our hearts in true grounds of comfort, that we may not care so much for being bemoaned of others, as how to be most contented in ourselves. 89 In ways, we see Travellers choose not the fairest, and greenest, if it be either cross or contrary; but the nearest, though miry and uneven: so, in opinions, let me follow not the plausiblest, but the truest, though more perplexed. 90 Christian society is like a bundle of sticks laid together, whereof one kindles another. Solitary men have fewest provocations to evil; but again fewest incitations to good. So much, as doing good, is better than not doing evil, will I account Christian good fellowship better than an Eremitish and melancholic solitariness. 91 I had rather confess my ignorance, than falsely profess knowledge. It is no shame, not to know all things; but it is a just shame to overreach in any thing. 92 Sudden extremity is a notable trial of faith, or any other disposition of the soul. For as in a sudden fear, the blood gathers to the heart, for guarding of that part which is principal: so the powers of the soul combine themselves in an hard exigent, that they may be easily judged of. The faithful (more suddenly than any casualty) can lift up his heart to his stay in Heaven: Whereas the worldling stands amazed, and distraught with the evil; because he hath no refuge to fly unto. For, not being acquainted with God in his peace, how should he but have him to seek in his extremity? When therefore some sudden stitch girds me in the side, like to be the messenger of death; or when the sword of my enemy, in an unexpected assault, threatens my body; I will seriously note how I am affected: so the suddennest evil, as it shall not come unlooked for, shall not go away vnthought of. If I find myself courageous, and heavenly-minded, I will rejoice in the truth of God's grace in me; knowing that one dram of tried faith, is worth a whole pound of speculative; and that, which once stood by me, will never fail me: If dejected, and heartless, herein I will acknowledge cause of humiliation; and, with all care and earnestness, seek to store myself against the dangers following. 93 The Rules of civil policy may well be applied to the mind. As therefore for a Prince, that he may have good success against either Rebels, or foreign enemies, it is a sure axiom, Divide and Rule: but when he is once seated in the Throne over loyal subjects, Unite and Rule: so, in the regiment of the soul, there must be variance set in the judgement, and the conscience and affections; that that which is amiss may be subdued: but, when all parts are brought to order, it is the only course to maintain their peace; that, all seeking to establish and help each other, the whole may prosper. Always to be at war, is desperate: always at peace, secure, and over-epicure-like. I do account a secure peace, a just occasion of this civil dissension in myself; and a true Christian peace, the end of all my secret wars: which when I have achieved, I shall reign with comfort; and never will be quiet, till I have achieved it. 94 I brought sin enough with me into the world to repent of all my life, though I should never actually sinne: and sin enough actually every day, to sorrow for, though I had brought none with me into the world: but, laying both together, my time is rather too short for my repentance. It were madness in me to spend my whole life in jollity and pleasure, whereof I have so small occasion; and neglect the opportunity of my so just sorrow: especially, since before I came into the World, I sinned; after I am gone out of the World, the contagion of my sin past, shall add to the guilt of it: yet, in both these estates, I am uncapable of repentance. I will do that while I may, which, when I have neglected, is unrecoverable. 95 Ambition is torment enough for an enemy. For, it affords as much discontentment in enjoying, as in want; making men like poisoned rats: which when they have tasted of their bane, cannot rest, till they drink; and then can much less rest, till their death. It is better for me to live in the wise men's stocks, in a contented want; than in a fool's Paradise, to vex myself with wilful unquietness. 96 It is not possible but a conceited man must be a fool. For, that overweening opinion he hath of himself, excludes all opportunity of purchasing knowledge. Let a vessel be once full of never so base liquor, it will not give room to the costliest; but spills beside, whatsoever is infused. The proud man, though he be empty of good substance, yet is full of conceit. Many men had proved wise, if they had not so thought themselves. I am empty enough to receive knowledge enough; Let me think myself but so bare as I am, and more I need not. O Lord, do thou teach me how little, how nothing I have; and give me no more, than I know I want. 97 Every man hath his turn of sorrow: whereby (some more, some less) all men are in their times miserable. I never yet could meet with the man that complained not of somewhat. Before sorrow come, I will prepare for it: when it is come, I will welcome it: when it goes, I will take but half a farewell of it; as still expecting his return. 98 There be three things that follow an injury so fare as it concerneth ourselves; (for, as the offence toucheth God, it is above our reach) Revenge, Censure, Satisfaction; which must be remitted of the merciful man. Yet not all at all times: but Revenge always, leaving it to him that can, and will do it: Censure oft times; Satisfaction sometimes. He that deceives me oft, though I must forgive him; yet charity binds me not, not to censure him for untrusty: and he, that hath endamaged me much, cannot plead breach of charity, in my seeking his restitution. I will so remit wrongs, as I may not encourage others to offer them; and so retain them, as I may not induce God to retain mine to him. 99 Garments that have once one rent in them, are subject to be torn on every nail, and every briar; and glasses, that are once cracked, are soon broken: such is man's good name once tainted with just reproach. Next to the approbation of God, and the testimony of mine own conscience, I will seek for a good reputation amongst men: not by close carriage, concealing faults, that they may not be known to my shame: but avoiding all vices, that I may not deserve it. The efficacy of the agent, is in the patiented well disposed. It is hard for me ever to do good, unless I be reputed good. 100 Many vegetable, and many brute creatures exceed man in length of age. Which hath opened the mouths or Heathen Philosophers to accuse Nature, as a stepmother to Man; who hath given him the least time to live, that only could make use of his time, in getting knowledge. But herein Reiigion doth most mangnifie GOD, in his wisdom and justice; teaching us, that other creatures live long, and perish to nothing, only Man recompenses the shortness of his life, with eternity after it; that the sooner he dies well, the sooner he comes to perfection of knowledge, which he might in vain seek below: the sooner he dies ill, the less hurt he doth with his knowledge. There is great reason then, why man should live long; greater, why he should die early. I will never blame God, for making me too soon happy; for changing my ignorance, for knowledge; my corruption, for immortality; my infirmities, for perfection. Come Lord jesus, come quickly. FINIS. MEDITATIONS AND VOWS, DIVINE AND MORAL. THE SECOND CENTVRY. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT VIRTUOUS AND WORSHIPFUL LADY, THE Lady DRURY, all increase of Grace. MADAM, I know your Christian ingenuity such, that you will not grudge others the communication of this your private right: which yet I durst not have presumed to adventure, if I feared that either the benefit of it would be less, or the acceptation. Now it shall be no less yours: only it shall be more known to be yours. Vouchsafe therefore to take part with your worthy Husband, of these my simple Meditations. And if your long and gracious experience have written you a larger volume of wholesome laws, and better informed you by precepts fetched from your own feeling, than I can hope for, by my bare speculation: yet where these my not unlikely rules shall accord with yours, let your redoubled assent allow them, and they confirm it. I made them not for the eye, but for the heart: neither do I commend them to your reading, but your practice: wherein also it shall not be enough that you are a mere and ordinary agent, but that you be a pattern propounded unto others imitation. So shall your virtuous and holy progress, besides your own peace and happiness, be my Crown and rejoicing, in the Day of our common appearance. Halsted. Decemb. 4. Your L. humbly devoted, IOS. HALL.. MEDITATIONS AND VOWS. 1 A Man under God's affliction, is like a bird in a net; the more he striveth, the more he is entangled. God's Decree cannot be eluded with impatience. What I cannot avoid, I will learn to bear. 2 I find, that all worldly things require a long time in getting; and afford a short pleasure in enjoying them. I will not care much, for what I have; nothing, for what I have not. 3 I see natural bodies forsake their own place and condition, for the preservation of the whole; but of all other creatures, Man; and of all other Men, Christians have the least interest in themselves. I will live, as given to others, lent only to myself. 4 That which is said of the Elephant, that being guilty of his deformity, he cannot abide to look on his own face in the water (but seeks for troubled and muddy channels) we see well moralised, in men of evil conscience, who know their souls are so filthy, that they dare not so much as view them; but shift off all checks of their former iniquity, with vain excuses of good-fellowship. Whence it is, that every small reprehension so galls them; because it calls the eye of the soul home to itself, and makes them see a glimpse of what they would not. So have I seen a foolish and timorous Patient, which knowing his wound very deep, would not endure the Chirurgeon to search it: whereon what can ensue, but a festering of the part, and a danger of the whole body? So I have seen many prodigal wasters run so fare in books, that they cannot abide to hear of reckoning. It hath been an old and true Proverb, Oft and even reckonings make long friends: I will oft sum my estate with God; that I may know what I have to expect, and answer for. Neither shall my score run on so long with God, that I shall not know my debts, or fear an Audit, or despair of pardon. 5 I account this body, nothing, but a close prison to my soul; and the earth a larger prison to my body. I may not break prison, till I be loosed by death: but I will leave it, not unwillingly, when I am loosed. 6 The common fears of the World are causeless, and ill placed. No man fears to do ill; every man to suffer ill: wherein, if we consider it well, we shall find that we fear our best friends. For my part, I have learned more of God and of myself, in one week's extremity, than all my whole life's prosperity had taught me afore. And, in reason and common experience, prosperity usually makes us forget our death: adversity, on the other side, makes us neglect our life. Now (if we measure both of these, by their effects) forgetfulness of death makes us secure: neglect of this life makes us careful of a better. So much therefore as neglect of life is better than forgetfulness of death; and watchfulness better than security: so much more beneficial will I esteem adversity, than prosperity. 7 Even grief itself is pleasant to the remembrance, when it is once past: as joy is, whiles it is present. I will not therefore in my conceit, make any so great difference betwixt joy and grief: sith grief past, is joyful; and long expectation of joy, is grievous. 8 Every sickness is a little death. I will be content to die oft, that I may die once well. 9 Oft times those things which have been sweet in opinion, have proved bitter in experience. I will therefore ever suspend my resolute judgement, until the trial and event: in the mean while I will fear the worst, and hope the best. 10 In all divine and moral good things, I would fain keep that I have, and get that I want. I do not more loath all other covetousness, than I affect this. In all these things alone, I profess never to have enough. If I may increase them, therefore, either by labouring, or begging, or usury, I shall leave no means unattempted. 11 Some children are of that nature, that they are never well, but while the rod is over them: such am I to God; Let him beat me, so he amend me: let him take all away from me, so he give me himself. 12 There must not be one uniform proceeding with all men, in reprehension: but that must according to the disposition of the reproved. I have seen some men as thorns, which easily touched, hurt not; but if hard and unwarily, fetch blood of the hand: others, as nettles, which if they be nicely handled, sting and prick; but if hard and roughly pressed, are pulled up without harm. Before I take any man in hand, I will know whether he be a thorn, or a nettle. 13 I will account no sin little; since there is not the least, but works out the death of the soul. It is all one, whether I be drowned in the ebber shore, or in the midst of the deep Sea. 14 It is a base thing to get goods, to keep them. I see that God (which only is infinitely rich) holdeth nothing in his own hands, but gives all to his creatures. But, if we will needs lay up, where should we rather repose it, than in Christ's treasury? The poor man's hand is the treasury of Christ. All my superfluity shall be there hoarded up, where I know it shall be safely kept, and surely returned me. 15 The School of God, and Nature, require two contrary manners of proceeding. In the School of Nature, we must conceive, and then believe: in the School of God, we must first believe, and then we shall conceive. He that believes no more than he conceives, can never be a Christian; nor he a Philosopher, that assents without reason. In Nature's School, we are taught to bolt out the truth, by Logical discourse: God cannot endure a Logician. In his School, he is the best Scholar, that reasons least, and assents most. In divine things, what I may I will conceive: the rest I will believe and admire. Not a curious head, but a credulous and plain heart, is accepted with God. 16 No worldly pleasure hath any absolute delight in it: but as a Bee, having honey in the mouth, hath a sting in the tail. Why am I so foolish, to rest my heart upon any of them? and not rather labour to aspire to that one absolute Good, in whom is nothing savouring of grief, nothing wanting to perfect happiness? 17 A sharp reproof I account better than a smooth deceit. Therefore when my friend checks me. I will respect it with thankfulness: when others flatter me, I will suspect it, and rest in mine own censure of myself; who should be more privy (and less partial) to my own deservings. 18 Extremity distinguisheth friends: Worldly pleasures, like Physicians, give us over when once we lie a dying; and yet the deathbed had most need of comforts: Christ jesus standeth by his, in the pangs of death; and after death at the bar of judgement; not leaving them either in their bed, or grave. I will use them therefore to my best advantage; not trust them. But for thee, O my Lord, which in mercy and truth canst not fail me, (whom I have found ever faithful and present in all extremities) Kill me, yet will I trust in thee. 19 We have heard of so many thousand generations passed, and we have seen so many hundreds die within our knowledge; that I wonder any man can make account to live one day. I will die daily. It is not done before the time, which may be done at all times. 20 Desire oft times makes us unthankful. For, who so hopes for that he hath not, usually forgets that which he hath. I will not suffer my heart to rove after high or impossible hopes; lest I should, in the mean time, contemn present benefits. 21 In hoping well, in being ill, and fearing worse, the life of man is wholly consumed. When I am ill, I will live in hope of better: when well, in fear of worse: neither will I, at any time, hope without fear; lest I should deceive myself with too much confidence (wherein evil shall be so much more unwelcome and intolerable, because I looked for good) nor, again, fear without hope; lest I should be overmuch dejected: nor do either of them, without true contentation. 22 What is man, to the whole earth? What is earth to the heaven? What is heaven, to his Maker? I will admire nothing in itself; but all things in God, and God in all things. 23 There be three usual causes of ingratitude, upon a benefit received: Envy, Pride, Covetousness: Envy, looking more at others benefits, than our own; Pride, looking more at ourselves, than the benefit; Covetousness, looking more at what we would have, than what we have. In good turns, I will neither respect the giver, nor myself, nor the gift, nor others; but only the intent and good will from whence it proceeded. So shall I requite others great pleasures, with equal good will, and accept of small favours, with great thankfulness. 24 Whereas the custom of the world is, to hate things present, to desire future, and magnify what is past; I will contrarily esteem that which is present, best. For, both whar is past, was once present; and what is future, will be present: future things next, because they are present in hope; what is past, least of all, because it cannot be present: yet somewhat because it was. 25 We pity the folly of the Lark, which (while it playeth with the feather, and stoopeth to the glass) is caught in the Fowler's net: and yet cannot see ourselves alike made fools by Satan; who, deluding us by the vain feathers and glasses of the world, suddenly enwrappeth us in his snares. We see not the nets indeed; it is too much that we shall feel them, and that they are not so easily escaped after, as before avoided. O Lord, keep thou mine eyes from beholding vanity. And though mine eyes see it, let not my heart stoop to it, but loathe it afar off. And, if I stoop at any time, and be taken, set thou my soul at liberty: that I may say, My soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler; the snare is broken, and I am delivered. 26 In suffering evil, to look to secondary causes, without respect to the highest, maketh impatience. For so we bite at the stone, and neglect him that threw it. If we take a blow at our equal, we return it with usury: if of a Prince, we repine not. What matter is it, if God kill me, whether he do it by an Ague, or by the hand of a Tyrant? Again, in expectation of good, to look to the first cause, without care of the second, argues idleness, and causeth want. As we cannot help ourselves, without God: so God will not ordinarily help us, without ourselves. In both, I will look up to God, without repining at the means in one, or trusting them in the other. 27 If my money were another man's, I could but keep it: only the expending shows it my own. It is greater glory, comfort, and gain, to lay it out well, than to keep it safely. God hath made me, not his Treasurer, but his Steward. 28 Augustine's friend, Nebridius, not unjustly hated a short answer, to a weighty and difficult question; because the disquisition of great truths requires time, and the determining is perilous: I will as much hate a tedious and farre-fetched answer to a short and easy question. For, as that other wrongs the truth, so this the hearer. 29 Performance is a binder. I will request no more favour of any man than I must needs. I will rather choose to make an honest shift, than overmuch enthrall myself, by being beholding. 30 The World is a Stage; every man an actor, and plays his part here, either in a Comedy, or Tragedy. The good man is a Comedian; which (however he gins) ends merrily: but the wicked man acts a Tragedy; and therefore ever ends in horror. Thou seest a wicked man vaunt himself on this stage: stay till the last Act, and look to his end (as David did) and see whether that be peace. Thou wouldst make strange Tragedies, if thou wouldst have but one Act. Who sees an Ox, grazing in a fat and rank pasture, and thinks not that he is near to the slaughter? whereas the lean beast, that toils under the yoke, is fare enough from the Shambles. The best wicked man cannot be so envied in his first shows, as he is pitiable in the conclusion. 31 Of all objects of Beneficence, I will choose either an old man, or a child; because these are most out of hope to requite. The one forgets a good turn: the other life's not to repay it. 32 That, which Pythagoras said of Philosophers, is more true of Christians: (for, Christianity is nothing but a divine and better Philosophy.) Three sorts of men come to the Market: buyers, sellers, lookers on. The two first are both busy, and carefully distracted about their Market: only the third live happily; using the world as if they used it not. 33 There be three things, which of all other I will never strive for: the wall, the way, the best seat. If I deserve well, a low place cannot disparage me so much as I shall grace it: if not, the height of my place shall add to my shame; whiles every man shall condemn me of pride matched with unworthiness. 34 I see there is not so much difference betwixt a man and a beast, as betwixt a Christian, and a natural man. For, whereas man life's but one life of reason, above the beast; a Christian lives four lives, above a natural man: The life of inchoate regeneration, by grace; the perfect life of imputed righteousness; the life of glory begun, in the separation of the soul; the life of perfect glory, in the society of the body, with the soul in full happiness: The worst whereof is better by many degrees, than the best life of a natural man. For whereas the dignity of the life is measured, by the cause of it, (in which regard the life of the plant is basest, because it is but from the juice, arising from the root, administered by the earth: the life of the bruit creature better than it, because it is sensitive: of a man better than it, because reasonable) and the cause of this life, is the Spirit of God; so fare as the Spirit of God is above reason, so fare doth a Christian exceed a mere naturalist. I thank God much that he hath made me a man; but more, that he hath made me a Christian: without which, I know not whether it had been better for me to have been a beast, or not to have been. 35 Great men's favours, friends promises, and dead men's shoes, I will esteem, but not trust to. 36 It is a fearful thing to sin; more fearful to delight in sin; yet worse than worst, to boast of it. If therefore I cannot avoid sin, because I am a man; yet I will avoid the delight, defence and boasting of sin, because I am a Christian. 37 Those things which are most eagerly desired, are most hardly both gotten and kept; God commonly crossing our desires, in what we are over-feruent. I will therefore account all things, as too good to have, so nothing too dear to lose. 38 A true friend is not borne every day. It is best to be courteous to all, entire with few. So may we (perhaps) have less cause of joy: I am sure, less occasion of sorrow. 39 Secrecies, as they are a burden to the mind, ere they be uttered: so are they no less charge to the receiver, when they are uttered. I will not long after more inward secrets, lest I should procure doubt to myself, and jealous fear to the discloser: But as my mouth shall be shut with fidelity, not to blab them; so mine ear shall not be too open to receive them. 40 As good Physicians, by one receipt, make way for another: so is it the safest course in practice: I will reveal a great secret to none, but whom I have found faithful in less. 41 I will enjoy all things in God, and God in all things; nothing in itself: So shall my joys neither change, nor perish. For how ever the things themselves may alter, or fade: yet he, in whom they are mine, is ever like himself, constant, and everlasting. 42 If I would provoke myself to contentation, I will cast down mine eyes to my inferiors; and there see better men in worse condition: if to humility, I will cast them up to my betters; and so much more deject myself to them, by how much more I see them thought worthy to be respected of others, and deserve better in themselves. 43 True virtue rests in the conscience of itself either for reward, or censure. If therefore I know myself upright, false rumours shall not daunt me: if not answerable to the good report of my favourers, I will myself find the first fault, that I may prevent the shame of others. 44 I will account virtue the best riches, knowledge the next, riches the worst; and therefore will labour to be virtuous and learned, without condition: as for riches, if they fall in my way, I refuse them not; but if not, I desire them not. 45 An honest word I account better, than a careless oath. I will say nothing but what I dare swear, and will perform. It is a shame for a Christian to abide his tongue a false servant, or his mind a lose mistress. 46 There is a just and easy difference to be put betwixt a friend and an enemy; betwixt a familiar, and a friend; and much good use to be made of all: but, of all, with discretion. I will disclose myself no whit to my enemy, somewhat to my friend, wholly to no man; lest I should be more others, than mine own. Friendship is brittle stuff. How know I, whether he that love's me, may not hate me hereafter? 47 No man, but is an easy judge of his own matters; and lookers on oftentimes see the more. I will therefore submit myself to others, in what I am reproved: but in what I am praised, only to myself. 48 I will not be so merry, as to forget God; nor so sorrowful, to forget myself. 49 As nothing makes so strong and mortal hostility, as discord in religions: so nothing in the world unites men's hearts so firmly, as the bond of faith. For, whereas there are three grounds of friendship, Virtue, Pleasure, Profit; and by all confessions, that is the surest, which is upon Virtue: it must needs follow, that what is grounded on the best, and most heavenly Virtue, must be the fastest: which, as it unites man to God so inseparably, that no tentations, no torments, not all the gates of Hell can sever him; so it unites one Christian soul to another so firmly, that no outward occurrences, no imperfections in the party loved, can dissolve them. If I love not the child of God (for his own sake, for his Father's sake) more than my friend (for my commodity, or my kinsman for blood) I never received any spark of true heavenly love. 50 The good duty, that is deferred upon a conceit of present unfitness, at last grows irksome; and thereupon altogether neglected. I will not suffer my heart to entertain the least thought of loathness towards the task of devotion, wherewith I have stinted myself: but violently break thorough any motion of unwillingness; not without a deep check to myself, for my backwardness. 51 Hearing is a sense of great apprehension; yet fare more subject to deceit, than seeing: not in the manner of apprehending, but in the uncertainty of the object. Words are vocal interpreters of the mind; actions, real: and therefore how ever both should speak according to the truth of what is in the heart; yet words do more belie the heart, than actions. I care not what words I hear, when I see deeds. I am sure, what a man doth, he thinketh: not so always, what he speaketh. Though I will not be so severe a censor, that, for some few evil acts, I should condemn a man of false-heartedness: yet, in common course of life I need not be so mopish, as not to believe rather the language of the hand, than of the tongue. He, that says well, and doth well, is without exception commendable: but, if one of these must be severed from the other, I like him well, that doth well, and saith nothing. 52 That, which they say of the Pelican, that when the Shepherds, in desire to catch her, lay fire not fare from her nest; which she finding, and fearing the danger of her young, seeks to blow out with her wings, so long till she burn herself and makes herself a prey, in an unwise pity to her young; I see morally verified in experience, of those which indiscreetly meddling with the flame of dissension kindled in the Church, rather increase than quench it; rather fire their own wings than help others. I had rather bewail the fire afar off, than stir in the coals of it. I would not grudge my ashes to it, if those might abate the burning: but, since I see this is daily increased with partaking, I will behold it with sorrow; and meddle no otherwise than by prayers to God, and entreaties to men; seeking my own safety, and the peace of the Church, in the freedom of my thought, and silence of my tongue. 53 That which is said of Lucillaes' faction, that anger bred it, pride fostered it, and covetousness confirmed it, is true of all Schisms, though with some inversion. For, the most are bred through pride, (whiles men, upon an high conceit of themselves, scorn to go in the common road, and affect singularity in opinion) are confirmed through anger, (whiles they stomach and grudge any contradiction) and are nourished through covetousness, whiles they seek ability to bear out their part. In some others again, covetousness obtains the first place, anger the second, pride the last. Herein therefore I have been always wont to commend and admire the humility of those great and profound wits, whom depth of knowledge hath not lead to by-paths in judgement; but (walking in the beaten path of the Church) have bend all their forces to the establishment of received truths: accounting it greater glory to confirm an ancient verity, than to device a new opinion (though never so profitable) unknown to their predecessors. I will not reject a truth, for mere novelty: (Old truths may come newly to light; neither is God tied to times, for the gift of his illumination) but I will suspect a novel opinion, of untruth; and not entertain it, unless it may be deduced from ancient grounds. 54 The ear and the eye are the minds receivers; but the tongue is only busied in expending the treasure received. If therefore the revenues of the mind be uttered as fast, or faster than they are received; it cannot be, but that the mind must needs be held bare, and can never lay up for purchase. But, if the receivers take in still with no utterance, the mind may soon grow a burden to itself, and unprofitable to others. I will not lay up too much, and utter nothing, lest I be covetous: nor spend much, and store up little, lest I be prodigal and poor. 55 It is a vainglorious flattery for a man to praise himself: An envious wrong to detract from others. I will therefore speak no ill of others, no good of myself. 56 That which is the misery of Travellers, to find many Oasts, and few friends, is the estate of Christians in their pilgrimage to a better life. Good friends may not, therefore, be easily forgone: neither must they be used as suits of apparel; which when we have worn threadbare, we cast off, and call for new. Nothing, but death or villainy, shall divorce me from an old friend; but still I will follow him so fare, as is either possible or honest: and then I will leave him, with sorrow. 57 True friendship necessarily requires Patience. For there is no man, in whom I shall not mislike somewhat, and who shall not, as justly, mislike somewhat in me. My friends faults therefore, if little, I will swallow and digest; if great, I will smother them: however, I will wink at them to others; but, lovingly notify them to himself. 58 Injuries hurt not more in the receiving, than in the remembrance. A small injury shall go as it comes: a great injury may dine or sup with me; but none at all shall lodge with me. Why should I vex myself, because another hath vexed me? 59 It is good dealing with that, over which we have the most power. If my state will not be framed to my mind, I will labour to frame my mind to my estate. 60 It is a great misery to be either always, or never alone: society of men hath not so much gain as distraction. In greatest company I will be alone to myself: in greatest privacy, in company with God. 61 Grief for things past that cannot be remedied, and care for things to come that cannot be prevented, may easily hurt, can never benefit me. I will therefore commit myself to God in both, and enjoy the present. 62 Let my estate be never so mean, I will ever keep myself rather beneath, than either level or above it. A man may rise when he will, with honour: but cannot fall without shame. 63 Nothing doth so befool a man, as extreme passion. This doth both make them fools, which otherwise are not; and show them to be fools, that are so. Violent passions, if I cannot tame them, that they may yield to my ease; I will at least smother them by concealment, that they may not appear to my shame. 64 The mind of man, though infinite in desire, yet is finite in capacity. Since I cannot hope to know all things, I will labour first to know what I needs must, for their use: next, what I best may, for their convenience. 65 Though time be precious to me (as all irrevocable good things deserve to be) and of all other things, I would not be lavish of it; yet I will account no time lost, that is either lent to, or bestowed upon my friend. 66 The practices of the best men are more subject to error than their speculations. I will honour good examples: but I will live by good precepts. 67 As charity requires forgetfulness of evil deeds: so patience requites forgetfulness of evil accidents. I will remember evils past, to humble me; not to vex me. 68 It is both a misery and a shame for a man to be a Bankrupt in love: which he may easily pay, and be never the more impoverished. I will be in no man's debt, for good will: but will at least return every man his own measure, if not with usury. It is much better to be a Creditor, than a Debtor, in any thing; but especially of this: yet of this I will so be content to be a Debtor, that I will always be paying it where I own it; and yet never will have so paid it, that I shall not owe it more. 69 The Spanish Proverb is too true; Dead men and absent find no friends. All mouths are boldly opened, with a conceit of impunity. My ear shall be no grave to bury my friends good name. But as I will be my present friends self; So will I be my absent friends deputy; to say for him what he would (and cannot) speak for himself. 70 The loss of my friend, as it shall moderately grieve me; so it shall another way much benefit me, in recompense of his want: for it shall make me think more often, and seriously of earth, and of heaven. Of earth, for his body which is reposed in it: Of Heaven, for his soul which possesseth it before me: Of earth, to put me in mind of my like frailty and mortality: Of Heaven, to make me desire, and (after a sort) emulate his happiness and glory. 71 Variety of objects is wont to cause distraction: when again a little one, laid close to the eye (if but of a penny breadth) wholly takes up the sight; which could else see the whole half Heaven at once. I will have the eyes of my mind ever forestalled, and filled with those two objects; the shortness of my life, eternity after death. 72 I see that he is more happy, that hath nothing to lose, than he that loseth that which he hath. I will therefore neither hope for riches, nor fear poverty. 73 I care not so much in any thing for multitude, as for choice. Books and friends I will not have many: I had rather seriously converse with a few, than wander amongst many. 74 The wicked man is a very coward, and is afraid of every thing. Of God; because he is his enemy: of Satan, because he is his tormentor: of God's creatures, because they (joining with their Maker) fight against him: of himself, because he bears about him his own accuser and executioner. The godly man contrarily, is afraid of nothing. Not of God, because he knows him his best friend, and therefore will not hurt him: not of Satan, because he cannot hurt him: not of afflictions, because he knows they proceed from a loving God, and end to his own good: not of the creatures, since the very stones of the field are in league with him: not of himself, since his conscience is at peace. A wicked man may be secure, because he knows not what he hath to fear; or desperate, through extremity of fear: but, truly courageous he cannot be. Faithlesness cannot choose but be falsehearted. I will ever, by my courage, take trial of my faith. By how much more I fear, by so much less I believe. 75 The godly man life's hardly, and (like the Ant) toils here, during the Summer of his peace, holding himself short of his pleasures, as looking to provide for an hard Winter. Which, when it comes, he is able to wear it out comfortably: whereas the wicked man doth prodigally lash out all his joys, in the time of his prosperity; and (like the Grasshopper) singing merrily all Summer, is starved in Winter. I will so enjoy the present, that I will lay up more for hereafter. 76 I have wondered oft, and blushed for shame, to read in mere Philosophers (which had no other Mistress, but Nature) such strange resolution in the contempt of both fortunes (as they call them:) such notable precepts for a constant settledness and tranquillity of mind; and to compare it with my own disposition, and practice: whom I have found too much drooping and dejected under small crosses; and easily again carried away with little prosperity: To see such courage and strength to contemn death, in those which thought they wholly perished in death; and to find such faintheartedness in myself, at the first conceit of death, who yet am thoroughly persuaded of the future happiness of my soul. I have the benefit of nature as well as they; besides infinite other helps that they wanted. Oh the dulness and blindness of us unworthy Christians! that suffer Heathens, by the dim candlelight of Nature, to go further than we by the clear Sun of the Gospel: that an indifferent man could not tell by our practice, whether were the Pagan. Let me never for shame account myself a Christian, unless my Art of Christianity have imitated and gone beyond nature, so fare, that I can find the best Heathen as fare below me in true resolution, as the vulgar sort were below them. Else, I may shame Religion; it can neither honest nor help me. 77 If I would be irreligious and unconscionable, I would make no doubt to be rich. For if a man will defraud, dissemble, forswear, bribe, oppress, serve the time, make use of all men for his own turn, make no scruple of any wicked action for his advantage; I cannot see how he can escape wealth and preferment. But for an upright man to rise, is difficult: while his conscience straightly curbs him in, from every unjust action; and will not allow him to advance himself by indirect means. So riches come seldom easily, to a good man; seldom hardly, to the consciencelesse. Happy is that man that can be rich with truth, or poor with contentment. I will not envy the gravel, in the unjust man's throat. Of riches let me never have more, than an honest man can bear away. 78 God is the God of order, not of confusion. As therefore, in natural things, he useth to proceed from one extreme to another by degrees, through the mean: so doth he in spiritual. The Sun riseth not at once to his highest, from the darkness of midnight; but first sends forth some feeble glimmering of light in the dawning; then looks out with weak and waterish beams; and so by degrees ascends to the midst of heaven. So in the seasons of the year, we are not one day scorched with a Summer heat; and on the next, frozen with a sudden extremity of cold. But Winter comes on softly; first, by cold dews, then hoar frosts; until at last it descend to the hardest weather of all; such are Gods spiritual proceed: He never brings any man from the estate of sin, to the estate of glory, but through the estate of grace. And as for grace, he seldom brings a man from gross wickedness to any eminence of perfection. I will be charitably jealous of those men, which from notorious lewdness leap at once into a sudden forwardness of profession. Holiness doth not, like jonas gourd, grow up in a night. I like it better, to go on, soft and sure, than for an hasty fit to run myself out of wind; and after stand still and breathe me. 79 It hath been said of old; To do well and hear ill, is princely. Which as it is most true, by reason of the envy which follows upon justice: so is the contrary no less justified, by many experiments. To do ill, and to hear well, is the fashion of many great men. To do ill, because they are borne out with the assurance of impunity: To hear well, because of abundance of Parasites; which as Ravens to a carcase, gather about great men. Neither is there any so great misery in greatness as this, that it conceals men from themselves; and when they will needs have a sight of their own actions, it shows them a false glass to look in. Meanness of stare (that I can find) hath none so great inconvenience. I am no whit sorry, that I am rather subject to contempt, than flattery. 80 There is no earthly blessing so precious, as health of body: without which, all other worldly good things are but troublesome. Neither is there any thing more difficult, than to have a good soul, in a strong and vigorous body (for, it is commonly seen, that the worse part draws away the better:) But to have an healthful and sound soul, in a weak sickly body, is no novelty; whiles the weakness of the body is an help to the foul; playing the part of a perpetual monitor, to incite it to good, and check it for evil. I will not be over-glad of health, nor over-fearefull of sickness. I will more fear the spiritual hurt, that may follow upon health, than the bodily pain, that accompanies sickness. 81 There is nothing more troublesome to a good mind, than to do nothing. For, besides the furtherance of our estate, the mind doth both delight, and better itself with exercise. There is but this difference then betwixt labour and idleness; that labour is a profitable and pleasant trouble: idleness, a trouble both unprofitable and comfortless. I will be ever doing something; that either God when he cometh, or Satan when he tempteth, may find me busied. And yet, since (as the old proverb is) better it is to be idle than effect nothing; I will not more hate doing nothing, than doing something to no purpose. I shall do good, but a while; let me strive to do it, while I may. 82 A faithful man hath three eyes: The first of sense, common to him with brute creatures: the second of reason, common to all men: the third of faith, proper to his profession: whereof each looketh beyond other; and none of them meddleth with others objects. For, neither doth the eye of sense reach to intelligible things and matters of discourse: nor the eye of reason to those things which are supernatural and spiritual: neither doth faith look down, to things that may be sensibly seen. If thou discourse to a brute beast of the depths of Philosophy, never so plainly, he understands not, because they are beyond the view of his eye, which is only of sense. If to a mere carnal man, of divine things; he perceiveth not the things of God: neither indeed can do, because they are spiritually discerned. And therefore no wonder if those things seem unlikely, incredible, impossible to him, which the faithful man (having a proportionable means of apprehension) doth as plainly see, as his eye doth any sensible thing. Tell a plain Countryman, that the Sun, or some higher or lesser star is much bigger than his Cartwheel; or, at least, so many scores bigger than the whole earth; he laughs thee to scorn, as affecting admiration, with a learned untruth. Yet the Scholar, by the eye of reason, doth as plainly see and acknowledge this truth, as that his hand is bigger than his pen. What a thick mist, yea what a palpable, and more than Egyptian darkness, doth the natural man live in! what a world is there, that he doth not see at all! and how little doth he see in this, which is his proper element! There is no bodily thing, but the brute creatures see as well as he; and some of them better. As for his eye of reason, how dim is it in those things which are best fitted to it! what one thing is there in nature, which he doth perfectly know? what herb, or flower, or worm that he treads on, is there, whose true essence he knoweth? No, not so much, as what is in his own bosom; what it is, where it is, or whence it is that gives Being to himself. But, for those things which concern the best world, he doth not so much as confusedly see them; neither knoweth whether they be. He sees no whit into the great and awful Majesty of God. He discerns him not in all his creatures, filling the world with his infinite and glorious presence. He sees not his wise providence, overruling all things, disposing all casual events, ordering all sinful actions of men to his own glory. He comprehends nothing of the beauty, majesty, power, and mercy of the Saviour of the world, sitting in his humanity at his Father's right hand. He sees not the unspeakable happiness of the glorified souls of the Saints. He sees not the whole heavenly Commonwealth of Angels (ascending and descending to the behoof of God's children) waiting upon him at all times invisibly (not excluded with closeness of prisons, nor desolateness of wildernesses) and the multitude of evil spirits passing and standing by him; to tempt him unto evil: but, like unto the foolish bird when he hath hid his head that he sees no body, he thinks himself altogether unseen; and then counts himself solitary, when his eye can meet with no companion. It was not without cause, that we call a mere fool a natural. For however worldlings have still thought Christians Gods fools, we know them the fools of the world. The deepest Philosopher that ever was (saving the reverence of the Schools) is but an ignorant sot, to the simplest Christian. For the weakest Christian may, by plain information, see somewhat into the greatest mysteries of Nature, because he hath the eye of Reason common with the best: but the best Philosopher, by all the demonstration in the world, can conceive nothing of the mysteries of godliness, because he utterly wants the eye of faith. Though my insight into matters of the world be so shallow, that my simplicity moveth pity, or maketh sport unto others; it shall be my contentment and happiness, that I see further into better matters. That which I see not, is worthless, and deserveth little better than contempt: that which I see, is unspeakable, inestimable, for comfort, for glory. 83 It is not possible for an inferior to live at peace, unless he have learned to be contemned. For the pride of his superiors, and the malice of his equals and inferiors, shall offer him continual & inevitable occasions of unquietness. As contentation is the mother of inward peace with ourselves: so is humility the mother of peace with others. For if thou be vile in thine own eyes first, it shall the less trouble thee to be accounted vile of others. So that a man of an high heart, in a low place, cannot want discontentment: whereas a man of lowly stomach, can swallow and digest contempt, without any distemper. For, wherein can he be the worse for being contemned, who out of his own knowledge of his deserts, did most of all contemn himself? I should be very improvident, if in this calling I did not look for daily contempt: wherein we are made a spectacle to the World, to Angels, and Men. When it comes, I will either embrace it, or contemn it: Embrace it, when it is within my measure; when above, contemn it. So embrace it, that I may more humble myself under it: and so contemn it, that I may not give heart to him that offers it; nor disgrace him, for whom I am contemned. 84 Christ raised three dead men to life: One, newly departed; another, on the Bear; a third, smelling in the grave: to show us, that no degree of death is so desperate, that it is past help. My sins are many, and great: yet if they were more, they are fare below the mercy of him that hath remitted them, and the value of his ransom that hath paid for them. A man hurts himself most by presumption: but we cannot do God a greater wrong, than to despair of forgiveness. It is a double injury to God, first, that we offend his justice by sinning; then, that we wrong his mercy, with despairing, etc. 85 For a man to be weary of the world through miseries that he meets with (and for that cause to covet death) is neither difficult, nor commendable; but rather argues a base weakness of mind. So it may be a cowardly part, to contemn the utmost of all terrible things, in a fear of linger misery: but for a man either living happily here on earth, or resolving to live miserably, yet to desire his removal to Heaven, doth well become a true Christian courage; and argues a noble mixture of patience and faith. Of patience, for that he can and dare abide to live sorrowfully: of faith, for that he is assured of his better Being otherwhere; and therefore prefers the absent joys he looks for, to those he feels in present: No sorrow shall make me wish myself dead, that I may not be at all. No contentment shall hinder me from wishing myself with Christ, that I may be happier. 86 It was not for nothing that the wise Creator of all things hath placed gold and silver, and all precious minerals under our feet to be trod upon, and hath hid them low in the bowels of the earth, that they cannot without great labour be either found, or gotten: whereas he hath placed the noblest part of his creation above our heads: and that so open to our view, that we cannot choose but every moment behold them. Wherein what did he else intent, but to draw away our minds from these worthless, and yet hidden treasures, (to which he foresaw we would be too much addicted) and to call them to the contemplation of those better things, which (beside their beauty) are more obvious to us, that in them we may see and admire the glory of their Maker, and withal seek our own? How do those men wrong themselves, and misconstrue God, who (as if he had hidden these things, because he would have them sought, and laid the other open for neglect) bend themselves wholly to the seeking of these earthly commodities! and do no more mind Heaven, than if there were none. If we could imagine a beast to have reason, how could he be more absurd in his choice? How easy is it to observe, that still the higher we go, the more purity and perfection we find! (So earth is the very dross and dregs of all the elements: water somewhat more pure than it; yet also more feculent than the air above it: the lower air less pure than his uppermost regions; and yet these as fare inferior to the lowest heavens: which again are more exceeded by the glorious & empyrial seat of God, which is the heaven of the just:) Yet these brutish men take up their rest, and place their felicity in the lowest and worst of all God's workmanship; not regarding that which with it own glory can make them happy. Heaven is the proper place of my soul: I will send it up thither continually in my thoughts, whiles it sojourns with me, before it go to dwell there for ever. 87 A man need not to care for more knowledge, than to know himself: he needs no more pleasure, than to content himself: no more victory, than to overcome himself: no more riches, than to enjoy himself. What fools are they that seek to know all other things, & are strangers in themselves? that seek altogether to satisfy other men's humours, with their own displeasure: that seek to vanquish Kingdoms and Countries, when they are not Masters of themselves; that have no hold of their own hearts, yet seek to be possessed of all outward commodities. Go home to thyself, first, vain heart: and when thou hast made sure work there, (in knowing, contenting, overcoming, enjoying thyself) spend all the superfluity of thy time and labour, upon others. 88 It was an excellent rule that fell from the Epicure (whose name is odious to us, for the father of looseness;) That if a man would be rich, honourable, aged, he should not strive so much to add to his wealth, reputation, years, as to detract from his desires. For certainly, in these things which stand most upon conceit, he hath the most that desireth least. A poor man that hath little, and desires no more, is in truth richer than the greatest Monarch, that thinketh he hath not what he should, or what he might, or that grieves there is no more to have. It is not necessity, but ambition, that sets men's hearts on the rack. If I have meat, drink, apparel, I will learn therewith to be content. If I had the world full of wealth beside, I could enjoy no more than I use: the rest could please me no otherwise but by looking on. And why can I not thus solace myself, while it is others? 89 An inconstant and wavering mind, as it makes a man unfit for society (for that there can be no assurance of his words, or purposes, neither can we build on them, without deceit:) so, besides that, it makes a man ridiculous, it hinders him from ever attaining any perfection in himself, (for a rolling stone gathers no moss; and the mind, while it would be every thing, proves nothing. Oft changes cannot be without loss:) Yea, it keeps him from enjoying that which he hath attained. For, it keeps him ever in work; building, pulling down, selling, changing, buying, commanding, forbidding. So, whiles he can be no other man's friend, he is the least his own. It is the safest course for a man's profit, credit, and ease, to deliberate long, to resolve surely; hardly to alter, not to enter upon that, whose end he foresee not answerable; and when he is once entered, not to furcease till he have attained the end he foresaw. So may he, to good purpose, begin a new work, when he hath well finished the old. 90 The way to Heaven, is like that which jonathan and his Armour-bearer passed, betwixt two rocks; one Bozez, the other Seneh; that is, foul and thorny: whereto we must make shift to climb on our hands and knees; but when we are come up, there is victory and triumph. God's children have three suits of apparel, (whereof two are worn daily, on earth; the third laid up for them in the Wardrobe of Heaven: They are ever either in black, mourning; in red, persecuted; or in white, glorious. Any way shall be pleasant to me, that leads unto such an end. It matters not, what rags, or what colours I wear with men; so I may walk with my Saviour in white, and reign with him in glory. 91 There is nothing more easy, than to say Divinity by rote; and to discourse of spiritual matters from the tongue or pen of others: but to hear God speak it to the soul, and to feel the power of Religion in ourselves, and to express it out of the truth of experience within, is both rare, and hard. All that we feel not in the matters of God, is but hypocrisy: and therefore the more we profess, the more we sin. It will never be well with me, till in these greatest things I be careless of others censures, fearful only of Gods, and my own: till sound experience have really catechised my heart, and made me know God, and my Saviour, otherwise than by words; I will never be quiet till I can see, and feel, and taste God: my hearing I will account as only serving to effect this, and my speech only to express it. 92 There is no enemy can hurt us, but by our own hands. Satan could not hurt us, if our own corruption betrayed us not: afflictions cannot hurt us without our own impatience: tentations cannot hurt us, without our own yeeldance: death could not hurt us, without the sting of our own sins: sin could not hurt us, without our own impenitence: how might I defy all things, if I could obtain not to be my own enemy? I love myself too much, and yet not enough. O God, teach me to wish myself but so well as thou wishest me, and I am safe. 93 It grieves me to see all other creatures so officious to their Maker in their kind: that both winds, and sea, and heaven, and earth, obey him with all readiness, that each of these hears other, and all of them their Creator, though to the destruction of themselves; and Man only is rebellious, imitating herein the evil spirits, who in the receipt of a more excellent kind of reason, are yet more perverse: hence it is, that the Prophets are oft times fain to turn their speech to the earth, void of all sense and life, from this living earth informed with reason: that only which should make us more pliable, stifneth us. God could force us, (if he pleased) but he had rather incline us by gentleness. I must stoop to his power, why do I not stoop to his will? It is a vain thing to resist his voice, whose hand we cannot resist. 94 As all natural bodies are mixed; so must all our moral disposition: no simple passion doth well. If our joy be not allayed with sorrow, it is madness: and if our sorrow be not tempered with some mixture of joy, it is hellish and desperate: if in these earthly things, we hope without all doubt, or fear without all hope, we offend on both sides; if we labour without all recreation, we grow dull and heartless: if we sport ourselves without all labour, we grow wild and unprofitable: these compositions are wholesome, as for the body, so for the mind; which though it be not of a compounded substance, as the body; yet hath much variety of qualities and affections, and those contrary to each other. I care not how simple my heavenly affections are, which the more free they are from composition, are the nearer to God: nor how compounded my earthly, which are easily subject to extremities: if joy come alone, I will ask him for his fellow; and evermore in spite of him, couple him with his contrary: that so while each are enemies to other, both may be friends to me. 95 joy and sorrow are hard to conceal: as from the countenance, so from the tongue: there is so much correspondence betwixt the heart and the tongue, that they will move at once: every man therefore speaks of his own pleasure and care: the Hunter and Falconer of his games; the Ploughman of his team; the Soldier of his march, and colours. If the heart were as full of God, the tongue could not refrain to talk of him. The rareness of Christian communication, argues the common poverty of grace. If Christ be not in our hearts, we are godless: if he be there without our joy, we are senseless: if we rejoice in him, and speak not of him, we are shamefully unthankful: every man taketh, yea raiseth occasion to bring in speech of what he liketh. As I will think of thee always, O Lord, so it shall be my joy to speak of thee often: and if I find not opportunity, I will make it. 96 When I see my Saviour hanging in so forlorn a fashion, upon the Cross; his head drooping down, his temples bleeding with thorns, his hands and feet with the nails, and side with the spear; his enemies round about him, mocking at his shame, and insulting over his impotence: how should I think any otherwise of him, than, as himself complaineth, forsaken of his Father? But when again I turn mine eyes, and see the Sun darkened, the earth quaking, the rocks rend, the graves opened, the thief confessing, to give witness to his Deity; and when I see so strong a guard of providence over him, that all his malicious enemies are not able so much as to break one bone of that body, which seemed carelessly neglected, I cannot but wonder at his glory, and safety. God is ever near, though oft unseen; and if he wink at our distress, he sleepeth not: the sense of others must not be judges of his presence, and care; but our faith: what care I, if the world give me up for miserable, whiles I am under his secret protection? O Lord, since thou art strong in our weakness, and present in our senselessness; give me but as much comfort in my sorrow, as thou givest me security, and at my worst I shall be well. 97 In sins and afflictions our course must be contrary: we must begin to detest the greatest sin first, and descend to the hatred of the least; we must first begin to suffer small afflictions with patience, that we may ascend to the endurance of the greatest. Then alone shall I be happy, when by this holy method, I have drawn my soul to make conscience of the least evil of sin, and not to shrink at the greatest evil of affliction. 98 Prescription is no plea against the King: much less can long custom plead for error against that our supreme Lord, to whom a thousand years are but as yesterday: yea, Time, which pleads voluntarily for continuance of things lawful, will take no fee, not to speak against an evil use. Hath an ill custom lasted long? it is more than time it were abrogated: age is an aggravation to sin. Heresy or abuse, if it be gray-headed, deserves sharper opposition: to say, I will do ill because I have done so, is perilous and impious presumption: continuance can no more make any wickedness safe, than the author of sin, no Devil: If I have once sinned, it is too much; if oft, woe be to me, if the iteration of my offence cause boldness, and not rather more sorrow, more detestation: woe be to me and my sin, if I be not the better because I have sinned. 99 It is strange to see the varieties and proportion of spiritual and bodily diets: there be some creatures that are fatted and delighted with poisons: others live by nothing but air; and some (they say) by fire: others will taste no water, but muddy: others feed on their fellows, or (perhaps) on part of themselves: others, on the excretions of nobler creatures: some search into the earth for sustenance, or dive into the waters; others content themselves with what the upper earth yields them without violence. All these and more, are answered in the palate of the soul: there be some (yea the most) to whom sin (which is of a most venomous nature) is both food and dainties; others, that think it the only life, to feed on the popular air of applause; others that are never well out of the fire of contentions; and that wilfully trouble all waters with their private humours and opinions; others, whose cruelty delights in oppression, and blood; yea, whose envy gnaws upon their own hearts; others, that take pleasure to revive the wicked and foul heresies of the greater wits of the former times; others, whose worldly minds root altogether in earthly cares; or who not content with the ordinary provision of doctrine, affect obscure subtleties, unknown to wiser men; others, whose too indifferent minds feed on whatever opinion comes next to hand, without any careful disquisition of truth; so some feed foul: others (but few) clean and wholesome. As there is no beast upon Earth, which hath not his like in the Sea, and which (perhaps) is not in some sort parallelled in the plants of the earth: so there is no bestial disposition, which is not answerably found in some men. Mankind therefore hath within itself his Goats, Chameleons, Salamanders, Camels, Wolves, Dogs, Swine, Moles, and whatever sorts of beasts: there are but a few men amongst men: to a wise man the shape is not so much as the qualities: If I be not a man within, in my choices, affections, inclinations; it had been better for me to have been a beast without: A beast is but like itself; but an evil man is half a beast, and half a Devil. S. 100 Forced favours are thankless; and commonly with noble minds find no acceptation; for a man to give his soul to God, when he sees he can no longer hold it: or to bestow his goods, when he is forced to departed with them: or to forsake his sin, when he cannot follow it, are but unkind and cold obediences: God sees our necessity, and scorns our compelled offers; what man of any generous spirit will abide himself made the last refuge of a craved, denied, and constrained courtesy? While God gives me leave to keep my soul, yet then to bequeathe it to him; and whiles strength and opportunity serve me to sin, then to forsake it, is both accepted and crowned: God love's neither grudged, nor necessary gifts: I will offer betimes: that he may vouchsafe to take: I will give him the best, that he may take all. O God, give me this grace, that I may give thee myself, freely, and seasonably: and then I know thou canst not but accept me, because this gift is thine own. FINIS. MEDITATIONS AND VOWS, DIVINE AND MORAL. A THIRD CENTVRY. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, SIR EDMUND BACON, Knight, increase of honour, strength of body, perfection of VIRTUE. SIR, There is no wise man would give his thoughts for all the world: which as they are the most pleasing and noble business of man, being the natural and immediate issue of that reason, whereby he is severed from brute creatures: so they are in their use most beneficial to ourselves, and others. For, by the means hereof, we enjoy both God and ourselves; and hereby we make others partners of those rich excellencies, which God hath hid in the mind. And though it be most easy and safe, for a man, with the Psalmist to commune with his own heart in silence; yet is it more behooveful to the common good, for which (both as men and Christians) we are ordained, that those thoughts, which our experience hath found comfortable and fruitful to ourselves, should (with neglect of all censures) be communicated to others. The concealment whereof (me thinks) can proceed from no other ground, but either timorousness, or envy. Which consideration hath induced me to cloth these naked thoughts in plain and simple words, and to adventure them into the light, after their fellows: Consecrating them the rather to your name, for that (besides all other respects of duty) they are part of those meditations, which in my late peregrination with you, took me up under the solitary hills of Ardenna, wanting as then the opportunity of other employment. I offer them to you not for that yourself is not stored with choice of better; but as poor men use to bring presents to the rich: If they may carry acceptation from you, and bring profit unto my soul, it shall abundantly satisfy me, who should think it honour enough, if I might be vouchsafed to bring but one pin towards the decking of the Spouse of Christ; whiles others, out of their abundance, adorn her with costly robes, and rich medals. I commend their success to God, their patronage to you, their use to the world. That God multiply his rare favours upon you, and your worthy Lady; and go you on to favour Your Worships humbly devoted, IOS. HALL.. MEDITATIONS AND VOWS. 1 GOOD men are placed by God, as so many stars in the lower firmament of the world. As they must imitate those heavenly bodies, in their light and influence; so also in their motion: and therefore as the Planets have a course proper to themselves, against the sway of the Heaven that carries them about; so must each good man have a motion out of his own judgement, contrary to the customs and opinions of the vulgar; finishing his own course with the least show of resistance. I will never affect singularity, except it be among those that are vicious. It is better to do, or think well alone, than to follow a multitude in evil. 2 What strange variety of actions doth the eye of God see at once round about the compass of the earth, and within it! Some building houses; some delving for metals; some marching in troops, or encamping one against another; some bargaining in the market; some travelling on their way; some praying in their closerts; others quaffing at the Tavern; some rowing in the Galleys; others dallying in their chambers; and in short, as many different actions as persons: yet all have one common intention of good to themselves; true in some, but in the most, imaginary. The glorified Spirits have but one uniform work, wherein they all join; The praise of their Creator. This is one difference betwixt the Saints above, and below: They above are free both from business, and distraction; these below are free (though not absolutely) from distraction, not at all from business. Paul could think of the cloak that he left at Troas; and of the shaping of his skins for his Tents: yet, thorough these he looked still at heaven. This world is made for business: my actions must vary according to occasions: my end shall be but one, and the same now on earth, that it must be one day in heaven. 3 To see how the Martyrs of God died, and the life of their persecutors, would make a man out of love with life, and out of all fear of death. They were flesh and blood, as well as we; life was as sweet to them, as to us; their bodies were as sensible of pain as ours; we go to the same heaven with them. How comes it then, that they were so courageous in abiding such torments in their death, as the very mention strikes horror into any Reader, and we are so cowardly in encountering a fair and natural death? if this valour had been of themselves, I would never have looked after them in hope of imitation. Now, I know it was he for whom they suffered, and that suffered in them, which sustained them. They were of themselves as weak as I; and God can be as strong in me as he was in them. O Lord, thou art not more unable to give me this grace; but I am more unworthy to receive it: and yet thou regardest not worthiness, but mercy. Give me their strength, and what end thou wilt. 4 Our first age is all in hope. When we are in the womb, who knows whether we shall have our right shape and proportion of body, being neither monstrous nor deformed? When we are borne, who knows whether with the due features of a man, we shall have the faculties of reason and understanding? When yet our progress in years discovereth wit or folly; who knows, whether with the power of reason we shall have the grace of faith to be Christians? and when we begin to profess well, whether it be a temporary, and seeming, or a true and saving faith? Our middle age is half in hope for the future, and half in proof for that is past: Our old age is out of hope, and altogether in proof. In our last times therefore we know, both what we have been, and what to expect. It is good for youth to look forward, and still to propound the best things unto itself; for an old man to look backward, and to repent him of that wherein he hath failed, and to recollect himself for the present: but in my middle age I will look both backward and forward; comparing my hopes with my proof; redeeming the time, ere it be all spent, that my recovery may prevent my repentance. It is both a folly and misery to say, This I might have done. 5 It is the wonderful mercy of God, both to forgive us our debts to him in our sins, and to make himself a debtor to us in his promises. So that now both ways the soul may be sure; since he neither calleth for those debts which he hath once forgiven; nor withdraweth those favours, and that heaven which he hath promised: but as he is a merciful creditor to forgive, so is he a true debtor to pay whatsoever he hath undertaken: whence it is come to pass, that the penitent sinner owes nothing to God but love and obedience, and God owes still much and all to him: for he owes as much as he hath promised; and what he owes by virtue of his blessed promise, we may challenge. O infinite mercy! He that lent us all that we have, and in whose debt-books we run hourly forward till the sum be endless; yet owes us more, and bids us look for payment. I cannot deserve the least favour he can give; yet will I as confidently challenge the greatest, as if I deserved it. Promise indebteth no less than loan or desert. 6 It is no small commendation to manage a little well. He is a good Waggoner that can turn in a narrow room. To live well in abundance, is the praise of the estate, not of the person. I will study more how to give a good account of my little, than how to make it more? 7 Many Christians do greatly wrong themselves with a dull and heavy kind of sullenness; who not suffering themselves to delight in any worldly thing, are thereupon ofttimes so heartless, that they delight in nothing. These men, like to careless guests, when they are invited to an excellent banquet, lose their dainties for want of a stomach; and lose their stomach for want of exercise. A good conscience keeps always good cheere● he cannot choose but far well that hath it, unless he lose his appetite with neglect and slothfulness. It is a shame for us Christians, not to find as much joy in God, as worldlings do in their forced merriments; and lewd wretches in the practice of their sins. 8 A wise Christian hath no enemies. Many hate and wrong him: but he love's all men, and all pleasure him. Those that profess love to him, pleasure him with the comfort of their society, and the mutual reflection of friendship: those that profess hatred, make him more wary of his ways; show him faults in himself, which his friends would either not have espied, or not censured; send him the more willingly to seek favour above; and as the worst do bestead him, though against their wills; so he again doth voluntarily good to them. To do evil for evil, as joab to Abner, is a sinful weakness. To do good for good, as Ahasuerus to Mordecai, is but natural justice: To do evil for good, as judas to Christ, is unthankfulness and villainy: Only to do good for evil, agrees with Christian profession. And what greater work of friendship, than to do good? If men will not be my friends in love, I will perforce make them my friends in a good use of their hatred. I will be their friend, that are mine, and would not be. 9 All temporal things are troublesome. For if we have good things, it is a trouble to forgo them; and when we see they must be parted from, either we wish they had not been so good, or that we never had enjoyed them. Yea, it is more trouble to lose them, than it was before joy to possess them. If contrarily, we have evil things, their very presence is troublesome; and still we wish that they were good, or that we were disburdened of them. So good things are troublesome in event, evil things in their use. They in the future, these in present: they, because they shall come to an end; these, because they do continue. Tell me, thy wife, or thy child lies dying, and now makes up a loving and dutiful life, with a kind and loving parture; whether hadst thou rather for thy own part, she had been so good, or worse? would it have cost thee so many hearty sighs and tears, if she had been perverse and disobedient? yet if in her life time I put thee to this choice, thou thinkest it no choice at all, in such inequality. It is more torment (sayest thou) to live one unquiet month, than it is pleasure to live an age in love. Or if thy life be yet dearer: Thou hast lived to grey hairs, not hastened with care, but bred with late succession of years. Thy table was ever covered with variety of dishes. Thy back softly and richly clad: Thou never gavest denial to either skin or stomach: Thou ever favouredst thyself; and health, thee. Now death is at thy threshold, and unpartially knocks at thy door, dost thou not wish thou hadst lived with crusts, and been clothed with rags? Wouldst not thou have given a better welcome to death, if he had found thee, lying upon a pallet of straw, and supping of water-gruel; after many painful nights, and many sides changed in vain? Yet this beggarly estate thou detestest in health, and pitiest in others, as truly miserable. The sum is; A beggar wisheth he might be a Monarch while he life's; and the great Potentate wisheth he had lived a beggar when he comes to die: and, if beggary be to have nothing, he shall be so in death, though he wished it not. Nothing therefore but eternity can make a man truly happy; as nothing can make perfect misery but eternity: for as temporal good things afflict us in their ending, so temporal sorrows afford us joy in the hope of their end. What folly is this in us to seek for our trouble, to neglect our happiness? I can be but well; and this that I was well, shall one day be grievous. Nothing shall please me, but that once I shall be happy for ever. 10 The eldest of our forefathers lived not so much as a day to God, to whom a thousand years is as no more; we live but as an hour to the day of our forefathers: for if nine hundred and sixty were but their day, our fourscore is but as the twelfth part of it: and yet of this our hour we live scarce a minute to God. For, take away all that time that is consumed in sleeping, dressing, feeding, talking, sporting; of that little time there can remain not much more than nothing: yet the most seek pastimes to hasten it. Those which seek to mend the pace of Time, spur a running horse. I had more need to redeem it with double care and labour, than to seek how to sell it for nothing. 11 Each day is a new life, and an abridgement of the whole. I will so live, as if I counted every day my first, and my last: as if I began to live but then, and should live no more afterwards. 12 It was not in vain, that the ancient founders of languages used the same word in many tongues, to signify both Honour and Charge; meaning therein to teach us the inseparable connexion of these two. For there scarce ever was any charge without some opinion of honour: neither ever was there honour without a charge; which two as they are not without reason joined together in name by humane institution, so they are most wisely coupled together by God in the disposition of these worldly estates. Charge without Honour, to make it amends, would be too toilsome, and must needs discourage and over-lay a man. Honour without charge would be too pleasant, and therefore both would be too much sought after, and must needs carry away the mind in the enjoying it. Now many dare not be ambitious, because of the burden; choosing rather to live obscurely and securely: And yet on the other side those that are under it, are refreshed in the Charge with the sweetness of Honour. Seeing they cannot be separated, it is not the worst estate to want both. They whom thou enviest for Honour, perhaps envy thee more for thy quietness. 13 He that taketh his own cares upon himself, loads himself in vain with an uneasy burden. The fear of what may come, expectation of what will come, desire of what will not come, and inability of redressing all these, must needs breed him continual torment. I will cast my cares upon God, he hath bidden me: they cannot hurt him; he can redress them. 14 Our infancy is full of folly; youth, of disorder and toil; age, of infirmity. Each time hath his burden, and that which may justly work our weariness: yet infancy longeth after youth; and youth, after more age: and he that is very old, as he is a child for simplicity, so he would be for years. I account old age the best of three; partly, for that it hath passed thorough the folly and disorder of the others; partly, for that the inconveniences of this are but bodily, with a bettered estate of the mind; and partly, for that it is nearest to dissolution. There is nothing more miserable, than an old man that would be young again. It was an answer worthy the commendations, of Petrarch, and that which argued a mind truly philosophical of him, who when his friend bemoaned his age appearing in his white temples, telling him he was sorry to see him look so old, replied: Nay, be sorry rather that ever I was young, to be a fool. 15 There is not the least action or event (whatever the vain Epicures have imagined) which is not overruled, and disposed by a providence: which is so fare from detracting aught from the majesty of God for that the things are small, as that there can be no greater honour to him, than to extend his providence and decree to them because they are infinite. Neither doth this hold in natural things only, which are chained one to another by a regular order of succession, but even in those things which fall out by casualty and imprudence: whence that worthy Father, when as his speech digressed his intention to a confutation of the errors of the Manichees, could presently guess, that in that unpurposed turning of it, God intended the conversion of some unknown Auditor; as the event proved his conjecture true ere many days. When aught falls out contrary to that I purposed, it shall content me, that God purposed it as it is fall'n out: so the thing hath attained his own end, whiles it miss mine. I know what I would, but God knoweth what I should will. It is enough that his will is done, though mine be crossed. 16 It is the most thankless office in the world, to be a man's Pander unto sin. In other wrongs, one man is a Wolf to another: but in this, a Devil. And, though at the first this damnable service carry away reward, yet in conclusion, it is required with hatred and curses. For, as the sick man extremely distasted with a loathsome potion, hateth the very cruse wherein it was brought him; so doth the conscience, once sound detesting sin, loathe the means that induced him to commit it. Contrarily, who withstands a man in his prosecution of a sin, while he doteth upon it, bears away frowns, and heart-burnings for a time: but when the offending party comes to himself, and right reason, he recompenseth his former dislike with so much more love, and so many more thankes. The frantic man returned to his wits, thinks him his best friend that bond him, and beat him most. I will do my best to cross any man in his sins: if I have not thanks of him, yet of my conscience I shall. 17 God must be magnified in his very judgements. He looks for praise, not only for heaven, but for hell also. His justice is himself, as well as his mercy. As heaven than is for the praise of his mercy; so hell for the glory of his justice. We must therefore be so affected to judgements as the author of them is, who delighteth not in blood, as it makes his creature miserable, but as it makes his justice glorious. Every true Christian then must learn to sing that compound ditty of the Psalmist: Of mercy and judgement. It shall not only joy me to see God gracious and bountiful in his mercies, and deliverances of his own; but also to see him terrible in vengeance to his enemies. It is no cruelty to rejoice in justice. The foolish mercy of men is cruelty to God. 18 Rareness causeth wonder, and more than that, incredulity, in those things which in themselves are not more admirable, than the ordinary proceed of Nature. If a blazing star be seen in the sky, every man goes forth to gaze; and spends, every evening, some time in wondering at the beams of it. That any fowl should be bred of corrupted wood resolved into worms: or that the Chameleon should ever change his colours, and live by air: that the Ostrich should digest Iron: that the Phoenix should burn herself to ashes, and from thence breed a successor; we wonder, and can scarce credit. Other things more usual, no less miraculous, we know and neglect. That there should be a bird, that knoweth, and noteth the hours of day and night, as certainly as any Astronomer by the course of Heaven, if we knew not, who would believe? Or that the Loadstone should by his secret virtue so draw iron to itself, as that a whole chain of needles should all hang by insensible points at each other, only by the influence that it sends down from the first, if it were not ordinary, would seem incredible. Who would believe when he sees a fowl mounted as high as his sight can deserv it, that there were an engine to be framed, which could fetch it down into his fist? Yea, to omit infinite examples, that a little despised creature should wove nets out of her own entrailes, and in her platforms of building should observe as just proportions as the best Geometrician, we should suspect for an untruth, if we saw it not daily practised in our own windows. If the Sun should arise but once to the earth, I doubt, every man would be a Persian, and fall down and worship it: whereas now it riseth and declineth without any regard. Extraordinary events each man can wonder at. The frequency of God's best works causeth neglect: not that they are ever the worse for commonness; but because we are soon cloyed with the same conceit, and have contempt bred in us through familiarity. I will learn to note God's power and wisdom, and to give him praise of both, in his ordinary works: so those things which are but trivial to the most ignorant, shall be wonders to me; and that not for nine days, but for ever. 19 Those that affect to tell novelties and wonders, fall into many absurdities, both in busy enquiry after matters impertinent, and in a light credulity, to what ever they hear; and in fictions of their own, and additions of circumstances to make their reports the more admired. I have noted these men, not so much wondered at for their strange stories, while they are telling, as derided afterwards, when the event hath wrought their disproof and shame. I will deal with rumours as grave men do by strange fashions, take them up when they are grown into common use before: I may believe, but I will not relate them but under the name of my author; who shall either warrant me with defence, if it be true; or if false, bear my shame. 20 It was a witty and true speech of that obscure Heraclitus, That all men awaking are in one common world, but when we sleep, each man goes into a several world by himself; which though it be but a world of fancies, yet is the true image of that little world which is in every man's heart. For the imaginations of our sleep, show us what our disposition is awaking. And as many in their dreams reveal those their secrets to others, which they would never have done awake: so all may and do disclose to themselves in their sleep those secret inclinations, which after much searching, they could not have found out waking. I doubt not therefore, but as God heretofore hath taught future things in dreams (which kind of revelation is now ceased) so still he teacheth the present estate of the heart this way. Some dreams are from ourselves, vain and idle, like ourselves: Others are divine, which teach us good, or move us to good: and others devilish, which solicit us to evil. Such answer commonly shall I give to any temptation in the day, as I do by night. I will not lightly pass over my very dreams. They shall teach me somewhat; so neither night nor day shall be spent unprofitably: the night shall teach me what I am, the day what I should be. 21 Men make difference betwixt servants, friends, and sons. Servants, though near us in place, yet for their inferiority, are not familiar. Friends, though by reason of their equality, and our love, they are familiar; yet still we conceive of them as others from ourselves. But children we think of, affectionately, as the divided pieces of our own bodies. But all these are one to God: his servants are his friends, his friends are his sons, his sons his servants. Many claim kindred of God, and profess friendship to him, because these are privileges without difficulty, and not without honour: all the trial is in service. The other are most in affection, and therefore secret, and so may be dissembled, this consisting in action, must needs show itself to the eyes of others. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you: friendship with God is in service, and this service is in action. Many wear God's cloth, that know not their master, that never did good chare in his service: so that God hath many retainers that wear his livery, for a countenance, never wait on him; whom he will never own for servants either by favour, or wages; few servants, and therefore few sons. It is great favour in God, and great honour to me, that he will vouchsafe to make me the lowest drudge in his family; which place if I had not, and were a Monarch of men, I were accursed. I desire no more but to serve; yet, Lord, thou givest me more, to be thy son. I hear David say, Seemeth it a small matter to you, to be the son in law to a King? What is it then, oh what is it, to be the true adopted son of the King of glory? Let me not now say as David of Saul, but as saul's grandchild to David; Oh, what is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 22 I am a stranger here below, my home is above; yet I can think too well of these foreign vanities, and cannot think enough of my home. Surely, that is not so fare above my head, as my thoughts; neither doth so fare pass me in distance, as in comprehension: and yet I would not stand so much upon conceiving, if I could admire it enough: but my strait heart is filled with a little wonder; and hath no room for the greatest part of glory that remaineth. O God, what happiness hast thou prepared for thy chosen? What a purchase was this, worthy of the blood of such a Saviour? As yet I do but look towards it afar off: but it is easy to see by the outside, how goodly it is within: Although as thine house on earth; so that above hath more glory within, than can be bewrayed by the outward appearance. The outer part of thy Tabernacle here below, is but an earthly and base substance; but within, it is furnished with a living, spiritual, and heavenly guest: so the outer heavens, though they be as gold to all other material creatures; yet they are but dross to thee: yet how are even the outmost walls of that house of thine, beautified with glorious lights, whereof every one is a world for bigness, and as an heaven for goodliness! Oh teach me by this to long after, and wonder at the inner part, before thou lettest me come in to behold it. 23 Riches or beauty, or whatever worldly good that hath been, doth but grieve us; that which is, doth not satisfy us; that which shall be, is uncertain. What folly is it to trust to any of them? 24 Security makes worldlings merry: and therefore are they secure, because they are ignorant. That is only solid joy, which ariseth from a resolution; when the heart hath cast up a full account of all causes of disquietness, and findeth the causes of his joy more forcible: thereupon settling itself in a stayed course of rejoicing. For the other, so soon as sorrow makes itself to be seen, especially in an unexpected form, is swallowed up in despair; whereas this can meet with no occurrence, which it hath not prevented in thought. Security and ignorance may scatter some refuse morsels of joy, sauced with much bitterness; or may be like some boasting housekeeper, which keepeth open doors for one day with much cheer, and life's staruedly all the year after. There is no good Ordinary but in a good conscience. I pity that unsound joy in others, and will seek for this sound joy in myself. I had rather weep upon a just cause, than rejoice unjustly. 25 As love keeps the whole Law, so love only is the breaker of it; being the ground, as of all obedience, so of all sin; for whereas sin hath been commonly accounted to have two roots, Love and Fear; it is plain, that fear hath his original from love: for no man fears to lose aught but what he love's. Here is sin and righteousness brought both into a short sum, depending both upon one poor affection: It shall be my only care therefore to bestow my love well, both for object, and measure. All that is good, I may love, but in several degrees; what is simply good, absolutely; what is good by circumstance, only with limitation. There be these three things that I may love without exception, God, my neighbour, my soul; yet so as each have their due place▪ My body, goods, fame, etc. as servants to the former. All other things I will either not care for, or hate. 26 One would not think, that pride and base-mindedness should so well agree; yea, that they love so together, that they never go asunder. That envy ever proceeds from a base mind, is granted of all: Now the proud man, as he fain would be envied of others, so he envieth all men. His betters he envies, because he is not so good as they: he envies his inferiors, because he fears they should prove as good as he: his equals, because they are as good as he. So under big looks, he bears a base mind, resembling some Cardinal's Mule, which to make up the train, bears a costly Portmantle stuffed with trash. On the contrary, who is more proud than the basest? (the Cynic tramples on Plato's pride, but with a worse) especially if he be but a little exalted; wherein we see base men so much more haughty, as they have had less before what they might be proud of. It is just with God, as the proud man is base in himself, so to make him basely esteemed in the eyes of others; and at last to make him base without pride. I will contemn a proud man, because he is base, and pity him, because he is proud. 27 Let me but have time to my thoughts; but leisure to think of Heaven, and grace to my leisure; and I can be happy in spite of the world. Nothing, but God that gives it, can bereave me of grace; and he will not; for his gifts are without repentance. Nothing but death can abridge me of time; and when I begin to want time to think of heaven, I shall have eternal leisure to enjoy it. I shall be both ways happy, not from any virtue of apprehension in me (which have no peer in unworthiness) but from the glory of that I apprehend; wherein the act and object are from the author of happiness. He gives me this glory; let me give him the glory of his gift. His glory is my happiness; let my glory be his. 28 God bestows favours upon some in anger, as he strikes othersome in love: (The Israelites had better have wanted their Quails, than to have eaten them with such sauce.) And sometimes at our instancy removing a lesser punishment, leaves a greater, though insensible, in the room of it. I will not so much strive against affliction, as displeasure. Let me rather be afflicted in love, than prosper without it. 29 It is strange that we men having so continual use of God, and being so perpetually beholding to him, should be so strange to him, and so little acquainted with him: since we account it a perverse nature in any man, that being provoked with many kind offices, refuses the familiarity of a worthy friend, which doth still seek it, and hath deserved it. Whence it comes, that we are so loath to think of our dissolution and going to God: for naturally where we are not acquainted, we Iist not to hazard our welcome; choosing rather to spend our money at a simple Inn, than to turn in for a free lodging to an unknown Oast, whom we have only heard of, never had friendship with; whereas to an entire friend, whose nature and welcome we know, and whom we have elsewhere familiarly conversed withal, we go as boldly & willingly as to our home knowing that no hour can be unseasonable to such a one: whiles on the other side we scrape acquaintance with the world, that never did us good, even after many repulses. I will not live with God, and in God, without his acquaintance, knowing it my happiness to have such a friend. I will not let one day pass without some act of renewing my familiarity with him; not giving over till I have given him some testimony of my love to him, and joy in him; and till he hath left behind him some pledge of his continued favour to me. 30 Men, for the most part, would neither die nor be old. When we see an aged man that hath over-lived all the teeth of his gums, the hair of his head, the sight of his eyes, the taste of his palate; we profess, we would not live till such a cumbersome age wherein we prove burdens to our dearest friends, and ourselves: yet if it be put to our choice what year we would die, we ever shift it off till the next; and want not excuses for this prorogation, rather than fail, alleging, we would live to amend; when yet we do but add more to the heap of our sins by continuance. Nature hath nothing to plead for this folly, but that life is sweet: wherein we give occasion of renewing that ancient check, or one not unlike to it, whereby that primitive vision taxed the timorousness of the shrinking Confessors; Ye would neither live to be old, nor die ere your age: what should I do with you? The Christian must not think it enough to endure the thought of death with patience, when it is obtruded upon him by necessity; but must voluntarily call it into his mind with joy; not only abiding it should come, but wishing that it might come. I will not leave till I can resolve, if I might die to day, not to live till to morrow. 31 As a true friend is the sweetest contentment in the world: so in his qualities he well resembleth honey, the sweetest of all liquors. Nothing is more sweet to the taste, nothing more sharp and cleansing, when it meets with an exulcerate sore. For myself, I know I must have faults; and therefore I care not for that friend, that I shall never smart by. For my friends, I know they cannot be faultless; and therefore as they shall find me sweet in their praises and encouragements, so sharp also in their censure. Either let them abide me no friend to their faults, or no friend to themselves. 32 In all other things, we are lead by profit; but in the main matter of all, we show ourselves utterly unthrifty; and whiles we are wise in making good markets in these base commodities, we show ourselves foolish in the great match of our souls. God and the world come both to one shop, and make proffers for our souls. The world, like a frank Chapman, says, All these will I give thee, showing us his bags, and promotions, and thrusting them into our hands. God offers a crown of glory, which yet he tells us we must give him day to perform, and have nothing in present, but our hope and some small earnest of the bargain. Though we know there is no comparison betwixt these two in value, finding these earthly things vain and unable to give any contentment, and those other of invaluable worth and benefit: yet we had rather take these in hand, than trust God on his word for the future; while yet in the same kind we choose rather to take some rich Lordships in reversion, after the long expectation of three lives expired, than a present sum much under foot: As contrarily, when God and the world are sellers, and we come to the Mart, the world offers fine painted wares, but will not part with them under the price of our torment: God proclaims; Come ye that want, buy for nought. Now we thrifty men, that try all shops for the cheapest pennieworth, refuse God, proffering his precious commodities for nothing; and pay an hard price for that which is worse than nothing, painful. Surely, we are wise for any thing but our souls: and not so wise for the body, as foolish for them. O Lord, thy payment is sure, and who knows how present? Take the soul that thou hast both made and bought: and let me rather give my life for thy favour, than take the offers of the world for nothing. 33 There was never age that more bragged of knowledge, and yet never any that had less soundness. He that knows not God, knoweth nothing; and he that love's not God, knows him not: for he is so sweet, and infinitely full of delight, that whoever knows him, cannot choose but affect him. The little love of God than argues the great ignorance even of those that profess knowledge. I will not suffer my affections to run before my knowledge: for than I shall love fashionably only, because I hear God is worthy of love; and so be subject to relapses: but I will ever lay knowledge as the ground of my love. So, as I grow in divine knowledge, I shall still profit in an heavenly zeal. 34 Those that travel in long pilgrimages to the holy Land, what a number of weary paces they measure? what a number of hard lodgings, and known dangers they pass? and at last when they are come within view of their journey's end, what a large tribute pay they at the Pisan Castle to the Turks? And when they are come thither, what see they but the bare Sepulchre wherein their Saviour lay? and the earth that he trod upon, to the increase of a carnal devotion? What labour should I willingly undertake in my journey to the true Land of promise, the celestial jerusalem, where I shall see and enjoy my Saviour himself? What tribute of pain or death should I refuse to pay for my entrance, not into his Sepulchre, but his Palace of glory? and that not to look upon, but to possess it? 35 Those that are all in exhortation, no whit in doctrine, are like to them that snuff the candle, but pour not in oil. Again, those that are all in doctrine, nothing in exhortation, drown the wike in oil, but light it not; making it fit for use, if it had fire put to it; but as it is, rather capable of good, than profitable in present. Doctrine, without exhortation, makes men all brain, no heart. Exhortation, without doctrine, makes the heart full, leaves the brain empty. Both together make a man: One makes a man wise; the other good. One serves that we may know our duty; the other, that we may perform it. I will labour in both: but I know not in whether more. Men cannot practise, unless they know; and they know in vain, if they practise not. 36 There be two things in every good work; honour and profit. The latter God bestows upon us, the former he keeps to himself. The profit of our works redoundeth not to God. My welldoing extendeth not to thee. The honour of our work may not be allowed us. My glory I will not give to another. I will not abridge God of his part, that he may not bereave me of mine. 37 The proud man hath no God; the envious man hath no neighbour; the angry man hath not himself. What can that man have that wants himself? What is a man better, if he have himself, and want all others? What is he the nearer, if he have himself, and others, and yet want God? What good is it then to be a man, if he be either, wrathful, proud, or envious? 38 Man that was once the sovereign Lord of all creatures, whom they serviceably attended at all times, is now sent to the very basest of all creatures to learn good qualities, Go to the Pismire, etc. and see, the most contemptible creatures preferred before him: The Ass knoweth his owner; wherein we, like the miserable heir of some great Peer, whose house is decayed through the treason of our progenitors, hear and see what Honours and Lordships we should have had; but now find ourselves below many of the vulgar: we have not so much cause of exaltation, that we are men, and not beasts; as we have of humiliation, in thinking how much we were once better than we are, and that now in many duties we are men inferior to beasts: so as those whom we contemn, if they had our reason, might more justly contemn us; and as they are, may teach us by their examples, and do condemn us by their practice. 39 The idle man is the Devil's cushion, on which he taketh his free case: who as he is uncapable of any good, so he is fitly disposed for all evil motions. The standing water soon stinketh; whereas the current ever keeps clear and cleanly: conveying down all noisome matter that might infect it, by the force of his stream. If I do but little good to others by my endeavours, yet this is great good to me, that by my labour I keep myself from hurt. 40 There can be no nearer conjunction in nature, than is betwixt the body and the soul: yet these two are of so contrary disposition, that as it falls out in an ill-marched man and wife, those servants which the one likes best, are most dispraised of the other, so here, one still takes part against the other in their choice: what benefits the one, is the hurt of the other. The glutting of the body pines the soul; and the soul thrives, best when the body is pinched. Who can wonder, that there is such faction amongst others, that sees so much in his very self? True wisdom is to take, not with the stronger, as the fashion of the world is, but with the better: following herein, not usurped power, but justice. It is not hard to discern, whose the right is; whether the servant should rule or the mistress. I will labour to make and keep the peace, by giving each part his own indifferently: but if more be affected with an ambitious contention, I will rather beat Hagar out of doors, than she shall overrule her mistress. 41 I see Iron first heated red hot in the fire, and after beaten and hardened with cold water. Thus will I deal with an offending friend: first heat him with deserved praise of his virtue, and then beat upon him with reprehension: so good nurses, when their children are fallen, first take them up and speak them fair, chide them afterwards: Gentle speech is a good preparative for rigour. He shall see that I love him, by my approbation; and that I love not his faults, by my reproof. If he love himself, he will love those that mislike his vices; & if he love not himself, it matters not whether he love me. 42 The liker we are to God, which is the best and only good, the better and happier we must needs be. All sins make us unlike him, as being contrary to his perfect holiness; but some show more direct contrariety: such is envy. For whereas God bringeth good out of evil; the envious man fetcheth evil out of good; wherein also his sin proves a kind of punishment: for whereas to good men even evil things work together to their good; contrarily, to the envious, good things work together to their evil. The evil, in any man, though never so prosperous, I will not envy, but pity: The good graces I will not repine at, but holily emulate; rejoicing that they are so good, but grieving that I am no better. 43 The covetous man is like a Spider, as in this that he doth nothing but lay his nets to catch every Fly, gaping only for a booty of gain; so yet more, in that whiles he makes nets for these Flies, he consumeth his own bowels: so that which is his life is his death. If there be any creature miserable, it is he; and yet he is least to be pitied, because he makes himself miserable; such as he is I will acount him; and will therefore sweep down his webs and hate his poison. 44 In heaven there is all life, and no dying: in hell is all death, and no life. In earth there is both living and dying; which, as it is betwixt both, so it prepares for both. So that he which here below dies to sin, doth after live in heaven, and contrarily, he that life's in sin upon earth, dies in hell afterwards. What if I have no part of joy here below, but still succession of afflictions? The wicked have no part in heaven, and yet they enjoy the earth with pleasure: I would not change portions with them. I rejoice, that seeing I cannot have both, yet I have the better. O Lord, let me pass both my deaths here upon earth. I care not how I live or die, so I may have nothing but life to look for in another world. 45 The conceit of propriety hardens a man against many inconveniences, and addeth much to our pleasure. The mother abides many unquiet nights, many painful throes, and unpleasant savours of her child, upon this thought, It is my own. The indulgent father magnifies that in his own son, which he would scarce like in a stranger. The want of this to God-ward, makes us so subject to discontentment, and cooleth our delight in him, because we think of him aloof, as one in whom we are not interessed. If we could think, It is my God that cheereth me with his presence, and blessings, while I prosper; that afflicteth me in love, when I am dejected; my Saviour is at God's right hand; my Angels stand in his presence, it could not be but God's favour would be sweeter, his chastisements more easy, his benefits more effectual. I am not my own, while God is not mine: and while he is mine, since I do possess him, I will enjoy him. 46 Nature is of her own inclination froward, importunately longing after that which is denied her; and scornful of what she may have. If it were appointed that we should live always upon earth, how extremely would we exclaim of weariness, and wish rather that we were not? Now it is appointed we shall live here but a while, and then give room to our successors, each one affects a kind of eternity upon earth. I will labour to tame this peevish and sullen humour of nature, and will like that best that must be. 47 All true earthly pleasure forsook man, when he forsook his Creator; what honest and holy delight he took before in the dutiful services of the obsequious creatures; in the contemplation of that admirable variety, and strangeness of their properties; in seeing their sweet accordance with each other, and all with himself? Now most of our pleasure is, to set one creature together by the ears with another, sporting ourselves only with that deformity, which was bred through our own fault: yea, there have been, that have delighted to see one man spill another's blood upon the sand, and have shouted for joy at the sight of that slaughter, which hath fallen out upon no other quarrel, but the pleasure of the beholders: I doubt not but as we solace ourselves in the discord of the inferior creatures, so the evil spirits sport themselves in our dissensions. There are better qualities of the creature, which we pass over without pleasure. In recreations, I will choose those which are of best example, and best use; seeking those by which I may not only be the merrier, but the better. 48 There is no want for which a man may not find a remedy in himself. Do I want riches? He that desires but little, cannot want much. Do I want friends? If I love God enough, and myself but enough, it matters not. Do I want health? If I want it but a little, and recover, I shall esteem it the more, because I wanted. If I be long sick, and unrecoverably, I shall be the fit and willinger to die; and my pain is so much less sharp, by how much more it lingreth. Do I want maintenance? A little, and course, will content nature. Let my mind be no more ambitious, than my back and belly, I can hardly complain of too little. Do I want sleep? I am going whither there is no use of sleep: where all rest, and sleep not. Do I want children? Many that have them, wish they wanted: It is better to be childless, than crossed with their miscarriage. Do I want learning? He hath none, that saith he hath enough. The next way to get more, is to find thou wantest. There is remedy for all wants, in ourselves, saving only for want of grace: and that, a man cannot so much as see and complain that he wants, but from above. 49 Every virtuous action (like the Sun eclipsed) hath a double shadow; according to the diverse aspects of the beholders: one of glory, the other of envy. Glory follows upon good deserts; Envy upon glory. He that is envied, may think himself well: for he that envies him, thinks him more than well: I know no vice in another, whereof a man may make so good and comfortable use to himself. There would be no shadow, if there were no light. 50 In meddling with the faults of friends, I have observed many wrongful courses; what for fear, or self-love, or indiscretion. Some I have seen, like unmerciful and covetous Chirurgeons, keep the wound raw, (which they might have seasonably remedied) for their own gain. Others, that have laid healing plasters to skin it aloft, when there hath been more need of Corrosives to eat out the dead flesh within. Others, that have galled and drawn, when there hath been nothing but solid flesh, that hath wanted only filling up. Others, that have healed the sore, but left an unsightly scar of discredit behind them. He that would do good this way, must have Fidelity, Courage, Discretion, Patience. Fidelity, not to bear with; Courage, to reprove them; Discretion, to reprove them well; Patience, to abide the leisure of amendment; making much of good beginnings, and putting up many repulses, bearing with many weaknesses; still hoping, still soliciting; as knowing that those who have been long used 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? Divide the World into four parts: but one, and the least containeth all that is worthy the name of Christendom: the rest overwhelmed with Turkism, and Paganism: and of this least part, the greater half yet holding aright concerning God and their Saviour in some common principles, overthrew the truth in their conclusions; and so leave the lesser part of the least part for God. Yet lower: of those that hold aright concerning Christ, how few are there, that do otherwise than fashionably profess him? And of those that do seriously profess him, how few are there that in their lives deny him not, living unworthy of so glorious a calling? Wherein I do not pity God, who will have glory even of those that are not his: I pity miserable men, that do reject their Creator and Redeemer, and themselves in him. And I envy Satan, that he ruleth so large. Since God hath so few, I will be more thankful that he hath vouchsafed me one of his; and be the more zealous of glorifying him, because we have but a few fellows. 52 As those that have tasted of some delicate dish, find other plain dishes but unpleasant; so it fareth with those which have once tasted of heavenly things, they cannot but contemn the best worldly pleasures. As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come; I will reserve my appetite for it, and not suffer myself cloyed with the course diet of the world. 53 I find many places where God hath used the hand of good Angels for the punishment of the wicked; but never could yet find one, wherein he employed an evil Angel in any direct good to his children. Indirect I find many, if not all, through the power of him that brings light out of darkness, and turns their evil to our good: In this choice God would and must be imitated. From an evil spirit I dare not receive aught, if never so good; I will receive as little as I may from a wicked man. If he were as perfectly evil as the other, I durst receive nothing; I had rather hunger, than wilfully dip my hand in a wicked man's dish. 54 We are ready to condemn others, for that which is as eminently faulty in ourselves. If one blind man rush upon another in the way; either complains of others blindness, neither of his own. I have heard those which have had most corrupt lungs, complain of the unsavoury breath of others. The reason is, because the mind casteth altogether outward, and reflecteth not into itself. Yet it is more shameful to be either ignorant of, or favourable to our own imperfections. I will censure others vices fearfully, my own confidently, because I know them; and those I know not, I will suspect. 55 He is a very humble man, that thinks not himself better than some others; and he is very mean, whom some others do not account better than themselves: so that Vessel that seemed very small upon the Main, seems a tall ship upon the Thames. As there are many better for estate than myself, so there are some worse; and if I were yet worse, yet would there be some lower: and if I were so low, that I accounted myself the worst of all, yet some would account themselves in worse case. A man's opinion is in others, his being is in himself. Let me know myself, let others guess at me. Let others either envy or pity me, I care not, so long as I enjoy myself. 56 He can never wonder enough at God's workmanship, that knows not the frame of the world: for he can never else conceive of the hugeness, and strange proportion of the creature. And he that knows this, can never wonder more at any thing else. I will learn to know, that I may admire; and by that little I know, I will more wonder at that I know not. 57 There is nothing below but toiling, grieving, wishing, hoping, fearing; and weariness in all these. What fools are we to be besotted with the love of our own trouble, and to hate our liberty and rest? The love of misery, is much worse than misery itself. We must first pray, that God would make us wise, before we can wish he would make us happy. 58 If a man refer all things to himself, nothing seems enough: If all things to God, any measure will content him of earthly things; but in grace he is insatiable. Worldlings serve themselves altogether in God, making Religion but to serve their turns, as a colour of their ambition, and covetousness. The Christian seeks God only in seeking himself, using all other things but as subordinately to him; not caring whether himself win or lose, so that God may win glory in both. I will not suffer mine eyes and mind to be bounded with these visible things; but still look through these matters, at God which is the utmost scope of them: accounting them only as a thoroughfare to pass by, not as an habitation to rest in. 59 He is wealthy enough, that wanteth not. He is great enough, that is his own master. He is happy enough, that life's to die well. Other things I will not care for; nor too much for these, save only for the last, which alone can admit of no immoderation. 60 A man of extraordinary parts, makes himself by strange and singular behaviour, more admired; which if a man of but common faculty do imitate, he makes himself ridiculous: for that which is construed as natural to the one, is descried to be affected in the other. And there is nothing forced by affectation can be comely. I will ever strive to go in the common road: so while I am not notable, I shall not be notorious. 61 Gold is the best ●●●tall, and for the purity nor subiest r●r●●t, as all others; and yet the best Gold hath some dross. I esteem not that man that hath no faults: I like him well that hath but a few, and those not great. 62 Many a man matres a good estate, for want of skill to proportion his carriage answerably to his ability. A little sail to a large vessel, rids no way, though the wind be fair. A large sail to a little Bark drowns it. A topsail to a ship of mean burden in a rough weather, is dangerous. A low sail in an easy gale, yields little advantage. This disproportion causeth some to live miserably in a good estate: and some to make a good estate miserable. I will first know what I may do for safety, and then I will try what I can do for speed. 63 The rich man hath many friends; although in truth riches have them, and not the man. As the Ass that carried the Egyptian Goddess, had many bowed knees, yet not to the beast, but to the burden. For, separate the riches from the person, and thou shalt see friendship leave the man, and follow that which was ever her object: while he may command, and can either give, or control, he hath attendance, & proffer of love at all hands; but which of these dares acknowledge him, when he is going to prison for debt? Then these Wasps, that made such music about this Galley-pot, show plainly, that they came only for the honey that was in it. This is the misery of the wealthy, that they cannot know their friends: whereas those that love the poor man, love him for himself. He that would choose a true friend, must search out one that is neither covetous nor ambitious; for such a one loves but himself in thee. And if it be rare to find any not infected with these qualities, the best is to entertain all, and trust few. 64 That which the French Proverb hath of sicknesses, is true of all evils; That they come on horseback, and go away on foot. We have oft seen a sudden fall, or one meal's surfeit hath stuck by many to their graves; whereas pleasures come like Oxen, slow and heavily, and go away like Post-horses, upon the spur. Sorrows, because they are lingering guests, I will entertain but moderately; knowing, that the more they are made of, the longer they will continue: and for pleasures, because they stay not, and do but call to drink at my door; I will use them as passengers, with slight respect. He is his own best friend, that makes least of both of them. 65 It is indeed more commendable to give good example, than to take it: yet imitation, how ever in civil matters it be condemned of servility, in Christian practice hath his due praise; and though it be more natural for beginners at their first imitation, that cannot swim without bladders; yet the best proficient shall see ever some higher steps of those that have gone to heaven before him, worthy of his tracing wherein much caution must be had, that we follow good men, and in good: Good men, for if we propound imperfect patterns to ourselves, we shall be constrained first to unlearn those ill habits we have got by their imitation, before we can be capable of good: so besides the loss of labour, we are further off from our end. In good; for that a man should be so wedded to any man's person, that he can make no separation from his infirmities, is both absurdly servile, and . He therefore that would follow well, must know to distinguish well, betwixt good men, and evil; betwixt good men and better; betwixt good qualities and infirmities. Why hath God given me education not in a Desert alone, but in the company of good and virtuous men, but that by the sight of their good carriage, I should better my own? Why should we have interest in the vices of men, and not in their virtues? And although precepts be surer, yet a good man's action is according to precept; yea, is a precept itself. The Psalmist compared the Law of God to a Lantern; good example bears it. It is safe following him that carries the light. If he walk without the light, he shall walk without me. 66 As there is one common end to all good men; salvation; and one author of it, Christ: so there is but one way to it, doing well, and suffering evil. Doing well (me thinks) is like the Zodiac in the heaven, the high way of the Sun, thorough which it daily passeth: Suffering evil, is like the Ecliptic line that goes thorough the midst of it. The rule of doing well, the Law of God, is uniform and eternal; and the copies of suffering evil in all times agree with the original. No man can either do well, or suffer ill without an example. Are we sawn in pieces? so was Esay. Are we beheaded? so john Baptist. Crucified? so Peter. Thrown to wild beasts? so Daniel. Into the furnace? so the three children. Stoned? so Steven. Banished? so the beloved Disciple. Burnt? so millions of Martyrs. Defamed and slandered? what good man ever was not? It were easy to be endless both in torments and sufferers: whereof each hath begun to other, all to us. I may not hope to speed better than the best Christians; I cannot fear to far worse. It is no matter which way I go, so I come to heaven. 67 There is nothing beside life of this nature, that it is diminished by addition. Every moment we live longer than other, and each moment that we live longer, is so much taken out of our life. It increaseth and diminisheth only by minutes, and therefore is not perceived: the shorter steps it taketh, the more slily it passeth. Time shall not so steal upon me, that I shall not discern it, and catch it by the fore-lockes; nor so steal from me, that it shall carry with it no witness of his passage in my proficiency. 68 The prodigal man, while he spendeth, is magnified: when he is spent, is pitied: and that is all his recompense for his lavished Patrimony. The covetous man is grudged while he life's, and his death is rejoiced at: for when he ends, his riches begin to be goods. He that wisely keeps the mean between both, liveth well, and hears well; neither repined at by the needy, nor pitied by greater men. I would so manage these worldly commodities, as accounting them mine to dispose, others to partake of. 69 A good name (if any earthly thing) is worth seeking, worth striving for, yet to affect a bare name, when we deserve either ill or nothing, is but a proud hypocrisy: and to be puffed up with the wrongful estimation of others mistaking our worth, is an idle and ridiculous pride. Thou art well spoken of upon no desert: what then? Thou hast deceived thy neighbours, they one another, and all of them have deceived thee: for thou madest them think of thee otherwise than thou art; and they have made thee think of thyself as thou art accounted: the deceit came from thee, the shame will end in thee. I will account no wrong greater, than for a man to esteem and report me above that I am: not rejoicing in that I am well thought of, but in that I am such as I am esteemed. 70 It was a speech worthy the commendation, and frequent remembrance of so divine a Bishop as Augustine, which is reported of an aged Father in his time; who when his friends comforted him on his sick bed, and told him, they hoped he should recover, answered: If I shall not die at all, well; but if ever; why not now? Surely it is folly, what we must do, to do unwillingly. I will never think my soul in a good case, so long as I am loath to think of dying; and will make this my comfort: Not, I shall yet live longer, but, I shall yet do more good. 71 Excesses are never alone. Commonly those that have excellent parts, have some extremely vicious qualities: great wits have great errors; and great estates have great cares: whereas mediocrity of gifts or of estate, hath usually but easy inconveniences: else the excellent would not know themselves, and the means would be too much dejected. Now those whom we admire for their faculties, we pity for their infirmities; and those which find themselves but of the ordinary pitch, joy that as their virtues, so their vices are not eminent. So the highest have a blemished glory, and the mean are contentedly secure. I will magnify the highest, but affect the mean. 72 The body is the case, or sheath of the mind: yet as naturally it hideth it; so it doth also many times discover it. For although the forehead, eyes, and frame of the countenance do sometime belie the disposition of the heart; yet most commonly they give true general verdicts. An angry man's brows are bend together, and his eyes sparkle with rage, which when he is well pleased, look smooth and cheerfully. Envy hath one look; desire another; sorrow yet another; contentment, a fourth, different from all the rest. To show no passion, is too Stoical; to show all, is impotent; to show other than we feel, hypocritical. The face and gesture do but write, and make commentaries upon the heart. I will first endeavour so to frame and order that, as not to entertain any passion, but what I need not care to have laid open to the world: and therefore will first see that the Text be good; then that the gloss be true; and lastly, that it be sparing. To what end hath God so walled-in the heart, if I should let every man's eyes into it by my countenance? 73 There is no public action which the world is not ready to scan; there is no action so private, which the evil spirits are not witnesses of; I will endeavour so to live, as knowing that I am ever in the eyes of mine enemies. 74 When we ourselves, and all other vices are old, than covetousness alone is young, and at his best age. This vice love's to dwell in an old ruinous cottage: yet that age can have no such honest colour for niggardliness and insatiable desire. A young man might plead the uncertainty of his estate, and doubt of his future need: but an old man sees his set period before him. Since this humour is so necessarily annexed to this age, I will turn it the right way, and nourish it in myself. The older I grow, the more covetous I will be; but of the riches, not of the world I am leaving, but of the world I am entering into. It is good coveting what I may have, and cannot leave behind me. 75 There is a mutual hatred betwixt a Christian, and the world: for on the one side, the love of the world is enmity with God; and God's children cannot but take their Father's part. On the other, The world hates you, because it hated me first. But the hatred of the good man to the wicked is not so extreme, as that wherewith he is hated. For the Christian hates ever with commiseration and love of that good he sees in the worst; knowing that the essence of the very Devils is good, and that the lewdest man hath some excellent parts of nature, or common graces of the Spirit of God, which he warily singleth out in his affection. But the wicked man hates him for goodness, and therefore finds nothing in himself to moderate his detestation. There can be no better music in my ear than the discord of the wicked. If he like me, I am afraid he spies some quality in me, like to his own. If he saw nothing but goodness, he could not love me, and be bad himself. It was a just doubt of Photion, who when the people praised him, asked, What evil have I done? I will strive to deserve evil of none: but not deserving ill, it shall not grieve me to hear ill of those that are evil. I know no greater argument of goodness, than the hatred of a wicked man. 76 A man that comes hungry to his meal, feeds hearty on the meat set before him, not regarding the metal, or form of the platter, wherein it is served; who afterwards when his stomach is satisfied, gins to play with the dish, or to read sentences on his trencher. Those auditors which can find nothing to do, but note elegant words and phrases, or rhetorical colours, or perhaps an ill grace of gesture in a pithy and material speech, argue themselves full ere they came to the feast: and therefore go away with a little pleasure, no profit. In hearing others, my only intention shall be to feed my mind with solid matter: if my ear can get aught by the way, I will not grudge it, but I will not intent it. 77 The joy of a Christian in these worldly things is limited, and ever awed with fear of excess, but recompensed abundantly with his spiritual mirth: whereas the worldling gives the reines to his mind, and powers himself out into pleasure, fearing only that he shall not joy enough. He that is but half a Christian, life's but miserably; for he neither enjoyeth God, nor the world. Not God, because he hath not grace enough to make him his own: Not the world, because he hath some taste of grace; enough to show him the vanity and sin of his pleasures. So the sound Christian hath his heaven above, the worldling here below, the unsettled Christian no where. 78 Good deeds are very fruitful; and not so much of their nature, as of God's blessing, multipliable. We think ten in the hundred extreme and biting usury; God gives us more than an hundred for ten; yea, above the increase of the gain which we commend most for multiplication. For out of one good action of ours, God produceth a thousand; the harvest whereof is perpetual: Even the faithful actions of the old Patriarches, the constant sufferings of ancient Martyrs live still, and do good to all successions of ages by their example. For public actions of virtue, besides that they are presently comfortable to the doer, are also exemplary to others: and as they are more beneficial to others, so are more crowned in us. If good deeds were utterly barren and incommodious, I would seek after them for the conscience of their own goodness: how much more shall I now be encouraged to perform them, for that they are so profitable both to myself, and to others, and to me in others? My principal care shall be, that while my soul life's in glory in heaven, my good actions may live upon earth; and that they may be put into the bank and multiply, while my body lies in the grave and consumeth. 79 A Christian for the sweet fruit he bears to God and men, is compared to the noblest of all plants, the Vine. Now as the most generous Vine, if it be not pruned, runs out into many superfluous stems, and grows at last weak and fruitless: so doth the best man, if he be cut short of his desires, and pruned with afflictions. If it be painful to bleed, it is worse to whither. Let me be pruned that I may grow, rather than cut up to burn. 80 Those, that do but superficially taste of divine knowledge, find little sweetness in it; and are ready for the unpleasant relish to abhor it: whereas if they would dive deep into the Sea, they should find fresh water near to the bottom: That it savours not well at the first, is the fault not of it, but of the distempered palate that tastes it. Good metals and minerals are not found close under the skin of the earth, but below in the bowels of it: No good Miner casts away his Mattock, because he finds a vein of tough clay, or a shelf of stone; but still delveth lower, and passing thorough many changes of soil, at last comes to his rich treasure. We are too soon discouraged in our spiritual gains. I will still persevere to seek, hardening myself against all difficulty. There is comfort even in seeking, hope; and there is joy in hoping, good success; and in that success, is happiness. 81 He that hath any experience in spiritual matters, knows that Satan is ever more violent at the last; then raging most furiously, when he knows he shall rage's but a while. Hence of the persecutions of the first Church, the tenth and last under Dioclesia● and Maximinian, and those other five Tyrants, was the bloodiest. Hence this age is the most dissolute, because nearest the conclusion. And as this is his course in the universal assaults of the whole Church: so it is the same in his conflicts with every Christian soul. Like a subtle Orator he reserves his strongest force till the shutting up: And therefore miserable is the folly of those men who defer their repentance till then, when their onset shall be most sharp, and they through pain of body, and perplexedness of mind, shall be least able to resist. Those that have long furnished themselves with spiritual munition, find work enough in this extreme brunt of temptation: how then should the careless man, that with the help of all opportunities could not find grace to repent, hope to achieve it at the last gasp, against greater force, with less means, more distraction, no leisure? Wise Princes use to prepare ten years before for a field of one day: I will every day lay up somewhat for my last. If I win that skirmish, I have enough. The first and second blow begin the battle, but the last only wins it. 82 I observe three seasons wherein a wise man differs not from a fool; In his infancy, in sleep, and in silence: for in the two former we are all fools; and in silence all are wise. In the two former yet, there may be concealment of folly; but the tongue is a blab: there cannot be any kind of folly, either simple, or wicked, in the heart, but the tongue will bewray it. He cannot be wise that speaks much, or without sense, or out of season; nor he known for a fool that says nothing. It is a great misery to be a fool: but this is yet greater, that a man cannot be a fool but he must show it. It were well for such a one, if he could be taught to keep close his foolishness: but then there should be no fools. I have heard some (which have scorned the opinion of folly in themselves) for a speech wherein they have hoped to show most wit, censured of folly, by him that hath thought himself wiser: and another, hearing his sentence again, hath condemned him for want of wit in censuring. Surely he is not a fool that hath unwise thoughts, but he that utters them. Even concealed folly is wisdom: and sometimes wisdom uttered, is folly. While others care how to speak, my care shall be how to hold my peace. 83 A work is then only good and acceptable, when the action, meaning, and manner are all good: For to do good with an ill meaning, (as judas saluted Christ to betray him) is so much more sinful, by how much the action is better; which being good in the kind, is abused to an ill purpose: To do ill, in a good meaning, (as Vzza in staying the Ark) is so much amiss, that the good intention cannot bear out the unlawful act: which although it may seem some excuse, why it should not be so ill, yet is no warrant to justify it. To mean well and do a good action, in an ill manner, (as the Pharisee made a good prayer, but arrogantly) is so offensive, that the evil manner depraveth both the other. So a thing may be evil upon one circumstance, it cannot be good but upon all. In what ever business I go about, I will inquire, What I do for the substance, How for the manner, Why for the intention: For the two first, I will consult with God; for the last, with my own heart. 84 I can do nothing without a million of Witnesses: The conscience is as a thousand witnesses; and God is as a thousand consciences: I will therefore so deal with men, as knowing that God sees me; and so with God, as if the world saw me; so with myself, and both of them, as knowing that my conscience seethe me: and so with them all, as knowing I am always over-looked by my accuser, by my judge. 85 Earthly inheritances are divided ofttimes with much inequality. The privilege of primogeniture stretcheth larger in many places now, than it did among the ancient jews. The younger many times serves the elder; and while the eldest aboundeth, all the latter issue is pinched. In heaven it is not so: all the sons of God are heirs, none underlings; and not heirs under wardship, and hope, but inheritors; and not inheritors of any little pittance of land, but of a Kingdom; nor of an earthly Kingdom, subject to danger of loss, or alteration, but one glorious and everlasting. It shall content me here, that having right to all things, yet I have possession of nothing but sorrow. Since I shall have possession above, of all that, whereto I have right below, I will serve willingly, that I may reign; serve for a while, that I may reign for ever. 86 Even the best things ill used, become evils; and contrarily, the worst things used well, prove good. A good tongue, used to deceit; a good wit, used to defend error; a strong arm, to murder; authority, to oppress; a good profession, to dissemble; are all evil; yea Gods own Word is the sword of the Spirit; which if it kill not our vices, kills our souls. Contrariwise (as poisons are used to wholesome medicine) afflictions and sins, by a good use prove so gainful, as nothing more. Words are as they are taken: and things are as they are used. There are even cursed blessings: O Lord, rather give me no favours, than not grace to use them. If I want them, thou requirest not what thou dost not give: but if I have them, and want their use, thy mercy proves my judgement. 87 Man is the best of all these inferior creatures; yet life's in more sorrow and discontentment, than the worst of them: whiles that Reason wherein he excels them, and by which he might make advantage of his life, he abuses to a suspicious distrust. How many hast thou found of the fowls of the air, lying dead in the way for want of provision? They eat, and rest, and sing, and want nothing. Man, which hath fare better means to live comfortably, toileth and careth, and wanteth; whom yet his reason alone might teach, that he which careth for these lower creatures made only for man, will much more provide for man, to whose use they were made. There is an holy carelessness; free from idleness; free from distrust. In these earthly things, I will so depend on my Maker, that my trust in him may not exclude all my labour; and yet so labour (upon my confidence on him) as my endeavour may be void of perplexity. 88 The precepts, and practice of those with whom we live, avail much on either part. For a man not to be ill, where he hath no provocations to evil, is less commendable; but for a man to live continently in Asia (as he said) where he sees nothing but allurements to uncleanness: for Lot to be a good man in the midst of Sodom, to be abstemious in Germany, and in Italy chaste, this is truly praiseworthy. To sequester ourselves from the company of the world, that we may departed from their vices, proceeds from a base and distrusting mind: as if we would so force goodness upon ourselves, that therefore only we would be good, because we cannot be ill. But for a man so to be personally, and locally in the throng of the world, as to withdraw his affections from it, to use it, and yet to contemn it at once, to compel it to his service without any infection, becomes well the noble courage of a Christian. The world shall be mine, I will not be his; and yet so mine, that his evil shall be still his own. 89 He that life's in God, cannot be weary of his life, because he ever finds both somewhat to do, and somewhat to solace himself with; cannot be over-loth to part with it, because he shall enter into a nearer life and society with that God in whom he delighteth. Whereas he that life's without him, life's many times uncomfortably here, because partly he knows not any cause of joy in himself; and partly he finds not any worthy employment to while himself withal; dies miserably, because he either knows not whither he goes, or knows he goes to torment. There is no true life, but the life of faith. O Lord, let me live out of the world with thee (if thou wilt) but let me not live in the world without thee. 90 Sin is both evil in itself, and the effect of a former evil, and the cause of sin following; a cause of punishment, and lastly a punishment itself. It is a damnable iniquity in man, to multiply one sin upon another; but to punish one sin by another, in God is a judgement both most just, and most fearful; so as all the store-house of God hath not a greater vengeance: with other punishments the body smarteth, the soul with this. I care not how God offends me with punishments, so he punish me not with offending him. 91 I have seen some afflict their bodies with wilful famine, and scourges of their own making; God spares me that labour; for he whips me daily with the scourge of a weak body; and sometimes with ill tongues. He holds me short many times of the feeling of his comfortable presence, which is in truth so much more miserable an hunger than that of the body, by how much the soul is more tender, and the food denied, more excellent. He is my Father; infinitely wise, to proportion out my correction according to my estate; and infinitely loving, in fitting me with a due measure. He is a presumptuous child, that will make choice of his own rod. Let me learn to make a right use of his corrections, and I shall not need to correct myself. And if it should please God to remit his hand a little; I will govern my body, as a Master, not as a Tyrant. 92 If God had not said, Blessed are those that hunger, I know not what could keep weak Christians from sinking in despair: Many times all I can do, is to find and complain that I want him, and wish to recover him: Now this is my stay, that he in mercy esteems us not only by having, but by desiring also; and after a sort accounts us to have that which we want, and desire to have: and my soul affirming, tells me I do unfeignedly wish him, and long after that grace I miss. Let me desire still more, and I know I shall not desire always. There was never soul miscarried with longing after grace. O blessed hunger, that ends always in fullness! I am sorry that I can but hunger; and yet I would not be full; for the blessing is promised to the hungry: Give me more, Lord, but so as I may hunger more. Let me hunger more, and I know I shall be satisfied. 93 There is more in the Christian than thou seest. For he is both an entire body of himself, and he is a limb of another more excellent; even that glorious mystical body of his Saviour; to whom he is so united, that the actions of either are reciprocally referred to each other. For, on the one side, the Christian lives in Christ, dies in Christ, in Christ fulfils the Law, possesseth heaven: on the other, Christ is persecuted by Paul in his members, and is persecuted in Paul afterwards by others; he suffers in us, he life's in us, he works in and by us: so thou canst not do either good or harm to a Christian, but thou dost it to his Redeemer, to whom he is invisibly united. Thou seest him as a man, and therefore worthy of favour for humanity's sake: Thou seest him not as a Christian, worthy of honour for his secret and yet true union with our Saviour. I will love every Christian, for that I see; honour him, for that I shall see. 94 Hell itself is scarce a more obscure dungeon, in comparison of the earth, than earth is in respect of heaven. Here, the most see nothing, and the best see little: Here, half our life is night; and our very day is darkness, in respect of God. The true light of the world, and the Father of lights dwelleth above: There is the light of knowledge to inform us, and the light of joy to comfort us; without all change of darkness. There was never any captive loved his dungeon, and complained when he must be brought out to light and liberty: whence then is this natural madness in us men, that we delight so much in this unclean, noisome, dark, and comfortless prison of earth? and think not of our release to that lightsome and glorious Paradise above us, without grief and repining? We are sure that we are not perfectly well here: if we could be as sure that we should be better above, we would not fear changing. Certainly our sense tells us, we have some pleasure here; and we have not faith to assure us of more pleasure above: and hence we settle ourselves to the present, with neglect of the future, though infinitely more excellent: The heart follows the eyes: and unknown good is uncared for. O Lord, do thou break thorough this darkness of ignorance, and faithlesness, wherewith I am compassed. Let me but see my heaven, and I know I shall desire it. 95 To be carried away with an affectation of fame, is so vain, and absurd, that I wonder it can be incident to any wise man. For what a molehill of earth is it, to which his name can extend, when it is furthest carried by the wings of report? and how short a while doth it continue where it is once spread? Time (the devourer of his own brood) consumes both us and our memories; not brass, nor marble can bear age. How many flattering Poets have promised immortality of name to their Princes, who now together are buried long since in forgetfulness! Those names and actions, that are once on the file of heaven, are past the danger of defacing. I will not care whether I be known, or remembered, or forgotten amongst men, if my name and good actions may live with God in the records of eternity. 96 There is no man, nor no place free from spirits, although they testify their presence by visible effects but in few. Every man is an Oast to entertain Angels, though not in visible shapes, as Abraham and Lot. The evil ones do nothing but provoke us to sin, and plot mischiefs against us; by casting into our way dangerous objects, by suggesting sinful motions to our minds, stirring up enemies against us amongst men, by frighting us with terrors in ourselves, by accusing us to God. On the contrary, The good Angels are ever removing our hindrances from good, and our occasions of evil; mi●gating our tentations; helping us against our enemies; delivering us from dangers; comforting us in sorrows; furthering our good purposes; and at last carrying up our souls to heaven. It would affright a weak Christian that knows the power and malice of wicked spirits, to consider their presence, and number, but when with the eyes of Elishaes' servant, he sees those on his side as present, as diligent, more power full; he cannot but take heart again especially if he consider, that neither of them is without God, limiting the one the bounds of their tentation; directing the other in the safeguard of his children. Whereupon it is come to pass, that though there be many legions of Devils, and every one more strong than many legions of men, and more malicious than strong, yet the little flock of God's Church liveth and prospereth. I have ever with me invisible friends, and enemies. The consideration of mine enemies shall keep me from security, and make me fearful of doing aught to advantage them. The consideration of my spiritual friends shall comfort me against the terror of the other; shall remedy my solitariness; shall make me wary of doing aught indecently, grieving me rather, that I have ever heretofore made them turn away their eyes, for shame of that whereof I have not been ashamed; that I have no more enjoyed their society; that I have been no more affected with their presence. What though I see them not? I believe them. I were no Christian, if my faith were not as sure as my sense. 96 There is no word or action, but may be taken with two hands; either with the right hand of charitable construction, or the sinister interpretation of malice, and suspicion: and all things do so succeed, as they are taken. I have noted evil actions well taken, pass currant for either indifferent or commendable: Contrarily, a good speech or action ill taken, scarce allowed for indifferent; an indifferent one, censured for evil; an evil one for notorious: So favour makes virtues of vices; and suspicion makes virtues faults; and faults crimes. Of the two, I had rather my right hand should offend: It is always safer offending on the better part. To construe an evil act well, is but a pleasing and profitable deceit of myself: but to misconstrue a good thing, is a triple wrong; to myself, the action, the author. If no good sense can be made of a deed or speech, let the blame light upon the author: If a good interpretation may be given, and I choose a worse, let me be as much censured of others, as that misconceit is punishment to myself. 97 I know not how it comes to pass, that the mind of man doth naturally both overprize his own, in comparison of others, and yet contemn and neglect his own, in comparison of what he wants. The remedy of this latter evil is, to compare the good things we have, with the evils which we have not, and others groan under. Thou art in health and regardest it not; Look on the misery of those which on their bed of sickness, through extremity of pain and anguish, entreat death to release them. Thou hast clear eyesight, sound limbs, use of reason; and passest these over with slight respect: Think how many there are which in their uncomfortable blindness, would give all the world for but one glimpse of light: how many that deformedly crawl on all four, after the manner of the most loathsome creatures: how many that in mad frenzies are worse than brutish, worse than dead: thus thou mightest be, and art not. If I be not happy for the good that I have, I am yet happy for the evils that I might have had, and have escaped. I have deserved the greatest evil; every evil that I miss, is a new mercy. 98 Earth, which is the basest element, is both our mother that brought us forth, our stage that bears us alive, and our grave wherein at last we are entombed; giving to us both our original, our harbour, our Sepulchre: She hath yielded her back to bear thousands of generations; and at last opened her mouth to receive them; so swallowing them up, that she still both beareth more, and looks for more; not bewraying any change in herself, while she so oft hath changed her brood, and her burden. It is a wonder we can be proud of our parentage, or of ourselves, while we see both the baseness and stability of the earth, whence we came. What difference is there? Living earth treads upon the dead earth, which afterwards descends into the grave, as senseless and dead, as the earth that receives it. Not many are proud of their souls; and none but fools can be proud of their bodies. While we walk and look upon the earth, we cannot but acknowledge sensible admonitions of humility; and while we remember them, we cannot forget ourselves. It is a mother-like favour of the earth, that she bears and nourishes me, and at the last entertains my dead carcase: but it is a greater pleasure, that she teacheth me my vileness by her own, and sends me to heaven, for what she wants. 99 The wicked man carrieth every day a brand to his hell, till his heap be come to the height: then he ceaseth sinning, and gins his torment; whereas the repentant, in every fit of holy sorrow, caries away a whole faggot from the flame, and quencheth the coals that remain, with his tears. There is no torment for the penitent; no redemption for the obstinate. Safety consisteth not in not sinning, but in repenting: neither is it sin that condemns, but impenitence. O Lord, I cannot be righteous, let me be repentant. 100 The estate of heavenly and earthly things is plainly represented to us, by the two lights of heaven, which are appointed to rule the night and the day. Earthly things are rightly resembled by the Moon, which being nearest to the region of mortality, is ever in changes, and never looks upon us twice with the same face; and when it is at the full, is blemished with some dark blots, not capable of any illumination. Heavenly things are figured by the Sun, whose great and glorious light is both natural to itself, and ever constant. That other fickle and dim star is fit enough for the night of misery, wherein we live here below. And this firm and beautiful light is but good enough for that Day of glory, which the Saints live in. If it be good living here where our sorrows are changed with joys; what is it to live above, where our joys change not? I cannot look upon the body of the Sun: and yet I cannot see at all without the light of it. I cannot behold the glory of thy Saints, O Lord; yet without the knowledge of it, I am blind. If thy creature be so glorious to us here below; how glorious shall thyself be to us when we are above this Sun? This Sun shall not shine upward, where thy glory shineth: the greater light extinguisheth the lesser. O thou Sun of righteousness (which shalt only shine to me when I am glorified) do thou heat, enlighten, comfort me with the beams of thy presence, till I be glorified. AMEN. FINIS. HEAVEN UPON EARTH: OR, OF TRUE PEACE AND TRANQVILLITIE of Mind. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, HENRY Earl of Huntingdon, Lord Hastings, Hungerford, Botreaux, Molines and Moiles, his Majesty's Lieutenant in the Counties of L●icester, and Rutland, my singular good Lord: All increase of true Honour, and HEAVEN begun upon EARTH. RIGHT HONOURABLE, I Have undertaken a great task, to teach men how to be happy in this life: I have undertaken and performed it: wherein I have followed Seneca, and gone beyond him; followed him as a Philosopher, gone beyond him as a Christian, as a Divine. Finding it a true censure of the best Moralists, that they were like to goodly Ships, graced with great titles, the Safeguard, the Triumph, the Good-speed, and such like, when yet they have been both extremely Sea-beaten, and at last wracked. The volume is little, perhaps the use more; I have ever thought according to the Greek Proverb, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. What it is, even justice challengeth it to him, to whom the Author hath devoted himself: The children of the bondman are the goods of the parents Master. I humbly betake it to your Honour's protection, and your Honour to the protection of the Highest. Your Honour's most humbly devoted in all duty and service, IOS. HALL.. The Analysis or Resolution of this Treatise concerning TRANQVILLITIE. Our Treatise concerning Tranquillity, is partly Refutatorie: where the precepts of the Heathen are Recited. Rejected for Enumeration Insufficient. Quality of remedies too weak. Positive, which teacheth, What it is, and wherein it consists. How to be attained. Enemies of peace subdued, whether those On the left hand Of sins done; Whose trouble is In their guiltiness consid. How turbulent they are till the conscience be pacified. How remedied. Peace is through reconciliation. Reconciliation, through Remission. Remission, by Satisfaction. Satisfaction, Not by us. By infinite merits of Where are considered The person and merits of Christ, by whom peace is offered. The receiving of our offered peace by faith. In their solicitation. Remedied by resolute resistance. Where is the subduing and moderation of our Affections. Of pain suffered: Crosses Imaginary: How redressed. True, How prevented and prepared against, by Expectation. Exercise. How to be born: Contentedly, in respect of their cause. Thankfully, in respect of their good effect. joyfully, in respect of their issue. Death, consid. How fearful. Which way sweetened. On the right. Overjoying Ouer-desiring Of Riches Honour Pleasure How to be esteemed, As Not good in themselves. Exposing us to evil. Rules and grounds of Peace set down. Maine or principal. A continual fruition of the presence of God: to be renewed to us by all holy exercises. Subordinate In respect of our actions. A resolution To refrain from all occasions of the displeasure of God. To perform all required duties. To do nothing doubtingly. In respect of our estate: To depend wholly on the providence of God. To account our own estate best. HEAVEN UPON EARTH: OR, Of true Peace of Mind. SECT. I. WHEN I had studiously read over the moral writings of some wise Heathen, especially those of the Stoical profession, Censure of Philosophers. I must confess, I found a little envy and pity striving together within me. I envied nature in them, to see her so witty in devising such plausible refuges for doubting and troubled minds: I pitied them, to see that their careful disquisition of true rest, led them in the end but to mere unquietness. Wherein me thought, they were as Hounds swift of foot, but not exquisite in scent, which in an hasty pursuit take a wrong way, spending their mouths, and courses in vain. Their praise of guessing wittily they shall not lose, their hopes both they lost, and whosoever follows them. If Seneca could have had grace to his wit, what wonders would he have done in this kind? what Divine might not have yielded him the chair for precepts of Tranquillity without any disparagement? As he was, this he hath gained: Never any Heathen wrote more divinely, never any Philosopher more probably. Neither would I ever desire better Master, if to this purpose I needed no other mistress than Nature. But this in truth is a task, which Nature hath never without presumption undertaken, and never performed without much imperfection. Like to those vain and wand'ring Empirics, which in Tables and pictures make great ostentation of Cures, never approving their skill to their credulous Patients. And if she could have truly effected it alone, I know not what employment in this life she should have left for grace to busy herself about, nor what privilege it should have been here below to be a Christian, since this that we seek is the noblest work of the soul, and in which alone consists the only heaven of this world; this is the sum of all humane desires: which when we have attained, then only we begin to live, and are sure we cannot thenceforth live miserably. No marvel then if all the Heathen have diligently sought after it, many wrote of it, none attained it. Not Athens must teach this lesson, but jerusalem. SECT. II. YEt something Grace scorneth not to learn of Nature, What Tranquillity is, and wherein it consists. as Moses may take good counsel of a Midianite. Nature hath ever had more skill in the end, than in the way to it; and whether she have discoursed of the good estate of the mind, which we call TRANQVILLITIE, or the best, which is happiness, hath more happily guessed at the general definition of them, than of the means to compass them. She teacheth us therefore without controlment, that the Tranquillity of the mind is, as of the Sea and weather, when no wind stirreth, when the waves do not tumultuously rise and fall upon each other, but when the face both of the Heaven and waters is still, fair, and equable. That it is such an even disposition of the heart, wherein the scoales of the mind neither rise up towards the beam, through their own lightness, or the overweening opinion of prosperity, nor are too much depressed with any load of sorrow; but hanging equal and unmoved betwixt both, give a man liberty in all occurrences to enjoy himself. Not that the most temperate mind can be so the master of his passions, as not sometimes to over-ioy his grief, or overgrieve his joy, according to the contrary occasions of both: for not the evenest weights, but at their first putting into the balance, somewhat sway both parts thereof, not without some show of inequality, which yet after some little motion, settle themselves in a meet poise. It is enough that after some sudden agitation, it can return to itself, and rest itself at last in a resolved peace. And this due composedness of mind we require unto our Tranquillity, not for some short fits of good mood, which soon after end in discontentment, but with the condition of perpetuity. For there is no heart makes so rough weather, as not sometimes to admit of a calm, and whether for that he knoweth no present cause of his trouble, or for that he knoweth, that cause of trouble is countervailed with as great an occasion of private joy, or for that the multitude of evils hath bred carelessness, the man that is most disordered, finds some respites of quietness. The balances that are most ill matched in their unsteady motions, come to an equality, but stay not at it. The frantic man cannot avoid the imputation of madness, though he be sober for many Moons, if he rage in one. So then the calm mind must be settled in an habitual rest, not then firm when there is nothing to shake it, but then least shaken when it is most assailed. SECT. III. Insufficiency of humane precepts. WHence easily appears how vainly it hath been sought either in such a constant estate of outward things, as should give no distaste to the mind whiles all earthly things with the weather, and have no stay but in uncertainty, or in the natural temper of the soul, so ordered by humane wisdom, as that it should not be affected with any casual events to either part; since that cannot ever by natural power be held like to itself; but one while is cheerful, stirring and ready to undertake; another while drowsy, dull, comfortless, prone to rest, weary of itself, loathing his own purposes, his own resolutions. In both which since the wisest Philosophers have grounded all the rules of their Tranquillity, it is plain that they saw it afar off, as they did heaven itself with a desire and admiration, but knew not the way to it: whereupon alas, how slight and impotent are the remedies they prescribe for unquietness! Senecaes' rules of Tranquillity abridged. For what is it that for the inconstancy and laziness of the mind still displeasing itself in what it doth, and for that distemper thereof which ariseth from the fearful, unthriving, and restless desires of it, we should ever be employing ourselves in some public affairs, choosing our business according to our inclination, and prosecuting what we have chosen? wherewith being at last cloyed, we should retire ourselves, and wear the rest of our time in private studies; that we should make due comparative trials of our own ability; nature of our businesses; disposition of our chosen friends? that in respect of Patrimony we should be but carelessly affected, so drawing it in as it may be least for show, most for use; removing all pomp, bridling our hopes, cutting off superfluities; for crosses, to consider that custom will abate and mitigate them, that the best things are but chains and burdens to those that have them; to those that use them, that the worst things have some mixture of comfort to those that groan under them. Or leaving these lower rudiments that are given to weak and simple novices, to examine those golden rules of Morality, which are commended to the most wise and able practitioners, what it is to account himself as a Tenant at will? To fore-imagine the worst in all casual matters? To avoid all idle and impertinent businesses, all pragmatical meddling with affairs of State? not to fix ourselves upon any one estate, as to be impatient of a change, to call back the mind from outward things, and draw it home into itself? to laugh at and esteem lightly of others misdemeanours? Not to depend upon others opinions, but to stand on our own bottoms? to carry ourselves in an honest and simple truth, free from a curious hypocrisy, and affectation of seeming other than we are, and yet as free from a base kind of carelessness? to intermeddle retiredness which society, so as one may give sweetness to the other, and both to us? So slackening the mind that we may not loosen it, and so bending as we may nor break it? to make most of ourselves, cheering up our spirits with variety of recreations, with satiety of meals, and all other bodily indulgence, saving that drunkenness (me thinks) can neither beseem a wise Philosopher to prescribe, nor a virtuous man to practise? All these in their kinds please well, Allowed yet by Sene●a in his last chapter of Tranquillity. Senecaes' rules rejected as insufficient. profit much, and are as sovereign for both these, as they are unable to effect that for which they are propounded. Nature teacheth thee all these should be done, she cannot teach thee to do them: and yet do all these and no more, let me never have rest, if thou have it. For neither are here the greatest enemies of our peace so much as descried afar off, nor those that are noted are hereby so prevented, that upon most diligent practice we can promise ourselves any security: wherewith who so instructed, dare confidently give challenge to all sinister events, is like to some skilful Fencer who stands upon his usual wards, and plays well; but if there come a strange fetch of an unwonted blow, is put besides the rules of his Art, and with much shame overtaken. And for those that are known, believe me, the mind of man is too weak to bear out itself hereby against all onsets. There are light crosses that will take an easy repulse; others yet stronger, that shake the house side, but break not in upon us; others vehement, which by force make way to the heart, where they find none, breaking open the door of the soul that denies entrance. Others violent, that lift the mind off the hinges, or rend the bars of it in pieces: others furious, that tear up the very foundations from the bottom, leaving no monument behind them, but ruin. Antonius Pius. The wisest and most resolute Moralist that ever was, looked pale when he should taste of his Hemlock; and by his timorousness made sport to those that envied his speculations. An Epistle to the Asians concerning the persecuted Christians. The best of the Heathen Emperors (that was honoured with the title of piety) justly magnified that courage of Christians which made them insult over their tormentors, and by their fearlessness of earthquakes, and deaths, argued the truth of their Religion. It must be, it can be none but a divine power, that can uphold the mind against the rage of main afflictions, and yet the greatest crosses are not the greatest enemies to inward peace. Let us therefore look up above ourselves, and from the rules of an higher Art, supply the defects of natural wisdom, giving such infallible directions for tranquillity, that whosoever shall follow, cannot but live sweetly and with continual delight, applauding himself at home, when all the world besides him shall be miserable. Disposition of the work. To which purpose it shall be requisite, first to remove all causes of unquietness, and then to set down the grounds of our happy rest. SECT. iv I Find on the hand two universal enemies of Tranquillity; Enemies of inward peace divided into their ranks. Conscience of evil done, Sense or fear of evil suffered. The former in one word, we call sins, the latter Crosses. The first of these must be quite taken away, the second duly tempered ere the heart can be at rest. For first, how can that man be at peace, that is at variance with God and himself? How should peace be God's gift, if it could be without him, if it could be against him? It is the profession of sin, although fair-spoken at the first closing, to be a perpetual makebate betwixt God and man, betwixt a man and himself. And this enmity, though it do not continually show itself, (as the mortalest enemies are not always in pitched fields one against the other) for that the conscience is not ever clamorous, but some while is silent, otherwhiles with still murmurings bewrays his misl●kes, The torment of an evil conscience. yet doth evermore work secret unquietness to the heart. The guilty man may have a seeming truce, a true peace he cannot have. Look upon the face of the guilty heart, and thou shalt see it pale and ghastly; the smiles and laughters faint and heartless, the speeches doubtful, and full of abrupt stops and unseasonable turnings; the purposes and motions unsteady, and savouring of much distraction, arguing plainly that sin is not so smooth at her first motions, as turbulent afterwards: hence are those vain wearying of places and companies together with ourselves; that the galled soul doth after the wont of sick Patients seek refreshing in variety; and after many tossed and turned sides, complains of remediless and unabated torment. Nero after so much innocent blood, may change his bedchamber, but his Fiends ever attend him, ever are within him, and are as parts of himself. Alas what avails it to seek outward releefes, when thou hast thine executioner within thee? If thou couldst shift from thyself, thou mightest have some hope of ease; now thou shalt never want furies so long as thou hast thyself. Yea, what if thou wouldst run from thyself? Thy soul may fly from thy body, thy conscience will not fly from thy soul, nor thy sin from thy conscience. Some men indeed in the bitterness of these pangs of sin, like unto those fond impatient fishes, that leap out of the pan into the flame, have leapt out of this private hell that is in themselves, into the common pit, choosing to adventure upon the future pains that they have feared, rather than to endure the present horrors they have felt: wherein what have they gained, but to that hell which was within them, a second hell without? The conscience leaves not where the Fiends begin, but both join together in torture. But there are some firm and obdurate foreheads, whose resolution can laugh their sins out of countenance. There are so large and able gorges, as that they can swallow and digest bloody murders, without complaint, who, with the same hands which they have since their last meal embrued in blood, can freely carve to themselves large morsels at the next sitting. The joy and peace of the guilty but dissembled. Believest thou that such a man's heart laughs with his face? will not he dare to be an Hypocrite, that durst be a villain? These glow-worms, when a night of sorrow compasses them, make a lightsome and fiery show of joy, when if thou press them, thou findest nothing but a cold and crude moisture. Knowest thou not that there are those which count it no shame to sin, yet count it a shame to be checked with remorse, especially so as others eyes may descry? to whom repentance seems base-mindedness, unworthy of him that professes wisdom and valout. Such a man can grieve when none sees it, but himself can laugh when others see it, himself feels not. Assure thyself that man's heart bleedeth, when his face counterfeits a smile; he wears out many waking hours, when thou thinkest he resteth: yea as his thoughts afford him not sleep, so his very sleep affords him not rest, but while his senses are tied up, his sin is lose; representing itself to him in the ugliest shape, and frighting him with horrible and hellish dreams. And if perhaps custom hath bred a carelessness in him, (as we see that usual whipping makes the child not care for the rod) yet an unwonted extremity of the blow shall fetch blood of the soul, and make the back that is most hardened, sensible of smart: and the further the blow is fetched through intermission of remorse, the harder it must needs alight. Therefore I may confidently tell the careless sinner, as that bold Tragedian said to his great Pompey: The time shall come wherein thou shalt fetch deep sighs, and therefore shalt sorrow desperately, because thou sorrowedst not sooner. The fire of the conscience may lie for a time smothered with a pile of green wood, that it cannot be discerned, whose moisture when once it hath mastered, it sends up so much greater flame, by how much it had greater resistance. Hope not then to stop the mouth of thy conscience from exclaiming, whiles thy sin continues; that endeavour is both vain and hurtful; So I have seen them that have stopped the nostril for bleeding, in hope to stay the issue, when the blood hindered in his former course, hath broken out of the mouth, or found way down into the stomach. The conscience is not pacificable, while sin is within to vex it: no more than angry swelling can cease throbbing and aching, whiles the thorn or the corrupted matter lies rotting underneath. Time, that remedies all other evils of the mind, increaseth this, which like to bodily diseases proves worse with continuance, and grows upon us with our age. SECT. V THere can be therefore no peace without reconciliation, The remedy of an unquiet Conscience. thou canst not be friends with thyself, till with God: for thy conscience (which is thy best friend while thou sinnest not) like an honest servant takes his Master's part against thee when thou hast sinned; and will not look strait upon thee, till thou upon God; not daring to be so kind to thee, as to be unfaithful to his Maker: There can be no reconciliation without remission. God can neither forget the injury of sin, nor dissemble hatred. It is for men and those of hollow hearts, to make pretences contrary to their affections: soothe and smiles, and embracements where we mean not love, are from weakness: Either for that we fear our insufficiency of present revenge, or hope for a fit opportunity afterwards, or for that we desire to make our further advantage of him to whom we mean evil. These courses are not incident into an Almighty power; who having the command of all vengeance, can smite were he lift without all doubtings or delays. There can be no remission without satisfaction; neither dealeth God with us as we men with some desperate debtors, whom after long dilations of payments, and many days broken, we altogether let go for disability, or at least dismiss them upon an easy composition. All sins are debts; all God's debts must be discharged. It is a bold word, but a true; God should not be just, if any of his debts should pass unsatisfied. The conceit of the profane vulgar, makes him a God of all mercies; and thereupon hopes for pardon without payment. Fond and ignorant presumption, to disjoin mercy and justice in him to whom they are both essential; to make mercy exceed justice in him, in whom both are infinite. Darest thou hope God can be so kind to thee, as to be unjust to himself? God will be just: go thou on to presume and perish. There can be no satisfaction by any recompense of ours: an infinite justice is offended, an infinite punishment is deserved by every sin, and every man's sins are as near to infinite, as number can make them. Our best endeavour is worse than finite, imperfect, and faulty. If it could be perfect, we own it all in present; what we are bound to do in present, cannot make amends for what we have not done in time past: which while we offer to God as good payment, we do with the profane traveller think to please him with empty Date-shells in lieu of preservation. Where shall we then find a payment of infinite value, but in him which is only and all infinite? The dignity of whose person being infinite, gave such worth to his satisfaction, that what he suffered in short time, was proportianable to what we should have suffered beyond all times. He did all, suffered all, paid all, be did it for us, we in him. Where shall I begin to wonder at thee, O thou divine and eternal Peacemaker, the Saviour of men, the Anointed of God, Mediator between God and man, in whom there is nothing which doth not exceed not only the conceit, but the very wonder of Angels, who saw thee in thy humiliation with silence, and adore thee in thy glory with perpetual praises and rejoicings? Thou wast for ever of thyself as God, of the Father, as tne Son; the eternal Son of an eternal Father; not later in being, not less in dignity, not other in substance. Begotten without diminution of him that be got thee, while he communicated that wholly to thee, which he retained wholly in himself, because both were infinite without inequality of nature, without division of essence; when being in this estate, thine infinite love and mercy to desperate mankind, caused thee, O Saviour, to empty thyself of thy glory, that thou mightest put on our shame and misery. Wherefore not ceasing to be God as thou wert, thou beganst to be what thou wert not, Man; to the end that thou mightest be a perfect Mediator betwixt God and man, which wert both in one person; God, that thou mightst satisfy; man, that thou mightst suffer; that since man had sinned, and God was offended, thou which wert God and man, mightst satisfy God for man. None but thyself, which are the eternal Word, can express the depth of this mystery, that God should be clothed with flesh, come down to men, and become man, that man might be exalted into the highest heavens; and that our nature might be taken into the fellowship of the Deity. That he to whom all powers in heaven bowed, and thought it their honour to be serviceable, should come down to be a servant to his slaves, a ransom for his enemies; together with our nature taking up our very infirmities, our shame, our torments, and bearing our sins without sin. That thou whom the heavens were too straight to contain, shouldst lay thyself in an obscure cratch: thou which wert attended of Angels, shouldst be derided of men, rejected of thine own, persecuted by Tyrants, tempted with Devils, betrayed of thy servant, crucified among thiefs, and (which was worse than all these) in thine own apprehension, for the time as forsaken of thy Father; That thou whom our sins had pierced, shouldst for our sins both sweat drops of blood in the Garden, and pour out streams of blood upon the Cross. O the invaluable purchase of our peace! O ransom enough for more worlds! Thou which wert in the counsel of thy Father, the Lamb slain from the beginning of time, cam'st now in fullness of time to be slain by man, for man; being at once the Sacrifice offered, the Priest that did offer, and the God to whom it was offered. How graciously didst thou both proclaim our peace as a Prophet in the time of thy life upon earth, and purchase it by thy blood as a Priest at thy death, and now confirmest and appliest it as a King in heaven! By thee only it was procured, by thee it is proffered. O mercy without example, without measure! God offers peace to man, the holy seeks to the unjust, the Potter to the clay, the King to the traitor. We are unworthy that we should be received to peace though we desired it; what are we then that we should have peace offered for the receiving? An easy condition of so great a benefit; he requires us not to earn it, but to accept it of him: what could he give more? what could he require less of us? SECT. VI The receipt of our peace offered by Faith. THe purchase therefore of our peace was paid at once, yet must be severally reckoned to every soul whom it shall benefit. If we have not an hand to take what Christ's hand doth either hold, or offer, what is sufficient in him, cannot be effectual to us. The spiritual hand, whereby we apprehend the sweet offers of our Saviour, is faith, which in short is no other than an affiance in the Mediator: receive peace and be happy, believe and thou hast received. From hence it is that we are interessed in all that either God hath promised, or Christ hath performed. Hence have we from God both forgiveness and love, the ground of all either peace or glory. Hence of enemies we become more than friends, sons: and as sons, may both expect and challenge not only careful provision and safe protection on earth, but an everlasting patrimony above. This field is so spacious, that it were easy for a man to lose himself in it: and if I should spend all my pilgrimage in this walk, my time would sooner end than my way; wherein I would have measured more paces, were it not that our scope is not so much to magnify the benefit of our peace, as to seek how to obtain it. A corollary of the benefit of this receipt. Behold now, after we have sought heaven and earth, where only the wearied Dove may find an Olive of peace. The apprehending of this all sufficient satisfaction, makes it ours: upon our satisfaction we have remission; upon remission, follows reconciliation; upon our reconciliation, peace. When therefore thy conscience like a stern Sergeant shall catch thee by the throat, and arrest thee upon God's debt, let thy only plea be, that thou hast already paid it: Bring forth that bloody acquittance sealed to thee from heaven upon thy true faith, straightway thou shalt see the fierce and terrible look of thy conscience changed into friendly smiles, and that rough and violent hand that was ready to drag thee to prison, shall now lovingly embrace thee, and fight for thee against all the wrongful attempts of any spiritual adversary. O heavenly Peace, and more than Peace, Friendship, whereby alone we are leagued with ourselves, and God with us, which whoever wants, shall find a sad Remembrancer in the midst of his dissembled jollity, and after all vain strifes, shall fall into many secret dumps, from which his guilty heart shall deny to be cheered, though all the world were his minstrel! Oh pleasure worthy to be pitied, and laughter worthy of tears, that is without this! Go then, foolish man, and when thou feelest any check of thy sin, The vain shifts of the guilty. seek after thy iocundest companions, deceive the time and thyself with merry purposes, with busy games, feast away thy cares, bury them and thyself in wine and sleep: after all these frivolous deferings, it will return upon thee, when thou wakest, perhaps ere thou wakest, nor will be repelled till it have showed thee thy hell, nor when it hath showed thee, will yet be repelled. So the strike Deer having received a deadly arrow, whose shaft shaken out hath left the head behind it, runs from one Thicket to another, not able to change his pain with his places, but finding his wounds still the worse with continuance. Ah fool, thy soul festereth within, and is affected so much more dangerously, by how much less it appeareth. Thou mayst while thyself with variety, thou canst not ease thee. Sin owes thee a spite, and will pay it thee, perhaps when thou art in worst case to sustain it. This fl●tting doth but provide for a further violence at last. I have seen a little stream of no noise, which upon his stoppage hath swelled up, and with a loud gushing ha' h borne over the heap of turns wherewith it was resisted. Thy deathbed shall smart for these wilful adiournings of repentance; whereon how many have we heard raving of their old neglected sins, and fearfully despairing when they have had most need of comfort? In sum, there is no way but this: Thy conscience must have either satisfaction or torment. Discharge thy sin betimes, and be at peace. He never breaks his sleep for debt, that pays when he takes up. SECT. VII. NEither can it suffice for peace, to have crossed the old scroll of our sins, Solicitation of sin remedied. if we prevent not the future; yea the present very importunity of tentation breeds unquietness. Sin where it hath got an haunt, looketh for more, as humours that fall towards their old issue: and if it be not strongly repelled, doth near as much vex us with soliciting as with yielding. Let others envy their happiness, I shall never think their life so much as quiet, whose doors are continually beaten, and their morning sleep broken with early clients, whose entries are daily thronged with suitors pressing near for the next audience; much less that through their remiss answers are daily haunted with traitors or other instruments of villainy, offering their mischievous service, and inciting them to some pestilent enterprise. Such are tentations to the soul. Whereof it cannot be rid, so long as it holds them in any hope of entertainment: and so long they will hope to prevail, while we give them but a cold and timorous denial. Suitors are drawn on with an easy repulse; counting that as half granted, which is but faintly gainsaid. Peremptory answers can only put sin out of heart for any second attempts. It is ever impudent when it meets not with a bold heart; hoping to prevail by wearying us, and wearying us by entreaties. Let all suggestions therefore find thee resolute: so shall thy soul find itself at rest; for as the Devil, so sinne his natural brood, flies away with resistance. To which purpose, The ordering of affections. all our heady and disordered affections, which are the secret factors of sin and Satan, must be restrained by a strong and yet temperate command of Reason and Religion: these, if they find the reynes lose in their necks (like to the wild horses, of that chaste hunter in the Tragedy) carry us over hills and rocks, and never leave us till we be dismembered, and they breathless: but contrarily, if they be pulled in with the sudden violence of a strait hand, they fall to plunging, and careering, and never leave till their saddle be empty, and even then dangerously strike at their prostrate Rider. If there be any exercise of Christian wisdom, it is in the managing of these unruly affections, which are not more necessary in their best use, than pernicious in their mis-governance. Reason hath always been busy in undertaking this so necess●●y a moderation: wherein although she have prevailed with some of colder temper, yet those which have been of more stubborn metal, like unto grown scholars, which scorn the ferule that ruled their minority, have still despised her weak endeavours. Only Christianity hath this power; which with our second birth gives us a new nature: so that now, if excess of passions be natural to us as men, the order of them is natural to us as Christians. Reason bids the angry man say over his Alphabet ere he give his answer; hoping by this intermission of time, to gain the mitigation of his rage. He was never throughly angry, that can endure the recital of so many idle letters. Christianity gives not rules, but power to avoid this short madness. It was a wise speech that is reported of our best and last Cardinal (I hope) that this Island either did or shall see; who when a skilful ginger, upon the calculation of his nativity, had foretold him some specialties, concerning his future estate, answered, Such perhaps I was borne, but since that time, I have been borne again, and my second nativity hath crossed my first. The power of nature is a good plea for those that acknowledge nothing above nature. But for a Christian to excuse his intemperateness, by his natural inclination, and to say, I am borne choleric, sullen, amorous, is an Apology worse than the fault. Wherefore serves Religion, but to subdue or govern nature? We are so much Christians, as we can rule ourselves, the rest is but form, and speculation. Yea, the very thought of our profession is so powerful, that (like unto that precious stone) being cast into this Sea, it assuageth those inward tempests, that were raised by the affections. The unregenerate mind is not capable of this power; and therefore through the continual mutinies of his passions, cannot but be subject to perpetual unquietness. There is neither remedy nor hope in this estate. But the Christian soul, that hath enured itself to the awe of God, and the exercises of true mortification, by the only looking up at his holy profession, cureth the burning venom of these fiery serpents that lurk within him. Hast thou nothing but nature? Resolve to look for no peace. God is not prodigal to cast away his best blessings on so unworthy subjects. Art thou a Christian? Do but remember thou art so; and than if thou darest, if thou canst, yield to the excess of passions. SECT. VIII. The second main enemy to Peace, Crosses. HItherto the most inward and dangerous enemy of our peace: which if we have once mastered, the other field shall be fought and won with less blood. Crosses disquiet us either in their present feeling, or their expectation: both of them, when they meet with weak minds, so extremely distempering them, that the patiented for the time is not himself. How many have we known, which through a lingering disease, weary of their pain, weary of their lives, have made their own hands their executioners? How many meeting with a headstrong grief, which they could not manage, have by the violence of it been carried quite from their wits? How many millions, what for incurable maladies, what for losses, what for defamations, what for sad accidents to their children, rub out their lives in perpetual discontentment, therefore living, because they cannot yet die, not for that they like to live? If there could be any humane receipt prescribed to avoid evils, it would be purchased at an high rate: but both it is impossible that earth should redress that which is sent from Heaven; and if it could be done, even the want of miseries would prove miserable: for the mind cloyed with continual felicity, would grow a burden to itself, loathing that at last, which intermission would have made pleasant. Give a free horse the full reynes, and he will soon tyre. Summer is the sweetest season by all consents, wherein the earth is both most rich with increase, and most gorgeous for ornament; yet if it were not received with interchanges of cold frosts and piercing winds, who could live? Summer would be no Summer, if Winter did not both lead it in, and follow it: we may not therefore either hope or strive to escape all crosses; some we may: what thou canst, fly from; what thou canst not, allay and mitigate; in crosses universally let this be thy rule, Make thyself none, escape some, bear the rest, sweeten all. SECT. IX. APprehension gives life to crosses: and if some be simply, Of crosses that arise from conceit. most are as they are taken. I have seen many, which when God hath meant them no hurt, have framed themselves crosses out of imagination, and have found that insupportable for weight, which in truth never was, neither had ever any but a fancied being. Others again laughing out heavy afflictions, for which they were bemoaned of the beholders. One receives a deadly wound, and looks not so much as pale at the smart; another hears of many losses, and like Zeno, after news of his shipwreck, (as altogether passion-lesse) goes to his rest, not breaking an hours sleep for that, which would break the heart of some others. Greenham that Saint of ours (whom it cannot disparage that he was reserved for our so lose an age) can lie spread quietly upon the form looking for the Chirurgeons knife, binding himself as fast with a resolved patience, as others with strongest cords, abiding his flesh carved, and his bowels rifled, and not stirring more than if he felt not, while others tremble to expect, and shrink to feel but the pricking of a vein. There can be no remedy for imaginary crosses but wisdom, which shall teach us to esteem of all events as they are; like a true glass representing all things to our minds in their due proportion. So as crosses may not seem that are not, nor little and gentle ones seem great and intolerable. Give thy body Ellebore, thy mind good counsel, thine ear to thy friend, and these fantastical evils shall vanish away like themselves. SECT. X. IT were idle advice to bid men avoid evils. Of true and real crosses. Nature hath by a secret instinct taught brute creatures so much, whether wit or sagacity: and our self-love making the best advantage of reason, will easily make us so wise and careful. It is more worth our labour, since our life is so open to calamities, and nature to impatience, to teach men to bear what evils they cannot avoid, and how by a well-disposednesse of mind we may correct the iniquity of all hard events. Wherein it is hardly credible, how much good Art and precepts of resolution may avail us. I have seen one man, by the help of a little engine, lift up that weight alone, which forty helping hands by their clear strength might have endeavoured in vain. We live here in an Ocean of troubles, wherein we can see no firm land; one wave falling upon another, ere the former have wrought all his spite. Mischief's strive for places, as if they feared to lose their room if they hasted not. So many good things as we have, so many evils arise from their privation; besides no fewer real and positive evils that afflict us. To prescribe and apply receipts to every particular cross, were to write a Sa●meron-like commentary upon Petrarches remedies; and I doubt whether so the work would be perfect: a life would be too little to write it, and but enough to read it. SECT. XI. The first remedy of crosses before they come. THe same medicines cannot help all diseases of the body, of the soul they may. We see Fencers give their scholars the same common rules of position, of warding and wielding their weapon for offence, for defence, against all comers: such universal precepts there are for crosses. In the first whereof, I would prescribe Expectation, that either killeth or abateth evils. For Crosses, after the nature of the Cockatrice, die, it they be foreseen; whether this providence makes us more strong to resist, or by some secret power makes them more unable to assault us. It is not credible what a fore-resolued mind can do, can suffer. Can our English Milo, of whom Spain yet speaketh since their last peace, have overthrown that furious Beast, made now more violent through the rage of his baiting, if he had not settled himself in his station, and expected? The frighted multitude ran away from that over-earnest sport, which begun in pleasure, ended in terror. If he had turned his back with the rest, where had been his safety, where his glory, and reward? Now he stood still, expected, overcame, by one fact he at once preserved, honoured, enriched himself. Evils will come never the sooner for that thou lookest for them, they will come the easier: it is a labour well lost, if they come not; and well bestowed, if they do come. We are sure the worst may come, why should we be secure that it will not? Suddenness finds weak minds secure, makes them miserable, leaves them desperate. The best way therefore is, to make things present, in conceit before they come, that they may be half passed in their violence when they do come: even as with wooden wasters we learn to play at the sharp. As therefore good Soldiers exercise themselves long at the pale, and there use those activities, which afterwards they shall practise upon a true adversary: so must we present to ourselves imaginary crosses, and manage them in our mind, before God sends them in event. Now I eat, sleep, digest, all sound, without complaint: what if a languishing disease should bereave me of my appetite and rest? that I should see dainties and loathe them, surfeiting of the very smell, of the thought of the best dishes? that I should count the lingering hours, and think Ezechias long day returned, wearying myself with changing sides, and wishing any thing but what I am? How could I take this distemper? Now I have (if not what I would, yet) what I need; as not abounding with idle superfluities, so not straitened with penury of necessary things. What if poverty should rush upon me as an armed man, spoiling me of all my little that I had, and send me to the fountain for my best cellar? to the ground for my bed? for my bread to another's cupboard? for my clothes to the Broker's shop, or my friend's wardrobe? How could I brook this want? I am now at home, walking in my own grounds, looking on my young plants the hope of posterity, considering the nature, advantages or fears of my soil, enjoying the patrimony of my Fathers. What if for my Religion, or the malicious sentence of some great one, I should be exiled from my Country, wandering amongst those, whose habit, language, fashion, my ignorance shall make me wonder at; where the solitude of places, and strangeness of persons, shall make my life uncomfortable? How could I abide the smell of foreign smoke? how should I take the contempt and hard usage that waits upon strangers? Thy prosperity is idle, and ill spent, if it be not meddled with such forecasting, and wisely suspicious thoughts, if it be wholly bestowed in enjoying, no whit in preventing. Like unto a foolish City, which notwithstanding a dangerous situation, spends all her wealth in rich furnitures of chambers, and state-houses; while they bestow not one shovell-full of earth on outward Bulwarks to their defence: this is but to make our enemies the happier, and ourselves the more readily miserable. If thou wilt not therefore be oppressed with evils, Expect and Exercise; Exercise thyself with conceit of evils: Expect the evils themselves; yea exercise thyself in expectation: so while the mind pleaseth itself in thinking, Yet I am not thus, it prepareth itself against it may be so. And if some that have been good at the Foils, have proved cowardly at the sharp, yet on the contrary, who ever durst point a single combat in the field, that hath not been somewhat trained in the Fence-school? SECT. XII. NEither doth it a little blunt the edge of evils, The next remedy of crosses when they are come. From their Author. to consider that they come from a divine hand, whose almighty power is guided by a most wise providence, and tempered with a Fatherly love. Even the savage creatures will be smitten of their keeper, and repine not; if of a stranger, they tear him in pieces. He strikes me that made me, that moderates the world; why struggle I with him, why with myself? Am I a fool, or a Rebel? A fool, if I be ignorant whence my crosses come: a Rebel, if I know it, and be impatient. My sufferings are from a God, from my God; he hath destined me every dram of sorrow that I feel: thus much thou shalt abide, and here shall thy miseries be stinted. All worldly helps cannot abate them, all powers of hell cannot add one scruple to their weight, that he hath allotted me: I must therefore either blaspheme God in my heart, detracting from his infinite justice, wisdom, power, mercy, which all shall stand inviolable, when millions of such worms as I am, are gone to dust; or else confess that I ought to be patiented. And if I profess I should be that I will not, I befool myself, and bewray miserable impotency. But (as impatience is full of excuse) it was thine own rash improvidence, or the spite of thine enemy that impoverished, that defamed thee: it was the malignity of some unwholesome dish, or some gross corrupted air, that hath distempered thee. Ah foolish cur, why dost thou bite at the stone, which could never have hurt thee, but from the hand that threw it? If I wound thee, what matters it whether with mine own sword, or thine, or another's? God strikes some immediately from heaven with his own arm, or with the arm of Angels: others he buffets with their own hands, some by the revenging sword of an enemy, others with the fist of his dumb creatures: God strikes in all; his hand moves theirs. If thou see it not, blame thy carnal eyes. Why dost thou fault the instrument, while thou knowest the agent? Even the dying thief pardons the executioner, exclaims on his unjust judge, or his malicious accusers. Either then blame the first mover, or discharge the means: which as they could not have touched thee, but as from him; so from him they have afflicted thee justly, wrongfully perhaps as in themselves. SECT. XIII. But neither seemeth it enough to be patiented in crosses, The third antidote of crosses. if we be not thankful also. Good things challenge more than bare contentment. Crosses (unjustly termed evils) as they are sent of him that is all goonesse, so they are sent for good, and his end cannot be frustrate. What greater good can be to the diseased man, than fit and proper Physic to recure him? Crosses are the only medicines of sick minds. Thy sound body carries within it a sick soul; thou feelest it not perhaps: so much more art thou sick, and so much more dangerously. Perhaps thou labourest of some plethorie of pride, or of some dropsy of covetousness, or the staggers of inconstancy, or some fever of luxury, or consumption of envy, or perhaps of the lethargy of idleness, or of the frenzy of anger: It is a rare soul that hath not some notable disease: only crosses are thy remedies. What if they be unpleasant? They are physic: it is enough if they be wholesome. Not pleasant taste, but the secret virtue commends medicines. If they cure thee, they shall please thee, even in displeasing; or else thou lovest thy palate above thy soul. What madness is this? When thou complainest of a bodily disease, thou sendest to the Physician, that he may send thee not savoury, but wholesome potions: thou receivest them in spite of thine abhorring stomach, and withal both thankest and rewardest the Physician. Thy soul is sick: thy heavenly Physician sees it, and pities thee ere thou thyself; and unsent to, sends thee not a plausible, but a sovereign remedy: thou loathest the savour, and rather wilt hazard thy life, than offend thy palate; and in stead of thankes, repinest at, revilest the Physician. How comes it that we love ourselves so little (if at least we count our souls the best or any part) as that we had rather undergo death than pain, choosing rather wilful sickness, than an harsh remedy? Surely we men are mere fools in the estimation of our own good: like children, our choice is lead altogether by show, no whit by substance. We cry after every well-seeming toy, and put from us solid proffers of good things. The wise Arbitrator of all things sees our folly, and corrects it, withholding our idle desires, and forcing upon us the sound good we refuse. It is second folly in us, if we thank him not. The foolish babe cries for his father's bright knife, or gilded pills. The wiser father knows that they can but hurt him; and therefore withholds them after all his tears. The child thinks he is used but unkindly. Every wise man, and himself at more years, can say, it was used but childish folly, in desiring it, in complaining that he miss it. The loss of wealth, friends, health, is sometimes gain to us. Thy body, thy estate, is worse; thy soul is better, why complainest thou? SECT. XIV. The 4. and last part, from their issue. NAy, it shall not be enough (me thinks) if only we be but contented and thankful, if not also cheerful in afflictions; if that, as we feel their pain, so we look to their end; although indeed this is not more requisite, than rarely found, as being proper only to the good heart. Every bird can sing in a clear heaven, in a temperate spring; that one, as most familiar, so is most commended, that sings merry notes in the midst of a shower, or the dead of Winter. Every Epicure can enlarge his heart to mirth in the midst of his cups and dalliance; only the three children can sing in the furnace, Paul and Silas in the stocks. Martyrs at the stake. It is from heaven that this joy comes, so contrary to all earthly occasions, bred in the faithful heart, through a serious and feeling respect to the issue of what he feels, the quiet and untroubled fruit of his righteousness; glory, the crown after his fight; after his minute of pain, eternity of joy. He never looked over the threshold of heaven, that cannot more rejoice that he shall be glorious, than mourn in present that he is miserable. SECT. XV. Of the importunity and terror of Death. YEa, this consideration is so powerful, that it alone is able to make a part against the fear or sense of the last and greatest of all terribles, Death itself: which in the conscience of his own dreadfulness, justly laughs at all the vain humane precepts of Tranquillity, appalling the most resolute, and vexing the most cheerful minds. Neither profane Lucretius, with all his Epicurean rules of confidence, nor drunken Anacreon, with all his wanton Odes, can shift off the importunate and violent horror of this Adversary. Seest thou the Chaldean Tyrant beset with the sacred bowls of jerusalem, the late spoils of God's Temple; and (in contempt of their owner) carousing healths to his Queens, Concubines, Peers, singing amids his cups, triumphant carols of praise to his molten and carved gods? wouldst thou ever suspect that this high courage could be abated? or that this sumptuous and presumptuous banquet (after so royal and jocund continuance) should have any other conclusion, but pleasure? Stay but one hour longer, and thou shalt see that face, that now shines with a ruddy gloss (according to the colour of his liquor) look pale and ghastly, stained with the colours of fear and death; and that proud hand, which now lifts up her massy Goblets in defiance of God, tremble like a leaf in a storm; and those strong knees, which never stooped to the burden of their laden body, now not able to bear up themselves, but loosened with a sudden palsy of fear, one knocking against the other: and all this, for that Death writes him a letter of summons to appear that night before him; and accordingly ere the next Sun, sent two Eunuches for his honourable conveyance into another world. Where now are those delicate morsels, those deep draughts, those merry ditties, wherewith the palate and ear so pleased themselves? What is now become of all those cheerful looks, lose laughters, stately port, revels, triumphs of the feasting Court? Why doth none of his gallant Nobles revive the fainted courage of their Lord with a new cup? or with some stirring jest shake him out of this unseasonable melancholy? O death, how imperious art thou to carnal minds? aggravating their misery not only by expectation of future pain, but by the remembrance of the wont causes of their joy; and not suffering them to see aught but what may torment them? Even that monster of Caesar's, that had been so well acquainted with blood, and never had sound better sport than in cutting of throats; when now it came to his own turn, how effeminate, how desperately cowardous did he show himself! to the wonder of all Readers, that he which was ever so valiant in killing, should be so womanishly heartless in dying. SECT. XVI. THere are that fear not so much to be dead, as to die; The grounds of the fear of death. the very act of dissolution frighting them with a tormenting expectation of a short, but intolerable painfulness. Which let if the wisdom of God had not interposed to timorous nature, there would have been many more Lucreces, Cleopatra's, Achitophel's; and good laws should have found little opportunity of execution, through the wilful funerals of malefactors. For the soul that comes into the body without any (at least sensible) pleasure, departs not from it without an extremity of pain; which varying according to the manner and means of separation, yet in all violent deaths especially retaineth a violence not to be avoided, hard to be endured. And if diseases, which are destined towards death as their end, be so painful, what must the end and perfection of diseases be? Since as diseases are the maladies of the body, so death is the malady of diseases. There are that fear not so much to die, as to be dead. If the pang be bitter, yet it is but short: the comfortless state of the dead strikes some that could well resolve for the act of their passage. Not the worst of the Heathen Emperors, made that moanfull ditty on his deathbed, wherein he bewrayeth (to all memory) much feeling pity of his soul, for her doubtful and impotent condition after her parture. How doth Plato's worldling bewail the misery of the grave, besides all respect of pain! Woe is me, that I shall lie alone rotting in the silent earth, amongst the crawling Worms, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. not seeing ought above, not seen. Very not-being is sufficiently abhorred of nature, if death had no more to make it fearful. But those that have lived under light enough, to show them the gates of hell, after th●ir passage thorough the gates of death, (and have learned, that death is not only horrible for our not-being here, but for being infinitely, eternally miserable in a future world, nor so much for the dissolution of life, as the beginning of torment) those cannot, without the certain hope of their immunity, but carnally fear to die, and hellishly fear to be dead. For if it be such pain to die, what is it to be ever dying? And if the straining or luxation of one joint can so afflict us, what shall the racking of the whole body, and the torturing of the soul, whose animation alone makes the body to feel and complain of smart? And if men have devised such exquisite torments, what can spirits, more subtle, more malicious? And if our momentany sufferings seem long, how long shall that be that is eternal? And if the sorrows indifferently incident to God's dear ones upon earth, be so extreme, as sometimes to drive them within sight of despairing, what shall those be that are reserved only for those that hate him, and that he hateth? None but those who have heard the desperate complaints of some guilty Spyra, of whose souls have been a little scorched with these flames, can enough conceive of the horror of this estate; it being the policy of our common enemy to conceal it so long, that we may see and feel it at once, lest we should fear it, before it be too late to be avoided. SECT. XVII. Remedy of the last and greatest breach of peace, arising from death. NOw when this great Adversary, like a proud Giant, comes stalking out in his fearful shape, and insults over our frail mortality, daring the world to match him with an equal Champion, whiles a whole host of worldlings show him their backs for fear, the true Christian (armed only with confidence and resolution of his future happiness) dares boldly encounter him, and can wound him in the forehead (the wont seat of terror) and trampling upon him, can cut off his head with his own sword, and victoriously returning, can sing in triumph, O death, where is thy sting? An happy victory! We die, and are not foiled: yea, we are conquerors in dying: we could not overcome death, if we died not. That dissolution is well bestowed, that parts the soul from the body, that it may unite both to God. All our life here (as that heavenly Doctor well terms it) is but a vital death. Augustine. How advantageous is that death that determines this false and dying life, and gins a true one, above all the titles of happiness! The Epicure or Sadduce dare not die, for fear of not being. The guilty and lose worldling dares not die, for fear of being miserable. The distrustful and doubting semi-Christian dares not die, because he knows not, whether he shall be, or be miserable, or not be at all. The resolved Christian dares, and would die, because he knows he shall be happy; and looking merrily towards heaven (the place of his rest) can unfeignedly say, I desire to be dissolved: I see thee, my home, I see thee, (a sweet and glorious home, after a weary pilgrimage) I see thee; and now after many lingering hopes, I aspire to thee. How oft have I looked up at thee, with admiration and ravishment of soul! and by the goodly beams that I have seen, guessed at the glory that is above them! How oft have I scorned these dead and unpleasant pleasures of earth, in comparison of thine! I come now, my joys, I come to possess you: I come through pain and death; yea if hell itself were in the way betwixt you and me, I would pass through hell itself to enjoy you. Tull. Tuscul. Callimach. Epigram. And (in truth) if that Heathen Cleombrotus (a follower of the ancient Academy) but upon only reading of his Master Plato's discourses of the immortality of the soul, could cast down himself headlong from an high rock, and wilfully break his neck, that he might be possessed of that immortality which he believed to follow upon death; how contented should they be to die, that knew they shall be (more than immortal) glorious? He went, not in an hate of the flesh, August. de Haeres. as the Patrician Heretics of old; but in a blind love to his soul, out of bare opinion: We, upon an holy love grounded upon assured knowledge. He, upon an opinion of future life: we on knowledge of future glory. He went, unsent for; we, called for by our Maker. Why should his courage exceed ours, since our ground, our estate so fare exceeds his? Even this age, within the reach of our memory, bred that peremptory Italian, which in imitation of old Roman courage (left, in that degenerated Nation, there should be no step left of the qualities of their Ancestors) entering upon his torment for killing a Tyrant, cheered himself with this confidence; My death is sharp: Mors acerba, Fama perpetua. my fame shall be everlasting. The voice of a Roman, not of a Christian. My fame shall be eternal: an idle comfort. My fame shall live; not my soul live to see it. What shall it avail thee to be talked of, while thou art not? Then fame only is precious, when a man life's to enjoy it. The fame that survives the soul, is bootless. Yet even this hope cheered him against the violence of his death. What should it do us, that (not our fame, but) our life, our glory after death, cannot die? He that hath Stephen's eyes to look into heaven, cannot but have the tongue of the Saints, Come Lord: How long? That man, seeing the glory of the end, cannot but contemn the hardness the way. But who wants those eyes, if he say and swears that he fears not death, believe him not: if he protest this Tranquillity, and yet fear death, believe him not: believe him not, if he say he is not miserable. SECT. XVIII. THese are enemies on the left hand. There want not some on the right, The second rank of the enemies of peace. which with less profession of hostility, hurt no less. Not so easily perceived, because they distemper the mind, not without some kind of pleasure. Surfeit kills more than famine. These are the over-desiring and over-ioying of these earthly things. All immoderations are enemies, as to health, so to peace. He that desires, Hippocr. Aphoris. wants as much, as he that hath nothing. The drunken man is as thirsty as the sweeting traveller. Hence are the studies, cares, fears, jealousies, hopes, griefs, envies, wishes, platforms of achieving, alterations of purposes, and a thousand like; whereof each one is enough to make the life troublesome. One is sick of his neighbour's field, whose misshapen angles disfigure his, and hinder his Lordship of entireness: what he hath, is not regarded, for the want of what he cannot have. Another feeds on crusts, to purchase what he must leave (perhaps) to a fool, or, (which is not much better) to a prodigal heir. Another, in the extremity of covetous folly, chooses to die an unpitied death; hanging himself for the fall of the market, while the Commons laugh at that loss, and in their speeches Epitaph upon him, as on that Pope, He lived as a Wolf, and died as a Dog. One cares not what attendance he dances at all hours, on whose stairs he sits, what vices he soothes, what deformities he imitates, what servile offices he doth, in an hope to rise. Another stomaches the covered head and stiff knee of his inferior; angry that other men think him not so good as he thinks himself. Another eats his own heart, with envy at the richer furniture, and better estate, or more honour of his neighbour; thinking his owne not good, because another hath better. Another vexeth himself with a word of disgrace, passed from the mouth of an enemy, The first remedy of an over-prosperous estate. The vanity and unprofitableness of riches. The first enemy on the right hand. Socrates. A proof, that with Christians deserves no credit; but with Heathens commands it. which he neither can digest, nor cast up; resolving, because another will be his enemy, to be his own. These humours are as manifold, as there are men that seem prosperous. For the avoiding of all which ridiculous, and yet spiteful inconveniences, the mind must be settled in a persuasion of the worthlessness of these outward things. Let it know, that these riches have made many prouder, none better: That, as never man was, so never wise man thought himself better for enjoying them. Would that wise Philosopher have cast his gold into the sea, if he had not known he should live more happily without it? If he knew not the use of riches, he was no wise man: if he knew not the best way to quietness, he was no Philosopher: now even by the voice of their Oracle, he was confessed to be both; yet cast away his gold, that he might be happy. Would that wise Prophet have prayed as well against riches, as poverty? Would so many great men (whereof our little Island hath yielded nine crowned Kings while it was held of old by the Saxons) after they had continued their life in the Throne, have ended it in the Cell, and changed their Sceptre for a Book, if they could have found as much felicity in the highest estate, as security in the lowest? I hear Peter and john (the eldest and dearest Apostles) say, Gold & Silver have I none: I hear the Devil say, All these will I give thee; and they are mine, to give. Whether shall I desire to be in the state of these Saints, or that devil? He was therefore a better husband than a Philosopher, that first termed riches Goods: and he mended the title well, that (adding a fit Epithet) called them goods of Fortune; false goods ascribed to a false patron. There is no fortune, to give or guide riches: there is no true goodness in riches, to be guided. His meaning then was (as I can interpret it) to teach us, in this title; that it is a chance, if ever riches were good to any. In sum, who would account those as riches, or those riches as goods, which hurt the owner, disquiet others? which the worst have; which the best have not, which those that have not, want not; which those want, that have them: which are lost in a night; and a man is not worse, when he hath lost them? It is true of them, that we say of fire and water; They are good servants, ill masters. Make them thy slaves, they shall be goods indeed: in use, if not in nature; good to thyself, good to others by thee: But if they be thy masters, thou hast condemned thyself to thine own Galleys. If a servant rule, he proves a Tyrant. What madness is this? thou hast made thyself, at once, a slave and a fool: What if thy chains be of Gold? or if, with Heliogabalus, thou hast made thee silken halters? thy servitude may be glorious: it is no less miserable. SECT. XIX. The second enemy on the right hand, Honour. HOnour, perhaps, is yet better; such is the confused opinion of those that know little: but a distinct and curious head shall find an hard task, to define in what point the goodness thereof consisteth. Is it in high descent of blood? I would think so, if nature were tied by any law to produce children like qualitied to their Parents. But, although in the brute creatures she be ever thus regular, that ye shall never find a young Pigeon hatched in an eagle's nest; neither can I think that true, (or if true, it was monstrous) that Nicippus his sheep should yeane a Lion: yet in the best creature (which hath his form, and her attending qualities from above) with a likeness of face and features, is commonly found an unlikeness of disposition: only the earthly part follows the seed; wisdom, valour, virtue, are of another beginning. Shall I bow to a molten Calf, because it was made of golden ear rings? Shall I condemn all honour of the first head (though upon never so noble deserving) because it can show nothing, before itself, but a white shield? If Caesar, or Agathocles, be a Potter's son, shall I contemn him? Or if wise Bion be the son of an infamous Courtesan, shall the censorious Lawyer raze him out of the Catalogue, Olympia. Diog. L●ert. with Partus sequitur ventrem? Lastly, shall I account that good, which is incident to the worst? Either therefore greatness must show some Charter, wherein it is privileged with succession of virtue; or else the goodness of honour cannot consist in blood. Is it then in the admiration and high opinion that others have conceived of thee, which draws all dutiful respect, and humble offices from them, to thee? O fickle good, that is ever in the keeping of others! especially of the unstable vulgar, that beast of many heads: whose divided tongues, as they never agree with each other; so seldom (when ever) agree long with themselves. Do we not see the superstitious Listrians, that erewhile would needs make Paul a God, against his will; and in devout zeal, drew crowned Bulls to the Altars of their new jupiter and Mercury? violence can scarce hold them from sacrificing to him: now not many hours after, gather up stones against him; having in their conceits, turned him, from a God, into a malefactor; and are ready to kill him, in stead of killing a sacrifice to him. Such as the multitude; and such the steadfastness of their honour. There then only is true honour, where blood and virtue meet together: the greatness whereof is from blood; the goodness from virtue. Rejoice, ye great men, that your blood is ennobled with the virtues and deserts of your Ancestors. This only is yours: this only challengeth all unfeigned respect of your inferiors. Count it praiseworthy, not that you have, but that you deserve honour. Blood may be tainted; the opinion of the vulgar cannot be constant; only virtue is ever like itself, and only wins reverence, even of those that hate it. Without which, greatness is as a Beacon of vice, to draw men's eyes the more to behold it: and those that see it, dare loath it; though they dare not censure it. So, while the knee bendeth, the mind abhorreth; and telleth the body, it honours an unworthy subject: within itself, secretly comparing that vicious great man (on whom his submiss courtesy is cast away) to some goodly fair bound Senecaes' Tragedies, that is curiously gilded without; which if a man open, he shall find Thyestes the tomb of his own children; or Oedipus the husband of his own mother, or some such monstrous part: which he (at once) reads, and hates. SECT. XX. LEt him think, that not only these outward things are not in themselves good, The second remedy of over-ioyed prosperity. but that they expose their owners to misery. For, beside that God usually punishes our overloving them, with their loss, (because he thinks them unworthy Rivals to himself, who challengeth all height of love, as his only right) so that the way to lose, is to love much; the largeness moreover either of affection, or estate, makes an open way to ruin: while a man walks on plain ground, he falls not; or, if he fall, he doth but measure his length on the ground, and rise again without harm: but he that climbeth high, is in danger of falling; and if he fall, of killing. All the sails hoist, give vantage to a tempest; which (through the Mariner's foresight giving timely room thereto) by their fall, deliver the Vessel from the danger of that gust, whose rage now passeth over with only beating her with waves for anger that he was prevented. So the larger our estate is, the fairer mark hath Mischief given to hit; and (which is worse) that which makes us so easy to hit, makes our wound more deep and grievous. If poor Codrus his house burn, he stands by and warms him with the flame, because he knows it is but the loss of an outside; which (by gathering some few sticks, straw, and clay) may with little labour, and no cost, be repaired. But, when the many lofts of the rich man do one give fire to another; he cries out one while of his Counting house, another while of his Wardrobe: then of some noted Chest; and strait of some rich Cabinet: and lamenting both the frame and the furniture, is therefore impatient, because he had something. SECT. XXI. But, if there be any Sorceress upon earth, it is pleasure: The vanity of pleasure; the third enemy on the right hand. which so enchanteth the minds of men, and worketh the disturbance of our Peace, with such secret delight, that foolish men think this want of Tranquillity, happiness. She turneth men into swine, with such sweet charms, that they would not change their brutish nature, for their former reason. It is a good unquietness (say they) that contenteth: it is a good enemy, that profiteth. Is it any wonder that men should be sottish, when their reason is mastered with sensuality? Thou fool, thy pleasure contents thee: how much? how long? If she have not more befriended thee, than ever she did any earthly favourite: yea, if she have not given thee more, than she hath herself; thy best delight hath had some mixture of discontentment. For either some circumstance crosseth thy desire, or the inward distaste of thy conscience (checking thine appetite) permits thee not any entire fruition of thy joy. Even the sweetest of all flowers hath his thorns: and who can determine whether the sent be more delectable, or the pricks more irksome? It is enough for heaven to have absolute pleasures: which if they could be found here below; certainly, that heaven, which is now not enough desired, would then be feared. God will have our pleasures here (according to the fashion of ourselves) compounded: so as the best delights may still savour of their earth. See how that great King, which never had any match for wisdom, scarce ever any superior for wealth; traversed over all this inferior world, with diligent inquiry, and observation, and all to find out that goodness of the children of men which they enjoy under the Sun; abridging himself of nothing that either his eyes, or his heart could suggest to him: (as what is it, that he could not either know or purchase?) and now coming home to himself, (after the disquisition of all natural and humane things) complains, that Behold, all is not only vanity, but vexation. Go then, thou wise Scholar of experience, and make a more accurate search for that which he sought, and miss. Perhaps somewhere (betwixt the tallest Cedar in Lebanon, and the shrubby Hyssop upon the wall) Pleasure shrouded herself, that she could not be descried of him; whether through ignorance, or negligence: thine insight may be more piercing, thy means more commodious, thy success happier. If it were possible for any man to entertain such hopes, his vain experience could not make him a greater fool: it could but teach him what he is and knoweth not. And yet so imperfect, as out Pleasures are, they have their satiety: and as their Continuance is not good, so their Conclusion is worse: look to the end, and see how sudden, how bitter it is. Their only Courtesy is, to salute us with a farewell; and such a one, as makes their salutation uncomfortable. This Dalila shows and speaks fair; but in the end she will bereave thee of thy strength, of thy sight, yea of thyself. These Gnats fly about thine ears, and make thee music awhile; but evermore they sting, ere they part. Sorrow and Repentance, is the best end of Pleasure: Paine is yet worse; but the worst is Despair. If thou miss of the first of these, one of the latter shall find thee; perhaps both. How much better is it for thee, to want a little honey, than to be swollen up with a venomous sting? Thus then, the mind resolved that these earthly things (Honour, Wealth, Pleasures) are casual, unstable, deceitful, imperfect, dangerous; must learn to use than without trust, and to want them without grief; thinking still, If I have them, I have some benefit with a great charge: If I have them not; with little respect of others, I have much security and ease, in myself: which once obtained, we cannot far amiss in either estate; and without which, we cannot but miscarry in both. SECT. XXII. Positive rules of our peace. ALL the enemies of our inward peace, are thus descried and discomforted. Which done, we have enough to preserve us from misery: but (since we moreover seek how to live well and happily) there yet remain those Positive Rules whereby our Tranquillity may be both had, continued, and confirmed. Wherein, I fear not lest I should seem over-divine, in casting the Anchor of Quietness so deep as Heaven (the only seat of constancy;) whiles it can find no hold at all upon earth. All earthly things are full of variableness: and therefore having no stay in themselves, can give none to us. He that will have and hold right Tranquillity, must find in himself a sweet fruition of God, and a feeling apprehension of his presence; that when he finds manifold occasions of vexation in these earthly things, he (overlooking them all, and having recourse to his Comforter) may find in him such matter of contentment, that he may pass over all these petty grievances with contempt: which whosoever wants, may be secure, cannot be quiet. The mind of man cannot want some refuge, and (as we say of the Elephant) cannot rest, unless it have something to lean upon. The Covetous man, (whose heaven is his chest) when he hears himself rated and cursed for oppression, comes home; and seeing his bags safe, applauds himself against all censurers. The Glutton, when he loseth friends or good name; yet joyeth in his well furnished table, and the laughter of his Wine: more pleasing himself in one dish, than he can be grieved with all the world's miscarriage. The needy Scholar (whose wealth lies all in his brain) cheers himself against iniquity of times, with the conceit of his knowledge. These starting holes the mind cannot want, when it is hard driven. Now, when as like to some chased Sisera, it shrowds itself under the harbour of these jaels; although they give it houseroom and milk for a time, yet at last either they entertain it with a nail in the Temples, or (being guilty to their own impotency) send it out of themselves, for safety and peace. For, if the Cross light in that which it made his refuge (as, if the covetous man be crossed in his riches) what earthly thing can stay him from a desperate frenzy? Or, if the Cross fall in a degree above the height of his stay; as if the rich man be sick, or dying (wherein, all wealth is either contemned, or remembered with anguish) how do all his comforts (like vermin, from an house on fire) run away from him, and leave him over to his ruin! whiles the Soul, that hath placed his refuge above, is sure that the ground of his comfort cannot be matched with an earthly sorrow, cannot be made variable by the change of any event; but is infinitely above all casualties, and without all uncertainties. What state is there, wherein this heavenly stay shall not afford me, not only Peace, but joy? Am I in prison? or in the hell of prisons (in some dark, low, and desolate dungeon? Pompon. Alger. Fox Martyr. ) Lo there Algerius (that sweet Martyr) finds more light than above; and pities the darkness of our liberty. We have but a Sun to enlighten our world, which every cloud dimmeth, and hideth from our eyes: but the Father of lights (in respect of whom, all the bright stars of heaven are but as the snuff of a dim candle) shines into his pit, and the presence of his glorious Angels make that an heaven to him, which the world purposed as an hell of discomfort. What walls can keep out that infinite Spirit, that fills all things? What darkness can be where the God of this Sun dwelleth? What sorrow where he comforteth? Am I wand'ring in banishment? Can I go whither God is not? what Sea can divide betwixt him and me? then would I fear exile, if I could be driven away as well from God, as my country. Now he is as much in all earth's: His title is alike to all places; and mine in him: His sun shines to me; his sea or earth bears me up; his presence cheereth me, whither-soever I go. He cannot be said to flit, that never changeth his Host. He alone is a thousand companions; he alone is a world of friends. That man never knew what it was to be familiar with God, that complains of the want of home, of friends, of companions, while God is with him. Am I contemned of the world? It is enough for me, that I am honoured of God: of both, I cannot. The world would love me more, if I were less friends with God. It cannot hate me so much as God hates it. What care I to be hated of them, whom God hateth? He is unworthy of God's favour, that cannot think it happiness enough without the worlds. How easy is it for such a man, whiles the world disgraces him, at once to scorn and pity it, that it cannot think nothing more contemptible than itself? I am impoverished with losses: That was never throughly good, that may be lost. My riches will not lose me, yea, though I forgo all, to my skin, yet have I not lost any part of my wealth. For, if he be rich that hath something; how rich is he, that hath the Maker and owner of all things! I am weak and diseased in body: He cannot miscarry, that hath his Maker for his Physician. Yet, my soul (the better part) is sound; for that cannot be weak, whose strength God is. How many are sick in that, and complain not! I can be content to be let blood in the arm or foot, for the curing of the head or heart. The health of the principal part is more joy to me, than it is trouble to be distempered in the inferior. Let me know that God favours me: then I have liberty in prison, home in banishment, honour in contempt, in losses wealth, health in infirmity, life in death; and in all these happiness. And (surely) if our perfect fruition of God be our complete heaven: it must needs be, that our inchoate conversing with him is our heaven imperfectly, and the entrance into the other: which (me thinks) differs from this, not in the kind of it, but in the degree. For the continuation of which happy society (sith strangeness loseth acquaintance and breedeth neglect) on our part must be a daily renewing of heavenly familiarity, by seeking him up, even with the contempt of all inferior distraction; by talking with him in our secret invocations; by hearing his conference with us; and by mutual entertainment of each other in the sweet discourses of our daily meditations. He is a sullen and unsociable friend that wants words. God shall take no pleasure in us if we be silent. The heart that is full of love, cannot but have a busy tongue. All our talk with God is either Suits or Thanks. In them the Christian heart pours out itself to his Maker; and would not change this privilege for a world. All his annoyances, all his wants, all his dislikes are poured into the bosom of his invisible friend; who likes us still so much more as we ask more, as we complain more. Oh the easy and happy recourse that the poor soul hath to the high throne of Heaven! we stay not for the holding out of a golden sceptre, to wame our admission, before which our presence should be presumption and death. No hour is unseasonable, no person too base, no words too homely, no fact too hard, no importunity too great. We speak familiarly, we are heard, answered, comforted. Another while God interchangeably speaks unto us by the secret voice of his spirit; or by the audible sound of his word; we hear, adore, answer him; by both which the mind so communicates itself to God, and hath God so plentifully communicated unto it, that hereby it grows to such an habit of heavenlinesse, as that now it wants nothing, but dissolution of full glory. SECT. XXIII. The subordinate rules of Tranquillity. 1. For actions. Out of this main ground once settled in the heart (like as so many rivers from one common sea) flow those subordinate resolutions, which we require as necessary to our peace, whether in respect of our actions, or our estate. For our actions, there must be a secret vow passed in the soul, both of constant refraining from whatsoever may offend that majesty we rest upon; and above this, of true and canonical obedience to God, without all care of difficulty, and in spite of all contradictions of nature. Not out of the confidence of our own power, impotent men, who are we, that we should either vow or perform? But as he said; Give what thou bidst, and bid what thou wilt. Hence the courage of Moses durst venture his hand to take up the crawling & hissing Serpent. Hence Peter durst walk upon the pavement of the waves. Hence that heroical spirit of Luther (a man made of metal fit for so great a work) durst resolve and profess to enter into that forewarned City, though there had been as many Devils in their streets as tiles on their houses. Both these vows as we once solemnly made by others; so, for our peace we must renew in ourselves. Thus the experienced mind both knowing that it hath met with a good friend, and withal what the price of a friend is; cannot but be careful to retain him, & wary of displeasing, and therefore to cut off all dangers of variance, voluntarily takes a double oath of allegiance of itself to God; which neither benefit shall induce us to break, if we might gain a world, nor fear urge us thereto, though we must lose ourselves. The wavering heart that finds continual combats in itself betwixt Pleasure and Conscience, so equally matched that neither gets the day, is not yet capable of peace; and whether ever overcometh, is troubled both with resistance and victory. Barren Rebecca found more case, than when her twins struggled in her womb. If jacob had been there alone, she had not complained of that painful contention: One while Pleasure holds the Fort, and conscience assaults it; which when it hath entered at last by strong hand, after many batteries of judgements denounced; ere long Pleasure either corrupts the watch, or by some cunning stratagem, finds way to recover her first hold. So, one part is ever attempting, and ever resisting. Betwixt both, the heart cannot have peace, because it resolves not. For while the soul is held in suspense, it cannot enjoy the pleasure it useth; because it is half taken up with fear; only a strong and resolute repulse of pleasure is truly pleasant; for therein the Conscience, (filling us with heavenly delight) maketh sweet triumphs in itself; as being now the Lord of his own dominions, and knowing what to trust to. No man knows the pleasure of this thought, I have done well, but he that hath felt it: and he that hath felt it, contemns all pleasure to it. It is a false slander raised on Christianity, that it maketh men dumpish and melancholic: for therefore are we heavy, because we are not enough Christians. We have religion enough to mislike pleasures, not enough to overcome them. But if we be once conquerors over ourselves, and have devoted ourselves wholly to God, there can be nothing but heavenly mirth in the soul. Lo here, ye Philosophers, the true music of Heaven, which the good heart continually heareth, and answers it in the just measures of joy. Others may talk of mirth, as a thing they have heard of, or vainly fancied; only the Christian feels it; and in comparison thereof scorneth the idle, ribaldish, and scurrilous mirth of the profane. SECT. XXIV. ANd this resolution which we call for, 2. Rule for our actions. must not only exclude manifestly evil actions, but also doubting and suspension of mind in actions suspected, and questionable; wherein the judgement must ever give confident determination one way. For this Tranquillity consisteth in a steadiness of the mind: and how can that vessel which is beaten upon, by contrary waves and winds (and tottereth to either part) be said to keep a steady course? Resolution is the only mother of security. For instance: I see, that Usury which was wont to be condemned for no better than a Legal theft, hath now obtained (with many) the reputation of an honest Trade; and is both used by many, and by some defended. It is pity that a bad practice should find any learned or religious Patron. The sum of my patrimony lieth dead by me, sealed up in the bag of my Father: my thriftier friends advice me to this easy and sure improvement. Their counsel and my gain prevail; my yearly sums come in with no cost but of time, wax, parchment: my estate likes it well, better than my conscience; which tells me still, he doubts, my trade is too easy to be honest: Yet I continue my illiberal course not without some scruple and contradiction: so as my fear of offence hinders the joy of my profit, and the pleasure of my gain, heartens me against the fear of injustice; I would be rich with ease; and yet I would not be uncharitable, I would not be unjust. All the while I live in unquiet doubts, and distraction: Others are not so much entangled in my bonds, as I in my own. At last, that I may be both just and quiet, I conclude to refer this case wholly to the sentence of my inward judge, the Conscience: the Advocates Gain and justice plead on either part at this bar with doubtful success. Gaine informs the judge of a new and nice distinction, of toothless, and biting Interest, and brings precedents of particular cases of Usury so fare from any breach of charity or justice, that both parts therein confess themselves advantaged. justice pleads even the most toothless usury to have sharp gums, and finds in the most harmless and profitable practice of it, an insensible wrong to the common body; besides the infinite wracks of private estates. The weak judge suspends in such probable allegations, and demurreth; as being overcome of both, and of neither part: and leaves me yet no whit more quiet, no whit less uncertain. I suspend my practice accordingly; being sure it is good not to do, what I am not sure is good to be done: and now Gain solicits me as much as justice did before. Betwixt both I live troublesomely: nor ever shall do other, till (in a resolute detestation) I have whipped this evil Merchant out of the Temple of my heart. This rigour is my peace. Before, I could not be well, either full or fasting. Uncertainty is much pain, even in a more tolerable action. Neither is it (I think) easy to determine, whether it be worse to do a lawful act with doubting, or an evil with resolution: since that which in itself is good, is made evil to me by my doubt: and what is in nature evil, is in this one point not evil to me, that I do it upon a verdict of a Conscience: so now my judgement offends in not following the truth: I offend not in that I follow my judgement: Wherein if the most wise God had left us to rove only according to the aim of our own conjectures, it should have been less faulty to be Sceptics in our actions, and either not to judge at all, or to judge amiss: but now that he hath given us a perfect rule of eternal equity, and truth, whereby to direct the sentences of our judgement; that uncertainty which alloweth no p●●ce to us, will afford us no excuse before the tribunal of Heaven: wherefore, then only is the heart quiet, when our actions are grounded upon judgement, and our judgement upon truth. SECT. XXV. Rules for estate. 1. Reliance upon the providence of God. FOr his estate, the quiet mind must first roll itself upon the providence of the Highest. For, whosoever so casts himself upon these outward things, that in their prosperous estate he rejoiceth, and (contrarily) is cast down in their miscarriage; I know not whether he shall find more uncertainty of rest, or more certainty of unquietness; since he must needs be like a light unballaced Vessel, that rises and falls with every wave, and depends only on the mercy of wind and water: But who relies on the inevitable decree, and allseeing providence of God, (which can neither be crossed with second thoughts, nor with events unlooked for,) lays a sure ground of Tranquillity. Let the world toss how it list, and itself (as it ever doth) in storms and calms; his rest is pitched aloft, above the sphere of changeable mortality. To begin, is harder than to prosecute: What counsel had God in the first moulding of thee in the womb of thy mother? what aid shall he have in repairing thee from the womb of the earth? And if he could make, and shall restore thee without thee, why shall he not much more (without thy endeavour) dispose of thee? Is God wise enough to guide the Heavens, and to produce all creatures in their kinds and seasons? And shall he not be able to order thee alone? Thou sayest, I have friends, and (which is my best friend) I have wealth to make both them and me; and wit to put both to best use. O the broken reeds of humane confidence! Who ever trusted on friends that could trust to himself? Who ever was so wise, as not sometimes to be a fool in his own conceit? oft times in the conceit of others? Who was ever more discontent, than the wealthy? Friends may be false: Wealth cannot but be deceitful: Wit hath made many fools. Trust thou to that, which (if thou wouldst) cannot fail thee. Not that thou desirest shall come to pass; but that which God hath decreed. Neither thy fears, nor thy hopes, nor vows shall either foreslow or alter it. The unexperienced passenger, when he sees the Vessel go amiss or too fare, lays fast hold on the contrary part, or on the Mast for remedy: the Pilot laughs at his folly; knowing, that (whatever he labours) the Bark will go which way the wind and his stern directeth it. Thy goods are embarked: Now thou wishest a direct Northwind to drive thee to the Strayts; and then a West, to run in: and now, when thou hast emptied and laded again, thou callest as earnestly for the South, and Southeast, to return; and lourest, if all these answer thee not: As if Heaven and Earth had nothing else to do, but to wait upon thy pleasure; and served only, to be commanded service by thee. Another that hath contrary occasion, asks for winds quite opposite to thine. He that sits in Heaven, neither fits thy fancy nor his: but bids his winds spit sometimes in thy face; sometimes to favour thee with a side blast; sometimes, to be boisterous; otherwhiles, to be silent, at his own pleasure. Whether the Mariner sing or curse, it shall go, whither it is sent. Strive, or lie still, thy destiny shall run on; and what must be, shall be: Not that we should hence exclude benefit of means (which are always necessarily included in this wise preordinanon of all things) but perplexity of cares, and wrestling with providence. Oh, the idle and ill-spent cares of curious men, that consult with stars, and spirits for their destinies, under colour of prevention! If it be not thy destiny; why wouldst thou know it, what needst thou resist it? If it be thy destiny; why wouldst thou know that thou canst not prevent? That which God hath decreed, is already done in Heaven, and must be done on Earth. This kind of expectation doth but hasten slow evils, and prolong them in their continuance: hasten them, not in their event, but in our conceit. Shortly then, if thou swimmest against the stream of this providence, thou canst not escape drowning; every wave turns thee over, like a Porkpisce before a tempest: But if thou swimmest with the stream, do but cast thine arms abroad, thou passest with safety, and with ease: it both bears thee up, and carries thee on to the Haven (whither God hath determined thine arrival) in peace. SECT. XXVI. NExt to this, The second rule for estate. A persuasion of the goodness and fitness of it for us. the mind of the unquiet man must be so wrought by these former resolutions, that it be throughly persuaded, The estate wherein he is, is best of all; if not in itself, yet to him: Not out of pride, but out of contentment: Which whosoever wanteth, cannot but be continually vexed with envy, and racked with ambition. Yea, if it were possible to be in Heaven without this, he could not be happy, for it is as impossible, for the mind at once to long after and enjoy, as for a man to seed and sleep at once. And this is the more to be striven for, because we are all naturally prone to afflict ourselves with our own frowardness: ingratefully contemning all we have, for what we would have. Even the best of the Patriarches could say, O Lord, what wilt thou give me, since I go childless? The bondman desires now, nothing but liberty: that alone would make him happy. Once free (forgetting his former thought) he wishes some wealth, to make use of his freedom; and says, it were as good be straited in place, as in ability. Once rich, he longeth after Nobility, thinking it no praise, to be a wealthy peasant. Once noble, he gins to deem it a base matter to be subject: nothing can now content him but a Crown. Then it is a small matter to rule, so long as he hath but little dominions, and greater neighbours. He would therefore be an Universal Monarch: whither then? surely, it vexeth him as much, that the earth is so small a globe, so little a molehill; and that there are no more worlds to conquer. And now that he hath attained the highest dignity amongst men, he would needs be a God, conceits his immortality, erects Temples to his own name, commands his dead Statues to be adored, and (not thus contented) is angry that he cannot command heaven, and control nature. O vain fools! whither doth our restless ambition climb? What shall be at length the period of our wish? I could not blame these desires, if contentment consisted in having much: but, now that he only hath much, that hath contentment, (& that it is as easily obtained in a low estate,) I can account of these thoughts no better than proudly foolish. Thou art poor: what difference is there betwixt a greater man and thee? save that he doth his businesses by others; thou dost them thyself. He, hath Caters, Cooks, Baylines, Stewards, Secretaries, and all other officers for his several services: thou providest, dressest, gatherest, receivest, expendest, writest for thyself. His patrimony is large: thine earnings small. If Briareus feed fifty bellies with his hundred hands; what is he the better, than he that with two hands feedeth one? He is served in silver: thou in vessel of the same colour, of lesser price; as good for use, though not for value. His dishes are more dainty, thine as well relished to thee, and no less wholesome. He eats Olives, thou Garlic: he mislikes not more the smell of thy sauce, than thou dost the taste of his. Thou wantest somewhat that he hath: he wisheth something which thou hast, and regardest not. Thou couldst be content to have the rich man's purse, but his gout thou woulds not have: He would have thy health, but not thy fare. If we might pick out of all men's estates, that which is laudable, omitting the inconveniences, we would make ourselves complete: but if we must take all together, we should perhaps little advantage ourselves with the change. For the most wise God hath so proportioned out every man's condition, that he hath some just cause of sorrow inseparably mixed with other contentments, and hath allotted to no man living, an absolute happiness, without some grievances; nor to any man such an exquisite misery, as that he findeth not somewhat wherein to solace himself: the weight whereof varies, according to our estimation of them. One hath much wealth, but no child to inherit it: he envies at the poor man's fruitfulness, which hath man heirs, and no lands; and could be content, with all his abundance to purchase a successor of his own loins. Another hath many children, little maintenance: he commendeth the careless quietness of the barren; and thinks, fewer mouths and more meat would do better. The labouring man hath the blessing of a strong body, fit to digest any fare, to endure any labour: yet he wisheth himself weaker, on condition he might be wealthier. The man of nice education hath a feeble stomach; and (rasping since his last meal) doubts, whether he should eat of his best dish, or nothing: this man repines at nothing more, than to see his hungry Ploughman feed on a crust; and wisheth to change estates, on condition he might change bodies with him. Say that God should give thee thy wish: what wouldst thou desire? Let me (thou faiest) be wise, healthful, rich, honourable, strong, learned, beautiful, immortal. I know thou lovest thyself so well, that thou canst wish all these and more. But say that God hath so shared out these gifts (by a most wise and just distribution) that thou canst have but some of these, perhaps but one; which wouldst thou single out for thyself? Any thing, beside what thou hast: If learned, thou wouldst be strong; if strong, honourable; if honourable, long-lived: Some of these thou art already. Thou fool! cannot God choose better for thee, than thou for thyself? In other matches thou trustest the choice of a skilfuller chapman: when thou seest a goodly horse in the Fair (though his shape please thine eye well) yet thou darest not buy him, if a cunning Horse-master shall tell thee he is faulty; and art willing to take a plainer and sounder, on his commendation, against thy fancy. How much more should we in this case, allow his choice that cannot deceive us; that cannot be deceived? But, thou knowest that other thou desirest, to be better than what thou hast: Better perhaps for him that hath it; not better for thee. Liberty is sweet and profitable to those that can use it; but fetters are better for the frantic man. Wine is good nourishment for the healthful; poison to the aguish. It is good for a sound body to sleep in a whole skin; but he that complains of swelling sores, cannot sleep till it be broken. Hemlock to the Goat, and Spiders to the Monkey, turn to good sustenance; which to other creatures are accounted deadly. As in diets, so in estimation of good and evil, of greater and lesser good, there is much variety. All palates commend not one dish; and what one commends for most delicate, another rejects for unsavoury. And if thou know what dish is most pleasant to thee, thy Physician knows best which is wholesome. Thou wouldst follow thine appetite too much; and (as the French have in their Proverb) wouldst dig thy own grave with thy teeth: thy wise Physician oversees and overrules thee. He sees, if thou wert more esteemed, thou wouldst be proud; if more strong, licentious; if richer, covetous; if healthfuller, more secure: but thou thinkest not thus hardly of thyself. Fond man! what knowest thou future things? believe thou him, that only knows what would be, what will be. Thou wouldst willingly go to heaven; what better guide canst thou have, than him that dwells there? If he lead thee thorough deep sloughs, and brakie thickets; know, that he knows this the nearer way, though more cumbersome. Can there be in him any want of wisdom, not to foresee the best? Can there be any want of power, not to effect the best? any want of love, not to give thee what he knows is best? How canst thou then fail of the best? Since what his power can do, and what his Wisdom sees should be done, his Love hath done, because all are infinite. He willeth not things, because they are good: but they are good, because he wills them. Yea, if aught had been better, this had not been. God willeth what he doth: and if thy will accord not with his, whether wilt thou condemn of imperfection? SECT. XXVII. The conclusion of the whole. I Have chalked out the way of Peace: What remaineth, but that we walk along in it? I have conducted my Reader to the Mine, yea, to the Mint of Happiness; and shown him those glorious heaps, which may eternally enrich him: If (now) he shall go away with his hands and skirt empty; how is he but worthy of a miserable want? Who shall pity us, while we have no mercy on ourselves? Wilful distress hath neither remedy, nor compassion. And to speak freely, I have oft wondered at this painful folly of us men, who in the open view of our peace (as if we were condemned to a necessary and fatal unquietness) live upon our own rack, finding no more joy, than if we were under no other hands, but our executioners. One droupeth under a feigned evil; another augments a small sorrow through impatience; another draws upon himself an uncertain evil through fear; one seeks true contentment, but not enough; another hath just cause of joy, and perceives it not: One is vexed, for that his grounds of joy are matched with equal grievances; another cannot complain of any present occasion of sorrow, yet life's sullenly, because he finds not any present cause of comfort; one is haunted with his sin; another distracted with his passion: amongst all which, he is a miracle of all men that lives, not someway discontented. So we live not while we do live, only for that we want either wisdom, or will, to husband our lives to our own best advantage. O the inequality of our cares! Let riches or honour be in question, we sue to them, we seek for them with importunity, with servile ambition: our pains need no solicitor; yea, there is no way wrong that leads to this end: we abhor the patience to stay till they inquire for us. And if ever (as it rarely happens) our desert and worthiness wins us the favour of this proffer, we meet it with both hands, not daring with our modest denials to whet the instancy, and double the entreaties of so welcome suitors. Yet lo, here the only true and precious riches, the highest advancement of the soul, peace and happiness, seeks for us, sues to us for acceptation; our answers are coy and overly, such as we give to those clients that look to gain by our favours. If our want were through the scarcity of good, we might yet hope for pity to ease us: but now that it is through negligence, and that we perish with our hands in our bosom, we are rather worthy of stripes, for the wrong we do ourselves, than of pity for what we suffer. That we may and will not, in opportunity of hurting others, is noble and Christian: but in our own benefit sluggish, and savouring of the worst kind of unthriftiness. Sayest thou then, this peace is good to have, but hard to get? It were a shameful neglect that hath no pretence. Is difficulty sufficient excuse to hinder thee from the pursuit of riches, of preferment, of learning, of bodily pleasures? Art thou content to sit shrugging in a base cottage, ragged, famished, because house, clothes, and food will neither be had without money, nor money without labour, nor labour without trouble and painfulness? Who is so merciful, as not to say that a whip is the best alms for so lazy and wilful need? Peace should not be good, if it were not hard: Go, and by this excuse shut thyself out of heaven at thy death, and live miserably till thy death, because the good of both worlds is hard to compass. There is nothing but misery on earth and hell below, that thou canst come too without labour: And if we can be content to cast away such immoderate and unseasonable pains upon these earthly trifles as to wear our bodies with violence, and to encroach upon the night for time to get them; what madness shall it seem in us, not to afford a less labour to that which is infinitely better, and which only gives worth and goodness to the other? Wherefore if we have not vowed enmity with ourselves, if we be not in love with misery and vexation, if we be not obstinately careless of our own good; let us shake off this unthrifty, dangerous, and desperate negligence, and quicken these dull hearts to a lively and effectual search of what only can yield them sweet and abiding contentment: which once attained, how shall we insult over evils, and bid them do their worst? How shall we under this calm and quiet day, laugh at the rough weather and unsteady motions of the world? How shall heaven and earth smile upon us, and we on them; commanding the one, aspiring to the other? How pleasant shall our life be, while neither joys nor sorrows can distemper it with excess? yea while the matter of joy that is within us, turns all the most sad occurrences into pleasure? How dear and welcome shall our death be, that shall but lead us from one heaven to another, from peace to glory? Go now, ye vain and idle worldlings, and please yourselves in the large extent of your rich Manors, or in the homage of those whom baseness of mind hath made slaves to your greatness, or in the price and fashions of your full wardrobe, or in the wanton varieties of your delicate Gardens, or in your coffers full of red and white earth; or if there be any other earthly thing, more alluring, more precious, enjoy it, possess it, and let it possess you: Let me have only my Peace; and let me never want it, till I envy you. FINIS. THE ART OF DIVINE MEDITATION: EXEMPLIFIED WITH TWO LARGE Patterns of Meditation: The one of eternal Life, as the end; The other of Death, as the way. Revised and augmented. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, SIR RICHARD LEA, Knight, all increase of true honour with God and men. SIR, ever since I began to bestow myself upon the common good, studying wherein my labours might be most serviceable; I still found they could be no way so well improved, as in that part which concerneth devotion, and the practice of true piety. For on the one side I perceived the number of polemical books, rather to breed, than end strifes; and those which are doctrinal, by reason of their multitude, rather to oppress than satisfy the Reader; wherein, if we writ the same things, we are judged tedious; if different, singular. On the other part, respecting the Reader, I saw the brains of men never more stuffed, their tongues never more stirring, their hearts never more empty, nor their hands more idle. Wherefore, after those sudden Meditations which passed me without rule, I was easily induced by their success (as a small thing moves the willing) to send forth this Rule of Meditation; and after my Heaven upon Earth, to discourse (although by way of example) of Heaven above. In this Art of mine, I confess to have received more light from one obscure nameless Monk, which wrote some 112. years ago, than from the directions of all other Writers. I would his humility had not made him niggardly of his name, that we might have known whom to have thanked. It had been easy to have framed it with more curiosity: but God and my soul know, that I made profit the scope of my labour, and not applause; and therefore (to choose) I wished rather to be rude than unprofitable. If now the simplicity of any Reader shall be●eaue him of the benefit of my precepts, I know he may make his use of my examples. Why I have honoured it with your name, I need not give account to the world, which already knoweth your worth and deserts; and shall see by this, that I acknowledge them. Go you on happily (according to the heavenly advice of your junius) in your worthy and glorious profession, still bearing yourself as one that knoweth virtue the truest Nobility, and Religion the best virtue. The God whom you serve, shall honour you with men, and crown you in heaven. To his grace I humbly commend you: requesting you only to accept the work, and continue your favour to the Author. Your Worships humbly devoted, IOS. HALL.. THE SUM OF THE CHAPTERS. THe benefit and uses of Meditation. Chap. 1 The description and kinds of Meditation. Chap. 2 Concerning Meditation Extemporal. Chap. 3 Cautions of Extemporary Meditation. Chap. 4 Of Meditation deliberate: wherein first the quality of the person: of whom is required, 1 That he be pure from his sins. Chap. 5 2 That he be free from worldly thoughts. Chap. 6 3 Constant In the time set. Chap. 7 In continuance. Chap. 8 Of other necessary circumstances: and 1 Of the place fit for Meditation. Chap. 9 2 Of the time. Chap. 10 3 Of the site and gesture of body. Chap. 11 Of the matter and subject of Meditation. Chap. 12 The order of handling the work itself. Chap. 13 The entrance into the work: 1 Common entrance, which is Prayer. Chap. 14 2 The particular and proper entrance into the matter, which is in our choice thereof. Chap. 15 The proceeding of our Meditation; therein, a method allowed by some Authors rejected. Chap. 16 Premonitions concerning our proceeding in the first part of Meditation. Chap. 17 The practice of Meditation: the first part whereof in the understanding; therein 1 We begin with some description of that which we meditate of. Chap. 18 2 An easy and voluntary division of the matter meditated. Chap. 19 3 A consideration of the causes thereof in all the kinds of them. Chap. 20 4 The consideration of the fruits and effects. Chap. 21 5 The Consideration of the subject wherein or whereabout it is employed. Chap. 22 6 Consideration of the appendances and qualities of it. Chap. 23 7 Consideration of that which is contrary to it, or diverse from it. Chap. 24 8 Of comparisons and similitudes, whereby it may be most fitly set forth to us. Chap. 25 9 The titles and names of the matter considered. Chap. 26 10 Consideration of fit testimonies of Scripture concerning our Theme. Chap. 27 Of the second part of Meditation, which is the affections: wherein is 1 First required a taste and relish of what we thought upon. Chap. 28 2 A complaint bewailing our want and untowardness. Chap. 29 3 A hearty wish of the soul for what it complains to want. Chap. 30 4 An humble confession of our disability to effect what we wish. Chap. 31 5 An earnest petition for that which we confess to want. Chap. 32 6 A vehement enforcement of our petition. Chap. 33 7 A cheerful confidence of obtaining what we have requested and enforced. Chap. 34 The conclusion of our Meditation, in what order. Chap. 35 First, with thanksgiving for what we are confident to be granted. Ibidem. Secondly, with a recommendation of our souls and ways to God. Chap. 36 The Epilogue, reproving the neglect, and exhorting to the use of Meditation. Chap. 37 THE ART OF DIVINE MEDITATION. CHAP. I. IT is not, I suppose, a more bold than profitable labour, The benefit and uses of Meditation. after the endeavours of so many contemplatine men, to teach the Art of Meditation: An heavenly business, as any belongeth either to man or Christian; and such as whereby the soul doth unspeakably benefit itself. For by this do we ransack our deep and false hearts, find out our secret enemies, buckle with them, expel them, arm ourselves against their re-entrance. By this, we make use of all good means, fit ourselves to all good duties; by this we descry our weakness, obtain redress, prevent tentations, cheer up our solitariness, temper our occasions of delight, get more light unto our knowledge, more heat to our affections, more life to our devotion. By this we grow to be (as we are) strangers upon earth; and, out of a right estimation of all earthly things, into a sweet fruition of invisible comforts. By this, we see our Saviour with Steven, we talk with God as Moses, and by this we are ravished with blessed Paul into Paradise, and see that Heaven which we are loath to leave, which we cannot utter. This alone is the remedy of security and worldliness, the pastime of Saints, the ladder of heaven, and in short, the best improvement of Christianity. Learn it who can, and neglect it who list; he shall never find joy, neither in God nor in himself, which doth not both know and practise it. Which are universal to all Christians, and not to be appropriated to some professions. And however of old some hidden Cloisters have engrossed it to themselves, and confined it within their Cells, who indeed professing nothing but contemplation, through their immunity from those cares which accompany an active life, might have the best leisure to this business: yet seeing there is no man so taken up with action, as not sometimes to have a free mind; and there is no reasonable mind so simple, as not to be able both to discourse somewhat and to better itself by her secret thoughts; I deem it an envious wrong to conceal that from any, whose benefit may be universal. Those that have but a little stock, had need to know the best rules of thrift. CHAP. II. THe rather, The description and kinds of Meditation. for that whereas our Divine Meditation is nothing else but a bending of the mind upon some spiritual object, through diverse forms of discourse, until our thoughts come to an issue: and this must needs be either Extemporal, and occasioned by outward occurrences offered to the mind; or deliberate, and wrought out of our own heart: which again is either in matter of Knowledge, for the finding out of some hidden truth, and convincing of an heresy by profound traversing of reason; or in matter of Affection, for the enkindling of our love to God: the former of these two last, we sending to the Schools and Masters of Controversies, search after the latter; which is both of larger use, and such as no Christian can reject, as either unnecessary, or over-difficult: for, both every Christian had need of fire put to his affections, and weaker judgements are no less capable of this divine heat, which proceeds not so much from reason, as from faith. One saith (and I believe him) that God's School is more of Affection, than Understanding: Both lessons very needful, very profitable; but for this age, especially the latter: for if there be some that have much zeal, little knowledge, there are more that have much knowledge without zeal. And he that hath much skill, and no affection, may do good to others by information of judgement, but shall never have thank either of his own heart, or of God, who useth not to cast away his love on those, of whom he is but known, not loved. CHAP. III. Concerning Meditation Extemporal. OF Extemporal Meditation there may be much use, no rule: forasmuch as our conceits herein according to the infinite multitude of objects, and their diverse manner of proffering themselves to the mind; as also for the suddenness of this act. Man is placed in this Stage of the world, to view the several natures and actions of the creature; to view them, not idly, without his use, as they do him: God made all these for man, and man for his own sake. Both these purposes were lost, if man should let the creatures pass carelessly by him, only seen, not thought upon. He only can make benefit of what he sees; which if he do not, it is all one, as if he were blind or brute. Whence it is, that wise Solomon putteth the sluggard to school unto the Ant; and our Saviour sendeth the distrustful to the Lily of the field. In this kind was that Meditation of the divine Psalmist, which upon the view of the glorious frame of the Heavens, was led to wonder at the merciful respect God hath to so poor a creature as man. Thus our Saviour took occasion of the water fetched up solemnly to the Altar, from the Well of Shilo, on the day of the great Hosannah, to meditate and discourse of the Water of life. Thus holy and sweet Augustine, from occasion of the watercourse near to his lodging, running among the pebbles, sometimes more silently, sometimes in a base murmur, and sometimes in a shriller note, entered into the thought and discourse of that excellent order which God hath settled in all these inferior things. Thus that learned and heavenly soul of our late Estye, when we sat together and heard a sweet consort of Music, seemed upon this occasion carried up for the time beforehand to the place of his rest, saying, not without some passion, What Music may we think there is in heaven? Thus last (for who knows not that examples of this kind are infinite?) that faithful and reverend Deering, when the Sun shined on his face now lying on his deathbed, fell into a sweet Meditation of the glory of God, and his approaching joy. The thoughts of this nature are not only lawful, but so behooveful, that we cannot omit them, without neglect of God, his creatures, ourselves. The creatures are half lost, if we only employ them, not learn something of them. God is wronged, if his creatures be unregarded; ourselves most of all, if we read this great volume of the creatures, and take out no lesson for our instruction. CHAP. IU. Cautions of Extemporal Meditation. WHerein yet caution is to be had, that our meditations be not either too fare fetched, or savouring of superstition. Fare fetched I call those, which have not a fair and easy resemblance unto the matter from whence they are raised; in which case our thoughts prove lose and heartless, making no memorable impression in the mind. Superstitious, when we make choice of those grounds of Meditation, which are forbidden us as Teachers of Vanity; or employ our own devices (though well grounded) to an use above their reach; making them, upon our own pleasures, not only furtherances, but parts of God's worship; in both which, our Meditations degenerate, and grow rather perilous to the soul. Whereto add, that the mind be not too much cloyed with too frequent iteration of the same thought; which at last breeds a weariness in ourselves, and an unpleasantness of that conceit, which at the first entertainment promised much delight. Our nature is too ready to abuse familiarity in any kind: and it is with Meditations, as with Medicines; which with over-ordinarie use, lose their sovereignty; and fill, in stead of purging. God hath not straited us for matter, having given us the scope of the whole world; so that there is no creature, event, action, speech, which may not afford us new matter of Meditation. And that which we are wont to say of fine wits, we may as truly affirm of the Christian heart, that it can make use of any thing. Wherefore as travellers in a foreign country make every sight a lesson; so ought we in this our pilgrimage. Thou seest the heaven rolling above thine head, in a constant and unmoveable motion; the stars so overlooking one another, that the greatest show little, the least greatest, all glorious: the air full of the bottles of rain, or fleeces of snow, or diverse forms of fiery Exhalations: the Sea under one uniform face, full of strange and monstrous shapes beneath: the earth so adorned with variety of plants, that thou canst not but tread on many at once with every foot; besides the store of creatures that fly above it, walk upon it, live in it. Thou idle Truant, dost thou learn nothing of so many masters? Hast thou so long read these capital letters of God's great Book, and canst thou not yet spell one word of them? The brute creatures see the same things, with as clear, perhaps better eyes. If thine inward eyes see not their use, as well as thy bodily eyes their shape, I know not whether is more reasonable or less brutish. CHAP. V. DEliberate Meditation is that we chief inquire for; Of Meditation deliberate. which both may be well guided, and shall be not a little furthered by precepts; part whereof the labours of others shall yield us, and part, the plainest mistress, Experience: Wherein first, the qualities of the person. Of whom is required: First, that he be pure from his sins. wherein order requires of us first, the qualities of the person fit for meditation, than the circumstances, manner, and proceed of the work. The hill of Meditation may not be climbed with a profane foot; but as in the delivery of the Law, so here, no beast may touch God's hill, lest he die; only the pure of heart have promise to see God. Sin dimmeth and dazzleth the eye, that it cannot behold spiritual things. The Guard of heavenly Soldiers was about Elishaes' servant before; he saw them not before, through the scales of his infidelity. The soul must therefore be purged, ere it can profitably meditate. And as of old they were wont to search for, and thrust out malefactors from the presence, ere they went to sacrifice; so must we our sins, ere we offer our thoughts to God. First, saith David, I will wash my hands in innocence, than I will compass thine Altar. Whereupon not unfitly did that worthy Chancellor of Paris make the first stair of his Ladder of Contemplation, Humble Repentance. The cloth that is white (which is wont to be the colour of innocence) is capable of any Dye; the black, of none other. Not that we require an absolute perfection, (which, as it is incident unto none, so if it were, would exclude all need and use of Meditation) but rather an honest sincerity of the heart, not willingly sinning, willingly repenting when we have sinned: which who so finds in himself, let him not think any weakness a lawful bar to Meditation. He that pleads this excuse, is like some simple man, which being half starved with cold, refuseth to come near the fire, because he findeth not heat enough in himself. CHAP. VI Secondly, that he be free from worldly thoughts. NEither may the soul that hopeth to profit by meditation, suffer itself for the time entangled with the world; which is all one, as to come to God's flaming bush on the hill of visions, with our shoes on our feet. Thou seest the bird, whose feathers are limed, unable to take her former flight: so are we, when our thoughts are clinged together by the world, to soar up to our heaven in Meditation. The pair of brothers must leave their nets, if they will follow Christ; Elisha his oxen, if he will attend a Prophet. It must be a free and a light mind that can ascend this Mount of Contemplation, overcoming this height, this steepness. Cares are an heavy load, and uneasy: these must be laid down at the bottom of this hill, if we ever look to attain the top. Thou art loaded with household cares, perhaps public; I bid thee not cast them away: even these have their season, which thou canst not omit without impiety: I bid thee lay them down at thy Closet door, when thou attemptest this work. Let them in with thee, thou shalt find them troublesome companions, ever distracting thee from thy best errand. Thou wouldst think of heaven; thy Barn comes in thy way, or perhaps thy Count-book, or thy Coffers, or it may be, thy mind is beforehand travelling upon the morrow's journey. So, while thou thinkest of many things, thou thinkest of nothing; while thou wouldst go many ways, thou standest still. And as in a crowd, while many press forward at once thorough one door, none proceedeth; so when variety of thoughts tumultuously throng in upon the mind, each proveth a bar to the other, and all an hindrance to him that entertains them. CHAP. VII. Thirdly, that he be constant: and that, First, in time and matter. ANd as our Client of Meditation must both be pure and free in undertaking this task, so also constant in continuing it; Constant both in time and in matter: both in a set course and hour reserved for this work, and in an unwearied prosecution of it once begun. Those that meditate by snatches and uncertain fits, when only all other employments forsake them, or when good motions are thrust upon them by necessity, let them never hope to reach to any perfection. For these feeble beginnings of lukewarm grace, which are wrought in them by one fit of serious Meditation, are soon extinguished by intermission, and by mis-wonting perish: This day's meal (though large and liberal) strengthens thee not for to morrow: the body languisheth, if there be not a daily supply of repast. Thus feed thy soul by Meditation; Set thine hours and keep them, and yield not to an easy distraction. There is no hardness in this practice, but in the beginning; use shall give it not ease only, but delight. Thy companion entertaineth thee this while in loving discourses, or some inexpected business offers to interrupt thee. Never any good work shall want some hindrance: Either break through the lets, except it be with incivility or loss; or if they be importunate, pay thyself the time that was unseasonably borrowed; and recompense thine omitted hours with the double labours of another day: For thou shalt find, that deferring breeds (beside the loss) an indisposition to good; So that what was before pleasant to thee, being omitted, to morrow grows harsh; the next day unnecessary; afterward odious. To day thou canst, but wilt not; to morrow thou couldst, but listest not; the next day thou neither will't nor canst bend thy mind on these thoughts. So I have seen friends that upon neglect of duty grow overly: upon overlinesse, strange; upon strangeness, to utter defiance. Those, whose very trade is Diminitie, (me thinks) should omit no day without his line of Meditation: those which are secular men, not many; remembering that they have a common calling of Christianity to attend, as well as a special vocation in the world: and that other being more noble and important, may justly challenge both often and diligent service. CHAP. VIII. ANd as this constancy requires thee to keep day with thyself, Secondly, that he be constant in the continuance. unless thou wilt prove bankrupt in good exercises; so also that thy mind should dwell upon the same thought without flitting, without weariness, until it have attained to some issue of spiritual profit: otherwise it attempteth much, effecteth nothing. What availeth it to knock at the door of the heart, if we depart ere we have an answer? What are we the warmer, if we pass hastily along by the heart, and stay not at it? Those that do only travel thorough Africa, become not Blackmores: but those which are borne there, those that inhabit there. We account those damosels too light of their love, which betrothe themselves upon the first sight, upon the first motion: and those we deem of much price, which require long and earnest soliciting. He deceiveth himself that thinketh grace so easily won; there must be much suit and importunity, ere it will yield to our desires: Not that we call for a perpetuity of this labour of Meditation; Humane frailty could never bear so great a toil. Nothing under Heaven is capable of a continual motion without complaint. It is enough for the glorified spirits above, to be ever thinking, and never weary. The mind of man is of a strange metal; if it be not used, it rusteth; if used hardly, it breaketh: briefly, is sooner dulled than satisfied with a continual Meditation. Whence it came to pass, that those ancient Monks, who intermeddled bodily labour with their contemplations, proved so excellent in this divine business; when those at this day, which having mewed and mured up themselves from the world, spend themselves wholly upon their Beads and Crucifix, pretending no other work but Meditation, have cold hearts to God, and to the world show nothing but a dull shadow of devotion: for, that, if the thoughts of these latter were as divine as they are superstitious; yet being, without all interchangeablenesse, bend upon the same discourse, the mind must needs grow weary, the thoughts remiss and languishing, the objects tedious: while the other refreshed themselves with this wise variety, employing the hands, while they called off the mind, as good Comedians so mix their parts, that the pleasantness of the one, may temper the austereness of the other; whereupon they gained both enough to the body, and to the soul more than if it had been all the while busied. Besides, the excellency of the object letteth this assiduity of Meditation, which is so glorious, that like unto the Sun, it may abide to have an eye cast up to it for a while, will not be gazed upon; whosoever ventureth so fare, loseth both his hope and his wits. If we hold with that blessed Monica, that such like cogitations are the food of the mind, yet even the mind also hath her satiety, and may surfeit of too much. It shall be sufficient therefore, that we persevere in our Meditation, without any such affectation of perpetuity, and leave without a light fickleness; making always not our Hourglass, but some competent increase of our devotion, the measure of our continuance; knowing, that as for Heaven, so for our pursuit of grace, it shall avail us little to have begun well, without perseverance: and withal, that the soul of man is not always in the like disposition: but sometimes is longer in settling, through some unquietness, or more obstinate distraction; sometimes heavier, and sometimes more active, and nimble to dispatch. * Saving our just quarrel against him for the Council of Constance. Gerson (whose authority I rather use, because our adversaries disclaim him for theirs) professeth, he hath been sometimes four hours together working his heart, ere he could frame it to purpose. A singular pattern of unwearied constancy, of an unconquerable spirit; whom his present unfitness did not so much discourage, as it whetted him to strive with himself till he could overcome. And surely other victories are hazardous, this certain, if we will persist to strive: other fights are upon hope, this upon assurance; whiles our success dependeth upon the promise of God, which cannot disappoint us. Persist therefore, and prevail: persist till thou hast prevailed: so that which thou beganst with difficulty, shall end in comfort. CHAP. IX. Of the Circumstance of Meditation. FRom the qualities of the Person, we descend towards the action itself: where first we meet with those circumstances which are necessary for our predisposition to the work; Place, Time, Site of the body. And therein, First, of the place. Solitariness of Place is fittest for Meditation. Retire thyself from others, if thou wouldst talk profitably with thyself. So JESUS meditates alone in the Mount, Isaac in the fields, john Baptist in the Desert, David on his bed, chrysostom in the Bath, each in several places; but all solitary. There is no place free from God, none to which he is more tied: one finds his Closet most convenient, where his eyes being limited by the known walls, call the mind after a sort from wand'ring abroad. Another findeth his soul more free, when it beholdeth his heaven above and about him. It matters not so we be solitary and silent. It was a witty and divine speech of Bernard, that the Spouse of the soul, CHRIST JESUS, is bashful, neither willingly cometh to his Bride in the presence of a multitude. And hence is that sweet invitation which we find of her: Come, my well-beloved, let us go forth into the fields: let us lodge in the villages: Let us go up early to the Vines: let us see if the Vine flourish, whether it hath disclosed the first Grape, or whether the Pomegranates blossom; there will I give thee my love. Abandon therefore all worldly society, that thou mayest change it for the company of GOD and his Angels; the society, I say, of the world, not outward only, but inward also. There be many that sequester themselves from the visible company of men, which yet carry a world within them; who being alone in body, are haunted with a throng of fancies: as Jerome, in his wildest Desert, found himself too oft in his thoughts amongst the dances of the Roman Dames. This company is worse than the other: for it is more possible for some thoughtful men to have a solitary mind in the midst of a market, than for a man thus disposed to be alone in a wilderness. Both companies are enemies to Meditations; whither tendeth that ancient counsel of a great Master in this Art, of three things requisite to this business, Secrecy, Silence, Rest: whereof the first excludeth company, the second noise, the third motion. It cannot be spoken how subject we are in this work, to distraction, like salomon's old man, whom the noise of every bird wakeneth: sensual delights we are not drawn from with the threefold cords of judgement; but our spiritual pleasures are easily hindered. Make choice therefore of that place, which shall admit the fewest occasions of withdrawing thy soul from good thoughts: wherein also even change of places is somewhat prejudicial; and I know not how it falls out, that we find God nearer us in the place where we have been accustomed familiarly to meet him: not for that his presence is confined to one place above others, but that our thoughts are, through custom more easily gathered to the place where we have ordinarily conversed with him. CHAP. X. Secondly, of the time. ONe Time cannot be prescribed to all: for neither is God bound to hours, neither doth the contrary disposition of men agree in one choice of opportunities: the golden hours of the morning some find fittest for Meditation, when the body newly raised, is well calmed with his late rest, and the soul hath not as yet had from these outward things any motives of alienation. Others find it best to learn wisdom of their reines in the night; hoping with job, that their bed will bring them comfort in their Meditation; when both all other things are still, and themselves, wearied with these earthly cares, do out of a contempt of them, grow into greater liking and love of heavenly things. I have ever found Isaac's time fittest, who went out in the evening to meditate. No precept, no practice of others can prescribe to us in this circumstance. It shall be enough, that first we set ourselves a time: secondly, that we set apart that time, wherein we are aptest for this service. And as no time is prejudiced with unfitness, but every day is without difference seasonable for this work, so especially God's Day. No day is barren of grace to the searcher of it, none alike fruitful to this; which being by God sanctified to himself, and to be sanctified by us to God, is privileged with blessings above others: for the plentiful instruction of that Day stirreth thee up to this action, and fills thee with matter; and the zeal of thy public service warmeth thy heart to this other business of devotion. No MANNA fell to the Israelites on their Sabbath; our spiritual MANNA falleth on ours, most frequent: if thou wouldst have a full soul, gather as it falls; gather it by hearing, reading, meditation: spiritual idleness is a fault this Day, perhaps not less than bodily work. CHAP. XI. NEither is there less variety in the Site and gesture of the body: Of the Site and gesture of the body. the due composedness whereof is no little advantage to this exercise; even in our speech to God, we observe not always one and the same position; sometimes we fall grovelling on our faces; sometimes we bow our knees; sometimes stand on our feet; sometimes we lift up our hands, sometimes cast down our eyes. God is a Spirit, who therefore being a severe observer of the disposition of the soul, is not scrupulous for the body; requiring not so much, that the gesture thereof should be uniform, as reverend. No marvel therefore though in this, all our teachers of Meditation have commended several positions of body, according to their disposition and practice. * Gerson. One, sitting with the face turned up to heaven-ward, according to the precept of the Philosopher, who taught him, that by sitting and resting, the mind gathereth wisdom. * Guliel. Paris. Another, leaning to some Rest, towards the left side, for the greater quieting of the heart. * D●onys. Carthus. A third, standing with the eyes lift up to Heaven, but shut, for fear of distractions. But of all other (me thinketh) isaac's choice the best, who meditated walking. In this let every man be his own master; so be we use that frame of body that may both testify reverence, and in some cases help to stir up further devotion; which also must needs be varied according to the matter of our Meditation. If we think of our sins. Ahabs' soft pace, the Publicans dejected eyes, and his hand beating his breast, are more seasonable. If of the joys of heaven, Stevens countenance fixed above, and David's hands lift up on high, are most fitting. In all which, the body, as it is the instrument and vassal of the soul, so will easily follow the affections thereof; and in truth then is our devotion most kindly, when the body is thus commanded his service by the Spirit, and not suffered to go before it, and by his forwardness to provoke his master to emulation. CHAP. XII. NOw time and order call us from these circumstances, Of the matter and subject of our meditation to the matter and subject of Meditation: which must be Divine and Spiritual; not evil, nor worldly. O the carnal and unprofitable thoughts of men! We all meditate; one, how to do ill to others; another, how to do some earthly good to himself: another, to hurt himself, under a colour of good, as how to accomplish his lewd desires, the fulfilling whereof proveth the bane of the soul; how he may sinne unseen, and go to hell with the least noise of the world. Or perhaps, some better minds bend their thoughts upon the search of natural things; the motions of every heaven, and of every star; the reason and course of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea; the manifold kinds of simples that grow out of the earth, and creatures that creep upon it; with all their strange qualities, and operations. Or perhaps, the several forms of government, and rules of State take up their busy heads: so that while they would be acquainted with the whole world, they are strangers at home, and while they seek to know all other things ●●●y remain unknown of themselves. The God that made them, the vileness of their nature, the danger of their sins, the multitude of their imperfections, the Saviour that bought them, the Heaven that he bought for them, are in the mean time as unknown, as unregarded, as if they were not. Thus do foolish children spend their time and labour, in turning over leaves to look for painted babes, not at all respecting the solid matter under their hands. We fools, when will we be wise, and turning our eyes from vanity, with that sweet Singer of Israel, make Gods statutes our song and meditation in the house of our pilgrimage? Earthly things proffer themselves with importunity. Heavenly things must with importunity be sued to. Those, if they were not so little worth, would not be so forward, & being forward, need not any Meditation to solicit them: These, by how much more hard they are to entreat, by so much more precious they are being obtained; and therefore worthier our endeavour. As than we cannot go amiss, so long as we keep ourselves in the track of Divinity; while the soul is taken up with the thoughts, either of the Deity in his essence, and persons (sparingly yet in this point, and more in faith and admiration than inquiry) or of his attributes, his justice, Power, Wisdom, Mercy, Truth; or of his works, in the creation, preservation, government of all things; according to the Psalmist, I will meditate of the beauty of thy glorious Majesty, and thy wonderful works: so, most directly in our way, and best fitting our exercise of Meditation, are those matters in Divinity, which can most of all work compunction in the heart, and most stir us up to devotion. Of which kind, are the Meditations concerning Christ jesus our Mediator, his Incarnation, Miracles, Life, Passion, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension, Intercession, the benefit of our Redemption, the certainty of our Election, the graces and proceeding of our Sanctification, our glorious estate in Paradise lost in our first Parents, our present vileness, our inclination to sin, our several actual offences, the tentations and sleights of evil Angels, the use of the Sacraments, nature and practice of Faith and Repentance: the miseries of our life, with the frailty of it; the certainty and uncertainty of our death, the glory of God's Saints above, the awfulness of judgement, the terrors of hell, and the rest of this quality: wherein both it is fit to have variety (for that even the strongest stomach doth not always delight in one dish) and yet so to change, that our choice may be free from wildness and inconstancy. CHAP. XIII. The order of the work itself. NOw after that we have thus orderly suited the person and his qualities, with the due circumstances of time, place, disposition of body, and substance of the matter discussed, I know not what can remain, besides the main business itself, and the manner and degrees of our prosecution thereof; which above all other calleth for an intentive Reader, and resolute practice. Wherein that we may avoid all niceness and obscurity (since we strive to profit) we will give direction for the Entrance, Proceeding, Conclusion of this Divine work. CHAP. XIIII. The entrance into the work A Goodly building must show some magnificence in the gate; and great personages have seemly Ushers to go before them; who by their uncovered heads command reverence and way. Even very Poets of old had wont, before their Ballads to implore the aid of their gods. And the heathen Romans entered not upon any public civil business, without a solemn apprecation of good success: 1 The common entrance, which is Prayer. How much less should a Christian dare to undertake a spiritual work of such importance, not having craved the assistance of his God? which (me thinks) is no less, than to profess he could do well without God's leave. When we think evil, it is from ourselves: when good, from God. As Prayer is our speech to God, so is each good Meditation (according to Bernard) God's speech to the heart: The heart must speak to God, that God may speak to it. Prayer therefore and Meditation, are as those famous twins in the story, or as two loving Turtles, whereof separate one, the other languisheth. Prayer maketh way for Meditation. Meditation giveth matter, strength, and life to our prayers. By which, as all other things are sanctified to us, so we are sanctified to all holy things. This is as some royal Eunuch to perfume and dress our souls, that they may be fit to converse with the King of Heaven. But the prayer that leadeth in Meditation, would not be long, requiring rather that the extension and length should be put into the vigour and fervency of it; for that is not here intended to be the principal business, but an introduction to another; and no otherwise, than as a Portall to this building of Meditation: The matter whereof shall be, that the course of our Meditation may be guided aright and blessed; that all distractions may be avoided; our judgement enlightened, our inventions quickened, our wills rectified, our affections whetted to heavenly things, our hearts enlarged to God-ward, our devotion enkindled; so that we may find our corruptions abated, our graces thriven, our souls and lives every way bettered by this exercise. CHAP. XV. Such is the common entrance into this work: Particular and proper entrance into the matter, which is in our choice thereof. there is another yet more particular and proper; wherein the mind, recollecting itself, maketh choice of that Theme or matter whereupon it will bestow itself for the present; settling itself on that which it hath chosen: which is done by an inward inquisition made into our heart, of what we both do, and should think upon: rejecting what is unexpedient and unprofitable. In both which, the Soul, like unto some noble Hawk, let's pass the Crows, and Larks, and such other worthless Birds that cross her way, and stoopeth upon a Fowl of price, worthy of her flight: after this manner. What wilt thou muse upon, O my soul? thou seest how little it availeth thee to wander and rove about in uncertainties: thou findest how little savour there is in these earthly things, wherewith thou hast wearied thyself; Trouble not thyself any longer (with Martha) about the many and needless thoughts of the world: None but heavenly things can afford thee comfort: up then, my soul, and mind those things that are above, whence thyself art: Amongst all which, wherein shouldest thou rather meditate than of the life and glory of God's Saints? A worthier employment thou canst never find, than to think upon that estate thou shalt once possess, and now desirest. CHAP. XVI. HItherto the entrance; after which, our Meditation must proceed in due order, The proceeding of our Meditation. not troubledly, not preposterously: It gins in the understanding, endeth in the affection; It gins in the brain, descends to the heart; Gins on earth, ascends to Heaven; Not suddenly, but by certain stairs and degrees, till we come to the highest. I have found a subtle scale of Meditation, admired by some Professors of this Art, above all other humane devices, And therein a Method allowed by some Authors rejected by us. and fare preferred by them to the best directions of Origen, Austen, Bernard, Hugo Bonaventure, Gerson, and whosoever hath been reputed of greatest perfection in this skill. The several stairs whereof (lest I should seem to defraud my Reader through envy) I would willingly describe, were it not that I feared to scare him rather with the danger of obscurity, from venturing further upon this so worthy a business: yet lest any man perhaps might complain of an unknown loss, my Margin shall find room for that which I hold too knotty for my Text. The Scale of Meditation of an Author, ancient, but nameless. * Degrees of Preparation. 1 Question. What I think. should think. 2 Excussion. A repelling of what I should not think. 3 Choice, or Election. Of what most necessary. expedient. comely. * Degrees of proceeding in the understanding. 4 Commemoration. An actual thinking upon the matter elected. 5 Consideration. A redoubled Commemoration of the same, till it be fully known. 6 Attention. A fixed and earnest consideration whereby it is fastened in the mind. 7 Explanation. A clearing of the thing considered by similitudes. 8 Tractation. An extending the thing considered to other points, where all questions of doubts are discussed. 9 Dijudication. An estimation of the worth of the thing thus handled. 10 Causation. A confirmation of the estimation thus made. 11 Rumination. A sad and serious Meditation of all the former, till it may work upon the affections. From hence to the degrees of affection. * In all which, (after the incredible commendations of some practitioners) I doubt not but an ordinary Reader will easily espy a double fault at the least, Darkness and Coincidence: that they are both too obscurely delivered, and that diverse of them fall into other, not without some vain superfluity. For this part therefore which concerneth the understanding, I had rather to require only a deep and firm Consideration of the thing propounded: which shall be done if we follow it in our discourse, through all, or the principal of those places which natural reason doth afford us: wherein, let no man plead ignorance, or fear difficulty, we are all thus fare borne Logicians; neither is there, in this, so much need of skill, as of industry. In which course yet, we may not be too curious, in a precise search of every place and argument, without omission of any (though to be fetched in with racking the invention.) For as the mind, if it go lose and without rule, roves to no purpose; so if it be too much fettered, with the gyves of strict regularity, moveth nothing at all. CHAP. XVII. Premonitions concerning our proceeding in the first part of Meditation. ERe I enter therefore into any particular tractation, there are three things whereof I would premonish my Reader, concerning this first part, which is in the understanding. First, that I desire not to bind every man to the same uniform proceeding in this part: Practice and custom may perhaps have taught other courses more familiar, and not less direct. If then we can, by any other method, work in our hearts so deep an apprehension of the matter meditated, as it may duly stir the affections, it is that only we require. Secondly, that whosoever applieth himself to this direction, think him not necessarily tied to the prosecution of all these Logical places, which he findeth in the sequel of our Treatise, so as his Meditation should be lame and imperfect without the whole number: for there are some Themes will not bear all these; as, when we meditate of God, there is no room for Causes or Comparisons, and others yield them with such difficulty, that their search interrupteth the chief work intended. It shall be sufficient, if we take the most pregnant, and most voluntary. Thirdly, that when we stick in the disposition of any the places following (as if, meditating of Sin, I cannot readily meet with the Material and Formal Causes, or the Appendances of it) we rack not our minds too much with the inquiry thereof; which were to strive more for Logic, than devotion: but without too much disturbance of our thoughts, quietly pass over to the next. If we break our teeth with the shell, we shall find small pleasure in the kernel. Now then for that my only fear is, lest this part of my discourse shall seem over-perplexed unto the unlearned Reader; I will in this whole process, second my rule with his example, that so what might seem obscure in the one, may by the other be explained; and the same steps he seethe me take in this, he may accordingly tread in any other Theme. CHAP. XVIII. FIrst therefore it shall be expedient to consider seriously, The practice of Meditation; wherein, First, we begin with some description of that we meditate of. what the thing is whereof we meditate. What then, O my soul, is the life of the Saints, whereof thou studiest? Who are the Saints, but those which having been weakly holy upon earth, are perfectly holy above? which even on earth were perfectly holy in their Saviour, now are so in themselves? which overcoming on earth, are truly canonised in Heaven? What is their life, but that blessed estate above, wherein their glorified soul hath a full fruition of God? CHAP. XIX. THe nature whereof, Secondly, follows an easy and voluntary division of the matter meditated. after we have thus shadowed out to ourselves by a description, not curious always, and exactly framed according to the rules of Art, but sufficient for our own conceit; the next is (if it shall seem needful, or if the matter will bear, or offer it) some easy and voluntary division, whereby our thoughts shall have more room made for them, and our proceeding shall be more distinct. There is a life of nature, when thou, my soul, dwellest in this body, and informest thine earthly burden. There is a life of grace, when the Spirit of God dwells in thee. There is a life of glory, when the body being united to thee, both shall be united to God: or when, in the mean time, being separated from thy companion, thou injoyest God alone. This life of thine therefore, as the other, hath his ages, hath his statures; for it entereth upon his birth, when thou passest out of thy body, and changest this earthly house for an Heavenly: It enters into his full vigour, when at the day of the common resurrection, thou resumest this thy companion, unlike to itself, like to thee, like to thy Saviour, immortal now, and glorious. In this life here may be degrees; there can be no imperfection. If some be like the sky, others like the Stars, yet all shine. If some sit at their Saviour's right hand, others at his left, all are blessed. If some vessels hold more, all are full; none complaineth of want, none envieth at him that hath more. CHAP. XX. 3 A consideration of the causes thereof in all kinds of them. WHich done, it shall be requisite for our perfecter understanding, and for the laying grounds of matter for our affection, to carry it thorough those other principal places, and heads of reason, which Nature hath taught every man, both for knowledge and amplification: the first whereof are the Causes, of all sorts. Whence is this eternal life, but from him which only is eternal, which only is the fountain of life, yea life itself? Who but the same God that gives our temporal life, giveth also that eternal? The Father bestoweth it, the Son meriteth it, the Holy Ghost seals and applieth it. Expect it only from him, O my soul, whose free election gave thee the first title to it, to be purchased by the blood of thy Saviour. For thou shalt not therefore be happy, because he saw that thou wouldst be good; but therefore art thou good, because he hath ordained, thou shalt be happy. He hath ordained thee to life; he hath given thee a Saviour to give this life unto thee; faith, whereby thou mightest attain to this Saviour; his Word, by which thou mightst attain to this faith; what is there in this not his? And yet not his so simply, as that it is without thee: without thy merit indeed, not without thine act. Thou livest here through his blessing, but by bread; thou shalt live above through his mercy, but by thy faith below, apprehending the Author of thy life. And yet as he will not save thee without thy faith, so thou canst never have faith without his gift. Look up to him therefore, O my soul, as the beginner and finisher of thy salvation; and while thou magnifiest the Author, be ravished with the glory of the work: which fare passeth both the tongue of Angels, and the heart of man. It can be no good thing that is not there. How can they want water that have the spring? Where God is enjoyed, in whom only all things are good, what good can be wanting? And what perfection of bliss is there, where all goodness is met and united? In thy presence is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. O blessed reflection of glory! We see there, as we are seen: in that we are seen, it is our glory; in that we see, it is God's glory; therefore doth be glorify us, that our glory should be to his. How worthy art thou, O Lord, that through us thou shouldest look at thyself! CHAP. XXI. 4 The Consideration of the Fruits and Effects. THe next place shall be the fruits and effects following upon their several causes: which also affords very feeling and copious matter to our meditation; wherein it shall be ever best, not so much to seek for all, as to choose out the chiefest. No marvel then if from this glory proceed unspeakable joy, and from this joy the sweet songs of praise and thanksgiving. The Spirit bids us, when we are merry, sing: How much more then, when we are merry without all mixture of sorrow, beyond all measure of our earthly affections, shall we sing joyful Hallelujahs, and hosannah's to him that dwelleth in the highest Heavens? our hearts shall be so full, that we cannot choose but sing, and we cannot but sing melodiously. There is no jar in this Music, no end of this song. O blessed change of the Saints! They do nothing but weep below, and now nothing but sing above. We sowed in tears, reap in joy; there was some comfort in those tears, when they were at worst; but there is no danger of complaint in this heavenly mirth. If we cannot sing here with Angels, On earth peace, yet there we shall sing with them, Glory to God on high; and joining our voices to theirs, shall make up that celestial consort, which none can either hear or bear part in, and not be happy. CHAP. XXII. 5 Consideration of the Subject wherein, or whereabout it is. AFter which comes to be considered the Subject, either wherein that is, or whereabout that is employed, which we meditate of: As, And indeed, what less happiness doth the very place promise, wherein this glory is exhibited? which is no other than the Paradise of God. Here below we dwell, or rather we wander in a continued wilderness; there we shall rest us in the true Eden: I am come into my Garden; my Sister, my Spouse. King's use not to dwell in Cottages of Clay; but in Royal Courts fit for their estate: How much more shall the King of Heaven, who hath prepared for men so fair mansions on earth, make himself an habitation suitable to his Majesty? Even earthly Princes have dwelled in Cedar and Ivory: But the great City, Holy jerusalem, the Palace of the Highest, hath her walls of jasper, her building of gold, her foundation of precious stones, her gates of pearl: How glorious things are spoken of thee, O thou City of God We see but the pavement, and yet how goodly it is! The believing Centurion thought himself unworthy that Christ should come under his roof: yet wert thou, O Saviour, in thine humbled estate, in the form of a servant: How then shall I think myself worthy to come under this roof of thine, so shining and glorious? O, if this clay of mine may come to this honour above, let it be trampled upon and despised on earth. CHAP. XXIII. Sixthly, shall follow the Appendances and Qualities, 6 Consid. of the Appendances and Qualities of it. which cleave unto the subject whereof we meditate: As, But were the place less noble and majestical; yet the company which it affordeth, hath enough to make the soul blessed. For, not the place giveth ornament to the guest, so much as the guest to the place. How loath are we to leave this earth, only for the society of some few friends in whom we delight, which yet are subject every day to mutual dislikes? what pleasure shall we then take in the enjoying of the Saints; when there is nothing in them not amiable, nothing in us that may cool the fervour of our love? There shalt thou, my soul, thyself glorified, meet with thy dear Parents and friends alike glorious, never to be severed: There thou shalt see and converse with those ancient Worthies of the former World; the blessed Patriarches and Prophets, with the crowned Martyrs and Confessors; with the holy Apostles, and the Fathers of that Primitive, and this present Church, shining each one according to the measure of his blessed labours. There shalt thou live familiarly in the sight of those Angels, whom now thou receivest good from, but seest not. There (which is the head of all thy felicity,) thine eyes shall see Him whom now thine heart longeth for, (that Saviour of thine) in the only hope of whom now thou livest. Alas, how dimly, and afar off dost thou now behold him? How imperfectly dost thou enjoy him, while every temptation bereaves thee, for the time, of his presence? I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but found him not; his back is now towards thee many times through thy sins, and therefore thou hardly discernest him. Other-while and often thy back is turned unto him through negligence, that when thou mightest obscurely see him, thou dost not: now thou shalt see him, and thine eyes thus fixed shall not be removed. Yet neither could this glory make us happy, if being thus absolute, it were not perpetual. To be happy, is not so sweet a state, as it is miserable to have been happy. Lest aught therefore should be wanting, behold, this felicity knoweth no end, feareth no intermission, and is as eternal for the continuance, as he that had no beginning. O blessedness truly infinite! Our earthly joys do scarce ever begin; but when they begin, their end bordereth upon their beginning. One hour seethe us ofttimes joyful and miserable: here alone is nothing but eternity. If then the Divine Prophet thought here one day in Gods earthly house, better than a thousand otherwhere; what shall I compare to thousands of millions of years in Gods heavenly Temple? Yea, millions of years are not so much as a minute to eternity, and that other house not a cottage to this. CHAP. XXIV. seventhly, our thoughts, 7 Of that which is divers from it, or contrary to it. leaving a while the consideration of the thing as it is in itself, shall descend unto it as respectively with others; and therefore first shall meditate of that which is divers from it, or contrary unto it. What dost thou here then, O my soul? What dost thou here grovelling upon earth? where the best things are vanity, the rest no better than vexation. Look round about thee, and see whether thine eyes can meet with any thing but either sins or miseries. Those few and short pleasures thou seest, end ever sorrowfully; and in the mean time are intermingled with many grievances. Here thou hearest one cry out of a sick body, whereof there is no part which affords not choice of diseases. This man layeth his hand upon his consuming lungs, and complaineth of short wind: that other, upon his rising spleen: a third shaketh his painful head: another roars out for the torment of his reines or bladder: another for the racking of his gouty joints: one is distempered with a watery Dropsy, another with a windy Colic, a third with a fiery Ague, a fourth with an earthen Melancholy; one grovels and foameth with the falling sickness; another lieth bedrid, half senseless with a dead Palsy. There are but few bodies that complain not of some disease; and that thou mayest not look fare, it is a wonder if thyself feel not always one of these evils within thee. There, thou hearest another lament his loss: either his estate is impaired by suretyship, or stealth, or shipwreck, or oppression; or his child is unruly, or miscarried; or his wife dead, or disloyal; another tormented with passions; each one is some way miserable. But, that which is yet more irksome, thy one ear is beaten with cursings and blasphemies; thy other with scornful, or wanton, or murdering speeches; thine eyes see nothing but pride, filthiness, profaneness, blood, excess; and whatsoever else might vex a righteous soul: and if all the world beside were innocent, thou findest enough within thyself to make thyself weary, and thy life loathsome. Thou needest not fetch cause of complaint from others; thy corruptions yield thee too much at home; ever sinning, ever presuming; Sinning even when thou hast repent: yea, even while thou repentest, sinning. Go to now, my soul, and solace thyself here below, & suffer thyself besottted with these goodly contentments; worthy of no better, while thou fixest thyself on these: see if thou canst find any of these above; and if thou canst meet with any distemper, any loss, any sin, any complaint, from thyself or any other above, despise thine Heaven as much as now thou lovest the earth. Or if all this cannot enough commend unto thee the state of Heavenly Glory, cast down thine eyes yet lower, into that deep and bottomless pit, full of horror, full of torment, where there is nothing but flames, and tears, and shrieks, and gnashing of teeth, nothing but Fiends and tortures: where there is palpable darkness, and yet perpetual fire; where the damned are ever boiling, never consumed; ever dying, never dead; ever complaining, never pitied; where the Glutton, that once would not give a crust of bread, now begs for one drop of water; and yet alas, if whole rivers of water should fall into his mouth, how should they quench those rivers of Brimstone that feed this flame? where there is no intermission of complaints, no breathing from pain, and after millions of years, no possibility of comfort. And if the rod wherewith thou chastisest thy children, O Lord, even in this life, be so smart and galling, that they have been brought down to the brim of despair; and in the bitterness of their soul have entreated death to release them: What shall I think of their plagues, in whose righteous confusion thou insultest, and sayest; Aha, I will avenge me of mine enemies? Even that thou shalt not be thus miserable, O my soul, is some kind of happiness: but that thou shalt be as happy, as the reprobate are miserable, how worthy is it of more estimation, than thyself is capable of? CHAP. XXV. 8 Of comparisons and similitudes whereby it may be most fitly set forth. AFter this opposition, the mind shall make comparison of the matter meditated, with what may nearest resemble it; and shall illustrate it with fittest similitudes, which give no small light to the understanding, nor less force to the affection. Wonder then, O my soul, as much as thou canst, at this glory; and in comparison thereof, contemn this earth, which now thou treadest upon; whose joys if they were perfect, are but short; and if they were long, are imperfect. One day when thou art above, looking down from the height of thy glory, and seeing the sons of men creeping like so many Aunts on this Molehill of earth, thou shalt think, Alas; how basely I once lived! Was yonder silly dungeon the place I so loved, and was so loath to leave! Think so now before hand; and since of heaven thou canst not, yet account of thy earth as it is worthy: How heartless and irksome are ye, O ye best earthly pleasures, if ye be matched with the least of those above? How vile are you, O ye sumptuous buildings of Kings, even if all the entrailes of the earth had agreed to enrich you, in comparison of this frame not made with hands? It is not so high above the earth in distance of place, as in worth and Majesty. We may see the face of Heaven from the heart of the earth; but from the nearest part of the earth who can see the least glory of Heaven? The three Disciples, on Mount Tabor, saw but a glimpse of this glory shining upon the face of their Saviour; and yet being ravished with the sight, cried out, Master, it is good being here; and, thinking of building of three Tabernacles (for Christ, Moses, Elias) could have been content themselves to have lain without shelter, so they might always have enjoyed that sight. Alas, how could earthly Tabernacles have fitted those heavenly bodies? They knew what they saw; what they said, they knew not. Lo, these three Disciples were not transfigured; yet how deeply they were affected even with the glory of others! How happy shall we be, when ourselves shall be changed into glorious? and shall have Tabernacles not of our own making, but prepared for us by God? and yet not Tabernacles, but eternal Mansions. Moses saw God but a while, and shined: how shall we shine, that shall behold his face for ever? What greater honour is there than in Sovereignty? What greater pleasure than in feasting? This life is both a Kingdom and a feast. A Kingdom: He that overcomes, shall rule the Nations, and shall sit with me in my Throne: O blessed promotion! Oh large dominion, and royal feast to which salomon's Throne of Ivory was not worthy to become a footstool. A feast: Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb. Feasts have more than necessity of provision, more than ordinary diet; but marriage-feasts yet more than common abundance; but the Marriage-feast of the Son of God to his blessed Spo●fe the Church, must so fare exceed in all heavenly munificence and variety, as the persons are of the greater state and Majesty. There is new wine, pure Manna, and all manner of spiritual dainties; and with the continual cheer, a sweet and answerable welcome; while the Bridegroom lovingly cheereth us up, Eat, O friends, drink, and make you merry, O well-beloved: yea there shalt thou be, my soul, not a guest, but (how unworthy soever) the Bride herself, whom he hath everlastingly espoused to himself in truth and righteousness. The contract is passed here below, the marriage is consummate above, and solemnised with a perpetual feast: so that now thou mayst safety say, My well-beloved is mine, and I am his: Wherefore harken, O my soul, and consider and incline thine ear, forget also thine own people, and thy father's house, (thy supposed home of this world) so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty; for he is the Lord, and worship thou him. CHAP. XXVI. THe very Names and Titles of the matter considered, 9 The Titles and Names of the thing considered. yield no small store to our Meditation: which being commonly so imposed, that they secretly comprehend the nature of the thing which they represent, are not unworthy of our discourse. What need I seek those resemblances, when the very name of life implieth sweetness to w●●● on earth, even to them which confess to live with some discontentment? Surely the light is a pleasant thing, and it is good to the eyes to see the Sun: yet when Temporal is added to Life, I know not how this addition detracteth something, and doth greatly abate the pleasure of Life; for those which ●oy to think of Life, grieve to think it but Temporal: so vexing is the end of that whose continuance was delightful. But now when there is an addition (above Time) of Eternity, it maketh life so much more sweet as it is most lasting; and lasting infinitely, what can it give less than an infinite contentment? Oh dying and false life, which we enjoy here; and scarce a shadow and counterfeit of that other! What is more esteemed than glory? which is so precious to men of spirit, that it makes them prodigal of their blood, proud of their wounds, careblesse of themselves: and yet (alas) how penned & how fading is this glory, affected with such dangers and death? hardly after all Trophies and monuments, either known to the next Sea, or surviving him that dieth for it: It is true glory to triumph in heaven, where is neither envy nor forgetfulness. What is more dear to us than our Country? which the worthy and faithful Patriots of all times have respected above their parents, their Children, their lines; counting it only happy to live in it, and to die for it. The banished man pines for the want of it: the traveller digesteth all the tediousness of his way, all the sorrows of an ill journey, in the only hope of home; forgetting all his foreign miseries, when he feeleth his own smoke. Where is our Country but above? Thence thou camest, O my soul; thither thou art going, in a short, but weary pilgrimage. O miserable men, if we account ourselves at home in our pilgrimage; if in our journey, we long not for home! Dost thou see men so in love with their native soil, that even when it is all deformed with the desolations of war, and turned into rude heaps, or while it is even now flaming with the fire of civil broils, they covet yet still to live in it, preferring it to all other places of more peace and pleasure? and shalt thou, seeing nothing but peace and blessedness at home, nothing but trouble abroad, content thyself with a faint wish of thy dissolution? If heaven were thy jail, thou couldst but think of it uncomfortably. Oh what affection can be worthy of such an home? CHAP. XXVII. 10. Consid. of fit testimonies of Scripture, concerning our Theme. LAstly, if we can recall any pregnant Testimonies of Scripture concerning our Theme, those shall fitly conclude this part of our Meditation. Of Scripture; for that in these matters of God, none but divine authority can command assent, and settle the conscience. Witnesses of holy men may serve for colours; but the ground must be only from God. There it is (saith the Spirit of God, which cannot deceive thee) that all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: yea, there shall not only be an end of sorrows, but an abundant recompense for the sorrows of our life; as he that was rapt up into the third Heaven, and there saw what cannot be spoken, speaketh yet thus of what he saw: I count, that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be showed to us: It was showed unto him what should hereafter be showed unto us; and he saw, that if all the world full of miseries were laid in one balance, and the least glory of heaven in another, those would be incomparably light, yea (as that divine Father) that one day's felicity above, were worth a thousand years torment below; what then can be matched with the eternity of such joys? Oh how great therefore is this thy goodness, O Lord, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, and done to them that trust in thee, before the sons of men! CHAP. XXVIII. Of our second part of Meditation: which is in the affections. THe most difficult and knotty part of Meditation thus finished, there remaineth that which is both more lively, and more easy unto a good heart, to be wrought altogether by the affections: which if our discourses reach not unto, they prove vain and to no purpose. That which followeth therefore, is the very soul of Meditation, whereto all that is passed serveth but as an instrument. A man is a man by his understanding part: but he is a Christian by his will and affections. Seeing therefore, that all our former labour of the brain is only to affect the heart, after that the mind hath thus traversed the point proposed through all the heads of reason, it shall endeavour to find in the first place some feeling touch, Wherein is required a Taste and relish of what we have thought upon. and sweet relish in that which it hath thus chewed; which fruit, through the blessing of God, will voluntarily follow upon a serious Meditation. David saith, Oh taste, and see how sweet the Lord is. In Meditation we do both see and taste; but we see before we taste: sight, is of the understanding: taste, of the affection; neither can we see, but we must taste; we cannot know aright, but we must needs be affected. Let the heart therefore first conceive and feel in itself the sweetness or bitterness of the matter meditated: which is never done, without some passion; nor expressed, without some hearty exclamation. Oh blessed estate of the Saints! O glory not to be expressed, even by those which are glorified! O incomprehensible salvation! What savour hath this earth to thee? Who can regard the world, that believeth thee? Who can think of thee, and not be ravished with wonder and desire? Who can hope for thee, and not rejoice? Who can know thee, and not be swallowed up with admiration at the mercy of him that bestoweth thee? O blessedness worthy of Christ's blood to purchase thee! Worthy of the continual songs of Saints and Angels to celebrate thee! How should I magnify thee! How should I long for thee? How should I hate all this world for thee! CHAP. XXIX. AFter this Taste shall follow a Complaint, Secondly, a Complaint, be wailing our wants and untowardness. wherein the heart bewaileth to itself his own poverty, dulness, and imperfection; chiding and abasing itself in respect of his wants and indisposition: wherein Humiliation truly goeth before glory. For the more we are cast down in our conceit, the higher shall God lift us up at the end of this exercise, in spiritual rejoicing. But alas, where is my love? Where is my longing? Where art thou, O my soul? What heaviness hath overtaken thee? How hath the world bewitched and possessed thee, that thou art become so careless of thine home, so senseless of spiritual delights, so fond upon th●se vanities? Dost thou doubt whether there be an heaven? or whether thou have a God, and a Saviour there? O fare be from thee this Atheism; fare be from thee the least thought of this desperate impiety. Woe were thee, if thou believed'st not: But, O thou of little Faith, dost thou believe there is happiness, and happiness for thee, and desirest it not, and delightest not in it? Alas, how weak and unbelieving is thy belief! How cold and faint are thy desires? Tell me, what such goodly entertainment hast thou met withal here on earth, that was worthy to withdraw thee from these heavenly joys? What pleasure in it ever gave thee contentment? or what cause of dislike findest thou above? Oh no, my soul, it is only thy miserable drowsiness, only thy security: The world, the world hath besotted thee, hath undone thee with carelessness. Alas, if thy delight be so cold, what difference is there in thee from an ignorant Heathen, that doubts of another life: yea, from an Epicure, that denies it? Art thou a Christian, or art thou none? If thou be what thou professest, away with this dull and senseless worldliness; away with this earthly uncheerfulness; shake off at last this profane and godless security, that hath thus long weighed thee down from mounting up to thy joys. Look up to thy God, and to thy Crown, and say with confidence, O Lord, I have waited for thy salvation. CHAP. XXX. AFter this Complaint, must succeed an hearty and passionate Wish of the soul, Thirdly, an hearty Wish of the soul, for what it complaineth to want. which ariseth clearly from the two former degrees: For, that which a man hath found sweet, and comfortable, and complains that he still wanteth, he cannot but wish to enjoy. O Lord, that I could wait and long for thy salvation! Oh that I could mind the things above; that as I am a stranger indeed, so I could be also in affection! Oh that mine eyes, like the eyes of thy first Martyr, could by the light of Faith see but a glimpse of heaven! Oh that my heart could be rapt up thither in desire! How should I trample upon these poor vanities of the earth! How willingly should I endure all sorrows, all torments! How scornfully should I pass by all pleasures! How should I be in travail of my dissolution! Oh when shall that blessed day come, when all this wretched worldliness removed, I shall solace myself in my God? Behold, as the Hart braieth for the rivers of waters, so panteth my soul after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God; Oh when shall I come and appear before the presence of God? CHAP. XXXI. 4. An humble Confession of our disability to effect what we wish. AFter this Wishing, shall follow humble Confession, by just order of nature for, having bemoaned our want, and wished supply, not finding this hope in ourselves, we must needs acknowledge it to him, of whom only we may both seek and find; wherein it is to be duly observed, how the mind is by turns depressed, and lifted up: Being lifted up with our taste of joy, it is cast down with Complaint: lift up with Wishes, it is cast down with Confession; which order doth best hold it in ure, and just temper; and maketh it more feeling of the comfort which followeth in the conclusion. This Confession must derogate all from ourselves, and ascribe all to God. Thus I desire, O Lord, to be aright affected towards thee and thy glory; I desire to come to thee: but, alas, how weakly? how heartlesly? Thou knowest that I can neither come to thee, nor desire to come, but from thee. It is Nature that holds me from thee; this treacherous Nature favours itself, loveth the world, hateth to think of a dissolution, and chooseth rather to dwell in this dungeon with continual sorrow and complaint, than to endure a parting, although to liberty and joy. Alas, Lord, it is my misery that I love my pain. How long shall these vanities thus besot me? It is thou only that canst turn away mine eyes from regarding these follies, and my heart from affecting them: thou only, who as thou shalt one day receive my soul into heaven, so now beforehand canst fix my soul upon heaven and thee. CHAP. XXXII. 5. An earnest Petition for that which we confess to want. AFter Confession, naturally follows Petition; earnestly requesting that at his hands, which we acknowledge ourselves unable, and none but God able to perform. O carry it up therefore, thou that hast created and redeemed it, carry it up to thy glory: Oh let me not always be thus dull and brutish; let not these scales of earthly affection always dim and blind mine eyes: Oh thou that laidst clay upon the blind man's eyes, take away this clay from mine eyes, wherewith (alas) they are so daubed up, that they cannot see heaven. Illuminate them from above, and in thy light let me see light. Oh thou that hast prepared a place for my soul, prepare my soul for that place; prepare it with holiness, prepare it with desire: and even while it sojourneth on earth, let it dwell in heaven with thee, beholding ever the beauty of thy face, the glory of thy Saints, and of itself. CHAP. XXXIII. 6. A vehement Enforcement of our petition. AFter Petition shall follow the Enforcement of our request, from argument and importunate obsecration; wherein we must take heed of complementing in terms with God, as knowing that he will not be mocked by any fashionable form of suit, but requireth holy and feeling entreaty. How graciously hast thou proclaimed to the world, that whoever wants wisdom, shall ask it of thee, which neither deniest nor upbraidest! O Lord, I want heavenly wisdom, to conceive aright of heaven; I want it, and ask it of thee; give me to ask it instantly, and give me according to thy promise abundantly. Thou seest, it is no strange favour that I beg of thee: no other than that which thou hast richly bestowed upon all thy valiant Martyrs, Confessors, Servants, from the beginning: who never could have so cheerfully embraced death and torment, if through the midst of their flames and pain they had not seen their Crown of glory. The poor Thief on the Cross had no sooner craved thy remembrance when thou earnest to thy Kingdom, than thou promisedst to take him with thee into heaven. Presence was better to him than remembrance. Behold, now thou art in thy Kingdom, I am on earth; remember thine unworthy servant, and let my soul in conceit, in affection, in conversation be this day and for ever with thee in Paradise. I see man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: they are pitiful pleasures he enjoyeth, while he forgetteth thee; I am as vain, make me more wise: Oh let me see heaven, and I know, I shall never envy, nor follow them. My times are in thine hand: I am no better than my fathers, a stranger on earth. As I speak of them, so the next, yea this generation shall speak of me as one that was. My life is a bubble, a smoke, a shadow, a thought: I know, it is no abiding in this thorough fare: Oh suffer me not so mad, as while I pass on the way, I should forget the end. It is that other life that I must trust to: With thee it is that I shall continue: Oh let me not be so foolish, as to settle myself on what I must leave, and to neglect eternity. I have seen enough of this earth, and yet I love it too much. O let me see heaven another while, and love it so much more than the earth, by how much the things there are more worthy to be loved. Oh God, look down on thy wretched Pilgrim; and teach me to look up to thee, and to see thy goodness in the Land of the living. Thou that boughtest heaven for me, guide me thither; and for the price that it cost thee, for thy mercy's sake, in spite of all tentations, enlighten thou my soul, direct it, crown it. CHAP. XXXIV. AFter this Enforcement, doth follow Confidence; wherein the soul, 7. A cheerful Confidence of obtaining what we have requested and enforced. after many doubtful and unquiet bicker, gathereth up her forces, and cheerfully rouseth up itself; and like one of David's Worthies, breaketh thorough a whole Army of doubts, and fetcheth comfort from the Well of life, which, though in some latter, yet in all is a sure reward from God of sincere Meditation. Yea, be thou bold, O my soul, and do not merely crave, but challenge this favour of God, as that which he oweth thee, he oweth it thee, because he hath promised it, and by his mercy hath made his gift, his debt: Faithful is he that hath promised, which will also do it. Hath he not given thee not only his hand in the sweet hopes of the Gospel, but his seal also in the Sacraments? Yea, besides promise, hand, seal, hath he not given thee a sure earnest of thy salvation, in some weak, but true graces? Yet more, hath he not given thee, besides Earnest, possession? while he that is the Truth and Life, saith, He that believeth hath everlasting life, and hath passed from death to life. Canst thou not then be content to cast thyself upon this blessed issue; If God be merciful, I am glorious; I have thee already, Oh my life? God is faithful, and I do believe: who shall separate me from the love of Christ? from my glory with Christ? Who shall pull me out of my heaven? Go to then, and return to thy rest, O my soul; make use of that heaven wherein thou art, and be happy. Thus we have found, that our Meditation, like the wind, gathereth strength in proceeding; and as natural bodies, the nearer they come to their places, move with more celerity; so doth the soul in this course of Meditation, to the unspeakable benefit of itself. CHAP. XXXV. THe Conclusion remaineth: The Conclusion of our Meditation, in what order it must be. wherein we must advice (like as Physicians do in their sweats and exercise) that we cease not over-suddenly, but leave off by little and little. The mind may not be suffered to fall headlong from this height, but must also descend by degrees. The first whereof, after our Confidence, shall be an hearty Gratulation, First, with Thanksgiving. and thanksgiving. For, as man naturally cannot be miserable, but he must complain, and crave remedy; so the good heart cannot find itself happy, and not be thankful: and this thankfulness which it feeleth and expresseth, maketh it yet more good, and affecteth it more. What shall I then do to thee for this mercy, O thou Saviour of men? What should I render to my Lord, for all his benefits? Alas! what can I give thee, which is not thine own before? Oh that I could give thee but all thine! Thou givest me to drink of this cup of salvation: I will therefore take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord: Praise thou the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, praise his holy name. And since here thou beginnest thine heaven, begin here also that joyful song of thanksgiving, which there thou shalt sing more sweetly, and never end. CHAP. XXXVI. Secondly, with Recommendation of our souls and ways to God. AFter this Thanksgiving, shall follow a faithful recommendation of ourselves to God; wherein the soul doth cheerfully give up itself, and repose itself wholly upon her Maker, and Redeemer; committing herself to him in all her ways, submitting herself to him in all his ways, desiring in all things to glorify him, and to walk worthy of her high and glorious calling. Both which latter shall be done (as I have ever found) with much life and comfort, if for the full conclusion, we shall lift up our heart and voice to God, in singing some Versule of David's divine Psalms, answerable to our disposition, and matter; whereby the heart closes up itself with much sweetness and contentment. This course of Meditation thus hearty observed, let him that practiseth it, tell me whether he find not that his soul, which at the beginning of this exercise did but creep and grovel upon earth, do not now in the conclusion soar aloft in heaven; and being before aloof off, do not now find itself near to God, yea with him and in him. CHAP. XXXVII. An Epilogue. THus have I endeavoured (Right Worshipful Sir) according to my slender faculty, to prescribe a method of Meditation: not upon so strict terms of necessity, that whosoever goeth not my way, erreth. divers paths lead oft times to the same end; and every man aboundeth in his own sense. If experience and custom hath made another form familiar to any man, I forbidden it not: as that learned Father said of his Translation, Let him use his own, not contemn mine. If any man be to choose, and begin, let him practise mine, till he meet with a better Master: If another course may be better, Reproving the neglect of Meditation. I am sure this is good. Neither is it to be suffered, that like as fantastical men, while they doubt what fashioned suit they should wear, put on nothing; so, that we Christians should neglect the matter of this worthy business, while we nicely stand upon the form thereof. Wherein give me leave to complain with just sorrow and shame, that if there be any Christian duty, whose omission is notoriously shameful, and prejudicial to the souls of Professors, it is this of Meditation. This is the very end God hath given us our souls for: we misse-spend them, if we use them not thus. How lamentable is it, that we so employ them, as if our faculty of discourse served for nothing but our earthly provision? as if our reasonable and Christian minds were appointed for the slaves and drudges of this body, only to be the Caters and Cooks of our Appetite? The world filleth us, yea cloieth us: we find ourselves work enough to think; What have I yet? How may I get more? What must I lay out? What shall I leave for posterity? How may I prevent the wrong of mine Adversary? How may I return it? What answers shall I make to such allegations? What entertainment shall I give to such friends! What courses shall I take in such suits? In what pastime shall I spend this day? In what the next? What advantage shall I reap by this practice, what loss? What was said, answered, replied, done, followed? Goodly thoughts, and fit for spiritual minds! Say there were no other world; how could we spend our cares otherwise? Unto this only neglect, let me ascribe the commonness of that Laodicean temper of men, or (if that be worse) of the dead coldness which hath stricken the hearts of many, having left them nothing but the bodies of men, and visors of Christians; to this only, They have not meditated. It is not more impossible to live without an heart, than to be devout without Meditation. Exhorting to the use of Meditation. Would God therefore my words could be in this (as the Wiseman saith the words of the wise are) like unto Goads in the sides of every Reader, to quicken him up out of this dull and lazy security, to a cheerful practice of this Divine Meditation. Let him curse me upon his deathbed, if looking back from thence to the bestowing of his former times, he acknowledge not these hours placed the most happily in his whole life; if he than wish not he had worn on't more days in so profitable and heavenly a work. A MEDITATION OF DEATH, ACCORDING to the former Rules. The Entrance. ANd now, my soul, that thou hast thought of the end, what can fit thee better than to think of the way? And though the forepart of the way to Heaven be a good life, the latter and more immediate is death▪ shall I call it the way, or the gate of life? Sure I am, that by it only w● pass into that blessedness, whereof we have so thought, that we have found it cannot be thought of enough. The Description. What then is this death, but the taking down of these sticks, whereof this earthly Tent is composed? The separation of two great and old friends till they meet again? The Gaole-deliverie of a long prisoner? Our journey into that other world, for which we, and this thoroughfare were made? Our payment of our first debt to Nature, the sleep of the body, and the awaking of the soul? The Division. But lest thou shouldest seem to flatter him, whose name and face hath ever seemed terrible to others, remember that there are more deaths than one: If the first death be not so fearful as he is made, (his horror lying more in the conceit of the beholder, than in his own aspect) surely, the second is not made so fearful as he is. No living eye can behold the terrors thereof: it is as impossible to see them, as to feel them, and live. Nothing but a name is common to both: The first hath men, casualties, diseases, for his executioners: the second, Devils. The power of the first is in the grave: the second, in hell. The worst of the first, is senselessness; the easiest of the second, is, a perpetual sense of all the pain that can make a man exquisitely miserable. The Causes. Thou shalt have no business, O my soul, with the second death: Thy first Resurrection hath secured thee: Thank him that hath redeemed thee, for thy safety. And how can I thank thee enough, O my Saviour, which hast so mercifully bought off my torment, with thy own; and hast drunk off that bitter potion of thy Father's wrath, whereof the very taste had been our death? Yea, such is thy mercy, O thou Redeemer of men, that thou hast not only subdued the second death, but reconciled the first; so as thy children taste not at all of the second, and find the first so sweetened to them by thee, that they complain of bitterness. It was not thou, O God, that madest death; our hands are they that were guilty of this evil. Thou sawest all thy work that it was good; we brought forth sin, and sin brought forth death. To the discharge of thy justice and Mercy, we acknowledge this miserable conception; and needs must that child be ugly, that hath such parents. Certainly, if Being and Good be (as they are) of an equal extent, than the dissolution of our Being must needs in itself be evil. How full of darkness and horror than is the privation of this vital light? especially since thy wisdom intended it to the revenge of sin, which is no less than the violation of an infinite justice? it was thy just pleasure to plague us with this brood of our own begetting: Behold, that death which was not till then in the world, is now in every thing: one great Conqueror finds it in a Slate, another finds it in a Fly; one finds it in the kernel of a Grape, another in the prick of a thorn; one in the taste of an herb, another in the smell of a flower; one in a bit of meat, another in a mouthful of air; one in the very sight of a danger, another in the conceit of what might have been; Nothing in all our life is too little to hide death under it: There need no cords, nor knives, nor swords, nor Pieces: we have made ourselves as many ways to death, as there are helps of living. But if we were the authors of our death, it was thou that didst alter it: our disobedience made it, and thy mercy made it not to be evil. It had been all one to thee, to have taken away the very Being of death from thine own: but thou thoughtest it best to take away the sting of it only; as good Physicians, when they would apply their Leeches, scour them with Salt and Nettles, and when their corrupt blood is voided, employ them to the health of the patiented. It is more glory to thee, that thou hast removed enmity from this Esau, that now he meets us with kisses in stead of frowns: and if we receive a blow from this rough hand, yet that very stripe is healing. Oh how much more powerful is thy death, than our sin! O my Saviour, how hast thou perfumed and softened this bed of my grave by dying? How can it grieve me to tread in thy steps to glory? Our sin made death our last enemy; The Effects. thy goodness hath made it the first friend that we meet with, in our passage to another world: For as she that receives us from the knees of our mother, in our first entrance to the light, washeth, cleanseth, dresseth us, and presents us to the breast of our nurse, or the arms of our mother, challenges some interest in us when we come to our growth; so death, which in our passage to that other life, is the first that receives and presents our naked souls to the hands of those Angels, which carry it up to her glory, cannot but think this office friendly and meritorious. What if this guide lead my carcase through corruption and rottenness, when my soul in the very instant of her separation knows itself happy? What if my friends mourn about my bed and coffin, when my soul sees the smiling face and loving embracements of him that was dead, and is alive? What care I, who shuts these earthen eyes, when death opens the eye of my soul, to see as I am seen? What if my name be forgotten of men, when I live above with the God of Spirits? If death would be still an enemy, The Subject. it is the worst part of me that he hath any thing to do withal: the best is above his reach, and gains more than the other can lose. The worst piece of the horror of death is the grave; and set aside infidelity, what so great misery is this? That part which is corrupted, feels it not; that which is free from corruption, feels an abundant recompense, and foresees a joyful reparation. What is here but a just restitution? We carry heaven and earth wrapped up in our bosoms; each part returns homeward: And if the exceeding glory of heaven cannot countetuaile the dolesomnesse of the grave, what do I believing? But if the beauty of that celestial Sanctuary do more than equalise the horror of the bottomless pit, how can I shrink at earth like myself, when I know my glory? And if examples can move thee any whit, look behind thee, O my soul, and see which of the Worthies of that ancient latter world, which of the Patriarches, Kings, Prophets, Apostles, have not trod in these red steps. Where are those millions of generations, which have hitherto peopled the earth? How many passing-bells hast thou heard for they known friends? How many sick beds hast thou visited? How many eyes hast thou seen closed? How many vain men hast thou seen that have gone into the field to seek death, in hope to find an honour as foolish as themselves? How many poor creatures hast thou mulcted with death for thine own pleasure? And canst thou hope that that God will make a by-way and a Postern for thee alone, that thou mayest pass to the next world, not by the gates of death, not by the bottom of the grave? What then dost thou fear, O my soul? There are but two stages of death, The Adjunct. the bed and the grave: This latter, if it have senselessness, yet it hath rest: The former, if it have pain, yet it hath speediness; and when it lights upon a faithful heart, meets with many and strong antidotes of comfort. The evil that is ever in motion, is not fearful: That which both time and eternity find standing where it was, is worthy of terror. Well may those tremble at death, which find more distress within, than without, whose consciences are more sick, and nearer to death, than their bodies. It was thy Father's wrath that did so terrify thy soul, O my Saviour, that it put thy body into a bloody sweat. The mention and thought of thy death ended in a Psalm, but this began in an agony. Then didst thou sweat out my fears. The power of that agony doth more comfort all thine, than the Angels could comfort thee. That very voice deserved an eternal separation of horror from death, where thou saidst, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Thou hadst not complained of being left, if thou wouldst have any of thine left destitute of comfort in their parting. I know not whom I can fear, while I know whom I have believed; how can I be discouraged with the sight of my loss, when I see so clear an advantage? The Contrary. What discomfort is this, to leave a frail body, to be joined unto a glorious head? To forsake vain pleasures, false honours, bootless hopes, unsatisfying wealth, stormy contentments, sinful men, perilous tentations, a sea of troubles, a galley of servitude, an evil world, and a consuming life; for Freedom, Rest, Happiness, Eternity? And if thou wert sentenced, O my soul, to live a thousand years in this body, with these infirmities, how wouldst thou be weary, not of being only, but of complaining? Whiles, ere the first hundred, I should be a child; ere the second, a beast; a stone, ere the third; and therefore should be so fare from finding pleasure in my continuance, that I should not have sense enough left, to feel myself miserable. And when I am once gone, what difference is there betwixt the agedst of the first Patriarches, and me, and the child that did but live to be borne, save only in what was; and that which was, is not? And if this body had no weakness, to make my life tedious, yet what a torment is it, that while I live, I must sinne? Alas, my soul, every one of thy known sins, is not a disease, but a death. What an enemy art thou to thyself, if thou canst not be content, that one bodily death should excuse thee from many spiritual; to cast off thy body, that thou mayest be stripped of the rags, yea the fetters of thy sin, and clothed with the Robes of glory? Yet these terms are too hard: Thou shalt not be cast off, O my body; rather thou shalt be put to making: this change is no less happy for thee, than for thy partner. This very skin of thine, which is now tawny, and wrinkled, shall once shine; this earth shall be heaven, this dust shall be glorious. These eyes, that are now weary of being witnesses of thy sins and miseries, shall then never be weary of seeing the beauty of thy Saviour, and thine own in his. These ears, that have been now tormented with the impious tongues of men; shall first hear the voice of the Son of God, and then the voices of Saints and Angels in their songs of Alleluia. And this tongue, that now complains of miseries, and fears, shall then bear a part in that divine harmony. The comparisons. In the mean time, thou shalt but sleep in this bed of earth: he that hath tried the worst of death, hath called it no worse; very Heathens have termed them cousins; and it is no unusual thing for cousins of blood, to carry both the same names, and features. Hast thou wont, O my body, when the day hath wearied thee, to lie down unwillingly to thy rest? Behold in this sleep there is more quietness, more pleasure of visions, more certainty of waking, more cheerfulness in rising: why then art thou loath to think of laying off thy rags, and reposing thyself? Why art thou like a child, unwilling to go to bed? Hast thou ever seen any bird, which when the cage hath been opened, would rather sit still, and sing within her grates, than fly forth unto her freedom in the woods? Hast thou ever seen any prisoner, in love with his bolts and fetters? Did the Chief of the Apostles, when the Angel of God shined in his jail, and strooke him on the side, and loosed his two chains, and bade him, Arise quickly, and opened both the wooden, and Iron gate, say, What, so soon? yet, a little sleep? What madness had it been, rather to slumber betwixt his two Keepers, than to follow the Angel of God into liberty? Hast thou ever seen any Mariner that hath saluted the sea with songs, and the Haven with tears? What shall I say to this diffidence, O my soul, that thou art unwilling to think of rest after thy toil, of freedom after thy durance, of the Haven after an unquiet and tempestuous passage? How many are there that seek death, and cannot find it? merely out of the irksomeness of life. Hath it found thee, and offered thee better conditions, not of immunity from evils, but of possession of more good, than thou canst think, and wouldst thou now fly from happiness, to be rid of it? What? Is it a name that troubles thee? what if men would call sleep death, The Names. wouldst thou be afraid to close thine eyes? what hurt is it then, if he that sent the first sleep upon man, whilst he made him an helper, send this last and soundest sleep upon me, whiles he prepares my soul for a glorious Spouse to himself? It is but a parting, which we call death; as two friends, when they have lead each other on the way, shake hands till they return from their journey: If either could miscarry, there were cause of sorrow; now they are more sure of a meeting, than of a parture; what folly is it, not to be content to redeem the unspeakable gain of so dear a friend; with a little intermission of enjoying him? He will return laden with the riches of heaven, and will fetch his old partner to the participation of this glorious wealth. Go then, my Soul, to this sure and gainful traffic, and leave my other half in an harbour as safe, though not so blessed; yet so shalt thou be separated, that my very dust shall be united to thee still, and to my Saviour in thee. Wert thou unwilling at the command of thy Creator to join thyself at the first with this body of mine? why art thou then loath to part with that, which thou hast found, The Testimonies. though entire, yet troublesome? Dost thou not hear Solomon say, The day of death is better than the day of thy birth? dost thou not believe him? or art thou in love with the worse, and displeased with the better? If any man could have found a life worthy to be preferred unto death, so great a King must needs have done it; now in his very Throne, he commends his Coffin. Yea, what wilt thou say to those Heathens, that mourned at the birth, and feasted at the death of their children? They knew the miseries of living as well as thou, the happiness of dying they could not know; and if they rejoiced out of a conceit of ceasing to be miserable; how shouldest thou cheer thyself in an expectation, yea an assurance of being happy? He that is the Lord of life, and tried what it was to die, hath proclaimed them blessed that die in the Lord. Those are blessed, I know, that live in him, but they rest not from their labours; Toil and sorrow is between them, and a perfect enjoying of that blessedness, which they now possess only in hope and inchoation; when death hath added rest, their happiness is finished. O death, how sweet is that rest, The taste of our Meditation. wherewith thou refreshest the weary Pilgrims of this vale of mortality? How pleasant is thy face to those eyes, that have acquainted themselves with the sight of it, which to strangers is grim, and ghastly? How worthy art thou to be welcome unto those that know whence thou art, and whither thou tendest? who that knows thee, can fear thee? who that is not all nature, would rather hide himself amongst the baggage of this vile life, than follow thee to a Crown? what indifferent judge that should see life painted over, with vain semblances of pleasures, attended with troops of sorrows on the one side, and on the other with uncertainty of continuance, and certainty of dissolution; and then should turn his eyes unto death, and see her black, but comely, attended on the one hand with a momentany pain, with eternity of glory on the other, would not say, out of choice, that which the Prophet said out of passion, It is better for me to die than to live? But, O my Soul, what ails thee to be thus suddenly backward, and fearful? The Complaint. No heart hath more freely discoursed of death, in speculation; no tongue hath more extolled it in absence. And now, that it is come to thy beds-side, and hath drawn thy curtains, and takes thee by the hand, and offers thee service, thou shrinkest inward, and by the paleness of thy face, and wildness of thine eye, bewrayest an amazement at the presence of such a guest. That face, which was so familiar to thy thoughts, is now unwelcome to thine eyes; I am ashamed of this weak irresolution. Whitherto have tended all thy serious meditations? what hath Christianity done to thee, if thy fears be still heathenish? Is this thine imitation of so many worthy Saints of God, whom thou hast seen entertain the violentest deaths with smiles and songs? Is this the fruit of thy long and frequent instruction? Didst thou think death would have been content with words? didst thou hope it would suffice thee to talk, while all other suffer? Where is thy faith? Yea, where art thou thyself, O my soul? Is heaven worthy of no more thankes, no more joy? Shall Heretics, shall Pagans give death a better welcome than thou? Hath thy Maker, thy Redeemer sent for thee, and art thou loath to go? hath he sent for thee, to put thee in possession of that glorious Inheritance, which thy wardship hath cheerfully expected, and art thou loath to go? Hath God with this Sergeant of his, sent his Angels to fetch thee, and art thou loath to go? Rouse up thyself for shame, O my soul: and if ever thou hast truly believed, shake off this diffidence, and address thyself joyfully for thy glory. The Wish. Yea, O my Lord, it is thou, that must raise up this faint and drooping heart of mine; thou only canst rid me of this weak and cowardly distrust; Thou that sendest for my soul, canst prepare it for thyself; thou only canst make thy messenger welcome to me. O that I could but see thy face through death! Oh that I could see death, not as it was, but as thou hast made it! Oh that I could hearty pledge thee, my Saviour, in this cup, that so I might drink new wine with thee, in thy Father's Kingdom! The Confession. But alas, O my God, nature is strong and weak in me, at once: I cannot wish to welcome death, as it is worthy; when I look for most courage, I find strongest temptations: I see and confess, that when I am myself, thou hast no such coward as I: Let me alone, and I shall shame that name of thine, which I have professed: every secure worldling shall laugh at my feebleness. O God, were thy Martyrs thus haled to their stakes? might they not have been loosed from their racks, and chose to die in those torments? Let it be no shame for thy servant, to take up that complaint which thou mad'st of thy better Attendants; The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Petition and enforcement. O thou God of spirits, that hast coupled these two together, unite them in a desire of their dissolution; weaken this flesh to receive, and encourage this spirit either to desire, or to contemn death; and now, as I grow nearer to my home, let me increase in the sense of my joys: I am thine, save me, O Lord; It was thou that didst put such courage into thine ancient, and late witnesses, that they either invited, or challenged death; and held their persecutors their best friends, for letting them lose from these gyves of flesh. I know, thine hand is not shortened; neither any of them hath received more proofs of thy former mercies; Oh let thy goodness enable me to reach them in the comfortable steadiness of my passage: Do but draw this veil a little, that I may see my glory, and I cannot but be inflamed with the desire of it: It was not I, that either made this body for the earth, or this soul for my body, or this heaven for my soul, or this glory of heaven, or this entrance into glory: All is thine own work; Oh perfect what thou hast begun, that thy praise, and my happiness may be consummate at once. The assurance, or Confidence. Yea, O my soul, what needest thou wish the God of mercies to be tender of his own honour? Art thou not a member of that body, whereof thy Saviour is the Head? canst thou drown, when thy Head is above? was it not for thee, that he triumphed over death? Is there any fear in a foiled adversary? Oh my Redeemer, I have already overcome in thee: how can I miscarry in myself? O my soul, thou hast marched valiantly! Behold, the Damosels of that heavenly jerusalem come forth with Timbrels and Harps to meet thee, and to applaud thy success: And now, there remains nothing for thee, but a Crown of righteousness, which that righteous judge shall give thee, at that Day: Oh Death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The Thanksgiving. Return now unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath been beneficial unto thee. O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle: O my God, and King, I will extol thee, and will bless thy name for ever, and ever. I will bless thee daily, and praise thy Name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and most worthy to be praised, and his greatness is incomprehensible: I will meditate of the beauty of thy glorious Majesty, and thy wonderful works: Hosanna, thou that dwellest in the highest heavens. Amen. FINIS. HOLY OBSERVATIONS. LIB. I. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, EDWARD LORD DENNY, BARON OF WALTHAM, MY most bountiful Patron; Grace and Peace. RIGHT HONOURABLE, THis advantage a Scholar hath above others, that he cannot be idle, and that he can work without instruments. For, the mind enured to contemplation, will set itself on work, when other occasions fail: and hath no more power not to study, than the eye which is open, hath, not to see some thing; in which business it carries about his own Library, neither can complain to want Books while it enjoyeth itself. I could not then neglect the commodity of this plentiful leisure in my so easy attendance here; but (though besides my course, and without the help of others writings) must needs busy myself in such thoughts as I have ever given account of, to your Lordship: such as I hope shall not be unprofitable, nor unwelcome to their Patron, to their Readers. I send them forth from hence, under your Honourable name; to show you that no absence, no employment can make me forget my due respect to your Lordship: to whom (next under my gracious Master) I have deservedly bequeathed myself and my endeavours. Your goodness hath not wont to magnify itself more in giving, than in receiving such like holy presents: the knowledge whereof hath entitled you to more labours of this nature (if I have numbered aright) than any of your Peers. I misdoubt not either your acceptation, or their use. That God, who hath above all his other favours given your Lordship, even in these careless times, an heart truly religious, give you an happy increase of all his heavenly graces by my unworthy service. To his gracious care I daily commend your Lordship with my Honourable Lady; wishing you both, all that little joy earth can afford you, and fullness of glory above. Non-such. july 3. Your Lordship's Most humbly devoted for ever in all duty and observance, IOS. HALL.. HOLY OBSERVATIONS. 1 AS there is nothing sooner dry than a tear; so there is nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow which if it be fresh and still bleeding, finds some to comfort and pity it; if stolen and skinned over with time, is rather entertained with smiles, than commiseration. But the sorrow of repentance comes never out of time. All times are alike unto that Eternity, whereto we make our spiritual moans: That which is past, that which is future, are both present with him. It is neither weak nor uncomely, for an old man to weep for the sins of his youth. Those tears can never be shed either too soon, or too late. 2 Some men live to be their own executors for their good name; which they fee (not honestly) buried, before themselves 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 carcase. Contrarily, the good man's name is oft times heir to his life; either borne after the death of the parent, for that envy would not suffer it to come forth before: or perhaps so well grown up in his life time, that the hope thereof is the staff of his age, and joy of his death. A wicked man's name may be feared a while; soon after, it is either forgotten or cursed: The good man either sleepeth with his body in peace, or waketh (as his soul) in glory. 3 Oft times those which show much valour while there is equal possibility of life, when they see a present necessity of death, are found most shamefully timorous. Their courage was before grounded upon hope: that, cut off, leaves them at once desperate and cowardly: whereas men of feebler spirits meet more cheerfully with death; because though their courage be less, yet their expectation was more. 4 I have seldom seen the son of an excellent and famous man, excellent: But that an ill bird hath an ill egg, is not rare; children possessing as the bodily diseases, so the vices of their Parents. Virtue is not propagated: Vice is; even in them which have it not reigning in themselves. The grain is sown pure, but comes up with chaff and husk. Hast thou a good son? He is Gods, not thine. Is he evil? Nothing but his sin is thine. Help by thy prayers and endeavours to take away that which thou hast given him, and to obtain from God that which thou hast, and canst not give: Else thou mayest name him a possession; but thou shalt find him a loss. 5 These things be comely and pleasant to see, and worthy of honour from the beholder: A young Saint, an old Martyr, a religious Soldier, a conscionable Statesman, a great man courteous, a learned man humble, a silent woman, a child understanding the eye of his Parent, a merry companion without vanity, a friend not changed with honour, a sick man cheerful, a soul departing with comfort and assurance. 6 I have oft observed in merry meetings solemnly made, that somewhat hath fall'n out cross, either in the time, or immediately upon it; to season (as I think) our immoderation in desiring or enjoying our friends: and again, events suspected, have proved ever best; God herein blessing our awful submission with good success. In all these humane things, indifferency is safe. Let thy doubts be ever equal to thy desires: so thy disappointment shall not be grievous, because thy expectation was not peremptory. 7 You shall rarely find a man eminent in sundry faculties of mind, or sundry manuary trades. If his memory be excellent, his fantasy is but dull: if his fancy be busy and quick, his judgement is but shallow: If his judgement be deep, his utterance is harsh: which also holds no less in the activities of the hand. And if it happen that one man be qualified with skill of diverse trades, and practise this variety, you shall seldom find such one thriving in his estate: with spiritual gifts it is otherwise; which are so chained together, that who excels in one, hath some eminency in more, yea, in all. Look upon faith: she is attended with a Bevie of Graces: He that believes, cannot but have hope: if hope, patience. He that believes and hopes, must needs find joy in God: if joy, love of God; he that love's God, cannot but love his brother: his love to God, breeds piety and care to please, sorrow for offending, fear to offend: his love to men, fidelity and Christian beneficence. Vices are seldom single; but virtues go ever in troops: they go so thick, that sometimes some are hid in the crowd; which yet are, but appear not. They may be shut out from sight; they cannot be severed. 8 The Heaven ever moves, and yet is the place of our rest: Earth ever rests, and yet is the place of our trouble. Outward motion can be no enemy to inward rest; as outward rest may well stand with inward unquietness. 9 None live so ill, but they content themselves in somewhat: Even the beggar likes the smell of his dish. It is a rare evil that hath not something to sweeten it, either in sense, or in hope: Otherwise men would grow desperate, mutinous, envious of others, weary of themselves. The better that thing is wherein we place our comfort, the happier we live: and the more we love good things, the better they are to us. The worldling's comfort, though it be good to him because he love's it; yet because it is not absolutely and eternally good, it fails him: wherein the Christian hath just advantage of him, while he hath all the same causes of joy refined and exalted; beside, more and higher, which the other knows not of: the worldling laughs more, but the Christian is more delighted. These two are easily severed. Thou seest a goodly picture, or an heap of thy gold: thou laughest not, yet thy delight is more than in a jest that shaketh thy spleen. As grief, so joy is not less when it is least expressed. 10 I have seen the worst natures, and most depraved minds, not affecting all sins: but still some they have condemned in others, and abhorred in themselves. One exclaims on covetousness, yet he can too well abide riotous good fellowship. Another inveighs against drunkenness and excess, not caring how cruel he be in usury and oppression. One cannot endure a rough and quarrellous disposition, yet gives himself over to unclean and lascivious courses. Another hates all wrongs, save wrong to God. One is a civil Atheist, another a religious Usurer, a third an honest Drunkard, a fourth an unchaste justicer, a fift a chaste Quarrel. I know not whether every Devil excel in all sins: I am sure, some of them have denomination from some sins more special. Let no man applaud himself for those sins he wanteth, but condemn himself rather for that sin he hath. Thou censurest another man's sin, he thine; God curseth both. 11 Gold is the heaviest of all metals: It is no wonder that the rich man is usually carried downward to his place. It is hard for the soul, clogged with many weights, to ascend to heaven: It must be a strong and nimble soul, that can carry up itself, and such a load; yet Adam and Noah flew up thither with the double Monarchy of the world, the Patriarches with much wealth, many holy Kings with massy Crowns and Sceptres. The burden of covetous desires is more heavy to an empty soul, than much treasure to the full. Our affections give poise or lightness to earthly things. Either abate of thy load, if thou find it too pressing, whether by having less, or loving less: or add to thy strength and activity, that thou mayest yet ascend. It is more commendable, by how much more hard, to climb into heaven with a burden. 12 A Christian in all his ways must have three guides: Truth, Charity, Wisdom: Truth to go before him; Charity and Wisdom on either hand. If any of the three be absent, he walks amiss. I have seen some do hurt by following a truth uncharitably. And others, while they would salve up an error with love, have failed in their wisdom, and offended against justice. A charitable untruth, and an uncharitable truth, and an unwise menaging of truth or love, are all to be carefully avoided of him, that would go with a right foot in the narrow way. 13 God brought man forth at first, not into a wilderness, but a Garden; yet than he expected the best service of him. I never find that he delights in the misery, but in the prosperity of his servants. Cheerfulness pleases him better than a dejected and dull heaviness of heart. If we can be good with pleasure, he grudgeth not our joy: If not, it is best to stint ourselves; not for that these comforts are not good, but because our hearts are evil: faulting not their nature, but our use and corruption. 14 The homeliest service that we do in an honest calling, though it be but to blow, or dig, if done in obedience, and conscience of God's commandment, is crowned with an ample reward; whereas the best works for their kind (preaching, praying, offering Evangelicall sacrifices) if without respect of God's injunction and glory, are loaded with curses. God loveth adverbs; and cares not how good, but how well. 15 The golden infancy of some hath proceeded to a brazen youth, and ended in a leaden age. All humane maturities have their period: only grace hath none. I durst never lay too much hope on the forward beginnings of wit and memory, which have been applauded in children. I know, they could but attain their vigour; and that if sooner, no whit the better: for the earlier is their perfection of wisdom, the longer shall be their witless age. Seasonableness is the best in all these things which have their ripeness and decay. We can never hope too much of the timely blossoms of grace, whose spring is perpetual, and whose harvest gins with our end. 16 A man must give thanks for somewhat which he may not pray for. It hath been said of Courtiers, that they must receive injuries, and give thanks. God cannot wrong his, but he will cross them; those crosses are beneficial; all benefits challenge thanks: yet I have read, that God's children have with condition prayed against them, never for them. In good things, we pray both for them, and their good use: in evil, for their good use, not themselves; yet we must give thanks for both. For there is no evil of pain which God doth not; nothing that God doth, is not good; no good thing but is worthy of thanks. 17 One half of the world knows not how the other lives: and therefore the better sort pity not the distressed; and the miserable envy not those which far better, because they know it not. Each man judges of others conditions, by his own. The worst sort would be too much discontented, if they saw how fare more pleasant the life of others is. And if the better sort (such we call those which are greater) could look down to the infinite miseries of inferiors, it would make them either miserable in compassion, or proud in conceit. It is good, sometimes, for the delicate rich man to look into the poor man's Cupboard: and seeing God in mercy gives him not to know their sorrow by experience, to know it yet in speculation: This shall teach him more thanks to God, more mercy to men, more contentment in himself. 18 Such as a man's prayer is for another, it shall be in time of his extremity for himself: for though he love himself more than others, yet his apprehension of God is alike for both. Such as his prayer is in a former extremity, it shall be also in death: this way we, may have experience even of a thing future: If God have been fare off from thee in a fit of thine ordinary sickness, fear lest he will not be nearer thee in thy last: what differs that from this, but in time? Correct thy dulness upon former proofs; or else at last thy devotion shall want life before thy body. 19 Those that come to their meat as to a medicine (as Augustine reports of himself) live in an austere and Christian temper, and shall be sure not to joy too much in the creature, nor to abuse themselves: Those that come to their medicine as to meat, shall be sure to live miserably, and die soon. To come to meat, if without a gluttonous appetite and palate, is allowed to Christians: To come to meat as to a sacrifice unto the belly, is a most base and brutish idolatry. 20 The worst that ever were, even Cain and judas, have had some Fautors that have honoured them for Saints: and the Serpent that beguiled our first Parents, hath in that name had divine honour and thanks. Never any man trod so perilous and deep steps, but some have followed, and admired him. Each master of Heresy hath found some clients; even he, that taught all men's opinions were true. Again, no man hath been so exquisite, but some have detracted from him, even in those qualities, which have seemed most worthy of wonder to others. A man shall be sure to be backed by some, either in good or evil, and by some should●● in both. It is good for a man not to stand upon his Ab●●●●●is, but his quarrel, and not to depend upon others, but himself. 21 We see thousands of creatures die for our use, and never do so much as pity them: why do we think much to die once for God? They are not ours so much as we are his; nor our pleasure so much to us, as his glory to him: their lives are lost to us, ours but changed to him. 22 Much ornament is no good sign: painting of the face argues an ill complexion of body, a worse mind. Truth hath a face both honest and comely, and looks best in her own colours: but, above all, Divine Truth is most fair, and most scorneth to borrow beauty of man's wit or tongue: she loveth to come forth in her native grace, like a princely Matron; and counts it the greatest indignity, to be dallied with as a wanton Strumpet: she looks to command reverence, not pleasure: she would be kneeled to, not laughed at. To prank her up in vain dresses and fashions, or to sport with her in a light and youthful manner, is most abhorring from her nature: they know her not, that give her such entertainment; and shall first know her angry, when they do know her. Again, she would be plain, but not base, not sluttish: she would be clad, not garishly, yet not in rags: she likes as little to be set out by a base soil, as to seem credited with gay colours. It is no small wisdom to know her just guise, but more to follow it; and so to keep the mean, that while we please her, we discontent not the beholders. 23 In worldly carriage, so much is a man made of, as he takes upon himself: but such is God's blessing upon true humility, that it still procureth reverence. I never saw Christian less honoured for a wise neglect of himself. If our dejection proceed from the conscience of our want, it is possible we should be as little esteemed of others, as of ourselves: but if we have true graces, and prise them not at the highest, others shall value both them in us, and us for them, and with usury give us that honour we withheld modestly from ourselves. 24 He that takes his full liberty in what he may, shall repent him: how much more in what he should not? I never read of Christian that repent him of too little worldly delight. The surest course I have still found in all earthly pleasures, to rise with an appetite, and to be satisfied with a little. 25 There is a time when Kings go not forth to warfare: our spiritual war admits no intermission: it knows no night, no winter, abides no peace, no truce. This calls us not into garrison, where we may have ease and respite, but into pitched fields continually: we see our enemies in the face always, and are always seen and assaulted; ever resisting, ever defending, receiving and returning blows. If either we be negligent or weary, we die: what other hope is there while one fights, and the other stands still? We can never have safety and peace, but in victory. There must our resistance be courageous and constant, where both yielding is death, and all treaties of peace mortal. 26 neutrality in things good or evil, is both odious, and prejudicial; but in matters of an indifferent nature is safe and commendable. Herein taking of parts maketh sides, and breaketh unity. In an unjust cause of separation, he that favoureth both parts may (perhaps) have least love of either side, but hath most charity in himself. 27 Nothing is more absurd than that Epicurean resolution, Let us eat and drink, to morrow we shall die: As if we were made only for the paunch, and lived that we might live: yet there was never any natural man found savour in that meat which he knew should be his last: whereas they should say, Let us fast and pray, to morrow we shall die: for, to what purpose is the body strengthened, that it may perish? Whose greater strength makes our death more violent. No man bestows a costly roof on a ruinous tenement: that man's end is easy and happy, whom death finds with a weak body, and a strong soul. 28 Sometime, even things in themselves naturally good, are to be refused for those, which (being evil) may be an occasion to a greater good. Life is in itself good, and death evil: else David, Elias, and many excellent Martyrs would not have fled, to hold life, and avoid death; nor Ezechiah have prayed for it, nor our Saviour have bidden us to flee for it, nor God promised it to his for a reward: yet if in some cases we hate not life, we love not God, nor our souls. Herein, as much as in any thing, the perverseness of our nature appears, that we wish death, or love life upon wrong causes: we would live for pleasure, or we would die for pain; job for his sores, Elias for his persecution, jonas for his Gourd would presently die, and will needs outface God that it is better for him to die than to live: wherein we are like to garrison-souldiers, that while they live within safe walls, and show themselves once a day rather for ceremony and pomp, than need or danger, like warfare well enough; but if once called forth to the field, they wish themselves at home. 29 Not only the least, but the worst is ever in the bottom: what should God do with the dregges of our age? When sin will admit thee his Client no longer, than God shall be beholden to thee for thy service: Thus is God dealt with in all other offerings: The worst and least sheaf must be God's Tenth: The deformedst or simplest of our children must be God's Ministers: the uncleanliest and most careless house must be God's Temple: The idlest and sleepiest hours of the day must be reserved for our prayers: The worst part of our age for devotion. We would have God give us still of the best, and are ready to murmur at every little evil he sends us: yet nothing is bad enough for him, of whom we receive all. Nature condemns this inequality; and tells us, that he which is the Author of good, should have the best; and he which gives all should have his choice. 30 When we go about an evil business, it is strange how ready the devil is to set us forward; how careful, that we should want no furtherances. So that if a man would be lewdly witty, he shall be sure to be furnished with store of profane jests, wherein a lose heart hath double advantage of the conscionable. If he would be voluptuous, he shall want neither objects nor opportunities. The currant passage of ill enterprises is so fare from giving cause of encouragement, that it should justly fright a man to look back to the Author; and to consider that he therefore goes fast, because the devil drives him. 31 In the choice of companions for our conversation, it is good dealing with men of good natures: for though grace exerciseth her power in bridling nature, yet (sith we are still men, at the best) some swinge she will have in the most mortified. Austerity, sullenness, or strangeness of disposition, and whatsoever qualities may make a man unsociable, cleave faster to our nature, than those which are morally evil. True Christian love may be separated from acquaintance, and acquaintance from entireness: These are not qualities to hinder our love, but our familiarity. 32 Ignorance, as it makes bold, intruding men carelessly into unknown dangers; so also it makes men ofttimes causelessly fearful. Herod feared Christ's coming, because he mistook it: If that Tyrant had known the manner of his spiritual Regiment, he had spared both his own fright and the blood of other. And hence it is that we fear death, because we are not acquainted with the virtue of it. Nothing but innocence and knowledge can give sound confidence to the heart. 33 Where are diverse opinions, they may be all false; there can be but one true: and that one truth ofttimes must be fetched by piecemeal out of diverse branches of contrary opinions. For, it falls out not seldom, that Truth is through ignorance or rash vehemency, scattered into sundry parts; and like to a little Silver melted amongst the ruins of a house, must be tried out from heaps of much superfluous ashes. There is much pains in the search of it; much skill in finding it: the value of it once found, requites the cost of both. 34 Affectation of superfluity, is in all things a sign of weakness: As, in words, he that useth circumlocutions to express himself, shows want of memory, and want of proper speech: And much talk argues a brain feeble and distempered. What good can any earthly thing yield us beside his use? and what is it but vanity, to affect that which doth us no good? and what use is it in that which is superfluous? It is a great skill to know what is enough, and great wisdom to care for no more. 35 Good things, which in absence were desired, now offering themselves to our presence, are scarce entertained; or at least not with our purposed cheerfulness. Christ's coming to us, and our going to him, are in our profession well esteemed, much wished: but when he singleth us out by a direct message of death, or by some fearful sign giveth likelihood of a present return, we are as much affected with fear, as before with desire. All changes, although to the better, are troublesome for the time, until our settling: There is no remedy hereof but inward prevention: Our mind must change, before our estate be changed. 36 Those are greatest enemies to Religion, that are not most irreligious. Atheists, though in themselves they be the worst, yet are seldom found hot Persecuters of others: whereas those which in some one fundamental point be heretical, are commonly most violent in oppositions. One hurts by secret infection, the other by open resistance: One is careless of all truth, the other vehement for some untruth. An Atheist is worthy of more hatred, an Heretic of more fear; both of avoidance. 37 Ways, if never used, cannot but be fair; if much used, are made commodiously passable; if before oft used, and now seldom, they become deep and dangerous. If the heart be not at all enured to meditation, it findeth no fault with itself; not for that it is innocent, but secure, if often, it findeth comfortable passage for his thoughts; if rarely, and with intermission, tedious and troublesome. In things of this nature, we only escape complaint, if we use them either always or never. 38 Our sensual hand holds fast whatsoever delight it apprehendeth: our spiritual hand easily remitteth; because appetite is stronger in us than grace: whence it is, that we so hardly deliver ourselves of earthly pleasures, which we have once entertained; and with such difficulty draw ourselves to a constant course of faith, hope and spiritual joy, or to the renewed acts of them once intermitted. Age is naturally weak, and youth vigorous; but in us the old man is strong, the new faint and feeble: the fault is not in grace, but in us: Faith doth not want strength, but we want faith. 39 It is not good in worldly estates for a man to make himself necessary; for hereupon he is both more toiled, and more suspected: but in the sacred Commonwealth of the Church, a man cannot be engaged too deeply by his service. The ambition of spiritual well doing breeds no danger. He that doth best, and may worst be spared, is happiest. 40 It was a fit comparison of worldly cares, to thorns: for as they choke the Word, so they prick our souls: Neither the Word can grow up amongst them, nor the heart can rest upon them: Neither body nor soul can find ease while they are within, or close to us. Spiritual cares are as sharp; but more profitable: they pain us, but leave the soul better. They break our sleep, but for a sweeter rest: we are not well, but either while we have them, or after we have had them. It is as impossible to have spiritual health without these, as to have bodily strength with the other. 41 In temporal good things, it is best to live in doubt; not making full account of that which we hold in so weak a tenure: In spiritual, with confidence; not fearing that which is warranted to us by an infallible promise and sure earnest. He life's more contentedly, that is most secure for this world, most resolute for the other. 42 God hath in nature given every man inclinations to some one particular calling; which if he follow, he excels; if he cross, he proves a non-proficient, and changeable: but all men's natures are equally indisposed to grace, and to the common vocation of Christianity: we are all born Heathens. To do well, Nature must in the first be observed and followed, in the other crossed and overcome. 43 Goodman is a title given to the lowest; whereas all Titles of Greatness, Worship, Honour, are observed and attributed with choice. The speech of the World bewrays their mind, and shows the common estimation of goodness compared with other qualities. The World therefore is an ill Herald, and unskilful in the true styles. It were happy that Goodness were so common; and pity that it either should not stand with Greatness, or not be preferred to it. 44 Amongst all actions, Satan is ever busiest in the best, and most in the best part of the best; as in the end of Prayer, when the heart should close up itself with most comfort. He never fears us, but when we are well employed: and the more likelihood he sees of our profit, the more is his envy and labour to distract us. We should love ourselves, as much as he hates us; and therefore strive so much the more towards our good, as his malice striveth to interrupt it. We do nothing, if we contend not, when we are resisted. The good soul is ever in contradiction; denying what is granted, and contending for that which is denied; suspecting when it is gainsaid, and fearing liberty. 45 God forewarns ere he try, because he would be prevented: Satan steals upon us suddenly by temptations, because he would foil us. If we relent not upon God's premonition, and meet not the lingering pace of his punishments, to forestall them, he punisheth more, by how much his warning was more evident and more large. God's trials must be met when they come: Satan's must be seen before they come; and if we be not armed ere we be assaulted, we shall be foiled ere we can be armed. 46 It is not good to be continual in denunciation of judgement: The noise to which we are accustomed (though loud) wakes us not; whereas a less (if unusual) stirreth us. The next way to make threatenings contemned, is to make them common. It is a profitable rod that strikes sparingly, and frights somewhat oftener than it smiteth. 47 Want of use causeth disability, and custom perfection. Those that have not used to pray in their Closet, cannot pray in public, but coldly and in form. He that discontinues meditation, shall be long in recovering; whereas the man enured to these exercises (who is not dressed till he have prayed, nor hath supped till he have meditated) doth both these well, and with ease. He that intermits good duties, incurs a double loss: of the blessing that followeth good; of the faculty of doing it. 48 Christianity is both an easy yoke, and an hard; hard to take up; easy to bear when once taken. The heart requires much labour, ere it can be induced to stoop under it; and finds as much contentment when it hath stooped. The worldling thinks Religion servility; but the Christian knows whose slave he was, till he entered into this service; and that no bondage can be so evil, as freedom from these bonds. 49 It is a wonder how full of shifts Nature is; ready to turn over all good purposes. If we think of death, she suggests secretly; Tush, it shall not come yet: If of judgement for sin; This concerns not thee; it shall not come at all: If of heaven, and our labour to reach it; Trouble not thyself; it will come soon enough alone. Address thyself to pray; It is yet unseasonable; stay for a better opportunity: To give alms; Thou knowest not thy own future wants: To reprove; What needst thou thrust thyself into wilful hatred? Every good action hath his let: He can never be good; that is not resolute. 50 All Arts are Maids to Divinity; therefore they both veil to her, and do her service, and she, like a grave Mistress, controls them at pleasure: Natural Philosophy teacheth, that of nothing can be nothing made; and that from the privation to the habit, is no return: Divinity takes her up for these; and upon supernatural principles, teaches her a Creation, a Resurrection. Philosophy teaches us to follow sense, as an infallible guide: Divinity tells her, that Faith is of things not seen. Logic teaches us first to discourse; then to resolve: Divinity, to assent without arguing. Civil Law teacheth, that long custom prescribeth: Divinity, that old things are passed. Moral Philosophy, that tallying of injuries is justice: Divinity, that good must be returned for ill. Policy, that better is a mischief than an inconvenience: Divinity, that we may not do evil, that good may ensue. The School is well ordered, while Divinity keeps the Chair: but, if any other skill usurp it, and check their Mistress, there can follow nothing but confusion and Atheism. 51 Much difference is to be made betwixt a reuolter and a man trained up in error. A jew and an Arrian both deny Christ's Deity, yet this opinion is not in both punished with bodily death. Yea a revolt to a less error, is more punishable than education in a capital Heresy. Errors of judgement, though less regarded than errors of practice, yet are more pernicious: but none so deadly as theirs, that once were in the truth. If truth be not sued to, it is dangerous; but if forsaken, desperate. 52 It is an ill argument of a good action not well done, when we are glad that it is done. To be affected with the comfort of the conscience of well performing it, is good: but merely to rejoice that the act is over, is carnal. He never can begin cheerfully, that is glad he hath ended. 53 He that doth not secret service to God with some delight, doth but counterfeit in public. The truth of any act or passion is then best tried, when it is without witness. Openly, many sinister respects may draw from us a form of religious duties: secretly, nothing but the power of a good conscience. It is to be feared, God hath more true and devout service in Closets, than in Churches. 54 Words and diseases grow upon us with years. In age, we talk much, because we have seen much, and soon after shall cease talking for ever: We are most diseased, because nature is weakest; and death which is near, must have harbingers: such is the old age of the World. No marvel, if this last time be full of writing, and weak discourse, full of sects and heresies, which are the sicknesses of this great and decayed body. 55 The best ground untilled, soon runs out into rank weeds. Such are Gods Children; Overgrown with security ere they are ware, unless they be well exercised both with God's plough of affliction, and their own industry in meditation. A man of knowledge that is either negligent or uncorrected, cannot but grow wild and godless. 56 With us, vilest things are most common; But with God the best things are most frequently given. Grace, which is the noblest of all God's favours, is unpartially bestowed upon all willing receivers; whereas Nobility of blood and height of place, blessings of an inferior nature, are reserved for few. Herein the Christian follows his Father; his prayers which are his richest portion, he communicates to all; his substance according to his ability, to few. 57 God therefore gives, because he hath given; making his former favours, arguments for more; Man therefore shuts his hand, because he hath opened it. There is no such way to procure more from God, as to urge him with what he hath done. All Gods blessings are profitable and excellent; not so much in themselves, as that they are inducements to greater. 58 Gods immediate actions are best, at first. The frame of this creation how exquisite was it under his hand! afterward, blemished by our sin: man's endeavours are weak in their beginnings, and perfecter by degrees. No science, no device hath ever been perfect in his cradle; or at once hath seen his birth and maturity: of the same nature are those actions which God worketh mediately by us according to our measure of receipt. The cause of both is, on the one side the infiniteness of his wisdom and power, which cannot be corrected by any second assays: On the other, our weakness, helping itself by former grounds and trials. He is an happy man that detracts nothing from God's works, and adds most to his own. 59 The old saying is more common than true; that those which are in hell, know no other heaven: for this makes the damned perfectly miserable, that out of their own torment, they see the felicity of the Saints; together with their impossibility of attaining it. Sight, without hope of fruition, is a torment alone: Those that here might see God and will not, or do see him obscurely and love him not, shall once see him with anguish of soul and not enjoy him. 60 Sometimes evil speeches come from good men, in their unadvisedness: and sometimes even the good speeches of men may proceed from an ill spirit. No confession could be better than Satan gave of Christ: It is not enough to consider what is spoken, or by whom; but whence, and for what. The spirit is oftentimes tried by the speech: but other-times the speech must be examined by the spirit; and the spirit, by the rule of an higher word. 61 Greatness puts high thoughts, and big words into a man; whereas the dejected mind takes, carelessly, what offers itself. Every worldling is baseminded; and therefore his thoughts creep still low upon the earth. The Christian both is and knows himself truly great; and thereupon mindeth and speaketh of spiritual, immortal, glorious, heavenly things. So much as the soul stoopeth unto earthly thoughts, so much is it unregenerate. 62 Long acquaintance, as it maketh those things which are evil, to seem less evil; so it makes good things, which at first were unpleasant, delightful. There is no evil of pain, not no moral good action, which is not harsh at the first. Continuance of evil, which might seem to weary us, is the remedy and abatement of weariness: and the practice of good, as it profiteth, so it pleaseth. He that is a stranger to good and evil, finds both of them troublesome. God therefore doth well for us, while he exerciseth us with long afflictions: and we do well to ourselves, while we continually busy ourselves in good exercises. 63 Sometimes it is well taken by men, that we humble ourselves lower than there is cause. Thy servant JACOB, saith that good Patriarch, to his brother, to his inferior. And no less well doth God take these submiss extenuations of ourselves; I am a worm, and no man: Surely I am more foolish than a man, and have not the understanding of a man in me. But I never find that any man bragged to God, although in a matter of truth, and within the compass of his desert, and was accepted. A man may be too lowly in his dealing with men, even unto contempt: with God he cannot; but the lower he falleth, the higher is his exaltation. 64 The soul is fed as the body, starved with hunger as the body, requires proportionable diet and necessary variety, as the body. All ages and statures of the soul bear not the same nourishment. There is milk for spiritual Infants, strong meat for the grown Christian. The spoon is fit for one, the knife for the other. The best Christian is not so grown, that he need to scorn the spoon: but the weak Christian may find a strong feed dangerous. How many have been cast away with spiritual surfeits; because being but newborn, they have swallowed down big morsels of the highest mysteries of godliness, which they never could digest; but together with them have cast up their proper nourishment? A man must first know the power of his stomach, ere he know how with safety and profit to frequent Gods Ordinary. 65 It is very hard for the best man in a sudden extremity of death, to satisfy himself in apprehending his stay, and reposing his heart upon it: for the soul is so oppressed with sudden terror, that it cannot well command itself, till it have digested an evil. It were miserable for the best Christian, if all his former prayers and meditations did not serve to aid him in his last straits, and meet together in the centre of his extremity; yielding, though not sensible relief, yet secret benefit to the soul: whereas the worldly man in this case, having not laid up for this hour, hath no comfort from God, or from others, or from himself. 66 All external good or evil is measured by sense: neither can we account that either good or ill, which doth neither actually avail, nor hurt us: spiritually this rule holds not. All our best good is insensible. For all our future (which is the greatest) good, we hold only in hope; and the present favour of God we have many times, and feel not. The stomach finds the best digestion even in sleep, when we least perceive it: and whiles we are most awake, this power worketh in us either to further strength or disease, without our knowledge of what is done within: And on the other side, that man is most dangerously sick, in whom nature decays without his feeling, without complaint. To know ourselves happy, is good: but woe were to us Christians, if we could not be happy, and know it not. 67 There are none that ever did so much mischief to the Church, as those that have been excellent in wit and learning. Others may be spiteful enough, but want power to accomplish their malice. An enemy that hath both strength and craft, is worthy be feared. None can sinne against the Holy Ghost, but those which have had former illumination. Tell not me what parts a man hath, but what grace: honest sottishness is better than profane eminence. 68 The entertainment of all spiritual events must be with fear, or hope; but, of all earthly extremities, must be with contempt or derision. For what is terrible, is worthy of a Christians contempt; what is pleasant, to be turned over with a scorn. The mean requires a mean affection betwixt love and hatred. We may not love them, because of their vanity: we may not hate them, because of their necessary use. It is an hard thing to be a wise Oast, and to fit our entertainment to all comers: which if it be not done, the soul is soon wasted, either for want of customers, or for the misrule of ill guests. 69 God and man build in a contrary order. Man lays the foundation first, then adds the walls, the roof last. God began the roof first, spreading out this vault of heaven, ere he laid the Base of the earth. Our thoughts must follow the order of his workmanship. Heaven must be minded first; earth afterward: and so much more, as it is seen more. Our meditation must herein follow our sense: A few miles give bounds to our view of earth; whereas we may near see half the heaven at once. He that thinks most both of that which is most seen, and of that which is not seen at all, is happiest. 70 I have ever noted it a true sign of a false heart, To be scrupulous and nice in small matters, negligent in the main: whereas the good soul is still curious in substantial points, and not careless in things of an inferior nature; accounting no duty so small as to be neglected, and no care great enough for principal duties: not so tything Mint and Cummin, that he should forget justice and judgement; not yet so regarding judgement and justice, that he should contemn Mint and Cummin. He that thus misplaces his conscience, will be found either hypocritical or superstitious. 71 It argues the world full of Atheists, that those offences which may impeach humane society, are entertained with an answerable hatred and rigour: those which do immediately wrong the supreme Majesty of God, are turned over with scarce so much as dislike. If we conversed with God as we do with men, his right would be at least as precious to us as our own. All that converse not with God, are without God: not only those that are against God, but those that are without God, are Atheists. We may be too charitable: I fear not to say, that these our last times abound with honest Atheists. 72 The best thing corrupted, is worst: An ill man is the worst of all creatures, an ill Christian the worst of all men, an ill professor the worst of all Christians, an ill Minister the worst of all professors. 73 Naturally life is before death; and death is only a privation of life: Spiritually it is contrary. As Paul saith of the grain, so may we of man in the business of regeneration: He must die before he can live: yet this death presupposes a life that was once, and should be. God chooses to have the difficultest, first: we must be content with the pain of dying, ere we feel the comfort of life. As we die to nature, ere we live in glory: so we must die to sin, ere we can live to grace. 74 Death did not first strike Adam the first sinful man; nor Cain the first hypocrite; but Abel the innocent and righteous. The first soul that met with death, overcame death: the first soul that parted from earth, went to heaven. Death argues not displeasure; because he whom God loved best, dies first; and the murderer is punished with living. 75 The lives of most are misspent, only for want of a certain end of their actions: wherein they do as unwise Archers, shoot away their arrows they know not at what mark. They live only out of the present, not directing themselves and their proceed to one universal scope: whence they altar upon all change of occasions, and never reach any perfection; neither can do other but continue in uncertainty, and end in discomfort. Others aim at one certain mark, but a wrong one. Some (though fewer) level at the right end, but amiss. To live without one main and common end, is idleness and folly. To live to a false end, is deceit and loss. True Christian wisdom both shows the end, and finds the way. And as cunning Politikes have many plots to compass one and the same design by a determined succession; so the wise Christian failing in the means, yet still fetcheth about to his steady end with a constant change of endeavours: such one only lives to purpose, and at last reputes not that he hath lived. 76 The shipwreck of a good conscience, is the casting away of all other excellencies. It is no rare thing to note the soul of a wilful sinner stripped of all her graces, and by degrees exposed to shame: so those, whom we have known admired, have fall'n to be level with their fellows; and from thence beneath them, to a mediocrity; and afterwards to sottishness and contempt, below the vulgar. Since they have cast away the best, it is just with God to take away the worst; and to cast off them in lesser regards, which have rejected him in greater. 77 It hath ever been counted more noble and successful to set upon an open enemy in his own home, than to expect till he set upon us, whiles he make only a defensive war, This rule serves us for our last enemy Death: whence that old demand of Epicure is easily answered, Whether it be better Death should come to us, or that we should meet him in the way: meet him in our minds, ere he seize upon our bodies. Our cowardliness, our unpreparation is his advantage; whereas true boldness in confronting him, dismays and weakens his forces. Happy is that soul, that can send out the scouts of his thoughts beforehand, to discover the power of death a fare off; and then can resolutely encounter him at unawares upon advantage: such one lives with security, dies with comfort. 78 Many a man sends others to heaven, and yet goes to hell himself: and not few having drawn others to hell, yet themselves return by a late repentance, to life. In a good action, it is not good to search too deeply into the intention of the agent, but in silence to make our best benefit of the work: In an evil, it is not safe to regard the quality of the person, or his success, but to consider the action abstracted from all circumstances, in his own kind. So we shall neither neglect good deeds, because they speed not well in some hands, nor affect a prosperous evil. 79 God doth some singular actions, wherein we cannot imitate him; some, wherein we may not; most, wherein he may and would fain be followed. He fetcheth good out of evil; so may we turn our own and others sins to private or public good: we may not do evil for a good use; but we must use our evil once done, to good. I hope I shall not offend, to say, that the good use which is made of sins, is as gainful to God, as that which arises from good actions. Happy is that man, that can use either his good well, or his evil. 80 There is no difference betwixt anger and madness, but continuance: for, raging anger is a short madness. What else argues the shaking of the hands and lips, paleness, or redness, or swelling of the face, glaring of the eyes, stammering of the tongue, stamping with the feet, unsteady motions of the whole body, rash actions which we remember not to have done, distracted and wild speeches? And madness again is nothing but a continued rage, yea some madness rageth not: such a mild madness is more tolerable, than frequent and furious anger. 81 Those that would keep state, must keep aloof off; especially if their qualities be not answerable in height to their place. For many great persons are like a wellwrought picture upon a course cloth; which a fare off shows fair, but near hand the roundness of the thread mars the good workmanship. Concealment of gifts, after some one commended act, is the best way to admiration, and secret honour: but he that would profit, must vent himself oft, and liberally, and show what he is, without all private regard. As therefore, many times, honour follows modesty unlooked for; so, contrarily, a man may show no less pride in silence and obscurity, than others, which speak and write for glory. And that other pride is so much the worse, as it is more unprofitable: for whereas those which put forth their gifts, benefit others whiles they seek themselves; these are so wholly devoted to themselves, that their secrety doth no good to others. 82 Such as a man's delights and cares are in health, such are both his thoughts and speeches commonly on his deathbed: The proud man talks of his fair suits, the glutton of his dishes, the wanton of his beastliness, the religious man of heavenly things. The tongue will hardly leave that to which the heart is enured. If we would have good motions to visit us while we are sick, we must send for them familiarly in our health. 83 He is a rare man, that hath not some kind of madness reigning in him: One a dull madness of melancholy, another a conceited madness of pride; another a superstitious madness of false devotion; a fourth of ambition, or covetousness; a fift, the furious madness of anger; a sixth, the laughing madness of extreme mirth; a seventh, a drunken madness; an eight, of outrageous lust; a ninth, the learned madness of curiosity; a tenth, the worst madness of profaneness and Atheism. It is as hard to reckon up all kinds of madnesses, as of dispositions. Some are more noted and punished than others; so that, the mad man in one kind as much condemns another, as the sober man condemns him. Only that man is both good, and wise, and happy, that is free from all kinds of frenzy. 84 There be some honest errors, wherewith I never found that God was offended. That an husband should think his own Wife comely, although ill-favoured in the eyes of others: That a man should think more meanly of his own good parts, than of weaker in others: To give charitable (though mistaken) constructions of doubtful actions and persons (which are the effects of natural affection, humility, love) were never censured by God: Herein alone we err, if we err not. 85 No marvel if the worldling escape earthly afflictions. God corrects him not, because he love's him not. He is ba●e borne and begot. God will not do him the favour to whip him. The world afflicts him not, because it love's him: for each one is indulgent to his own. God uses not the rod where he means to use the sword. The Pillory or scourge is for those malefactors which shall escape execution. 86 Weak stomaches which cannot digest large meals, feed oft and little: For our souls, that which we want in mea●●●●, we must supply in frequency. We can never fully enough comprehend in our thoughts the joys of heaven, the meritorious sufferings of Christ, the terrors of the second death: therefore we must meditate of them often. 87 The same thoughts do commonly meet us in the same places; as if we had left them there till our return. For that the mind doth secretly frame to itself memorative heads, whereby it recals easily the same conceits. It is best to employ our mind there, where it is most fixed. Our devotion is so dull, it cannot have too many advantages. 88 I find but one example in all Scripture, of any bodily cure which our Saviour wrought by degrees: only the blind man, whose weak faith craved help by others, not by himself, saw men first like trees, then in their true shape. All other miraculous cures of Christ were done at once, and perfect at first. Contrarily, I find but one example of a soul fully healed (that is) sanctified and glorified, both in a day; all other by degrees and leisure. The steps of grace are soft and short. Those external miracles he wrought immediately by himself; and therefore no marvel if they were absolute like their Author. The miraculous work of our Regeneration he works together with us: He giveth it efficacy; we give it imperfection. FINIS. SOME FEW OF DAVID'S PSALMS METAPHRASED, for a taste of the rest. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO MY LOVING AND LEARNED COZEN, Mr. SAMVEL BURTON, Archdeacon of Gloucester. INdeed, my Poetry was long sithence out of date, and yielded her place to graver studies: but whose vein would it not revive, to look into those heavenly Songs? I were not worthy to be a Divine, if it should repent me to be a Poet with David, after I shall have aged in the Pulpit. This work is holy and strict, & abides not any youthful or heathenish liberty; but requires hands free from profaneness, looseness, affection. It is a service 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 find himself much more affected with holy measure rightly composed? Wherefore I have oft wondered, how it could be offensive to our adversaries, that these divine Ditties which the Spirit of God wrote in verse, should be sung in verse; and that an Hebrew Poem should be made English. For if this kind of composition had been unfit, God would never have made choice of numbers, wherein to express himself. Yea, who knows not that some other Scriptures, which the Spirit hath indicted in prose, have yet been happily and with good allowance put into strict numbers? If histories tell us of a wanton Poet of old, which lost his eyes while he went about to turn Moses into verse; yet every student knows with what good success and commendation Nonnus hath turned john's Gospel into Greek Heroics. And Apollinarius, that learned Syrian matched with Basil and Gregory (who lived in his time) in the terms of this equality, that Basils' speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but Apollinaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, wrote, as Suidas reports, all the Hebrew Scripture in Heroics, as Sozomen (somewhat more restrainedly) all the Archaiology of the jews, till saul's government, in 24. parts; or as Socrates yet more particularly, all Moses in Heroics, and all the other Histories in diverse metres: but however his other labours lie hid, his Metaphrase of the Psalms is still in our hands, with the applause of all the learned: besides the labours of their own Flaminius and Arias Montanus (to seek for no more) which have worthily bestowed themselves in this subject. Neither do I see how it can be offensive to our friends, that we should desire our English Metaphrase bettered. I say nothing to the disgrace of that we have: I know how glad our adversaries are of all such advantages; which they are ready enough to find out without me, ever reproachfully upbraiding us with these defects. But since our whole Translation is now universally revised; what inconvenience or show of innovation can it bear, that the verse should accompany the prose? especially since it is well known how rude and homely our English Poesy was in those times, compared with the present; wherein, if ever, it seethe her full perfection. I have been solicited by some reverend friends to undertake this task; as that which seemed well to accord with the former exercises of my youth, and my present profession. The difficulties I found many, the work long and great; yet not more painful than beneficial to God's Church. Whereto as I dare not profess any sufficiency; so I will not deny my readiness, and utmost endeavour, if I shall be employed by Authority: wherefore, in this part, I do humbly su●mit●●y self to the grave censures of them, whose wisdom menageth these common affairs of the Church: and am ready either to stand still or proceed, as I shall see their Cloud or Fire go before or behind me. Only (howsoever) I shall, for my true affection to the Church, wish it done by better workmen. Wherein as you approve, so further my bold, but not unprofitable motion, and commend it unto greater cares: as I do you to the Greatest. Non-such. july 3. Your loving kinsman, IOS. HALL.. ❧ Some few of DAVID'S Psalms Metaphrased. PSALM. 1. In the tune of the 148. Psalm. Give laud unto the Lord. WHo hath not walked astray, In wicked men's advice, Nor stood in sinner's way; Nor in their companies That scorners are, As their fit mate, In scoffing chair, Hath ever sat. verse 2 But in thy laws divine, O Lord sets his delight, And in those laws of thine Studies all day and night; Oh, how that man Thrice blessed is! And sure shall gain Eternal bliss. 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 green Shall never fade, But covered been With comely shade. So, to this happy wight, All his designs shall thrive: verse 4 Whereas the man unright, As chaff which winds do drive, With every blast Is tossed on high, Nor can at last In safety lie. verse 5 Wherefore in that sad doom, They dare not rise from dust: Nor shall no sinner come To glory of the just. For, God will grace The just man's way; While sinners race Runs to decay. PSALM 2. In the tune of the 125. Psalm, Those that do put their confidence. WHy do the Gentiles tumults make, And nations all conspire in vain, verse 2 And earthly Prince's counsel take Against their God; against the Reign Of his dear Christ? let us, they sane, verse 3 Break all their bonds: and from us shake Their thraldom, yoke and servile chain. verse 4 Whiles thus (alas) they fond spoke, He that aloft rides on the skies, Laughs all their lewd device to scorn, verse 5 And when his wrathful rage shall rise, With plagues shall make them all forlorn, And in his fury thus replies; verse 6 But I, my King with sacred horn Anointing, shall in princely guise His head with royal Crown adorn. Upon my Zion's holy mount His Empires glorious seat shall be. And I thus raised shall fare recount The tenor of his true degree. verse 7 My Son thou art, said God, I thee Begat this day by due account: Thy Sceptre, do but ask of me, All earthly kingdoms shall surmount. verse 8 All nations to thy rightful sway, I will subject from furthest end verse 9 Of all the world, and thou shalt bray, Those stubborn foes that will not bend, With iron Mace (like Po●ters clay) verse 10 In pieces small: ye Kings, attend; And ye, whom others w●nt obey, Learn wisdom, and at last amend. verse 11 See, ye serve God, with greater dread Than others you: and in your fear Rejoice the while; and (lowly spread) verse 12 Do homage to his Son so dear: Lest he be wroth, and do you dead verse 13 Amids your way. If kindled His wrath shall be; O blessed those, That do on him their trust repose. PSALM 3. As the 113. Psalm, Ye children which, etc. AH Lord! how many be my foes! How many are against me ●ose, verse 2 That to my grieved soul have said, Tush, God shall him no succour yield; verse 3 Whiles thou, Lord, art my praise, my shield, And dost advance my careful head! verse 4 Loud with my voice to God I cried: His Grace unto my suit replied, From out his holy hill. verse 5 I laid me down, slept, rose again. For thou, O Lord, dost me sustain, And sau'st my soul from feared ill. verse 6 Not if ten thousand armed foes My naked side should round enclose, Would I be thereof ought dreaded. Up, Lord, and shield me from disgrace: verse 7 For thou hast broke my foeman's face, And all the wickeds teeth hast shed. verse 8 From thee, O God, is safe defence; Do thou thy free beneficence Upon thy people largely spread. PSALM 4. As the ten Commandments, Attend my people. THou witness of my truth sincere, My God, unto my poor request Vouchsafe to lend thy gracious ear: Thou hast my soul from thrall released. verse 2 Favour me still, and d●igne to hear Mine humble suit. O wretched wights, verse 3 How long will ye mine honour dear Turn into shame through your despites? Still will ye love what thing is vain, verse 4 And seek false hopes? know then at last, That God hath chose, and will maintain His favourite, whom ye disgraced. God will regard my instant moan. verse 5 Oh! tremble then, and cease offending; And on your silent bed alone, Talk with your hearts, your ways amending. verse 6 Offer the truest sacrifice Of broken hearts; on God besetting verse 7 Your only trust. The most devise The ways of worldly treasure getting: But thou, O Lord, lift up to me The light of that sweet look of thine; verse 8 So shall my soul more gladsome be, Than theirs with all their corn and wine. verse 9 So I in peace shall lay me down, And on my bed take quiet sleep; Whiles thou, O Lord, shalt me alone From dangers all securely keep. PSALM 5. In the tune of 124. Psalm, Now Israel may say, etc. BOw down thine ear, Lord, to these words of mine, And well regard the secret plaints I make. verse 2 My King, my God, to thee I do betake My sad estate: oh do thine ear incline To these loud cries that to thee poured been. verse 3 At early morn thou shalt my voice attend: For, at day break, I will myself address Thee to implore, and wait for due redress. verse 4 Thou dost not, Lord, delight in wickedness; Nor to bad men will't thy protection lend. verse 5 The boasters proud cannot before thee stay: Thou hat'st all those that are to sin devoted: verse 6 The lying lips. and who with blood are spotted, Thou dost abhor, and wilt for ever slay: verse 7 But I unto thine house shall take the way. And through thy grace abundant shall adore, With humble fear within thy holy place. verse 8 Oh! lead me, Lord, within thy righteous trace: Even for their sakes that malice me so sore, Make smooth thy paths my dimmer eyes before. verse 9 Within their mouth no truth is ever found: Pure mischief is their heart: a gaving tomb verse 10 Is their wide throat; and yet their tongues still sound, verse 11 With smoothing words. O Lord, give them their doom. And let them fall in those their plots profound. In their excess of mischief them destroy verse 12 That Rebels are; so those that to thee fly, Shall all rejoice and sing eternally: verse 13 And whom thou dost protect, and who love thee, And thy dear name, in thee shall ever joy; Since thou with bliss the righteous dost reward, And with thy grace as with a shield him guard. PSALM 6. As the 50. Psalm, The mighty God, etc. LEt me not, Lord, be in thy wrath reproved: Oh! scourge me not when thy fierce wrath is moved. verse 2 Pity me, Lord, that do with languor pine: Heale me whose bones with pain dissolved been; verse 3 Whose weary soul is vexed above measure. Oh Lord, how long shall I bide thy displeasure! verse 4 Turn thee, O Lord, rescue my soul distressed; verse 5 And save me of thy grace. Amongst those that rest In silent death, can none remember thee: And in the grave how shouldst thou praised be? verse 6 Weary with sighs, All night I caused my bed To swim: with tears my couch I watered. verse 7 Deep sorrow hath consumed my dimmed eyen, Sunk in with grief at these lewd foes of mine: verse 8 But now hence, hence, vain plotters of mine ill: The Lord hath heard my lamentations shrill; verse 9 God heard my suit and still attends the same: verse 10 Blush now, my foes, and fly with sudden shame. PSALM 7. As the 112. Psalm. The man is blest that God, etc. ON thee, O Lord my God, relies My only trust: from bloody spite Of all my raging enemies Oh! let thy mercy me acquit: verse 2 Lest they like greedy Lions rend My soul, while none shall it defend. verse 3 O Lord, if I this thing have wrought, If in my hands be found such ill: verse 4 If I with mischief ever sought To pay good turns; or did not still Do good unto my causeless foe, That thirsted for my overthrow; verse 5 Then let my foe in eager chase, O'ertake my soul, and proudly tread My life below; and with disgrace In dust lay down mine honour dead. verse 6 Rise up in rage, O Lord, eftsoon Advance thine arm against my fo●ne: And wake for me, till thou fulfil verse 7 My promised right; so shall glad throngs Of people flock unto thine hill. For their sakes then revenge my wrong's, verse 8 And r●use thyself. Thy judgements be O'er all the world: Lord, judge thou me. As truth and honest innocence Thou findest in me, Lord, judge thou me. verse 9 Settle the just with sure defence: Let me the wicked's malice see verse 10 Brought to an end. For thy just eye Doth heart and inward reynes descry. verse 11 My safety stands in God; who shields The sound in heart: whose doom each day verse 12 To just men and contemners yields verse 13 Their due. Except he change his way, His sword is whet, to blood intended, His murdering Bow is ready bended. verse 14 Weapons of death he hath addressed And arrows keen to pierce my foe, verse 15 Who late bred mischief in his breast; But when he doth on travel go, verse 16 Brings forth a lie: deep pits doth delve, And falls into his pits himselue. verse 17 Back to his own head shall rebound. His plotted mischief; and his wrongs verse 18 His crown shall craze: But I shall sound jehovah's praise with thankful songs, And will his glorious name express, And tell of all his righteousness. PSALM 8. As the 113. Psalm, Ye children which, etc. HOw noble is thy mighty Name, O Lord, o'er all the world's wide frame, Whose glory is advanced on high Above the rolling heaven's rack! verse 2 How for the graceless scorners sake, To still th'avenging enemy, Hast thou by tender infant's tongue, The praise of thy great Name made strong, While they hang sucking on the breast! verse 3 But when I see the heaven's bright, The moon and glittering stars of night, By thine almighty hand addressed, verse 4 Oh! what is man, poor silly man, That thou so mindest him, and dost deign To look at his unworthy seed! verse 5 Thou hast him set not much beneath Thine Angels bright; and with a wreath Of glory hast adorned his head. verse 6 Thou hast him made high sovereign verse 7 Of all thy works, and stretched his reign Unto the herds, and beasts untame, verse 8 To Fowls, and to the scaly train, That glideth through the watery Maine. verse 9 How noble each-where is thy Name! PSALM 9 To the tune of that known song, beginning, Preserve us, Lord. THee, and thy wondrous deeds, O God, Wi●h all my soul I sound abroad: verse 2 My joy, my triumph is in thee. Of thy dread name my song shall be, verse 3 O highest God: since put to flight. And fallen and vanished at thy sight verse 4 Are all my foes; for thou hast passed Just sentence on my cause at last: And sitting on thy throne above, A rightful judge thyself dost prove: verse 5 The troops profane thy checks have stroid, And made their name for ever void. verse 6 Where's now, my foes, your threatened wrack? So well you did our City's sack, And bring to dust; while that ye say, Their name shall die as well as they. verse 7 Lo, in eternal state God sits: And his high Throne to justice fits: verse 8 Whose righteous hand the world shall wield, And to all folk just doom shall yield. verse 9 The poor from high find his relief; The poor in needful times of grief: verse 10 Who knows the Lord, to thee shall cleave, That never dost thy client's leave. verse 11 Oh! sing the God that doth abide, On Zion mount; and blazon wide verse 12 His worthy deeds. For he pursues The guiltless blood with vengeance due: He minds their cause, nor can pass o'er Sad clamours of the wronged poor. verse 13 Oh! mercy Lord: thou that dost save My soul from gates of death and grave: Oh! see the wrong my foes have done: verse 14 That I thy praise, to all that gone Through daughter Zion's beauteous gate, With thankful songs may loud relate; And may rejoice in thy safe aid. Behold, the Gentiles whiles they made A deadly pit my soul to drown, Into their pit are sunken down; In that close snare they hid for me, Lo, their own feet entangled be. verse 16 By this just doom the Lord is known, That th'ill are punished with their own. verse 17 Down shall the wicked backward fall To deepest hell, and nations all verse 18 That God forget; nor shall the poor Forgotten be for evermore. The constant hope of souls oppressed verse 19 Shall not aye die. Rise from thy rest, Oh Lord, let not men base and rude Prevail: judge thou the multitude verse 20 Of lawless Pagans: strike pale fear Into those breasts that stubborn were: And let the Gentiles feel and find, They been but men of mortal kind. PSALM 10. As the 51. Psalm, O God, Consider. WHy standest thou, Lord aloof so long, And hidst thee in due times of need, verse 2 Whiles lewd men proudly offer wrong Unto the poor? In their own deed, And their device let them be caught. verse 3 For lo, the wicked braves and boasts In his vile and outrageous thought, And blesseth him that ravines most. verse 4 On God he dares insult: his pride Scorns to inquire of powers above. But his stout thoughts have still denied verse 5 There is a God; His ways yet prove 〈◊〉 prosperous: thy judgements hie Do fare surmount his dimmer fight. verse 6 Therefore doth he all foes defy: His heart saith, I shall stand in spite, Nor ever move; nor danger 'bide. verse 7 His mouth is filled with curses foul, And with close fraud: His tongue doth hide verse 8 Mischief and ill: he seeks the soul Of harmless men in secret wait, And in the corners of the street Doth shed their blood; with scorn and hate, His eyes upon the poor are set. verse 9 As some fell Lion in his den, He closely lurks the poor to spoil: He spoils the poor and helpless men, When once he snares them in his toil. verse 10 He croucheth low in cunning wile, And bows his breast; whereon whole throngs Of poor, whom his fair shows beguile, Fall to be subject to his wrongs. verse 11 God hath forgot (in soul, he says) He hides his face to never see. verse 12 Lord God, arise; thine hand up-raise: Let not thy poor forgotten be. verse 13 Shall these insulting wretches scorn Their God; and say, thou wilt not care? verse 14 Thou see'st (for all thou hast forborn) Thou see'st what all their mischiefs are; That to thine hand of vengeance just Thou mayst them take: the poor distressed Rely on thee with constant trust, The help of Orphans and oppressed. verse 15 Oh! break the wickeds arm of might, And search out all their cursed trains, And let them vanish out of sight. verse 16 The Lord as King for ever reigns. From forth his coasts, the heathen sect verse 17 Are rooted quite: thou Lord attendst To poor men's suits; thou deo'st direct Their hearts: to them thine ear thou bendst; verse 18 That thou mayst rescue from despite, The woeful fatherless, and poor: That so, the vain and earthen wight On us may tyrannize no more. FJNJS. CHARACTERS OF VERTVES AND VICES: IN TWO BOOKS. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY singular good Lords, EDWARD LORD DENNY, BARON of WALTHAM, AND JAMES LORD HAY, HIS RIGHT NOBLE AND WORTHY SON IN LAW, I. H. HUMBLY DEDICATES HIS LABOUR, DEVOTETH HIMSELF, Wisheth all Happiness. A PREMONITION, OF THE TITLE AND USE of Characters. READER, THe Divines of the old Heathens were their Moral Philosophers: These received the Acts of an inbred law, in the Sinai of Nature, and delivered them with many expositions to the multitude: These were the Overseers of manners, Correctors of vices, Directors of lives, Doctors of virtue, which yet taught their people the body of their natural Divinity, not after one manner: while some spent themselves in deep discourses of humane felicity, and the way to it in common; others thought it best to apply the general precepts of goodness or decency, to particular conditions and persons. A third sort in a mean course betwixt the two other, and compounded of them both, bestowed their time in drawing out the true lineaments of every virtue and vice, so lively, that who saw the medals, might know the face: which Art they significantly termed Charactery. Their papers were so many tables, their writings so many speaking pictures, or living images, whereby the ruder multitude might even by their sense learn to know virtue, and discern what to detest. I am deceived if any course could be more likely to prevail; for herein the gross conceit is led on with pleasure, and informed while it feels nothing but delight: And if pictures have been accounted the books of Jdiots, behold here the benefit of an image without the offence. It is no shame for us to learn wit of Heathens; neither is it material, in whose School we take out a good lesson: yea, it is more shame not to follow their good, than not to lead them better. As one therefore that in worthy examples hold imitation better than invention, I have trod in their paths, but with an higher and wider step; and out of their Tablets have drawn these larger portraitures of both sorts. More might be said, I deny not, of every Virtue, of every Vice: I desired not to say all, but enough. If thou do but read or like these, I have spent good hours ill; but if thou shalt hence abjure those Vices, which before thou thoughtest not ill-favoured, or fall in love with any of these goodly faces of Virtue; or shalt hence find where thou hast any little touch of these evils, to clear thyself, or where any defect in these graces to supply it, neither of us shall need to repent of our labour. THE SUM OF THE WHOLE. FIRST BOOK. THe Prooeme. Page. 171 Character of Wisdom. Page. 173 Of Honesty. Page. 174 Of Faith. ibid. Of Humility. Page. 175 Of Valour. Page. 176 Of Patience. Page. 177 Of True-Friendship. ibid. Of True-Nobilitie. Page. 178 Of the good Magistrate. Page. 179 Of the Penitent. Page. 180 Of the Happy Man. Page. 181 SECOND BOOK. THe Prooeme. Page. 185 Character of the Hypocrite. Page. 187 Of the busybody. Page. 188 Of the Superstitious. Page. 177 Of the Profane. ibid. Of the Malcontent. Page. 189 Of the Inconstant. Page. 191 Of the Flatterer. Page. 192 Of the Slothful. ibid. Of the Covetous. Page. 193 Of the Vainglorious. Page. 194 Of the Presumptuous. Page. 195 Of the Distrustful. Page. 196 Of the Ambitious. Page. 197 Of the Unthrift. Page. 198 Of the Envious. ibid. THE FIRST BOOK. CHARACTERISMES OF VERTVES. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE PROOEME. Virtue is not loved enough, because she is not seen; and Vice loseth much detestation, because her ugliness is secret. Certainly, my Lords, there are so many beauties, and so many graces in the face of Goodness, that no eye can possibly see it without affection, without ravishment: and the visage of Evil is so monstrous through loathsome deformities, that if her lovers were not ignorant, they would be mad with disdain, and astonishment. What need we more than to discover these two to the world? This work shall save the labour of exhorting, and dissuasion. I have here done it as I could, following that ancient Master of Morality, Theophrastus. who thought this the fittest task for the ninety and ninth year of his age, and the profitablest monument that he could leave for a farewell to his Grecians. Lo here then Virtue and Vice stripped naked to the open view, and despoiled, one of her rags, the other of her ornaments, and nothing left them but bare presence to plead for affection: see now whether shall find more suitors. And if still the vain minds of lewd men shall dote upon their old mistress, it will appear to be, not because she is not foul, but for that they are blind, and bewitched. And first behold the goodly features of Wisdom, an amiable virtue, and worthy to lead this Stage: which as she extends herself to all the following Graces, so amongst the rest is for her largeness most conspicuous. CHARACTER OF THE WISE MAN. THere is nothing that he desires not to know, but most and first himself; and not so much his own strength, as his weaknesses; neither is his knowledge reduced to discourse, but practice. He is a skilful Logician, not by nature so much as use; his working mind doth nothing all his time but make syllogisms, and draw out conclusions; every thing that he sees and hears, serves for one of the premises: with these he cares first to inform himself, then to direct others. Both his eyes are never at once from home, but one keeps house while the other roves abroad for intelligence. In material and weighty points he abides not his mind suspended in uncertainties; but hates doubting, where he may, where he should be resolute: and first he makes sure work for his soul; accounting it no safety to be unsettled in the foreknowledge of his final estate. The best is first regarded; and vain is that regard which endeth not in security. Every care hath his just order; neither is there any one either neglected or misplaced. He is seldom overseen with credulity; for knowing the falseness of the world, he hath learned to trust himself always; others so fare, as he may not be dammaged by their disappointment. He seeks his quietness in secrecy, and is wont both to hide himself in retiredness, and his tongue in himself. He love's to be guessed at, not known; and to see the world unseen; and when he is forced into the light, shows by his actions that his obscurity was neither from affectation nor weakness. His purposes are neither so variable as may argue inconstancy; nor obstinately unchangeable, but framed according to his after-wits, or the strength of new occasions. He is both an apt scholar and an excellent master; for both every thing he sees informs him, and his mind enriched with plentiful observation, can give the best precepts. His free discourse runs back to the ages past, and recovers events out of memory, and then preventeth Time in flying forward to future things; and comparing one with the other, can give a verdict well-near prophetical: wherein his conjectures are better than another's judgements. His passions are so many good servants, which stand in a diligent attendance ready to be commanded by reason, by Religion; and if at any time forgetting their duty, they be miscarried to rebel, he can first conceal their mutiny; then suppress it. In all his just and worthy designs, he is never at a loss, but hath so projected all his courses, that a second gins where the first failed; and fetcheth strength from that which succeeded not. There be wrongs which he will not see; neither doth he always look that way which he meaneth; nor take notice of his secret smarts, when they come from great ones. In good turns, he love's not to owe more than he must; in evil, to owe and not pay. Just censures he deserves not, for he life's without the compass of an adversary; unjust he contemneth, and had rather suffer false infamy to die alone, than lay hands upon it in an open violence. He confineth himself in the circle of his own affairs, and lists not to thrust his finger into a needless fire. He stands like a centre unmoved, while the circumference of his estate is drawn above, beneath, about him. Finally, his wit hath cost him much; and he can both keep, and value, and employ it. He is his own Lawyer; the treasury of knowledge, the oracle of counsel; blind in no man's cause, best-sighted in his own. Of an Honest man. HE looks not to what he might do, but what he should. justice is his first guide, the second law of his actions, is expedience. He had rather complain than offend, and hates sin more for the indignity of it, than the danger: his simple uprightness works in him that confidence, which oft times wrongs him, and gives advantage to the subtle, when he rather pities their faithlesness, than reputes of his credulity: he hath but one heart, and that lies open to sight; and were it not for discretion, he never thinks aught whereof he would avoid a witness: his word is his parchment, and his yea, his oath, which he will not violate for fear, or for loss. The mis-haps of following events, may cause him to blame his providence, can never cause him to eat his promise: neither saith he, This I saw not; but, This I said. When he is made his friend's Executor, he defrays debts, pays legacies, and scorneth to gain by Orphans, or to ransack graves; and therefore will be true to a dead friend, because he sees him not. All his dealings are square, and above the board: he bewrays the fault of what he sells, and restores the overseen gain of a false reckoning. He esteems a bribe venomous, though it come guilded over with the colour of gratuity. His cheeks are never stained with the blushes of recantation; neither doth his tongue falter, to make good a lie with the secret gloss of double or reserved senses; and when his name is traduced, his innocence bears him out with courage: then, lo, he goes on the plain way of truth, and will either triumph in his integrity, or suffer with it. His conscience overrules his providence; so as in all things good or ill, he respects the nature of the actions, nor the sequel. If he see what he must do, let God see what shall follow. He never loadeth himself with burdens above his strength, beyond his will; and once bound, what he can he will do; neither doth he will but what he can do. His ear is the Sanctuary of his absent friends name, of his present friends secret: neither of them can miscarry in his trust. He remembers the wrongs of his youth, and repaies them with that usury which he himself would not take. He would rather want, than borrow, and beg, than not to pay: his fair conditions are without dissembling; and he love's actions above words. Finally, he hates falsehood worse than death: he is a faithful client of truth; no man's enemy; and it is a question, Whether more another man's friend or his own; and if there were no heaven, yet he would be virtuous. Of the Faithful man. HIs eyes have no other objects, but absent and invisible; which they see so clearly, as that to them, sense is blind: that which is present, they see not: if I may not rather say, that what is past or future, is present to them. Herein he exceeds all others, that to him nothing is impossible, nothing difficult, whether to bear, or undertake. He walks every day with his Maker, and talks with him familiarly, and life's ever in heaven, and sees all earthly things beneath him: when he goes in, to converse with God, he wears not his own clothes, but takes them still out of the rich Wardrobe of his Redeemer, and then dare boldly press in and challenge a blessing. The celestial spirits do not scorn his company, yea, his service. He deals in these worldly affairs as a stranger, and hath his heart ever at home: without a written warrant he dare do nothing, and with it any thing. His war is perpetual, without truce, without intermission; and his victory certain: he meets with the infernal powers, and tramples them under feet. The shield that he ever bears before him, can neither be miss, nor pierced; if his hand be wounded, yet his heart is safe: he is often tripped, seldom foiled; and if sometimes foiled, never vanquished. He hath white hands, and a clean soul, fit to lodge God in, all the rooms whereof are set apart for his Holiness: Iniquity hath oft called at the door, and craved entertainment, but with a repulse; or if sin of force will be his tenant, his Lord he cannot. His faults are few, and those he hath, God will not see. He is allied so high, that he dare call God Father, his Saviour Brother, heaven his patrimony, and thinks it no presumption to trust to the attendance of Angels. His understanding is enlightened with the beams of divine truth; God hath acquainted him with his will; and what he knows, he dare confess: there is not more love in his heart, than liberty in his tongue. If torments stand betwixt him and Christ, if death, he contemns them; and if his own parents lie in his way to God, his holy carelessness makes them his footsteps. His experiments have drawn forth rules of confidence, which he dares oppose against all the fears of distrust: wherein he thinks it safe to charge God with what he hath done; with what he hath promised. Examples are his poofes, and instances his demonstrations. What hath God given, which he cannot give? What have others suffered, which he may not be enabled to endure? Is he threatened banishment? There he sees the dear Evangelist in Pathmos. Cutting in pieces? he sees Esay under the saw. Drowning? he sees jonas diving into the living gulf. Burning? he sees the three Children in the hot walk of the Furnace. Devouring? he sees Daniel in the sealed den amids his terrible companions. Stoning? he sees the first Martyr under his heap of many grave-stones. Heading? lo there the Baptists neck bleeding in Herodias platter. He emulates their pain, their strength, their glory. He wearies not himself with cares; for he knows he life's not of his own cost: not idly, omitting means, but not using them with diffidence. In the midst of ill rumours and amazements, his countenance changeth not; for he knows both whom he hath trusted, and whither death can lead him. He is not so sure he shall die, as that he shall be restored; and out-faceth his death with his resurrection. Finally, he is rich in works, busy in obedience, cheerful and unmoved in expectation, better with evils, in common opinion miserable, but in true judgement more than a man. Of the Humble-man. HE is a friendly enemy to himself: for though he be not out of his own favour, no man sets so low a value of his worth as himself; not out of ignorance, or carelessness, but of a voluntary and meek dejectedness. He admires every thing in another, whiles the same or better in himself he thinks not unworthily contemned: his eyes are full of his own wants, and others perfections. He love's rather to give than take honour, not in a fashion of complemental courtesy, but in simplicity of his judgement; neither doth he fret at those, on whom he forceth precedency, as one that hoped their modesty would have refused; but holds his mind unfeignedly below his place, and is ready to go lower (if need be) without discontent. When he hath but his due, he magnifieth courtesy, and disclaims his deserts. He can be more ashamed of honour, than grieved with contempt; because he thinks that causeless, this deserved. His face, his carriage, his habit, favour of lowliness without affectation, and, yet he is much under that he seemeth. His words are few and soft, never either peremptory or censorious, because he thinks both each man more wise, and none more faulty than himself: and when he approacheth to the Throne of God, he is so taken up with the divine greatness, that in his own eyes he is either vile or nothing. Places of public charge are fain to sue to him, and hale him out of his chosen obscurity; which he holds off, not cunningly to cause importunity, but sincerely in the conscience of his defects. He frequenteth not the stages of common resorts, and then alone thinks himself in his natural element, when he is shrouded within his own walls. He is ever jealous over himself, and still suspecteth that which others applaud. There is no better object of beneficence; for what he receives, he ascribes merely to the bounty of the giver; nothing to merit. He emulates no man in any thing but goodness, and that with more desire, than hope to overtake. No man is so contented with his little, and so patiented under miseries, because he knows the greatest evils are below his sins, and the least favours above his deservings. He walks ever in awe, and dare not but subject every word and action to an high and just censure. He is a lowly valley sweetly planted, and well watered; the proud man's earth, whereon he trampleth; but secretly full of wealthy Mines, more worth than he that walks over them; a rich stone set in lead; and lastly, a true Temple of God built with a low roof. Of a Valiant man. HE undertakes without rashness, and persons without fear: he seeks not for dangers; but when they find him, he bears them over with courage, with success. He hath ofttimes looked Death in the face, and passed by it with a smile, and when he sees he must yield, doth at once welcome and contemn it. He forecasts the worst of all events, and encounters them before they come in a secret and mental war; and if the suddenness of an unexpected evil have surprised his thoughts, and infected his cheeks with paleness; he hath no sooner digested it in his conceit, than he gathers up himself, and insults over mischief. He is the master of himself, and subdues his passions to reason; and by this inward victory works his own peace. He is afraid of nothing but the displeasure of the Highest, and runs away from nothing but sin: he looks not on his hands, but his cause; not how strong he is, but how innocent: and where goodness is his warrant, he may be overmastered, he cannot be foiled. The sword is to him the last of all trials, which he draws forth still as Defendant, not as Challenger, with a willing kind of unwillingness: no man can better manage it, with more safety, with more favour: he had rather have his blood seen than his back; and disdains life upon base conditions. No man is more mild to a relenting or vanquished adversary, or more hates to set his foot on a carcase. He had rather smother an injury, than revenge himself of the impotent: and I know not whether more detests cowardliness or cruelty. He talks little, and brags less; and love's rather the silent language of the hand; to be seen than heard. He lies ever close within himself, armed with wise resolution, and will not be discovered but by death or danger. He is neither prodigal of blood to misspend it idly, nor niggardly to grudge it, when either God calls for it, or his Country; neither is he more liberal of his own life, than of others. His power is limited by his will, and he holds it the noblest revenge, that he might hurt and doth not. He commands without tyranny and imperiousness, obeys without servility, and changes not his mind with his estate. The height of his spirits overlookes all casualties, and his boldness proceeds neither from ignorance nor senselessness: but first he values evils, and then despises them: he is so ballaced with wisdom, that he floats steadily in the midst of all tempests. Deliberate in his purposes, firm in resolution, bold in enterprising, unwearied in achieving, and howsoever, happy in success: and if ever he be overcome, his heart yields last. Of a Patient man. THe patiented man is made of a metal, not so hard as flexible: his shoulders are large, fit for a load of injuries; which he bears not out of baseness and cowardliness, because he dare not revenge, but out of Christian fortitude, because he may not: he hath so conquered himself, that wrongs cannot conquer him; and herein alone finds, that victory consists in yielding. He is above nature, while he seems below himself. The vildest creature knows how to turn again; but to command himself not to resist being urged, is more than heroical. His constructions are ever full of charity and favour; either this wrong was not done, or not with intent of wrong; or if that, upon misinformation; or if none of these, rashness (though a fault) shall serve for an excuse. Himself craves the offender's pardon, before his confession; and a slight answer contents, where the offended desires to forgive. He is God's best witness, & when he stands before the bar for truth, his tongue is calmly free, his forehead firm, and he with erect and settled countenance hears his just sentence, and rejoices in it. The jailors that attend him, are to him his Pages of honour; his dungeon, the lower part of the vault of heaven; his rack or wheel, the stairs of his ascent to glory; he challengeth his executioners, and encounters the fiercest pains with strength of resolution, and while he suffers, the beholders pity him, the tormentors complain of weariness, and both of them wonder. No anguish can master him, whether by violence or by lingering. He accounts expectation no punishment, & can abide to have his hopes adjourned till a new day. Good laws serve for his protection, not for his revenge; and his own power, to avoid indignities, not to return them. His hopes are so strong, that they can insult over the greatest discouragements; and his apprehensions so deep, that when he hath once fastened, he sooner leaveth his life than his hold. Neither time nor perverseness can make him cast off his charitable endeavours, and despair of prevailing; but in spite of all crosses, and all denials, he redoubleth his beneficial offers of love. He trieth the sea after many shipwrecks, & beats still at that door which he never saw opened. Contrariety of events doth but exercise, not dismay him; and when crosses afflict him, he sees a divine hand invisibly striking with these sensible scourges: against which he dares not rebel, nor murmur. Hence all things befall him alike; and he goes with the same mind to the shambles, and to the fold. His recreations are calm and gentle; and not more full of relaxation than void of fury. This man only can turn necessity into virtue, and put evil to good use. He is the surest friend, the latest and easiest enemy, the greatest conqueror, and so much more happy than others, by how much he could abide to be more miserable. Of the true Friend. HIs affections are both united and divided; united to him he loveth; divided betwixt another and himself; and his own heart is so parted, that whiles he hath some, his friend hath all. His choice is led by virtue, or by the best of virtues, Religion; not by gain, not by pleasure; yet not without respect of equal condition, of disposition not unlike; which once made, admits of no change, except he whom he loveth, be changed quite from himself; nor that suddenly, but after long expectation. Extremity doth but fasten him, whiles he, like a wellwrought vault, lies the stronger, by how much more weight he bears. When necessity calls him to it, he can be a servant to his equal, with the same will wherewith he can command his inferior; and though he rise to honour, forgets not his familiarity, nor suffers inequality of estate to work strangeness of countenance; on the other side, he lifts up his friend to advancement, with a willing hand, without envy, without dissimulation. When his mate is dead, he accounts himself but half alive; then his love not dissolved by death, derives itself to those orphans which never knew the price of their father; they become the heirs of his affection, and; the burden of his cares. He embraces a free community of all things, save those which either honesty reserves proper, or nature; and hates to enjoy that which would do his friend more good: his charity serves to cloak noted infirmities, not by untruth, not by flattery, but by discreet secrecy; neither is he more favourable in concealment, than round in his private reprehensions; and when another's simple fidelity shows itself in his reproof, he love's his monitor so much the more, by how much more he smarteth. His bosom is his friend's closet, where he may safely lay up his complaints, his doubts, his cares; and look how he leaves, so he finds them; save for some addition of seasonable counsel for redress. If some unhappy suggestion shall either disjoint his affection, or break it, it soon knits again, and grows the stronger by that stress. He is so sensible of another's injuries, that when his friend is stricken, he cries out, and equally smarteth untouched, as one affected not with sympathy, but with a real feeling of pain: and in what mischief may be prevented, he interposeth his aid, and offers to redeem his friend with himself; no hour can be unseasonable, no business difficult, nor pain grievous in condition of his ease: and what either he doth or suffereth, he neither cares nor desires to have known; lest he should seem to look for thanks. If he can therefore steal the performance of a good office unseen, the conscience of his faithfulness herein is so much sweeter as it is more secret. In favours done, his memory is frail, in benefits received, eternal: he scorneth either to regard recompense, or not to offer it. He is the comfort of miseries, the guide of difficulties, the joy of life, the treasure of earth; and no other than a good Angel clothed in flesh. Of the Truly-Noble. HE stands not upon what he borrowed of his Ancestors, but thinks he must work out his own honour: and if he cannot reach the virtue of them that gave him outward glory by inheritance, he is more abashed of his impotency, than transported with a great name. Greatness doth not make him scornful and imperious, but rather like the fixed stars; the higher he is, the less he desires to seem. Neither cares he so much for pomp and frothy ostentation, as for the solid truth of Nobleness. Courtesy and sweet affability can be no more severed from him, than life from his soul; not out of a base and servile popularity, and desire of ambitious insinuation; but of a native gentleness of disposition, and true value of himself. His hand is open & bounteous, yet not so, as that he should rather respect his glory, than his estate; wherein his wisdom can distinguish betwixt parasites and friends, betwixt changing of favours and expending them. He scorneth to make his height a privilege of looseness, but accounts his titles vain, if he be inferior to others in goodness: and thinks he should be more strict, the more eminent he is; because he is more observed, and now his offences are become exemplar. There is no virtue that he holds unfit for ornament, for use; nor any vice which he condemns not as sordid, and a fit companion of baseness; and whereof he doth not more hate the blemish, than affect the pleasure. He so studies, as one that knows, ignorance can neither purchase honour, nor wield it; and that knowledge must both guide and grace him. His exercises are from his childhood ingenious, manly, decent, and such as tend still to wit, valour, activity: and if (as seldom) he descend to disports of chance, his games shall never make him either pale with fear, or hot with desire of gain. He doth not so use his followers, as if he thought they were made for nothing but his servitude; whose felicity were only to be commanded and please: wearing them to the back, and then either finding or framing excuses to discard them empty; but upon all opportunities lets them feel the sweetness of their own serviceableness and his bounty. Silence in officious service is the best Oratory to plead for his respect: all diligence is but lent to him, none lost. His wealth stands in receiving, his honour in giving: he cares not either how many hold of his goodness, or to how few he is beholden: and if he have cast away favours, he hates either to upbraid them to his enemy, or to challenge restitution. None can be more pitiful to the distressed, or more prone to secure; and then most, where is least means to solicit, lest possibility of requital. He is equally addressed to war and peace; and knows not more how to command others, than how to be his Country's servant in both. He is more careful to give true honour to his Maker, than to receive civil honour from men. He knows that this service is free and noble, and ever loaded with sincere glory; and how vain it is to hunt after applause from the world, till he be sure of him that moldeth all hearts, and poureth contempt on Princes; and shortly, so demeans himself, as one that accounts the body of Nobility to consist in Blood, the soul in the eminence of Virtue. Of the good Magistrate. HE is the faithful Deputy of his Maker, whose obedience is the rule whereby he ruleth: his breast is the Ocean whereinto all the cares of private men empty themselves; which as he receives without complaint and overflowing, so he sends them forth again by a wise conveyance in the streams of justice: his doors, his ears are ever open to suitors; and not who comes first speeds well, but whose cause is best. His nights, his meals are short and interrupted; all which he bears well, because he knows himself made for a public servant of Peace and justice. He sits quietly at the stern, and commands one to the topsail, another to the main, a third to the plummet, a fourth to the anchor, as he sees the need of their course and weather requires; and doth no less by his tongue, than all the Mariners with their hands. On the Bench he is another from himself at home; now all private respects of blood, alliance, amity are forgotten; and if his own Son come under trial, he knows him not: Pity which in all others is wont to be the best praise of humanity, and the fruit of Christian love, is by him thrown over the bar for corruption: as for Favour, the false Advocate of the gracious, he allows him not to appear in the Court; there only causes are heard speak, not persons: Eloquence is then only not discouraged, when she serves for a Client of truth: mere narrations are allowed in this Oratory, not Proems, not excursions, not Glosses: Truth must strip herself, and come in naked to his bar, without false bodies, or colours without disguises: A bride in his Closet, or a letter on the Bench, or the whispering and winks of a great neighbour, are answered with an angry and courageous repulse. Displeasure, Revenge, Recompense stand on both sides the Bench, but he scorns to turn his eye towards them; looking only right forward at Equity, which stands full before him. His sentence is ever deliberate and guided with ripe wisdom, yet his hand is slower than his tongue; but when he is urged by occasion either to doom or execution, he shows how much he hateth merciful injustice: neither can his resolution or act be reversed with partial importunity. His forehead is rugged and severe, able to discountenance villainy, yet his words are more awful than his brow, and his hand than his words. I know not whether he be more feared or loved, both affections are so sweetly contempered in all hearts. The good fear him lovingly, the middle sort love him fearfully, and only the wicked man fears him slavishly without love. He hates to pay private wrongs with the advantage of his Office; and if ever he be partial, it is to his enemy. He is not more sage in his gown, than valorous in arms, and increaseth in the rigour of discipline, as the times in danger. His sword hath neither rusted for want of use, nor surfetteth of blood, but after many threats is unsheathed, as the dreadful instrument of divine revenge. He is the Guard of good laws, the Refuge of innocency, the Comet of the guilty, the Paymaster of good deserts, the Champion of justice, the Patron of peace; the Tutor of the Church, the Father of his Country, and as it were another God upon earth. Of the Penitent. HE hath a wounded heart and a sad face; yet not so much for fear, as for unkindness: The wrong of his sin troubles him more than the danger: None but he is the better for his sorrow; neither is any passion more hurtful to others, than this is gainful to him; The more he seeks to hide his grief, the less it will be hid; Every man may read it not only in his eyes, but in his bones. Whiles he is in charity with all others, he is so fall'n out with himself, that none but God can reconcile him: He hath sued himself in all Courts, accuseth, arraigneth, sentenceth, punisheth himself unpartially, and sooner may find mercy at any hand, than at his own. He only hath pulled off the fair vizor of sin; so as that appears not but masked unto others, is seen of him barefaced; and bewrays that fearful ugliness, which none can conceive but he that hath viewed it. He hath looked into the depth of the bottomless pit, and hath seen his own offence tormented in others, and the same brands shaken at him. He hath seen the change of faces in that evil one, as a tempter, as a tormenter; and hath heard the noise of a conscience, and is so frighted with all these, that he can never have rest, till he have run out of himself, to God; in whose face at first, he finds rigour, but afterwards, sweetness in his bosom: He bleeds first from the hand that heals him. The Law of God hath made work for mercy; which he hath no sooner apprehended, than he forgets his wounds, and looks carelessly upon all these terrors of guiltiness. When he casts his eye back upon himself, he wonders where he was, and how he came there; and grants, that if there were not some witchcraft in sin, he could not have been so sottishly graceless. And now, in the issue, Satan finds (not without indignation and repentance) that he hath done him a good turn in tempting him: For he had never been so good, if he had not sinned; he had never fought with such courage, if he had not seen his blood, and been ashamed of his foil. Now he is seen, and felt in the front of the spiritual battle; and can teach others how to fight, and encourage them in fight. His heart was never more taken up with the pleasure of sin, than now with care of avoiding it: The very sight of that cup, wherein such a fulsome potion was brought him, turns his stomach: the first offers of sin make him tremble more now, than he did before at the judgements of his sin; neither dares he so much as look towards Sodom: All the powers and craft of hell cannot fetch him in for a customer to evil; his infirmity may yield once, his resolution never. There is none of his senses or parts, which he hath not within covenants for their good behaviour; which they cannot ever break with impunity. The wrongs of his sin he repaies to men with recompense, as hating it should be said, he owes any thing to his offence; to God (what in him lies) with sighs, tears, vows, and endeavours of amendment. No heart is more waxed to the impressions of forgiveness; neither are his hands more open to receive, than to give pardon. All the injuries which are offered to him, are swallowed up in his wrongs to his Maker, and Redeemer; neither can he call for the arrearages of his farthings, when he looks upon the millions forgiven him; he feels not what he suffers from men, when he thinks of what he hath done, and should have suffered. He is a thankful Herald of the mercies of his God; which if all the world hear not from his mouth, it is no fault of his: Neither did he so burn with the evil fires of concupiscence, as now with the holy flames of zeal to that glory which he hath blemished: and his eyes are full of moisture, as his heart of heat. The gates of heaven are not so knocked at by any suitor, whether for frequency, or importunity. You shall find his cheeks furrowed, his knees hard, his lips sealed up, save when he must accuse himself, or glorify God, his eyes humbly dejected, and sometimes you shall take him breaking off a sigh in the midst; as one that would steal an humiliation unknown, and would be offended with any part that should not keep his counsel. When he finds his soul oppressed with the heavy guilt of a sin, he gives it vent thorough his mouth, into the care of his spiritual Physician, from whom he receives Cordials answerable to his complaint. He is a severe exactor of discipline, first upon himself, on whom he imposes more than one Lent; then, upon others: as one that vowed to be revenged on sin wheresoever he finds it; and though but one hath offended him, yet his detestation is universal. He is his own taske-master for devotion; and if Christianity have any work more difficult, or perilous than other, that he enioynes himself, and resolves contentment even in miscarriage. It is no marvel if the acquaintance of his wilder times know him not; for he is quite another from himself; and if his mind could have had any intermission of dwelling within his breast, it could not have known this was the lodging: Nothing but an outside is the same it was, and that altered more with Regeneration than with age. None but he can relish the promises of the Gospel; which he finds so sweet, that he complains not, his thirst after them is unsatiable; and now that he hath found his Saviour, he hugs him so fast, and holds him so dear, that he feels not when his life is fetched away from him, for his martyrdom. The latter part of his life is so led, as if he desired to unlive his youth; and his last Testament is full of restitutions, and legacies of piety. In sum, he hath so lived and died, as that Satan hath no such match, sin hath no such enemy, God hath no such servant as he. He is an Happy man. THat hath learned to read himself more than all books; and hath so taken out this lesson, that he can never forget it; That knows the world, and cares not for it; That after many traverses of thoughts, is grown to know what he may trust to, and stands now equally armed for all events: That hath got the mastery at home, so as he can cross his will without a mutiny, and so please it, that he makes it not a wanton: That in earthly things wishes no more than nature; in spiritual, is ever graciously ambitious: That for his condition, stands on his own feet, not needing to lean upon the great; and can so frame his thoughts to his estate, that when he hath least, he cannot want, because he is as free from desire, as superfluity: That hath seasonably broken the headstrong restinesse of prosperity, and can now menage it at pleasure: Upon whom, all small or crosses light as hailstones upon a roof; and for the greater calamities, he can take them as tributes of life, and tokens of love; and if his ship be tossed, yet he is sure his Anchor is fast. If all the world were his, he could be no other than he is; no whit gladder of himselfelfe, no whit higher in his carriage, because he knows, contentment lies not in the things he hath, but in the mind that values them. The powers of his resolution can either multiply, or subtract at pleasure. He can make his cottage a Manor, or a Palace when he lists; and his home-close, a large dominion; his stained cloth, Arras; his earth, plate; and can see state in the attendance of one servant; as one that hath learned, a man's greatness or baseness is in himself; and in this, he may even contest with the proud, that he thinks his own the best. Or, if he must be outwardly great, he can but turn the other end of the glass, and make his stately Manor a low and straight Cottage; and in all his costly furniture he can see not richness, but use; he can see dross in the best mettle, and earth thorough the best clothes; and in all his troop, he can see himself his own servant. He life's quietly at home, out of the noise of the world, and love's to enjoy himself always, and sometimes his friend, and hath as full scope to his thoughts, as to his eyes. He walks ever even, in the midway betwixt hopes and fears, resolved to fear nothing but God, to hope for nothing but that which he must have. He hath a wise and virtuous mind in a serviceable body; which that better part affects as a present servant, and a future companion; so cherishing his flesh, as one that would scorn to be all flesh. He hath no enemies, not for that all love him, but because he knows to make a gain of malice. He is not so engaged to any earthly thing, that they two cannot part on even terms; there is neither laughter in their meeting, nor in their shaking of hands, tears. He keeps ever the best company, the God of Spirits, and the Spirits of that God; whom he entertains continually in an awful familiarity, not being hindered, either with too much light, or with none at all. His conscience and his hand are friends, and (what Devil soever tempt him) will not fall out. That divine part goes ever uprightly and freely, not stooping under the burden of a willing sin, not fettered with the gyves of unjust scruples. He would not, if he could, run away from himself, or from God; not caring from whom he lies hid, so he may look these two in the face. Censures and applauses are passengers to him, not guests; his ear is their thoroughfare, not their harbour; he hath learned to fetch both his counsel, and his sentence from his own breast. He doth not lay weight upon his own shoulders, as one that love's to torment himself with the honour of much employment; but as he makes work his game, so doth he not list to make himself work. His strife is ever to redeem, and not to spend time. It is his trade to do good; and to think of it, his recreation. He hath hands enough for himself and others, which are ever stretched forth for beneficence, not for need. He walks cheerfully in the way that God hath chalked, and never wishes it more wide, or more smooth. Those very tentations whereby he is foiled, strengthen him; he comes forth crowned, and triumphing out of the spiritual Battles, and those scars that he hath, make him beautiful. His soul is every day dilated to receive that God, in whom he is; and hath attained to love himself for God, and God for his own sake. His eyes stick so fast in heaven, that no earthly object can remove them; yea his whole self is there before his time, and sees with Steven, and hears with Paul, and enjoys with Lazarus, the glory that he shall have; and takes possession beforehand of his room amongst the Saints: and these heavenly contentments have so taken him up, that now he looks down displeasedly upon the earth, as the region of his sorrow and banishment; yet joying more in hope, than troubled with the sense of evils; he holds it no great matter to live, and his greatest business to die: and is so well acquainted with his last guest, that he fears no unkindness from him: neither makes he any other of dying, than of walking home when he is abroad, or of going to bed when he is weary of the day. He is well provided for both worlds, and is sure of peace here, of glory hereafter; and therefore hath a light heart, and a cheerful face. All his fellow-creatures rejoice to serve him; his betters, the Angels, love to observe him; God himself takes pleasure to converse with him, and hath Sainted him afore his death, and in his death crowned him. THE SECOND BOOK. CHARACTERISMES OF VICES. By IOS. HALL.. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE PROOEME. I Have showed you many fair Virtues: I speak not for them; if their sight cannot command affection, let them lose it. They shall please yet better, after you have troubled your eyes a little with the view of deformities; and by how much more they please, so much more odious, and like themselves, shall these deformities appear. This light, contraries give to each other, in the midst of their enmity, that one makes the other seem more good, or ill. Perhaps in some of these (which thing I do at once fear, and hate) my style shall seem to some less grave, more Satirical: if you find me not without cause jealous, let it please you to impute it to the nature of those Vices, which will not be otherwise handled. The fashions of some evils are besides the odiousness, ridiculous; which to repeat, is to seem bitterly merry. I abhor to make sport with wickedness, and forbidden any laughter here, but of disdain. Hypocrisy shall lead this ring; worthily, I think, because both she cometh nearest to Virtue, and is the worst of Vices. CHARACTER OF THE HYPOCRITE. AN Hypocrite is the worst kind of Player, by so much as he acts the better part; which hath always two faces, oft times two hearts: That can compose his forehead to sadness and gravity, while he bids his heart be wanton and careless within, and (in the mean time) laughs within himself, to think how smoothly he hath cozened the beholder. In whose silent face are written the characters of Religion, which his tongue and gestures pronounce, but his hands recant. That hath a clean face and garment, with a foul soul: whose mouth belies his heart, and his fingers belie his mouth. Walking early up into the City, he turns into the great Church, and salutes one of the pillars on one knee, worshipping that God which at home he cares not for; while his eye is fixed on some window, on some passenger, and his heart knows not whither his lips go. He rises, and looking about with admiration, complains on our frozen charity, commends the ancient. At Church he will ever sit where he may be seen best, and in the midst of the Sermon pulls out his Tables in haste, as if he feared to lose that note; when he writes either his forgotten errand, or nothing: then he turns his Bible with a noise, to seek an omitted quotation; and folds the leaf, as if he had found it; and asks aloud the name of the Preacher, and repeats it, whom he publicly salutes, thankes, praises, invites, entertains with tedious good counsel, with good discourse, if it had come from an honester mouth. He can command tears when he speaks of his youth; indeed because it is past, not because it was sinful: himself is now better, but the times are worse. All other sins he reckons up with detestation, while he love's and hides his darling in his bosom. All his speech returns to himself, and every occurrent draws in a story to his own praise. When he should give, he looks about him, and says, Who sees me? No alms, no prayers fall from him without a witness; belike lest God should deny that he hath received them: and when he hath done (lest the world should not know it) his own mouth is his Trumpet to proclaim it. With the superfluity of his usury he builds an Hospital, and harbours them whom his extortion hath spoiled; so while he makes many beggars, he keeps some. He turneth all Gnats into Camels, and cares not to undo the world for a circumstance. Flesh on a Friday is more abomination to him than his neighbour's bed: He abhors more not to uncover at the name of jesus, than to swear by the name of God. When a Rhymer reads his Poem to him, he begs a Copy, and persuades the Press; there is nothing that he dislikes in presence, that in absence he censures not. He comes to the sick bed of his stepmother, and weeps, when he secretly fears her recovery. He greets his friend in the street with so clear a countenance, so fast a closure, that the other thinks he reads his heart in his face; and shakes hands with an indefinite invitation of When will you come? and when his back is turned, joys that he is so well rid of a guest: yet if that guest visit him unfeared, he counterfeits a smiling welcome, and excuses his cheer, when closely he frowns on his wife for too much. He shows well, and says well; and himself is the worst thing he hath. In brief, he is the stranger's Saint, the neighbour's disease, the blot of goodness; a rotten stick in a dark night, a Poppy in a corn field, an ill tempered candle with a great snuff, that in going out smells ill; and an Angel abroad, a Devil at home; and worse when an Angel, than when a Devil. Of the Busybody. HIs estate is too narrow for his mind, and therefore he is fain to make himself room in others affairs; yet ever in pretence of love. No news can stir but by his door; neither can he know that, which he must not tell. What every man ventures in Guiana voyage, and what they gained, he knows to a hair. Whether Holland will have peace, he knows, and on what conditions, and with what success, is familiar to him ere it be concluded. No Post can pass him without a question, and rather than he will lose the news, he rides back with him to appose him of tidings; and then to the next man he meets, he supplies the wants of his hasty intelligence, and makes up a perfect tale; wherewith he so haunteth the patiented auditor, that after many excuses, he is fain to endure rather the censure of his manners in running away, than the tediousness of an impertinent discourse. His speech is oft broken off with a succession of long parenthesis, which he ever vows to fill up ere the conclusion, and perhaps would effect it, if the others ear were as unweariable as his tongue. If he see but two men talk and read a letter in the street, he runs to them, and asks if he may not be partner of that secret relation; and if they deny it, he offers to tell, since he may not hear, wonders: and then falls upon the report of the Scottish Mine, or of the great Fish taken up at Linne, or of the freezing of the Thames; and after many thankes and dismissions, is hardly entreated silence. He undertakes as much as he performs little: this man will thrust himself forward to be the guide of the way he knows not; and calls at his neighbour's window, and asks why his servants are not at work. The Market hath no commodity which he prizeth not, and which the next table shall not hear recited. His tongue, like the tail of Samsons Foxes, carries firebrands, and is enough to set the whole field of the world on a flame. Himself gins tabletalk of his neighbour at another's board; to whom he bears the first news, and adiures him to conceal the reporter: whose choleric answer he returns to his first Oast, enlarged with a second edition; so, as it uses to be done in the fight of unwilling Mastiffs, he claps each on the side apart, and provokes them to an eager conflict. There can no Act pass without his Comment, which is ever far-fetched, rash, suspicious, dilatory. His ears are long, and his eyes quick, but most of all to imperfections; which as he easily sees, so he increases with intermeddling. He harbours another man's servant, and amids his entertainment asks what fare is usual at home, what hours are kept, what talk passeth their meals, what his master's disposition is, what his government, what his guests? and when he hath by curious inquiries extracted all the juice and spirit of hoped intelligence, turns him off whence he came, and works on a new. He hates constancy as an earthen dulness, unfit for men of spirit: and love's to change his work and his place; neither yet can he be so soon weary of any place, as every place is weary of him; for as he sets himself on work, so others pay him with hatred, and look how many masters he hath, so many enemies: neither is it possible that any should not hate him, but who know him not. So then he labours without thanks, talks without credit, life's without love, dies without tears, without pity; save that some say it was pity he died no sooner. Of the Superstitious. SVperstition is godless Religion, devout impiety. The superstitious is fond in observation, servile in fear, he worships God but as he lists: he gives God what he asks not, more than he asks; and all but what he should give; and makes more sin than the Ten Commandments. This man dares not stir forth till his breast be crossed, and his face sprinkled: if but an Hare cross him the way, he returns; or if his journey began unawares on the dismal day; or if he stumble at the threshold. If he see a Snake unkilled, he fears a mischief; if the salt fall towards him, he looks pale and red, and is not quiet till one of the waiters have poured wine on his lap; and when he neezeth, thinks them not his friends that uncover not. In the morning he listens whether the Crow crieth even or odd, and by that token presages of the weather. If he hear but a Raven croak from the next roof, he makes his will, or if a Bittour fly over his head by night: but if his troubled fancy shall second his thoughts with the dream of a fair garden, or green rushes, or the salutation of a dead friend, he takes leave of the world, and says he cannot live. He will never set to sea but on a Sunday; neither ever goes without an Erra Pater in his pocket. Saint Paul's day and Saint Swithunes with the Twelve, are his Oracles; which he dares believe against the Almanac. When he lies sick on his deathbed, no sin troubles him so much, as that he did once eat flesh on a Friday, no repentance can expiate that; the rest need none. There is no dream of his without an interpretation, without a prediction; and if the event answer not his exposition, he expounds it according to the event. Every dark grove and pictured wall strikes him with an awful, but carnal devotion. Old wives and Stars are his counsellors; his night spell is his guard, and charms his Physician. He wears Paracelsian Characters for the toothache, and a little hollowed wax is his Antidote for all evils. This man is strangely credulous, and calls impossible things, miraculous: If he hear that some sacred block speaks, moves, weeps, smiles, his bare feet carry him thither with an offering: and if a danger miss him in the way, his Saint hath the thankes. Some way he will not go, and some he dares not; either there are bugs, or he feigneth them; every lantern is a ghost, and every noise is of chains. He knows not why, but his custom is to go a little about, and to leave the Cross still on the right hand. One event is enough to make a rule; out of these he concludes fashions proper to himself, and nothing can turn him out of his own course. If he have done his task, he is safe, it matters not with what affection. Finally, if God will let him be the carver of his own obedience, he could not have a better subject, as he is, he cannot have a worse. Of the Profane. THe Superstitious hath too many gods: the Profane man hath none at all, unless perhaps himself be his own deity, and the world his heaven. To matter of Religion, his heart is a piece of dead flesh, without feeling of love, of fear, of care, or of pain from the deaf strokes of a revenging conscience. Custom of sin hath wrought this senselessness, which now hath been so long entertained, that it pleads prescription, and knows not to be altered. This is no sudden evil: we are borne sinful, but have made ourselves profane; through many degrees we climb to this height of impiety. At first he sinned, and cared not; now he sinneth and knoweth not. Appetite is his Lord, and Reason his servant, and Religion his drudge. Sense is the rule of his belief; and if Piety may be an advantage, he can at once counterfeit and deride it. When aught succeedeth to him, he sacrifices to his nets, and thankes either his fortune, or his wit; and will rather make a false God, than acknowledge the true: if contrary, he cries out of destiny, and blames him to whom he will not be beholden. His conscience would fain speak with him, but he will not hear it; sets the day, but he disappoints it; and when it cries loud for audience, he drowns the noise with good fellowship. He never names God, but in his oaths; never thinks of him, but in extremity; and then he knows not how to think of him, because he gins but then. He quarrels for the hard conditions of his pleasure, for his future damnation; and from himself lays all the fault upon his Maker; and from his decree fetcheth excuses of his wickedness. The inevitable necessity of God's counsel makes him desperately careless: so with good food he poisons himself. Goodness is his Minstrel; neither is any mirth so cordial to him, as his sport with God's fools. Every virtue hath his slander, and his jest to laugh it out of fashion: every vice his colour. His usuallest theme is the boast of his young sins, which he can still joy in, though he cannot commit; and (if it may be) his speech makes him worse than he is. He cannot think of death with patience, without terror, which he therefore fears worse than hell, because this he is sure of, the other he but doubts of. He comes to Church as to the Theatre, saving that not so willingly; for company, for custom, for recreation, perhaps for sleep, or to feed his eyes or his ears: as for his foul, he cares no more than if he had none. He love's none but himself, and that not enough to seek his true good; neither cares he on whom he treads, that he may rise. His life is full of licence, and his practice of outrage. He is hated of God, as much as he hateth goodness, and differs little from a Devil, but that he hath a body. Of the Malcontent. HE is neither well full nor fasting; and though he abound with complaints, yet nothing dislikes him but the present: for what he condemned while it was, once past he magnifies, and strives to recall it out of the jaws of Time. What he hath, he seethe not, his eyes are so taken up with what he wants; and what he sees, he cares not for, because he cares so much for that which is not. When his friend carves him the best morsel, he murmurs that it is an happy feast wherein each one may cut for himself. When a present is sent him, he asks, Is this all? and What, no better? and so accepts it, as if he would have his friend know how much he is bound to him for vouchsafing to receive it. It is hard to entertain him with a proportionable gift. If nothing, he cries out of unthankfulness; if little, that he is basely regarded; if much, he exclaims of flattery, and expectation of a large requital. Every blessing hath somewhat to disparage and distaste it: Children bring cares, single life is wild and solitary; eminency is envious, retiredness obscure; fasting painful; satiety unwieldy; Religion nicely severe; liberty is lawless; wealth burdensome; mediocrity contemptible: Every thing faulteth, either in too much, or too little. This man is ever headstrong, and self willed, neither is he always tied to esteem or pronounce according to reason; some things he must dislike he knows not wherefore, but he likes them not: and otherwhere rather than not censure, he will accuse a man of virtue. Every thing he meddleth with, he either findeth imperfect, or maketh so: neither is there any thing that soundeth so harsh in his ear, as the commendation of another, whereto yet perhaps he fashionably and coldly assenteth, but with such an after-clause of exception, as doth more than mar his former allowance, and if he list not to give a verbal disgrace, yet he shakes his head and smiles, as if his silence should say, I could and will not. And when himself is praised without excess, he complains that such imperfect kindness hath not done him right. If but an unseasonable shower cross his recreation, he is ready to fall out with heaven, and thinks he is wronged, if God will not take his times when to rain, when to shine. He is a slave to envy, and loseth flesh with fretting, not so much at his own infelicity, as at others good; neither hath he leisure to joy in his own blessings whilst another prospereth. Feign would he see some mutinies, but dares not raise them; and suffers his lawless tongue to walk thorough the dangerous paths of conceited alterations; but so, as in good manners he had rather thrust every man before him when it comes to acting. Nothing but fear keeps him from conspiracies, and no man is more cruel when he is not manacled with danger. He speaks nothing but Satyrs and Libels, and lodgeth no guests in his heart but Rebels. The inconstant and he agree well in their felicity, which both place in change: but herein they differ; the inconstant man affects that which will be, the malcontent commonly that which was. Finally, he is a querulous cur, whom no horse can pass by without barking at; yea, in the deep silence of night the very moonshine openeth his clamorous mouth: he is the wheel of a well-couched firework, that flies out on all sides, not without scorching itself. Every ear is long ago weary of him, and he is now almost weary of himself. Give him but a little respite, and he will die alone; of no other death, than others welfare. Of the Unconstant. THe inconstant man treads upon a moving earth, and keeps no pace. His proceed are ever heady and peremptory; for he hath not the patience to consult with reason, but determines merely upon fancy. No man is so hot in the pursuit of what he liketh; no man sooner weary. He is fiery in his passions, which yet are not more violent than momentany: it is a wonder if his love or hatred last so many days as a wonder. His heart is the Inn of all good motions, wherein if they lodge for a night, it is well; by morning they are gone, and take no leave: and if they come that way again, they are entertained as guests, not as friends. At first like another Ecebolius he loved simple truth, thence diverting his eyes, he fell in love with idolatry; those heathenish shrines had never any more doting and besotted client; and now of late he is leapt from Rome to Munster, and is grown to giddy Anabaptism: what he will be next, as yet he knoweth not; but ere he have wintered his opinion, it will be manifest. He is good to make an enemy of, ill for a friend; because as there is no trust in his affection, so no rancour in his displeasure. The multitude of his changed purposes brings with it forgetfulness; and not of others more than of himself. He says, swears, renounces, because what he promised, he meant not long enough to make an impression. Herein alone he is good for a Commonwealth, that he sets many on work, with building, ruining, altering; and makes more business than Time itself; neither is he a greater enemy to thrift, than to idleness. Propriety is to him enough cause of dislike; each thing pleases him better that is not his own. Even in the best things, long continuance is a just quarrel; Manna itself grows tedious with age, and Novelty is the highest style of commendation to the meanest offers: neither doth he in books and fashions ask How good, but, How new. Variety carries him away with delight, and no uniform pleasure can be without an irksome fullness. He is so transformable into all opinions, manners, qualities, that he seems rather made immediately of the first matter, than of well-tempered elements; and therefore is in possibility any thing or every thing; nothing in present substance. Finally, he is servile in imitation, wax to persuasions, witty to wrong himself, a guest in his own house, an Ape of others and in a word, any thing rather than himself. Of the Flatterer. Flattery is nothing but false friendship, fawning hypocrisy, dishonest civility, base merchandise of words, a plausible discord of the heart and lips. The Flatterer is blear-eyed to ill, and cannot see vices; and his tongue walks ever in one track of unjust praises, and can no more tell how to discommend, than to speak true. His speeches are full of wondering interjections; and all his titles are superlative, and both of them seldom ever but in presence. His base mind is well matched with a mercenary tongue, which is a willing slave to another man's ear; neither regardeth he how true, but how pleasing. His Art is nothing but delightful cozenage, whose rules are smoothing, and guarded with perjury; whose scope is to make men fools, in teaching them to overvalue themselves, and to tickle his friends to death. This man is a Porter of all good tales, and mends them in the carriage: One of Fame's best friends, and his own; that helps to furnish her with those rumours, that may advantage himself. Conscience hath no greater adversary; for when she is about to play her just part of accusation, he stops her mouth with good terms, and well-near strangleth her with shifts. Like that subtle fish, he turns himself into the colour of every stone, for a booty. In himself be is nothing, but what pleaseth his Great-one, whose virtues he cannot more extol, than imitate his imperfections, that he may think his worst graceful. Let him say it is hot, he wipes his forehead, and unbraceth himself; if cold, he shivers, and calls for a warmer garment. When he walks with his friend, he swears to him, that no man else is looked at; no man talked of; and that whomsoever he vouchsafes to look on and nod to, is graced enough: That he knows not his own worth, lest he should be too happy; and when he tells what others say in his praise, he interrupts himself modestly, and dares not speak the rest: so his concealment is more insinuating than his speech. He hangs upon the lips which he admireth, as if they could let fall nothing but Oracles, and finds occasion to cite some approved sentence, under the name he honoureth; and when aught is nobly spoken, both his hands are little enough to bless him. Sometimes even in absence he extolleth his Patron, where he may presume of safe conveyance to his ears; and in presence so whispereth his commendation to a common friend, that it may not be unheard where he meant it. He hath salves for every sore, to hide them, not to heal them; complexion for every face: sin hath not any more artificial Broker, or more impudent Bawd. There is no vice, that hath not from him his colour, his allurement; and his best service is, either to further guiltiness, or smother it. If he grant evil things inexpedient, or crimes errors, he hath yielded much; either thy estate gives privilege of liberty, or thy youth; or if neither, What if it be ill? yet it is pleasant. Honesty to him is nice singularity, repentance superstitious melancholy, gravity dulness, and all virtue, an innocent conceit of the baseminded. In short, he is the Moth of liberal men's coats, the Earwig of the mighty, the bane of Courts, a friend and a slave to the trencher, and good for nothing but to be a factor for the Devil. Of the Slothful. HE is a religious man, and wears the time in his Cloister; and as the cloak of his doing nothing, pleads contemplation; yet is he no whit the leaner for his thoughts, no whit learneder. He takes no less care how to spend time, than others how to gain by the expense; and when business importunes him, is more troubled to forethink what he must do, than another to effect it. Summer is out of his favour, for nothing but long days that make no haste to their even. He love's still to have the Sun witness of his rising; and lies long, more for loathness to dress him, than will to sleep: and after some streaking and yawning, calls for dinner, unwashed; which having digested with a sleep in his chair, he walks forth to the bench in the Marketplace, and looks for Companions: whomsoever he meets, he stays with idle questions, and lingering discourse; how the days are lengthened, how kindly the weather is, how false the clock, how forward the Spring, and ends ever with What shall we do? It pleases him no less to hinder others, than not to work himself. When all the people are gone from Church, he is left sleeping in his seat alone. He enters bonds, and forfeits them by forgetting the day; and asks his neighbour when his own field was fallowed, whether the next piece of ground belong not to himself. His care is either none, or too late: when Winter is come, after some sharp visitations, he looks on his pile of wood, and asks how much was cropped the last Spring. Necessity drives him to every action, and what he cannot avoid, he will yet defer. Every change troubles him, although to the better; and his dulness counterfeits a kind of contentment. When he is warned on a jury, he had rather pay the mulct, than appear. All but that which Nature will not permit, he doth by a Deputy, and counts it troublesome to do nothing; but to do any thing yet more. He is witty in nothing but framing excuses to sit still, which if the occasion yield not, he coineth with ease. There is no work that is not either dangerous, or thankless, and whereof he foresee not the inconvenience and gainlesnesse before he enters; which if it be verified in event, his next idleness hath found a reason to patronise it. He had rather freeze than fetch wood, and chooses rather to steal than work; to beg than take pains to steal, and in many things to want than beg. He is so loath to leave his neighbour's fire, that he is fain to walk home in the dark; and if he be not looked to, wears out the night in the chimney corner; or if not that, lies down in his clothes to save two labours. He eats and prays himself asleep; and dreams of no other torment but work. This man is a standing Pool, and cannot choose but gather corruption: he is descried amongst a thousand neighbours by a dry and nasty hand, that still savours of the sheet; a beard uncut, unkembed; an eye and ear yellow, with their excretions; a coat shaken on, ragged, unbrusht; by linen and face striving whether shall excel in uncleanness. For body he hath a swollen leg, a dusky and swinish eye, a blown cheek, a drawling tongue, an heavy foot, and is nothing but a colder earth moulded with standing water. To conclude, is a man in nothing but in speech and shape. Of the Covetous. HE is a servant to himself, yea to his servant; and doth base homage to that which should be the worst drudge. A liveless piece of earth is his master, yea his God, which he shrines in his coffer, and to which he sacrifices his heart. Every face of his coin is a new image, which he adores with the highest veneration; yet takes upon him to be Protector of that he worshippeth: which he fears to keep, and abhors to lose: not daring to trust either any other god, or his own. Like a true Chemist he turns every thing into Silver, both what he should eat, and what he should wear; and that he keeps to look on, not to use. When he returns from his field, he asks, not without much rage, what became of the lose crust in his cupboard, and who hath rioted among his Leeks. He never eats good meal, but on his neighbour's trencher; and there he makes amends to his complaining stomach for his former and future fasts. He bids his neighbours to dinner, and when they have done, sends in a trencher for the shot. Once in a year perhaps, he gives himself leave to feast, and for the time thinks no man more lavish; wherein he lists not to fetch his dishes from fare; nor will be beholden to the shambles, his own provision shall furnish his board with an insensible cost, and when his guests are parted, talks how much every man devoured, and how many cups were emptied, and feeds his family with the mouldy remnants a month after. If his servant break but an earthen dish for want of light, he abates it out of his quarters wages. He chips his bread, and sends it back to exchange for staler. He lets money, and sells Time for a price; and will not be importuned either to prevent or defer his day; and in the mean time looks for secret gratuities, besides the main interest which he sells and returns into the stock. He breeds of Money to the third generation; neither hath it sooner any being, than he sets it to beget more. In all things he affects secrecy and propriety: he grudgeth his neighbour the water of his Well: and next to stealing, he hates borrowing. In his short and unquiet sleeps he dreams of thiefs, and runs to the door, and names more men than he hath. The least sheaf he ever culls out for Tithe; and to rob God, holds it the best pastime, the clearest gain. This man cries out above others, of the prodigality of our times, and tells of the thrift of our forefathers: How that great Prince thought himself royally attired, when he bestowed thirteen shillings and four pence on half a suit. How one wedding gown served our Grandmothers, till they exchanged it for a winding sheet; and praises plainness, not for less sin, but for less cost. For himself he is still known by his forefather's coat, which he means with his blessing, to bequeath to the many descents of his heirs. He neither would be poor, nor be accounted rich. No man complains so much of want, to avoid a Subsidy; no man is so importunate in begging, so cruel in exaction; and when he most complains of want, he fears that which he complains to have. No way is indirect to wealth; whether of fraud or violence. Gaine is his godliness; which if conscience go about to prejudice, and grow troublesome by exclaiming against, he is condemned for a common Barretor. Like another Ahab, he is sick of the next field, and thinks he is ill seated, while he dwells by neighbours. Shortly, his neighbours do not much more hate him, than he himself. He cares not (for no great advantage) to lose his friend, pine his body, damn his soul; and would dispatch himself when corn falls, but that he is loath to cast away money on a cord. Of the Vainglorious. ALL his humour rises up into the froth of ostentation; which if it once settle, falls down into a narrow room. If the excess be in the understanding part, all his wit is in print; the Press hath left his head empty; yea, not only what he had, but what he could borrow without leave. If his glory be in his devotion, he gives not an Alms but on record; and if he have once done well, God hears of it often; for upon every unkindness he is ready to upbraid him with merits. Over and above his own discharge, he hath some satisfactions to spare for the common treasure. He can fulfil the Law with ease, and earn God with superfluity. If he have bestowed but a little sum in the glazing, paving, parieting of God's house, you shall find it in the Church-window. Or if a more gallant humour possess him, he wears all his land on his back; and walking high, looks over his left shoulder, to see if the point of his Rapier follow him with a Grace. He is proud of another man's horse; and well mounted, thinks every man wrongs him, that looks not at him. A bare head in the street, doth him more good than a meal's meat. He swears big at an Ordinary, and talks of the Court with a sharp accent; neither vouchsafes to name any not honourable, nor those without some term of familiarity; and likes well to see the hearer look upon him amazedly, as if he said, How happy is this man that is so great with Great-Ones! Under pretence of seeking for a scroll of news, he draws out an handful of letters endorsed with his own style, to the height: and half reading every title, passes over the latter part, with a murmur; not without signifying, what Lord sent this, what great Lady the other; and for what suits; the last paper (as it happens) is his news from his honourable friend in the French Court. In the midst of dinner, his Lackey comes sweeting in, with a sealed note from his Creditor, who now threatens a speedy arrest, and whispers the ill news in his Master's ear, when he aloud names a Counsellor of State, and professes to know the employment. The same messenger he calls with an imperious nod; and after expostulation, where he hath left his fellows, in his ear sends him for some new spur-leathers or stockings by this time footed; and when he is gone half the room, recals him, and saith aloud, It is no matter, Let the greater bag alone till I come; and yet again calling him closer, whispers (so that all the table may hear) that if his crimson suit be ready against the day, the rest need no haste. He picks his teeth when his stomach is empty, and calls for Pheasants at a common Inn. You shall find him prising the richest jewels, and fairest horses, when his purse yields not money enough for earnest. He thrusts himself into the press, before some great Ladies; and love's to be seen near the head of a great train. His talk is how many Mourners he furnished with gowns at his Father's funerals, how many messes, how rich his Coat is, and how ancient, how great his alliance: what challenges he hath made and answered; what exploits he did at Cales or Newport; and when he hath commended others buildings, furnitures, suits, compares them with his own. When he hath undertaken to be the Broker for some rich Diamond, he wears it; and pulling off his Glove to struck up his hair, thinks no eye should have any other object. Entertaining his friend, he chides his Cook for no better cheer, and names the dishes he meant, and wants. To conclude, he is ever on the Stage, and acts still a glorious part abroad, when no man caries a base heart, no man is more sordid and careless at home. He is a Spanish Soldier on an Italian Theatre; a Bladder full of wind, a skin full of words, a fool's wonder, and a wise man's fool. Of the Presumptuous. PResumption is nothing but hope out of his wits, an high house upon weak pillars. The presumptuous man love's to attempt great things, only because they are hard and rare: his actions are bold and venturous, and more full of hazard than use. He hoiseth sail in a tempest, and saith, never any of his Ancestors were drowned: he goes into an infected house, and says, the plague dares not seize on noble blood: he runs on high battlements, gallops down steep hills, rides over narrow bridges, walks on weak Ice, and never thinks, What if I fall? but, What if I run over and fall not? He is a confident Alchemist, and braggeth, that the womb of his Furnace hath conceived a burden that will do all the world good: which yet he desires secretly borne, for fear of his own bondage: in the mean time, his Glass breaks; yet he upon better luting lays wagers of the success, and promiseth wedges beforehand to his friend. He saith, I will sinne, and be sorry, and escape; either God will not see, or not be angry, or not punish it; or remit the measure. If I do well, he is just to reward; if ill, he is merciful to forgive. Thus his praises wrong God no less than his offence; and hurt himself no less than they wrong God. Any pattern is enough to encourage him: show him the way where any foot hath trod, he dare follow, although he see no steps returning; what if a thousand have attempted, and miscarried; if but one have prevailed, it sufficeth. He suggests to himself false hopes of never too late; as if he could command either Time or repentance: and dare defer the expectation of mercy, till betwixt the bridge and the water. Give him but where to set his foot, and he will remove the earth. He fore knows the mutations of States, the events of war, the temper of the seasons; either his old prophecy tells it him, or his stars. Yea, he is no stranger to the Records of Gods secret counsel, but he turns them over, and copies them out at pleasure. I know not whether in all his enterprises he show less fear, or wisdom: no man promises himself more, no man more believes himself. I will go and sell, and return and purchase, and spend and leave my sons such estates; all which if it succeed, he thanks himself; if not, he blames not himself. His purposes are measured, not by his ability, but his will, and his actions by his purposes. Lastly, he is ever credulous in assent, rash in undertaking, peremptory in resolving, witless in proceeding, and in his ending miserable; which is never other, than either the laughter of the wise, or the pity of fools. Of the Distrustful. THE distrustful man hath his heart in his eyes, or in his hand; nothing is sure to him but what he sees, what he handles. He is either very simple, or very false; and therefore believes not others, because he knows how little himself is worthy of belief. In spiritual things, either God must leave a pawn with him, or seek some other Creditor. All absent things and unusual, have no other, but a conditional entertainment: they are strange, if true. If he see two neighbours whisper in his presence, he bids them speak out, and charges them to say no more than they can justify. When he hath committed a message to his servant, he sends a second after him, to listen how it is delivered. He is his own Secretary, and of his own counsel, for what he hath, for what he purposeth: and when he tells over his bags, looks thorough the keyhole, to see if he have any hidden witness, and asks aloud, Who is there? when no man hears him. He borrows money when he needs not, for fear lest others should borrow of him. He is ever timorous, and cowardly; and asks every man's errand at the door, ere he opens. After his first sleep, he starts up, and asks if the furthest gate were barred, and out of a fearful sweat calls up his servant, and bolts the door after him; and then studies whether it were better to lie still and believe, or rise and see. Neither is his heart fuller of fears, than his head full of strange projects, and far-fetched constructions: What means the State, think you, in such an action, and whither tends this course? Learn ●●●e (if you know not:) the ways of deep policies are secret, and full of unknown windings; that is their act, this will be their issue: so casting beyond the Moon, he makes wise and just proceed suspected. In all his predictions, and imaginations, he ever lights upon the worst; not what is most likely will fall out, but what is most ill. There is nothing that he takes not with the left hand: no text which his gloss corrupts not. Words, oaths, parchments, seals, are but broken Reeds; these shall never deceive him; he love's no payments but real. If but one in an age have miscarried by a rare casualty, he misdoubts the same event. If but a Tile fall'n from an high roof, have brained a passenger, or the breaking of a Coach-wheel have endangered the burden, he swears he will keep home, or take him to his horse. He dares not come to Church, for fear of the crowd; not spare the Sabbaths labour, for fear of the want; nor come near the Parliament house, because it should have been blown up. What might have been, affects him as much as what will be. Argue, vow, protest, swear; he hears thee, and believes himself. He is a Sceptic, and dare hardly give credit to his senses, which he hath often arraigned of false intelligence. He so life's, as if he thought all the world were thiefs, and were not sure whether himself were one. He is uncharitable in his censures, unquiet in his fears; bad enough always, but in his own opinion much worse than he is. Of the Ambitious. AMbition is a proud covetousness, a dry thirst of honour, the longing disease of reason, an aspiring, and gallant madness. The ambitious climbs up high and perilous stairs, and never cares how to come down; the desire of rising hath swallowed up his fear of a fall. Having once cleaved (like a Burr) to some great man's coat, he resolves not to be shaken off with any small indignities, and finding his hold thoroughly fast, casts how to insinuate yet nearer; and therefore he is busy and servile in his endeavours to please, and all his officious respects turn home to himself. He can be at once a slave to command, an Intelligencer to inform, a Parasite to sooth and flatter, a Champion to defend, an Executioner to revenge any thing for an advantage of favour. He hath projected a plot to rise, and woe be to the friend that stands in his way. He still haunteth the Court, and his unquiet spirit haunteth him; which having fetched him from the secure peace of his Country-rest, sets him new and impossible tasks; and after many disappointments, incourages him to try the same sea in spite of his shipwrecks, and promises better success. A small hope gives him heart against great difficulties, and draws on new expense, new servility; persuading him (like foolish boys) to shoot away a second shaft, that he may find the first. He yields, and now secure of the issue, applauds himself in that honour, which he still affecteth, still misseth; and for the last of all trials, will rather bribe for a troublesome preferment, than return void of a title. But now when he finds himself desperately crossed, and at once spoiled both of advancement and hope, both of fruition and possibility, all his desire is turned into rage, his thirst is now only of revenge; his tongue sounds of nothing but detraction and slander: Now the place he sought for, is base, his rival unworthy, his adversary injurious, officers corrupt, Court infectious; and how well is he that may be his own man, his own master; that may live safely in a mean distance, at pleasure, free from starving, free from burning? But if his designs speed well; ere he be warm in that seat, his mind is possessed of an higher. What he hath, is but a degree to what he would have: now he scorneth what he formerly aspired to; his success doth not give him so much contentment, as provocation; neither can he be at rest, so long as he hath one, either to overlook, or to match, or to emulate him. When his Country-friend comes to visit him, he carries him up to the a●●full Presence; and now in his sight crowding nearer to the Chair of State, desires to be looked on, desires to be spoken to by the greatest, and studies how to offer an occasion, lest he should seem unknown, unregarded; and if any gesture of the least grace fall happily upon him, he looks back upon his friend, lest he should carelessly let it pass, without a note: and what he wanteth in sense, he supplies in History. His disposition is never but shamefully unthankful: for unless he have all, he hath nothing. It must be a large draught, whereof he will not say, that those few drops do not slake, but inflame him: so still he thinks himself the worse for small favours. His wit so contrives the likely plots of his promotion, as if he would steal it away without God's knowledge, besides his will: neither doth he ever look up, and consult in his forecasts, with the supreme Moderator of all things; as one that thinks honour is ruled by Fortune, and that heaven meddleth not with the disposing of these earthly lots: and therefore it is just with that wise GOD to defeat his fairest hopes, and to bring him to a loss in the hottest of his chase; and to cause honour to fly away so much the faster, by how much it is more eagerly pursued. Finally, he is an importunate suitor, a corrupt client, a violent undertaker, a smooth Factor, but untrusty, a restless master of his own; a Bladder puffed up with the wind of hope, and self-love. He is in the common body, as a Mole in the earth, ever unquietly casting; and in one word, is nothing but a confused heap of envy, pride, covetousness. Of the Unthrift. HE ranges beyond his pale, and lives without compass. His expense is measured, not by ability, but will. His pleasures are immoderate, and not honest. A wanton eye, a liquorish tongue, a gamesome hand have impoverished him. The vulgar sort call him bountiful, and applaud him while he spends, and recompense him with wishes when he gives, with pity when he wants. Neither can it be denied that he reached true liberality, but over-went it. No man could have lived more laudably, if when he was at the best, he had stayed there. While he is present, none of the wealthier guests may pay aught to the shot, without much vehemency, without danger of unkindness. Use hath made it unpleasant to him, not to spend. He is in all things more ambitious of the title of good fellowship, than of wisdom. When he looks into the wealthy chest of his Father, his conceit suggests that it cannot be emptied; and while he takes out some deal every day, he perceives not any diminution; and when the heap is sensibly abated, yet still flatters himself with enough. One hand cousins the other, and the belly deceives both: he doth not so much bestow benefits, as scatter them. True merit doth not carry them, but smoothness of adulation. His senses are too much his guides, and his purveyors; and appetite is his steward. He is an impotent servant to his lusts; and knows not to govern either his mind or his purse. Improvidence is ever the companion of unthriftiness: This man cannot look beyond the present, and neither thinks, nor cares what shall be; much less suspects what may be: and while he lavishes out his substance in superfluities, thinks he only knows what the world is worth, and that others overprize it. He feels poverty before he sees it, never complains till he be pinched widi wants; never spares till the bottom, when it is too late either to spend or recover. He is every man's friend save his own, and then wrongs himself most, when he courteth himself with most kindness. He vies Time with the slothful, and it is an hard match, whether chases away good hours to worse purpose; the one by doing nothing, or the other by idle pastime. He hath so dilated himself with the beams of prosperity, that he lies open to all dangers, and cannot gather up himself, on just warning, to avoid a mischief. He were good for an Almoner, ill for a Steward. Finally, he is the living tomb of his forefathers, of his posterity; and when he hath swallowed both, is more empty than before he devoured them. Of the Envious. HE feeds on others evils, and hath no disease but his neighbour's welfare: whatsoever God do for him, he cannot be happy with company; and if he were put to choose, whether he would rather have equals in a common felicity, or superiors in misery, he would demur upon the election. His eye casts out too much, and never returns home, but to make comparisons with another's good. He is an ill prizer of foreign commodity; worse of his own; for, that he rates too high, this under value. You shall have him ever enquiring into the estates of his equals and betters; wherein he is not more desirous to hear all, than loath to heat any thing overgood: and if just report relate aught better than he would, he redoubles the question, as being hard to believe what he likes not; and hopes yet, if that be averred again to his grief, that there is somewhat concealed in the relation, which if it were known, would argue the commended party miserable, and blemish him with secret shame. He is ready to quarrel with God, because the next field is fairer grown; and angrily calculates his cost, and time, and tillage. Whom he dares not openly backbite, nor wound with a direct censure, he strike smoothly with an over-cold praise; and when he sees that he must either maliciously oppugn the just praise of another, (which were unsafe) or approve it by assent, he yields; but shows withal that his means were such, both by nature and education, that he could not, without much neglect, be less commendable: so his happiness shall be made the colour of detraction. When an wholesome law is propounded, he crosseth it, either by open, or close opposition; not for any incommodity or inexpedience, but because it proceeded from any mouth besides his own. And it must be a cause rarely plausible, that will not admit some probable contradiction. When his equal should rise to honour, he strives against it unseen; and rather with much cost suborneth great adversaries; and when he sees his resistance vain, he can give an hollow gratulation in presence; but in secret, disparages that advancement; either the man is unfit for the place, or the place for the man: or if fit, yet less gainful, or more common than opinion: whereto he adds, that himself might have had the same dignity upon better terms, and refused it. He is witty in devising suggestions, to bring his Rival out of love, into suspicion. If he be courteous, he is seditiously popular; if bountiful, he binds over his clients to a faction; if successful in war, he is dangerous in peace; if wealthy, he lays up for a day; if powerful, nothing wants but opportunity of rebellion. His submission is ambitious hypocrisy; his religion, politic insinuation; no action is safe from a jealous construction. When he receives a good report of him whom he emulates, he saith, Fame is partial, and is wont to blanche mischiefs; and pleaseth himself with hope to find it worse; and if Ill-will have dispersed any more spiteful narration, he lays hold on that, against all witnesses, and broacheth that rumour for truest, because worst: and when he sees him perfectly miserable, he can at once pity him, and rejoice. What himself cannot do, others shall not: he hath gained well, if he have hindered the success of what he would have done, and could not. He conceals his best skill, not so as it may not be known that he knows it, but so as it may not be learned; because he would have the world miss him. He attained to a sovereign medicine, by the secret Legacy of a dying Empiric, whereof he will leave no heir, lest the praise should be divided. Finally, he is an enemy to God's favours, if they fall beside himself; the best nurse of ill Fame; a man of the worst diet; for he consumes himself; and delights in pining; a thorne-hedge covered with nettles; a peevish Interpreter of good things, and no other than a lean and pale carcase quickened with a Fiend. FINIS. SALOMON'S DIVINE ARTS, OF 1. ETHICS. 2. POLITICS. 3. ECONOMICS. THAT IS, THE GOVERNMENT OF 1. BEHAVIOUR. 2. COMMONWEALTH. 3. FAMILY. DRAWN INTO METHOD, OUT of his PROVERBS and ECCLESIASTES. With an open and plain Paraphrase upon the SONG OF SONGS. By IOS. HALL.. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, AND HOPEFUL LORD, ROBERT, Earl of Essex, my singular good Lord, all increase of Grace and true HONOUR. RIGHT HONOURABLE, Whilst I desired to congratulate your happy return with some worthy present; I fell upon this: which I dare not only offer, but commend; the royalest Philosopher and wisest King, giving you those precepts, which the Spirit of God gave him. The matter is all his: nothing is mine, but the method, which I do willingly submit to censure. In that, he could not err: in this, I cannot but have erred, either in Art, or application, or sense, or disorder, or defect: yet not wilfully. I have meant it well, and faithfully to the Church of God, and to your Honour, as one of her great hopes. If any man shall cavil, that I have gone about to correct Salomons order, or to control Ezekias' servants: I complain both of his charity, and wisdom; and appeal to more lawful judgement. Let him as well say, that every Concordance perverts the Text. I have only endeavoured to be the common place-booke of that great King, and to refer his Divine rules to their heads, for more ease of finding, for better memory, for readier use. See how that God, whose wisdom thought good to bereave mankind of salomon's profound Commentaries of Nature, hath reserved these his Divine Morals, to outlive the world; as knowing, that those would but feed man's curiosity, these would both direct his life, and judge it. He hath not done this without expectation of our good, and glory to himself: which if we answer, the gain is ours. I know how little need there is, either to entreat your Lordship's acceptation, or to advice your use. It is enough to have humbly presented them to your hands, and through them to the Church: the desire of whose good is my good; yea, my recompense and glory. The same God, whose hand hath led and returned you in safety, from all foreign evils, guide your ways at home, and graciously increase you in the ground of all true honour, Goodness. My prayers shall ever follow you: Who vow myself your Honours in all humble and true duty, IOS. HALL.. SALOMON'S ETHICS, OR MORALS, IN FOUR BOOKS. The 1. Of FELICITY, 2. Of PRUDENCE, 3. Of JUSTICE, 4. Of TEMPERANCE, FORTITUDE. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. SALOMON'S ETHICS, OR GOVERNMENT OF Behaviour and Manners. THE FIRST BOOK. FELICITY. § 1. Of Ethics in common. The description. The chief end, which is Felicity. ETHICS is a Doctrine of wisdom and knowledge to live well, Ec. 1.17. Ec. 7. ●7. and of the madness and foolishness of vice: or instruction to do wisely by justice, and judgement, and equity, and to do good in our life. Pr. 1.3. The end whereof is, to see and attain that chief goodness of the children of men, Ec. 3.12. Ec. 3.2. which they enjoy under the Sun, the whole number of the days of their life. § 2. Wherein Felicity is not. Not in pleasure, Not in wealth: for herein is 1 No satisfaction. 2 Increased expense. 3 Restlessness. 4 Want of fruition. 5 Uncertainty. 6 Necessity of leaving it. WHich consists not in pleasure; for I said in mine heart, Go to now, Ec. 2.1. I will prove thee with joy, therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things; yea, I withdrew not my heart from any joy: Ec. 2.10. Ec. 2.25. Ec. 2.1. for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and who could eat, and who could haste to outward things more than I? and behold, this also is vanity. Not in riches. 1. For he that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver, Ec. 5.9. and he that loveth riches, shall be without the fruit of them: this also is vanity. 2. When riches increase, they are increased that eat them: Ec. 5.10. Ec. 5.11. and what good cometh to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes? yea much evil; for whereas the sleep of him that traveleth is sweet, whether he eat little or much; Ec. 5.12. contrarily, The satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep; so there is an evil sickness, which I have seen under the sun, riches reserved to the owners thereof, for their evil, and ofter, not for their good: for there is another evil, Ec. 6.1. Ec. 6.2. which I have seen under the Sun, and it is frequent among men; A man to whom God hath given riches, and treasures, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul, of all it desireth; but God giveth him no power thereof; Pr. 27.24. Pr. 23.5. Ec. 5.14. and if he have that, yet how long? Riches remain not always, but taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flieth to the heavens. And for their owner, As he came forth of his mother's belly, he shall return naked, to go as he came, and shall bear away nothing of his labour, which he caused to pass by his hand: And this is also an evil sickness, Ec. 5.15. that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he, that he hath traveled for the wind? §. 3. Not in magnificence of estate, Royalty, great attendance, of works, planting, gathering Treasures, building, etc. Ec. 1.12. Ec. 1.16. Ec. 2.9. Ec. 2.4. Ec. 2.5. NOt in honour and magnificence. I the Preacher have been King over Israel in jerusalem, and I was great, and increased above all that were before me in jerusalem, which also I shown in effect; for I made me great works, I built me houses, I planted me Vineyards, I made me Gardens and Orchards, and planted in them Trees of all fruits; Ec. 2.6. Ec. 2.7. I made me Ponds of water, to water therewith the woods that grow with trees; I got men servants, and maids, and had children borne in the house; also I had great possessions of beefs, and sheep, above all that were before me in jerusalem; I gathered to me also silver and gold, Ec. 2.8. and the chief treasures of Kings and Provinces; I provided Men-singers, and Women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical consorts of all kinds. Can. 3.9. Can. 3.10. Yea, I King Solomon made myself a Palace of the trees of Lebanon; I made the pillars thereof of silver, and the pavement thereof of gold; the hangings thereof of purple, whose mids was paved with the love of the daughters of Israel: Ec. 2.11. Ec. 2.12. Then I looked on all my works that my hands had wrought, (as who is the man that will compare with the King in things which men now have done?) and on the travel that I laboured to do; Ec. 2.11. and behold, all is vanity, and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the Sun. §. 4. Long life and issue rejected, for certain end, unperfect satisfaction, remembrance and continuance of darkness. Ec. 6.3. NOt in long life, and plenteous issue: for If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, and the days of his years be multiplied, and his soul be not satisfied with good things, and he be not buried, I say, that an untimely fruit is better than he. For he cometh into vanity, and goeth into darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness: Ec. 6.4. Ec. 6.5. Also, he hath not seen the Sun, nor known it; therefore this hath more rest than the other: And if he had lived a thousand years twice told, and had seen no good; shall not all go to one place? and howsoever, the light surely is a pleasant thing, Ec. 6.6. and it is good for the eyes to see the Sun; yet though a man live many years, Ec. 11.7. Ec. 11.8. and in them all he rejoice; if he shall remember the days of darkness, because they are many, all that cometh, is Vanity. §. 5. Knowledge. Though better than folly; yet rejected upon experience, indifferency of events, imperfection. NOt in learning, and humane knowledge. I have given my heart to search and find out wisdom, in all things that are done under the heaven, Eccl. 1.13. (this sore travel hath God given the sons of men to humble them thereby) yea, I thought in mine heart and said, Behold, I have amplified and increased wisdom, above all them that have been before me, in the Court and University of jerusalem, Eccl. 1.16. and mine heart hath seen much wisdom and knowledge: Ec. 2.9. for (when I was at the wildest) my wisdom remained with me: Then I saw indeed, that there is profit in wisdom more than in folly, as the light is more excellent than darkness: For the wise man's eyes are in his head, Ec. 2.13. but the fool walketh in darkness: but yet, Ec. 2.14. I know that the same condition falleth to them all. Then I thought in mine heart, It befalleth to me as it befalleth to the fool; Ec. 2.15. why therefore do I labour to be more wise? For what hath the Wiseman more than the fool? There shall be no remembrance of the wise, nor of the fool for ever: Ec. 6.8. Ec. 2.16. for that that now is, in the days to come shall be forgotten; and how dieth the Wiseman? as doth the fool: Besides the imperfection of the best knowledge; for the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing: I thought I would be wise, Ec. 1.8. Ec. 7.25. but it went far from me; it is fare off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepness, who can find it? yea, so fare is it from giving contentment, Ec. 1.18. that in the multitude of wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. Lastly, not in any humane thing: Ec. 1.14. for I have considered all the works that are done under the Sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. §. 6. Wherein Felicity is, i. In approving ourselves too God. From hence Life, Blessing, Favour, joy, Preservation, Prosperity, Long life, etc. WHerein then doth it consist? Let us hear the end of all, Fear God, Ec. 12.13. and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole of Man, the whole duty, Pr. 12 24. Pr. 11 19 the whole scope, the whole happiness; for Life is in the way of righteousness, and in that path there is no death; and attending thereon, Pr. 20.6. Pr. 12.2. all Blessings are upon the head of the righteous. Wouldst thou have favour? A good man getteth favour of the Lord. joy? The righteous shall sing and rejoice; and surely to a man that is good in his sight, Pr. 29.6. Ec. 2.26. God giveth wisdom and knowledge and joy; so that the light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the candle of the wicked shall be put out. Preservation and deliverance? Lo, Pr. 13.9. Pr. 10.25. Pr. 10.29. Pr. 10.30. Pr. 11.4. Pr. 12.13. Pr. 11.8. Pr. 13.6. Pr. 15.6. Pr. 14.11. Pr. 10.27. Pr. 12.7. Ec. 8.12. Pr. 10.24. Pr. 29.18. the righteous is an everlasting foundation; for the way of the Lord is strength to the upright man, so as the righteous shall never be removed; and if he be in trouble; Riches avail not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivereth from death; so the righteous shall come out of adversity, and escape out of trouble, and the wicked shall come in his stead; thus every way Righteousness preserveth the upright in heart. Prosperity and wealth? The house of the righteous shall have much treasure, and his tabernacle shall flourish. Long life? The fear of the Lord increaseth the days; and not only himself, but his house shall stand. And though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and God prolong his days, yet know I that it shall be well to them that fear the Lord, and do reverence before him. And lastly, whatsoever good? God will grant the desire of the righteous, and he that keepeth the Law, is blessed. §. 7. In the estate of wickedness, our good things are accursed. Wealth, Life, Fame, Devotions; Prayers, Sacrifices. Evil inflicted; of Loss, Paine, Affliction, Death, Damnation. Pr. 10.2. Pr. 10.3. COntrarily, there is perfect misery in wickedness. Look on all that might seem good in this estate, Wealth. The treasures of the wicked profit nothing; the Lord will not famish the soul of the righteous, but he either casteth away the substance of the wicked, Pr. 13.25. so that the belly of the wicked shall want, or else employeth it to the good of his: for the wicked shall be a ransom for the just; Pr. 21.18. Ec. 2.26. and to the sinner God giveth pain to gather and to heap, to give to him that is good before God. The wicked man may be rich: Pr. 15.6. Pr. 10.27. Pr. 10.25. Pr. 12.7. Pr. 2.22. Ec. 8.13. but how? The revenues of the wicked is trouble. Life; The years of the wicked shall be diminished: As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more; for God overthroweth the wicked, and they are not. Whatsoever therefore their hope be, the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rotten out; It shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days; he shall be like to a shadow, because he feared not God; Pr. 14.11. Pr. 10.7. yea the very house of the wicked shall be destroyed. Fame: Whereas the memorial of the just shall be blessed, the name of the wicked shall rot: yea, look upon his best endeavours; Pr. 15.29. Pr. 28.9. his Prayers. The Lord is fare off from the wicked, but heareth the prayer of the righteous: fare off from accepting. For He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, Pr. 15.8. even his prayer shall be abominable; His sacrifice (though well intended) as all the rest of his ways, is no better than abomination to the Lord; how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind? Pr. 15.9. Pr. 21.27. Pr. 12.26. Pr. 10.18. Pr. 13.9. Pr. 11.18. Pr. 26.10. Pr. 13.21. Pr. 5.22. Pr. 10.6. Pr. 29.6. Pr. 11.5. Pr. 13.6. Pr. 33.3. Pr. 11.31. Pr. 10.24. Pr. 5.23. And as no good, so much evil, whether of loss: The way of the wicked will deceive them; their hope shall perish, especially when they die; their candle shall be put out, their works shall prove deceitful: Or of pain; for the Excellent that form all things, rewardeth the fool, and the transgressor; and he hath appointed, that Affliction should follow sinners: Fellow, yea overtake them: His own iniquity shall take the wicked himself, and cover his mouth; and he shall be holden with the cords of his own sin: even in the transgression of the evil man is his snare; so the wicked shall fall in his own wickedness, for of it own self, iniquity overthroweth the sinner: But besides that, the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished: behold the righteous shall be paid upon earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner? That than which the wicked man feareth, shall come upon him; both, Death; He shall die for default of instruction, Pr. 11.19. Pr. 1●. 32. Pr. 15.11. Pr. 12.2. Pr. 10.29. Pr. 19.29. and that by his own hands: for, by following evil he seeks his own death; and after that damnation; The wicked shall be cast away for his malice: Hell and destruction are before the Lord; and a man of wicked imaginations will he condemned; so both in life, in death, after it, nothing but Terror shall be for the workers of iniquity: where contrarily, The fear of the Lord leadeth to life; and he that is filled therewith, shall contive, and shall not be visited with evil. SALOMON'S ETHICS. THE SECOND BOOK. PRUDENCE. §. 1. Of Virtue: Wherein it consisteth. Whereby it is ruled and directed. Virtue consists in the mean; vice in the extremes. Pr. 4.26. Pr. 4.27. Let thy ways be ordered aright; Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left, but remove thy foot from evil; The rule whereof it Gods Law: Pr. 6.23. Pr. 30.5. Pr. 4.20. Pr. 4.21. Pr. 4.22. for the commandment is a Lantern, and instruction a light; and every word of God is pure. My son hearken to my words, incline thine ear to my sayings; let them not departed from thine eyes, but keep them in the midst of thine heart. For, they are life unto those that find them, and health unto all their flesh. Pr. 7.2. Pr. 7.3. Keep my Commandments, and thou shalt live, and mine instruction as the apple of thine eye: Bind them upon thy fingers, and write them upon the Table of thine heart. All virtue is either Prudence, justice, Temperance, Fortitude. 1. Of Prudence: which comprehends Wisdom, Providence, Discretion. §. 2. Of wisdom; the Description; Effects, It procures Knowledge, Safety from sin, from judgement. Good direction for actions, for words. Wealth, Honour, Life. THe prudent man is he, whose eyes are in his head to see all things, and to foresee: Ec. 2.14. Ec. 10.2. Pr. 8.12. Pr. 14.8. Pr. 9.12. Pr. 3.13. and whose heart is at his right hand to do all dexterously, and with judgement. Wisdom dwells with Prudence, and findeth forth knowledge, and counsels. And to describe it: The wisdom of the Prudent is to understand his way; his own: If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: An excellent virtue, for Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, Pr. 3.14. Pr. 16.16. Pr. 3.15. Pr. 3.16. Pr. 3.17. Pr. 3.18. Pr. 15.14. Pr. 18.15. Pr. 19.2. Pr. 10.14. Pr. 13.16. Pr. 14.18. Pr. 2.10. Pr. 2.11. Pr. 2.12. Pr. 2.13. Pr. 15.24. Pr. 8.20. Pr. 16.23. Pr. 10.12. and getteth understanding: The merchandise thereof is better than silver, and the gain thereof is better than gold: It is more precious than pearls, and all the things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and glory: Her ways are ways of pleasure, and all her paths prosperity: She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, and blessed is he that receiveth her. The fruits of it are singular: for first, A wise heart doth not only seek, but get knowledge, without which the mind is not good: and the care of the wise, learning: And not get it only, but lay it up, and not so only, but works by it: and yet more, is crowned with it. Besides knowledge, here is safety. When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge delighteth thy soul, then shall counsel preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee: and deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh froward things, and from them that leave the ways of righteousness, to walk in the ways of darkness: and as from sin, so from judgement. The way of life is on high, the prudent to avoid from hell beneath. Thirdly, good direction. 1. For actions: Wisdom causeth to walk in the way of righteousness, and in the mids of the paths of judgement. 2. For words, The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely, and addeth doctrine to his lips: Pr. 19.25. Pr. 8.21. So that the words of the mouth of a wise man have grace: yea, he receives grace from others. Either instruct or reprove the Prudent, and he will understand knowledge. Ec. 8.11. Pr. 3.35. Pr. 16.22. Not to speak of wealth: she causeth them that love her, to inherit substance, and filleth their treasures: she giveth not only honour: for the wisdom of a man doth make his face to shine, and the wise man shall inherit glory; but life: Understanding is a wellspring of life, to him that hath it: and he that findeth me (saith Wisdom) findeth life, Pr. 8.34. Pr. 4.5. Pr. 4.6. Pr. 4.7. Pr. 4.8. and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Wherefore get wisdom: get understanding: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee. Wisdom is the beginning: get wisdom therefore, and above all possessions get understanding: Exalt her, Pr. 4.9. and she shall exalt thee: She shall bring thee unto honour, if thou embrace her: she shall give a goodly ornament to thine head: yea, she shall give thee a crown of glory. §. 3. Of Providence: What she is, What her objects, What her effects. Ec. 8.5. Providence is that whereby the heart of the wise foreknoweth the time, and judgement; Ec. 8.6. the time when it will be; the judgement how it will be done: both which are appointed to every purpose under Heaven: Ec. 8.7. Not that man can foresee all future things: No, he knoweth not that, that shall be; For who can tell him when it shall be? not so much as concerning himself. Ec. 9.12. Neither doth man know his time, but as the fishes are taken with an evil net, and as the birds which are caught in the snare; so are the children of men snared in the evil time, when it falleth on them suddenly; yea, the steps of a man are ruled by the Lord; Pr. 20.24. Pr. 22.3. how should a man then understand his own way? But sometimes he may: The prudent man seethe the plague a fare off, and fleeth: and as for good things, Pr. 30.2, 5. With the Pismire he provideth his meat in Summer; working still according to foreknowledge; Ec. 11.4. yet not too strictly and fearfully: for he that observeth the wind, shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds, shall not reap. §. 4. Of Discretion: what it is. what it worketh for our acts, for our speeches. Pr. 16.20. Pr. 16.23. Pr. 14.15. Ec. 3.1. DIscretion is that whereby a man is wise in his businesses, and whereby the heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely, and addeth doctrine to his lips; For actions: The Prudent will consider his steps, and make choice of his times: for To all things there is an appointed time; and a time for every purpose under heaven; Ec. 3.2. Ec. 3.3, 4. Ec. 3.8. Pr. 24.5. Pr. 14.24. a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to slay, and a time to heal, etc. a time of war, and a time of peace: from hence it is that the wise man is strong, and rich; for by knowledge shall the Chambers be filled with precious things, which he knows how to employ well. The crown of the wise is their riches; from hence, Pr. 13.15. that his good understanding maketh him acceptable to others. For speeches. Pr. 15.2. Pr. 10.13. Pr. 10.12. Pr. 25.11. Pr. 15.23. Pr. 20.15. Pr. 14.3. Pr. 12.18. Pr. 16.24. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, and in the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found; and his words have grace, both 1. for the seasonableness, A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of silver: and how good is a word in due season! 2. for the worth of them, The lips of knowledge are a precious jewel: lastly, for their use: The lips of the wise shall preserve them, and their tongue is health, and with health, pleasure: Fair words are as an honeycomb, sweetness to the soul, and health to the bones. §. 5. The extremes, Overwise, Foolish, Who he is. What kinds there be of Fools; the mere fool, the rash fool, the wicked fool. What success. HEre are two extremes: On the right hand; Make not thyself overwise, Ec. 7. wherefore shouldest thou be desolate? On the left: Neither be foolish; Ec. 7.19. Pr. 21.16. Pr. 17.16. Pr. 15.2. why shouldest thou perish not in thy time? The fool is that man that wandreth out of the way of wisdom, which hath none heart, that is, is destitute of understanding, either to conceive, or to do as he ought: Of which sort is, 1. The mere fool; That fool, Pr. 14.24. Pr. 17.16. Pr. 24.7. Pr. 29.20. Pr. 29.11. Pr. 19.2. Pr. 29.20. Pr. 1.7. Pr. 14.9. Pr. 13.19. Pr. 15.21. Pr. 10.3. Pr. 13.16. Pr. 27.22. Pr. 26.11. who when he goeth by the way, his heart faileth, whose folly is foolishness, in whose hand there is a price in vain to get wisdom, which is too high for him to attain: lastly, in whom are not the lips of knowledge. 2. The rash fool, that is hasty in his matters, that poureth out all his mind at once: which the wise man keeps in, till afterward; that hasteth with his feet, and therefore sinneth. There is more hope of the other fool than of him. 3. The wicked fool; That despiseth wisdom and instruction, that maketh a mock of sin; to whom it is abomination to departed from evil; to whom foolishness is joy; yea, it is his pastime to do wickedly, and his practice to spread abroad folly. And this man is obstinate in his courses; for though thou bray a fool in a mortar among wheat, brayed with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness departed from him: and though it seem to departed, yet as a dog turneth again to his vomit, so returns he to his foolishness. Spare thy labour therefore, speak not in the ears of a fool; Pr. 23.9. for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. To these saith wisdom, O ye foolish, Pr. 1.23. how long will ye love foolishness, and the scornful take pleasure in scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Pr. 1.23. Turn you at my correction. Lo, I will pour out my mind unto you, and make you understand my words. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, Pr. 1.24. & none would regard; but ye have despised all my counsel, and would none of my correction; I will also laugh at your destruction, and mock when your fear cometh, Pr. 1.25. Pr. 1.26. Pr. 1.27. Pr. 1.28. Pr. 1.29. Pr. 1.30. like sudden desolation; and your destruction shall come like a whirlwind; when affliction and anguish shall come upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of my counsel, but despised all my correction; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, Pr. 1.21. and be filled with their own devices: and what is that fruit but sorrow? Pr. 14.13. Even in laughing their heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness: and like the noise of thorns under a pot, so (short and vain) is the laughter of fools: what but stripes? Ec. 6.8. Pr. 10.13. Pr. 26.3. Pr. 10.8, 10. A rod shall be for the back of him that is destitute of understanding, yea, it is proper to him. To the Horse belongeth a whip, to the Ass a bridle, and a rod to the fools back: wherewith not only himself shall be beaten, Pr. 13.20. Pr. 10.21. Pr. 21.16. Pr. 10.14. Pr. but the companion of fools shall be afflicted. Lastly, what but death? Fool's shall die for want of wit, and remain in the congregation of the dead: yea the mouth of the fool is present destruction; and, The lips of a fool shall devour himself, and that which should seem to preserve him, Pr. 1.32. very ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperity of fools destroyeth them. SALOMON'S ETHICS. THE THIRD BOOK. JUSTICE. justice gives to each his own; To God Piety: which comprehends Fear. Honour and respect. * Honour and Obedience are indeed mixed duties of justice both to God and man: but because as they belong to man, they are politic virtues and there handled; here we consider them only as due to God. Obedience. To God and man, Fidelity. Truth. in words, in dealings. Love.. To man only, others, Mercy. Liberality. ourselves; Diligence in our vocations. §. 1. 1. Of justice in general. 2. Of the fear of God, what it is, what fruits it hath present. future. NExt to Prudence, is justice. A man of understanding walketh uprightly: Pr. 15.21. Pr. 10.7. Pr. 16.17. Pr. 12.22. The just man, therefore, is he that walketh in his integrity; and whose path is to decline from evil; and briefly, he that deals truly, in giving each his own. Whether to God; unto whom justice challengeth Piety: which comprehends, Ec. 8.13. first, the fear of the Lord; and this fear of the Lord is to hate evil, as pride, arrogancy, and the evil way; and in all our ways to acknowledge God; Pr. 3.6. Pr. 14.2. Pr. 1.7. Pr. 15.33. that he may direct our ways; so that, he that walketh in his righteousness, feareth the Lord; but he that is lewd in his ways, despiseth him: which grace as it is the beginning of knowledge, and the very instruction of wisdom, Pr. 1.7. Pr. 15.33. Pr. 2.3. Pr. 2.4. Pr. 2.5. Pr. 15.16. Pr. 23.18. Pr. 14.26. so in some respect knowledge is the beginning of it; for If thou callest after knowledge, and criest for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God; and this fear gives both contentment; Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and trouble therewith; and 2. future hope. Fear the Lord continually: for surely there is an end, & thy hope shall not be cut off. In which regard, This fear of the Lord is an assured strength to depend upon; because his children shall have hope, Pr. 3.7. Pr. 3.8. Pr. 19.23. Pr. 14.27. yea and present health and joy. Fear the Lord, and departed from evil; so health shall be to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones: and with health, life eternal. The fear of the Lord leadeth to life, yea is a wellspring thereof, and he that is filled therewith, Pr. 28.14. Pr. 30.9. Pr. 28.14. shall continue, and shall not be visited with evil; so that Blessed is the man that feareth always: whereas on the contrary, He that hardeneth his heart, and denies God, and saith, Who is the Lord? shall fall into evil. §. 2. Honour in the best things, in the best times. Obedience in attending on his will, in performing it. Pr. 3.9. Pr. 3.10. HOnour and respect; both from the best things: Honour the Lord with thy riches, and the first fruits of all thy increase; so shall thy barns be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with new wine: and in our best times; Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth; Ec. 12.1. while the evil days come not, nor the years approach, wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Pr. 1.33. Thirdly, Obedience. He that obeyeth me shall dwell safely (saith Wisdom) and be quiet from fear of evil: Pr. 4.20. Pr. 4.21. Pr. 10.17. Pr. 28.9. whether in attendance to the will of God; My son, harken to my words, incline thine ear unto my sayings; Let them not departed from thine eyes, but keep them in the midst of thine heart: for, He that regardeth instruction, is in the way of life; whereas he that turneth away his ear from it, his very prayer shall be abominable; Pr. 28.7. Pr. Pr. 28.4. Pr. 19.16. or in executing of it: He that keepeth the commandment, is a child of understanding; yea he is blessed, and thereby keepeth his own soul; where they that forsake the Law, praise the wicked: and he that despiseth his ways, shall die. §. 3. Fidelity in performances To God, To man. in faithful reproof. OR whether to God and man. 1. Fidelity: both, first in performing that we have undertaken: If thou have vowed a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he delighteth not in fools; Ec. 5.3. Ec. 5.4. pay therefore that thou hast vowed; It is better that thou shouldst not vow; than that thou shouldst vow, and not pay it: Suffer not thy mouth to make thy flesh to sin, Ec. 5.5. Neither say before the Angel, that this is ignorance: Pr. 20.25. Pr. 12.22. Pr. 28.10. Pr. 28.20. Pr. 25.19. Wherefore shall God be angry by thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For, It is destruction to a man, to devour that which is sanctified, and after the vows to inquire. Neither this to God only, but to man; They that deal truly, are his delight; and the upright shall inherit good things: yea, The faithful man shall abound in blessings; whereas the perfidious man, as he wrongs others (for Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble, Pr. 17.13. is like a broken tooth, and a sliding foot) so he gaineth not in the end, himself; He that rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not departed from his house. 2. In a faithful reproof: Open rebuke is better than secret love: The wounds of a lover are faithful, and the kisses of an enemy are pleasant, but false: Pr. Pr. 15.12. Pr. 25.12. so that he that reproveth, shall find more thank at the last: and how ever the scorner take it, yet he that reproveth the wise and obedient ear, is as a gold ear ring, and an ornament of fine gold. §. 4. Truth in words: The quality. The fruit to himself, to others. The opposites 1. Lies, Slander. 2. Dissimulation, Flattery. HE that speaketh truth, will show righteousness. Wherein? Pr. 12.17. Pr. 14.25. A faithful Witness delivereth souls: but a deceiver speaketh lies; A virtue of no small importance: for Death and Life are in the hand of the tongue; and as a man love's, Pr. 18.21. he shall eat the fruit thereof, to good, or evil; to himself, others: Himself, Pr. 15.4. Pr. 12.19. Pr. 10.20. Pr. 10.21. Pr. 23.23. A wholesome tongue is as a Tree of life, and the lip of truth shall be stable for ever: Others, The tongue of the just man is as fined silver, and the lips of the Righteous do feed many: therefore Buy the truth, and sell it not; as those do which either 1. lie, 2. slander, 3. dissemble, or 4. flatter. §. 5. The liar His fashions, His manifestation, His punishment. A Faithful witness will not lie, but a false record will speak lies. Of those six, Pr. 14.5. Pr. 6.16. Pr. 6.17. Pr. 6.19. Pr. 19.28. Pr. 26.28. Pr. 12.19. Pr. 19.5. Pr. 12.22. Pr. 21.28. Pr. 25.18. Pr. 24.28, 29. Pr. 30.7. Pr. 30.8. Pr. 19.22. yea, seven things that God hateth, two are, A lying tongue, and a false witness that speaketh lies; For such a one mocketh at judgement, and his mouth swallows up iniquity, yea a false tongue hateth the afflicted. He is soon perceived; for a lying tongue varieth incontinently: and when he is found, A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies, shall not escape, for the, lying lips are abomination to the Lord, therefore a false witness shall perish: and who pities him? Such a one is an hammer, a sword, a sharp arrow to his neighbour; he deceiveth with his lips, and saith, I will do to him as he hath done to me. Two things then have I required of thee, deny me them not until I die, etc. Remove fare from me vanity, and lies. Let me be a poor man rather than a liar. §. 6. The slanderer: what his exercise, in misreports, in unseasonable meddling. what his entertainment. THis wicked man diggeth up evil, and in his lips is like burning fire; Pr. 16.27. Pr. 16.30. He shutteth his eyes to device wickedness: he moveth his lips, and bringeth evil to pass: and either he inventeth ill rumours; A righteous man hateth lying words: Pr. 13.5. but the wicked causeth slander and shame; Pr. 20.3. Pr. 11.13. Pr. 26.20. Pr. 18.8. or else in true reports he will be foolishly meddling, and goeth about discovering secrets; (where he that is of a faithful heart, concealeth matters) and by this means raiseth discord. Without wood the fire is quenched: and without a tale-bearer, strife ceaseth; for the words of a tale-bearer are as flatter, Ec. 7.23. and go down into the bowels of the belly: therefore as on the one side, thou mayest not give thine heart to all that men speak of thee, Pr. 25.23. left thou hear thy servant cursing thee; so on the other, no countenance must be given to such: for As the Northwind drives away rain; so doth an angry countenance the slandering tongue. §. 7. The dissembler of four kinds, malicious, vainglorious, covetous, impenitent. The flatterer his success to himself, to his friend. his remedy. Pr. 10.18. THE slanderer and dissembler go together: He that dissembleth hatred with lying lips, Pr. 26.24. and he that inventeth slander, is a fool; There is then a malicious dissembler: He that hateth, will counterfeit with his lips, and in his heart he layeth up deceit; Pr. 26.25. Pr. 26.26. such one, though he speak favourably, believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart. Hatred may be covered with deceit; but the malice thereof shall (at last) be discovered in the congregation. There is a vainglorious dissembler, that maketh himself rich, Pr. 13.7. Pr. 13.7. Pr. 20.24. Pr. 23.6. Pr. 23.7. and is poor: and 3. a covetous: There is that makes himself poor, having great riches: and this both 1. in bargains: It is naught, it is naught, faith the buyer: but when he is gone apart, he boasteth; and 2. In his entertainment; The man that hath an evil eye: as though he thought in his heart, so will he say to thee, Eat and drink, Pr. 28.13. Pr. 27.14. but his heart is not with thee. Lastly, an impenitent; He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. The flatterer praiseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning: but with what success? Pr. 29.5. To himself: It shall be counted to him for a curse: To his friend: A man that flattereth his neighbour, Pr. 26.28. Pr. 20.19. spreadeth a net for his steps; he spreadeth and catcheth: For a flattering mouth causeth ruin. The only remedy than is: Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips: Ec. 7.7. for It is better to hear the rebuke of wise men, than the song of fools. §. 8. Truth in dealings: wherein is the true dealers Practices, To do right, with joy. Reward God's love, Good memorial. Pr. 11.3. Pr. 11.5. Pr. 15.19. Pr. 21.8. Pr. 21.3. Pr. 21.15. Pr. 10.16. Pr. 29.7. Pr. 29.10. Pr. 21.8. Pr. 3.29. Pr. 16.11. Pr. 15.9. Pr. 12.26. Pr. 28.6. Pr. 20.7. THe uprightness of the just shall guide them, and direct their way; which is ever plain and strait: whereas the way of others is perverted, and strange. Yea, as to do justice and judgement is more acceptable (to the Lord) than sacrifice; so it is a joy to the just himself, to do judgement: all his labour therefore tendeth to life, he knoweth the cause of the poor, and will have care of his soul: His work is right, neither intendeth he any evil against his neighbour; seeing he dwelleth by him without fear: and what loseth he by this? As the true balance, and the weight are of the Lord, and all the weights of the bag are his work: So God loveth him that followeth righteousness: and with men. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: and Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that perverteth his ways, though he be rich. Yea finally, The memorial of the just shall be blessed. §. 9 Deceit: The kinds Coloured, Direct Private, Public, The judgement attending it, Pr. 16.18. COntrary to this, is Deceit: whether in a colour: As he that feigneth himself mad, casteth firebrands, Pr. 26.19. arrows and mortal things; so dealeth the deceitful man, and saith, Am I not in sport? As this deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: so in their hands are divers weights, and diverse balances: or directly, Pr. 12.10. Pr. 10.10. Pr. 29.24. Pr. 1.19. Ec. 3.16. Ec. 3.17. Pr. 12.27. Pr. 20.17. He that is partner with a thief, hateth his own soul, and dangerous are the ways of him that is greedy of gain; much more publicly, I have seen the place of judgement, where was wickedness; and the place of justice, where was iniquity: I thought in mine heart, God will judge the just and the wicked, yea, ofttimes speedily; so as The deceitful man roasteth not what he took in hunting: or if he eat it; The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel. §. 9 Love To God; rewarded with his love, with his blessings. To men In passing by offences, In doing good to our enemies. Love to God: I love them that love me: and they that seek me early, Pr. 8.17. Pr. 8.21. shall find me; and with me, blessings: I cause them that love me, to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures. 2. To men, 1. In passing by offences; Pr. 10.12. Hatred stirreth up contentions, but love covereth all trespasses, and the shame that rises from them: Pr. 12.16. Pr. 17.9. Pr. 15.21. so that he only that covereth a transgression, seeketh love. 2. In doing good to our enemies: If he that hateth thee be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. Here therefore do offend: 1. the contentious, 2. the envious. §. 10. The contentious, whether in raising ill rumours, or whether by pressing matters too fare. THe first is he that raiseth contentions among brethren: which once raised, Pr. 6.19. Pr. 18.19. are not so soon appeased. A brother offended is harder to win than a strong City: and their contentions are like the bar of a Palace. Pr. 16.29. This is that violent man that deceiveth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way which is not good, Pr. 18.6. Pr. 26.21. the way of discord, whether by ill rumours; The fool's lips come with strife; and as the coal maketh burning coals, and wood a fire, so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife; and that even among great ones: A froward person soweth strife, and a tale-bearer maketh division among Princes; or by pressing matters too fare: When one churneth milk, Pr. 16.28. Pr. 30.33. he bringeth forth butter; and he that wringeth his nose, causeth blood to come out: so he that forceth wrath; bringeth forth strife, the end whereof is never good: Pr. 29.9. for if a wise man contend with a foolish man, whether he be angry or laugh, there is no rest. §. 11. Envy The kinds At our neighbour, At the wicked, The effects to others, Itself. THe second is that justice, whereby the soul of the wicked wisheth evil, Pr. 21.10. Pr. 24.17. and his neighbour hath no favour in his eyes; that moveth him to be glad when his enemy falleth, and his heart to rejoice when he stumbleth; and this is a violent evil. Pr. 14.30. 1. To itself; A sound heart is the life of the flesh; but envy is the rotting of the bones. 2. To others; Anger is cruel, and wrath is raging: but who can stand before envy? Pr. 27.4. But of all other, it is most unjust when it is set upon an evil subject. Pr. 24.20. Pr. 3.31. Fret not thyself because of the malicious, neither be envious at the wicked, nor choose any of his ways; neither let thine heart be envious against sinners, Pr. 23.17. Pr. 24.1. Pr. 24.2. Pr. 3.32. Pr. 24.20. nor desire to be with them; for as their heart imagineth destruction, and their lips speak mischief, so the froward is an abomination to the Lord; and there shall be none end of the plagues of the evil man; and his light shall be put out. §. 12. justice to man only: First, to others 1. in Mercy: The quality. The gain of it. Pr. 3.3. Pr. 21.13. Pr. 12.10. Pr. 16.6. Pr. 3.4. LEt not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them on thy neck, and write them upon the table of thine heart; this suffereth not to stop thine care at the cry of the poor: yea, the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; no virtue is more gainful: for By mercy and truth iniquity shall be forgiven; and By this thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man: Good reason; For he honoureth God, Pr. 14.31. that hath mercy on the poor: yea, he makes God his debtor; He that hath mercy on the poor, Pr. 19.17. Pr. 11.17. Pr. 21.21. Pr. 14.21. dareth to the Lord, and the Lord will recompense him: So that The merciful man rewardeth his own soul; for He that followeth righteousness and mercy, shall find righteousness, and life, and glory; and therefore is blessed for ever. §. 13. Against mercy offend 1. unmercifulness. 2. Oppression. 3. bloodthirstiness. Pr. 22.7. Pr. 14.20. Pr. 19.7. 1. THat (not only) the rich ruleth the poor, but that the poor is hated of his own neighbour; whereas the friends of the rich are many: Of his neighbour? Yea all the brethren of the poor hate him: how much more will his friends depart from him? though he be instant with words, yet they will not. Pr. 30.14. Pr. 22.16. 2. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaws as knives, to eat up the afflicted out of the earth. These are they that oppress the poor, to increase themselves, Pr. 22.22. Pr. 25.20. and give to the rich; that rob the poor because he is poor, and oppress the afflicted in judgement; that take away the garment in the cold season, and therefore are like vinegar poured upon nitre, or like him that singeth songs to an heavy heart; That trouble their own flesh, Pr. 11.17. and therefore are cruel; An ordinary sin. I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sun; Ec. 4.1. and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and none comforteth them; and the strength is of the hand of those that oppress them, Ec. 5.7. and none comforteth them. None? Yes surely, above. If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the defrauding of judgement, and justice, be not astonished at the matter; for he that is higher than the highest, regardeth, and there be higher than they, Pr. 22.23. Pr. 22.16. Pr. 21.13. Pr. 29.10. Pr. 24.15. Pr. 28.17. Pr. 1.11. Pr. 1.12. Pr. 1.15. which will defend the cause of the poor, to cause the oppressor to come to poverty: in which estate he shall cry and not be heard. 3. The bloody man is he which not only doth hate him that is upright, but layeth wait against the house of the righteous, and spoileth his resting place; yea, that doth violence against the blood of a person: Such as will say, Come with us, we will lay wait for blood, and lie privily for the innocent without a cause. We will swallow them up alive like a grave, even whole; as those that go down into the pit. But, my son, walk not thou in the way with them: Pr. 1.16. Pr. 1.17. Pr. 1.18. Pr. 12.10. Pr. 26.2. Pr. 24.16. Pr. 26.27. Pr. 28.17. refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to bloodshed. Certainly as without cause the net is spread before the eyes of all that hath wings, so they lay wait for blood, and lie privily for their lives; Thus the mercies of the wicked are cruel: But shall they prevail in this? The causeless curse shall not come: The just man may fall seven times in a day, but he riseth up again, whiles the wicked shall fall into mischief; yea into the same they had devised: He that diggeth a pit, shall fall therein; and he that rouleth a stone, it shall fall upon him, and crush him to death: for He that doth violence against the blood of a person, shall flee unto the grave, and they shall not stay him. §. 14. The second kind of justice to others, is Liberality Described, Limited, Rewarded, with his own, with more. LIberality or beneficence, is to cast thy bread upon the waters; Ec. 11.1. Ec. 11.2. Pr. 22.9. Pr. 3.27. Pr. 3.28. to give a portion to seven, and also to eight; in a word, to give of his bread to the poor, and not to withhold his goods from the owners thereof (i. the needy) though there be power in his hand to do it, and not to say to his neighbour, Go and come again, to morrow I will give thee, if he now have it: Ec. 5.18. Not that God would not have us enjoy the comforts he gives us, ourselves; for, to every man to whom God hath given riches and treasures, and giveth him power to eat thereof, and to take his part, and to enjoy his labours, this is the gift of God; but if the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth, Ec. 11.3. and yet they shall be never the emptier. The liberal person shall have plenty, Pr. 11.25. Pr. 28.17. Ec. 11.1. and he that watereth, shall also have rain: yea not only he that giveth to the poor, shall not lack, but shall find it after many days; whereas he that hideth his eyes, shall have many curses: but, There is that scattereth, and is more increased: Pr. 11.24. Pr. 22.9. thus He that hath a good eye, is blessed of God. §. 15. The extremes whereof are Covetousness, The description of it. The curse. Prodigality. THe covetous is he, that is greedy of gain, that having an evil eye, Pr. 1.19. Pr. 23.6. Pr. 21.26. Pr. 23.4. Pr. 11.24. Pr. 28.8. Ec. 4.8. Pr. 30.15. Pr. 27.20. and coveting still greedily, traveleth too much to be rich, and therefore both spareth more than is right, and increaseth his goods by usury and interest: There is one alone, and there is not a second, which hath neither son, nor brother; yet is there none end of his travel, neither can his eyes be satisfied with riches, neither doth he think, For whom do I travel, and defraud my soul of pleasures? This man is unsatiable, like to The horseleeches two daughters, which cry still, Give, Give: especially in his desires; The Grave and destruction can never be full; so the eyes of a man can never be satisfied: All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled: Ec. 6.7. yea, this is the curse that God hath set upon him; He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver: Ec. 5.9. Pr. 18.11. and he that loveth riches, shall be without the fruit thereof; and whereas the rich man's riches are his strong City, he that trusteth in riches, shall fall, Pr. 11.28. Pr. 11.24. Pr. 23.5. Pr. 28.8. Pr. 16.8. Pr. 30.8. Pr. 30.9. and by his sparing cometh surely to poverty. All this while he sets his eyes on that which is nothing, and doth but gather for him that will be merciful to the poor: wherefore, Better is a little with right, than great revenues without equity. Give me not poverty, nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the Name of God in vain. §. 16. Prodigality in Too much expense: whereof The quality, The end. Carelessness of his estate. THe prodigal is the man that boasteth of false liberality, that loveth pastime, and wine, Pr. 12.9. Pr. 21.17. Pr. 28.7. Pr. 28.19. Pr. 6.12. Pr. 6.14. Pr. 6.15. Pr. 13.11. Pr. 21.17. Pr. 28.19. Pr. 28.7. Pr. 22.26. Pr. 22.27. See more of this rule in the last page of Politic, following. and oil, that feedeth gluttons, and followeth the idle; The unthrifty man and the wicked man walketh with a froward mouth; Lewd things are in his heart, he imagineth evil at all times; Therefore also shall his destruction come speedily, and he shall be destroyed suddenly without recovery; and in the mean time, The riches of vanity shall diminish; so that he shall be a man of want; yea filled with poverty, and a shame to his father. Of this kind also is he that is otherwise careless of his estate: Be not thou of them that touch the hand, nor among them that are surety for debts: If thou hast nothing to pay, why causest thou that he should take thy bed from under thee? §. 17. Diligence what it is. how profitable in Health, Wealth and abundance, Honour. Pr. 16.26. Ec. 9.10. Justice to a man's self, is diligence; for he that traveleth, traveleth for himself; The diligent is he, who all that his hand shall find to do, doth it with all his power. I have seen (indeed) the travel, Ec. 3.20. that God hath given the sons of men, to humble them thereby, Ec. 1.8. Ec. 3.9. that all things are full of Labour, man cannot utter it; But what profit hath he that worketh, of the thing wherein he traveleth? Much every way: first, Health: The sleep of him that traveleth, Ec. 5.11. Pr. 20.13. Pr. 10.4. Pr. 13.4. Pr. 14.23. Pr. 12.27. is sweet, whether he eat little or much: Secondly, Wealth: Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread: yea, The hand of the diligent, maketh rich, and his soul shall be fat: and not sufficiency only; but in all labour there is abundance, but the talk of the lips bringeth want: yet more, the riches that the diligent man hath, are precious. 3. Honour: A diligent man shall stand before Kings, and not before the base sort; Pr. 22.19. Pr. 12.24. and The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the idle shall be under tribute. §. 18. Slothfulness, The properties. The danger of it. Ec. 4.5. Pr. 19.24. THe slothful, is he that foldeth his hands, and eateth up his own flesh; That hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not pull it out again to his mouth; That turneth on his bed, Pr. 26.24. as a door turneth on the hinges, and saith, Yet a little sleep, Pr. 6.10. a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. Every thing that he ought to do, is troublesome: The way of the slothful man is an hedge of thorns, (which he is loath to set foot in) There is a Lion without (saith he) I shall be slain in the street: Pr. 15.19. who although herein he be wiser in his own conceit, Pr. 22.13. Pr. 26.13. Pr. 26.16. Pr. 12.11. Pr. 13.4. Pr. 21.25. Pr. 18.9. Pr. 10.5. Pr. 19.15. Pr. 20.4. Pr. 20.13. Ec. 10.18. than seven men that can render a reason: Yet (the truth is) he that (so much as) follows the idle, is destitute of understanding. He lusteth (indeed) and affecteth great things, but his soul hath nought: so, The very desire of the slothful slayeth him, for his hands refuse to work. And not only he that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster; but he that sleepeth, (and Slothfulness causeth to fall asleep) in harvest, is the son of confusion: and, He that will not plough because of Winter, shall beg in Summer, and have nothing: Love not sleep therefore, lest thou come to poverty; for what is it, that hence cometh not to ruin? For the house: By slothfulness the roof of the house goeth to decay; and by idleness of the hands, Pr. 24.30. Pr. 24.31. the house droppeth thorough. For the Land: I passed by the field of the slothful, and by the Vineyard of the man destitute of understanding: and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Pr. 24.32. Then I beheld and considered it well; I looked upon it, Pr. 10.4. Pr. 6.6. Pr. 6.7. Pr. 6.8. Pr. 6.9. Pr. 24.33. Pr. 6.11. and received instruction: so in every respect the slothful hand maketh poor. Go to the Pismire therefore, thou sluggard, and behold her ways, and be wise: For she having no Guide, Governor, nor Ruler, prepareth her meat in Summer, and gathereth her food in harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, yet a little slumber, yet a little folding of the hands to sleep: Therefore thy poverty cometh as a speedy Traveller, and thy necessity as an armed man. SALOMON'S ETHICS. THE FOURTH BOOK. TEMPERANCE and FORTITUDE. Temperance is the moderation of our desires: whether in Diet; Sobriety. in words and actions, Modesty, and Humility. in affections, continency, refraining of anger. §. 1. Temperance in diet, Excess: how dangerous to Body, Soul, Estate. THe temperate in diet, is he that refraineth his appetite, Pr. 25.28. Pr. 23.31. Pr. 23.2. Pr. 23.1. Pr. 25.16. Ec. 3.13. that looks not on the wine when it is red, that puts his knife to his throat, when he sits with a Ruler; that when he finds honey, eats but that which is sufficient for him, lest he should be over-full. It is true, that a man eateth and drinketh, and seethe the commodity of all his labour; this is the gift of God: yea, Ec. 5.17. this I have seen good, that it is comely to eat and to drink, and to take pleasure in all his labour wherein he traveleth under the Sun, Ec. 9.7. Ec. 3 22. Ec. 2 24. Pr. 21.2. Ec. 2.3. Ec. 2.10. Pr. 27.7. Pr. 30.21. Pr. 30.21. the whole number of the days of his life which God giveth him, for this is his portion: God allows us to eat our bread with joy, and drink our wine with a cheerful heart, and there is nothing better than this; yea, there is no profit but this: But not that a man should be given to his appetite, that he should seek in his heart to draw his flesh to wine: or that whatsoever his eyes desire, he should not withhold it from them: Such a man when he is full, despiseth an honeycomb: whereas to the hungry, every bitter thing is sweet: and in his excess is outrageous: One of the three things, yea four, Ec. 5.11. Pr. 23.29. for which the earth is moved, and cannot sustain itself, is a fool when he is filled with meat. Neither doth this prosper with himself. For his body: The satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. To whom is woe? to whom is sorrow? to whom is murmuring? Pr. 23.30. to whom are wounds without cause? and to whom is the redness of the eyes? Pr. 23.31. Pr. 23.32. Even to them that tarry long at the wine: to them that go and seek mixed wine. For his soul: Look not on the wine when it is red, Pr. 13.33. and showeth his colour in the cup, or goeth down pleasantly. In the end thereof, it will bite like a Serpent, and hurt like a Cockatrice: Thine eyes shall look upon the strange woman, Pr. 23.34. Pr. 23.35. and thy lips shall speak lewd things, and thou shalt be as one that sleepeth in the midst of the Sea, and as he that sleepeth in the top of the mast: they have stricken me (shalt thou say) but I was not sick: they have beaten me, Pr. 25.28. Pr. 23.20. but I knew not when I awoke, therefore will I seek it yet still. For his estate: He is like a city which is broken down, and without walls: Keep not company therefore with drunkards, nor with gluttons: for the glutton and drunkard shall be poor, Pr. 20.1. and the sleeper shall be clothed with rags; and in all these, Wine is a mocker, and strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby, is not wise. §. 2. Modesty, In words, what it requires: that they be few, seasonable. what it profits, argues wisdom, gives safety. in actions. contrary to it, loquacity, Ill speech, Immoderate mirth. Pr. 17.27. Pr. 10.19. Pr. 17.27. Pr. 18.4. Pr. 10.31. Pr. 10.21. Pr. 12.14. Pr. 13.2. Pr. 18.20. Pr. 12.23. Pr. 11.12. Pr. 10.19. Pr. 17.28. Pr. 21.23. Pr. 13.3. Ec. 5.2. Pr. 15.2. Pr. 15.14. Pr. 18.2. Pr. 12.23. Ec. 10.14. Pr. 10.19. Pr. 11. 2●. Pr. 15.32. Pr. 12.6. Pr. 14.3. Pr. 13.3. Pr. 27.20. Pr. 10.31. Pr. 15.4. Pr. 18.7. Pr. 11.16. Ec. 2.2. Ec. 7.5. Ec. 7.6. Ec. 11.9. THe modest (for words) is a man of a precious spirit, that refraineth his lips, and spareth his words. The words of a modest man are like deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom like a flowing River: but when he doth speak, it is to purpose: for, The mouth of the just shall be fruitful in wisdom: and the lips of the righteous do feed many, yea himself: A man shall be satiate with good things by the fruit of his mouth: and with the fruit of a man's mouth his belly shall be satisfied: but still he speaketh sparingly: A wise man concealeth knowledge, and a man of understanding will keep silence, which as it argues him wise, (for even a fool, when he holdeth his peace is counted wise; and he that stoppeth his lips, as prudent) so it gives him much safety: He that keepeth his mouth, and his tongue, keepeth his soul from affliction; yea he keepeth his life: where contrarily, The mouth of the fool is in the multitude of words, it babbleth out foolishness; as it is fed with it: neither hath he any delight in understanding, but that which his heart discovereth; and while he bewrayeth it, The heart of fools publisheth his foolishness: And as he multiplieth words, so in many words there cannot want iniquity: his mouth (still) babbleth evil things, for either he speaketh froward things, or how to lie in wait for blood, or in the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride; and what is the issue of it? He that openeth his mouth, destruction shall be to him. And he that hath a naughty tongue, shall fall into evil; for, both it shall be cut out, and the frowardness of it, is the breaking of the heart. Lastly, a fool's mouth is his own destruction, and his lips are a snare for his soul. For actions: The modest shall have honour: And though we need not say, Of laughter, thou art mad, and of joy, what is this thou dost? yet Anger is better than laughter: for by a sad look the heart is made better. The heart of the wise therefore is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Rejoice then, O young man, in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement. §. 3. Humility, Pride, Overweening, Wherein it is, How absurd, How dangerous. scornfulness. Pr. 29.23. Pr. 30.2. NExt to the modest; is the humble in spirit: He saith, Surely, I am more foolish than a man, and have not the understanding of a man in me; for I have not learned wisdom, and have not attained to the knowledge of holy things: Pr. 30.3. Pr. 11.2. Pr. 13.31. Pr. 16.19. Pr. 15.33. Pr. 18.12. Pr. 28.13. Pr. 29.23. Pr. 22.24. But doth he want it ere the more? No: With the lowly is wisdom, and The ear that harkneth to the corrections of life, shall lodge among the wise: Better it is therefore, to be of an humble mind with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud: for before honour goeth humility; and he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy, yea, the humble of spirit shall enjoy glory: and the reward of humility, and the fear of God, is riches, and glory, and life. Contrary whereto; There is a generation, whose eyes are haughty, Pr. 30.13. Pr. 30.12. and their eyelids are lift up; There is a generation, that are pure in their own conceit, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. Yea, All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes: Pr. 16.2. Pr. 21.2. Pr. 20.6. Pr. 25.27. Pr. 27.2. but the Lord pondereth the spirits; and not so only, but Many men will boast of their goodness: but It is not good to eat much honey, so to search their own glory is not glory: Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. This overweening is commonly incident to great men. Pr. 28.11. The rich man is wise in his own conceit, but the poor that hath understanding, can try him: Hence it is that he affects singularity; According to his desire, he that separates himself, Ec. 18.1. Pr. 16.12. Pr. 14.3. will seek, and occupy himself in all wisdom: but seest thou a man thus wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him: yea, he is a fool in this: In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride: I thought, I will be wise, but it went fare from me; Ec. 7.25. it is fare off, what may it be? and that a wicked fool; A haughty look, Ec. 7.26. Pr. 21.4. Pr. 30.32. Pr. 6.17. Pr. 16.5. and a proud heart, which is the light of the wicked, is sin: If therefore thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, and if thou hast thought wickedly, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, for God hateth an haughty eye; yea, he so hateth it, that all that are proud in heart, are an abomination to the Lord; and though hand join in hand, they shall not be unpunished; and what punishment shall he have? Pr. 15.25. Pr. 18.22. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud man; and his very pride is an argument of his ruin: Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty: Pride goeth before destruction, and an high mind before the fall: Pr. 16.18. Before it? yea, with it: when pride cometh, then cometh shame. Now the height of pride is scornfulness: He that is proud and haughty, scornful is his name, Pr. 11.2. Pr. 21.24. who worketh in the pride of his wrath: and this man despiseth his neighbour, and therefore is destitute of understanding: when the wicked cometh, then cometh contempt; Pr. 11.12. Pr. 18.3. and with the vile man is reproach: but of all, him that reproves him: He that reproveth a scorner, purchaseth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh the wicked, getteth himself a blot: therefore judgements are prepared for the scorners, Pr. 9.7. Pr. 19.29. Pr. 29.8. Pr. 21.11. and stripes for the back of fools; so as others are hurt by his sin; for a scornful man bringeth a whole City into a snare: so they shall be likewise bettered by his judgement: when the scorner is punished, the foolish is wise. §. 4. Continency of Lust, of Anger, with their Contraries. OF the first kind, is he that drinks the waters of his own Cistern; Pr. 5.15. Pr. 6.25. that desires not the beauty of a stranger in his heart; neither lets her take him with her eyelids: contrarily, the incontinent is he that delights in a strange woman, Pr. 5.20. Pr. 2.17. Pr. 23.28. Pr. 23.27. Ec. 7.28. See more of this vice, Oeco●. sect. 2. and 3. Pr. 16.32. Pr. 14.29. Pr. 19.11. Pr. 14.29. Pr. 29.8. Pr. 16.23. Pr. 20.3. Ec. 7.11. Ec. 7.11. Pr. 14.17. Pr. 14.29. Pr. 27.4. Pr. 29.22. Pr. 22.24. Pr. 22.25. and embraces the bosom of a stranger; or she that forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of God; she lieth in wait for a prey, and she increaseth the transgressors amongst men. For a whore is as a deep ditch, and a strange woman as a narrow pit: Yea, I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares, and whose hands as bands: he that is good before God, shall be delivered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. Of the second, is he that is slow to anger, slow to wrath; whose discretion deferreth his anger, and whose glory is to pass by an offence: which moderation, as it argues him to be of great wisdom (for wise men turn away wrath) so it makes him better than the mighty man, and procures him just honour; for It is the honour of a man to cease from strife; contrary to which, is he that is of an hasty spirit to be angry; which as it proves him foolish, (for anger resteth in the bosom of fools, and he that is hasty to anger, not only committeth folly, but exalteth it) so it makes him dangerous: Anger is cruel, and wrath is raging; and a furious man aboundeth in transgressions: wherefore make no friendship with an angry man, lest thou learn his ways, and receive destruction to thy soul. §. 5. Fortitude. In general, The specials of it, Confidence, Patience in God's afflictions, in men's injuries. Pr. 18.14. Pr. 28.1. Pr. 24.10. Pr. 29.25. Pr. 18 14. Pr. 28.1. Pr. 3.5. Pr. 3.6. Pr. 16.3. Pr. 14.32. Pr. 13.12. Pr. 28.25. Pr. 16.3. Pr. 3.6. Pr. 30.5. Pr. 21.31. Pr. 18.12. Pr. 16.20. Pr. 28.26. Pr. 27.1. FOrtitude is that, whereby The spirit of a man sustains his infirmities; which makes the righteous bold as a Lion: contrarily, the weak of strength is he that is faint in the day of adversity; whose fear bringeth a snare upon him; and that desperate: A wounded spirit who can bear? which is often caused through guiltiness: The wicked fleeth, when none pursueth him. Confidence is, to trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and not to lean to thine own wisdom; but in all thy ways to acknowledge him, and to commit thy works to the Lord, and to have hope in thy death: and though in other things, The hope that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart; yet in this, he that trusteth in the Lord, shall be fat; for, from hence, not only his thoughts and ways are directed, but he receiveth safety and protection: He is a shield to those that trust in him. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but salvation is of the Lord. Yea, The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth to it, and is exalted. So that, He that trusteth in the Lord, he is blessed; whereas He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool: and it is a vain thing to boast thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth. Pr. 3.11. Ec. 7.16. Patience is, not to refuse the chastening of the Lord, neither to be grieved with his correction: The patiented man, in the day of wealth, is of good comfort, and in the day of affliction considereth, God also hath made this contrary to that, that man should find nothing after him whereof to complain: knowing that the Lord correcteth whom he loveth; Pr. 3.12. Pr. 10.28. Pr. 19.3. Ec. 6.10. Pr. 29.1. and that the patiented abiding of the righteous shall be gladness: Contrarily, The heart of the fool fretteth against the Lord; he is careless and rageth: but to what purpose? Man cannot strive with him that is stronger than he: yea rather, the man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked, shall suddenly be destroyed, and cannot be cured: Pr. 20.22. in respect of men's injuries, He saith not, I will recompense evil; but waits upon the Lord, and he shall save him. In which regard, the patiented in spirit that suffers, Ec. 7.10. is better than the proud of spirit that requites. SALOMON'S POLITICS, OR COMMONWEALTH. THE FIRST BOOK. His KING, COUNSELLOR, COURTIER, SUBJECT. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. SALOMON'S POLITICS, OR Commonwealth. And first, HIS KING. §. 1. Degrees must be, and are subordinate, highest, not many, but one. and those from God. IN all well ordered governments there are degrees, And higher than the highest, and yet an higher than they: and these, Ec. 5.7. of God's appointment; not only in the inferior ranks, The rich and poor meet, and the Lord is the Maker of them all: but in the supreme, Pr. 2.22. By me King's reign (saith Wisdom) and Princes decree justice: Pr. 8.15. Pr. 8.16. Pr. 30.27. and not they only, but the Nobles and all the judges of the earth; so it is a just wonder, that the Grasshoppers have no King, yet they go forth by bands. And as no King is a judgement; so many: for Because of the transgression of the Land, there are many Princes; many, Pr. 28.2. not only in frequent succession, but in society of regiment. §. 2. In a King are described Quality of his person Natural, Moral. Actions. A King must be high; as in place, so in blood: Blessed art thou, O Land, Ec. 10.17. when thy King is the son of Nobles; not of any servile condition; Pr. 19.10. Ec. 10.17. for nothing can be more uncomely, than for a servant to have rule over Princes: and it is a monster in State, to see servants ride on horses, and Princes (of blood) to walk as servants on the ground; neither more monstrous than intolerable. There are three things for which the earth is moved, Pr. 30.21. Pr. 30.22. yea four which it cannot sustain: whereof one is, A servant when he reigneth. §. 3. Moral qualities Negative; what one he Not lascivious, Not riotous, Not hollow and dissembling, Not childish, Not imprudent, Not oppressing. may not be: Affirmative. ANd as his blood is heroical, so his disposition; not lascinious, What, Pr. 31.25. Ec. 2.10. O my son of my desires, give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways: But why, should he withhold from his eyes whatsoever they can desire, Ec. 2.8. Can. 6.7. Pr. 31.3. Ec. 7.28. and withdraw his heart from any joy? why may he not have all the delights of the sons of men: as women taken captive; as Queens and Concubines, and Damosels without number? This is to destroy Kings; He shall find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares. Not riotously excessive; Pr. 31.4. whether in wine: for It is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for Princes strong drink: Ec. 9.7. What not at all? To him alone is it not said, Go eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart? who should eat or drink, or haste to outward things more than he? Ec. 2.25. Pr. 31.5. Ec. 10.16. Pr. 23.2. Pr. 23.3. Not immoderately: so as he should drink and forget the decree, and change the judgement of all the children of affliction: Or in meat; for, Woe be to thee, O Land, when thy Princes eat in the morning: and if he be not the master of his appetite, his dainty meats will prove deceivable. Not hollow, not double in speeches, in profession: Pr. 17.7. Ec. 10.16. The lip of excellency becomes not a fool; much less, lying talk a Prince. Not childish; Woe to thee, O Land, whose King is a child: not so much in age, which hath sometimes proved successful; Pr. 23.16. but in condtion: Not imprudent, not oppressing; two vices conjoined; A Prince destitute of understanding, is also a great oppressor; And to conclude, in all or any of these, Ec. 4.13. not wilfully inflexible: A poor and wise child is better than an old and foolish King, that will no more be admonished. §. 4. Affirmative; what one he must be: To others Just, Merciful, Slow to Anger, Bountiful. In himself Temperate, Wise, Valiant, Secret. Ec. 10.17. Pr. 11.1. COntrarily he must be Temperate, Blessed art thou, O Land, when thy Princes eat in time, for strength, and not for drunkenness: Just and righteous, for false balances (especially in the hand of government) are an abomination to the Lord: but a perfect weight pleaseth him: Pr. 16.12. Pr. 14.34. Pr. 29.2. A virtue beneficial, both 1 to himself (for the Throne is established by justice) and 2. to the State. justice exalteth a Nation; than which nothing doth more bind and cheer the hearts of the people: for When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked bears rule, the people sigh: and with truth and justice, Pr. 20.18. must mercy be joined inseparably: for Mercy and truth preserve the King: and his Throne shall be established, also, by mercy. And all these must have wisdom to menage them: Pr. 8.16. Pr. 20.26. Pr. 28.16. Pr. 29.4. By it, Princes rule, and are terrible to the ill-deserving. A wise King scattereth the wicked, and causeth the wheel to turn over them. To all these must be added bounty: A Prince that hateth covetousness, shall prolong his days; where contrarily, A man of gifts destroyeth his country: and yet further, a conquest of his own passions; a princely victory: Pr. 16.32. for He that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty man; and he that ruleth his own mind, better than he that winneth a City; because of all other, The King's wrath is like the roaring of a Lion: Pr. 19.12. and what is that but the messenger of death? and if it may be, Pr. 30.29. Pr. 30.31. a conquest of all others, through valour. There are three things, that order well their going, yea four are comely in going: whereof the last and principal is, A King against whom no man dares rise up. Pr. 25.3. Lastly, secrecy in determinations: The Heaven in height, and earth in deepness, and the King's heart can no man (no man should) search out: Pr. 21.1. neither should it be in any hands but the Lords; who as he knows it, so he turns it whithersoever it pleaseth him. §. 5. His actions common, special to his place: To judge righteously 1. according to the truth of the cause. 2. according to the distress of the party, unpartially. remit mercifully. Pr. 16.12. Pr. 16.7. HIs actions must suit his disposition, which must be universally holy: for, It is an abomination to Kings (of all other) to commit wickedness. Which holiness alone is the way to all peace: When the ways of a man please the Lord, he will make his enemies at peace with him: Peculiarly to his place; he must first judge his people: Pr. 20.8. a King that sitteth in the Throne of judgement, chaseth away all evil with his eyes; Pr. 29.4. Pr. 16.10. and by this he maintains his country: and while he doth sit there, A divine sentence must be in the lips of the King, and his mouth may not transgress in judgement. For, Pr. 29.14. a King that judgeth the poor in truth, his Throne shall be established for ever: Neither may his ear be partially open: which disposition shall be sure to be fed with reports; for, Pr. 29.12. Of a Prince that harkneth to lies, all his servants are wicked: nor his mouth shut, especially in cases of distress: Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the children of destruction: Pr. 31.8. Pr. 31.9. open thy mouth, judge righteously, and judge the afflicted and the poor: yet not with so much regard to the estate of persons, as the truth of the cause; Pr. 17.26. for Surely it is not good to condemn the just in what ever condition; nor that Princes should smite such for equity: wherein he shall wisely search into all difficulties. The glory of God is to pass by infirmities, Pr. 25.1. but the King's honour is to search out a thing; yet so, as he is not seldom merciful in execution, Delivering them that are drawn to death, Pr. 24.11. Ec. 8.9. and preserving them that are drawn to be slain. These observed, it cannot be, that man should rule over man to his hurt. SALOMON'S COUNSELLOR. §. 6. Counsel For the soul, How given: The necessity of it, The quality wise, righteous, pleasant. How received. For the State. AS where no sovereignty, so where no counsel is, the people fall; and contrarily, Pr. 11.14. Pr. 22.6 Pr 15.22. Pr. 29.18. Pr. 11.30. Ec. 22.9. where many Counsellors are, there is health; and more than health, Steadfastness: Counsel for the soul. Where no vision is, the people perish: which requires both holiness and wisdom: The fruit of the righteous is as a tree of life, and he that winneth souls, is wise; & the more wise the Preacher (is) the more he teacheth the people knowledge, and causeth them to hear, and searcheth forth, and prepareth many parables: and not only an upright writing (and speaking) even the word of truth; Ec. 12.10. but pleasant words also, so that the sweetness of the lips increaseth doctrine; and not more delightful, than effectual: for, Pr. 16.21. The words of the wise are like goads and nails fastened by the masters of the assemblies, that are given by one Pastor: Ec. 12.11. which again of every hearer challenge due reverence and regard; who must take heed to his foot, when he entereth into the House of God, Ec. 4 17. and be more near to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for, Pr. 13.13. He that despiseth the Word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the Commandment, shall be rewarded. §. 7. In a Counsellor of State, or Magistrate, is required Wisdom, Discussing of causes, Providence, and working according to knowledge. Piety. justice, and freed from Partiality, Bribes, Oppression, WIthout Counsel, all our thoughts (even of policy and state) come to naught: Pr. 15.22. but in the multitude of Counsellors is steadfastness: and no less in their goodness; 1. Pr. 24 5. Ec 7.2. Pr. 14 33. Pr. 17.24. Pr. in their wisdom, which alone gives strength to the owner, above ten mighty Princes that are in the City; a virtue, which though it resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding, yet is known in the mids of fools. For wisdom is in the face of him that hath understanding, and in his lips: for howsoever he that hath knowledge, spareth his words, yet the tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; Pr. 15.2. Pr. 24.7. Pr. 26.1. and the fool cannot open his mouth in the gate; and therefore is unfit for authority. As snow in summer, and rain in harvest; so is honour unseemly for a fool. And though it be given him; how ill it agrees? As the closing of a precious stone in an heap of stones, Pr. 26.8. so is he that gives glory to a fool. From hence; Pr. the good justicer both carefully heareth a cause, knowing that He which answereth a matter before he hear it, it is folly and shame to him; and that related on both parts; Pr. 18.17. Pr. 20.5. for He that is first in his own cause, is just: then cometh his neighbour and maketh inquiry of him; and deeply fifth it: else he loseth the truth; for The counsel of the heart of a man is like deep waters: but a man that hath understanding, will draw it out. Pr. 22.3. Ec. 9.15. Pr. 13.16. Ec. 9 17. Pr. 21.22. From hence, is his providence for the common good; not only in seeing the plague, and hiding himself, but in delivering the city: & as he forseeth, so he worketh by knowledge: and not in peace only: as, The words of the wise are more heard in quietness, than the cry of him that ruleth among fools; but in war: A wise man goeth up into the City of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. For wisdom is better than strength, Ec. 9.16. Ec. 9.18. Ec. 9.13. Ec. 9.14. Ec. 9.15. yea than weapons of war: I have seen this wisdom under the Sun, and it is great unto me; A little City and men in it, and a great King came against it, and compassed it about, and builded forts against it; and there was found in it a poor and wise man, and he delivered the City by his wisdom. Neither can there be true wisdom in any Counsellor, Pr. 14.16. Pr. 21.30. Pr. 11.3. Pr. without piety: The wise man feareth, and departs from evil; being well assured, that there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord; and that, Man cannot be established by wickedness: and indeed how oft doth God so dispose of estates, that the evil shall bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous? neither is this more just with God, than acceptable with men: for when the righteous rejoice, Pr. 18.12. Pr. 29.2. Pr. 28.12. Pr. 28.28. Pr. 29.2. Pr. 25.26. Pr. Pr. 28.11. Pr. 24.23. there is great glory, and when they are in authority, the people rejoice; contrarily, when the wicked comes on, and rises up, and bears rule, the man is tried; the good hide themselves, and all the people sigh: and the righteous man falling down before the wicked, is like a troubled Well, and a corrupt Spring. Neither is justice less essential, than either; for to do justice and judgement, is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice: To know faces, therefore (in a judge) is not good; for that man will transgress for a piece of bread; much less to accept the person of the wicked, Pr. 18.5. to cause the righteous to fall in judgement: He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhor him: Yea yet higher; Pr. 24.24. Pr. 17.15. Pr. 17.23. Pr. 18.16. He that justifieth the wicked, and condemneth the just, both are an abomination to the lord Wherefore, howsoever The wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom, to wrest the ways of judgement; and commonly, A man's gift enlargeth him, and leadeth him (with approbation) before great-men: yet he knoweth, that the reward destroyeth the heart; Ec. 7.9. Pr. 12.7. Pr. 15.27. Pr. 21.15. Pr. 19.15. Pr. 21.11. Pr. 21.2. Ec. 14.5. Pr. 12.17. Pr. 18.17. Pr. 19.5. Pr. 19.9. Pr. Pr. 14.31. Pr. 22.22. Pr. 24.26. that the acceptance of it is but the robbery of the wicked; which shall destroy them, because they have refused to execute judgement: he hateth gifts, then, that he may live, and it is a joy to him to do judgement. He doth unpartially smite the scorner, yea severely punish him, that the wickedly foolish may beware and become wise. And where as Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, and a false record will speak lies and use deceit: he so maketh inquiry, that a false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall perish: Lastly, his hand is free from oppression of his inferiors: which as it makes a wise man mad; so the actor of it, miserable: for He that oppresseth the poor, reproveth him that made him: and if the afflicted be oppressed in judgement, the Lord will defend their cause, and spoil the soul that spoileth them; and upon all occasions, he so determineth, that they shall kiss the lips of him that answereth upright words. SALOMON'S COURTIER §. 8. Must be Discreet, Religious, Humble, Charitable, Diligent, Faithful. IN the light of the King's countenance is life, Pr. 16.15. Pr. 19.12. and his favour is as the cloud of the latter rain, or as the dew upon the grass: which that the Courtier may purchase, he must be 1. Discreet: The pleasure of a King is in a wise servant, Pr. 14.35. Pr. 22.11. Pr. 11.27. Pr. 12.26. Pr. 22.4. Pr. 15.33. Pr. 25.6. Pr. 25.7. Pr. 25.15. but his wrath shall be towards him that is lewd: 2. Religious both in heart, He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of the lips the King shall be his friend: and in his actions, He that seeketh good things, getteth favour; in both which, the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: and besides these, humble; The reward whereof is glory: for, before glory goeth humility. He dare not therefore boast himself before the King, and thrust himself overforward in the presence of the Prince, whom his eyes do see: whom he see moved, he pacifieth by staying of anger, and by a soft answer breaketh a man of bone, not aggravating the faults of others: He that covereth a transgression, seeketh love; Pr. 17.9. Ec. 8.2. but he that repeateth a matter, separateth the Prince. To these, he is diligent, taking heed to the mouth of the King; and therefore worthily standeth before Kings, and not before the base sort: and withal true and faithful; when he undertakes another's suit, he lingers not, Pr. 22.29. knowing that The hope that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart; Pr. 13.12. Pr. 17.8. and though A bribe or reward is as a stone pleasant in the eyes of them that have it, and prospereth whithersoever it turneth, Pr. 19.6. Pr. 21.6. (for every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts) yet he accounteth the gathering of treasures by a deceitful tongue, to be vanity, tossed to and fro, of them that seek death. SALOMON'S SUBJECT. §. 9 His duty to His Prince, Reverence, Obedience. Fellow-Subiects. EVery government presupposeth Subjects. Pr. 14.18. In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King; and for the want of people, cometh the destruction of the Prince: Of whom God requires, in respect of the Prince, Reverence, Obedience: Pr. 19.6. Pr. 29.26. Ec. 10.20. Pr. 24.21. Pr. 17.11. Ec. 10.20. Pr. 17.11. Pr. 24.22. That they should reverence, and seek the face of the Prince; not cursing the King, so much as in their thought, nor the rich in their bedchamber; but fearing the Lord, and the King, and not meddling with the seditious, which only seek evil. For, as the Fowl of the heaven shall carry the voice, and the master of the wing declare the matter: so (for revenge) a cruel messenger shall be sent against them, their destruction shall arise suddenly, and who knoweth their ruin? For their due homage therefore and obedience to laws, they take heed to the mouth of the King, and the word of the oath of God; Ec. 8.2. and if a law be enacted, Ec. 10.8. Ec. 10.9. Ec. 8 3. they violate it not, nor strive for innovation. He that breaks the hedge, a serpent shall bite him. He that removeth stones, shall hurt himself thereby: and he that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby. And if they have offended, they haste not to go forth of the Prince's sight, nor stand in an evil thing: for he will do whatever pleaseth him; Ec. 10.4. but rather if the spirit of him that ruleth, rise up against them, by gentleness pacify great sins. §. 10. To his fellow-Subiects, in respect of more public society, is required 1. Regard to Superiors in Estate. Desert. Inferiors, Equals. 2. Commerce. more private society, Just maintenance of each man's propriety. Truth of friendship. Pr. 22.7. Pr. 27.21. IN respect of themselves, he requires due regard of degrees: whether of superiors, The rich ruleth the poor; and as the fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, so is every man tried according to his dignity; so as they that come from the holy place, be not forgotten in the City, Ec. 8.10. Pr. Pr. 11.12. Pr. 14.21. where they have done right: or whether of inferiors; for, A poor man, if he oppress the poor, Is like a raging rain that leaveth no food: yea (less than oppression) He that despiseth his neighbour, is both a sinner and destitute of understanding: or lastly of equals; and therein quiet and peaceable demeanour, not striving with others causeless; Pr. 3.30. Pr. 17.14. Pr 25.9. Pr. 25.8. Pr. 26.17. Pr. 6.16, 19 not to begin contentions; for, the beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters; therefore ere it be meddled with, he leaveth off: and being provoked, debateth the matter with his neighbour. And as he goes not forth hastily to strife; so much less doth he take part in impertinent quarrels: He that passeth by and meddleth with the strife that belongs not to him, is as one that takes a dog by the ear; and one of the six things that God hates, is he that raiseth up contentions among neighbours. Ec. 5.8. Pr. 8.19. Secondly, mutual commerce, and interchange of commodities; without which, is no living: The abundance of the earth is over all: and the King consists by the field that is tilled. The husbandman therefore must till his land, that he may be satisfied with bread; for, much increase cometh by the strength of the Ox: Pr. 14.4. Pr. 11. ●6. Pr. 24.30, 31. and moreover, he must sell corn, that blessings may be upon him; which if he withdraw, the people shall curse him; so that, the slothfullman, whose field is over grown with thorns and nettles, is but an ill member: Pr. 31.14. And again, The Merchant must bring his wares from fare; and each so trade with other, Ec. 10.19. P. 22.28. Pr. 23.10. Pr. 23.11. Pr. Pr. 23.4. Pr. 28.22. Pr. 28.20. Pr. 20.21. that both may live. They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforts the living, but silver answereth to all. For less public society, is required due reservation of propriety; not to remove the ancient bounds which his fathers have made; not to enter into the field of the fatherless; for he that redeemeth them, is mighty; not to increase his riches by usury and interest, not to hasten overmuch to be rich; for such one knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him; and that an heritage hastily gotten in the beginning, in the end thereof shall not be blessed: and that in the mean time, The man that is greedy of gain, Pr. 15.27. Pr. 18.24. troubleth his own house. 2. Truth of friendship. A man that hath friends; aught to show himself friendly: for a friend is nearer than a brother; Pr. 27.10. Pr. 27.6. Pr. 27.9. Thy own friend therefore, and thy father's friend forget thou not: for whether he reprove thee, The wounds of a lover are faithful: or whether he advice, As ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel: or whether he exhort; Pr. 27.17. Pr. 19.4. Pr. 17.17. Pr. 27 19 Pr. 25.17. iron sharpens iron, so doth a man sharpen the face of his friend; and all this, not in the time of prosperity only, as commonly, Riches gather many friends, and the poor is separated from his neighbour: but contrarily, A true friend loveth at all times, and a brother is borne for adversity; in all estates therefore, as the face in the water answers to face, so the heart of man to man; who yet may not be too much pressed: Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee; neither enter into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: nor again, Pr. 27.10. too forward in proffering kindness to his own loss; A man destitute of understanding, Pr. 17.18. Pr. 6.1, 2, etc. Pr. 6.3. toucheth the hand, and becometh surety for his neighbour: If therefore thou art become surety for thy neighbour (much more if thou hast stricken hands with the stranger) thou art snared with the words of thine own mouth, thou art even taken with the words of thine own mouth. Do this now, my son, Pr. 27.13. Pr. 6.4. Pr. 6.5. seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour (not having taken a pledge for thy suretyship) go and humble thyself, and solicit thy friends: Give no sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a Do from the hand of the Hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the Fowler; and take it for a sure rule, Pr. 11.15. He that hateth suretyship, is sure. SALOMON'S ECONOMICS, OR GOVERNMENT OF THE FAMILY. 1. HUSBAND, WIFE. 2. PARENT, CHILD. 3. MASTER, SERVANT. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. SALOMON'S ECONOMICS, OR FAMILY. §. 1. The head of the Family: in whom is required Wisdom, Staidness, Thrift. THE man is the head, and guide of the family; In whom wisdom is good with an inheritance: Ec. 7.13. Pr. 24.3. for Through wisdom an house is builded and established: which directs him to do all things in due orders; first, to prepare his work without, Pr. 24.27. and then after, to build his house; and therewith, staidness. For, Pr. as a bird that wandreth from her nest, so is a man that wandreth from his own place; and (which is the chief slay of his estate) thriftiness; for He that troubleth his own house (by excess) shall inherit the wind: Pr. 11.19. and the fool shall be servant to the wise in heart: for which purpose he shall find, that The house of the righteous shall have much treasure, while the revenues of the wicked is but trouble: Pr. 15.6. or if not much; yet Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, Pr. 15.16. and trouble therewith: Howsoever, therefore, let him be content with his estate: Let the Lambs be sufficient for his clothing, and let the Goats be the price of his field. Pr. 27.16. Pr. 27.27. Let the milk of his Goats be sufficient for his food, for the food of his family, and the sustenance of his maids: and if he have much revenue, let him look for much expense. For, Ec. 5.10. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good cometh to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes? THE HUSBAND. §. 2. Who must bear himself Wisely, Chastely, Quietly, and cheerfully. HE that findeth a wife; findeth a good thing, and receiveth favour of the Lord: Pr. 18.22. Who must therefore behave himself, 1. wisely, as the guide of her youth: Pr. 2.17. Pr. 12.4. Pr. 5.15. as the Head to which she is a Crown. 2. Chastely, Drink the water of thine own Cistern, and the rivers out of the midst of thine own Well. The matrimonial love must be pure and clear, not muddy and troubled; Let thy fountains flow forth, Pr. 5.16. and the rivers of waters in the streets; the sweet and comfortable fruits of blessed marriage, in plentiful issue: But let them be thine alone, and not the strangers with thee. Pr. 5.17. This love abides no partners: for this were to give thine honour unto others, Pr. 5.9. Pr. 5.10. and thy strength to the cruel; so should the stranger be filled with thy strength, and (as the substance will be with the affections) thy labours should be in the house of a stranger; Pr. 5.11. and thou shalt mourn (which is the best success hereof) at thine end, when thou hast consumed (besides thy goods) thy flesh and thy body, Pr. 5.12. Pr. 5.14. and say, How have I hated instruction, and mine heart despised correction? I was almost plunged into all evil, of sin and torments; and that which is most shameful, in the midst of the assembly, in the face of the world. Let therefore that thine own Fountain be blessed, Pr. 5.18. Pr. 5.19. and rejoice with the wife of thy youth: Let her be as the loving Hind, and pleasant Roe: let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and err thou in her love continually; For why shouldest thou delight, my son, in a strange woman; Pr. 5.20. Pr. 5.21. or (whether in affection, or act) embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his paths: and if thy godlessness regard not that, Pr. 6.25. Pr. 6.26. Pr. 6.26. Pr. 6.27. Pr. 6.28. Pr. 6.29. yet for thine own sake, Desire not her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids; for because of the whorish woman, a man is brought to a morsel of broad, yea to the very husks: and more than that, a Woman will hunt for the precious life of a man. Thou sayest thou canst escape this actual defilement: Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt? Or can a man go upon coals, and his feet not be burnt? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife, shall not be innocent, whosoever toucheth her: This sin is fare more odious than theft: For, men do not despise a Thief when he stealeth to satisfy his soul, Pr. 6.30. Pr. 6.31. Pr. 6.32. Pr. 6.33. because he is hungry: But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold, or he shall give all the substance of his house; and it is accepted. But he that commits adultery with a woman, is mad: he that would destroy his own soul, let him do it: For, he shall find a wound and dishonour, and his reproach shall never be put away: Neither is the danger less than the shame. Pr. 6.34. For, jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore the wronged husband will not spare, in the day of vengeance. Pr. 6.35. Pr. 9.17. He cannot bear the sight of any ransom; neither will he consent to remit it, though thou multiply thy gifts. And though stolen waters be sweet, and hid bread be pleasant to our corrupt taste; yet the adulterer knows not that the dead are there: Pr. 9.18. Pr. 2.18, 19 Pr. 5.3. Pr. 5.4. Pr. 5.5. Pr. 23 27. Pr. 22.14. Pr. 15.17. Pr. 17.1. Pr. 19.11. and that her guests are in the deeps of hell, that her house tendeth to death; And howsoever her lips drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is more soft than oil; yet the end of her is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword: her feet go down to death, and her steps take hold of hell: yea, the mouth of the strange woman is a deep pit, and he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall into it. 3. Quietly and lovingly: for, Better is a dinner of green herbs where love is, than a stalled Ox, and hatred therewith: Yea, Better is a dry morsel, if peace be with it, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. And if he find sometime cause of blame, The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and his glory is to pass by an offence: and only He that covereth a transgression, Pr. 17.9. Ec. 9.9. seeketh love: Rejoice with thy wife, whom thou hast loved all the days of the life of thy vanity, which God hath given thee under the Sun. For this is thy portion in this life, And in the travels wherein thou labourest under the Sun. THE WIFE. §. 3. She must be 1. Faithful to her husband, not wanton. 2. Obedient. 3. Discreet. 4. Provident and house-wife-like. Pr. 12.4. Pr. 31.10. A Virtuous wife is the Crown of her husband: Who shall find such a one? for her price is fare above the pearls. She is true to her husband's bed; such as the heart of her husband may trust to, Pr. 31.11. Pr. 2.27. as knowing that she is tied to him by the Covenant of God; not wanton and unchaste: such one as I once saw from the window of my house: Pr. 7.6. I looked thorough my window, and saw among the fools, and considered among the children a young man wanting wit, Pr. 7.7. Pr. 7.8. Pr. 7.9. who passed thorough the street by her corner, and went toward her house, in the twilight, in the evening, when the night began to be black and dark, so as he thought himself unseen; and behold, there met him (the same he sought for) a woman with an harlot's fashion, Pr. 7.10. and close in heart, as open in her habit. Pr. 7.11. She is babbling and perverse; whose feet (contrary to the manner of all modest wives, which only attain honour) cannot abide in her house, but are ever gadding. Pr. 11.16. Pr. 7.11. Pr. 7.12. Pr. 23.28. Pr. 9.14. Pr. 7.13. Pr. 7.14. Pr. 7.15. Now she is without the gates, now in the streets, and lieth in wait in every corner; or at the least, sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the City: so she (not staying to be solicited) caught him by the neck, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have the flesh of peace-offerings, (both good cheer and Religion pretended) this day have I paid my vows: therefore I came forth, on purpose to meet thee, that I might earnestly seek thy face, of all others; and now, how happy am I, that I have found thee! I have decked my bed with ornaments, with curtains, Pr. 7.16. Pr. 7.17. and strings of Egypt: I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon, that we may lie sweet; Come go, let us take our fill of loves, until the morning, Pr. 7.18. Pr. 7.19. let us take our pleasure in dalliance; fear nothing, For my husband is not at home, he is gone a journey fare off, neither needest thou to doubt his return; Pr. 7.20. Pr. 7.21. Pr. 7.22. Pr. 7.23. for he hath taken with him a bag of silver, and will come home at his set day: sooner he cannot; this she said: what followed? By the abundance of the sweetness of her speech, she caused him to yield: and with the flattery of her lips, she enticed him; and strait ways he follows her, as an Ox goeth to the slaughter, and a fool to the stocks for correction, till a Dart strike thorough his Liver, the seat of his lust: or as a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is against his own life: thus she doth, and when her husband returns, she wipeth her mouth, Pr. 30.20. Ec. 15.1. Pr. 30.21, 23. Pr. 19.13. Pr. 27.51. Pr. 25.24. Ec. 4.9. Pr. 27.19. and saith, I have not committed iniquity. (2.) She is dutiful and obedient; by a soft answer appeasing wrath: not hateful; for whom, a whole world is moved; not stubborn, not quarrelous: for the contentions (and brawlings) of a wife, are like a continual dropping in the day of rain: a discomfort to the husband, a rotting to the house. So, It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top, than with a contentious woman in a wide house. And though, for society, Two be better than one; yet It is better to dwell alone in the Wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman. For herein as his grief cannot be avoided, so his shame cannot be conceived. For, He that hideth her, hideth the wind; Pr. 27.16. and she is as oil in his right hand, that uttereth itself. §. 4. The good housewife (Prou. 31.) set forth by her Actions, In her own person; Labours, Bargains. Liberal provision for Herself, The poor. Her family, Husband, Servants. In the oversight of her family. Speeches, Dispositions. 3. SHe is moreover prudent, and discreet. A wise woman buildeth her house, Pr. 14.1. Pr. 11.22. but the foolish destroyeth it with her own hands: and As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which lacketh discretion. 4. Lastly, she is careful and housewife like; so as She do her husband good; and not evil, Pr. 31.12. all the days of her life: For as for her actions in her own person, whether you look to her labours: She seeketh wool and flax, and laboureth cheerfully with her hands. Pr. 31.13. Pr. 31.15. Pr. 31.17. Pr. 31.19. Pr. 31.16. Pr. 31.14. Pr. 31.18. Pr. 31.24. She riseth while it is yet night: She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She putteth her hands to the wheel, and her hands handle the spindle: or whether, to her bargains; She considereth a field, and getteth it, and with the fruit of her hand she planteth a Vineyard. She is like the ship of Merchants, she bringeth her food from far: she feeleth that her merchandise is good, her candle is not put out by night: she maketh sheets and selleth them, and giveth girdles unto the Merchants; or whether to her liberal provision; For her husband, Pr. 31.23. who is known in the gates (by her neat furnishing) when he sits with the Elders of the Land: 2. For herself, She maketh herself carpets, Pr. 31.21. Pr. 31.21. fine linen and purple is her garment: 3. For her servants, She feareth not the snow for her family, for all her family is clothed with Scarlet: Pr. 31.20. For the poor, She stretcheth out her hands to the poor, and putteth forth her hands to the needy: For her oversight of her family, She giveth the portion to her household, Pr. 31.15. and the ordinary (or stint of work) to her maids: she over-seeth the ways of her household, Pr. 31.27. Pr. 31.26. Pr. 31.25. and eateth not the bread of idleness. For her speeches; she openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of grace is in her tongue. Lastly, Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter Day she shall rejoice. So worthy she is in all these, Pr. 31.28. Pr. 31.29. that her own children cannot contain, but rise up and call her blessed, and her husband shall praise her, and say, Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all: Pr. 31.30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vanity; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised: Since therefore she is so well deserving, Give her of the fruit of her own hands, Pr. 31.31. and let her own works praise her. PARENTS. §. 5. Who own to their children, Provision. Instruction. Correction. Parent's and Children are the next pair; which do give much joy to each other: children's children are the crown of the Elders, Pr. 17 6. and the glory of the children are their fathers: To which purpose, the Parent oweth to the Child, 1. Provision. A good man shall give inheritance to his children's children. Pr. 13.22. Ec. 2.18. Ec. 2.19. All the labour wherein he hath traveled, he shall leave to the man that shall be after him. And who knoweth whether he shall be wise or foolish? yet shall he rule over all his labour wherein he hath laboured, and shown himself wise under the Sun. Here are therefore two gross vanities, Ec. 4.8. which I have seen: the one, There is one alone, and there is not a second, which hath neither son nor brother: yet there is none end of his travel, neither can his eye be satisfied with riches; neither doth he think, For whom do I travel, and defraud my soul of pleasure? The other contrary; riches reserved to the owner thereof for their evil. And these riches perish in his evil business; Ec. 5.12. Ec. 5.13. Pr. 1.8. Pr. 17.21. Pr. 22.6. and he begetteth a son, and in his hand is nothing. 2. Instruction and good education: for, He that begetteth a fool (whether naturally, or by ill breeding) begetteth himself sorrow, and the father of a fool can have no joy. And therefore, Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old, he shall not departed from it. 3. Correction: He that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth betime; Pr. 13.24. Pr. 22.15. for foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: the rod of correction shall drive it from him: yea, there is yet great benefit of due chastisement; Pr. 29.15. for, The rod and correction give life: but a child set at liberty, makes his mother (who is commonly faulty this way) ashamed; Pr. 23.13. Pr. 25.14. Pr. 4.3. Pr. 29.17. yea, more than shame, death and hell follow to the child upon indulgence: (only) If thou smite him with the rod, he shall not die: If thou smite him with the rod, thou shalt deliver his soul from hell. Though thy son therefore be tender and dear in thy sight; Correct him, and he will give thee rest, and will give pleasures to thy soul: Pr. 19.18. wherefore, Chasten him while there is hope; and let not thy soul spare, Pr. 19.19. to his destruction. The son that is of a great stomach, shall endure punishment: and though thou deliver him, yet thou shalt take him in hand again. CHILDREN. §. 6. Their duties Obedience to Instructions, Commandments. Submission to correction. Care of their Parent's estate, of their own carriage. Pr. 1●. 20 Pr. 10 1. Pr. 24.24. Pr. 19.13. A Wise Son rejoiceth the father, and the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; whereas. The foolish is the calamity of his Parents: Contrarily, if thou be a wise son, or lovest wisdom, thy father and thy mother shall be glad, Pr. ●9. 3. Pr. 23.15. Pr. 31.1. Pr. 1.8. Pr. 23.22. Pr. 6.20. and she that bore thee shall rejoice. Such an one is, first, obedient; for, A wise son will hear and obey the instruction of his father, and not forsake his mother's teaching; yea in every command, he will obey him that begot him, and not despise his mother when she is old; not upon any occasion cursing his Parents (as there is a generation that doth:) for, He that curseth his father, or mother, his light shall be put out in obscure darkness; Pr. 30.11. Pr. 20.20. Pr. 15.20. Pr. 30.17. Pr. 2.1. Pr. 15.5. Pr. 6.23. Pr. 15.10. Pr. 28.24. not mocking and scorning them; for, The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth the instruction of his mother, the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles eat it: and not obedient to counsel only, but to stripes, He that hateth correction, is a fool: and he that regardeth it, is prudent. For, those corrections that are for instruction, are the way of life: therefore, he that hateth them shall die. Secondly, careful both 1. of their estate: He that robbeth his father and mother, and saith it is no transgression, is a companion of a man that destroyeth; and 2. of his own carriage: Pr. 19.26. for a lewd and shameful child destroyeth his father, and chaseth away his mother. Pr. 20.11. Let therefore even the child show himself to be known by his doings, whether his work be pure and right: so his father's reines shall rejoice, when he speaketh, and doth righteous things. Pr. 23.16. THE MASTER, AND SERVANT. §. 7. The Master must be Provident for his servant. Not too secure. too familiar. The Servant must be Faithful, Diligent. THe servant is no small commodity to his Master. He that is despised, Pr. 12.9. and hath a servant of his own, is better than he that boasts (whether of Gentry, or wealth) and wanteth bread. The Master, therefore, Pr. 27.27. must provide sufficiency of food for his family, and sustenance for his maids: who also as he may not be overrigorous in punishing, or noting offences; sometimes not hearing his servant, that curseth him: so not too familiar; Ec. 7.23. Pr. 29.21. for he that delicately bringeth up his servant from his youth, at length he will be as his son. He must therefore be sometimes severe, more than in rebukes; (For, Pr. 29.19. A servant will not be chastised with words: and though he understand, yet he will not regard) yet so, as he have respect ever to his good deservings: A discreet servant shall rule over a lewd son: Pr. 17.2. and he shall divide the heritage among his brethren. In answer whereto, the good servant must be faithful unto his Master; As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, Pr. 25.13. so is a faithful Messenger to them that send him, for he refresheth the soul of his Master. A wicked Messenger falleth into evil: but a faithful Ambassador is preservation; and 2. Pr. 13.17. diligent, Whether in charge; Be diligent to know the estate of thy flock (or rather, Pr. 17.23. the face of thy cattles) and take heed to the herds: or in his attendance, He that keepeth his Figtree, shall eat of the fruit of it; Pr. 27.18. so he that carefully waiteth on his Master, shall come to honour; where contrarily, in both these, As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes: Pr. 10.26. so is a slothful Messenger to them that send him. FINIS. AN OPEN AND PLAIN PARAPHRASE, UPON THE SONG OF SONGS, Which is salomon's. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, and Patron, EDWARD Lord DENNY, Baron of Waltham, All Grace and Happiness. RIGHT HONOURABLE, WHen I would have withdrawn my hand from divine Solomon, the heavenly elegance of this his best Song drew me unto it, and would not suffer me to take off mine eyes, or pen. Who can read it with understanding, and not be transported from the world, from himself? and be any otherwhere save in Heaven, before his time? I had rather spend my time in admiration, than Apology. Surely, here is nothing that savours not of ecstasy, and spiritual ravishment; neither was there ever so high and passionate a speculation delivered by the Spirit of God, to mankind: which by how much more divine it is, by so much more difficult. It is well, if these mysteries can be found out by searching. Two things make the Scripture hard: Prophecies, Allegories; both are met in this: but the latter so sensibly to the weakest eyes, that this whole Pastorall-mariage-song (for such it is) is no other than one Allegory sweetly continued: where the deepest things of God are spoken in Riddles, how can there be but obscurity and diverse construction? All judgements will not (I know) subscribe to my senses; yet I have been fearful and spiritually nice, not often dissenting from all Jnterpreters; always, from the unlikeliest. It would be too tedious to give my account for every line: let the learned scan and judge. Whatever others censures be, your Honours was favourable; and (as to all mine) full of love and encouragement. That, therefore, which it pleased you to allow from my pen, vouchsafe to receive from the Press; more common, not less devoted to you. What is there of mine that doth not joy in your name, and boast itself in serving you? To whose soul and people, I have long agone addicted myself, and my labours, and shall ever continue Your Lordships, in all humble and unfeigned duty, IOS. HALL.. SALOMON'S SONG OF SONGS PARAPHRASED. CHAP. I. Dialogue. The Church, to CHRIST. 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy love is than wine. OH that he would bestow upon me the comfortable testimonies of his love, and that he would vouchsafe me yet a nearer conjunction with himself; as in glory hereafter, so for the mean time in his sensible graces! For thy love, O my Saviour, and these fruits of it, are more sweet unto me, than all earthly delicates can be to the bodily taste. 2. Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out: therefore the Virgins love thee. Yea, so wonderfully pleasant are the savours of those graces that are in thee, wherewith I desire to be endued, that all whom thou hast blessed with the sense thereof, make as high and dear account of thy Gospel, whereby they are wrought, as of some precious ointment, or perfume: the delight whereof is such, that (hereupon) the pure and holy souls of the faithful place their whole affection upon thee. 3. Draw me, we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his chambers, we will rejoice, and be glad in thee: we will remember thy love, more than wine, the righteous do love thee. Pull me therefore out from the bondage of my sins: deliver me from the world, and do thou powerfully incline my will and affections toward thee: and in spite of all tentations, give me strength to cleave unto thee; and then both I, and all those faithful children thou hast given me, shall all at once with speed and earnestness walk to thee, and with thee: yea, when once my Royal and glorious Husband hath brought me both into these lower rooms of his spiritual treasures on earth, and into his heavenly chambers of glory, then will we rejoice and be glad in none, but thee, which shalt be all in all to us: then will we celebrate and magnify thy love above all the pleasures we found upon earth; for all of us thy righteous ones, both Angels and Saints, are inflamed with the love of thee. 4. I am black, O daughters of jerusalem, but comely: If I be as the tents of Kedar, yet I am as the curtains of Solomon. Never upbraid me (O ye foreign congregations) that I seem in outward appearance discoloured by my infirmities, and duskish with tribulations: for whatsoever I seem to you, I am yet inwardly wellfavoured in the eyes of Him whom I seek to please; and though I be to you black, like the tents of the Arabian shepherds; yet to him, and in him, I am glorious and beautiful, like the Curtains of Solomon. 5. Regard ye me not, because I am black: for the Sun hath looked upon me; the sons of my mother were angry against me: they made me keeper of the vines; but I kept not mine own vine. Look not therefore disdainfully upon me, because I am blackish, and dark of hue: for this colour is not so much natural to me, as caused by that continual heat of afflictions wherewith I have been usually scorched: neither this, so much upon my own just desert, as upon the rage and envy of my false brethren, the world: who would needs force upon me the observation of their idolatrous religions, and superstitious impieties; through whose wicked importunity and my own weakness, I have not so entirely kept the sincere truth of God committed to me, as I ought. 6. Show me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flocks of thy companions. Now therefore that I am some little started aside from thee, O thou whom my soul notwithstanding dear loveth, show me, I beseech thee, where, and in what wholesome and divine pastures thou (like a good shepherd) feedest and restest thy flocks with comfortable refresh, in the extremity of these hot persecutions: for how can it stand with thy glory, that I should through thy neglect, thus suspiciously wander up and down, amongst the congregations of them that both command and practise the worship of false gods? CHRIST, to the Church. 7. If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steps of the flock, and seed thy Kids above the tents of the shepherds. IF thou know not, O thou my Church, whom I both esteem and have made most beautiful by my merits, and thy sanctification, stay not amongst these false worshippers, but follow the holy steps of those blessed Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, which have been my true and ancient flock, who have both known my voice, and followed me; and feed thou my weak and tender ones with this their spiritual food of life, fare above the carnal reach of those other false teachers. 8. I have compared thee, O my love, to the troops of horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh. Such is mine estimation of thee, O my Love, that so fare as the choicest Egyptian horses of Pharaoh, for comely shape, for honourable service, for strength and speed, exceed all other, so fare thou excellest all that may be compared with thee. 9 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of stones, and thy neck with chains. Those parts of thee, which both are the seats of beauty, 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 chains of pearl. 10. We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver. And though thou be already thus set forth; yet I and my Father have purposed a further ornament unto thee, in the more plentiful effusion of our Spirit upon thee: which shall be to thy former deckings, in stead of pure gold curiously wrought with specks of silver. The Church. 11. While the King was at his repast, my spikenard gave the smell thereof. BEhold (O ye daughters) even now, whiles my Lord and King seems fare distant from me, and sits in the Throne of heaven amongst the companies of Angels (who attend around upon him) yet now do I find him present with me in spirit: even now the sweet influence of his graces, like to some precious ointment, spreads itself over my soul, and returns a pleasant savour into his own nostrils. 12. My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh unto me, lying between my breasts. And though I be thus delightful to my Saviour, yet nothing so much as he is unto me: for lo, as some fragrant pomander of myrrh, laid between the breasts, sends up a most comfortable sent; so his love, laid close unto my heart, doth still give me continual and unspeakable refresh. 13. My well-beloved is as a cluster of Cypers unto me among the vines of Engeddy. Or if any thing can be of more excellent virtue, such smell as the clusters of Cypers berries, within the fruitfulst, pleasantst, and richest vineyards and gardens of judaea, yield unto the passengers; such and more delectable do I find the savour of his grace to me. CHRIST. 14. My Love, behold, thou art fair, thine eyes are like the Doves. NEither dost thou on my part lose any of thy love, O my dear Church: for behold, in mine eyes, thus clothed as thou art with my righteousness, oh how fair and glorious thou art! how above all comparison glorious and fair! Thine eyes, which are thy seers, (Prophets, Apostles, Ministers) and those inward eyes, whereby thou seest him that is invisible, are full of grace, chastity, simplicity. The Church. 15. My well-beloved, behold, thou art fair and pleasant: also our bed is green. NAy then (O my sweet Saviour and Spouse) thou alone art that fair & pleasant one indeed, from whose fullness I confess to have received all this little measure of my spiritual beauty: and behold, from this our mutual delight, and heavenly conjunction, there ariseth a plentiful and flourishing increase of thy faithful ones in all places, and through all times. 16. The beams of our house are Cedars, our galleries are of Fir. And behold, the congregations of Saints, the places where we do sweetly converse and walk together, are both firm and during (like Cedars amongst the trees) not subject, through thy protecting grace, to utter corruption; and through thy favourable 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 Lily of the valleys. THou hast not without just cause magnified me, O my Church: for, as the fairest and sweetest of all flowers which the earth yields, the Rose and Lily of the valleys, excel for beauty, for pleasure, for use, the most base and odious weeds that grow; so doth my grace, to all them that have felt the sweetness thereof, surpass all worldly contentments. 2. Like a Lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Neither is this my dignity alone: but thou, O my Spouse (that thou mayest be a fit match for me) art thus excellent above the world, that no Lily can be more in goodly show beyond the naked thorn, than thou in thy glory thou receivest from me, overlookest all the assemblies of aliens and vnregenerates. The Church. 3. Like the Appletree among the trees of the forest, so is my well-beloved among the sons of men: under his shadow had I delight, and sat down; and his fruit was sweet unto my mouth. ANd (to return thine own praises) as some fruitful and well-grown Appletree, in comparison of all the barren trees of the wild forest, so art thou (O my beloved Saviour) to me, in comparison of all men, and Angels; under thy comfortable shadow alone, have I ever wont to find safe shelter against all mine afflictions, all my tentations and infirmities, against all the curses of the Law, and dangers of judgement, and to cool myself after all the scorching beams of thy Father's displeasure, and (besides) to feed and satisfy my soul with the sovereign fruit of thy holy Word, unto eternal life. 4. He brought me into the wine-cellar, and love was his banner over me. He hath graciously led me by his Spirit, into the midst of the mysteries of godliness; and hath plentifully broached unto me the sweet wines of his Scriptures and Sacraments. And look how soldiers are drawn by their colours from place to place, and cleave fast to their ensign: so his love, which he spread forth in my heart, was my only banner, whereby I was both drawn to him, directed by him, and fastened upon him. 5. Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. And now, O ye faithful Evangelists, Apostles, Teachers, apply unto me with all care and diligence, all the cordial promises of the Gospel: these are the full Flagons of that spiritual wine, which only can cheer up my soul; these are the Apples of that tree of life, in the midst of the Garden, which can feed me to immortality. Oh come and apply these unto my heart: for I am even overcome with a longing expectation and desire of my delayed glory. 6. His left hand be under my head: and let his right hand embrace me. And whiles I am thus spiritually languishing in this agony of desire, let my Saviour employ both his hands to relieve mine infirmity: let him comfort my head and my heart, my judgement and affections, (which both complain of weakness) with the lively heat of his gracious embracements: and so let us sweetly rest together. 7. I charge you, O daughters of jerusalem, by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor waken my Love, until he please. In the mean time, I charge you (O all ye that profess any friendship or affinity with me) I charge you, by whatsoever is comely, dear and pleasant unto you, as you will avoid my uttermost censures, take heed how you vex and disquiet my merciful Saviour, and grieve his Spirit, and wrong his name, with your vain and lewd conversation; and do not dare, by the least provocation of your sin, to interrupt his peace. 8. It is the voice of my well-beloved: behold, be cometh leaping by the mountains, and skipping by the hills. Lo, I have no sooner called, but he hears and answers me with his loving voice: neither doth he only speak to me afar, but he comes to me with much willingness and celerity; so willingly, that no humane resistance can hinder him, neither the hillocks of my lesser infirmities, nor the mountains of my grosser sins (once repent of) can stay his merciful pace towards me. 9 My well-beloved is like a Roe, or a young Hart: lo, he standeth behind our wall, looking forth of the windows, showing himself thorough the grates. So swiftly, that no Roe or Hind can fully resemble him in this his speed and nimbleness: and lo, even now; before I can speak it, is he come near unto me, close to the door and wall of my heart. And though this wall of my flesh hinder my full fruition of him, yet lo, I see him by the eye of faith, looking upon me; I see him as in a glass; I see him shining gloriously, thorough the grates and windows of his Word and Sacraments, upon my soul. 10. My Well-beloved spoke, and said unto me, Arise, my Love, my fair one, and come thy way. And now, me thinks, I hear him speak to me in a gracious invitation, and say, Arise, (O my Church) rise up, whether from thy security, or fear: hide not thy head any longer, O my beautiful Spouse, for danger of thine enemies, neither suffer thyself to be pressed with the dulness of thy nature, or the careless sleep of thy sins; but come forth into the comfortable light of my presence, and show thyself cheerful in me. 11. For behold, winter is past, the rain is changed and gone away. For behold, all the cloudy winter of thy afflictions is passed, all the tempests of tentations are blown over; the heaven is clear, and now there is nothing that may not give thee cause of delight. 12. The flowers appear in the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land. Every thing now resembles the face of a spiritual Spring; all the sweet flowers and blossoms of holy profession put forth, and show themselves in their opportunities: now is the time of that heavenly melody, which the cheerful Saints and Angels make in mine ears, while they sing songs of deliverance, and praise me with their Alleluiahs, and say, Glory to God on high, in earth peace, good will towards men. 13. The Figtree hath brought forth her young Figs, and the Vines with their small Grapes have cast a savour: arise, my Love, my fair one, and come away. What speak I of blossoms? behold, those fruitful Vines, and Figtrees of my faithful ones, whom my husbandry hath carefully tended and dressed, yield forth both pleasant (though tender) fruits of obedience, and the wholesome and comfortable savours of better desires: wherefore now, O my dear Christ, shake off all that dull security, wherewith thou hast been held; and come forth and enjoy me. 14. My Done, thou art in the holes of the rock, in the secret places of the cliffs: show me thy sight, let me hear thy voice: for thy voice is sweet, and thy sight comely. O my beautiful, pure, and chaste Spouse, which like unto some solitary Dove, hast long hid thine head in the secret and inaccessible cliffs of the rocks, out of the reach and knowledge of thy persecutors; however thou art concealed from others, show thyself in thy works and righteousness, unto me: and let me be ever plied with thy words of imploration, and thanksgiving: for thy voice (though it be in mourning) and thy face (though it be sad and blubbered (are exceedingly pleasing unto me. 15. Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes which destroy the Vines: for our Vines have small grapes. And in the mean time (O all ye that wish well to my name and Church) do your utmost endeavour to deliver her from her secret enemies (not sparing the least) who either by heretical doctrine, or profane conversation, hinder the course of the Gospel, and pervert the faith of many, especially of those that have newly given up their names to me, and are but newly entered into the profession of godliness. 16. My Well-beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the Lilies. My beloved Saviour is mine, through my faith; and I am his through his love: and we both are one, by virtue of that blessed union on both parts; whereby we mutually enjoy each other with all sufficient contentment. And how worthily is my love placed upon him, who leadeth me forth into pleasant pastures, and at whose right hand there is the fullness of joy for evermore! 17. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, return, my Well-beloved, and be like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether. Come therefore (O my Saviour) and until the day of thy glorious appearance shall shine forth to the world, wherein our spiritual marriage shall be consummate, and until all these shadows of ignorance, of infidelity, of troubles of conscience, and of outward tribulations be utterly dispersed, and chased away, come and turn thee to me again, thou which to the carnal eyes of the world seemest absent, come quickly, and delay not; but for the speed of thy return, be like unto some swift Roe, or Hind, upon those smooth hills of Gilead, which jordan severs from the other part of Iury. CHAP. III. 1. In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loved: I sought him, but I found him not. MY security told me that my Saviour was near unto my soul, yea with it, and in it: but when by serious and silent meditation I searched my own heart, I found that (for aught my own sense could discern) he was fare off from me. 2. I will rise therefore now, and go about in the City by the streets, and by the open places, and will seek him that my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. Then thought I with myself, Shall I lie still contented with this want? No, I will stir up myself; and the help I cannot find in myself, I will seek in others: Of all that have been experienced in all kind of difficulties, of all deep Philosophers, of the wisest and honessest worldlings, I will diligently inquire for my Saviour: amongst them I sought him, yet could receive no answer to my satisfaction. 3. The watchmen that went about the City, found me: to whom I said, Have you seen him whom my soul loveth? Missing him there, I ran to those wise and careful Teachers, whom God hath set as so many watchmen upon the walls of his jerusalem, who sooner found me than I could ask after them; to whom I said (as thinking no man could be ignorant of my Love) Can you give me no direction where I might find him whom my soul loveth? 4. When I had past a little from them, than I found him whom my soul loveth: I took hold on him, and left him not, till I had brought him unto my mother's house, into the chamber of her that conceived me. Of whom when I had almost left hoping for comfort, that gracious Saviour who would not suffer me tempted above my measure, presented himself to my soul: Lo then, by a new act of faith, I laid fast hold upon him, and will not let him any more part from my joyful embracements, until both I have brought him home fully into the seat of my conscience, and have won him to a perpetual cohabitation with me, and a full accomplishment of my love, in that jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all. CHRIST. 5. I charge ●ee, O daughters of jerusalem, by the R●●s, and by the Hinds of the field that to stir not up nor wake● my Love until she please. NOw that my distressed Church hath been all the night long of my seeming absence, toiled in seeking me, I charge you, (O all that profess any friendship with me) I charge you by whatsoever is comely, dear, and pleasant unto you, that (as you will answer it) you trouble not her peace with any unjust or unseasonable suggestions, with uncharitable contentions, with any Novelties of doctrine, but suffer her to rest sweetly in that divine truth, which she hath received, and this true apprehension of me wherein she rejoiceth. 6. Who is she that cometh up out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke perfumed with Myrrh and Incense, and with all the chief of spices? Oh who is this? how admirable? how lovely? who but my Church, that ascendeth thus gloriously out of the wilderness of the world, wherein she hath thus long wandered into the blessed mansions of my Father's house, all perfumed with the graces of perfect sanctification, mounting right upward into her glory, like some strait pillar of smoke, that ariseth from the most rich and pleasant composition of odours that can be devised? The Church. 7. Behold his bed better than salomon's: threescore strong men are round about it, of the valiant men of Israel. I Am ascended; and lo, how glorious is this place where I shall eternally ●●●oy the presence and love of my Saviour I how fare doth it exceed the earthly magnificence of Solomon? about his bed do attend a Guard of threescore choicest men of Israel. 8. They all handle the sword, and are expert in war: every one hath his sword upon his thigh, for the fear by night. All stout Warriors, able and expert to handle the sword; which, for more readiness each of them wears hanging upon his thigh, so as it may be hastily drawn upon any sudden danger: but about this heavenly pavilion of my Saviour, attend millions of Angels, spiritual Soldiers, mighty in power, ready to be commanded service by him. 9 King Solomon made himself a bed of the trees of Lebanon. The Bridebed that Solomon made (so much admired of the world) was but of the Cedars of Lebanon. 10. He made the pillars thereof of silver, and the stead thereof of gold, the hangings thereof of purple, whose midst was in laid with the love of the daughters of jerusalem. The Pillars but of silver, and the Bedstead of gold; the Tester or Canopy, but of purple; the Coverlet wrought with the curious and painful needle work of the maids of jerusalem: but this celestial resting place of my God is not made with hands, nor of any corruptible metal, but is full of incomprehensible light, shining evermore with the glorious presence of God. 11. Come forth, ye daughters of Zion, and behold the King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his marriage, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. And as the outward state, so the majesty of his person is above all comparison. Come forth (O ye daughters of Zion) lay aside all private and earthly affections, look upon King Solomon as he sits solemnly crowned in the day of his greatest royalty and triumph, and compare his highest pomp, with the divine magnificence of my Saviour, in that day when his blessed marriage shall be fully perfected above, to the eternal rejoicing of himself, and his Church; and see whether there be any portion betwixt them. CHAP. FOUR CHRIST. 1. Behold, thou art fair, my Love, behold, thou art fair, thine eyes are like the Doves within thy locks: thine hair is like a flock of Goats which look down from the mountains of Gilead. OH how fair thou art and comely, my dear Spouse! how inwardly fair with the gifts of my Spirit! how fair outwardly in thy comely administration and government! Thy spiritual eyes of understanding and judgement, are full of purity, chastity, simplicity; not wantonly cast forth, but modestly shining amidst thy locks: all thy gracious profession, and all thy appendances, and ornaments of expedient ceremonies, are so comely to behold, as it is to see a flock of well-fed Goats grazing upon the fruitful hills of Gilead. 2. Thy teeth like a flock of sheep in good order, which go up from the washing: which every one bring out twins, and none is barren among them. Those that chew and prepare the heavenly food for thy soul, are both of gracious simplicity, and of sweet accordance one with another; having all one heart and one tongue: and both themselves are sanctified and purged from their uncleanness, and are fruitful in their holy labours unto others; so that their doctrine is never in vain, but is still answered with plentiful increase of souls added to the Church. 3. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy talk is comely: thy temples are within thy locks as a piece of a Pomegranate. Thy speech (especially in the mouth of thy Teachers) is both gracious in itself, and such as administers grace to the hearers; full of zeal and fervent charity, full of gravity and discretion: and that part of thy countenance, which thou wilt have seen (though dimly and sparingly) is full of holy modesty and bashfulness; so blushing, that it seemeth like the colour of a broken piece of Pomegranate. 4. Thy neck is as the tower of David, built for defence: a thousand shields hang therein, and all the targets of the strong men. Those, who by their holy authority sustain thy government (which are as some strait and strong neck to bear up the head) are like unto David's high Tower of defence, furnished with a rich armoury; which affords infinite ways of safe protection, and infinite monuments of victory. 5. Thy two breasts are as two young Kids that are twins, feeding among the Lilies. Thy two Testaments (which are thy two full and fair breasts, whereby thou nursest all thy faithful children) are as two twins of Kids: twins, for their excellent and perfect agreement one with another, in all resemblances: of Kids, that are daintily fed among the sweet flowers, for the pleasant nourishment which they yield to all that suck thereof. 6. Until the day break, and the shadows fly away, I will go into the Mountains of Myrrh, and to the Mountains of Incense. Until the day of my gracious appearance shall shine forth, and until all these shadows of ignorance, infidelity, afflictions, be utterly and suddenly dispersed, O my Spouse, I will retire myself (in regard of my bodily presence) into my delightful and glorious rest of heaven. 7. Thou art all fair, my Love, and there is no spot in thee. Thou art exceeding beautiful, O my Church, in all the parts of thee: for all thy sins are done away, and thine iniquity is covered, and lo, I present thee to my Father without spot, or wrinkle, or any such deformity. 8. Come with me from Lebanon, my Spouse, even with me from Lebanon, and look from the top of Amanah, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the dens of the Lions, and from the mountains of the Leopards. And now (O thou which I profess to have married to myself in truth and righteousness) thou shalt be gathered to me from all parts of the world; not only from the confines of judea, where I planted and found thee, but from the remotest and most savage places of the Nations; out of the company of Infidels, of cruel and bloody persecutors, who like Lions and Leopards have tyrannised over thee, and mercilessly torn thee in pieces. 9 My sister, my Spouse, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes: and with a chain of thy neck. Thou hast utterly ravished me from myself (O my sister and Spouse; for so thou art, both io●ned to me in that spiritual union, and coheir with me of the same inheritance and glory) thou hast quite ravished my heart with thy love: even one cast of one of thine eyes of faith, and one of the ornaments of thy sanctification wherewith thou art decked by my Spirit, have thus stricken me with love: how much more, when I shall have a full sight of thee, and all thy graces, shall I be affected towards thee! 10. My sister, my Spouse, how fair is thy love! how much better is thy love than wine, and the savour of thine ointments than all spices? O how excellent, how precious, how delectable are those loves of thine, O my sister, my Spouse! how fare surpassing all earthly delicates! and the savour of those divine virtues, wherewith thou art endued, more pleasing to my scent, than all the perfumes in the world! 11. Thy lips, my Spouse, drop as Honey combs: Hony and milk are under thy tongue, and the savour of thy garments is as the savour of Lebanon. The gracious speeches that proceed from thee, are as so many drops of the Honeycomb that fall from thy lips: and whether thou exhort, or confess, or pray or comfort, thy words are both sweet and nourishing; and the savour of thy good works, and outward conversation, is to me as the smell of the wood of Lebanon to the sense of man. 12. My sister my Spouse, is as a Garden enclosed, as a Spring shut up, and a Fountain sealed up. My sister, my Spouse, is as a Garden or Orchard full of all variety of the heavenly Trees and flowers of grace; not lying carelessly open, either to the love of strangers, or to the rage of enemies, which like the wild Boar out of the wood, might root up and destroy her choice plants: but safely hedged and walled about, by my protection, and reserved for my delight alone; she is a Spring & Well of wholesome waters, from whom flow forth the pure streams of my Word; but, both enclosed and sealed up: partly, that she may the better (by this closeness) preserve her own natural taste and vigour, from the corruptions of the world; and partly, that she may not be defiled and mudded by the profane feet of the wicked. 13. Thy plants are as an Orchard of Pomegranates with sweet fruits: as Cypers, Spikenard, even Spikenard and Saffron, Calamus and Cinnamon, withal the trees of Incense, Myrrh and Aloes, with all the chief spices. Thou art an Orchard, yea a Paradise, whose plants (which are thy faithful children that grow up in thee) are as Pomegranate Trees; the Apples whereof are esteemed, for the largeness, colour and taste, above all other: or (if I would feed my other senses) the plentiful fruits of thy holy obedience (which thou yieldest unto me) are for their smell, as some composition of Cypress, Spikenard, Saffron, sweet Cane, Cinnamon, Incense, Myrrh, Aloes, and whatsoever else may be devised, unto the most perfect sent. 14. O fountain of the gardens, O well of living waters, and the springs of Lebanon. Thou art so a Spring in my Garden, that the streams which are derived from thee, water all the gardens of my particular congregations, all the world over: thou art that Fountain, from whose pure head issue all those living waters, which who so drinketh, shall never thirst again; even such clear currents, as flow from the hill of Libanus, which like unto another jordan, water all the Israel of God. The Church. 15. Arise, O North, and come, O South, and blow on my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out: let my Wellbeloved come to his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit. IF I be a garden, as thou sayest (O my Saviour) then arise, O all ye sovereign winds of the Spirit of God, and breathe upon this garden of my soul; that the sweet odours of these my plants may both be increased, and may also be dispersed afar, and carried into the nostrils of my Wellbeloved: and so let him come into his own garden (which his own hand hath digged, planted, watered) and accept of the fruit of that service and praise, which he shall enable me to bring forth to his Name. CHAP. V. CHRIST. 1. I am come into my garden, my sister, my Spouse: I gathered my Myrrh with my spice; I ate my Honey with my Honeycomb, I drank my wine with my milk: eat, O my friends: drink, and make you merry, O Well-beloved. BEhold, according to thy desire, I am come into my garden, O my sister, my Spouse; I have received those fruits of thine obedience which thou offeredst unto me, with much joy and pleasure. I have accepted not only of thy good works, but thy endeavours and purposes of holiness, both which are as pleasant to me, as the Honey and the Honeycomb. I have allowed of the cheerfulness of thy service, and the wholesomeness of thy doctrine. And ye, O my friends, whether blessed Angels, or faithful men, partake with me in this joy arising from the faithfulness of my Church: cheer up and fill yourselves, O my beloved, with the same Spiritual dainties wherewith I am refreshed. The Church. 2. I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my Wellbeloved that knocketh, saying. Open unto me, my sister, my Love, my Dove, my undefiled: for mine head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. When the world had cast me into a secure sleep, or slumber rather (for my heart was not utterly bereft of a true faith in my Saviour) even in this darkness of my mind, it pleased my gracious Redeemer not to neglect me; he came to me, and knocked oft, and called importunately at the door of my heart, by his word and chastisements, and said, Open the door of thy soul, O my sister, my dear, chaste, comely, unspotted Church: let me come in, and lodge and dwell with thee, in my graces; shut out the world, and receive me with a more lively act, and renovation of thy faith. For lo, I have long waited patiently for this effect of thy love, and have endured all the injuries both of the night, and weather of thy provocations, that I might at last enjoy thee. 3. I have put off my coat: how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet: how shall I defile them? I answered him again; pleading excuses for my delay; Alas, Lord, I have now, since I left my forward profession of thee, avoided a great number of cares and sorrows: must I take them up again to follow thee? I have lived clean from the soil of these evils: and shall I now thrust myself into danger of them? 4. My Wellbeloved put his hand from the hole of the door; and my bowels yearned toward him. When my Saviour heard this unkind answer of delay, he let his hand fall from the keyhole, which he had thus before without success laboured about; and withdrew himself from soliciting me any more: whereupon my heart and bowels yearned within me for him, and for the remorse of my so long foreslowing his admittance unto me. 5. I rose up to open to my well-beloved, and my hands did drop down Myrrh, and my fingers pure Myrrh upon the handles of the Bars. And now I roused up my drowsy heart (what I could) that I might in some cheerful manner desire to receive so gracious a Saviour: which when I but endeavoured, I found that he had left behind him such a plentiful blessing (as the monument of his late presence) upon the first motions of my heart, as that with the very touch of them I was both exceedingly refreshed; and moved to further indignation at myself for delaying him. 6. I opened to my Wellbeloved: but my Wellbeloved was gone and passed; mine heart was gone when he did speak: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he answered me not. I opened to my beloved Saviour: but my Saviour had now (in my feeling) withdrawn himself, and hid his countenance from me, holding me short of those gracious offers and means which I had refused; and now I was almost past myself with despair, to remember that sweet invitation of his, which I neglected: I sought him therefore in my thoughts, in the outward use of his ordinances, and of my earnest prayers; but he would not as yet be found of me, or let me find that I was heard of him. 7. The watch men that went about the City found me, they smote me, and wounded me: the watchmen of the walls took away my veil from me. Those which should have regarded me, and by their vigilancy have secured me from danger, proved mine adversaries: in stead of comforting me, they fell upon me, and wounded me with their false doctrines, drawing me on into further errors spoiling me of that purity and sincerity of profession, wherewith, as with some rich and modest veil, I was formerly adorned, and covered. 8. I charge you, O daughters of jerusalem, if you find my Wellbeloved, that you tell him I am sick of love. I advice you solemnly, O all ye that wish well to me (for I care not who knows the vehemency of my passion) if you shall find my Saviour's presence in yourselves before me, pray for the recovery of his love to me; and bemoaning my estate to him, tell him how I languish with the impatient desire of his love, and presence, to be restored unto me. 9 O the fairest among women, what is thy Wellbeloved, more than another Wellbeloved? what is thy Wellbeloved, more than another lover, that thou dost so charge us? O thou which art the most happy, most gracious, and most glorious of all creatures, the chosen of the living God; what is thy Wellbeloved whom thou seekest, above all other the sons of men? what such eminency is there in him above all Saints and Angels: that thou art both so fare gone in affection to him? and dost so vehemently adjure us to speak unto him for thee? 10. My Wellbeloved is white and ruddy, the Standard-bearer of ten thousand. My Wellbeloved (if you know not) is of perfect beauty; in whose face is an exact mixture of the colours of the purest and healthfullest complexion of holiness: for he hath not received the spirit by measure; and in him the Godhead dwells bodily; he is infinitely fairer than all the sons of men; and for goodliness of person may bear the Standard of comeliness and grace amongst ten thousand. 11. His head is as fine Gold, his locks curled, and black as a Raven. The Dierie which dwelleth in him, is most pure and glorious: and that fullness of grace which is communicated to his humane nature, is wondrously beautiful, and so sets it forth, as the black curled locks do a fresh and wellfavoured countenance. 12. His eyes are like Doves upon the rivers of waters, which are washed with Milk, and remain in their fullness. His judgement of all things, and his respect to his Church (which are as his eyes) are full of love, and full of piety, shining like unto Doves washed in water, yea, in Milk, so as there is no spot, or blemish to be found in them: and they are withal so fully placed, as is both most comely and most expedient for the perfect sight of the estate, and necessities of his servants. 13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, and as sweet Flowers, and his lips like Lilies dropping down pure Myrrh. The manifestation of himself to us in his Word, is sweet to our spiritual feeling, as an heap of spice, or those flowers that are used to make the best perfuming ointments, are to the other senses: his heavenly instructions and promises of his Gospel are unspeakably comfortable, and plenteous, in the grace that is wrought by them. 14. His hands as Rings of Gold set with the Chrysolite; his belly like white ivory covered with Saphires. His actions, and his instruments (which are his hands) are set forth with much port and majesty, as some precious stone beautifies the Ring wherein it is set: the secret counsels of his breast, and the mysteries of his will, are most pure and holy, and full of excellent glory. 15. His legs are as pillars of Marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance, as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars. All his proceed are firm and stable; and withal, as Pillars of Marble set in sockets of tried gold; so as they are neither subject to wavering, nor to any danger of infirmity and corruption: the show and carriage of his whole person, whereby he makes himself known to his chosen, is exceeding goodly and upright, like to the strait and lofty Cedars of Lebanon. 16. His mouth is as sweet things, and he is wholly delectable: this is my Well-beloved, and this is my Lover, O daughters of jerusalem. His mouth, out of which proceedeth innumerable blessings and comfortable promises, is to my soul even sweetness itself; yea (what speak I of any one part?) as you have heard in these particulars; he is all sweets: there is nothing but comfort in him; and there is no comfort but in him; and this (if he would know) is my Wellbeloved; of so incomparable glory and worthiness, that ye may easily discern him from all others. Foreign Congregations. 17. O the fairest among women, whither is thy Wellbeloved gone? whither is thy Wellbeloved turned aside, that we might seek him with thee? SInce thy Wellbeloved is so glorious, and amiable, (O thou which art for thy beauty worthy to be the Spouse of such an husband) tell us (for thou only knowest it; and to seek Christ without the Church, we know is vain) tell us where this Saviour of thine is to be sought; that we (ravished also with the report of his beauty) may join with thee in the same holy study of seeking after him. CHAP. VI 1. My Wellbeloved is gone down into his Garden to the beds of spices, to feed in the Gardens, and to gather Lilies. MY Wellbeloved Saviour (if you would know this also) is to be sought and found in the particular assemblies of his people, which are his Garden of pleasure, wherein are varieties of all the beds of renewed souls; which both he hath planted, and dressed by his continual care, and wherein he walketh for his delight; feeding and solacing himself with those fruits of righteousness and new obedience, which they are able to bring forth unto him. 2. I am my Well_beloved's, and my Wellbeloved is mine, who feedeth among the Lilies. And now lo, whatsoever hath happened cross to me, in my sensible fruition of him; in spite of all tentations, my beloved Saviour is mine through faith; and I am his through his love; and both of us are by an inseparable union knit together; whose conjunction and love is most sweet and happy: for all that are his, he feedeth continually with heavenly repast. CHRIST. 3. Thou art beautiful, my Love, as Tirzah, comely as jerusalem, terrible as an army with Banners. NOtwithstanding this thy late blemish of neglecting me, O my Church: yet still in mine eyes, through my grace, upon this thy repentance, thou art beautiful, like unto that neat and elegant City Tirzah, and that orderly building of jerusalem, the glory of the world: and with this thy loveliness, thou art awful unto thine adversaries, through the power of thy censures, and the majesty of him that dwelleth in thee. 4. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they overcome me: thine hair is like a flock of Goats which look down from Gilead. Yea, such beauty is in thee, that I am overcome with the vohemencie of my affection to thee: turn away thine eyes a while from beholding me; for the strength of that faith, whereby they are fixed upon me, ravisheth me from myself with joy. I do therefore again renew thy former praise; that thy gracious profession, and all thy appendances and ornaments of expedient ceremonies, are so comely to behold, as it is to see a flock of well-fed Goats grazing upon the fruitful hills of Gilead. 5. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, which everyone bring out twins, and none is barren among them. Thy Teachers, that chew and prepare the heavenly food for thy soul, are of sweet accordance one with another, having all one heart, and one tongue; and both themselves are sanctified and purged from their uncleanness, and are fruitful in their holy labours unto others: so that their doctrine is never in vain, but is still answered with plentiful increase of souls to the Church. 6. Thy Temples are within thy locks as a piece of a Pomegranate. That part of thy countenance which thou wilt have seen (though dimly and sparingly) is full of holy modesty and bashfulness; so blushing, that it seemeth like the colour of a broken piece of Pomegranate. 7. There are threescore Queens, and fourscore Concubines, and of the Damsels, without number. Let there be never so great a number of people and nations, of Churches, and assemblies, which challenge my Name and Love, and perhaps by their outward prosperity, may seem to plead much interest in me, and much worth in themselves. 8. But my Love is alone, and my Undefiled, she is the only daughter of her mother, and she is dear to her that bore her: the Daughters have seen her, and counted her blessed, even the Queens and the Concubines, and they have praised her. Yet thou only art alone my true and chaste Spouse, pure and undefiled in the truth of thy doctrine, and the imputation of my holiness: thou art she, whom that jerusalem which is above, (the mother of us all) acknowledgeth for her only true, and dear daughter. And this is not my commendation alone: but all those foreign assemblies, which might seem to be Rivals with thee of this praise, do applaud and bless thee in this thine estate, and say; Blessed is this people, whose God is the Lord. 9 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, pure as the Sun, terrible as an army with banners? And admiring thy goodliness, shall say; Who is this that looks out so freshly as the morning new risen; which from these weak beginnings is grown to such high perfection, that now she is as bright, and glorious, as the Sun in his full strength, and the Moon in a clear sky; and withal is so dreadful through the majesty of her countenance, and power of her censures, as some terrible army, with ensigns displayed, is to a weak adversary? 10. I went down to the dressed Orchard, to see the fruits of the valley, to see if the Vine budded, and if the Pomegranates flourished. Thou complainedst of my absence, (O my Church:) there was no cause; I mean not to forsake thee; I did but only walk down into the well-dressed Orchard of thine assemblies, to recreate and joy myself with the view of their forwardness, to see the happy progress of the humble in spirit, and the gracious beginnings of those tender souls, which are newly converted unto me. 11. I knew nothing, my soul set me as the chariots of my noble people. So earnestly did I long to reuis● thee, and to restore comfort unto thee, that I hasted I knew not which way and with insensible speed I am come back, as it were upon the swiftest chariots, or the wings of the wind. 12. Return, return, O Shulamite: return, return, that I may behold thee: what shall you see in the Shulamite, but as the company of an army? Now therefore return (O my Spouse, the true daughter of jerusalem) return to me, return to thyself, and to thy former feeling of my grace: return, that both myself, and all the company of Angels, may see and rejoice in thee: and what shall ye see (O all ye hosts of heaven) what shall ye see in my Church? Even such an awful grace and majesty, as is in a well-marshalled army, ready to meet with the enemy. CHAP. VII. 1. How beautiful are thy doings with shoes, O Princes daughter? the compass of thy hips like jewels: the work of the hand of a cunning workman. HOw beautiful are thy feet, O daughter of the Highest; being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and readily addressed to run the way of the commandments of thy God thou art compassed about thy loins with the girdle of verity; which is both precious for the matter of it, and cunningly framed by the skill of the spirit of truth. 2. Thy navel is as a round cup, that wanteth not liquor: thy belly is as an heap of wheat, compassed about with Lilies. The navel, whereby all thy spiritual conceptions receive their nourishment, is full of all fruitful supply, and never wants means of sustenance, to feed them in thy womb: which also is so plenteous in thy blessed increase, that it is as an heap of wheat, consisting of infinite pure grains, which consort together with much sweetness and pleasure. 3. Thy two breasts are as two young Kids that are twins. Thy two Testaments (which are thy two full and comely breasts, by whose wholesome milk thou nourishest all thy faithful children, once borne into the light) are for their excellent and perfect agreement, and their amiable proportion, like two twins of Kids. 4. Thy neck is like a Tower of ivory: thine eyes are like artificial pools in a frequented gate: thy nose is as the Tower of Lebanon, that looketh toward Damascus. Those, who by their holy authority support thy government (which are as some strait and strong neck to bear up thy head) are for their height and defence, like a Tower; for their order, pureness and dignity, like a Tower of ivory: thy Teachers and Ministers (which are thine eyes) are like unto some clear and artificial ponds of water, in a place of greatest resort: wherein all comers may see the faces of their consciences; and whence they may plentifully draw the Waters of life. Thy nose, by which all spiritual scents are conveyed to thee, is perfectly composed, and featured like some curious Turret of that goodly house in Lebanon; so as thy judgement, and power of discerning the spirits, is admirable for the order and excellency thereof. 5. Thine head upon thee is as scarlet, and the bush of thine head like purple: the King is tied in thy beams. The whole tire of thine head (which are the ceremonies used by thee) are very graceful, and of high estimation and price to all the beholders: and as for me, I am so enamoured of thee, that I am even tied by my own desire, to a perpetual presence in thine holy assemblies. 6. How fair art thou, and how pleasant art thou, O my love, in pleasures! Oh how beautiful and lovely art thou therefore (O my Church) in all thy parts and ornaments! how sweet and pleasant art thou (O my Love) in whatsoever might give me true contentment! 7. This thy stature is like a Palmtree, and thy breasts like clusters. Thy whole frame is, for goodliness and strait growth, like unto some tall Palmtree; which the more it is depressed by the violence of persecutions, riseth the more; and the two breasts of thy Testaments are like two full juicy clusters, which yield comfortable and abundant refreshing. 8. I said, I will go up into the Palmtree; I will take hold of her boughs: thy breasts shall now be like the clusters of the Vines, and the savour of thy nose like Apples. Seeing then thou art my Palmtree, I have resolved in myself to adjoin myself to thee; to enjoy thee, to gather those sweet fruits of thy graces, which thou yieldest; and by my presence also will cause thee to be more plentiful in all good works, and doctrine; so as thou shalt afford abundance of heavenly liquor unto all the thirsty souls of thy children; and an acceptable verdure of holiness and obedience unto me. 9 And the roof of thy mouth like good wine, which goeth strait up to my Well-beloved, and causeth the lips of him that is asleep, to speak. And the delivery of my Word, by the mouths of my Ministers, shall be as some excellent wine, which sparkleth right upward: being well accepted of that God, in whose name it is taught, and looketh most pleasantly in the glass, being no less highly esteemed of the receivers: which is of such wonderful power, that it is able to put words both of repentance, and praise, into the lips of him that lies asleep in his sins. The Church. 10. I am my Wel-beloveds, and his desire is toward me. BEhold, such as I am, I am not my own; much less am I any others: I am wholly my Saviour's: and now I see, and feel, whatsoever I had deserved, that he is mine also in all entire affection; who hath both chosen me, and given himself for me. 11. Come, my Well-beloved, let us go into the fields, let us lodge in the villages. Come therefore, O my dear Saviour, let us join together in our natural care: let thy Spirit and my service be intent upon thy Congregations here below on earth; and let us stay in the place where our spiritual Husbandry lieth. 12. Let us go up early in the morning to the Vines, and see if the Vine flourish, whether it hath disclosed the first Grapes, or whether the Pomegranates blossom: there will I give thee my love. Let us with all haste and cheerfulness visit the fruitful vines of our believing children; and to our mutual comfort, be witnesses and partakers of all the signs and fruits of grace, of all those good works, and thanksgiuings, of those holy endeavours and worthy practices, which they yield forth unto us: let us judge of their forwardness, and commend it: whereupon it will easily appear, that the consummation of our happy marriage draweth near, in which there shall be a perfect union betwixt us. 13. The Mandrakes have given a smell, and in our gates are all sweet things new and old; my Wellbeloved, I have kept them for thee. Behold: thy godly servants, which not only bear fruit themselves, but are powerful in the provocation of others, present their best services unto thee; and even at our doors (not fare to seek, not hard to procure) is offer made unto thee, of all variety of fruit; whether from thy young Converts, or thy more settled Professors: and all these I spend not lavishly; but in my loving care, duly reserve them for thee, and for the solemn day of our full marriage. CHAP. VIII. The jewish Church. 1. Oh that thou werest as my brother that sucked the breast of my mother! I would find thee without; I would kiss thee, than they should not despise me. OH that I might see thee (my Saviour) clothed in flesh! Oh that thou which art my everlasting Husband, mightest also be my Brother, in partaking the same humane nature with me; that so I finding thee below upon earth, might familiarly entertain thee, and converse with thee, without reproach of the world; yea, might be exalted in thy glory! 2. I will lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house; there thou shalt teach me: I will cause thee to drink spiced wine, and new of the Pomegranates. Then would I (though I be now penned up in the limits of judaea) bring thee forth into the light and knowledge of the universal Church, whose daughter I am: and then and there, thou shouldst teach me how perfectly to serve and worship thee, and I shall gladly entertain thee with a royal feast of the best graces that are in my holiest servants; which I know thou wilt account better cheer, than all the spiced cups, and Pomegranate wines in the world. 3. His left hand shall be under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. Then shall I attain to a nearer communion with him; and both his hands shall be employed to sustain, and relieve me: yea, he shall comfort my head and my heart (my judgement, and affections) with the lively heat of his gracious embracements. 4. I charge you, O daughters of jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor waken my Love, until he please. I charge you (O all ye that profess any friendship to me) I charge you deeply, as ye will avoid my uttermost censures; take heed how ye vex and disquiet my merciful Saviour, and grieve his Spirit: and do not dare, by the least provocation of him, to interrupt his peace. CHRIST. 5. Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness, leaning upon her Wellbeloved? I raised thee up under an Appletree: there thy mother conceived thee: there she conceived that bore thee. WHo is this, that from the comfortless deserts of ignorance, of infidelity, of tribulations, ascendeth thus up into the glorious light and liberty of my chosen? relying herself wholly upon her Saviour, and solacing herself in him? Is it not my Church? It is she, whom I have loved, and acknowledged of old: for even under the tree of offence, the forbidden fruit which thou tastedst to thy destruction, I raised thee up again from death; Even there, thy first mother conceived thee; while by faith she laid hold on that blessed promise of the Gospel, whereby she and her believing seed were restored. The jewish Church. 6. Set me as a seal on thy heart, and as a signet on thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy it cruel as the Grave: the coats thereof are fiery coals, and a vehement flame. ANd so have thou me still (O my Saviour) in a perpetual and dear remembrance: keep me sure in thine heart, yea in thine arms, as that which thou holdest most precious: and let me never be removed from thy love; the least show and danger whereof I cannot endure: for this my spiritual love is exceeding powerful, and can no more be resisted then death itself: and the jealous zeal which I have for thee and thy glory, consumes me, even like the Grave, and burns me up like unto the coals of some most vehement and extreme fire. 7. Much water cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, they would greatly contemn it. Yea, more than any fire; for any flame yet may be quenched with water: but all the water of afflictions and terrors (yea, whole streams of persecutions) cannot quench this love: and for all tempting offers of wealth, of pleasures and honour, how easily are they all contemned for the love of my Saviour! 8. We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister when she shall be spoken for? We have a sister (as thou knowest, O Saviour) ordained through thy mercy, to the same grace with me: the uncalled Church of the Gentiles; small (as yet) of growth through the rareness of her Converts, and destitute of the help of any outward ministry, whereby she might either bear, or nourish children unto thee: when she grows unto her maturity; and the mystery of calling her universally to thee, shall be revealed to the world, and herself; what course will it please thee to take with her? CHRIST. 9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a silver Palace: and if she be a door, we will keep her in with boards of Cedar. IF she shall continue firm and constant, in the expectation of her promises, and the profession of that truth which shall be revealed; we will beautify and strengthen her with further grace, and make her a pure and costly Palace, fit to entertain my spirit: and if she will give free passage and good entrance, to my word and grace; we will make her sure and safe from corruption, and reserve her to immortality. The jewish Church. 10. I am a wall, and my breasts are towers: then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace. BEhold: that condition which thou requirest in the Church of the Gentiles, thou findest in me; I am thus firm and constant in my expectation, in my profession: and that want thou findest in her of ability to nourish her Children, by the breast of thy Word, is not in me; who have abundance both of nourishment and defence: upon which my confession and plea, I found grace and peace in the eyes of my Saviour; and received from him assurance of his everlasting love to me. CHRIST. 11. Solomon had a Vine in Baalhamon: he gave the Vineyard unto keepers: every one bringeth for the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of silver. MY Church is my Vine, and I am the Owner and Husbandman: our thrift and profit thereof fare exceedeth the good husbandry of Solomon: he hath a rich Vineyard indeed in a most fruitful soil; but he lets it forth to the hands of others, as not being able to keep and dress it himself: and therefore he is fain to be content with the greatest part of the increase, not expecting the whole. 22. But my Vineyard which is mine, is before me: to thee O Solomon appertaineth a thousand pieces of silver, and two hundred to them that keep the fruit thereof. But my Vine is ever before me, I am with it to the end of the world, I reserve it in mine own hands, and dress it with mine own labour: and therefore if thou (O Solomon) canst receive from thine, to the proportion of a thousand, thy workmen and farmers will look for the fift part to come unto their share; whereas the gain of my Vineyard ariseth wholly, and only unto myself. 13. O thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions harken unto thy voice, cause me to hear it. Sith therefore such is my care of thee, and joy in thee (O my Church, which consistest of the particular assemblies of men professing my Name) see thou be diligent in declaring my will, and giving holy counsels to all thy fellow-members: speak forth my praise in the great congregations (which all attend willingly upon thee) and let me hear the voice of thy constant and faithful confession of me before the world. The Church. 14. Oh my Wellbeloved, flee away, and be like unto the Roe, or to the young Hart upon the Mountain of spices. I Will most gladly do what thou commandest, O my Saviour: but that I may perform it accordingly, be thou (which art, according to thy bodily presence, in the highest heavens) ever present with me by thy Spirit, and hasten thy glorious coming, to my full Redemption. FINIS. EPISTLES. IN SIX DECADES. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAIN, Son and Heir Apparent to our Sovereign Lord, JAMES, King of GREAT BRITAIN, etc. All glory in either world. MOst Gracious Prince: IT is not from any conceit of such worth in my labours, that they durst look so high. A lower patronage would have served an higher work. It were well if ought of mine could be worthy of popular eyes; Or if I could wring aught from myself not unworthy of a judicious Reader. I know, your Highness wants neither presents, nor counsels: presents from strangers, counsels from your Teachers; neither of them matchable by my weakness: only duty herein excuseth me from presumption. For, I thought it injustice to devote the fruit of my labours to any other hand beside my Masters: which also I knew to be as gracious, as mine is faithful. Yet (since even good affections cannot warrant too much vileness in gifts to Princes) lest, while my modesty disparages my work, I should hazard the acceptation; here shall your Grace find variety, not without profit. I hate a Divine that would but please; and, withal, think it impossible for a man to profit, that pleaseth not. And if, while my style fixeth itself upon others, any spiritual profit shall reflect upon your Highness, how happy am I! who shall ever think, I have lived to purpose, if (by the best of my studies) I shall have done any good office to your soul. Further, (which these times account not the least praise) your Grace shall herein perceive a new fashion of discourse, by Epistles; new to our language, usual to others: and (as Novelty is never without plea of use) more free, more familiar. Thus, we do but talk with our friends by our pen, and express ourselves no whit less easily; somewhat more digestedly. Whatsoever it is, as it cannot be good enough to deserve that countenance; so, the countenance of such Patronage shall make it worthy of respect from others. The God of Princes protect your person, perfect your graces, and give you as much favour in Heaven, as you have honour on earth. Your Grace's humbly-devoted servant, IOS. HALL.. EPISTLES. THE FIRST VOLUME, IN TWO DECADES. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE TABLE. DECAD I. EP. 1. TO JACOB WADSWORTH, lately revolted in Spain. Expostulating for his departure, and persuading his return. EP. 2. To the Lord DENNY, my Lord and Patron. Of the contempt of the world. EP. 3. To my Lord HAY. Of true honour. EP. 4. To Master NEWTON. Of gratulation, for the hopes of our Prince; with an advising apprecation. EP. 5. To Sir THO: chaloner. A report of some Observations in my travel. EP. 6. To Sir DAVID MORAY. Of the miracles of our time. EP. 7. To Master W. BEDELL at Venice. Lamenting the loss of some late eminent Divines. EP. 8. To the Earl of ESSEX. Advices for his Travels. EP. 9 To Sir ROBERT DRURY, and his LADY. Concerning my Removal. EP. 10. To Master I. B. Against the fear of death. DECAD II. EP. 1. To Sir RO: DARCIE. The estate of a true, but weak Christian. EP. 2. To Sir EDM: BACON. The benefit of Retiredness. EP. 3. To M. JOHN WHITEING. An Apology for Minister's marriage. EP. 4. To Mrs. BRINSLEY, my sister. Of the sorrow not to be repent of. EP. 5. To M. HUGH CHOLMLIE. Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalms. EP. 6. To M. SAM: SOTHEBIE. A Preface to his Relation of Russia. EP. 7. To M. STAN: BUCHINSKI. The comfort of Imprisonment. EP. 8. To M. GEORGE WENNYFF. Exciting to Christian cheerfulness. EP. 9 To M. THO: BURLZ. Against immoderate grief for loss of friends. EP. 10. To Master I. A. Against sorrow for worldly losses. TO JACOB WADSWORTH lately revolted, in Spain. EPIST. I. Expostulating for his departure, and persuading his return. HOw unhappily is my style changed! Alas, that to a friend, to a brother, I must write as to an Apostate, to an adversary! Doth this seem harsh? You have turned it, by being turned yourself. Once the same walls held us in one loving Society; the same Diocese, in one honourable function: Now, not one Land, and (which I lament) not one Church. You are gone, we stand and wonder. For a sheep, to stray through simplicity, is both ordinary and lamentable: but, for a Shepherd, is more rare, more scandalous. I dare not presume overmuch, upon an appeal to a blinded conscience. Those that are newly come from a bright candle into a dark room, are so much more blind, as their light was greater; and the purest ivory turneth with fire into the deepest black. Tell us yet by your old ingenuity, and by those sparks of good which yet (I hope) lie covered under your cold ashes, tell us, what divided you? Your motives shall once be scanned before an higher bar. Shame not to have the weak eyes of the world see that, which once your undeceiveable judge shall see and censure. What saw you, what heard you anew, that might offer violence to a resolved mind, and make it either to alter, or suspend? If your reasons be invincible, inform us, that we may follow you: but if (as they are) slight and feeble, return you to us: return, and think it no shame to have erred, just shame to continue erring. What such goodly beauty saw you in that painted, but ill-favoured Strumpet, that should thus bewitch you, so to forget yourself, and contemn the chaste love of the Spouse of your Saviour? I saw her at the same time in her gayest dress: Let my soul never prosper, if I could see any thing worthy to command affection. I saw, and scorned: you saw, and adored. Would God your adoration were as fare from superstition, as my scorn from impiety. That God judge betwixt us, whether herein erred: yea, let men judge, that are not drunk with those Babylonish dregs! How long might an indifferent eye look upon the comical and mimic actions in those your mysteries that should be sacred, (your magical exorcisms, your clerical shave, your uncleanly unctions, your cross, creepings, censings, sprinklings, your cozening miracles, garish processions, burning of noonday, christening of bells, marting of pardons, tossing of beads, your superstitious hallowing of candles, wax, ashes, palms, chrism, garments, roses, swords, water, salt, the Pontifical solemnities of your great Master, and whatever your new mother hath, beside, plausible) before he should see aught, in all these, worthy of any other entertainment, than contempt! Who can but disdain, that these things should procure any wise proselyte? Cannot your own memory recount those truly religious spirits, which having fought Rome as resolved Papists, have left the world as holy Martyrs; dying for the detestation of that which they came to adore? Whence this? They heard and magnified that, which they now saw and abhorred. Their fire of zeal brought them to the flames of Martyrdom. Their innocent hopes promised them Religion: they found nothing but a pretence; promised devotion, and behold, idolatry: they saw, hated, suffered, and now reign; whiles you wilfully and unbidden, will lose your soul, where others meant to lose, and have found it. Your zeal dies, where theirs began to live: you like to live, where they would but dye. They shall comfort us, for you: they shall once stand up against you: While they would rather die in the heat of that fire, then live in the darkness of their errors; you rather die in the Egyptian darkness of errors than live in the pleasant light of Truth: yea, I fear, rather in another fire, than this Light. Alas! what shall we look for of you? Too late repentance, or obstinate error? Both miserable. A Spira, or a Staphylus? Your friends, yourself, shall wish you rather unborn, then either. O thou, which art the great Shepherd, great in power, great in mercy, which leavest the ninety and nine to reduce one, fetch home (if thy will be) this thy forlorn charge: fetch him home, drive him home to thy Fold, though by shame, though by death. Let him once recover thy Church, thou him, it is enough. Our common Mother I know not whether more pities your loss, or disdains thus to be robbed of a son: not for the need of you; but her own piety, her own love. For, how many troops of better informed souls hath she every day returning into her lap; now breathing from their late Antichristianisme, and embracing her knees upon their own? She laments you, not for that she fears she shall miss you, but for that she knows you shall want her. See you her tears, and do but pity yourself as much as she you. And from your Mother, Emanuel College in Cambridge. to descend to your Nurse: Is this the fruit of such education? Was not your youth spent in a society of such comely order, strict government, wise laws, religious care (it was ours; yet let me praise it, to your shame) as may justly challenge (after all brags) either RHEIMS or DOUAI, or if your jesuits have any other den more cleanly, and more worthy of ostentation? And could you come out, fresh and unseasoned, from the midst of those salt waves? Can all those heavenly showers fall beside you; while you, like a gedeon's fleece, want moisture? Shall none of those divine principles, which your youth seemed to drink in, check you in your new errors? Alas! how unlike are you to yourself, to your name? jacob wrestled with an Angel, and prevailed: you grapple but with a jesuit, and yield. jacob supplanted his brother: and Esau hath supplanted you. jacob changed his name for a better by a valiant resistance: you, by your cowardly yielding, have lost your own. jacob striven with God, for a blessing: I fear to say it, you against him, for a curse; for, no common measure of hatred, or ordinary opposition, can serve a reuolter. Either you must be desperately violent, or suspected. The mighty One of Israel (for he can do it) raise you fall'n, return you wandered, and give you grace at last to shame the Devil, to forsake your stepmother, to acknowledge your true Parent, to satisfy the world, to save your own soul. If otherwise, I will say of you, as jeremy of his Israelites (if not rather with more indignation) My soul shall weep in secret for your revolt, and mine eyes shall drop down tears, because one of the Lords flock is carried away captive. To my Lord and Patron, the Lord DENNY Baron of Waltham. EPIST. II. Of the contempt of the World. MY Lord: my tongue, my pen, & my heart, are all your servants: when you cannot hear me through distance, you must see me in my Letters. You are now in the Senate of the Kingdom, or in the concourse of the city, or perhaps (though more rarely) in the royal face of the Court. All of them, places fit for your place. From all these, let me call off your mind to her home above; and, in the midst of business, show you rest: If I may not rather commend, then admonish, and beforehand confess my counsel superfluous, because your holy forwardness hath prevented it. You can afford these, but half of yourself: The better part is better bestowed: Your soul is still retired, and reserved. You have learned to vouchsafe these worldly things, use, without affection; and know to distinguish wisely, betwixt a Stoical dulness, and a Christian contempt: and have long made the world, not your God, but your slave. And in truth (that I may lose myself into a bold and free discourse) what other respect is it worthy of? I would adore it on my face, if I could see any Majesty that might command veneration. Perhaps it love's me not so much, as to show me his best. I have sought it enough: and have seen what others have doted on, and wondered at their madness. So may I look to see better things above, as I never could see aught here, but vanity and vileness. What is fame, but smoke? and mettle, but dross? and pleasure, but a pill in sugar? Let some Gallants condemn this, as the voice of a Melancholic Scholar: I speak that which they shall feel, and shall confess. Though I never was so, I have seen some as happy as the world could make them: and yet I never saw any more discontented. Their life hath been neither longer, nor sweeter, nor their heart lighter, nor their meals heartier, nor their nights quieter, nor their cares fewer, nor their complaints. Yea, we have known some, that have lost their mirth when they have found wealth; and at once have ceased to be merry and poor. All these earthly delights, if they were sound, yet how short they are! and if they could be long, yet how unsound! If they were sound, they are but as a good day between two agues, or a sunshine betwixt two tempest. And if they were long, their honey is exceeded by their gall. This ground bears none but maples, hollow and fruitless; or, like the banks of the dead Sea, a fair apple, which under a red side contains nothing but dust. Every flower in this garden either pricks, or smells ill. If it be sweet, it hath thorns: and if it have no thorns, it annoys us with an ill sent. Go then, ye wise idolatrous Parasites, and erect shrines, and offer sacrifices to your God, the World, and seek to please him with your base and servile devotions: it shall be long enough ere such religion shall make you happy. You shall at last forsake those altars, empty and sorrowful. How easy is it for us Christians, thus to insult over the worldling, that thinks himself worthy of envy? How easy to turn off the world with a scornful repulse; and when it makes us the Devil's proffer, All these will I give thee, to return Peter's answer, Thy silver and thy gold perish with thee? How easy to account none so miserable, as those that are rich with injury, and grow great by being conscious of secret evils? Wealth and honour, when it comes upon the best terms, is but vain; but, when upon ill conditions, burdensome. When they are at the best, they are scarce friends: but, when at the worst, tormentors. Alas, how ill agrees a gay coat, and a festered heart? What avails an high title, with an hell in the soul? I admire the faith of Moses: but, presupposing his faith, I wonder not at his choice. He preferred the afflictions of Israel, to the pleasures of Egypt; and chose rather to eat the Lamb, with sour herbs, than all their fleshpots: for, how much better is it to be miserable than guilty? and what comparison is there betwixt sorrow and sin? If it were possible let me rather be in hell without sin, than on earth wickedly glorious. But how much are we bound to God, that allows us earthly favours, without this opposition! That God hath made you at once honourable and just, and your life pleasant and holy, and hath given you an high estate with a good heart; are favours, that look for thanks. These must be acknowledged, not rested in: They are yet higher thoughts that must perfect your contentment. What God hath given you, is nothing to that he means to give: He hath been liberal; but he will be munificent. This is not so much as the taste of a full cup. Fasten your eyes upon your future glory, and see how meanly you shall esteem these earthly graces. Here, you command but a little pittance of mould (great indeed, to us; little, to the whole:) there, whole heaven shall be yours. Here you command, but as a subject: there you shall reign as a King. Here, you are observed; but sometimes with your just distaste: there, you shall reign with peace, and joy. Here, you are noble among men; there, glorious amongst Angels. Here, you want not honour; but you want not crosses; there is nothing but felicity. Here, you have some short joys: there, is nothing but eternity. You are a stranger, here; there, at home. Here, Satan tempts you, and men vex you: there; Saints and Angels shall applaud you; and God shall fill you with himself. In a word, you are only blessed here, for that you shall be. These are thoughts worthy of greatness: which if we suffer either employments or pleasures to thrust out of our doors, we do wilfully make ourselves comfortless. Let these still season your mirth, and sweeten your sorrows, and ever interpose themselves betwixt you and the world. These only can make your life happy, and your death welcome. To my Lord HAY, H. and P. EP. III. Of true Honour. MY Lord, it is safe to complain of Nature where Grace is; and to magnify Grace, where it is at once had, and affected. It is a fault of Nature, and not the least, that as she hath dim eyes, so they are miss-placed. She looks still, either forward or downward; forward to the object she desires, or downward to the means: never turns her eyes either backward, to see what she was; or upward, to the cause of her good: whence, it is just with God to withhold what he would give, or to curse that which he bestows; and to besot carnal minds with outward things, in their value, in their desire, in their use: whereas true wisdom hath clear eyes, and right set; and therefore sees an invisible hand in all sensible events, effecting all things, directing all things to their due end; sees on whom to depend, whom to thank. Earth is too low, and too base, to give bounds unto a spiritual sight. No man then can truly know what belongs to wealth, or honour, but the gracious, either how to compass them, or how to prise them, or how to use them. I care not how many thousand ways there are to seeming-honour, besides this of virtue: they all (if more) still lead to shame: or what plots are devised to improve it; if they were as deep as hell, yet their end is loss. As there is no counsel against God, so there is no honour without him. He● inclines the hearts of Princes to favour; the hearts of inferiors to applause. Without him, the hand cannot move, to success; nor the tongue, to praise: And what is honour without these? In vain doth the world frown upon the man, whom he means to honour; or smile, where he would disgrace. Let me then tell your Lordship, who are favourites in the Court of heaven; even whiles they wander on earth: yea, let the great King himself tell you, Those that honour me, I will honour. That men have the grace to give honour to God, is an high favour: but because men give honour to God (as their duty) that therefore God should give honour to men, is to give, because he hath given. It is a favour of God, that man is honoured of man like himself: but that God alloweth of our endeavours as honour to himself, is a greater favour than that wherewith he requites it. This is the goodness of our God; The man that serves him, honours him: and whosoever honours him with his service is crowned with honour. I challenge all times, places, persons: Who ever honoured God, and was neglected? Who hath wilfully dishonoured him, and prospered? Turn over all Records, and see how success ever blessed the just, after many dangers, after many storms of resistance, and left their conclusion glorious; how all godless plots, in their lose, have at once deceived, shamed, punished their Author. I go no further: Your own breast knows, that your happy experience can herein justify God. The world hath noted you, for a follower of virtue, and hath seen how fast Honour followed you: Whiles you sought favour with the God of heaven, he hath given you favour with his Deputy on earth. God's former actions are patterns of his future: He teacheth you what he will do, by what he hath done. Unless your hand be weary of offering service, he cannot either pull in his hand from rewarding, or hold it out empty. Honour him still, and God pawns his honour, on not failing you. You cannot distrust him, whom your proof hath found faithful. And, whiles you settle your heart in this right course of true glory, laugh, in secret scorn, at the idle endeavours of those men, whose policies would outreach God, and seize upon honour without his leave. (God laughs at them in heaven, it is a safe and holy laughter that follows his.) And pity the preposterous courses of them, which make religion but a footstool to the seat of advancement; which care for all things but heaven; which make the world their standing mark, and do not so much as rove at God. Many had sped well, if they had begun well, and proceeded orderly. A false method is the bane of many hopeful endeavours. God bids us seek first his Kingdom; and earthly things shall find us unsought. Foolish nature first seeks the world: and if she light on God by the way, it is more than she expects, desires, cares for; and therefore fails of both, because she seeks neither aright. Many had been great, if they had cared to be good; which now are crossed in what they would, because they willed not what they ought. If Solomon had made wealth his first suit, I doubt he had been both poor and foolish: now, he asked wisdom, and gained greatness: Because he chose well, he received what he asked not. O the bounty and fidelity of our God because we would have the best, he gives us all: Earth shall wait upon us, because we attend upon heaven. Go on, my Lord, go on happily, to love religion, to practise it: let God alone with the rest. Be you a pattern of virtue; he shall make you a Precedent of glory. Never man lost aught by giving it to God: that liberal hand returns our gifts, with advantage. Let men, let God see that you honour him; and they shall hear him proclaim before you, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King will honour. To M. Newton, Tutor to the Prince. EPIST. IU. Of Gratulation, for the hopes of our Prince; with an advising apprecation. SIR, God hath called you to a great and happy charge: You have the custody of our common Treasure: Neither is there any service comparable to this of yours; whether we regard God, or the world. Our labours ofttimes bestowed upon many, scarce profit one: yours, bestowed upon one, redounds to the profit of many millions. This is a summary way of obliging all the world to you. I encourage you not in your care: you have more comfort in the success of it, than all worlds can give you. The very subject of your pains would give an hart to him that hath none. I rather congratulate with you our common happiness, & the hopes of posterity, in that royal and blessed issue. You have best cause to be the witness of the rare forwardness of our gracious Master: and I have seen enough, to make me think I can never be enough thankful to God for him. That Princes are fruitful, is a great blessing: but, that their children are fruitful in grace, and not more eminent in place than virtue, is the greatest favour God can do to a State. The goodness of a private man is his own; of a Prince, the whole worlds. Their words are Maxims, their actions examples, their examples rules. When I compare them with their royal Father, (as I do oft and cheerfully) I cannot say whether he be more happy in himself, or in them. I see both in him, and them; I see and wonder, that God distributes to natural Prince's gifts proportionable to their greatness. The wise Moderator of the world knows what use is of their parts: he knows that the head must have all the senses that pertain to the whole body: and how necessary it is, that inferiors should admire them no less for the excellency of their graces, then for the sway of their authority. Whereupon it is, that he gives heroical qualities to Princes; and as he hath bestowed upon them his own name, so also he gives them special stamps of his own glorious Image. Amongst all other virtues, what a comfort is it to see those years, and those spirits stoop so willingly to devotion? Religion is grown too severe a Mistress for young and high courages to attend. Very rare is that Nobility of blood, that doth not challenge liberty; and that liberty, that ends not in looseness. Lo, this example teacheth our Gallants, how well even Majesty can stand with homage; Majesty to men, with homage to God. Fare be it from me, to do that which my next clause shall condemn: but I think it safe to say, that seldom ever those years have promised, seldom have performed so much. Only God keep two mischiefs ever from within the smoke of his Court; Flattery and Treachery: The iniquity of times may make us fear these; not his inclination. For, whether as English, or as men, it hath been ever familiar to us, to fawn upon Princes: Though, what do I bestow two names upon one vice, but attired in two sundry suits of evil? For, Flattery is no other than gilded treason; nothing else but poison in gold: This evil is more tame; not less dangerous. It had been better for many great ones not to have been, than to have been in their conceits more than men. This, Flattery hath done; and what can it not? That other, Treachery, spills the blood; this, the virtues of Princes. That takes them from others: this bereaves them of themselves. That, in spite of the actors, doth but change their Crown: this steals it from them for ever. Who can but wonder, that reads of some not unwise Princes, so bewitched with the enchantments of their Parasites, that they have thought themselues Gods immortal, and have suffered themselves so styled, so adored? Neither Temples nor Statues, nor Sacrifices have seemed too much glory to the greatness of their self-love. Now none of all their actions could be either evil, or unbeseeming; nothing could proceed from them worthy of censure, unworthy of admiration: Their very spots have been beauty, their humour's justice, their errors witty, their Paradoxes divine, their excesses heroical. O the damnable servility of false minds! which persuade others of that which themselves laugh to see believed. O the dangerous credulity of self-love! which entertains all advantages if never so evil, never so impossible. How happy a service shall you do to this whole world of ours, if you shall still settle in that princely mind a true apprehension of himself; and shall teach him to take his own height aright; and even from his childhood to hate a Parasite, as the worst Traitor: To break those false glasses, that would present him a face, not his own: To applaud plain truth, and bend his brows upon excessive praises. Thus affected, he may bid Vice do her worst. Thus shall he strive with Virtue, whether shall more honour each other. Thus sincere and solid glory shall everywhere follow, and crown him. Thus, when he hath but his due, he shall have so much, that he shall scorn to borrow the false colours of adulation. Go on happily in this worthy and noble employment. The work cannot but succeed, that is furthered with so many prayers. To Sir THOMAS chaloner. EP. V A report of some Observations in my Travel. SIR, besides my hopes, not my desires, I traveled of late; for knowledge partly, and partly for health. There was nothing that made not my journey pleasant, save the labour of the way: which y●● was so sweetly deceived, by the society of Sir Edmund Bacon, (a Gentleman truly honourable, beyond all titles) that I found small cause to complain. The Sea brooked not me, nor I it; an unquiet element, made only for wonder & use, not for pleasure. Alighted once from that wooden conveyance, and uneven way, I bethought myself how fond our life is committed to an unsteady and reeling piece of wood, fickle winds, restless waters; while we may set foot on steadfast and constant earth. Lo, than every thing taught me, every thing delighted me; so ready are we to be affected with those foreign pleasures, which at home we should overlook. I saw much, as one might in such a span of earth, in so few months. The time favoured me: for, now newly had the key of peace opened those parts which war had before closed; closed (I say) to all English, save either fugitives or captives. All civil occurrences (as what fair Cities, what strange fashions, entertainments, dangers, delights we found) are fit for other ears, and winter evenings. What I noted, as a Divine within the sphere of my profession, my paper shall not spare in some part to report; and that to yourself, which have passed a longer way, with more happy fruit of observation. Even little streams empty themselves into great Rivers, and they again into the Sea. Neither do I desire to tell you what you know not: it shall be sufficient that I relate aught which others shall think memorable. Along our way, how many Churches saw we demolished! Nothing left, but rude heaps, to tell the passenger, there hath been both devotion and hostility. O the miserable footsteps of war, besides bloodshed, ruin, and desolation! Fury hath done that there, which Covetousness would do with us; would do, but shall not: The truth within, shall save the walls without. And, to speak truly (whatever the vulgar exclaime) Idolatry pulled down those walls; not rage. If there had been no Hollander to raze them, they should have fall'n alone, rather than hide so much impiety under their guilty roof. These are spectacles, not so much of cruelty, as justice; Cruelty of man, justice of God. But (which I wondered at) Churches fall, and jesuits Colleges rise, everywhere. There is no city, where those are not either rearing or built. Whence cometh this? Is it, for that devotion is not so necessary as policy? Those men (as we say of the Fox) far best, when they are most cursed. None so much spighted of their own; none so hated of all; none so opposed by ours: and yet these ill weeds grow. Whosoever life's long, shall see them feared of their own, which now hate them; shall see these seven lean kine devour all the fat beasts that feed on the meadows of Tiber. I prophesy, as Pharaoh dreamt: The event shall justify my confidence. At Bruxelles I say some English-women profess themselves Vestals; with a thousand rites, I know not whether more ridiculous, or magical. Poor souls! they could not be fools enough at home. It would have made you to pity, laugh, disdain (I know not which more) to see by what cunning sleights and fair pretences that weak sex was fetched into a wilful bondage; and (if those two can agree) willingly constrained to serve a master whom they must and cannot obey: whom they neither may forsake for their vow, nor can please for their frailty. What follows hence? Late sorrow, secret mischief, misery irremediable. Their forwardness, for will-worship, shall condemn our coldness for truth. I talked there (in more boldness perhaps then wisdom) with Costerus a famous jesuit; an old man, more tasty than subtle, and more able to wrangle then satisfy. Our discourse was long and roving, and on his part full both of words and vehemency. He spoke as at home; I as a stranger: yet so, as he saw me modestly peremptory. The particulars would swell my Letter too much: It is enough, that the Truth lost less than I gained. At Gaunt (a city that commands reverence for age, and wonder for the greatness) we fell upon a Cappucine novice, which wept bitterly, because he was not allowed to be miserable. His head had now felt the razor, his back the rod: all that laconical discipline pleased him well; which another, being condemned to, would justly account a torment. What hindered then? Piety to his mother, would not permit this which he thought piety to God: He could not be a willing beggar, unless his mother must beg unwillingly. He was the only heir of his father, the only stay of his mother: the comfort of her widowhood depended on this her orphan; who now naked must enter into the world of the Cappucines, as he came first into this; leaving his goods to the division of the fraternity: the least part whereof should have been hers, whose he wished all: Hence those tears, that repulse. I pitied his ill bestowed zeal; and rather wished, then durst teach him more wisdom. These men for devout, the jesuits for learned and pragmatical, have engrossed all opinion from other Orders. O hypocrisy! No Cappucine may take or touch silver: for these are (you know) the quintessence of Franciscan spirits. This mettle is as very an Anathema to these, as the wedge of gold to Achan; at the offer whereof he starts back, as Moses from the serpent: yet he carries a boy with him, that takes and carries it; and never complains of either mettle or measure. I saw and laughed at it; and by this open trick of hypocrisy, suspected more, more close. How could I choose? while commonly the least appears of that which is; especially of that which is loathsome in appearance, much more in nature. At Namurs, on a pleasant and steep hill-top, we found one that was termed a married Hermit; approving his wisdom above his fellows, that could make choice of so cheerful and sociable a solitariness. Whence, after a delightful passage up the sweet River Mosa, we visited the populous and rich Clergy of Leodium. That great City might well be dichotomized into Cloisters and Hospitals. If I might adventure, I could here play the Critic, after all the ruins of my neglected philology. Old monuments, and after them our Lipsius, call this people Eburones: I doubt whether it should not rather be written Ebriones; yet without search of any other Records, save my own eyes: while yet I would those streets were more moist with wine, then with blood; wherein no day, no night is not dismal to some. No law, no Magistrate, lays hold on the known murderer, if himself list: for three days after his fact, the gates are open, and justice shut: private violence may pursue him, public justice cannot: whence, some of more hot temper carve themselves of revenge; others takeup with a small pecuniary satisfaction. O ENGLAND, thought I, happy for justice, happy for security! There you shall find in every corner a Mammet; at every door a Beggar; in every dish a Priest. From thence we passed to the Spa, a village famous for her medicinal and mineral waters, compounded of Iron and Copperice; the virtue whereof yet the simple inhabitant ascribes to their beneficial Saint, whose heavy foot hath made an ill-shaped impression in a stone of his * The name of the upper Well of the Spa. Savenir: A water more wholesome than pleasant, and yet more famous than wholesome. The wild deserts (on which it borders) are haunted with three kinds of ill cattles; Freebooters, Wolves, Witches: although these two last are ofttimes one. For that savage Ardenna is reputed to yield many of those monsters, whom the Greeks' call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; they, Lougarous; we (if you will) Witch-wolues; Witches that have put on the shape of those cruel beasts. We saw a boy there, whose halfe-face was devoured by one of them near the village: yet so, as that the ear was rather cut then bitten off. Not many days before our coming, at Limburgh was executed one of those miscreants, who confessed on the wheel to have devoured two and forty children in that form. It would ask a large volume, to scan this problem of lycanthropy. The reasons, wherewith their relation furnished me on both parts, would make an epistle tedious. This in short I resolved; a substantial change, is above the reach of all infernal powers, proper to the same hand that created the substance of both: Herein the Devil plays the double Sophister; yea, the Sorcerer with Sorcerers. He both deludes the witch's conceit, and the beholders eyes. One thing I may not omit, without sinful oversight; A short, but memorable Story, which the Grephier of that town (though of different religion) reported to more ears than ours. When the last Inquisition tyrannised in those parts, and helped to spend the Faggots of Ardenna; one of the rest, a confident Confessor, being led fare to his stake, sung Psalms along the way, in a heavenly courage and victorious triumph: the cruel Officer envying his last mirth, and grieving to see him merrier than his tormentors, commanded him silence: He sings still, as desirous to improve his last breath to the best. The view of his approaching glory, bred his joy; his joy breaks forth into a cheerful confession: The enraged Sheriff causes his tongue, drawn forth to the length, to be cut off near the roots. Bloody wretch! It had been good music to have heard his shrieks: but, to hear his music was torment. The poor Martyr dies in silence, rests in peace. Not many months after, our butcherly Officer hath a son borne with his tongue hanging down upon his chin, like a Deer after long chase; which never could be gathered up within the bounds of his lips. O the divine hand, full of justice, full of revenge! Go now, Lipsius, Histoire et miracles, etc. Que le 8. iour du mois de Septembre au dict an. 1603. estant Feste de la Nativitè de nostre Dame, le number de Pelerins a estè environ 20000 p. 35. Virgo Hallens●. and write the new miracles of thy Goddess; and confirm superstition by strange events. judge you that have seen, if ever the Chapel of Haelle or Zichem have yielded aught more notable. We meet everywhere Pilgrims to those his Ladies: two Ladies shall I call them, or one Lady in two shrines? If two, why do they worship but one? If but one, why doth she that cure at Zichem, which at Halle she could not? O what pity it is, that so high a wit should in the last act be subject to dotage! All the masculine brood of that brain we cherished, and (if need were) admired: but these his silly Virgins, the feeble issue of distempered age, who can abide? one of his darlings, at Lovan, told me from his own mouth, that the elder of these two daughters was by him in ten days got, conceived, borne, christened. I believed, and wondered not. These acts of superstition have an invisible father, and midwife: beside that it is not for an Elephant to go three years with a Mouse. It was told me in the shop of his Moretus, not without some indignation, that our King, when he had well viewed the book, and read some passages, threw it to the ground, with this censure; Damnation to him that made it, and to him that believes it. Whether a true story, or one of their Legends, I inquire not: I am sure, that sentence did not so much discontent them, as it joyed me. Let me tell you yet, ere I take off my pen, two wonders more, which I saw in that wonder of Cities, Antwerp; one, a solemn Mass in a shambles, and that on God's day; while the house was full of meat, of butchers, of buyers; some kneeling, others bargaining, most talking, all busy. It was strange to see one house sacred to God, and the belly; and how those two services agreed: The Priest did eat flesh, the butchers sold flesh, in one roof, at one instant. The butcher killed, and sold it by pieces; the Priest did sacrifice, and orally devour it whole: whether was the more butcher? The like we might have seen at Malines. The other, Mechlinia. an Englishman, so madly devout, that he had wilfully mured up himself as an Anachoret; One Goodwin a Kentishman. the worst of all prisoners. There sat he penned up, for his further merit, half hunger-starved for the charity of the Citizens. It was worth seeing, how manly he could bite-in his secret want, and dissemble his over-late repentance. I cannot commend his mortification, if he wish to be in heaven, yea in purgatory, to be delivered from thence: I durst not pity him; because his durance was willing, and (as he hoped) meritorious: but, such encouragement as he had from me, such thank shall he have from God; who in stead of an Euge, which he looks for, shall angrily challenge him, with Who required this? I leave him now, in his own fetters; you, to your worthy and honourable employments. Pardon me this length. loquacity is the natural fault of Travellers: while I profit any, I may well be forgiven. To Sir DAVID MURRAY. EPIST. VI Concerning the Miracles of our time. INdeed the world abounds with miracles. These, while they fill the mouths of many, sway the faith of some, and make all men wonder. Our nature is greedy of news; which it will rather feign than want. Certainly, ere long, miracles will be no wonders, for their frequency. I had thought, our age had had too many grey hairs, and with time experience, and with experience craft, to have descried a juggler: but now I see by the simplicity, it declines to its second childhood. The two Lipsian Ladies, the charms of Bluntstones' boy, and Garnets' straw, what a noise have they made! I only wonder how Faux and Catesby escaped the honour of Saints, and privilege of miracles. Herein you ask my sentence; more seasonably than you hoped. For I meant to have wrote a just volume of this subject, and furnished myself accordingly in that Region of wonders; but that I feared to surcharge the nice stomach of our time, with too much. Neither would my length have aught availed you; whose thoughts are so taken up with so high & serviceable cares, that they can give no leisure to an overlong discourse. May it please you therefore to receive in short, what I have deliberately resolved in myself, and think I can make good to others. I have noted four ranks of commonly-named miracles: from which, if you make a just subduction, how few of our wonders shall remain either to belief or admiration? The first merely reported, not seen to be done; the next seeming to be done, but counterfeited; the third, truly done, but not true miracles; the last, truly miraculous, but by Satan. The first of these are bred of lies, and nourished by credulity: The mouth of Fame is full of such blasts. For these, if I listed a while to rake in the Legends and book of Conformities, an ingenuous Papist could not but blush, an indifferent Reader could not but lay his hand on his spleen, and wonder as much that any man could be so impudent to broach such reports, or any so simple to believe them; as the credulous multitude wonders that any should be so powerful to effect them. But I seek neither their shame, nor others laughter. I dare say, not the Talmud, not the Alcoran, hath more impossible tales, more ridiculous lies. Yea, to this head, Canus himself (a famous Papist) dares refer many of those ancient miracles reported and (by all likelihood) believed of Bede and Gregory. The next are bred of fraud and cozenage, nourished by superstition. The Rood of grace at Boxley-Abbey. Who knows not, how the famous Kentish Idol moved her eyes, and hands, by those secret gimmors, which now every Puppet-play can imitate? How Saint Wilfreds' needle opened to the penitent, and closed itself to the guilty? How our Lady sheds the tears of a bleeding Vine? and doth many of her daily feats, as Bel did of old eat up his banquet, or as Picens the Eremite fasted forty days. But these two every honest Papist will confess, with voluntary shame and grief; and grant that it may grow a disputable question whether Mountebanks or Priests are the greater cozeners. Vines, beyond his wont, vehemently, terms them execrable and Satanical impostors. The third are true works of God under a false title: God gives them their being, men their name: unjust, because above their nature; wherein the Philosopher and the superstitiously-ignorant, are contrarily extreme: while the one seeks out natural causes of Gods immediate and metaphysical works; the other ascribes ordinary effects to supernatural causes. If the violence of a disease cease, after a vow made to our Lady; if a soldier, armed with this vow scape gunshot; a captive prison; a woman travelling, death; the vulgar (and I would they alone) cry out, A miracle. One Loadstone hath more wonder in it, than a thousand such events. Every thing draws a base mind to admiration. Francisco del Campo (one of the Archduke's Quiryes) told us not without importunate devotion, that in that fatal field of Newport, his vow to their Virgin helped him to swim over a large water, when the oats of his arms had never before tried any waves. A dog hath done more, without acknowledgement of any Saint. Fear gives sudden instincts of skill, even without precept. Their own Costerus durst say, that the cure of a disease is no miracle: His reason, because it may be done by the power of Nature, albe in a longer time. * Fol. an ●il six cents & trois y querent compet● cent & t●ente cinque potences & iambes de bois de personnes boytrules y apportè es ad skull espace d● quatre ou cinque moi●. Histoire & miracles, c. 12. p 34. Yield this, and what have Lipsius his two Ladies done? wherefore serves all this clamour, from the two hills? I assented not; neither will be herein thus much their enemy: For, as well the manner of doing, as the matter, makes a miracle. If Peter's handkerchief, or shadow, heal a disease, it is miraculous, though it might have been done by a potion. Many of their reconciles (doubtless) have been wrought through the strength of Nature in the Patient; not of virtue in the Saint. How many sick men have mended, with their physic in their pocket? Though many other also (I doubt not) of those cures have fallen into the fourth head; which indeed is more knotty, and require a deeper discourse. Wherein, if I shall evince these two things, I shall (I hope) satisfy my Reader, and clear the Truth: One, that miracles are wrought by Satan, the other, that those which the Romish Church boasteth, are of this nature, of this author. I contend not of words: we take miracles in Augustine's large sense; wherein is little difference betwixt a thing marvelous and miraculous; such as the Spirit of God in either instrument calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perhaps it would be more proper to say, that God works these miracles by Satan: for, as in the natural and voluntary motions of wicked men; so in the supernatural acts of evil spirits (as they are acts) there is more than a mere permission. Satan, by his tempest, bereaves job of his children; yet job, looking higher, saith, The Lord hath taken. No sophistry can elude this proof of Moses; that a Prophet or dreamer may give a true sign or wonder, and yet say, Let us go after strange Gods: nor that of our Saviour, who foretells of false Christ's, Deut. 13●. false Prophets that shall give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; signs and wonders, and those great. There are some too great, I grant, for the hand of all infernal powers: by which, our Saviour invincibly proves the truth of his deity: These never graced falsehood, neither admit any precedent from our times. As to the rest so frequent and common; for me, I could not believe the Church of Rome were Antichristian, if it had not boasted of these wonders. All the knot lies then in the application of this to Rome, and our imaginary Lady: How shall it appear, that their miracles are of this kind? Ludovicus Vines gives six notes to distinguish God's miracles from Satan's: Lipsius three: Both of them too many, as might easily be discovered by discussing of particulars. It is not so much the greatness of the work, not the belief of witnesses, nor the quality nor manner of the action, nor truth of essence, that can descry the immediate hand which worketh in our miracles. That alone is the true and golden rule, which justin Martyr (if at least that book be his) prescribes in his Questions and Answers; How shall it be known that our miracles are than the Heathens, although the event countenance both alike? Resp. Ex fide & cultu veri Dei: By the faith and worship of the true God. Miracles must be judged by the doctrine which they confirm; not the doctrine by the miracles. The Dreamer, or Prophet, must be esteemed, not by the event of his wonder, but by the substance & scope of his teaching. The Romanists argue preposterously, while they would prove the truth of their Church by miracles; whereas they should prove their miracles by the truth. To say nothing of the fashion of their cures, that one is prescribed to come to our Lady rather on a Friday, as * Pag. 7: Henry Loyez; another, to wash nine days in the water of MONTAGV, as Leonard Stocqueau; another to eat a piece of the Oak where the image stood, as * Histoire & miracle. de nostre Dame. Pag 73. Pag. 102. Magdaleine the widow of Bruxelles. All which, if they savour not strong of magical receipts, let the indifferent judge. Surely, either there is no sorcery, or this is it. All shall be plain, if the doctrine confirmed by their miracles be once discussed: for, if that be divine truth, we do unjustly impugn these works as diabolical; if falsehood, they do blasphemously proclaim them for divine. These works tend all chief to this double doctrine; that the blessed Virgin is to be invoked, for her mediation; That God and Saints are to be adored in and by images; Positions that would require a volume, and such as are liberally disputed by others: whereof one is against Scripture; the other (which in these cases values no less) besides it. One deifies the Virgin; the other a stock or stone. It matters not what subtle distinctions their learned Doctors make betwixt mediation of Redemption, Examen Pacifique de lafoy doctrine does Huguenots. O saweresse sawe moy. Manuel of French prayers, printed at Liege, by approbation and authority of Anton. Ghenatt. Inquisitor, etc. and Intercession, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Saint and the Image: We know, their common people, whose devotion enriches those shrines (by confession of their own Writers) climb the hill of Zichem with this conceit, that Mary is their Savioresse; that the stock is their Goddess: which unless it be true, how do their wonders teach them lies! and therefore how from God? But, to take the first at best (for the second is so gross, that were not the second Commandment by Papists purposely razed out of their Primiers, children and carters would condemn it) it cannot be denied, that all the substance of prayer is in the heart; the vocal sound is but a compliment, and as an outward case wherein our thoughts are sheathed. That power cannot know the prayer which knows not the heart: either than the Virgin is God, for that she knows the heart; or to know the heart is not proper to God: or to know the heart, and so our prayers, is falsely ascribed to the Virgin: and therefore these wonders, which teach men thus to honour her, are Doctors of lies; so, not of God. There cannot be any discourse wherein it is more easy to be tedious. To end; If prayers were but in words, and Saints did meddle with all particularities of earthly things, yet blessed Mary should be a God, if she could at once attend all her suitors. One solicits her at Halle, another at Scherpenhewel, another at Luca, at our Walsingham another; one in Europe, another in Asia; or perhaps another is one of her new Clients in America. Ten thousand devout Suppliants are at once prostrate before her several shrines. If she cannot hear all, why pray they? If she can, what can God do more? Certainly (as the matter is used) there cannot be greater wrong offered to those heavenly spirits, then by our importunate superstitions to be thrust into God's Throne; and to have forced upon them the honours of their Maker. There is no contradiction in heaven: a Saint cannot allow that an Angel forbids. See thou do it not, was the voice of an Angel: if all the miraculous blocks in the world shall speak contrary, we know whom to believe. The old rule was, * Let no man worship the Virgin Mary. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Either that rule is devilish, or this practice. And if this practice be ill, God deliver me from the immediate author of these miracles. Change but one Idol for another, and what differ the wonders of Apollo's Temples, from those of these Chapels? We reverence (as we ought) the memory of that holy and happy Virgin: We hate those that dishonour her; we hate those that deify her. Cursed be all honour that is stolen from God. This short satisfaction I give, in a long question; such as I dare rest in; and resolve that all popish miracles are either falsely reported, or falsely done, or falsely miraculous, or falsely ascribed to heaven. To Mr. WILLIAM BEDELL at Venice. EP. VII. Lamenting the death of our late Divines, and exciting to their imitation. WE have heard, how full of trouble, and danger, the Alps were to you; and did at once both pity your difficulties, and rejoice in your safety. Since your departure from us, Reynolds is departed from the world. Alas, how many worthy Lights have our eyes seen shining and extinguished? How many losses have we lived to see the Church sustain, and lament; of her children; of her pillars; our own; and foreign; I speak not of those, which (being excellent) would needs be obscure: whom nothing but their own secrecy deprived of the honour of our tears. There are, beside, too many whom the world noted and admired; even since the time that our common mother acknowledged us for her sons. Our Fulke led the way; that profound, ready, and resolute Doctor, the hammer of heretics. The 〈◊〉 of Truth: whom your younger times have heard oft disputing acutely and powerfully. Next him, followed that honour of our Schools, and Angel of our Church, learned Whitakers; than whom our age saw nothing more memorable: what clearness of judgement, what sweetness of style, what gravity of person, what grace of carriage was in that man? Who ever saw him without reverence? or heard him without wonder? Soon after, left the world that famous and illuminate Doctor, Francis junius, the glory of Leiden, the other hope of the Church, the Oracle of textual and Schoole-divinity, rich in languages, subtle in distinguishing, and in argument invincible: and his companion in labours, Lu. Trelcatius, would needs be his companion in joys; who had doubted our sorrow and loss, but that he recompensed it with a son like himself. Soon after, self old reverend Beza; a long fixed star in this firmament of the Church: who, after many excellent monuments of learning and fidelity, lived to prove upon his adversaries, that he was not dead at their day. Neither may I, without injury, omit that worthy pair of our late Divines, Gre●nham and Perkins: whereof the one excelled in experimental divinity, & knew well how to stay a weak conscience, how to raise a fallen, how to strike a remorseless: The other, in a distinct judgement, and a rare dexterity in clearing the obscure subtleties of the School, and easy explication of the most perplex discourses. Doctor Reynolds is the last; not in worth, but in the time of his loss. He alone was a well furnished library, full of all faculties, of all studies, of all learning: the memory, the reading of that man were near to a miracle. These are gone, amongst many more, whom the Church mourns for in secret: would God her loss could be as easily supplied, as lamented. Her sorrow is for those that are past; her remainder of joy in those that remain; her hope in the next age. I pray God the causes of her hope, and joy, may be equivalent to those of her grief. What should this work in us, but an imitation, yea (that word is not too big for you) an emulation of their worthiness? It is no pride, for a man to wish himself spiritually better than he dare hope to reach: nay, I am deceived, if it be not true humility. For what doth this argue him, but low in his conceit, high in his desires only? Or if so; happy is the ambition of grace, and power of sincere serviceableness to God. Let us wish and affect this, while the world lays plots for greatness: Let me not prosper, if I bestow envy on them. He is great, that is good: and no man, methinks, is happy on earth, to him that hath grace for substance, and learning for ornament. If you know it not, the Church (our mother) looks for much at your hands: she knows how rich our common father hath left you: she notes your graces, your opportunities, your employments: she thinks you are gone so fare, like a good Merchant, for no small gain; and looks you shall come home well laded. And for vent of your present commodities (though our chief hope of success be cut off with that unhoped peace) yet what can hinder your private traffic for God? I hope (and who doth not?) that this blow will leave in your noble Venetians a perpetual scar; and that their late irresolution shall make them ever capable of all better counsel; and have his work (like some great Eclipse many years after. How happy were it for Venice, if as she is every year married to the Sea, so she were once throughly espoused to Christ! In the mean time, let me persuade you to gratify us at home with the publication of that your exquisite polemical discourse; whereto our conference with M. Alabaster gave so happy an occasion: You shall hereby clear many truths, and satisfy all Readers: yea, I doubt not, but an adversary (not too perverse) shall acknowledge the Truth's victory and yours. It was wholesome counsel of a Father, that in the time of an heresy every man should write. Perhaps, you complain of the inundations of Francford: How many have been discouraged from benefiting the world, be this conceit of multitude! Indeed we all write; and while we writ, cry out of number. How well might many be spared, even of those that complain of too many? whose importunate babbling cloys the world, without use. To my Lord, the Earl of Essex. EP. VIII. Advice for his Travels. MY Lord, both my duty and promise make my Letters your debt; and, if neither of these, my thirst of your good. You shall never but need good counsel; most in travel: Then are both our dangers greater, and our hopes. I need not to tell you the eyes of the world are much upon you, for your own sake, for your fathers: only let your eyes be upon it again, to observe it, to satisfy it, and in some cases to contemn it. As your graces, so your weaknesses, will be the sooner spied, by how much you are more noted. The higher any building is, the more it requires exquisite proportion: which in some low and rude piles, is needless. If your virtues shall be eminent like your fathers, you cannot so hide yourself, but the world will see you, and force upon you applause & admiration, in spite of modesty: but if you shall come short in these, your father's perfection shall be your blemish. Think, now, that more eyes are upon you, then at home: of foreigners, of your own; theirs to observe, ours to expect. For, now we account you in the School of wisdom: whence if you return not better; you shall worse; with the loss of your time, of our hopes. For, I know not how natural it is to us, to look for alteration in travel; and, with the change of air and land, to presuppose a change in the person. Now you are (through both your years and travel) in the forge of your hopes. We all look (not without desire and apprecation) in what shape you will come forth. Think it not enough, that you see, or can say you have seen strange things of nature, or event: it is a vain and dead travel, that rests in the eye, or the tongue. All is but lost, unless your busy mind shall, from the body that it sees, draw forth some quintessence of observation, wherewith to inform, & enrich itself. There is nothing can quite the cost and labour of travel, but the gain of wisdom. How many have we seen and pitied, which have brought nothing from foreign countries, but misshapen clothes, or exotic gestures, or new games, or affected lispings, or the diseases of the place, or (which is worst) the vices? These men have at once wandered from their country, and from themselves: and some of them (too easy to instance) have left God behind them; or perhaps, instead of him, have after a lose and filthy life, brought home some idle Puppet in a box, whereon to spend their devotion. Let their wrack warn you: and let their follies be entertained by you, with more detestation than pity. I know your Honour too well to fear you: your young years have been so graciously prevented with sovereign antidotes of truth and holy instruction, that this infection despairs of prevailing. Your very blood gives you argument of safety: yet good counsel is not unseasonable, even where danger is not suspected. For God's sake, my Lord, whatsoever you gain, lose nothing of the truth; remit nothing of your love and piety to God; of your favour and zeal to religion. As sure as there is a God, you were trained up in the true knowledge of him. If either Angel, or Devil, or jesuit should suggest the contrary, send him away with defiance. There you see and hear every day, the true mother and the feigned, striving and pleading for the living child. The true Prince of peace hath past sentence from heaven, on our side. Do not you stoop so much as to a doubt, or motion of irresolution. Abandon those from your table and salt, whom your own and others experience shall descry dangerous: Those Serpents are full of insinuations: But, of all, those of your own country; which are so much the more pernicious, by how much they have more colour of privilege of entireness. Religion is the greatest care: advices for carriage, and improvement of travel, challenge the next place. I need not counsel you to keep your state with affability; and so to menage yourself, as that your courtesy may be more visible than your greatness. Nature hath taught you this; and hath secretly propagated it from your father: who by his sweetness of disposition, won as many hearts, as by his valour and munificence. I rather tell you, that a good nature hath betrayed many; who looking for that in others, which they found in themselves, have at last complained of their own credulity, and others deceit. Trust not strangers too much, with your counsel, with your person: and in your greatest familiarities, have an eye to their common disposition, and infirmities. Those natures wherewith you converse, are subject to displeasure, and violent in pursuit of small indignities. Yesterday heard I named, from no unfaithful report, a French Courtier, that in single combat hath sent 18 souls from the field to their place: yet he ever as the patiented in the quarrel; and for this mentioned with more than excuse: I censure not how justly. This is others care: Only hence I argue the rifeness of unkindness taken, and pursued. You shall see, that the soil is not so diverse, as the inclination of persons; who in all Climates, though they differ in particulars, yet still agree too well in common faults. The Italian deep, close, and crafty; the French rash; the Germane dull. One not forward to offer wrongs; but apprehensive of a small wrong offered: another, prone either to take, or give them; but not uneasy to remit: another, long in conceiving, long in retaining. What do I exemplify? There are long Catalogues of peculiar vices, that haunt special places; which, if they were not notoriously infamous, my charity would serve me to particularise. It were pity there should be fewer virtues, local and proper. There are good uses to be made of others enormities; if no more, by them to correct our own: who loathes vice in another is in good forwardness to leave it in himself. The view of the public calamities, and disorders of other Churches, shall best teach you thankfulness for the better state of ours: But better use of their virtues; by how much it is more excellent to know what we should do, than what should not. You must now look upon all things, not with the eye of a stranger only, but of a Philosopher, but of a Christian; which accounts all loss, that is not reduced to practice. It is a great praise, that you are wiser by the contemplation of foreign things; but much greater, that you are better. That you have seen Cities, and Courts, and Alps, and Rivers, can never yield you so sound comfort, as that you have looked seriously into yourself. In vain do we affect all foreign knowledge, if we be not throughly acquainted at home. Think much, and say little, especially in occasions of dispraise: wherein, both a little is enough, and oft times any thing is too much. You cannot inquire too much: that which in us inferiors would be censured for dangerous curiosity, in your Greatness shall be construed as a commendable desire of knowledge. Ask still after men of greatest parts and reputation: and where you find Fame no liar, note and respect them. Make choice of those for conversation, which either in present, or in hope are eminent: and when you meet with excellencies in any faculty, leave not without some gain of knowledge. What are others graces to you, if you only admire them; not imitate, not appropriate them? Lo, your equals in time grow up happily in the College (so I may term it) of our young and hopeful Court, which you have left; and above all, that gracious Precedent of worthiness and perfection: whom while in all other things you serve, you may without reproof emulate for learning, virtue, piety. Myself am witness of their progress; which I do joyfully gratulate to the succeeding age. Beware, lest their diligence shall outstrip you, and upbraid you with that ancient check of going far and faring worse. I am bold and busy in counselling: you abound with better monitors; and the best you carry about, I hope, in your own bosom. Though these should be needless, yet they argue my humble affection, and discharge my duty. My prayers are better than my counsels; both of them hearty and unfeigned for your good, God guide and return you safe, from a journey not more happy and prosperous than I wish it. To Sir ROBERT DRURY, and his LADY. EPIST. IX. Concerning my Remove all from them. WIth how unwilling a heart I leave you, he knows that searches the heart: Neither durst I go, but that I sensibly see his hand pulling me from you. Indeed, desire of competency betrayed me, at first; and drew mine eyes to look aside: but, when I bend them upon the place, and saw the number and the need of the people, together with their hunger and applause, meeting with the circumstances of Gods strange conveyance of this offer to me; I saw, that was but as the Fowler's feather, to make me stoop: and, contemning that respect of myself, I sincerely acknowledged higher motives of my yielding; and resolved I might not resist. You are dear to me, as a charge to a Pastor; If my pains to you have not proved it, suspect me: Yet I leave you. God calls me to a greater work: I must follow him. It were more ease to me, to live secretly hidden in that quiet obscurity, as Saul amongst the stuff, then to be drawn out to the eye of the world, to act so high a part before a thousand witnesses. In this point, if I seem to neglect you, blame me not; I must neglect and forget myself. I can but labour, wheresoever I am. God knows how willingly I do that, whether there or here. I shall dig, and delve, and plant, in what ground soever my Master sets me. If he take me to a larger field, complain you not of loss, while the Church may gain. But, you are mine own Charge; No wise father neglects his own, in compassion of the greater need of others: yet consider, that even careful Parents, when the Prince commands, leave their families, and go to warfare. What if God hath called me to heaven; would you have grudged my departure? Imagine I am there, where I shall be; although the case be not to you altogether so hopeless: for, now I may hear of you, visit you, renew my holy counsels, and be mutually comforted from you; there, none of these. He, that will once transpose me from earth to heaven, hath now chosen to transpose me from one piece of earth to another: what is here worthy of your sorrow, worthy of complaint? That should be for my own good: this shall be for the good of many. If your experience have taught you, that my labours do promise profit; obtain of yourself to deny yourself so much, as to rejoice that the loss of a few should be the advantage of many souls. Tho, why do I speak of loss? I speak that as your fear, not my own: and your affection causeth that fear, rather than the occasion. The God of the Harvest shall send you a Labourer, more able, as careful: That is my prayer, and hope, and shall be my joy. I dare not leave but in this expectation, this assurance. Whatever become of me, it shall be my greatest comfort to hear you commend your change; and to see your happy progress in those ways I have both showed you, and beaten. So shall we meet in the end, and never part. Written to Mr. J. B. and Dedicated to my Father, Mr. J. Hall. EP. X. Against the fear of Death. YOu complain, that you fear death: He is no man that doth not. Besides the pain, Nature shrinks at the thought of parting. If you would learn the remedy, know the cause; for that she is ignorant and faithless. She would not be cowardly, if she were not foolish. Our fear is from doubt, and our doubt is from unbelief; and whence is our unbelief, but chief from ignorance? She knows not what good is elsewhere: she believes not her part in it. Get once true knowledge & true faith, your fear shall vanish alone. Assurance of heavenly things, makes us willing to part with earthly. He cannot contemn this life, that knows not the other. If you would despise earth therefore, think of heaven. If you would have death easy, think of that glorious life that follows it. Certainly, if we can endure pain, for health; much more should we abide a few pangs for glory. Think how fond we fear a vanquished enemy. Lo, Christ hath triumphed over Death: he bleedeth and gaspeth under us: and yet we tremble. It is enough to us, that Christ died: neither would he have died, but that we might dye with safety and pleasure. Think that death is necessarily annexed to nature: We are for a time, on condition that we shall not be; we receive life, but upon the terms of re-delivery. Necessity makes some things easy; as it usually makes easy things difficult. It is a fond injustice to embrace the covenant, and shrink at the condition. Think, there is but one common road to all flesh: There are no by-paths of any fairer or nearer way; no, not for Princes. Even company abateth miseries: and the commonness of an evil makes it less fearful. What worlds of men are gone before us; yea, how many thousands out of one field? How many Crowns and Sceptres lie piled up at the gates of Death, which their owners have left there, as spoils to the conqueror? Have we been at so many graves, & so oft seen ourselves dye in our friends; and do we shrink when our course cometh? Imagine you alone were exempted from the common law of mankind, or were condemned to Methusalahs' age; assure yourself, death is not now so fearful, as your life would then be wearisome. Think not so much what Death is, as from whom he comes, and for what. We receive even homely messengers from great persons; not without respect to their masters: And what matters it who he be, so he bring us good news? What news can be better than this, That God sends for you, to take possession of a Kingdom? Let them fear Death, which know him but as a pursuivant sent from hell; whom their conscience accuseth of a life wilfully filthy; and bindes-over secretly to condemnation: We know whither we are going, and whom we have believed: Let us pass on cheerfully, through these black gates unto our glory. Lastly, know that our improvidence only adds terror unto death. Think of death, and you shall not fear it. Do you not see, that even Bears and Tigers seem not terrible to those that live with them? How have we seen their keeper's sport with them, when the beholders durst scarce trust their chain? Be acquainted with Death: though he look grim upon you at first, you shall find him (yea, you shall make him) a good companion. Familiarity cannot stand with fear. These are receipts enough. Too much store doth rather overwhelm than satisfy. Take but these, and I dare promise you security. EPISTLES. THE SECOND DECAD. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE SECOND DECAD. To Sir ROBERT DARCY. EP. I. The estate of a true, but weak Christian. IF you ask how I far: Sometimes, no man better; and, if the fault were not mine own, Always. Not that I can command health, and bid the world smile when I list. How possible is it for a man to be happy without these; yea, in spite of them? These things can neither augment, nor impair those comforts that come from above. What use, what sight is there of the stars, when the Sun shines? Then only can I find myself happy, when (overlooking these earthly things) I can fetch my joy from heaven. I tell him that knows it, the contentments that earth can afford her best Favourites, are weak, imperfect, changeable, momentany; and such, as ever end in complaint. We sorrow that we had them; and, while we have them, we dare not trust them: Those from above are full, and constant. What an heaven do I feel in myself, when (after many traverses of meditation) I find in my hart, a feeling possession of my God When I can walk, and converse with the God of heaven, not without an openness of heart, and familiarity: When my soul hath caught fast and sensible hold of my Saviour; and either pulls him down to itself, or rather lifts up itself to him; and can and dare secretly avouch, I know whom I have believed: When I can look upon all this inferior creation, with the eyes of a stranger, & am transported to my home in my thoughts; solacing myself in the view & meditation of my future glory, and that present of the Saints: When I see wherefore I was made, and my conscience tells me I have done that for which I came; done it, not so as I can boast, but so as it is accepted; while my weaknesses are pardoned, and my acts measured by my desires, and my desires by their sincerity: Lastly, when I can find myself (upon holy resolution) made firm and square, fit to entertain all events; the good with moderate regard, the evil with courage and patience, both with thankes; strongly settled to good purposes, constant and cheerful in devotion; and, in a word, ready for God, yea full of God. Sometimes I can be thus, and pity the poor and miserable prosperity of the godless; and laugh at their months of vanity, and sorrow at my own: But then again (for why should I shame to confess it?) the world thrusts itself betwixt me and heaven; and, by his dark and indigested parts, eclipseth that light which shined to my soul. Now, a senseless dulness overtakes me, and besots me; my lust to devotion is little, my joy none at all: God's face is hid, and I am troubled. Then I begin to compare myself with others, and think, Are all men thus blockish and earthen? or, am I alone worse than the rest, and singular in my wretchedness? Now I carry my carcase up and down carelessly, and (as dead bodies are rubbed, without heat) I do in vain force upon myself delights, which others laugh at: I endeavour my wont work, but without an heart; there is nothing is not tedious to me, no not myself. Thus I am, till I single myself out alone, to him that alone can revive me: I reason with myself, and confer with him; I chide myself, and entreat him: and, after some spiritual speeches interchanged, I renew my familiarity with him; and he the tokens of his love to me. Lo, than I live again, and applaud myself in this happiness, and wish it might ever continue, and think basely of the world in comparison of it. Thus I hold on, rising and falling; neither know, whether I should more praise God for thus much fruition of him, or blame myself for my inconstancy in good; more rejoice, that sometimes I am well, or grieve that I am not so always. I strive, and wish, rather than hope, for better. This is our warfare; we may not look to triumph always; we must smart sometimes, and complain; and then again rejoice that we can complain; and grieve that we can rejoice no more, and that we can grieve no more. Our hope is, if we be patiented, we shall once be constant. To Sir EDMUND BACON. EPIST. II. Of the benefit of retiredness and secrecy. SVspect (if you can) that, because now many cold winds blow betwixt us, my affection can be cooler to you. True love is like a strong stream, which the further it is from the head, runs with more violence. The thoughts of those pleasures I was wont to find in your presence, were never so delightful, as now when I am barred from renewing them. I wish me with you; yea (if I could or might wish to change) I should wish me yourself. To live hidden, was never but safe, and pleasant; but now, so much better, as the world is worse. It is a happiness, not to be a witness of the mischief of the times; which it is hard to see, and be guiltless. Your philosophical Cell is a safe shelter from tumults, from vices, from discontentments. Besides that lively, honest, and manly pleasure, which arises from the gain of knowledge in the deep mysteries of Nature; how easy is it in that place to live free from the common cares, from the infection of common evils! Whether the Spaniard gain or save by his peace, and how he keeps it; and whether it were safer for the States to lay down arms, and be at once still and free; Whether the Emperor's truce with the Turk were honourable and seasonable; and whether Venice have won or lost by her late jars; are thoughts that dare not look in at those doors. Who is envied, and who pitied at Court; Who buys hopes and kindness dearest; who lays secret mines to blow up another, that himself may succeed, can never trouble you: These cares dare not enter into that Sanctuary of peace. Thence you can see how all that live public are tossed in these waves, and pity them. For, great places have seldom safe and easy entrances: and (which is worst) great charges can hardly be plausibly wielded, without some indirect policies. Alas! their privileges cannot countervail their toil. Weary days, and restless nights, short lives and long cares, weak bodies and unquiet minds, attend lightly on greatness. Either Clients break their sleep in the morning, or the intention of their mind drives it off from the first watch. Either suits or complaints thrust themselves into their recreations; and packets of Letters interrupt their meals. It is ever Term with them, without Vacation. Their businesses admit no night, no holiday: Lo, your privacy frees you from all this, and what ever other glorious misery. There you may sleep, and eat, & honestly disport, & enjoy yourself, and command both your praises and others. And, whiles you are happy, you live out of the reach of envy; unless myself send that guest thither: which I should justly condemn as the fault of my love. No man offers to undermine you, none to disgrace you: you could not want these inconveniences abroad. Yea, let a man live in the open world, but as a looker on, he shall be sure not to want abundance of vexations. An ill mind holds it an easy torment, to live in continual fight of evil; if not rather a pleasure: but, to the well-disposed, it is next to Hell. Certainly, to live among Toads and Serpents, is a Paradise to this. One jests pleasantly with his Maker: another makes himself sport with Scripture. One fills his mouth with oaths of sound: another scoffs as the religious. One speaks villainy; another laughs at it; a third defends it. One makes himself a Swine, another a Devil: Who (that is not all earth) can endure this? who cannot wish himself rather a desolate Hermit, or a close prisoner? Every evil we see, doth either vex, or infect us. Your retiredness avoids this; yet so, as it equally escapes all the evils of solitariness. You are full of friends; whose society, intermixed with your closeness, makes you to want little of public. The Desert is too wild, the City too populous: the Country is only fit for rest. I know, there want not some obscure corners, so haunted with dulness, that as they yield no outward unquietness, so no inward contentment. Yours is none of those; but such as strives rather with the pleasure of it, to requite the solitariness. The Court is for honour, the City for gain, the Country for quietness; a blessing that need not (in the judgement of the wisest) yield to the other two. Yea, how many have we known, that having nothing but a coat of thatch to hide them from heaven, yet have pitied the careful pomp of the mighty? how much more may those which have full hands and quiet hearts, pity them both? I do not so much praise you in this, as wonder at you. I know many upon whom the conscience of their wants forces a necessary obscurity; who if they can steal a virtue out of necessity, it is well: but, I no where know so excellent parts shrouded in such willing secrecy. The world knows you, and wants you; and yet you are voluntarily hid. Love yourself still; and make much of this shadow, until our common mother call you forth to her necessary service, and charge you to neglect yourself, to pleasure her. Which once done, you know where to find peace. Whether others applaud you, I am sure, you shall yourself: and I shall still magnify you, and (what I can) imitate you. To Mr. JOHN WHITEING. EP. III. An Apologetical discourse of the marriage of Ecclesiastical persons. I Know not whether this quarrel be worthy of an answer, or rather of a silent scorn; or if an answer, whether merry or serious. I do not willingly suffer my pen to wade into questions: yet this argument seems shallow enough for an Epistle. If I free not this truth, let me be punished with a divorce. Some idle tabletalk calls us to plead for our wives. Perhaps some Gallants grudge us one, who can be content to allow themselves more. If they thought wives curses, they would afford them us. Our marriage is censured (I speak boldly) of none but them which never knew to live chastely in marriage; who never knew that * Bartol. Brixiensis. virg. Carnis, Mentis. Caus. 35. q 5. C. Tunc saluabitur. Mulier svam virginitaté bene seruat, si ideo nubat ut filios pariat ad iustitiam. Profitentur continentiam corporum, in incontinentiam debacchantur animorum. De Rom. Cler. Saluianua. Canonists true distinction of Virginity. What care we for their censure, where God approves? But some perhaps maintain it out of judgement: Bid them make much of that which Paul tells them, is a doctrine of devils. Were it not for this opinion, the Church of Rome would want one evident brand of her Antichristianisme. Let their shavelings speak for themselves; upon whom their unlawful Vow hath forced a wilful and impossible necessity. I leave them to scan the old rule of In turpi voto muta decretum; if they had not rather, Cautè si non castè. Even moderate Papists will grant us free, because not bound by Vow; no, not so fare as those old Germans, pro posse & nosse. Or what care we, if they grant it not? while we hold us firm to that sure rule of Basil the great; * Qui verat quod Deus praecepit, aut praecipit quod Deus veruit, maledictus habeatur ab omnib● qui amant Dominum. In Moralib. sum. cap. 14. He that forbids what God inioynes, or inioynes what God forbids, let him be accursed. I pass not what I hear men, or Angels say, while I hear God say, Let him be the husband of one wife. That one word shall confirm me against the barking of all impure mouths. He that made marriage, says, it is honourable: what care we for the dishonour of those that corrupt it? yea, that which nature noteth with shame, God mentions with honour, a Heb. 13. The Marriage bed is honourable. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; b Non quia peccatum sit conjugibus commisceri: hoc enim opus castum non habet culpam in conjuge, etc. Greg. in Psal. Poenit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Socr. Hist. Eccl. Gregory with the title of opus castum; Pap●●utius, of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, chastity. But if God should be judge of this controversy, it were soon at an end; who in the time even of that legal strictness, allowed wedlock to the Ministers of his Sanctuary. Let Cardinal Panormitan be heard speak. c Continentia non est in clericis secularibus de substantia ordinis, nec de jure divino. Pan. Continency (saith he) in Clergy men, is neither of the substance of their order, nor appointed by any law of God. And Gratian, out of Augustine, yet more. d Copula sacerdotalis nec legali, nec Euamgelica, nec Apostolica authoritate prohibetur. 26. q 2. c. sors ex Aug Their marriage (saith he) is neither forbidden by Legal, nor Evangelicall, nor Apostolic authority. God never imposed this law of Continence: who then? e Only ex statuto Ecclesiae. Durand 4. Dist. 37. q. 1. Thom. in 2.2. q. 88 art. 11. The Church. As if a good spouse would gainsay what her husband willeth. But how well? Hear, O ye Papists, the judgement of your own Cardinal; and confess your mouths stopped. f Sed credo pro bono & salute esse animarum (quod esset salubre statutum) ut volentes possint contrahere; quia experientia docente, contratius prorsus effect sequitur exilla lege continentiae; cùm hodie non vivant spiritualiter, nec sint mundi, sed maculantur illicito coitu cum corum gravissimo peccato, ubi cum propri uxore esset castitas. Panormit. de Cler. conjug. cap. Cùm olim. But I believe (saith he) it were for the good and safety of many souls, & would be an wholesome law, that those which would, might marry; for that, as experience teacheth us, a contrary effect follows upon that law of Continency; since at this day they live not spiritually, neither are clean, but are defiled with unlawful copulation, to their great sin: whereas with their own wife it might be chastity. Is this a Cardinal, think you, or a Huguenot? But if this red hat be not worthy of respect; let a Pope himself speak out of Peter's chair. Pius the second, as learned as hath sit in that room this thousand years; g Sacerdotibus magna ratione sublatas nuptias, majore reslituendas videri: In the Record of Platina himself, In vita Pi● 2. Marriage (saith he) upon great reason was taken from the Clergy; but upon greater reason is to be restored. What need we other judge? How just this law is, you see; see now how ancient: For some doctrines have nothing to plead for them, but Time. Age hath been an old refuge for Falsehood. Tertullia's rule is true; That which is first, is truest. What the ancient jewish Prelates did, Moses is clear. What did the Apostles? Doth not h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. 1 Cor. 9.5. etc. Paul tell us, that both the rest of the Apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cophas, had wines, and (which is more) carried them still along in their travels? For that childish elusion of i Rhemists read it, a woman, a sister. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who can abide, but to laugh at? Doth not k Clemens, citatus etiam ab Euseb. l. 3. c. 13. Petrum cùm uxorem suam ad mortem duci cemeret, hortatum & consolatum his verbis, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Clement of Alexandria (a Father not of more antiquity, than credit, tell us, that Peter, Philip, and Paul himself, were married? And this last (though unlikest) how is it confirmed by Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Philadelphians? Yea, their own Cardinal, learned l Illud ad Philip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Caietane, doth both avouch and evince it. This was their practice: what was their Constitution? Look in these Canons which the Romish Church fathers upon the Apostles, and Franciscus Turrian their jesuit sweats to defend it in a whole Volume: There you find, Canon. 5. enacted, that m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (non ejici●t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Can. Apost. 5. no Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon, shall forsake his wife (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) in pretence of Religion, upon pain of deposition. It would move laughter, to see how the jesuits gnaw upon this bone, and sucke-in nothing but the blood of their own jaws; n Constant. 6. l. 3. Can. Qucniam. Canon Apostolicae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Not, sequentes veterem Canonem Apostolicae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & constitutiones sactorum virorum, legales anptias amodò valere volumus, etc. while the sixth general Council avers and proclaims this sense truly Apostolical, in spite of all contradiction. Fellow the times now, and descend lower; what did the ages succeeding? Search Records: Whatever some palpably-foisted Epistles of Popes insinuate, they married without scruple of my contrary injunction. Many of those Ancients admired Virginity, but imposed it not. Amongst the rest, o Qui à Christianis parentibus en●triti 〈◊〉 sunt, etc. maxi●è si ser●●●t ex patribus ●●cerdotali sede dignificatis, i. Episcopatus. presbyteracus, aut di●●onatus●ne gloriétur Orig. Tract. ●. in Matth. Origen (though himself a wilful Eunuch) is fain to persuade the sons of Clergy men, not to be proud of their parentage. After this, when the Fathers of the Nicene Council went about to enact a law of Continency, Socrates the Historian expresses it thus: p Visum erat episcopis legen no vam introducere in Ecclesiam. Socr. l. 1. c. 8. It seemeth good (saith he) to the Bishops to bring in a new law into the Church. It was then new, and they but would have brought it in; therefore before, it was not: where we know how Paphnutius, himself a Virgin, famous for holiness, famous for miracles, rising (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) cried aloud, that they ought not to lay this (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) heavy yoke, upon men of the Church. His arguments wan assent. He spoke and prevailed. So this liberty was still continued and affirmed. If this be not plain enough, q In epist. ad Dracons. holy Athanasius, a witr●sse past exception, shall serve for a thousand histories till his Age. r Multi ex episcopis matrimonia non inferunt; Monachi contrà parentes liberorum facti sunt: qué admodum vicissim Episcopos filiorum patres, & Monaches generis potestatem non quaesivisse animadvertas. Athana, Epistola ad Dracontium. Many Bishops (saith he) have not married; and contrarily Monks have been fathers of children: as contrarily, you se●●ishops the Fathers of children, and Monks that have not sought posterity. Would you yet have instances of the former, and the next Age? * Signa per● Paphnut●um non minus quam dudum per Apostolos fiebant. Ruffin. l. c. 4. Papha●utius, miraculis & pietate clarus, obtinuit in Nicena Synodo habendum pro castitate cum propria uxore concubitum. Soer. l. 1. c. 8. Here you have s Numidicus presbyter, qui uxorem conerematam & adhaerentem lateri laetus aspexit. Cyprian. l. 4. ep. 10. Numidicus the Martyr, a married Presbyter; t Ex Dionysio Euseb. l. 6. c. 41. Cheremon of Nilus, a married Bishop; u Euseb. l. 7. c. 29. Euseb. l. 8. c. 9 Gregorius verò apud Nazianzum oppidum in locum patris sui Episcopus subrogatus. Ruffin. l 2. c. 9 Demetrianus Bishop of Antioch, whose son Domnus succeeded Paulus Samosatenus; Philoromus and Phileas BB. of the Thmuites; Gabinius brother of Eutichianus BB. of Rome; the father of Nazianzene, Basil, and the other x Gregor. Nissen. frater Basilii, teste Nicephere, uxoratus, uxorem & liberos habuit: sed non propterea fuit in rebus & exercitiis divinis inferior vel deterior. Sozom. Gregory, Hilarius, and that good Spiridion Bishop of Cyprus, of whom Sozomen gives so direct testimony. To omit others, what should I speak of many Bishops of Rome, whose sons not spurious, as nowadays, but (as Pope Vrban himself witnesss) z De legitimis conjugiis nati. lawfully begot in wedlock, followed their fathers in the Pontificial chair. a Cùm ergo ex sacerdotibus nati in summos Pontifices legantur esse promoti, non sunt intelligendi de fornication, sed de legitimis connubiis nati; quae sacerdotibus ubique ante prohibitionem licita erant, in Orientali Ecclesia usque hodie eis licere probantur. Dist. 50. Cenoman. The reason whereof, that Pope himself ingenuously rendereth; for that marriage was everywhere lawful to the Clergy before the prohibition (which must needs be late) & in the Eastern Church to this day is allowed. What need we more testimonies, or more examples? What ever b The Author of the Aethiopicke History. Heliodorus, B. of Trica (a man fit for a wanton love-story than a Church-controversie) brought into the Church of Thessalia, Socrates thus flatly writes of those Bishops of his time: c Nam non pauci illorum, dum Episcopatum gerunt, etiam liberos ex uxore legitima procreant. Socrates' lib 5. ap. 21. For many of them in the place and function of Bishops, beget children of their lawful wines. This was practised: See what was decreed in that sixth general d The words of that Council are thus truly translated by Chemnitius: Quoniam in Romana Ecclesia, loco canonis seu decreti, tra●rum esse cognovimus, ut two qui digni habendi sunt ordinatione diaconi vel presbyteri, profiteantur se deinceps cum uxoribus suis non congressuros; nos sequentes veterem canonem, Apostolicae, sincerae, exquisitae & ordinatae constitutionis, legitimas sacrorum virorum cohabitationes conjugales etiam ex hodierno die in posterum valere ratas & sirmas esse volumus; nullo modo eorum cum uxoribus propri● conjunctionem seu copulationem dissolventes. Itaque si quis dignus inveniatur, etc. is minimè prohibendus est ad i●une gracum alcendere, ideo quod cum legitima uxore cohabiter. Nec tempore ordination is suae ab eo postuletur, seu cogatur ut abstinere velit aut debe● legitimo congressu cum propriâ uxore. Council of Constantinople, to this purpose, to the confusion of all replyers. If any Protestant Church in Christendom can make a more peremptory, more full and absolute, more cautelous decree, for the marriage of Ecclesiastical persons, let me be condemned as faithless: A place, I grant, miserably handled by our Adversaries; and because they cannot blemish it enough, indignly torn out of the Counsels. What dare not impudence do? * Citat. à Nilo Thessalonicensi. Against all evidences of Greek Copies, against their own Gratian, against pleas of antiquity. This is the readiest way; Whom they cannot answer, to burn; what they cannot shift off, to blot out; and to cut the knot which they cannot untie. The Romanists of the next age were somewhat more equal: who, seeing themselves pressed with so flat a Decree, confirmed by authority of Emperors, as would abide no denial, began to distinguish upon the point; limiting this liberty only to the Eastern Church, and granting that all the Clergy of the East might marry, not theirs. So Pope Steven the second freely confesses: e A litter se Orientalium habet traditio Ecclesiatum: aliter hujus sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae. Nam cotum sacerdotes, diaconi, aut subdiaconi, matrimonio copulantur: Istius autem Ecclesiae vel occidentalium nullus sacerdotum à subdiacono usque ad episcopum, licentiam habet conjugum so●tiendi. dull. 31 The tradition (saith he) of the Eastern Churches is otherwise than that of the Roman Church. For their Priests, Deacons, or Subdeacons' are married; but in this Church or the Western, no one of the Clergy, from the Subdeacon to the Bishop, hath leave to marry. Liberally; but not enough: and if he yield this, why not more? Shall that be lawful in the East, which in the West is not? Do the Gospels, or laws of equity altar according to the four corners of the world? Doth God make difference betwixt Greece and England? If it be lawful, why not every where? If unlawful, why is it done any where? So than you see, we differ not from the Church in this; but from the Romish Church: But this sacred Council doth not only universally approve this practice (with pain of deposition to the gainsayers) but avouches it for a Decree Apostolical. judge now whether this one authority be not enough to weigh down an hundred petty conventicles, and many legions (if there had been many) of private contradictions. Thus, for seven hundred years, you find nothing but open freedom: All the scuffling arose in the eight Age; wherein yet this violent imposition found many and learned Adversaries, and durst not be obtruded at once. Lo, even then, Gregory the third, writing to the Bishops of Bavaria, gives this disjunct charge; f Nemo scorta aut concubinam alat: sed au● castè vivat, aut vaeorè ducat; quam repudiare fas non esto. Let none keep an harlot or a concubine: but either let him live chastely, or marry a wife, whom it shall not be lawful for him to forsake: According to that rule of Clerks, cited from g Dist. 23. Isidore, and renewed in the h Anno 813. Council of Mentz, to the perpetual shame of our juggling adversaries. Nothing can argue guiltiness so much, as unjust expurgations. i Clerici castimoniam inviolati corporis perpetuò conservare studeant; aut certè unius matrimonii vinculo foederenter. Isid. reg. cleric. Isidore saith, Let them contain, or let them marry but one: They cite him, Let them contain; and leave out the rest: somewhat worse than the Devil cited Scripture. But, I might have spared all this labour of writing, could I persuade whosoever either doubts, or denies this, to read over that one Epistle which k Whether Huldericus, or (as be is somewhere entitled) Volusianus, I inquire not: the matter admits of no doubt. Huldericus Episcopus Augustae. Anne 860. Aeneas Syl. in sua Germ. Hedim. Eccl. hist. l. 8. c. 2. Fox in Acts and Monun. hath it fully translated. Huidericus BB. of Auspurge wrote learnedly, and vehemently, to Pope Nicholas the first, in this subject: which if it do not answer all cavils, and satisfy all Readers, and convince all (not wilful) adversaries, let me be cast, in so inst a cause. There you shall see, how just, how expedient, how ancient this liberty is; together with the feeble and injurious grounds of forced Continency: Read it, and see whether you can desire a better Advocate. After him (so strongly did he plead, and so happily) for two hundred years more, this freedom still blessed those parts; yet, not without extreme opposition. Histories are witnesses of the bufie, and not unlearned combats of those times, in this argument. But now, when the body of Antichristianisme began to be complete, and to stand up in his absolute shape, after a thousand years from Christ; this liberty, which before wavered under Nicolas I, now by the hands of Leo 9, Nicolas 2, and that brand of hell, Gregory 7, was utterly ruined, wives debarred, single life urged: l Auentinus l. 5. Gratum scortatoribus, quibus pro una uxore sexcentas jam mulierculas inire licebat. A good turn for whoremasters (saith Aventine) who now for one wife might six hundred Bedfellows. But, how approved of the better sort appears (besides that the Churches did ring of him each where for Antichrist) in that at the m Ann 1076. Council of Worms the French and Germane Bishops deposed this Gregory, in this name (amongst other quarrels) for n Maritos ab uxoribus separate. separating man and wife. Violence did this; not reason: neither was Gods will here questioned, but the Pope's wilfulness. What broils hereon ensued, let o Ex interdicto sacerdotum conjugio, gravissima seditio gregem Christi perculit: nec unquam talis lues populum Christi afflixit. Auent. l. 5. Henric. Hunting. de Anselmo. l. 7. de Anno 1100, in Synodo Londinensi; Prohibuit sacerdotibus uxores, ante non prohibitas. Anselme (saith that Historian) was the first that forbade marriage to the Clergy of England (and this was about the year of our Lord 1080.) Till than ever free. Item Fabianus liberos ait fuisse sacerdotes per Annos 1080. Auentive witness. The bicker of our English Clergy, with their Dunstanes, about this time, are memorable in our own Histories, which teach us how late, how repiningly, how unjustly, they stooped under this yoke. I had rather send my Reader to Bale and Fox, then abridge their Monuments, to enlarge mine own. I have (I hope) fetched this truth fare enough; and deduced it low enough through many Ages, to the midst of the rage of Antichristian tyranny. There left our liberty; there began their bondage. Our liberty is happily renewed with the Gospel: what God, what his Church hath ever allowed, we do enjoy. Wherein we are not alone: The Greek Church, as large for extent as the Roman (and, in some parts of it, better for their soundness) do thus; and thus have ever done. Let Papists and Atheists say what they will: it is safe erring with God and his purer Church. To my sister, Mrs. BRINSLEY. EPIST. IU. Of the sorrow not to be repent of. IT is seldom seen, that a silent grief speeds well: for either a man must have strong hands of resolution to strangle it in his bosom; or else it drives him to some secret mischief: whereas sorrow revealed, is half remedied, and ever abates in the uttering. Your grief was wisely disclosed; and shall be as strangely answered. I am glad of your sorrow; and should weep for you, if you did not thus mourn. Your sorrow is, that you cannot enough grieve for your sins. Let me tell you, that the Angels themselves sing at this lamentation; neither doth the earth afford any so sweet music in the cares of God. This heaviness is the way to joy. Worldly sorrow is worthy of pity, because it leadeth to death: but this deserves nothing but envy and gratulation. If those tears were common, hell would not so enlarge itself. Never sin, repent of, was punished: and never any thus mourned, and repent not. Lo, you have done that, which you grieve you have not done. That good God, whose act is his will, accounts of our will as our deed. If he required sorrow proportionable to the heinousness 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 us to have that which we complain to want. I never knew any truly penitent, which in the depth of his remorse, was afraid of sorrowing too much; nor any unrepentant, which wished to sorrow more. Yea, let me tell you, that this sorrow is better, and more, than that deep heaviness for sin, which you desire. Many have been vexed with an extreme remorse for some sin, from the gripes of a galled conscience, which yet never came where true repentance grew; in whom the conscience plays at once the accuser, witness, judge, tormentor: but an earnest grief, for the want of grief, was never found in any but a gracious heart. You are happy, and complain. Tell me, I beseech you; This sorrow which you mourn to want, is it a grace of the spirit of God, or not? If not, why do you sorrow to want it? If it be, oh how happy is it to grieve for want of grace! The God of all truth and blessedness hath said, Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness; and, with the same breath, Blessed are they that mourn: for, they shall be comforted. You say, you mourn; Christ saith, you are blessed: you say, you mourn; Christ saith, you shall be comforted. Either now distrust your Saviour, or else confess your happiness, & with patience expect his promised consolation. What do you fear? You see others stand like strong Oaks, vnshaken, unremoved: you are but a reed, a feeble plant, tossed and bowed with every wind, and with much agitation bruised; Lo, you are in tender and favourable hands, that never broke any, whom their sins bruised; never bruised any, whom temptations have bowed. You are but flax; and your best is not a flame, but an obscure smoke of grace: Lo, here his spirit is as a soft wind, not as cold water; he will kindle, will never quench you. The sorrow you want, is his gift: Take heed lest while you vex yourself with dislike of the measure, you grudge at the giver. Beggar's may not choose. This portion he hath vouchsafed to give you; if you have any, it is more than he was bound to bestow: yet you say, What, no more? as if you took it unkindly, that he is no more liberal. Even these holy discontentments are dangerous. Desire more (so much as you can) but repine not, when you do not attain. Desire; but so as you be free from impatience, free from unthankfulness. Those that have tried, can say how difficult it is to complain, with due reservation 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 itself. And, if indeed you mourn not enough, stay but God's leisure, and your eyes shall run over with tears. How many do you see sport with their sins, yea brag of them? How many that should die for want of pastime, if they might not sin freely, and more freely talk of it? What a Saint are you to these, that can droop under the memory of the frailty of youth, and never think you have spent enough tears! Yet so I encourage you in what you have, as one that persuades you not to desist from suing for more. It is good to be covetous of grace, and to have our desires herein enlarged with our receipts. Weep still, and still desire to weep: but let your tears be as the rain in a sunshine; comfortable and hopeful: and let not your longing savour of murmur, or distrust. These tears are reserved; this hunger shall be satisfied; this sorrow shall be comforted: There is nothing betwixt God and you, but time. Prescribe not to his wisdom: hasten not his mercy. His grace is enough for you: his glory shall be more then enough. To M. HUGH CHOLMLEY. EP. V. Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalms. Fear not my immoderate studies. I have a body that controls me enough in these courses; my friends need not. There is nothing whereof I could sooner surfeit, if I durst neglect my body to satisfy my mind: But whiles I affect knowledge, my weakness checks me, and says, Better a little learning then no health. I yield, and patiently abide myself 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 have any empty room, answer the least knock, with a hollow noise: you, that are full, sound not. If we pardon your closeness, you may well bear with our profusion. If there be any wrong, it is to ourselves, that we utter what we should lay up. It is a pardonable fault, to do less good to ourselves, that we may do more to others. Amongst other endeavours, I have boldly undertaken the holy Metres of David; how happily, judge you by what you see. There is none of all my labours so open to all censures; none whereof I would so willingly hear the verdict of the wise and judicious. Perhaps, some think the verse harsh; whose nice ear regards roundness more than sense. I embrace smoothness, but affect it not. This is the least good quality of a verse; that intends any thing but musical delight. Others may blame the difficulty of the tunes: whose humour cannot be pleased without a greater offence. For, to say truth, I never could see good verse written in the wont measures. I ever thought them most easy, and least Poetical. This fault (if any) will light upon the negligence of our people; which endure not to take pains for any fit variety. The French and Dutch have given us worthy examples of diligence, and exquisiteness in this kind. Neither our ears nor voices are less tuneable. Here is nothing wanting, but will to learn. What is this, but to eat the corn out of the ear, because we will not abide the labour to grind, and knead it? If the question be, whether our verse must descend to them; or they ascend to it; wise moderation I think would determine it most equal, that each part should remit somewhat, and both meet in the midst. Thus I have endeavoured to do, with sincere intent of their good, rather than my own applause. For it had been easy to have reached to an higher strain: but I durst not; whether for the grave Majesty of the subject, or benefit of the simplest reader. You shall still note, that I have laboured to keep David's entire sense, with numbers neither lofty nor slubbered: which mean is so much more difficult to find, as the business is more sacred, and the liberty less. Many great wits have undertaken this task; which yet have either not effected it, or have smothered it in their private desks, and denied it the common light. Amongst the rest, were those two rare spirits of the Sidnyes; to whom, Poesy was as natural as it is affected of others: and our worthy friend, M. Sylvester, hath showed 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 Poesy, this work should have passed unattempted: would God I might live to see it perfected; either by my own hand, or a better. In the mean time, let me expect your impartial sentence, both concerning the form, and sense. Lay aside your love, for a while; which too oft blinds judgement. And as it uses to be done in most equal proceed of justice, shut me out of doors while my verse is discussed: yea, let me receive not your censure only, but others by you: this once (as you love me) play both the Informer and the judge. Whether you allow it, you shall encourage me; or correct, you shall amend me. Either your stars, or your spits, Asteriscus Veru. (that I may use origen's notes) shall be welcome to my margin. It shall be happy for us, if God shall make our poor labours any way serviceable to his Name and Church. To M. Samuel Sotheby. EP. VI A Preface to his Relation of the Russian affairs. Travel perfiteth wisdom; and observation gives perfection to travel: without which, a man may please his eyes, not feed his brain; and after much earth measured, shall return with a weary body, and an empty mind. Home is more safe, more pleasant, but less fruitful of experience: But, to a mind not working and discursive, all heavens, all earth's are alike. And, as the end of travel is observation; so, the end of observation is the informing of others: for, what is our knowledge if smothered in ourselves, so as it is not known to more? Such secret delight can content none but an envious nature. You have breathed many and cold airs, gone fare, seen much, heard more, observed all. These two years you have spent in imitation of Nabuchadnezzars seven; conversing with such creatures as Paul fought with at Ephesus. Alas! what a face, yea what a back of a Church have you seen? what manners? what people? Amongst whom, ignorant superstition strives with close Atheism, treachery with cruelty, one Devil with another; while Truth and Virtue do not so much as give any challenge of resistance. Returning once to our England after this experience, I imagine you doubted whether you were on earth, or in heaven. Now then (if you will hear me, whom you were wont) as you have observed what you have seen, and written what you have observed; so, publish what you have written: It shall be a grateful labour, to us, to posterity. I am deceived, if the fickleness of the Russian state, have not yielded more memorable matter of history than any other in our age, or perhaps many centuries of our predecessors. How shall I think, but that God sent you thither before these broils, to be the witness, the register of so famous mutations? He love's to have those just evils which he doth in one part of the world, known to the whole, and those evils, which men do in the night of their secrecy, brought forth into the Theatre of the World; that the evil of men's sin being compared with the evil of his punishment, may justify his proceed, and condemn theirs. Your work shall thus honour him; besides your second service, in the benefit of the Church. For, whiles you discourse of the open tyranny of that Russian Nero, john Basilius; the more secret, no less bloody plots of Boris; the ill success of a stolen Crown, though set upon the head of an harmless Son; the bold attempts and miserable end of a false, yet aspiring challenge; the perfidiousness of a servile people, unworthy of better governors; the miscarriage of wicked governors, unworthy of better subjects; the unjust usurpations of men, just (though late) revenges of God; cruelty rewarded with blood, wrong claims with overthrow, treachery with bondage; the Reader, with some secret horror, shall draw-in delight, and with delight instruction: Neither know I any Relation whence he shall take out a more easy lesson of justice, of loyalty, of thankfulness. But above all, let the world see and commiserate the hard estate of that worthy and noble Secretary, Buchinski. Poor gentleman! his distress recals ever to my thoughts Aesop's Stork, taken amongst the Cranes: He now nourishes his hair, under the displeasure of a foreign Prince; At once in durance and banishment. He served an ill master; but, with an honest heart, with clean hands. The master's injustice doth no more infect a good servant, than the truth of the servant can justify his ill master. A bad workman may use a good instrument: and ofttimes a clean napkin wipeth a foul mouth. It joys me yet to think, that his piety, as it ever beld friendship in heaven, so now it wins him friends in this our other world: Lo, even from our Island unexpected deliverance takes a long flight, and blesseth him beyond hope; yea rather, from heaven, by us. That God, whom he serves, will be known to those rude and scarce humane Christians, for a protector of innocence, a favourer of truth, a rewarder of piety. The mercy of our gracious King, the compassion of an honourable Councillor, the love of a true friend, and (which wrought all, and set all on work) the grace of our good God, shall now lose those bonds, and give a glad welcome to his liberty, and a willing farewell to his distress. He shall (I hope) live to acknowledge this; in the mean time, I do for him. Those Russian affairs are not more worthy of your records, than your love to this friend is worthy of mine. For neither could this large sea drown or quench it, nor time and absence (which are wont to breed a lingering consumption of friendship) abate the heat of that affection which his kindness bred, religion nourished. Both rareness, and worth shall commend this true-love; which (to say true) hath been now long out of fashion. Never time's yielded more love; but, not more subtle. For, every man love's himself in another, love's the estate in the person: Hope of advantage is the loadstone that draws the iron hearts of men; not virtue, not desert. No age afforded more Parasites, fewer friends: The most are friendly in sight, serviceable in expectation, hollow in love, trustless in experience. Yet now, Buchinski, see and confess thou hast found one friend, which hath made thee many: on whom while thou bestowedst much favour, thou hast lost none. I cannot but think how welcome, Liberty (which tho late, yet now at last hath looked back upon him) shall be to the Cell of his affliction; when, smiling upon him, she shall lead him by the hand, and (like another Angel) open the iron gates of his miserable captivity, and (from those hard Prestaves and savage Christians) carry him by the hair of the head, into this paradise of God. In the mean time, I have written to him as I could, in a known language, with an unknown hand; that my poor Letters of gratulation might serve as humble attendants to greater. For your work, I wish it but such glad entertainment, as the profit, yea the delight of it deserves; and fear nothing, but that this long delay of publication will make it scarce news. We are all grown Athenians, and account a strange report like to a fish and a guest. Those eyes and hands stayed it, which might do it best. I cannot blame you, if you think it more honoured by the stay of his gracious perusal, than it could be by the earthly acceptation of the world. Even the cast garments of Princes are precious. Others have in part prevented you, whose labours, to yours, are but as an Echo to a long period: by whom, we hear the last sound of these stirs, ignorant of the beginning. They give us but a taste in their hand: you lead us to the open fountain. Let the Reader give you but as much thank, as you give him satisfaction; you shall desire no more. Finally, God give us as much good use, as knowledge of his judgements; the world, help of your labourss; yourself, encouragement; Buchinski, liberty. To Stanislaus Buchinski, late Secretary to Demetrius Emp. of Russia. EPIST. VII. Of the comfort of Imprisonment. THe knowledge, that the eye gives of the face alone, is shallow, uncertain, imperfect. For what is it, to see the utmost skin, or favour of the visage; changeable with disease, changeable with passion? The ear (me thinks) doth both most clearly disclose the minds of others, and knit them faster too ours: which, as it is the sense of discipline, so of friendship, commanding it even to the absent, and in the present cherishing it. This thing we have lately proved in yourself, most noble Stanislaus: nearer examples we might have had; better we could not. How many, how excellent things have we heard of you, from our common friend, though most yours, which have easily won our belief, our affections! How oft, how honourable mention hath he made of your name! How frequently, how fervently have we wished you, both safety and liberty! And now, lo where she comes, as the Greeks say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and visits her forlorn Client. Although I would not doubt to say, that this outward durance of the body, hath seemed more harsh to the beholders, then to yourself, a wise man (which is more) a Christian; whose free soul, in the greatest straits of the outward man, flies over Seas and Lands whither it listeth; neither can, by any distance of place, nor swelling of waves, nor height of mountains, nor violence of enemies, nor strong bars, nor walls, nor guards, be restrained from what place itself hath chosen. Lo, that enjoys God, enjoys itself and his friends; and so feeds itself with the pleasure of enjoying them, that it easily either forgets or contemns all other things. It is no Paradox, to say that, A wise Christian cannot be imprisoned, cannot be banished: He is ever at home, ever free. For, both his liberty is within him, and his home is universal. And what is it, I beseech you (for you have tried) that makes a prison? Is it straightness of walls? Then you have as many fellows, as there are men. For, how is the soul of every man penned within these clay walls of the body, more close, more obscure! whence she may look oft, through the grates of her busy thoughts; but, is never released in substance, till that God, who gave us our Mittimus into this Gaol, give us our Delivery, with Return ye sons of Adam: Thus either all men are prisoners, or you are none. Is it restraint? How many (especially of that other sex in those your Eastern parts) chamber up themselves, for state; so as they neither see the Sun, nor others them? How many superstitious men, for devotion; how many obscure Aglai, for ease and carelessness, keep themselves in their own cottage, in their own village; and never walk forth so much as to the neighbour towns? And what is your Russia to all her inhabitants, but a large prison, a wide Galley? yea, what other is the world to us? How can he complain of straightness, or restraint, that roves over all the world, and beyond it? Tyranny may part the soul from the body; cannot confine it to the body. That which others do for ease, devotion, state, you do for necessity: why not as willingly, since you must do it? Do but imagine the other cause: and your case is the same with theirs which both have chosen, and delight to keep close; yet hating the name of prisoners, while they embrace the condition. But, why do I persuade you, not to mislike that, which I pray you may forsake? I had rather you should be no prisoner at all, then to be a cheerful prisoner upon necessity. If the doors be open, my persuasion shall not hold you in. Rather our prayers shall open those doors, and fetch you forth into this common liberty of men; which also hath not a little (though an inferior) contentment. For, how pleasant is it to these senses, by which we men are wont to be led, to see and be seen, to speak to our friends, and hear them speak to us; to touch and kiss the dear hands of our Parents, and with them at last to have our eyes closed? Either this shall be fall you; or what hopes, what pains (I add no more) hath this your careful friend lost? and we, what wishes; what consultations? It shall be; I dare hope, yea believe it: Only thou our good God give such end, as thou hast done entrance into this business; and so dispose of these likely endeavours, that whom we love and honour absent, we may at last in presence see and embrace. To my father in law, M.G. Wenyffe. EP. VIII. Exciting to Christian cheerfulness. YOu complain of dulness; a common disease, and incident to the best minds, and such as can most contemn vanities. For, the true Worldling hunts after nothing but mirth; neither cares how lawless his sport be, so it be pleasant: he feigns to himself false delights, when he wants: and if he can pass the time, and chase away Melancholy, he thinks his day spent happily. And thus it must needs be; while the world is his god, his devotion can be but his pleasure: whereas the mortified soul, hath learned to scorn these frivolous and sinful joys; and affects either solid delights, or none; and had rather be dull for want of mirth, then transported with wanton pleasures. When the world, like an important Minstrel, thrusts itself into his chamber, and offers him music, unsought; if he vouchsafe it the hearing, it is the highest favour he dare, or can yield: He rewards it not, he commends it not: Yea, he secretly loathes those harsh and jarring notes, and rejects them. For, he finds a better consort within, betwixt God and himself, when he hath a little tuned his heart with meditation. To speak fully, the World is like an ill fool in a Play: the Christian is a judicious spectator, which thinks those jests too gross to be laughed at; and therefore entertains that with scorn, which others with applause. Yet in truth, we fin, if we rejoice not: there is not more error in false mirth, then in unjust heaviness. If worldlings offend, that they laugh, when they should mourn; we shall offend no less, if we droop in cause of cheerfulness. Shall we envy, or scorn, to see one joy in red and white dross, another in a vain title; one in a dainty dish, another in a jest; one in a book, another in a friend; one in a Kite, another in a Dog; whiles we enjoy the God of Heaven, and are sorrowful? What dull metal is this we are made of? We have the fountain of joy, and yet complain of heaviness. Is there any joy, without God? Certainly, if joy be good, and all goodness be from him; whence should joy arise, but from him? And if he be the author of joy; how are we Christians, and rejoice not? What? do we freeze in the fire, and starve at a feast? Have we a good conscience, and yet pine and hang down the head? When God hath made us happy, do we make ourselves miserable? When I ask my heart David's question, I know not whether I be more angry or ashamed at the answer; Why art thou sad my soul? My body, my purse, my fame, my friends; or perhaps none of these: only I am sad, because I am. And what if all these? what if more? when I come to my better wits, Have I a father, an advocate, a comforter, a mansion in heaven? If both earth and hell conspired to afflict me, my sorrow cannot countervail the causes of my joy. Now I can challenge all adversaries; and either defy all miseries, or bid all crosses, yea death itself, welcome. Yet God doth not abridge us of these earthly solaces, which dare weigh with our discontentments, and sometimes depress the balance. His greater light doth not extinguish the less. If God had not thought them blessings, he had not bestowed them: and how are they blessings, if they delight us not? Books, friends, wine, oil, health, reputation, competency, may give occasions, but not bounds, to our rejoicings. We may not make them Gods rivals, but his spokesmen. In themselves they are nothing; but in God worth our joy. These may be used; yet so as they may be absent without distraction. Let these go; so God alone be present with us, it is enough: He were not God, if he were not All-sufficient. We have him, I speak boldly; We have him in feeling, in faith, in pledges, and earnest; yea, in possession. Why do we not enjoy him? why do we not shake-off that senseless drowsiness, which makes our lives unpleasant; and leave-over all heaviness to those that want God; to those that either know him not, or know him displeased? ToM. W.R. Dedic. to M. Thomas Burlz. EP. IX. Consolations of immoderate grief for the death of friends. WHile the stream of sorrow runs full, I know how vain it is to oppose counsel. Passions must have leisure to digest. Wisdom doth not more moderate them, than time. At first, it was best to mourn with you, and to mitigate your sorrow, by bearing part; wherein, would God my burden could be your ease. Every thing else is less, when it is divided; And then is best, after tears, to give counsel: yet, in these thoughts I am not a little straited. Before you have digested grief, advice comes too early; too late, when you have digested it. Before, it was unseasonable; after, would be superfluous. Before, it could not benefit you: after, it may hurt you, by rubbing-up a skinned sore afresh. It is as hard to choose the season for counsel, as to give it: and that season is, after the first digestion of sorrow; before the last. If my Letters then meet with the best opportunity, they shall please me, and profit you: If not, yet I deserve pardon, that I wished so. You had but two jewels, which you held precious; a Wife, and a Son: One was yourself divided; the other, yourself multiplied: You have lost both, and well-near at once. The loss of one caused the other, and both of them your just grief. Such losses, when they come single, afflict us; but, when double, astonish us; and though they give advantage of respite, would almost overwhelm the best patient. Lo, now is the trial of your manhood, yea, of your Christianity: You are now in the lists, set upon by two of God's fierce afflictions; show now what patience you have, what fortitude. Wherefore have you gathered, and laid up all this time, but for this brunt? Now bring forth all your holy store to light, and to use; and approve to us in this difficulty, that you have all this while been a Christian in earnest. I know, these events have not surprised you on a sudden: you have suspected they might come; you have put-cases if they should come. Things that are hazardous, may be doubted: but certain things are, and must be expected. Providence abates grief, and discountenances a cross. Or, if your affection were so strong, that you durst not forethink your loss; take it equally but as it falls. A wise man and a Christian knows death so fatal to Nature, so ordinary in event, so gainful in the issue, that I wonder he can for this either fear or grieve. Doth God only lend us one another, and do we grudge when he calls for his own? So I have seen ill debtors, that borrow with prayers, keep with thankes, repay with enmity. We mistake our tenure: we take that for gift, which God intends for loan; We are tenants at will, and think ourselves owners. Your wife and child are dead: Well, they have done that for which they came. If they could not have died, it had been worthy of wonder; not at all, that they are dead. If this condition were proper only to our families, and friends, or yet to our climate alone; how unhappy should we seem to our neighbours, to ourselves! Now it is common, let us mourn that we are men. Lo, all Princes and Monarches dance with us in the same ring: yea, what speak I of earth? The God of Nature, the Saviour of men, hath trod the same steps of death? And do we think much to follow him? How many servants have we known, that have thrust themselves betwixt their Master and death; which have died, that their Master might not dye: and shall we repine to die with ours? How truly may we say of this our David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us; yea, worth a world of Angels: yet he died, and died for us. Who would live, that knows his Saviour died? who can be a Christian, and would not be like him? Who can be like him, that would not die after him? Think of this, and judge whether all the world can hire us not to die. I need not ask you, whether you loved those whom you have lost: Can you love them, and not wish they might be happy? Can they be happy, and not dye? In truth, nature knows what she would have; We can neither abide our friends miserable in their stay, nor happy in their departure: We love ourselves so well, that we cannot be content they should gain by our loss. The excuse of our sorrow is, that you mourn for yourself. True: but compare these two, and see whether your loss or their gain be greater. For, if their advantage exceed your loss; take heed, lest while you bewray your love in mourning for them, it appear that you love but yourself in them. They are gone to their preferment, and you lament: your love is injurious. If they were vanished to nothing, I could not blame you, though you took up Rachel's lamentation: But now, you know they are in surer hands than your own: you know, that he hath taken them, which hath undertaken to keep them, to bring them again: You know it is but a sleep, which is miscalled Death; and that they shall, they must awake, as sure as they lie down; and wake more fresh, more glorious, then when you shut their eyes. What do we with Christianity, if we believe not this? and if we do believe it, why do we mourn as the hopeless? But the matter, perhaps, is not so heavy as the circumstance: Your crosses came sudden, and thick; You could not breathe from your first loss, ere you felt a worse. As if he knew not this, that sent both: As if he did it not on purpose. His proceed seem harsh; are most wise, most just. It is our fault, that they seem otherwise then they are. Do we think, we could carve better for ourselves? O the mad insolence of Nature, that dares control, where she should wonder! Presumptuous clay! that will be checking the Porter. Is his wisdom, himself? Is he, in himself, infinite? is his Decree out of his wisdom; and do we murmur? Do we, foolish worms, turn again when he treads upon us? What? do you repine at that which was good for you, yea best? That is best for us which God seethe best: and that he seethe best, which he doth. This is God's doing. Kiss his rod in silence, and give glory to the hand that rules it. His will is the rule of his actions; and his goodness, of his will. Things are good to us, because he wils them: He wils them, because they are good to himself. It is your glory that he intends, in your so great affliction. It is no praise to wade over a shallow Ford, but to cut the swelling waves of the Deep, commends both our strength and skill. It is no victory, to conquer an easy and weak cross. These main evils have crowns answerable to their difficulty: Wrestle once and go away with a blessing. Be patiented in this loss, and you shall once triumph in your gain. Let God have them with cheerfulness, and you shall enjoy God with them in glory. To Mr J.A. Merchant. EP. X. Against sorrow for worldly losses. IT is fit for me to begin with chiding, then with advice: what means this weak distrust? Go on, & I shall doubt whether I write to a Christian. You have lost your heart, together with your wealth; How can I but fear, lest this Mammon was your God? Hence was God's jealousy in removing it; and hence your immoderate tears for losing it. If thus; God had not loved you, if he had not made you poor. To some, it is an advantage to lose: you could not have been at once thus rich, and good. Now, heaven is open to you, which was shut before, and could never have given you entrance, with that load of iniquity. If you be wise in menaging your affliction, you have changed the world for God, a little dross for heaven. Let me ever lose thus, and smart when I complain. But you might have at once retained both. The stomach, that is purged, must be content to part with some good nourishment, that it may deliver itself of more evil humours. God saw (that knows it) you could not hold him so strongly, while one of your hands was so fastened upon the world. You see, many make themselves wilfully poor: why cannot you be content God should impoverish you? If God had willed their poverty, he would have commanded it: If he had not willed yours, he would not have effected it. It is a shame for a Christian, to see an Heathen Philosopher laugh at his own shipwreck; while himself howls out, as if all his felicity were embarked with his substance. How should we scorn, to think that an Heathen man should laugh either at our ignorance, or impotence? ignorance, if we thought too highly of earthly things; impotence, if we over-loved them. The fear of some evils is worse than the sense. To speak ingenuously; I could never see, wherein poverty deserved so hard a conceit. It takes away the delicacy of fare, softness of lodging, gayness of attire, and perhaps brings with it contempt: this is the worst, and all. View it now on the better side: Lo, their quiet security, sound sleeps, sharp appetite, free merriment; no fears, no cares, no suspicion, no distempers of excess, no discontentment. If I were judge, my tongue should be unjust, if poverty went away weeping. I cannot see, how the evils it brings, can compare with those which it removes; how the discommodities should match the blessings of a mean estate. What are those you have lost, but false friends, miserable comforters? Else they had not left you. Oh slight & fickle stay, that winds could bereave you of! If your care could go with them, here were no damage: and, if it go not with them, it is your fault. Grieve more for your fault, then for your loss. If your negligence, your riotous mis-spence had impaired your estate, than Satan had impoverished you; now would I have added to your grief, for your sin, not for your affliction: But now, since winds and waters have done it as the officers of their Maker; why should you not say with me, as I with job, The Lord hath taken? Use your loss well, and you shall find that God hath crossed you with a blessing. And if it were worse than the world esteems it, yet think not what you feel, but what you deserve: You are a stranger to yourself, if you confess not, that God favours you in this whip. If he had stripped you of better things, and scourged you with worse, you should still have acknowledged a merciful justice: If you now repine at an easy correction, you are worthy of severity. Beware the next, if you grudge and swell at this. It is next to nothing which you suffer: what can be further from us, than these goods of outward estate? You need not abate either health, or mirth, for their sakes. If you do now draw the affliction nearer than he which sent it, and make a foreign evil domestical; if while God visits your estate, you fetch it home to your body, to your mind; thank yourself that you will needs be miserable: But if you love not to far ill; take crosses as they are sent, and go lightly away with an easy burden. EPISTLES. THE SECOND VOLUME. Containing TWO DECADES. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE SAME MOST GRACIOUS PATRONAGE OF THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAIN: HIS Highness' UNWORTHY SERVANT humbly prostrates himself, and his second Labour. With continual Appreciations of all Happiness. THE CONTENTS AND SUBJECT OF EVERY EPISTLE. DECAD III. EP. 1. To M rr SMITH, and Mr ROB. Ringleaders of the late separation, at Amsterdam: Setting forth their injury done to the Church, the injustice of their cause, etc. EP. 2 To Sr ANDREW ASTELEY. A Discourse of our due preparation for death; and the means to sweeten it. EP. 3. To M. SAM. BURTON. Of the trial and choice of the true Religion: justifying, of all religions, the Christian; of all Christian, the reformed. EP. 4 To Mr EDM. SLEIGH. Of the hardness of true Christianity, and the abundant recompense in the pleasures and commodities thereof. EP. 5 To Mr W. L. Expostulating the cause of his unsettledness in religion: where is showed that our dissensions are no sufficient ground of his suspension. EP. To Sr EDMUND LUCY. Of the different degrees of glory, and our mutual knowledge above. EP. 7 To Mr T. L. Advising concerning the matter of divorce in the case of known Adultery. EP. 8 To Mr ROBERT HAY. Of the continual exercise of a Christian: whereby he may he preserved from hardness of heart, etc. EP. 9 To Mr I. F. Merchant. Of the lawfulness of conversation and trade with Infidels and Heretics; how fare it holdeth, and wherein. EP. 10 To the Gentlemen of his Highness Court. A description of a good and faithful Courtier. DECAD IU. EP. 1 To Mr WALTER FITZ WILLIAMS. Of the true and lawful use of pleasure, etc. EP. 2 To Mr W. E.DD. to Mr ROB. JERMIN. Of the bloody and sinful use of single combats: and the unjust pretences for this and false manhood. EP. 3 To Mr MAT. MYLWARD. Of the pleasure of study and contemplation, etc. EP. 4 To M.I.P. Of the increase of Popery; of the Oath of Allegiance; and the just sufferings of those that have refused it. EP. 5 To my brother Mr SA. HALL.. Of the charge and weight of the Ministerial function: with directions for due preparation to it, & answerable carriage in it. EP. 6 To M. A. P. Of the signs and proofs of a true faith. EP. 7 To Mr EDWARD ALLEYNE. A direction how to conceive of God in our devotions and meditations. EP. 8 To Mr THOMAS JAMES. Of the reason of the Papists confidence in appealing to the Fathers: applauding his worthy offers and endeavours of discovering the falsifications of Antiquity. EP. 9 To M. E. A. Of fleeing or stay in the time of pestilence; whether lawful for Minister or people. EP. 10 To M.R.B. A complaint of the iniquity of the Times; with a prescription of remedy. THE THIRD DECAD. To Mr Smith, and Mr Rob. Ringleaders of the late Separation at Amsterdam. EP. I. Setting forth their injury done to the Church, the injustice of their cause, and fearfulness of their offence: Censuring and advising them. We hear of your separation, and mourn; yet not so much for you, as for your wrong: you could not do a greater injury to your mother, then to fly from her. Say she were poor, ragged, weak; say she were deformed; yet she is not infectious: Or if she were, yet she is yours. This were cause enough for you, to lament her, to pray for her, to labour for her redress, not to avoid her: This unnaturalness is shameful; and more heinous in you, who are reported not parties in this evil, but authors. Your flight is not so much, as your misguidance. Plead not: this fault is past excuse. If we all should follow you, this were the way, of a Church (as you plead) imperfect, to make no Church; and of a remedy, to make a disease. Still the fruit of our charity to you, is, besides our grief, pity. Your zeal of truth hath misled you, and you others: A zeal, if honest yet blindfolded, and led by self-will. Oh that you loved Peace, but half so well as Truth: then, this breach had never been: and you that are yet brethren, had been still companions. Go out of Babylon, you say; The voice not of Schism, but of holiness. Know you where you are? Look about you, I beseech you, look behind you; and see if we have not left it upon our backs. She herself feels, and sees that she is abandoned: and complains to all the world, that we have not only forsaken, but spoilt her; and yet you say, Come out of Babylon. And except you will be willingly blind, you may see the heaps of her Altars, the ashes of her Idols, the ruins of her monuments, the condemnation of her errors, the revenge of her abominations. And are we yet in Babylon? Is Babylon yet amongst us? Where are the main buildings of that accursed City; those high and proud Towers of their universal Hierarchy, infallible judgement, dispensation with the Laws of God, and sins of men; disposition of Kingdoms, deposition of Princes, parting stakes with God in our conversion, through freedom of will; in our salvation, through the merit of our works? Where are those rotten heaps (rotten, not through age, but corruption) of transubstantiating of bread, adoring of Images, multitude of Sacraments, power of Indulgences, necessity of Confessions, profit of Pilgrimages, constrained and approved Ignorance, unknown devotions? Where are those deep vaults (if not mines) of Penances and Purgatories, and whatsoever hath been devised by those Popelings, whether profitable or glorious, against the Lord, and his Christ? Are they not all razed, and buried in the dust? Hath not the Majesty of her Gods, like as was done to Mithra, and Serapis, been long agone offered to the public laughter of the vulgar? What is this but to go, yea to run (if not to fly) out of Babylon? But (as every man is an hearty Patron of his own actions, and it is a desperate cause that hath no plea) you allege our consorting in Ceremonies, and say still we tarry in the suburbs. Grant that these were as ill, as an enemy can make them, or can pretend them: You are deceived, if you think the walls of Babylon stand upon Ceremonies. Substantial errors are both her foundation, and frame. These ritual observations are not so much as Tile and Reed, rather like to some Fane upon the roof; for ornament, more than use: Not parts of the building, but not necessary appeadances. If you take them otherwise, you wrong the Church; if thus, and yet departed, you wrong it and yourself: As if you would have persuaded righteous Lot not to stay is Zoar, because it was so near Sodom. I fear, if you had seen the money-changers in the Temple, how ever you would have prayed, or taught there: Christ did it, not forsaking the place, but scourging the offenders: And this is the valour of Christian teachers: To oppose abuses, not to run away from them: Where shall you not thus find Babylon? Would you have run from Geneva, because of her wafers? Or from Corinth, for her disordered love-feasts? Either run out of the world, or your flight is in vain. If experience of change teach you not, that you shall find your Babylon every where, return not. Compare the place you have left, with that you have chosen; let not fear of seeming to repent oversoone, make you partial. Lo, there a common harbour of all opinions, of all heresies; if not a mixture. Here you drew in the free and clear air of the Gospel, without that odious composition of judaisme, Arrianisme, Anabaptism: There you live in the stench of these and more. You are unworthy of pity, if you will approve your misery. Say if you can, that the Church of England (if she were not yours) is not an heaven to Amsterdam. How is it then, that our gnats are harder to swallow, than their camels? and that whiles all Christendom magnifies our happiness, and applauds it; your handful alone, so detests our enormities, that you despise our graces? See whether in this you make not God a loser. The thank of all his favours is lost, because you want more: and in the mean time, who gains by this sequestration, but Rome and Hell? How do they insult in this advantage, that our mothers own children condemn her for unclean, that we are daily weakened by our divisions, that the rude multitude hath so palpable a motive to distrust us? Sure, you intended it not: but, if you had been their hired Agent, you could not have done our enemies greater service. The God of heaven open your eyes, that you may see the unjustice of that zeal which hath transported you; and turn your heart to an endeavour of all Christian satisfaction: Otherwise, your souls shall find too late, that it had been a thousand times better to swallow a Ceremony, then to rend a Church: yea, that even wheredomes and murders shall abide an easier answer than separation. I have done, if only I have advised you of that fearful threatening of the Wiseman: The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth the government of his mother, the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles eat it. To Sir ANDREW ASTELEY. EP. II. A discourse of our due preparation for death, and the means to sweeten it to us. SInce I saw you, I saw my father die: How boldly and merrily did he pass thorough the gates of death, as if they had no terror, but much pleasure! Oh that I could as easily imitate, as not forget him! We know, we must tread the same way; how happy, if with the same mind? Our life, as it gives way to death, so must make way for it: It will be, though we will not: it will not be happy, without our will, without our preparation. It is the best and longest lesson, to learn how to die; and of surest use: which alone if we take not out, it were better not to have lived. Oh vain studies of men, how to walk through Rome streets all day in the shade, how to square cirles, how to salve up the celestial motions, how to correct miswritten copies, to fetch up old words from forgetfulness, and a thousand other like points of idle skill; whiles the main care of life and death is neglected! There is an Art of this, infallible; eternal both in truth, and use: for though the means be diverse, yet the last act is still the same, and the disposition of the soul need not be other: it is all one whether a fever bring it, or a sword; wherein yet, after long profession of other sciences, I am still (why should I shame to confess?) a learner; and shall be (I hope) whilst I am: yet it shall not repent us, as diligent scholars repeat their parts unto each other, to be more perfect; so mutually to recall some of our rules of well-dying: The first whereof is a conscionable life: The next, a right apprehension of life, and death; I tread in the beaten path: do you follow me. To live holily, is the way to die safely, happily. If death be terrible, yet innocence is bold, and will neither fear itself, nor let us fear, where contrariwise wickedness is cowardly, and cannot abide either any glimpse of light, or show of danger. Hope doth not more draw our eyes forward, than conscience turns them backward, and forces us to look behind us; affrighting us even without past evils. Besides the pain of death, every sin is a new Fury to torment the soul, and to make it loath to part. How can it choose, when it sees on the one side, what evil it hath done; on the other, what evil it must suffer? it was a clear heart (what else could do it?) that gave so bold a forehead to that holy Bishop, who durst on his deathbed profess, I have so lived, as I neither fear to die, nor shame to live. What care we when be found, if well-doing? What care we how suddenly, when our preparation is perpetual? What care we how violently, when so many inward friends (such are our good actions) give us secret comfort? There is no good Steward, but is glad of his Audit; his strait accounts desire nothing more than a discharge: only the doubtful and untrusty fears of his reckoning. Neither only doth the want of integrity make us timorous, but of wisdom, in that our ignorance cannot equally value, either the life which we leave, or the death we expect. We have long conversed with this life, and yet are unacquainted: how should we then know that death we never saw? or that life which follows that death? These cottages have been ruinous, and we have not thought of their fall: our way hath been deep, and we have not looked for our rest. Show me ever any man that knew what life was, and was loath to leave it. I will show you a prisoner that would dwell in his Goal, a slave that likes to be chained to his Galley. What is there here, but darkness of ignorance, discomfort of events, impotency of body, vexation of conscience, distemper of passions, complaint of estate, fears and sense of evil, hopes and doubts of good, ambitious rackirgs, covetous toils, envious undermine, irksome disappointments, weary sacieties, restless desires, and many worlds of discontentments in this one? What wonder is it that we would live? We laugh at their choice that are in love with the deformed; and what a face is this we dote upon? See if sins, and cares, and crosses have not (like a filthy Morphew) overspread it, and made it loathsome to all judicious eyes. I marvel then, that any wise men could be other but Stoics, and could have any conceit of life, but contemptuous; not more for the misery of it, while it lasteth, then for the not lasting: we may love it, we cannot hold it. What a shadow of a smoke, what a dream of a shadow is this, we affect? Wise Solomon says, there is a time to be borne, and a time to dye: you do not hear him say, a time to live. What is more flitting than time? Yet life is not long enough to be worthy of the title of time. Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in our grave. We lament the loss of our parents: how soon shall our sons bewail ours? Lo, I that writ this, and you that read it; how long are we here? It were well, if the world were as our tent, yea as our Inn; if not to lodge, yet to bait in: but now it is only our thoroughfare, one generation passeth, another cometh; none stayeth. If this earth were a Paradise, and this which we call our life were sweet as the joys above, yet how should this fickleness of it cool our delight? Grant it absolute; who can esteem a vanishing pleasure? How much more now, when the dams of our honey are lost in pounds of gall; when our contentments are as fare from sincerity as continuance? Yet the true apprehension of life (though joined with contempt) is not enough to settle us, if either we be ignorant of death, or ill persuaded: for if life have not worth enough to allure us, yet death hath horror enough to affright us. He that would die cheerfully, must know death his friend: what is he but the faithful officer of our Maker, who ever smiles or frowns with his Master; neither can either show or nourish enmity, where God favours: when he comes fiercely, and pulls a man by the throat, and summons him to Hell, who can but tremble? The messenger is terrible; but the message worse: hence have risen the miserable despairs, and furious raving of the ill conscience, that finds no peace within, less without. But when he comes sweetly, not as an executioner, but as a guide to glory, and proffers his service, and shows our happiness, and opens the door to our heaven; how worthy is he of entertainment? how worthy of gratulation? But his salutation is painful, if courteous, what then? The Physician heals us, not without pain; and yet we reward him. It is unthankfulness to complain, where the answer of profit is excessive. Death paineth: how long? how much? with what proportion to the sequel of joy? O death, if thy pangs be grievous, yet thy rest is sweet. The constant expectation that hath possessed that rest, hath already swallowed those pangs, and makes the Christian at once wholly dead to his pain, wholly alive to his glory. The soul hath not leisure to care for her suffering, that beholds her crown; which if she were conjoined to fetch thorough the flames of hell, her faith would not stick at the condition. Thus in brief, he that life's Christianly, shall dye boldly; he that finds his life short and miserable, shall dye willingly; he that knows death, and foresee glory, shall die cheerfully and desirously. To M. Samuel Burton, of Gloucester. EP. III. A discourse of the trial and choice of the true Religion. Sir: This Discourse enjoined by you, I send to your censure, to your disposing; but to the use of others. Upon your charge I have written it for the wavering. If it seem worthy, communicate it; else it is but a dash of your pen. I fear only the brevity: a Volume were too little for this Subject. It is not more yours, than the Author. Farewell. WE do not more affect variety in all other things, than we abhor it in Religion. Even those which have held the greatest falsehoods, hold that there is but one truth. I never read of more than one Heretic, that held all Heresies true; neither did his opinion seem more incredible, than the relation of it. God can neither be multiplied, nor Christ divided: if his coat might be parted, his body was entire. For that then all sides challenge Truth, and but one can possess it; let us see who have found it, who enjoy it. There are not many Religions that strive for it, though many opinions. Every Heresy, albe fundamental, makes not a Religion. We say not, The Religion of Arrians, Nestorians, Sabellians, Macedonians, but the sect or heresy. No opinion challenges this name in our usual speech, (for I discuss not the propriety) but that which, arising from many differences, hath settled itself in the world, upon her own principles, not without an universal division. Such may soon be counted: Tho it is true, there are by so much too many, as there are more than one. Five religions then there are by this rule, upon earth; which stand in competition for truth, jewish, Turkish, Greekish, Popish, Reformed; whereof each pleads for itself, with disgrace of the other. The plain Reader doubts, how he may fit judge, in so high a plea: God hath put this person upon him; while he chargeth him to try the spirits; to retain the good, reject the evil: If still he plead with Moses, insufficiency; let him but attend, God shall decide the case in his silence, without difficulty. The jew hath little to say for himself, but impudent denials of our Christ, of their Prophecies: whose very refusal of him, more strongly proves him the true Messiah; neither could he be justified to be that Saviour, if they rejected him not; since the Prophets foresaw and foretell, not their repelling of him only, but their reviling. If there were no more arguments, God hath so mightily confuted them from heaven, by the voice of his judgement, that all the world hisseth at their conviction. Lo, their very sin is capitally written in their desolation, and contempt. One of their own late Doctors seriously expostulates in a relenting Letter to another of his fellow Rabbins, what might be the cause of so long and desperate a ruin of their Israel; and comparing their former captivities with their former sins, argues (and yet fears to conclude) that this continuing punishment, must needs be sent for some sin so much greater than Idolatry, Oppression, Sabbath-breaking; by how much this plague is more grievous than all the other: Which, his fear tells him (and he may believe it) can be no other, but the murder, and refusal of their true Messiah. Let now all the Doctors of those obstinate Synagogues, answer this doubt of their own objecting: But how, past all contradiction, is the ancient witness of all the holy Prophets, answered and confirmed by their events? whose foresayings verified in all particular issues, are more than demonstrative. No Art can describe a thing past, with more exactness, than they did this Christ to come. What circumstance is there, that hath not his perfection? Have they not fore-writte● who sho●●● be his mother, A Virgin: Of what Tribe, of juda; Of what house, of David; What place, Bethleem: what time, when the sceptre should be taken from juda: Or after sixty nine weeks: What name, jesus, Immanuel: What habitation, Nazareth: What harbinger, john, the second Elias: What his business; to preach, save, deliver: What entertainment, rejection: What death, the Cross: What manner, piercing the body, not breaking the bones: What company, amidst two wicked ones: Where, at jerusalem: Whereabouts, without the Gates: With what words, of imploration: What draught, of Vinegar and Gall: who was his Traitor, and with what success? If all the Synagogues of the Circumcision, all the gates of Hell, can obscure these evidences, let me be a proselyte. My labour herein is so much less, as there is less danger of judaisme. Our Church is well rid of that accursed Nation, whom yet Rome harbours, and, in a fashion, graces; while in stead of spitting at, or that their Neapolitan correction whereof Gratian speaks, the Pope solemnly receives at their hands, that Bible, which they at once approve, and overthrow. But would God there were no more jews then appear. Even in this sense also he is a jew, that is one within: plainly, whose heart doth not sincerely confess his Redeemer. Tho a Christian jew, is no other than an Atheist; and therefore must be scourged elsewhere. The jew thus answered: The Turk stands out for his Mahomet, that cozening Arabian, whose Religion (if it deserve that name) stands upon nothing but rude ignorance, and palpable Imposture. Yet lo here a subtle Devil, in a gross religion: For when he saw that he could not by single twists of Heresy pull down the well built walls of the Church; he winds them all up in one Cable, to see if his cord of so many folds might happily prevail: raising up wicked Mahomet, to deny with Sabellius the distinction of persons, with Arrius Christ's divinity, with Macedonius the Deity of the Holy Ghost, with Sergius two wills in Christ, with Martion Christ's suffering: And these policies seconded with violence, how have they wasted Christendom? O damnable mixture, miserably successful! which yet could not have been, but that it meets with sottish Clients, and soothes up nature, and debars both all knowledge, and contraction. What is their Alcoran but a fardel of foolish impossibilities? Whosoever shall hear me relate the stories of Angel Adriels death, Seraphuels' trumpet, Gabriels bridge, Horroth and Marroths hanging, the Moons descending into Mahomet's sleeve, the Litter, wherein he saw God carried by eight Angels, their ridiculous and swinish Paradise, and thousands of the same bran; would say, that Mahomet hoped to meet either with beasts, or madmen. Besides these barbarous fictions, behold their laws, full of licence, full of impiety: in which, revenge is encouraged, multitude of wives allowed, theft tolerated; and the frame of their opinions such, as well betrays their whole religion to be but the mongrel issue of an Arrian, jew, Nestorian, and Arabian: A monster of many seeds, and all accursed; In both which regards, Nature herself, in whose breast God hath written his royal Law (though in part, by her defaced) hath light enough to condemn a Turk, as the worst Pagan. Let no man look for further disproof. These follies, a wise Christian will scorn to confute, and fierce vouchsafe to laugh at. The Greekish Church (so the Russes term themselves) put in the next claim, but with no better success; whose infinite Clergy affords not a man that can give either reason or account of their own doctrine. These are the basest dregs of all Christians, so we favourably term them; though they, perhaps in more simplicity than wilfulness, would admit none of all the other Christian world to their font, but those, who in a solemn renunciation spit at, and abjure their former God, Religion, Baptism: yet peradventure we might more justly term them Nicolaitans, for that obscure Saint (if a Saint, if honest) by an unequal division, finds more homage from them than his master. These are as ignorant as Turks, as idolatrous as Heathens, as obstinate as jews, and more superstitious than Papists. To speak ingenuously from that I have heard and read; if the worst of the Romish religion, and the best of the Moscovitish be compared, the choice will be hard whether should be less ill. I labour the less in all these, whose remoteness and absurdity secure us from infection, and whose only name is their confutation. I descend to that main rival of Truth, which creeps into her bosom, and is not less near than subtle, the religion (if not rather the faction) of Papism; whose plea is importunate, and so much more dangerous, as it caries fairer probability. Since then of all religions the Christian obtaineth, let us see of those that are called Christian, which should command assent and profession. Every religion bears in her lineaments the image of her parent: the true Religion therefore is spiritual, and looks like God in her purity: all false religions are carnal, and carry the face of Nature, their mother, and of him whose illusion begot them, Satan. In sum, Nature never conceived any which did not favour her, nor the spirit any which did not oppugn her. Let this then be the Lydian stone of this trial; we need no more. Whether Religion soever doth more plausibly content Nature, is false; whether gives more sincere glory to God, is his Truth. Lay aside prejudice: Wither I beseech you tendeth all Popery, but to make Nature either vainly proud, or carelessly wanton? What can more advance her pride, then to tell her, that she hath in her own hands freedom enough of will (with a little prevention) to prepare herself to her justification; that she hath (whereof to rejoice) some what, which she hath not received; that if God please but to unfetter her, she can walk alone? She is insolent enough of herself; this flattery is enough to make her mad of conceit. After this; That if God will but bear half the charges by his cooperation, she may undertake to merit her own glory, and brave God in the proof of his most accurate judgement; to fulfil the whole royal law; and that from the superfluity of her own satisfactions, she may be abundantly beneficial to her neighbours; that naturally without faith a man may do some good works; that we may repose confidence in our merits. Neither is our good only by this flattery extolled, but our ill also diminished; our evils are our sins; some of them (they say) are in their nature venial, and not worthy of death; more, that our original sin is but the want of our first justice; no guilt of our first father's offence; no inherent ill disposition; and that by Baptismal water is taken away what ever hath the nature of sin; that a mere man (let me not wrong Saint Peter's successor, in so terming him) hath power to remit both punishment and sin, past and future; that many have suffered more than their sins have required; that the sufferings of the Saints added to Christ's passions, make up the treasure of the Church, that spiritual Exchequer; whereof their Bishop must keep the key, and make his friends. In all these the gain of Nature (who sees not?) is God's loss: all her bravery is stolen from above: besides those other direct derogations from him; that his Scriptures are not sufficient; that their original fountains are corrupted, and the streams run clearer; that there is a multitude (if a finite number) of Mediators. Turn your eyes now to us, and see contrarily how we abase Nature, how we knead her in the dust; spoiling her of her proud rags, loading her with reproaches; and giving glory to him, that says, he will not give it to another; whiles we teach, that we neither have good, nor can do good of ourselves; that we are not sick or fettered, but dead in our sin; that we cannot move to good, more than we are moved; that our best actions are faulty; our satisfactions debts; our deserts damnation; that all our merit is his mercy that saves us; that every of our sins is deadly; every of our natures originally depraved, and corrupted; that no water can entirely wash away the filthiness of our concupiscence; that none but the blood of him that was God, can cleanse us; that all our possible sufferings are below our offences; that Gods written Word is all-sufficient to inform us, to make us both wise and perfect; that Christ's mediation is more than sufficient to save us, his sufferings to redeem us, his obedience to enrich us. You have seen how Papistry makes Nature proud; now see how it makes her lawless and wanton: while it teacheth (yet this one, not so universally) that Christ died effectually for all; that in true contrition an express purpose of new life is not necessary; that wicked men are true members of the Church; that a lewd mis-creant or infidel in the business of the Altar partakes of the true body and blood of Christ, yea (which a shame to tell) a brute creature; that men may save the labour of searching, for that it is both easy and safe (with that Catholic Collier) to believe with the Church, at a venture: more than so, that devotion is the seed of ignorance; that there is infallabilitie annexed to a particular place and person; that the bare act of the Sacraments confers grace without faith; that the mere sign of the Cross made by a jew or Infidel, is of force to drive away Devils; that the sacrifice of the Mass in the very work wrought, avails to obtain pardon of our sins, not in our life only, but when we lie frying in purgatory; that we need not pray in faith to be heard, or in understanding; that alms given, merit heaven, dispose to justification, satisfy God for sin; that abstinence from some meats and drinks is meritorious; that Indulgences may be granted to dispense with all the penance of sins afterward to be committed; that these by a living man may be applied to the dead; that one man may deliver another's soul out of his purging torments: and therefore, that he who wants not either money or friends; need not fear the smart of his sins. O religion, sweet to the wealthy, to the needy desperate! who will now care henceforth how sound his devotions be, how lewd his life, how heinous his sins, that knows these refuges? On the contrary, we curb Nature, we restrain, we discourage, we threaten her, teaching her not to rest in implicit faiths, or general intentions, or external actions of piety, or presumptuous dispensations of men: but to strive unto sincere faith, without which we have no part in Christ, in his Church, no benefit by Sacraments, prayers, fastings, beneficences: to set the heart on work in all our devotions, without which the hand and tongue are but hypocrites: to set the hands on work in good actions, without which the presuming heart is but an hypocrite: to expect no pardon for sin before we commit it, and from Christ alone when we have committed it, and to repent before we expect it: to hope for no chaffering, no ransom of our souls from below, no contrary change of estate after dissolution: that life is the time of mercy, death of retribution. Now let me appeal to your soul, and to the judgement of all the world, whether of these two religions is framed to the humour of Nature: yea let me but know what action Popery requires of any of her followers, which a mere Naturalist hath not done, cannot do? See how I have chosen to beat them with that rod wherewith they think we have so often smarted: for what cavil hath been more ordinary against us, than this of ease and liberty, yea licence given and taken by our religion? together with the upbraid of their own strict and rigorous austereness? Where are our penal works, our fastings, scourges, haircloth, weary pilgrimages, blushing confessions, solemn vows of willing beggary and perpetual continency? To do them right, we yield; in all the hard works of will-worship they go beyond us; but (lest they should insult in the victory) not so much as the Priests of Baal went beyond them. I see their whips: show me their knives. Where did ever zealous Romanist lance and carve his flesh in devotion? The Baalites did it, and yet never the wiser, never the holier. Either therefore this zeal, in works of their own devising, makes them not better than we, or it makes the Baalites better than they: let them take their choice. Alas, these difficulties are but a colour to avoid greater: No, no, to work out stubborn wills to subjection, to draw this untoward flesh to a sincere cheerfulness in God's service: to reach unto a sound belief in the Lord jesus, to pray with a true heart, without distraction, without distrust, without misconceit: to keep the heart in continual awe of God: These are the hard tasks of a Christian, worthy of our sweat, worthy of our rejoicing: all which that Babylonish religion shifteth off with a careless fashionableness, as if it had not to do with the soul. Give us obedience: let them take sacrifice. Do you yet look for more evidence? look into particulars, and satisfy yourself in God's decision, as Optatus advised of old. Since the goods of our father are in question, whither should we go but to his Will and Testament? My soul bear the danger of this bold assertion. If we err, we err with Christ and his Apostles. In a word, against all staggering, our Saviour's rule is sure and eternal: If any man will do my Father's will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. TO M. EDMUND SLEIGH. EP. IU. A discourse of the hardness of Christianity, and the abundant recompense of the pleasures and commodities of that profession. HOw hard a thing it is (dear Uncle) to be a Christian! perhaps others are less dull, and more quiet; more waxed to the impressions of grace, and less troublesome to themselves; I accuse none, but whom I dare, myself. Even easy businesses are hard to the weak: let others boast, I must complain. To keep our station is hard; harder to move forward. One while I scarce restrain my unruly desires, from evil; ofter, can find no lust to good. My heart will either be vain, or sullen: when I am wrought with much sweat to detest sin, and distaste the world, yet who shall raise up this dross to a spirituallioy? Sometimes I purpose well; and if those thoughts (not mine) begin to lift me from my earth; lo, he that rules in the air, stoops upon me with powerful tentations, or the world pulls me down with a sweet violence; so as I know not whether I be forced, or persuaded to yield; I find much weakness in myself, but more treachery. How willing am I to be deceived! How loath to be altered! Good duties seem harsh, and can hardly escape the repulse, or delay of excuses; and not without much strife grow to any relish of pleasure; and when they are at best, cannot avoid the mixture of many infirmities: which do at once disquiet, and discourage the mind, not suffering it to rest in what it would have done, and could not. And if after many fighes and tears, I have attained to do well, and resolve better; yet this good estate is fare from constant, and easily inclining to change. And whiles I strive, in spite of my natural fickleness, to hold my own with some progress, and gain; what difficulty do I find, what opposition? O God, what adversaries hast thou provided for us weak men! what encounters! Malicious and subtle spirits, an alluring world, a serpentine and stubborn nature: Force and fraud do their worst to us; sometimes because they are spiritual enemies, I see them not, and complain to feel them too late: Otherwhiles my spiritual eyes see them with amazement, and I (like a cowardly Israelite) am ready to flee, and plead their measure, for my fear: Who is able to stand before the sons of Anak? Some other times I stand still, and (as I can) weakly resist; but am foiled with indignation, and shame. Then again I rise up, not without bashfulness and scorn: and with more hearty resistance prevail, and triumph, when ere long, surprised with a sudden and unwarned assault, I am carried away captive, whither I would not: and mourning for my discomfiture, study for a feeble revenge: My quarrel is good, but my strength maintains it not; It is now long ere I can recover this overthrow, and find myself whole of these wounds. Besides suggestions, crosses fall heavy, and work no small distemper in a mind faint and unsettled, whose law is such, that the more I grow, the more I bear; and not seldom, when God gives me respite, I afflict myself: either my fear feigneth evils, or my unruly passions raise tumults within me, which breed much trouble; whether in satisfying or suppressing: not to speak, that sin is attended, besides unquietness, with terror. Now you say; Alas! Christianity is hard: I grant it; live gainful and happy. I contemn the difficulty, when I respect the advantage. The greatest labours that have answerable requitals, are less than the least that have no regard. Believe me, when I look to the reward, I would not have the work easier. It is a good Master whom we serve, who not only pays, but gives; not after the proportion of our earnings, but of his own mercy. If every pain that we suffer were a death, and every cross an hell, we have amends enough. It were injurious to complain of the measure, when we acknowledge the recompense. Away with these weak dislikes: though I should buy it dearer, I would be a Christian. Any thing may make me out of love with myself, nothing with my profession: I were unworthy of this favour if I could repent to have endured: herein alone I am safe, herein I am blessed. I may be all other things, and yet with that dying Emperor complain, with my last breath, That I am no whit the better: let me be a Christian, I am privileged from miseries; hell cannot touch me, death cannot hurt me. No evil can arrest me while I am under the protection of him, which overrules all-good and evil: yea so soon as it touches me, it turns good; and being sent and suborned-by my spiritual adversaries to betray me, now in an happy change it fights for me, and is driven rather to rebel, then wrong me. It is a bold and strange word: No price could buy of me the gain of my sins: That, which while I repent, I would have expiated with blood; now after my repentance I forgo not for a world; the fruit of having sinned (if not rather, of having repent.) Besides my freedom, how large is my possession? All good things are mine, to challenge, to enjoy. I cannot look beyond my own, nor besides it; and the things that I cannot see, I dare claim no less. The heaven that rowles so gloriously above my head is mine, by this right: yea, those celestial spirits, the better part of that high creation, watch me in my bed, guard me in my ways, shelter me in my dangers, comfort me in my troubles, and are ready to receive that soul which they have kept. What speak I of creatures? The God of spirits is mine: and by a sweet and secret union I am become an heir of his glory, yea (as it were) a limb of himself. O blessedness! worthy of difficulty; worthy of pain. What thou wilt, Lord, so I may be thine, what thou wilt. When I have done all, when I have suffered all, thou exceedest more than I want. Fellow me then, dear Uncle: or if you will) lead me rather (as you have done) in these steps; and from the rough way, look to the end: Overlook these trifling grievances, and fasten your eyes upon the happy recompense; and see if you cannot scorn to complain. Pity those that take not your pains; and persist with courage till you feel the weight of your Crown. To Mr W. L. EP. V. Expostulating the cause of his unsettledness in Religion, which is pleaded to be our dissensions: showing the insufficiency of that Motive, and comparing the state of our Church herein, with the Romish. I Would I knew where to find you: then I could tell how to take a direct aim; whereas now I must rove, and conjecture. To day you are in the tents of the Romanists; to morrow in ours; the next day between both, against both. Our adversaries think you ours; we theirs, your conscience finds you with both, and neither. I flatter you not: this of yours is the worst of all tempers: heat and cold have their uses, lukewarmness is good for nothing, but to trouble the stomach. Those that are spiritually hot, find acceptation; those that are stark cold, have a lesser reckoning; the mean between both, is so much worse, as it comes nearer to good, and attains it not. How long will't you halt in this indifferency? Resolve one way, and know at last what you do hold; what you should. Cast off either your wings or your teeth; and loathing this Bat-like nature, be either a bird or a beast. To dye wavering and uncertain, yourself will grant fearful. If you must settle, when begin you? If you must begin, why not now? It is dangerous deferring that, whose want is deadly, and whose opportunity is doubtful. God cryeth with jehu, Who is on my side, who? Look at last out of your window to him, and in a resolute courage cast down this Iezabel that hath bewitched you. Is there any impediment, which delay will abate? Is there any which a just answer cannot remove? If you had rather waver, who can settle you? But if you love not inconstancy, tell us why you stagger. Be plain, or else you will never be firm: What hinders you? Is it our divisions: I see you shake your head at this, and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste: Would God I could either deny this with truth, or amend it with tears: But I grant it, with no less sorrow, than you with offence. This earth hath nothing more lamentable, than the civil jars of one faith. What then? Must you defy your mother, because you see your brethren fight? Their dissension is her grief: Must she lose some sons, because some others quarrel? Do not so wrong yourself in afflicting her. Will you love Christ the less, because his coat is divided? Yea, let me bodily say; The hem is torn a little, the garment is whole; or rather it is fretted a little, not torn; or rather the fringe, not the hem. Behold, here is one Christ, one Creed, one Baptism, one Heaven, one way to it; in sum, one religion, one foundation, and (take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous Lutherans) one heart: our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas; not those of Peter and Magus: if they be some, it is well they are no more; if many, that they are not capital. Show me that Church, that hath not complained of distraction; yea that family, yea that fraternity, yea that man that always agrees with himself. See if the Spouse of Christ, in that heavenly marriage song, do not call him, a young Hart in the mountains of division. Tell me then, whither will you go for truth, if you will allow no truth, but where there is no division? To Rome perhaps, famous for unity, famous for peace. See now how happily you have chosen, how well you have sped: Lo, there Cardinal Bellarmine himself, a witness above exception, under his own hand acknowledgeth to the world, and reckons up 237 contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Divines. What need we more evidence? O the perfect accordance of Peter's See! worthy to be recorded for a badge of truth. Let now all our adversaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions amongst us, as they confess amongst themselves, and be you theirs. No, they are not more peaceable, but more subtle; they have not less dissension, but more smothered. They fight closely within doors, without noise; all our frays are in the field: would God we had as much of their cunning, as they want of our peace; and no more of their policy, than they want of our truth. Our strife is in ceremonies, theirs substance; ours in one or two points, theirs in all. Take it boldly from him that dares avouch it, there is not one point in all Divinity (except those wherein we accord with them) wherein they all speak the same. If our Church displease you for differences, theirs much more; unless you will be either wilfully incredulous, or wilfully partial: unless you dislike a mischief the less for the secrecy, What will you do then? Will you be a Church alone? Alas, how full are you of contradictions to yourself! how full of contrary purposes! how oft do you chide with yourself! how oft do you fight with yourself! I appeal to that bosom which is privy to those secret combats: believe me not, if ever you find perfect unity any where but above: either go thither, and seek it amongst those that triumph, or be content with what estate you find in this warfaring number. Truth is in differences, as gold in dross, wheat in chaff; will you cast away the best mettle, the best grain, because it is mingled with this offal? Will you rather be poor and hungry, then bestow labour on the farm, or the furnace? Is there nothing worth your respect, but peace? I have heard that the interlacing of discords graces the best music; and I know not whether the very evil spirits agree not with themselves. If the body be sound, what though the coat be torn? or if the garment be whole, what if the lace be unripped? Take you peace: let me have truth, I cannot have both. To conclude: Embrace those truths that we all hold; and it greatly matters not what you hold in those wherein we differ: and if you love your safety, seek rather grounds whereon to rest, than excuses for your unrest. If ever you look to gain by the truth, you must both choose it, and cleave to it: Mere resolution is not enough; except you will rather lose yourself than it. To Sir EDMUND LUCY. EPIST. VI Discoursing of the different degrees of heavenly glory; and of our mutual knowledge of each other above. AS those which never were at home, now after much hearsay travelling toward it, ask in the way, What manner of house it is, what seat, what frame, what soil; so do we in the passage to our glory: we are all pilgrims thither; yet so; as that some have looked into it afar through the open windows of the Scripture. Go to then: whiles others are enquiring about worldly dignities, and earthly pleasures, let us two sweetly consult of the estate of our future happiness; yet without presumption, without curiosity. Amongst this infinite choice of thoughts, it hath pleased you to limit our discourse to two heads. You ask first, if the joys of the glorified Saints shall differ in degrees. I fear not to affirm it. There is one life of all, one felicity; but diverse measures. Our heaven begins here, and here varies in degrees. One Christian enjoys God above another, according as his grace, as his faith is more: and heaven is still like itself, not other above from that beneath. As our grace gins our glory, so it proportions it: Blessedness stands in the perfect operation of the best faculties, about the perfectest object; that is, in the vision, in the fruition of God. All his Saints see him, but some more clearly; as the same Sun is seen of all eyes, not with equal strength. Such as the eye of our faith was to see him that is invisible, such is the eye of our present apprehension to see as we are seen. Who sees not, that our rewards are according to our works? not for them, as on merit (woe be to that soul which hath but what it earneth) but after them, as their rule of proportion: and these, how sensibly unequal? One gives but a cup of cold water to a disciple, another gives his blood for the master. Different works have different wages, not of desert, but of mercy. Five talents well employed, carry away more recompense than two; yet both approved, both rewarded with their Master's joy. Who can stick at this, that knows those heavenly spirits (to whom we shall be like) are marshaled by their Maker into several ranks? He that was rapt into their element, and saw their blessed orders, as from his own knowledge, hath styled them, Thrones, Principalities, Powers, Dominions. If in one part of this Celestial Family, the great Housholder hath thus ordered it, why not in the other? yea even in this he hath instanced; You shall sit on twelve Thrones, and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel. If he mean not some pre-eminence to his Apostles, how doth he answer, how doth he satisfy them? Yet more: Lazarus is in Abraham's bosom; therefore Abraham is more honoured than Lazarus. I shall need no more proofs, if from heaven you shall look down into the great Gulf, and there see diversity of torments according to the value of sins. Equality of offences, you acknowledge an idle Paradox of the Stoics: to hold unequal sins equally punished, were more absurd, and more injurious to God's justice: There is but one fire, which yet otherwise burns the straw, otherwise wood and iron. He that made and commands this dungeon, these tortures, tells us that the wilfully disobedient shall smart with more stripes; the ignorant with fewer. Yet so conceive of these heavenly degrees, that the least is glorious. So do these vessels differ, that all are full: there is no want in any, no envy. Let us strive for a place, not strive for the order: how can we wish to be more than happy? Your other question is of our mutual knowledge above; the hope whereof (you think) would give much contentment to the necessity of our parture: for both we are loath not to know those whom we love, and we are glad to think we shall know them happy: whereof (if it may comfort you) I am no less confident. If I may not go so far, as with the best of the Fathers, to say we shall know one another's thoughts, I dare say, our persons we shall; our knowledge, our memory, are not there lost, but perfected: yea, I fear not to say we shall know both our miseries past, and the present sufferings of the damned. It makes our happiness not a little the sweeter, to know that we were miserable, to know that others are and must be miserable: we shall know them; not feel them. Take heed, that you clearly distinguish betwixt speculation and experience. We are then fare out of the reach of evils. We may see them to comfort us, not to affect us. Who doubts that these eyes shall see, and know the glorious manhood of our blessed Saviour, advanced above all the powers of heaven? And if one body, why not more? And if our elder brother, why no more of our spiritual fraternity? Yea if the twelve thrones of those judges of Israel shall be conspicuous; how shall we not acknowledge them? And if these, who shall restrain us from more? You will easily grant, that our love can never fail: Faith and hope give place to sight, to present fruition; for these are of things not seen: but love is perpetual, not of God only, but his Saints: For nothing ceases, but our earthly parts, nothing but what savours of corruption. Christian love is a grace, and may well challenge a place in heaven: and what love is there, of what we know not? More plainly; If the three Disciples in Tabor knew Moses and Elias, how much more shall we know them in God's Zion? Lastly, (for it is a letter, not a volume, that I intended in this not necessary, but likely discourse) that famous parable can tell you, that those which are in hell, may know singular and several persons, though distant in place. The rich Glutton knows Lazarus and Abraham. I hear what you say; It is but a parable: neither will I press you with the contrary authority of Ambrose, Tertullian, Gregory, Hierome, or any Father; nor with that universal rule of chrysostom, that those only are parables, where examples are expressed, and names concealed: I yield it; yet all holy parables have their truths, at least their probabilities. Deny this, and you disable their use, wrong their Author. Our Saviour never said aught was done, that cannot be: and shall then the damned retain aught, which the glorified lose? No man ever held that the soul was advantaged by torment. Comfort you therefore in this; you shall know and be known. But fare be from hence all carnal and earthly thoughts; as if your affections should be (as below) doubled to your wife or child. Nature hath no place in glory: here is no respect of blood, none of marriage. This grosser acquaintance and pleasure is for the Paradise of Turks, not the Heaven of Christians. Here is, as no marriage, (save betwixt the Lamb and his Spouse the Church) so no matrimonial affections. You shall rejoice in your glorified child; not as your child, but as glorified. In brief, let us so inquire of our company, that above all things we strive to be there ourselves, where we are sure, if we have not what we imagined, we shall have more than we could imagine. To Mr T.L. EP. VII. Concerning the matter of divorce in case of apparent adultery, advising the innocent party of the fittest course in that behalf. ALL intermeddling is attended with danger; and ever so much more, as the band of the parties contending, is nearer and straiter: how can it then want peril, to judge betwixt those which are, or should be one flesh? yet great necessities require hazard. My profession would justly check me, if I preferred not your conscience to my own love. I pity and lament, that your own bosom is false to you; that yourself with shame, and with sin, are pulled from yourself, & given to whom you would not: An injury that cannot be parallelled upon earth; and such as may without our wonder, distract you: slight crosses are digested with study, and resolution; greater, with time; the greatest, not without study, time, counsel. There is no extreme evil, whose evasions are not perplexed. I see here mischief on either hand: I see you beset, not with griefs only, but dangers. No man ever more truly held a wolf by the ear; which he can neither stay, nor let go with safety. God's ancient law would have made a quick dispatch, and have determined the case, by the death of the offender, and the liberty of the innocent; and not it alone. How many Heathen Lawgivers' have subscribed to Moses? Arabians, Grecians, Romans, yea very Goths, the dregs of Barbarism, have thought this wrong not expiable, but by blood. With us, the easiness of revenge, as it yields frequency of offences, so multitude of doubts: Whether the wronged husband should conceal, or complain: complaining, whether he should retain or dismiss: dismissing, whether he may marry, or must continue single: not continuing single, whether he may receive his own, or choose another: but your inquiries shall be my bounds. The fact (you say) is too evident. Let me ask you; To yourself, or to the world. This point alone must vary our proceed. Public notice requires public discharge. Private wrongs are in our own power: public, in the hands of authority. The thoughts of our own breasts, while they smother themselves within us, are at our command, whether for suppressing, or expressing; but if they once have vented themselves by words, unto others ears, now (as common strays) they must stand to the hazard of censure: such are our actions. Neither the sword, nor the keys meddle within doors, & what but they without? If fame have laid hold on the wrong, prosecute it, clear your name, clear your house, yea Gods. Else you shall be reputed a Pander to your own bed: and the second shame shall surpass the first, so much as your own fault can more blemish you, than another's. If there were no more; he is cruelly merciful, that neglects his own fame. But what if the sin were shrouded in secrecy? The loathsomeness of vice consists not in common knowledge. It is no less heinous, if less talked of. Report gives but shame: God and the good soul detest close evils. Yet than I ask not of the offence, but of the offender; not of her crime, but her repentance. She hath sinned against heaven, and you. But hath she washed your polluted bed with her tears? Hath her true sorrow been no less apparent than her sin? Hath she peeced her old vow with new protestations of fidelity? Do you find her at once humbled and changed? Why should that ear be deaf to her prayers, that was open to her accusation? why is there not yet place for mercy? Why do we Christians live as under Martial law, wherein we sinne but once? Plead not authority: Civilians have been too rigorous: the merciful sentence of Divinity, shall sweetly temper humane severeness. How many have we known the better for their sin? That Magdalene (her predecessor in filthiness) had never loved so much, if she had not so much sinned. How oft hath God's Spouse deserved a divorce? which yet still her confessions, her tears have reversed. How oft hath that scroll been written, and signed; and yet again canceled, and torn, upon submission? His actions, not his words only, are our precepts: Why is man cruel, where God relents? The wrong is ours only, for his sake; without whose law, were no sin. If the Creditor please to remit the debt, do standers-by complain? But if she be at once filthy, and obstinate, fly from her bed, as contagious. Now your benevolence is adultery; you impart your body to her, she her sin to you: A dangerous exchange; An honest body for an harlot's sin: Herein you are in cause that she hath more than one adulterer. I applaud the rigour of those ancient Canons, which have still roughly censured even this cloak of vice: As there is necessity of charity in the former, so of justice in this. If you can so love your wife, that you detest not her sin, you are a better husband than a Christian, a better bawd than an husband. I dare say no more upon so general a relation; good Physicians in dangerous diseases dare not prescribe on bare sight of urine, or uncertain report, but will feel the pulse, and see the symptoms, ere they resolve on the receipt. You see how no niggard I am of my counsels: would God I could as easily assuage your grief, as satisfy your doubts. To M. ROBERT HAY. EPIST. VIII. A Discourse of the continual exercise of a Christian, how he may keep his heart from hardness, and his ways from error. TO keep the heart in ure with God, is the highest task of a Christian. Good motions are not frequent: but the constancy of good disposition is rare and hard. This work must be continual, or else speedeth not: like as the body from a settled and habitual distemper must be recovered by long diets; and so much the rather, for that we cannot intermit here without relapses. If this field be not tilled every day, it will run out into thistles. The evening is fittest for this work: when retired into ourselves, we must cheerfully, and constantly, both look up to God, and into our hearts; as we have to do with both: to God in thanksgiving first, then in request. It shall be therefore expedient for the soul, duly to recount to itself all the specialties of God's favours: a confused thankes favours of carelessness, and neither doth affect us, nor win acceptance above. Bethink yourself then of all these external, inferior, earthly graces: that your being, breathing, life, motion, reason, is from him; that he hath given you a more noble nature, than the rest of the creatures, excellent faculties of the mind, perfection of senses, soundness of body, competency of estate, seemliness of condition, fitness of calling, preservation from dangers, rescue out of miseries, kindness of friends, carefulness of education, honesty of reputation, liberty of recreations, quietness of life, opportunity of well-doing, protection of Angels. Then rise higher to his spiritual favours, though here on earth, and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts: Bless God that you were borne in the light of the Gospel, for your profession of the truth, for the honour of your vocation, for your incorporating into the Church, for the privilege of the Sacraments, the free use of the Scriptures, the communion of Saints, the benefit of their prayers, the aid of their counsels, the pleasure of their conversation; for the beginnings of regeneration, any footsteps of faith, hope, love, zeal, patience, peace, joy, conscionableness, for any desire of more. Then let your soul mount highest of all, into her heaven, and acknowledge those celestial graces of her election to glory, redemption from-shame and death, of the intercession of her Saviour, of the preparation of her place; and there let her stay a while upon the meditation of her future joys. This done, the way is made for your request; Sue now to your God; as for grace to answer these mercies, so to see wherein you have not answered them: From him therefore cast your eyes down upon yourself: and as some careful justicer doth a suspected felon, so do you strictly examine your heart, of what you have done that day; of what you should have done; inquire whether your thoughts have been sequestered to God, strangers from the world, fixed on heaven; whether just, charitable, lowly, pure, Christian; whether your senses have been holily guided, neither to let in temptations, nor to let out sins; whether your speeches have not been offensive, vain, rash, indiscreet, unsavoury, unedifying; whether your actions have been warrantable, expedient, comely, profitable. Thence, see if you have been negligent in watching your heart, expense of your time, exercises of devotion, performance of good works, resistance of temptations, good use of good examples: and compare your present estate with the former: look jealously, whether your soul hath gained or lost; lost aught of the heat of her love; tenderness of conscience, fear to offend, strength of virtue; gained, more increase of grace, more assurance of glory. And when you find (alas! who can but find?) either holiness decayed, or evil done, or good omitted, cast down your eyes, strike your breast, humble your soul, and sigh to him whom you have offended; sue for pardon as for life, hearty, yearningly: enjoin yourself careful amendment, redouble your holy resolutions, strike hands with God in a new covenant: my soul for your safety. Much of this good counsel I confess to have learned from the Table of an unknown Author, at Antwerp. It contented me: and therefore I have thus made it (by many alterations) my own for form, and yours for the use: Our practice shall both commend it, and make us happy. To Mr. J.F. one of the company of the Turkish Merchants. EP. IX. Discoursing of the lawfulness of conversation and trade with Infidels and Heretics, and showing how fare and wherein it is allowable. IN matter of sin I dare not discommend much fear. Looseness is both a more ordinary fault, and more dangerous, than excess of care: yet herein the mind may be unjustly tortured, and suffer without gain. It is good to know our bounds, and keep them; that so we may neither be carelessly offensive, nor needlessly afflicted. How fare we may travel to, and converse with Infidels, with Heretics, is a long demand, and cannot be answered at once. I see extremes on both hands, and a path of truth betwixt both, of no small latitude. First, I commend not this course to you; it is well, if I allow it. The earth is large, and truth hath ample Dominions; and those not incommodious, not unpleasant. To neglect the main blessings with competency of the inferior; for abundance of the inferior, without the main, were a choice unwise and unequal. While we are free, who would take aught but the best? Whither go you? Have we not as temperate a Sun, as fair an Heaven, as fertile an Earth, as rich a Sea, as sweet Companions? What stand I on equality? a firmer peace, a freer Gospel, an happier government than the world can show you? yet you must go: I give you allowance; but limited, and full of cautions: like an inquisitive Officer, you must let me ask, who, how, when, whither, why, how long, and accordingly determine. To communicate with them in their false services, who will not spit at, as impious? We speak of conversing with men, not with idolatries: civilly, not in Religion: not in works of darkness, but business of commerce and common indifferencies. Fie on those Rimmonites, that plead an upright soul in a prostrate body: Hypocrites, that pretend a Nathanael in the skin of a Nicodemus. God hates their secret halting, and will revenge it. Let go their vices, and speak of their persons: Those may be conversed with; not with familiarity, not with entireness; as men qualified, not as friends. Traffic is here allowed, not amity; not friendship, but peace. Paul will allow you to feast at their table, not to frequent it: yet not this to all. Christianity hath all statures in it, all strengths: children, and men, weaklings, Giants. For a feeble ungrounded Christian, this very company is dangerous: safe for the strong and instructed. Turn a child lose into an Apothecary's shop, or an Idiot, that galley-pot which looks fairest, shall have his first hand, though full of poisonous drugs: where the judicious would choose the wholesomest, led not by sense, but skill. Settledness in the truth will cause us to hate and scorn ridiculous impiety: and that hate will settle us the more; where the vnstayed may grow to less dislike, and endanger his own infection. He had need be a resolute Caleb that should go to see the land of Canaan; yet not such a one, upon every occasion: meet pleasure or curiosity I dare not allow in this adventure. The command of authority, or necessity of traffic, I cannot reject: Or if after sufficient prevention, desire to inform ourselves thoroughly in a foreign Religion, or state (especially for public use) carry us abroad, I censure not. In all matter of danger, a calling is a good warrant; and it cannot want peril to go unsent: Neither is there small weight in the quality of the place, and continuance of the time. It is one case where the profession of our religion is free, another where restrained; perhaps not without constraint to idolatry: where we have means for our souls, and allowed Ministry, the cause must needs differ from a place of necessary blindness, of peevish superstition. To pass thorough an infected place is one thing, to dwell in it another: Each of these give a new state to the cause, and look for a divers answer. But as in all these outward actions, so here, most force (I confess) lies in the intention; which is able to give not toleration only, to our travel, but praise. To converse with them without, but in a purpose of their conversion, and with endeavour to fetch them in, can be no other than an holy course: wherein that the jesuits have been (by their own saying) more serviceable in their Indies and China; let them thank (after their number and leisure) their shelter of Spain: the opportunity of whose patronage hath preferred them to us; not their more forward desires. In short, companying with Infidels may not be simply condemned; who can hold so, that sees Lot in Sodom, Israel with the Egyptians, Abraham & Isaac with their Abimeleches; Roses among thorns, and pearls among much mud; and, for all, Christ among Publicans & Sinners? so we neither be infected by them, nor they further infected by our confirmation; nor the weak Christian by us infected with offence, nor the Gospel infected with reproach, what danger can there be? If neither we, nor they, nor the weak, nor (which is highest) the name of God be wronged, who can complain? You have mine opinion; dispose now of yourself as you dare: The earth is the Lords, and you are his; wheresoever he shall find you, be sure you shall find him everywhere. To the Gentlemen of his Highness Court. EP. X. A description of a good and faithful Courtier. WHiles I adventured other Characters into the light, I reserved one for you; whom I account no small part of my joy; The Character of What you are, of What you should be: Not that I arrogate to myself, more than ordinary skill in these high points: I desire not to describe a Courtier; How should I, that have but seen and saluted the seat of Princes? Or why should I, whose thoughts are sequestered to the Court of heaven? But if I would decipher a good Courtier, who can herein control my endeavour? Goodness in all forms is but the just subject of our profession: what my observation could not, no less certain rule shall afford me. Our Discourse hath this freedom, that it may reach beyond our eyes with belief. If your experience agree not with my speculation, distrust me. I care not for their barking, which condemn me, at first, of incongruity: as if these two terms were so dissonant, that one sentence could not hold them. The Poet slanders, that abandons all good men from Courts. Who knows not that the Egyptian Court had a Moses; the Court of Samaria, an Obadiah; of jerusalem an Ebedmelech; of Damascus a Naaman; of Babylon a Daniel; of Aethiopia a good Treasurer; and very Nero's Court in Paul's time, his Saints? That I may not tell, how the Courts of Christian Princes have been likened by our Ecclesiastical Historians, to some royal Colleges for their order, gravity, goodness mixed with their Majesty; and that I may willingly forbear to compare (as, but for envy, I durst) yours with theirs; I speak boldly, the Court is as nigh to heaven as the Cell, and doth no less require and admit strict holiness. I banish therefore hence all impiety, and dare presage his ruin, whose foundation is not laid in goodness. Our Courtier is no other than virtuous, and serves the God of heaven as his first Maker, and from him derives his duty to these earthen gods; as one that knows the thrones of heaven and earth are not contrary, but subordinate, and that best obedience springs from devotion: his ability and will have both conspired to make him perfectly serviceable, and his diligence waits but for an opportunity. In the factions of some great rivals of honour, he holds himself in a free neutrality, accounting it safter in unjust frays to look on, then to strike; and if necessity of occasion will needs wind him into the quarrel, he chooses not the stronger part, but the better; resolving rather to fall with innocence and truth, then to stand with powerful injustice. In the changes of favours and frowns he changeth not; his sincere honesty bears him thorough all alterations, with wise boldness, if not with success: and when he spies clouds in the eyes of his Prince (which of long he will not seem to see) his clear heart gives him a clear face; and if he may be admitted, his loyal breath shall soon dispel those vapours of ill suggestion: but if after all attempts of wind and sun he sees them settled, and the might of his accusers will not let him seem as he is; he gives way in silence, without stomach, and waits upon Time. He is not over-hastily intent upon his own promotion; as one that seeks his Prince, not himself; and studies more to deserve then rise, scorning either to grow great by his own bribes, or rich by the bribes of others. His officious silence craves more than others words; and if that language be not heard, nor understood, he opens his mouth, yet late and sparingly; without bashfulness, without importunity; caring only to motion, not caring to plead. He is affable and courteous; not vainly popular, abasing his Prince's favour to woo the worthless applause of the vulgar; approving by his actions that he seeks one, not many; if not rather one in many. His Alphabet is his Prince's disposition; which once learned, he plies with diligent service, not with flattery; not commending every action as good, nor the best too much, and in presence. When he finds an apparent growth of favour, he dares not glory in it to others, lest he should solicit their envy, and hazard the shame of his own fall; but enjoys it in quiet thankfulness: not neglecting it, nor drawing it on too fast: Overmuch forwardness argues no perpetuity. How oft have we known the weak beginnings of a likely fire scattered with overstrong a blast? And if another rise higher, he envieth not; only emulating that man's merit, and suspecting his own. Neither the name of the Court, nor the grace of a Prince, nor applause of his inferiors, can lift him above himself, or lead him to affect any other than a wise mediocrity. His own sincerity cannot make him over-credulous. They are few and well tried, whom he dares use; or perhaps obliged by his own favours: so in all employments of friendship he is wary without suspicion, and without credulity charitable. He is free as of heart, so of tongue, to speak what he ought, not what he might: never but (what Princes ears are not always enured to) mere Truth: yet that, tempered for the measure, and time, with honest discretion. But if he meet with aught that might be beneficial to his Master, or the State, or whose concealment might prove prejudicial to either, neither fear nor gain can stop his mouth. He is not basely querulous, not forward to spend his complaints on the disgraced, not abiding to build his own favours upon the unjust ruins of an oppressed fortune. The errors of his fellows he reports with favour; their virtues with advantage. He is a good husband of his hours; equally detesting idleness and base disports; and placing all his free time upon ingenuous studies, or generous delights; such as may make either his body or mind, more fit for noble service. He listeth not to come to council uncalled, nor unbidden to intermeddle with secrets, whether of person, or state; which yet once imposed, he manageth, with such fidelity and wisdom, as well argue him to have refrained, not out of fear, but judgement. He knows how to repay an injury with thankes, and a benefit with usury; the one out of a wise patience without malicious closeness; the other out of a bounteous thankfulness. His life is his own willing servant, and his Princes free vassal; which he accounts lent to him, that he may give it for his master: the intercepting of whose harms, he holds both his duty, and honour: and whether he be used as his sword, or his shield, he doth both with cheerfulness. He can so demean himself in his officious attendance, that he equally avoids satiety and oblivion; not needlessly lavish of himself, to set out and show his parts always at the highest; nor wilfully concealed in great occasions. He love's to deserve and to have friends, but to trust rather to his own virtue. Reason and honesty (next under religion) are his Councillors: which he follows without care of the event, not without foresight. In a judgement of unkindness and envy, he never casts the first stone, and hates to pick thankes by detraction. He undertakes none but worthy suits, such as are free from baseness and injustice; such as is neither shame to ask, nor dishonour to grant; not suffering private affections to over-weigh public equity or convenience; and better brooking a friends want, than an ill precedent; and those which he yields to accept, he love's not to linger in an afflicting hope: a present answer shall dispatch the fears or desires of his expecting client. His breast is not a cistern to retain, but as a conduit-pipe, to vent the reasonable and honest petitions of his friend. Finally, he so life's, as one that accounts not Princes favours hereditary; as one that will deserve their perpetuity, but doubt their change; as one that knows there is a wide world beside the Court, and above this world an Heaven. EPISTLES. THE FOURTH DECAD. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE FOURTH DECAD. To Mr WALTER FITzWILLIAMS. EP. I. A discourse of the true and lawful use of pleasures; how we may moderate them, how we may enjoy them with safety. INdeed; wherein stands the use of wisdom, if not in tempering our pleasures and sorrows? and so disposing ourselves in spite of all occurrents, that the world may not blow upon us with an unequal gale, neither tearing our sails, nor slackening them. Events will ; if we continue the same, it matters not: nothing can overturn him, that hath power over himself. Of these two, I confess it harder to manage prosperity, and to avoid hurt from good: strong and cold winds do but make us gather up our cloak more round, more close; but to keep it about us in a hot Sunshine, to run and not sweat; to sweat and not faint; how difficult it is! I see some that avoid pleasures for their danger, and which dare not but abandon lawful delights, for fear of sin; who seem to me like some ignorant Matallists, which cast away the precious Ore, because they cannot separate the gold from the dross; or some simple jew, that condemns the pure streams of jordan, because it falls into the dead sea. Why do not these men refuse to eat, because meat hath made many gluttons? Or how dare they cover themselves, that know there is pride in rags? These hard Tutors, if not Tyrants, to themselves, whiles they pretend a mortified strictness, are injurious to their own liberty, to the liberality of their Maker: wherefore hath he created and given the choice commodities of this earth, if not for use? or why placed he Man in a Paradise, not in a Desert? How can we more displease a liberal friend, then to departed from his delicate feast wilfully hungry? They are deceived that call this holiness; it is the disease of a mind sullen, distrustful, impotent: There is nothing but evil, which is not from heaven; and he is none of God's friends, that rejects his gifts for his own abuse. Hear me therefore, and true Philosophy; There is a nearer way than this, and a fairer; if you will be a wise Christian, tread in it. Learn first by a just survey, to know the due and lawful bounds of pleasure; and then beware, either to go beyond a known Mere, or in the licence of your own desires to remove it. That God, that hath curbed in the fury of that unquiet and foaming element, and said of old, Here shalt thou stay thy proud waves, hath done no less for the rage of our appetite. Behold, our limits are not obscure; which if we once pass, our inundation is perilous and sinful. No just delight wanteth either his warrant, or his terms. More plainly be acquainted both with the quality of pleasures, and the measure: Many a soul hath lost itself in a lawful delight, through excess: and not fewer have perished in those, whose nature is vicious, without respect of immoderation. Your care must avoid both. The taste of the one is deadly; of the other, a full carouse: and in truth, it is easier for a Christian, not to taste of that, than not to be drunk with this: The ill is more easily avoided, than the indifferent moderated. Pleasure is of a winding and serpentine nature; admit the head, the body will ask no leave: and sooner may you stop the entrance, then stay the proceeding. Withal, her insinuations are so cunning, that you shall not perceive your excess, till you be sick of a surfeit. A little honey is sweet; much, fulsome. For the attaining of this temper then, settle in yourself a right estimation of that wherein you delight: resolve every thing into his first matter, and there will be more danger of contempt, then over-ioying. What are the goodly sumptuous buildings we admire, but a little burnt and hardened earth? What is the stately & wondrous building of this humane body, whose beauty we upon, but the same earth we tread on, better tempered; but worse, when it wants his guest? What are those precious metals whom we worship, but veins of earth better coloured? What are costly robes, but such as are given of worms, and consumed of moths? Then, from their beginning, look to their end, and see laughter conclude in tears; see death, in this sweet pot. Thy conscience scourges thee with a long smart for a short liberty; and for an imperfect delight, gives thee perfect torment: Alas, what an hard pennyworth; so little pleasure for so much repentance! Enjoy it, if thou canst: but if while the sword hangs over thee in an horse's hair, still threatening his fall and thine, thou canst be securely jocund: I wonder, but envy not. Now I hear you recall me, and after all my discourse (as no whit yet wiser) inquire by what rule our pleasures shall be judged immoderate? We are all friends to ourselves, and our indulgence will hardly call any favour too much. I send you not (though I might) to your body, to your calling, for this trial; while your delights exclude not the presence, the fruition of God, you are safe: the love of the medicine is no hindrance to the love of health; let all your pleasures have reference to the highest Good, and you cannot exceed. You see the Angels sent above God's messages to this earth; yet never out of their heaven, never without the vision of their Maker. These earthly things cause not distraction, if we rest not in them, if we can look thorough them, to their giver. The mind that desires them for their own sakes, and suffers itself taken up with their sweetness as his main end, is already drunken. It is not the use of pleasure that offends, but the affectation. How many great Kings have been Saints? they could not have been Kings, without choice of earthly delights; they could not have been Saints, with earthly affections. If God have mixed you a sweet cup, drink it cheerfully; commend the taste, and be thankful; but rejoice in it as his. Use pleasures without dotage; as in God, from God, to God; you are as free from error, as misery. Written to W.F. and dedicated to Mr Robert Jermin. EP. II. A discourse of the bloody use of single combats; the injustice of all pretences of their lawfulness; setting forth the danger and sinfulness of this false and manhood. YOu have received a proud challenge, and now hold yourself bound upon terms of honour, to accept it. Hear first the answer of a friend, before you give an answer to your enemy; receive the counsel of love, ere you enter those courses of revenge: Think not you may reject me, because my profession is peace; I speak from him, which is not only the Prince of Peace, but the God of Hosts; of whom if you will not learn to manage your hand and your sword, I shall grieve to see, that courage hath made you rebellions. Grant once that you are a Christian, and this victory is mine, I overcome, and you fight not? would God the fury of men's passions could be as easily conquered, as their judgements convinced; how many thousands had been free from blood: This conceit of false fortitude hath cost well-near as many lives as lawful war, or as opinion of heresy. Let me tell you with confidence, that all duels or single combats are murderous: blanche them over (how you list) with names of honour, and honest pretences; their use is sinful, and their nature devilish. Let us two, if you please, (before hand) enter into these lists of words. Let reason (which is a more harmless fight) conflict with reason: Take whom you will with you into this field; of all the Philosophers, Civilians, Canonists; for Divines (I hope) you shall find none; and let the right of this truth betrayed upon a just induction. I only premise this caution, (lest we quarrel about the cause of this quarrel) that necessity must be excluded from these unlawful fights; which ever altars their quality, and removes their evil: The defence of our life, the injunction of a Magistrate, are ever excepted: voluntary combats are only questioned; or whose necessity we do not find, but make. There are not many causes that can draw us forth single into the field, with colour of equity. Let the first be the trial of some hidden right; whether of innocence upon a false accusation, or of title to inheritance, not determinable by course of Laws; A proceeding not tolerable among Christians, because it wants both warrant and certainty. Where ever did God bid thee hazard thy life for thy name? Where did he promise to second thee? When thou art without thy commandment, without his promise, thou art without thy protection. He takes charge of thee, but when thou art in thy ways; yea in his. If this be God's way, where did he chalk it out? If thou want his Word, look not for his aid. Miserable is that man, which in dangerous actions is left to his own keeping; yea how plainly doth the event show God's dislike? How oft hath innocence lain bleeding in these combats, and guiltiness insulted in the conquest? Those very decretals (whom we oft cite not, often trust not) report the inequality of this issue. Two men are brought to the bar, one accuses the other of theft, without further evidence, either to clear, or convince: The sword is called for, both witness, and judge: They meet, and combat: The innocent party is slain: The stolen goods are found after in other hands, and confessed. O the injustice of humane sentences! O wretched estate of the party miscarried! his good name is lost with his life, which he would have redeemed with his valour: he both dies and sins, while he strives to seem clear of a sin. Therefore men say, he is guilty, because he is dead, while the others wickedness is rewarded with glory. I am deceived, if in this case there were not three murderers; the judge, the adversary, himself. Let no man challenge God for neglect of innocence, but rather magnify him for revenge of presumption. What he enioynes, that he undertakes, he maintains: Who art thou, O vain man, that darest expect him a party in thine own brawls? But there is no other way of trial. Better none than this. Innocence or land is questioned; and now we send two men into the lists, to try whether is the better Fencer: what is the strength or skill of the Champions, to the justice of the cause? Wherefore serve our own oaths? whereto witness, records, lotteries, and other purgations? Or why put we not men as well to the old Saxon, or Livonian, Ordalian trials of hot irons, or scalding liquors? It is fare better some truths should be unknown, then unlawfully searched. Another cause seemingly warrantable may be the determining of war, prevention of common bloodshed: Two armies are ready to join battle, the field is sure to be bloody on both sides; either part chooses a champion; they two fight for all: the life of one shall ransom a thousand. Our Philosophers, our Lawyer's shout for applause of this Monorarchie, as a way near, easy, safe: I dare not. Either the war is just, or unjust: if unjust, the hazard of one is too much; if just, too little. The cause of a just war must be, besides true, important; the title common, wherein still a whole state is interessed; therefore may not, without rashness and tentation of God, be cast upon two hands. The holy story never records any, but a barbarous Philistine, to make this offer, and that in the presumption of his unmatchablenesse. Profane monuments report many, and some on this ground wisely rejected. Tullus challenged Albanus, that the right of the two Hosts might be decided by the two Captains; he returned a grave reply, (which I never read noted of cowardice). That this honour stood not in them two, but in the two Cities of Alba and Rome. All causes of public right are Gods: when we put to our hand in God's cause, than we may look for his. In vain we hope for success, if we do not our utmost; wherefore either war must be determined without swords, or with many: why should all the heads of the Commonwealth stand upon the neck and shoulders of one champion? If he miscarry, it is injury to lose her; if he prevail, yet it is injury to hazard her: yet respecting the parties themselves. I cannot but grant it nearest to equity, and the best of combats, that some blood should be hazarded, that more might be out of hazard. I descend to your case, which is yet further from likelihood of approof; for what can you plead but your credit? others opinion? You fight, not so much against another's life, as your own reproach: you are wronged, and now if you challenge not; or you are challenged, and if you accept not, the world condemns you for a coward: who would not rather hazard his life then blemish his reputation? It were well, if this resolution were as wise as gallant. If I speak to a Christian, this courage must be rectified. Tell me, what world is this, whose censure you fear? Is it not that which God hath branded long ago with Positus in maligno? Is it not that which hath ever misconstrued, discouraged, disgraced, persecuted goodness? that which reproached, condemned your Saviour? What do you under these colours, if you regard the favour of that, whose amity is enmity with God? What care you for the censure of him, whom you should both scorn and vanquish? Did ever wise Christians, did ever your Master, allow either this manhood, or this fear? Was there ever any thing more strictly, more fearfully forbidden of him, than revenge in the challenge; then in the answer, payment of evil; and murder in both? It is pity, that ever the water of Baptism was spilt upon his face, that cares more to discontent the world, then to wrong God: He saith, Vengeance is mine; and you steal it from him in a glorious theft, hazarding your soul more than your body. You are weary of yourself, while you thrust one part upon the sword of an enemy; the other, on Gods. Yet perhaps I have yielded too much. Let go Christians; The wiser world of men (and who else are worth respect) will not pass this odious verdict upon your refusal: valiant men have rejected challenges, with their honours untainted. Augustus, when he received a defiance, and brave appointment of combat from Antony, could answer him, That if Antony were weary of living, there were wayese now beside to death. And that Scythian King returned no other reply to john the Emperor of Constantinople. And Metellus challenged by Sertorius, durst answer scornfully, with his pen, not with his sword; That it was not for a Captain, to dye a soldier's death. Was it not dishonourable for these wise and noble Heathens to turn off these desperate offers. What law hath made it so with us? Shall I seriously tell you? Nothing but the mere opinion of some humorous Gallants, that have more heart than brain; confirmed by a more idle custom: worthy grounds, whereon to spend both life and soul; whereon to neglect God, himself, posterity. Go now and take up that sword, of whose sharpness you have boasted, and hasten to the field; whether you die or kill, you have murdered. If you survive, you are haunted with the conscience of blood; if you die, with the torments; and if neither of these; yet it is murder, that you would have killed. See whether the fame of a brave fight can yield you a countervailable redress of these mischiefs: how much more happily valiant had it been to master yourself; to fear sin more than shame, to contemn the world, to pardon a wrong, to prefer true Christianity before idle manhood, to live and do well. To Mr MAT. MILWARD. EP. III. A discourse of the pleasure of study and contemplation, with the varieties of schollar-like employments, not without incitation of others thereunto; and a censure of their neglect. I Can wonder at nothing more, than how a man can be idle; but of all other, a Scholar; in so many improvements of reason, in such sweetness of knowledge, in such variety of studies, in such importunity of thoughts. Other Artisans do but practise, we still learn; others run still in the same gyre, to weariness, to satiety; our choice is infinite: other labours require recreations, our very labour recreates our sports: we can never want, either somewhat to do, or somewhat, that we would do. How numberless are those volumes which men have written, of Arts, of Tongues! How endless is that volume which God hath written of the world! wherein every creature is a Letter, every day a new Page: who can be weary of either of these? To find wit in Poetry, in Philosophy profoundness, in Mathematics acuteness, in History wonder of events, in Oratory sweet eloquence, in Divinity supernatural light and holy devotion; as so many rich metals in their proper mines, whom would it not ravish with delight? After all these, let us but open our eyes, we cannot look beside a lesson, in this universal Book of our Maker worth our study, worth ●aking out. What creature hath not his miracle? what event doth not challenge his observation? And if weary of foreign employment, we list to look home into ourselves, there we find a more private world of thoughts, which set us on work anew, more busily, not less profitably; now, our silence is vocal, our solitariness popular, and we are shut up, to do good unto many. And if once we be cloyed with our own company, the door of conference is open; here interchange of discourse (besides pleasure) benefits us: and he is a weak companion, from whom we return not wiser. I could envy, if I could believe that Anachoret, who secluded from the world, and penned up in his voluntary prison-wals, denied that he thought the day long, while yet he wanted learning to vary his thoughts. Not to be cloyed with the same conceit, is difficult above humane strength; but to a man so furnished with all sorts of knowledge, that according to his dispositions he can change his studies, I should wonder, that ever the Sun should seem to pace slowly. How many busy tongues chase away good hours in pleasant chat, and complain of the haste of night! What ingenuous mind can be sooner weary of talking with learned Authors, the most harmless, and sweetest of companions? What an heaven life's a Scholar in, that at once in one close room can daily converse with all the glorious Martyrs and Fathers? that can single out, at pleasure, either sententious Tertullian, or grave Cyprian, or resolute Hierome, or flowing chrysostom, or divine Ambrose, or devout Bernard, or (who alone is all these) heavenly Augustine, and talk with them, and hear their wise and holy counsels, verdicts, resolutions: yea (to rise higher) with courtly Esay, with learned Paul, with all their fellow-Prophets, Apostles? yet more, like another Moses, with God himself, in them both? Let the world contemn us: while we have these delights, we cannot envy them; we cannot wish ourselves other than we are. Besides, the way to all other contentments is troublesome; the only recompense is in the end. To delve in the mines, to scorch in the fire for the getting, for the fining of gold, is a slavish toil; the comfort is in the wedge; to the owner, not the labourers; where our very search of knowledge is delightsome. Study itself, is our life; from which we would not be barred for a world. How much sweeter than is the fruit of study, the conscience of knowledge? In comparison whereof, the soul that hath once tasted it, easily contemns all humane comforts. Go now ye worldlings, and insult over our paleness, our neediness, our neglect. Ye could not be so jocund, if you were not ignorant: if you did not want knowledge, you could not overlook him that hath it: For me, I am so fare from emulating you, that I profess, I had as leive be a brute beast, as an ignorant rich man. How is it then, that those Gallants, which have privilege of blood and birth, and better education, do so scornfully turn off these most manly, reasonable, noble exercises of scholarship? An hawk becomes their fist better than a book: No dog but is a better companion: Any thing, or nothing, rather than what we ought. O minds brutishly sensual! Do they think that God made them for disport? who even in his Paradise, would not allow pleasure, without work. And if for business; either of body, or mind: Those of the body are commonly servile, like itself. The mind therefore, the mind only, that honourable and divine part, is fittest to be employed of those which would reach to the highest perfection of men, and would be more than the most. And what work is there of the mind but the trade of a scholar, study? Let me therefore fasten this problem on our Schoole-gates, and challenge all comers, in the defence of it; that, No Scholar cannot be truly noble. And if I make it not good, let me never be admitted further than to the subject of our question. Thus we do well to congratulate, to ourselves, our own happiness: if others will come to us, it shall be our comfort, but more theirs; if not, it is enough that we can joy in ourselves, and in him in whom we are that we are. To Mr J. P. EP. IU. A discourse of the increase of Popery; of the Oath of Allegiance; and the just sufferings of those which have refused it. YOu say, your religion daily winneth. Bragge not of your gain: you neither need, nor can, if you consider how it gets, and whom: How, but by cunning sleights, false suggestions, impudent untruths? Who cannot thus prevail against a quiet and innocent adversary? Whom, but silly women, or men notoriously debauched? A spoil fit for such a conquest, for such Victors. We are the fewer, not the worse: if all our licentious hypocrites were yours, we should not complain: and you might be the prouder, not the better. Glory you in this triumph, free from our envy; who know we have lost none, but (by whom you save nothing) either lose, or simple. It were pity that you should not forgo some in a better exchange. The sea never incroacheth upon our shore, but it loseth elsewhere: some we have happily fetched into the fold of our Church, out of your wastes; some others (though few, and scarce a number) we have sent into their heaven. Among these, your late second Garnet lived to proclaim himself a Martyr; and by dying, persuaded. Poor man, how happy were he, if he might be his own judge. That which gave him confidence, would give him glory: you believe, and welnere adore him. That fatal cord of his, was too little for relics, though divided into Mathematic quantities. Whither cannot conceit lead us? whether for his resolution, or your credulity? His death was fearless: I commend his stomach, not his mind. How many malefactors have we known that have laughed upon their executioner, and jested away their last wind? You might know. It is not long since our Norfolk Arrian leapt at his stake. How oft have you learned, in martyrdom to regard not the death, but the cause? Else, there should be no difference in guilt and innocence, error and truth. What then? Died he for Religion? This had been but your own measure: we endured your flames, which these gibbets could not acquit. But dare impudence itself affirm it? Not for mere shame, against the evidence of so many tongues, ears, records. Your prosperity, your numbers argue enough, that a man may be a Papist in Britain, and live. If treason be your religion, who will wonder that it is capital? Defy that Devil which hath mocked you with this mad opinion, that treachery is holiness, devotion cruelty and disobedience. I foresee your evasion: Alas, it is easy for a spiteful construction to fetch religion within this compass; and to say the swelling of the Fox's forehead is a horn. Nay then, let us fetch some honest Heathen to be judge betwixt us: Mere nature in him shall speak unpartially of both. To hold and persuade, that a Christian King may, yea must at the Popes will be dethroaned, and murdered; is it the voice of treason, or religion? And if traitorous, whether flatly, or by mis-inferring? Besides his practices, for this he died; witness your own Catholics. O God, if this be religion, what can be villainy? Who ever died a Malefactor, if this be martyrdom? If this position be meritorious of heaven, hell is feared in vain. O holy Scillae, Marij, Catiline's, Cades, Lopezes, Gowries, Vawxes, and who ever have conspired against lawful Majesty! all Martyrs of Rome, all Saints of Beckets heaven. How well do those palms of celestial triumph become hands red with the sacred blood of Gods anointed? I am ashamed to think, that humanity should nourish such monsters, whether of men, or opinions. But you defy this savage factiousness, this devotion of devils; and honestly wish both God and Caesar his own. I praise your moderation: but if you be true, let me yet search you: Can a man be a perfect Papist, without this opinion against it? If he may, than your Garnet and Drury died not for religion: if he may not, than Popery is treason. Choose now whether you will leave your Martyrs, or your Religion. What you hold of merit, freewill, transubstantiation, invocation of Saints, false adoration, supremacy of Rome, no man presses, no man inquires: your present inquisition, your former examples would teach us; mercy will not let us learn. The only question is, Whether our King may live and rule; whether you may refrain from his blood, and not sin: Would you have a man deny this, and not die? Would you have a man thus dying honoured? Dare you approve that religion, which defends the fact, canonizes the person? I hear your answer, from that your great Champion, which not many days since, with one blow hath driven out three (not slight) wedges: That not Civil obedience is stood upon, The judgement of a Catholic Englishman banished, etc. concerning the Apology of the Oath of Allegiance, entitled Triplici n●do, etc. but Positive doctrine: That you are ready to swear for the King's safety; not against the Pope's authority: King JAMES must live and reign; but Paulus Quintus must rule and be obeyed: and better were it for you to die, than your sworn allegiance should prejudice the Sea Apostolic. An elusion fit for children. What is to dally, if not this? As if he said, The King shall live, unless the Pope will not; That he shall not be discrowned, deposed, massacred by your hands, unless your holy Father should command. But (I ask, as who should not?) What if he do command? What if your Paulus Quintus should breathe out (like his predecessors) not threatenings, but strong bellow of Excommunications, of deposition of Gods anointed? What if he shall command (after that French fashion) the throats of all Heretics to bleed in a night? Pardon you in this: Now it is grown a point of doctrinal Divinity, to determine how fare the power of Peter's successor may extend: You may neither swear, nor say your hands shall not be steeped in the blood of your true Sovereign; and to die rather than swear it, is martyrdom. But what if heaven fall, say you? His Holiness (as you hope) will take none such courses. Woe were us, if our safety depended upon your hopes, or his mercies. Blessed be that God, which malgre hath made and kept us happy, and hath lift us above our enemies. But what hope is there; that he who chargeth subjects' not to swear allegiance will never discharge them from allegiance; that those who clamorously and shamelessly complain to the world of our cruelty, will forbear to solicit others cruelty to us? Your hopes to you; to us our securities. Is this the Religion you father upon those Christian Patriarches of the Primitive Age? O blessed Ireney, Clemens, Cyprian, Basil, chrysostom, Augustine, Jerome, and thou the severest exactor of just censures, holy Ambrose! how would you have sp●t at such a rebellious assertion! What speak I of Fathers? whose very mention in such a cause were injury, were impiety. Which of those cursed heresies of ancient times (for to them I hold it fit to appeal) have ever been so desperately shameless, as to breed, to maintain a conceit so palpably unnatural; unless perhaps those old Antitactae may upon general terms be compelled to patronise it, while they held it piety to break the laws of their Maker? For you, if you profess not to love willing errors, by this suspect, and judge the rest: you see this defended with equal resolution, and with no less cheerful expense of blood. In the body, where you see one monstrous deformity, you cannot affect; if you can do so in your religion, yet how dare you? since the greater half of it stands on no other ground. Only God make you wise, and honest, you shall shake hands with this faction of Popery; and I with you, to give you a cheerful welcome into the bosom of the Church. To my brother M. SA. HALL.. EP. V A discourse of the great charge of the ministerial function; together with particular directions for due preparation thereunto, and carriage therein. IT is a great and holy purpose (dear Brother) that you have entertained, of serving God in his Church: for what higher, or more worthy employment can there be, then to do these divine duties, to such a master, and such a mother? wherein yet I should little rejoice, if any necessity had cast you upon this refuge: for I hate and grieve to think that any desperate mind should make Divinity but a shift, and dishonour this Mistress by being forsaken of the world. This hath been the drift of your education: to this you were born, & dedicated in a direct course. I do willingly encourage you, but not without many cautions. Enter not into so great a service, without much foresight. When your hand is at the plough, it is too late to look back. Bethink yourself seriously of the weight of this charge: and let your holy desire be allayed with some trembling. It is a foolish rashness of young heads, when they are in God's chair, to wonder how they came thither, and to forget the awfulness of that place, in the confidence of their own strength; which is ever so much less, as it is more esteemed. I commend not the wayward excuses of Moses, nor the peremptory unwillingness of Ammonius, and Friar Thomas, who maimed themselves that they might be wilfully uncapable. Betwixt both these there is humble modesty, and religious fearfulness, easily to be noted in those, whom the Church honours with the name of her fathers, worthy your imitation: wherein yet you shall need no precedents, if you well consider what worth of parts, what strictness of carriage, what weight of offices, God expects in this vocation. Know first, that in this place there will be more holiness required of you, then in the ordinary station of a Christian: for whereas before you were but as a common line, now God sets you for a copy of sanctification unto others, wherein every fault is both notable, and dangerous. Here is looked for a settled acquaintance with God, and experience both of the proceed of grace, and of the offers and repulses of tentations; which in vain we shall hope to menage in other hearts, if we have not found in our own. To speak by aim, or rote, of repentance, of contrition, of the degrees of regeneration, and faith, is both harsh, and seldom when, not unprofitable. We trust those Physicians best, which have tried the virtue of their drugs, esteeming not of those which have only borrowed of their books. Here will be expected a free and absolute government of affections; that you can so ●●ere your own vessel, as not to be transported with fury, with self-love, with immoderation of pleasures, of cares, of desires, with excess of passions, in all which, so must you demean yourself, as one that thinks he is no man of the world, but of God; as one too good (by his double calling) for that, which is either the felicity, or impotency of beasts. Here must be continual and inward exercise of mortification, and severe Christianity, whereby the heart is held in due awe, and the weak flames of the spirit quickened, the ashes of our dulness blown off; a practice necessary in him, whose devotion must set many hearts on fire: Hear must be wisdom, and inoffensivenesse of carriage, as of one that goes ever under monitors, and that knows other men's indifferencies are his evils. No man had such need to keep a strict means. Setting aside contempt, even in observation, behold, we are made a gazing stock to the world, to Angels, to men. The very sail of your estate must be moderated; which if it bear too high (as seldom) it incurs the censure of profusion and Epicurism; if too low, of a base and unbeseeming earthliness; your hand may not be too close for others need, nor too open for your own; your conversation may not be rough and sullen, nor over-familiar and fawning; whereof the one breeds a conceit of pride, and strangeness; the other, contempt; not loosely merry, nor Cynically unsociable; not contentious in small injuries; in great, not hurtfully patiented to the Church: your attire (for whither do not censures reach?) not youthfully wanton; not, in these years affectedly ancient, but grave and comely, like the mind, like the behaviour of the wearer; your gesture like your habit, neither savouring of giddy lightness, nor overly insolence, nor wantonness; nor dull neglect of yourself; but such, as may beseem a mortified mind, full of worthy spirits: your speech like your gesture, not scurrilous, not detracting, not idle, not boasting, not rotten, not peremptotorie; but honest, mild, fruitful, savoury, and such as may both argue and work grace: your deliberations mature, your resolutions well grounded; your devices sage and holy. Wherein let me advice you, to walk ever in the beaten road of the Church; not to run out into single paradoxes. And if you meet at any time with private conceits, that seem more probable, suspect them and yourself; and if they can win you to assent, yet smother them in your breast, and do not dare to vent them out, either by your hand or tongue, to trouble the common peace. It is a miserable praise, to be a witty disturber. Neither will it serve you to be thus good alone; but if God shall give you the honour of this estate, the world will look, you should be the grave guide of a well-ordered family: for this is proper to us, that the vices of our charge reflect upon us; the sins of others are our reproach. If another man's children miscarry, the Parent is pitied; if a Ministers, censured; yea, not our servant is faulty without our blemish. In all these occasions (a misery incident to us alone) our grief is our shame. To descend nearer unto the sacred affairs of this heavenly trade; in a Minister God's Church is accounted both his house to dwell in, and his field to work in; wherein (upon the penalty of a curse) he faithfully, wisely, diligently, devoutly, deals with God for his people, with his people, for and from God. Whether he instruct, he must do it with evidence of the spirit; or whether he reprove, with courage and zeal; or whether he exhort, with meekness, and yet with power; or whether he confute, with demonstration of truth, not with rage and personal maliciousness, not with a wilful heat of contradiction; or whether he admonish, with long-suffering, and love without prejudice, and partiality: in a word, all these he so doth, as he that desires nothing but to honour God, and save men. His wisdom must discern betwixt his sheep and wolves; in his sheep, betwixt the wholesome and unsound; in the unfound, betwixt the weak and tainted; in the tainted, betwixt the natures, qualities, degrees of the disease, and infection; and to all these he must know to administer a word in season: He hath Antidotes for all tentations, counsels for all doubts, evictions for all errors, for all languish encouragements. No occasion from any altered estate of the soul may find him unfurnished: He must ascend to God's Altar with much awe, with sincere and cheerful devotion; so taking, celebrating, distributing is Saviour, as thinking himself at table in heaven with the blessed Angels. In the mean time, as he wants not a thankful regard to the Master of the feast, so not care of the guests. The greatness of an offender may not make him sacrilegiously partial, nor the obscurity negligent. I have said little of any of our duties; and of some, nothing: yet enough, I think, to make you (if not timorous) careful. Neither would I have you hereupon to hide yourself from this calling, but to prepare yourself for it. These times call for them that are faithful: and if they may spare some learning; conscience they can not. Go on happily: it argues a mind Christianly noble, to be encouraged with the need of his labours, with the difficulties. To Mrs. A. P. EP. VI A discourse of the signs and proofs of a true faith. THere is no comfort in a secret felicity. To be happy, and not know it, is little above miserable. Such is your state: only herein better than the common case of the most; that the well of life lies open before you; but your eyes (like Agars) are not open to see it; while they have neither water, nor eyes. We do not much more want that which we have not, then that which we do not know we have. Let me tell you some of that spiritual eye-salue which the Spirit commends to his Laodiceans; that you may clearly see how well you are. There is nothing but those scales betwixt you and happiness. Think not much that I espy in you what yourself sees not. Too much nearness ofttimes hindereth sight: and if for the spots of our own faces we trust others eyes, why not for our perfections? You are in heaven, and know it not: He that believes, is already passed from death to life: You believe, whiles you complain of unbelief. If you complained not, I should misdoubt you more, than you do yourself, because you complain. Secure and insolent presumption hath killed many, that breathes nothing but confidence and safety; and abandons all doubts, and condemns them. That man never believed, that never doubted. This liquor of faith is never pure in these vessels of clay, without these lees of distrust. What then? Think not that I encourage you to doubt more; but persuade you, not to be discouraged with doubting. All uncertainty is comfortless: those that teach men to conjecture and forbid to resolve, read lectures of misery. Those doubts are but to make way for assurance; as the oft shaking of the tree, fastens it more at the root. You are sure of God, but you are afraid of yourself. The doubt is not in his promise, but your application. Look into your own heart. How know you that you know any thing, that you believe, that you will, that you approve, that you affect any thing? If a man, like yourself, promise you ought, you know whether you trust him, whether you rely yourself on his fidelity. Why can you not know it in him that is God and man? The difference is not in the act, but the object. But if these habits (because of their inward and ambiguous nature) seem hard to be descried; turn your eyes to those open marks that cannot beguile you. How many have bragged of their Faith, when they have embraced nothing but a vain cloud of presumption? Every man repeats his Creed, few feel it, few practice it. Take two boughs in the dead of winter; how like is one wood to another? how hardly discerned? Afterwards, By their fruit you shall know them. That faith, whose nature was obscure, is evident in his effects. What is faith, but the hand of the soul? What is the duty of the hand, but either to hold or work? This hand than holds Christ, works obedience and holiness: and if this act of apprehension be as secret, as the cause; since the closed hand hideth still what it holdeth; see the hand of faith open; see what it worketh, and compare it with your own proof. Deny if you can (yet I had rather appeal to any judge, than your prejudiced self) that in all your needs you can step boldly to the Throne of Heaven; and freely pour out your enlarged heart to your God, and crave of him, whether to receive what you want, or that you may want what you have, and would not. Be assured from God, this can be done by no power, but (that you fear to miss) of faith. God, as he is not, so he is not called a father without this. In vain doth he pray, that cannot call God father: No father, without the spirit of adoption; no spirit, without faith: without this, you may babble, you cannot pray. Assume you that you can pray, I dare conclude upon my soul, You believe. As little as you love yourself, deny if you can, that you love God. Say that your Saviour from heaven should ask you Peter's question, could your soul return any other answer, than Lord thou knowest I love thee? Why are you else in such awe to offend, that a world cannot bribe you to sin? Why in such deep grief when you have sinned, that no mirth can refresh you? Why in such fervent desire of enjoying his presence? Why in such agony when you enjoy it not? neither doth God love you, neither can you love God without faith. Yet more: Do you willingly nourish any one sin in your breast; do you not repent of all? Do you not hate all, though you cannot leave all? Do you not complain that you hate them no more? Do you not, as for life, wish for holiness, and endeavour it? Nothing but faith can thus cleanse the heart; that like a good housewife sweeps all the foul corners of the soul, and will not leave so much as one web in this roomie house. Trust to it, you cannot hate sin for it own sake, and forsake it for God's sake, without faith; the faithless hath had some remorse and fears, never repentance. Lastly, do you not love a good man for goodness, and delight in God's Saints? Doth not your love lead you to compassion; your compassion to relief? An heart truly faithful cannot but have an hand christianly bountiful: Charity and Faith make up one perfect pair of Compasses, that can take the true latitude of a Christian heart: Faith is the one foot, pitched in the centre unmoveably, while Charity walks about, in a perfect circle of beneficence: these two never did, neither can go asunder. Warrant you your love, I dare warrant your faith: What need I say more? This heat of your affections, and this light of your works, will evince against all the gates of hell, that you have the fire of Faith: let your soul then warm itself with these sweet and cordial flames, against all those cold despairs, whereto you are tempted: say, Lord, I believe; and I will give you leave still to add, Help my unbelief. To Mr ED. ALLEYNE. EP. VII. A direction how to conceive of God in our devotions and meditations. YOu have chosen and judged well: How to conceive of the Deity in our prayers, in our meditations, is both the deepest point of all Christianity, and the most necessary: so deep, that if we wade into it, we may easily drown, never find the bottom: so necessary, that without it, ourselves, our services, are profane, irreligious: we are all born Idolaters, naturally prone to fashion God to some form of our own, whether of an humane body, or of an admirable light; or if our mind have any other more likely, and pleasing image. First then, away with all these wicked thoughts, these gross devotions; and with jacob bury all your strange gods under the oak of Shechem, ere you offer to set up God's Altar at Bethel: and without all mental representations, conceive of your God purely, simply, spiritually; as of an absolute being, without form, without matter, without composition; yea, an infinite, without all limit of thoughts. Let your heart adore a spiritual Majesty, which it cannot comprehend, yet knows to be; and, as it were, lose itself in his infiniteness. Think of him, as not to be thought of; as one, whose wisdom is his justice, whose justice is his power, whose power is his mercy; and whose wisdom, justice, power, mercy, is himself; as without quality good, great without quantity, everlasting without time, present every where without place, containing all things without extent: and when your thoughts are come to the highest, stay there, and be content to wonder, in silence: and if you cannot reach to conceive of him as he is, yet take heed you conceive not of him as he is not. Neither will it suffice your Christian mind, to have this awful and confused apprehension of the Deity, without a more special and inward conceit of three in this one; three persons in this one essence, not divided, but distinguished; and not more mingled then divided. There is nothing, wherein the want of words can wrong and grieve us, but in this: Here alone, as we can adore, and not conceive, so we can conceive, and not utter; yea, utter ourselves, and not be conceived; yet as we may, Think here of one substance in three subsistences; one essence in three relations; one JEHOVAH begetting, begotten, proceeding; Father, Son, Spirit: yet so, as the Son is no other thing from the Father, but another person; or the Spirit, from the Son. Let your thoughts here walk warily, the path is narrow: the conceit either of three substances or but one subsistence, is damnable. Let me lead you yet higher, and further, in this intricate way, towards the Throne of grace: All this will not avail you, if you take not your Mediator with you: if you apprehend not a true manhood, gloriously united to the Godhead, without change of either nature, without mixture of both; whose presence, whose merits must give passage, acceptance, vigour to your prayers. Here must be therefore (as you see) thought holily mixed: of a Godhead and humanity: one person in two natures: of the same Deity, in diverse persons, and one nature: wherein (if ever) heavenly wisdom must bestir itself, in directing us, so to sever these apprehensions, that none be neglected; so to conjoin them that they be not confounded. O the depth of divine mysteries, more than can be wondered at! O the necessity of this high knowledge, which who attains not, may babble, but prayeth not? Still you doubt, and ask if you may not direct your prayers to one person of three. Why not? Safely, and with comfort. What need we fear, while we have our Saviour for our pattern: O my father (if possible) let this Cup pass: and Paul every where both in thanks and requests: but with due care of worshipping all in one. Exclude the other, while you fix your heart upon one, your prayer is sin; retain all, and mention one, you offend not. None of them doth aught for us, without all. It is a true rule of Divines: All their external works are common: To solicit one therefore, and not all, were injurious. And if you stay your thoughts upon the sacred humanity of Christ, with inseparable adoration of the Godhead united, and thence climb up to the holy conceit of that blessed and dreadful Trinity, I dare not censure, I dare not but commend your divine method. Thus should Christians ascend from earth to heaven, from one heaven to another. If I have given your devotions any light, it is well: the least glimpse of this knowledge is worth all the full gleams of humane and earthly skill. But I mistake, if your own heart wrought upon with serious meditations (under that spirit of illumination) will not prove your best master. After this weak direction, study to conceive aright; that you may pray aright; and pray that you may conceive; and meditate that you may do both: and the God of heaven direct you, enable you, that you may do all. To M. THOMAS JAMES of Oxford. EP. VIII. A discourse of the grounds of the Papists confidence in appealing to the Fathers: applauding his worthy offers and endeavours of discovering the falsifications and depravations of antiquity. SIR, I know no man so like as you to make posterity his debtor. I do hearty congratulate unto you so worthy labours, so noble a project. Our adversaries knowing of themselves (that which Tertullian saith of all heresies) that if appeal be made to the sacred bench of Prophets and Apostles, they cannot stand; remove the suit of religion craftily, into the Court of the Fathers: A reverend trial, as any under heaven; where, it cannot be spoken, how confidently they triumph ere the conflict. Give us the Fathers for our judges (say Campian and Possevine) the day is ours. And whence is this courage? Is antiquity our enemy, their advocate? Certainly it cannot be truth that is new: We would renounce our Religion, if it could be overlookt for time. Let go equity, the older take both. There be two things then, that give them heart in this provocation: One, the bastardy of false Fathers; the other, the corruption of the true. What a flourish do they make with usurped names? Whom would it not amaze to see the frequent citations of the Apostles own Canons, Constitutions, Liturgies, Masses: of Clemens, Dennys the Areopagite, Linus, Hippolytus, Marshal, of Bordeaux, Egesippus; Donations of Constantine the great, and Lewis the godly: Of 50 Canons of Nice: of Dorotheus, Damasus his Pontifical; Epistles decretal of Clemens, Euaristus, Telesphorus, and an hundred other Bishops holy and ancient; of Euodius, Anastasius, Simeon Metaphrastes, and more yet then a number more; most whereof have crept out of the Vatican, or Cloisters; and all carry in them manifest brands of falsehood, and supposition; that I may say nothing of those infinite writings, which either ignorance, or wilfulness, hath fathered upon every of the Fathers, not without shameless importunity, and gross impossibilities: all which (as she said of Peter) their speech bewrayeth; or (as Austen said of Cyprians style) their face. This fraud is more easily avoided: For as in notorious burglaries, ofttimes there is either an hat, or a glove, or a weapon left behind, which describeth the authors; so the God of truth hath besotted these impostors to let fall some palpable error, (though but of false calculation) whereby, if not their names, yet their ages might appear, to their conviction. Most danger is in the secret corruption of the true and acknowledged issue of those gracious parents; whom, through close and crafty handling, they have induced to belie those that begot them; and to betray their Fathers, either with silence, or false evidence. Plainly, how are the honoured Volumes of faithful antiquity, blurred, interlined, altered, depraved by subtle treachery; and made to speak what they meant not? Fie on this, not so much injustice, as impiety, to raze the awful monuments of the dead, and partially to blot and change the original Will of the deceased, insert our own Legacies. This is done by our guilty adversaries, to the injury not more of these Authors, then of the present and succeeding times. Hence those Fathers are somewhere not ours: What wonder? while they are not themselves. Your industry hath offered (and that motion is lively, and heroical) to challenge all their learned and elegant pages, from injury of corruption; to restore them to themselves, and to us: that which all the learned of our times have but desired to see done, you proffer to effect: your assay in Cyprian and Augustine is happy, and justly applauded. All our Libraries, whom your diligent hand hath ransacked, offer their aid, in such abundance of manuscripts, as all Europe would envy to see met in one Island. After all this, for that the most spiteful imputation to our Truth is novelty, you offer to deduce her pedigree from those primitive times, through the successions of all ages; and to bring into the light of the world many (as yet obscure) but no less certain and authentical Patrons, in a continued line of defence. You have given proof enough, that these are no glorious vaunts, but the zealous challenges of an able Champion. What wanteth then? Let me say for you: Not an heart, not an head, not an hand; but (which I almost scorn to name in such a cause) a purse. If this continue your hindrance, it will not be more our loss then shame. Hear me a little, ye great and wealthy: Hath God loaded you with so much substance; and will you not lend him a little of his own? Shall your riot be fed with excess; while God's cause shall starve for want? Shall our adversaries so insultingly outbid us; and in the zeal of our profusion laugh at our heartless and cold niggardliness? Shall heavenly truth lie in the dust for want of a little stamped earth to raise her? How can you so much any way honour God, yea yourselves, deserve of posterity, pleasure the Church, and make you so good friends of your Mammon? Let not the next Age say, that she had so unkind predecessors. Fetch forth of your superfluous store, and cast in your rich gifts into this treasury of the Temple. The Lord and his Church have need. For you, it anger's me to see how that flattering Possevinus smoothly entices you from us with golden offers, upon the advantage of our neglect; as if he (measuring your mind by his own) thought an Omnia dabo would bring you with himself on your knees to worship the devil, the beast, the image of both: as if we were not as able to encourage, to reward desert. Hath Virtue no Patrons on this side the Alps? Are those hills only the thresholds of honour? I plead not, because I cannot fear you: But who sees not how munificently our Church scattereth her bountiful favours upon less merit. If your day be not yet come, expect it; God and the Church own you a benefit; if their payment be long, it is sure. Only go you on with courage, in those your high endeavours; and in the mean time, think it great recompense to have deserved. To Mr E.A. EP. IX. A Discourse of fleeing or stay in the time of pestilence; whether lawful for Minister or people. HOw many hath a seduced conscience led untimely to the grave? I speak of this sad occasion of Pestilence. The Angel of God follows you, and you doubt whether you should fly. If a Lion out of the forest should pursue you, you would make no question: yet could he not do it unsent. What is the difference? Both instruments of divine revenge; both threaten death; one by spilling the blood, the other by infecting it. Who knows whether he hath not appointed your Zoar out of the lists of this destruction? You say it is God's visitation. What evil is not? If war have wasted the confines of your Country, you save your throats by flight: Why are you more favourable to God's immediate sword of pestilence? Very leprosy, by God's law, requires a separation; yet no mortal sickness. When you see a noted Leper proclaim his uncleanness in the street, will you embrace him for his sake that hath stricken him, or avoid him for his sake that hath forbidden you? If you honour his rod, much more will you regard his precept. If you mislike not the affliction because he sends it, then love the life which you have of his sending; fear the judgement which he will send, if you love it not. He that bids us flee when we are persecuted, hath neither excepted Angel nor man; whether soever, I fear our guiltiness, if wilfully we flee not. But whither shall we flee from God? say you: where shall he not both find and lead us? whither shall not our destiny follow us? Vain men, we may run from our home, not from our grave; Death is subtle, our time is set; we cannot, God will not alter it. Alas, how wise we are to wrong ourselves! Because Death will overtake us, shall we run and meet him? Because God's decree is sure, shall we be desperate? Shall we presume, because God changeth not? Why do we not try every knife and cord, since our time is neither capable of prevention nor delay: our end is set, not without our means. In matter of danger where the end is not known, the means must be suspected; in matter of hope where the end is not known, means must be used. Use then freely the means of your flight, suspect the danger of your stay; and since there is no particular necessity of your presence, know that God bids you departed and live. You urge the instance of your Minister: How unequally? There is not more lawfulness in your flight, than sin in ours: you are your own; we our peoples: you are charged with a body, which you may not willingly lose, not hazard by staying; we with all their souls: which to hazard by absence, is to lose our own: we must love our lives; but not when they are rivals with our souls, or with others. How much better is it to be dead, then negligent, then faithless! If some bodies be contagiously sick, shall all souls be wilfully neglected? There can be no time wherein good counsel is so seasonable, so needful. Every threatening finds impression, where the mind is prepared by sensible judgements. When will the ironhearts of men bow, if not when they are heat in the flame of God's affliction? now then to run away from a necessary and public good, to avoid a doubtful and private evil, is to run into a worse evil than we would avoid. He that will thus run from Ninive to Tharsis, shall find a tempest, and a whale in his way. Not that I dare be an author to any, of the private visitation of infected beds: I dare not without better warrant. Who ever said we were bound to close up the dying eyes of every departing Christian? and upon whatever conditions, to hear their last groans? If we had a word, I would not debate of the success. Then, that were cowardliness, which now is wisdom. Is it no service, that we publicly teach and exhort? that we privately prepare men for death, and arm them against it? that our comfortable letters and messages stir up their fainting hearts? that our loud voices pierce their ears afar; unless we feel their pulses, and lean upon their pillows, and whisper in their ears? Daniel is in the Lion's den; Is it nothing that Darius speaks comfort to him thorough the grate, unless he go in to salute him among those fierce companions? A good Minister is the common goods: he cannot make his life peculiar to one, without injury to many. In the common cause of the Church, he must be no niggard of his life; in the private cause of a neighbours bodily sickness, he may soon be prodigal. A good father may not spend his substance on one child, and leave the rest beggars. If any man be resolute in the contrary, I had rather praise his courage, then imitate his practice. I confess, I fear; not so much death, as want of warrant for death. To M. R. B. EP. X. A complaint of the iniquity of the Times; with a prescription of the means to redress it. WHiles I accused the Times, you undertook their patronage. I commend your charity, not your cause. It is true: There was never any Age not complained of; never any that was not censured, as worst. What is, we see; what was, we neither inquire nor care. That which is out of sight and use, is soon out of mind, and ere long out of memory. Yet the iniquity of others, cannot excuse ours. And if you will be but as just as charitable, you shall confess, that both some times exceed others in evil; and these, all. This earthly Moon the Church hath her fools and wanings, and sometimes her eclipses; whiles the shadow of this sinful mass hides her beauty from the world. So long as she wadeth in this planetary world, it should be vain to expect better: it is enough when she is fixed above, to be free from all change. This you yield: but nothing can persuade you, that she is not now in the full of her glory. True: or else she were not subject to this darkening. There was never more light of knowledge; never more darkness of impiety: and there could not be such darkness, if there were not such light. Goodness repulsed, gives height to sin: therefore are we worse than our predecessors, because we might be better. By how much our means are greater, by so much are our defects. Turn over all records; and parallel such helps, such care, such cost, such expectation, with such fruit, I yield: We see but our own times: There was never but one Noah (whom the Heathen celebrate under another name) that with two faces saw both before and behind him: But lo, that Ancient of days, to whom all times are present, hath told us, that these last shall be worst: Our experience justifies him, with all but the wilful. This censure (lest you should condemn my rigour, as unnaturally partial) is not confined to our seas; but, free and common, hath the same bounds with the earth. I joy not in this large society. Would God we were evil alone. How few are those, whose carriage doth not say, that profession of any conscience is pusillanimity? How few that care so much, as to show well? And yet of those few, how many care only to seem? whose words disagree from their actions, and their hearts from their words? Where shall a man mew up himself, that he may not be a witness of what he would not? What can he see, or hear, and not be either sad or guilty? Oaths strive for number with words; scoffs with oaths, vain speeches with both. They are rare hands, that are free either from aspersions of blood, or spots of filthiness. Let me be at once (as I use) bold and plain: Wanton excess, excessive pride, close Atheism, impudent profaneness, unmerciful oppression, over-mercifull connivance, greedy covetousness, lose prodigality, simoniacal sacrilege, unbridled luxury, beastly drunkenness, bloody treachery, cunning fraud, slanderous detraction, envious undermine, secret idolatry, hypocritical fashionableness, have spread themselves all over the world. The Sun of peace looking upon our unclean heaps, hath bred these monsters, and hath given light to this brood of darkness. Look about you, and see if three great Idols, Honour, Pleasure, Gaine, have not shared the earth amongst them, and left him least, whose all is. Your denial drives me to particulars. I urge no further. If any adversary insult in my confession, tell him, that I account them the greatest part of this evil; neither could thus complain, if they were not. Who knows not, that as the earth is the dregs of the world, so Italy is the dregs of the earth, Rome of Italy? It is no wonder to find Satan in his Hell; but to find him in Paradise, is uncouth, and grievous. Let them alone that will dye and hate to be cured. For us: O that remedies were as easy as complaints! That we could be as soon cleared, as convinced! That the taking of the medicine were but so difficult as the prescription! And yet nothing hinders us from health, but our will: neither Gospel, nor Grace, nor Glory, are shut up; only our hearts are not open. Let me turn my style from you, to the secure, to the perverse, tho why do I hope they will hear me, that are deaf to God? they will regard words, that care not for judgements? Let me tell them yet (if in vain) they must break, if they bow not: That if mercy may be refused, yet vengeance cannot be resisted: that God can serve himself of them perforce, neither to their thank nor ease: that the present plagues do but threaten worse. Lastly, that if they relent not, hell was not made for nothing. What should be done then? Except we would fain smart, each man amend one, and we all live. How commonly do men complain, and yet add to this heap? Redress stands not in words. Let every man pull but one brand out of this fire, and the flame will go out alone. What is a multitude, but an heap of unities? The more we deduce, the fewer we leave. O how happy were it then, if every man would begin at home, and take his own heart to task, and at once be his own Accuser, and judge; to condemn his private errors, yea to mulct them with death! Till then, alas, what avails it to talk? While every man censures, and no man amends, what is it but busy trifling? But though our care must begin at ourselves, it may not end there. Who but a Cain is not his brother's keeper? Public persons are not so much their own, as others are theirs. Who sits at the common stern, cannot distinguish betwixt the care of his own safety, and his vessels: both drown at once, or at once salute the haven. Ye Magistrates (for in you stand all our lower hopes) whom God hath on purpose, in a wise surrogation, set upon earth, to correct her disorders, take to yourselves firm foreheads, courageous hearts, hands busy, and not partial; to discountenance shameless wickedness, to resist the violent sway of evils, to execute wholesome laws, with strictness, with resolution. The sword of the Spirit meets with such iron hearts, that it both enters not, and is rebated. Lo, it appeals to your arm, to your aid. An earthen edge can best pierce this hardened earth: If iniquity die not by your hands, we perish. And ye sons of Levi gather to your Moses in the gate of the Camp: consecrate your hands to God in this holy slaughter of vice: Let your voice be both a trumpet to incite, and a two-edged sword to wound and kill. Cry down sin in earnest, and thunder out of that sacred chair of Moses; and let your lives speak yet louder. Neither may the common Christian sit still and look on in silence: I am deceived, if in this cause God allow any man for private. Here must be all actors, no witnesses. His discreet admonitions, seasonable reproofs, and prayers never unseasonable, besides the power of honest example, are expected as his due tribute to the common health: What if we cannot turn the stream? Yet we must swim against it: even without conquest, it is glorious to have resisted: in this alone, they are enemies, that do nothing. Thus, as one that delights more in amendment, then excuse, I have both censured and directed. The favour of your sentence proceeds (I know) from your own innocent uprightness: So judge of my severe taxation. It shall be happy for us, if we can at once excuse and diminish; accuse and redress iniquity. Let but the endeavour be ours, the success to GOD. EPISTLES. THE THIRD AND LAST VOLUME. CONTAINING TWO DECADES. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE of WALES, All happiness. MOst Gracious Prince: LEt me not (whiles I desire to be dutiful) seem importunate, in my dedications. I now bring to your Highness these my last, and perhaps most material Letters: wherein, if I mistake not, (as, how easily are we deceived in our own?) the pleasure of the variety shall strive with the importance of matter. There is no worldly thing, I confess, whereof I am more ambitious, then of your Highness' contentment; which that you place in goodness, is not more your glory, than our joy. Do so still, and heaven and earth shall agree to bless you, and us in you. For me, after this my officious boldness, I shall betake myself in silence, to some greater work, wherein I may approve my service to the Church, and to your Highness, as her second joy and care. My heart shall be always, and upon all opportunities, my tongue and pen shall no less gladly be devoted to my gracious Master, as one Who rejoice to be your Highnesses (though unworthy, yet) faithful and obsequious Servant, IOS. HALL.. THE SUM OF THE SEVERAL EPISTLES. DECAC V. EP. 1. To my B. Lord of and Wels. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery. EP. 2. To my Lord Bishop of Worcester. Showing the differences of the present Church from the Apostolical; and needlessness of our conformity thereto in all things. EP. 3. To my Lady MARY DENNY. Containing the description of a Christian, and his differences from the worldling. EP. 4. To my Lady HONORIA HAY. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptism; and the estate of those which necessarily want it. EP. 5. To Sir RICHARD LEA. Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions. EP. 6. To Mr PETER MOLIN Preacher of the Church at Paris. Discoursing of the late French occurrents, and what use God expects to be made of them. EP. 7. To Mr THOMAS SUTTON. Exciting him, and (in him) all others, to early and cheerful beneficence: showing the necessity and benefit of good works. EP. 8. To E. B. Dedicated to Sir GEORGE GORING. Remedies against dulness and heartlesnes in our callings; and encouragements to cheerfulness in labour. EP. 9 To Sir JOHN HARRINGTON. Discussing this Question: Whether a man and wife after some years mutual and loving fruition of each other, may upon consent, whether for secular, or religious causes, vow and perform a perpetual separation from each others bed, and absolutely renounce all carnal knowledge of each other for ever. EP. 10. To Mr WIL KNIGHT. Encouraging him to persist in the holy calling of the ministry; which upon conceit of his insufficiency, and want of affection, he seemed inclining to forsake and change. DECAD VI. EP. 1. To my Lord DENNY. A particular account how our days are, or should be spent, both common and holy. EP. 2. To Mr T. S. Dedicated to Sir FULKE GREVIL. Discoursing how we may use the world without danger. EP. 3. To Sir GEORGE FLEETWOOD. Of the remedies of sin, and motives to avoid it. EP. 4. To Mr Doctor MILBURNE. Discoursing how fare, and wherein Popery destroyeth the foundation. EP. 5. Written long since to I.W. Dissuading from separation, and shortly oppugning the grounds of that error. EP. 6. To Master I.B. A complaint of the miseducation of our Gentry. EP. 7. To Mr IONAS REIGESBERGIUS in Zealand. Written some while since, concerning some new opinions then broached in the Churches of HOLLAND; and under the name of Arminius (then living:) persuading all great wits to a study and care of the common peace of the Church, and dissuading from all affectation of singularity. EP. 8. To W. I. condemned for murder. Effectually preparing him, and (under his name) whatsoever Malefactor, for his death. EP. 9 To Mr JOHN MOL●, of a long time now prisoner under the Inquisition at ROME. Exciting him to his wont constancy, and encouraging him to Martyrdom. EP. 10. To all Readers. Containing Rules of good advice for our Christian and civil carriage. THE FIFT DECAD. To my Lord Bishop of and WELLS. EP. I. Discoursing of the causes and means of the increase of Popery. BY what means the Romish Religion hath in these later times prevailed so much over the world, (Right Reverend and Honourable) is a consideration both weighty and useful; for hence may we frame ourselves either to prevent, or imitate them: to imitate them in what we may; or prevent them in what they should not. I meddle not with the means of their first rise: the munificence of Christian Princes, the honest devotions of well-meaning Contributers, the division of the Christian world, the busy endeavours of forward Princes, for the recovery of the Holy-land, with neglect of their own, the ambitious insinuations of that Sea, the fame and large dominion of those seven hills; the compacted indulgence and connivance of some treacherous, of other timorous Rulers; the shameless flattery of Parasites; the rude ignorance of Times; or if there be any other of this kind: My thoughts and words shall be spent upon the present, and latest Age. All the world knows, how that pretended Chair of of Peter tottered, and cracked, some threescore years ago, threatening a speedy ruin to her fearful usurper: How is it that still it stands, and seems now to boast of some settledness? Certainly, if Hell had not contrived a new support, the Angel had long since said, It is fallen, it is fallen; and the Merchants, Alas, alas, the great City. The brood of that lame Loyola shall have this miserable honour, without our envy; that if they had not been, Rome had not been. By what means, it rests now to inquire. It is not so much their zeal for falsehood; which yet we acknowledge, and admire not. If Satan were not more busy than they, we had lost nothing. Their desperate attempts, bold intrusions, importunate solicitations, have not returned empty; yet their policy hath done more than their force. That Popish world was then foul, and debauched, as in doctrine, so in life; and now began to be ashamed of itself; When these holy Fathers, as some Saints dropped out of heaven, suddenly professed an unusual strictness, sad piety, resolved mortification; and so drew the eyes and hearts of men after them, that poor souls began to think, it could not be other then divine, which they taught; other then holy, which they touched. The very times (not seldom) give as great advantage, as our own best strength: and the vices of others give glory to those which either are, or appear virtuous. They saw how ready the world was to bite at the bait; and now followed their success, with new helps. Plenty of pretended miracles must bless, on all sides, the endeavours of this new Sect; and calls for both approbation, and wonder. Those things by the report of their own pens (other witnesses I s●e none) have been done by the ten Patriarches of the jesuitish Religion, both alive and dead, which can hardly be matched of him, whose name they have usurped. And now the vulgar can say, If these men were not of God, they could do nothing: How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? not distrusting either the fame, or the work; but applauding the Authors, for what was said to be done. But now lest the envy of the fact should surpass the wonder, they have learned to cast this glory upon their wooden Ladies, and to communicate the gain unto the whole Religion: Two blocks at Hale and Scherpen hewell, have said and done more for Popery, than all Friars, ever since Francis wore his breeches on his head. But because that praise is sweet, which arises from the disgrace of a rival; therefore this holy society hath, beside, ever wont to honour itself by the brokage of shameless untruths against the adverse part; not caring how probable any report is, but how odious. A just volume would not contain those willing lies, wherewith they have purposely loaded religion, and us; that the multitude might first hate us, and then inquire: and these courses are held not tolerable, but meritorious. So the end may be attained, all means are just; all ways strait. Whom we may, we satisfy: but wounds once given are hardly healed without some scars: and commonly accusations are vocal, Apologies dumb. How easy is it to make any cause good, if we may take liberty of tongue and conscience? Yet lest some glimpse of our truth and innocence should perhaps lighten the eyes of some more inquisitive Reader, they have by strict prohibitions, whether of books, or conference, restrained all possibility of true informations: Yea their own writings, wherein our opinions are reported with confutation, are not allowed to the common view; lest if it should appear what we hold, our mere opinion should prevail more than their subtlest answer. But above all, the restraint of God's book hath gained them most: If that might be in the hands of men, their religion could not be in their hearts; now, the concealment of Scriptures breeds ignorance, and ignorance superstition. But because forbiddance doth but whet desire, and work a conceit of some secret excellence in things denied; therefore have they devised to affright this dangerous curiosity, with that cruel, butcherly, hellish inquisition; wherein yet there is not less craft than violence. For since they have perceived the blood of Martyrs to be but the seed of the Church, and that these perfumes are more dispersed with beating; they have now learned to murder without noise, and to bring forth (if at least they list sometimes to make the people privy to some examples of terror) not men, but carcases. Behold, the constant confessions of the dying Saints have made them weary of public executions: none but bare walls shall now testify the courage and faith of our happy Martyrs. A disguised corpse is only brought forth to the multitude, either for laughter, or fear. Yet because the very dead speak, for truth in a loud silence, these spectacles are rate; and the graves of heretics are become as close as their death. Yet lest (since neither living mouths, nor faithful pens may be suffered to insinuate any truth) those speeches should perhaps be received from the Ancients, which in us were heretical; the monuments of unpartial antiquity must be depraved; all witnesses that might speak against them must be corrupted, with a fraudulent violence; and some of them purged to the death. So whiles ours are debarred, and the Ancients altered, posterity shall acknowledge no adversary. What should I speak of those plausible devices, which they have invented, to make superstitious and foolish Proselytes? Their proud vaunts of antiquity, universality, succession, and the name of their forefathers, do not only persuade, but amaze and besot an ignorant heart. The glorious shows of their processions, the gaudy ornaments of their Altars, the pomp and magnificence of the places, and manner of their Services, the triumphs of their great Festivals, are enough to bewitch any childish, simple, or vain beholders. Who knows not that nature is most led by sense? Sure, children and fools (such are all mere natural men) cannot be of any other Religion. Besides all these, their personal undertake, what for cunning, what for boldness, could promise nothing but success. They can transform themselves into all shapes, and in these false forms thrust themselves into all Courts, and companies; not oftener changing their habit, than their name. They can take the best opportunities to work upon those which are either most unable to resist, or most like to bestead them. That I may not speak of the wrongs of unseasonable travel; wherein many unsettled heads have met dangers, and solicited errors, who like fond and idle Dinahs, going abroad to gaze, have been ravished ere their return. Never was any bird so laid for by the nets and calls of the fowler, as the great heir of some noble family, or some fiery wit, is by these impostors. They know that greatness is both lawless, and commanding; if not by precept, yet by example: their very silence is perswasorie, and imperious. But alas for that other sex: Still the Devil gins with Eve; still his assault is strongest, where is weakest resistance. Simon Magus had his Helena, Nicolas the Deacon had his choros foemineos, (as Hierome calls them) Martion had his Factoress at Rome; Appelles his Philumena, Montanus his Prisca and Maximilla; Arrius his Constantines-sister, Donatus his Lucilla, Elpidius his Agape, Priscillianus his Galla: and our jesuites have their painted Ladies (not dead, but living) both for objects and instruments. When they saw they could not blow up religion with French powder into heaven, they now try by this Moabitish plot to sink it down to Hell. Those women, which are laden with sins, and diverse lusts, must now be the stales of their spiritual fornications: But for that these enterprises want not danger, that both parts may securely succeed, behold public liberty of dispensations, whether for dissembled religion, or not unprofitable filthiness. These means are (like the Authors) dishonest, and godless. Add (if you please) hereto, those which pretend more innocent policy: their common dependences upon one Commander, their intelligences given, their charges received, their rewards and honours (perhaps of the Calendar, perhaps of a red Hat) duly conferred. Neither may the least help be ascribed to the conference of studies; (the conjoined labours of whole Societies directed to one end, and shrouded under the title of one Author) to large maintenances, raised from the deathbeds of some guilty benefactors: from whence flow both infinite numbers, and incomparable helps, of Students. Under which head, for the time past, not a few are moved by the remembrance of the bounteous hospitality of the religious; who having engrossed the world to themselves, seemed liberal in giving some thing; like unto some vainglorious thiefs, which having rob wealthy Merchants, bestow some pence upon beggars. Further, the smothering, if not composing of their frequent strifes, and confining of brawls within their own thresholds; with the nice menaging of their known oppositions, hath won many ignorant friends. Lastly, the excellent correspondence of their doctrines unto nature, hath been their best solicitor. We have examined particulars in a former Epistle: wherein we have made it evident, that Popery affects nothing but to make Nature either proud, or wanton: it offers difficulties, but carnal; and such as the greatest lover of himself would easily embrace for an advantage. That we may therefore sum up all; I need not accuse our carelessness, indifferency, idleness, lose carriage; in all which, would God we had not aided them, and wronged ourselves; nor yet their zeal and forwardness, worse means are guilty of their gain. In short, the fair outside which they set upon Religion, which sure is the best they have, if not all; their pretended miracles, wilful untruths, straight prohibitions, bloody and secret inquisitions, depravations of ancient witnesses, expurgation of their own, gay and garish sights, glorious titles, crafty changes of names, shapes, habits, conditions; insinuations to the great, oppugnation of the weaker sex; falsehood of answers, and oaths, dispensations for sins, uniting of forces, concealing of differences, largeness of contributions, multitude of actors, and means, accordances to men's natural dispositions: Where we on the contrary care not to seem but to be, disclaim miracles, dare not save the life of Religion with a lie; give free scope to all pens, to all tongues, to all eyes: shed no blood for Religion: suffer all Writers to speak like themselves; show nothing but poor simplicity in our devotions; go ever, and look, as we are; reach the truth rightdowne in an honest plainness, take no vantage of imbecility; swear true, though we die; give no hope of indulgence for evil; study each retired to himself, and the Muses; publish our quarrels, and aggravate them; anger nature, and conquer it. Such gain shall be gravel in their throats: such losses to us (in our not daring to sin) shall be happy and victorious; in all other regards are both blame-worthy, and recoverable. What dulness is this? Have we such a King, as in these lists of Controversy, may dare to grapple with that great infallible Vicar, for his triple Crown; such Bishops as may justly challenge the whole Consistory of Rome; so many learned Doctors, and Divines, as no Nation under heaven, more; so flourishing Universities, as Christendom hath none; such blessed opportunities, such encouragements; and now when we want nothing else, shall we be wanting to ourselves? Yea above all these, the God of heaven favours us; and do we languish? The cause is his, and in spite of the gates of hell shall succeed, though we were not: our neglect may slacken the pace of truth, cannot stay the passage. Why are we not as busy, as subtle, more resolute? Such spirits, and such hands as yours (Reverend Lord) must put life into the cold breasts of this frozen generation, and raise them up to such thoughts and endeavours, as may make the emulation of our adversary's equal to their enmity. To my Lord Bishop of WORCESTER. EP. II. Showing the differences of the present Church from the Apostolical; and needlessness of our conformity thereto in all things. I Fear not to say, those men are but superstitiously curious (Right Reverend, and Honourable) which would call back all circumstances to their first patterns. The Spouse of Christ hath been ever clothed with her own rites: and as apparel, so Religion hath her fashions, variable according to ages and places. To reduce us to the same observations which were in Apostolical use, were no better then to tie us to the sandals of the Disciples, or seamlesse coat of our Saviour. In these cases, they did what we need not; and we may, what they did not: God meant us no bondage in their example: their Canons bind us, whether for manners, or doctrine, not their Ceremonies. Neither Christ, nor his Apostles, did all things for imitation: I speak not of miraculous acts. We need not be silent before a judge, as Christ was; we need not take a towel, and gird ourselves, and wash our servant's feet, as Christ did; we need not make tents for our living, as Paul; nor go armed, as Peter; nor carry about our wives, as he, and the other Apostles. I acknowledge the ground not only of separation, but Anabaptism, and wonder that these conceits do not answer themselves. Who can choose but see a manifest difference betwixt those laws, which Christ and his great Ambassadors made for eternal use, and those ritual matters, which were confined to place and time? Every Nation, every person sins that observes not those; These for the most part, are not kept of the most; and are as well left without sin by us, as used without prescription or necessity by the Authors. Some of them we cannot do: others we need not: which of us can cast out devils by command? Who can cure the sick by ointment, and imposition of hands? The Disciples did it. All those Acts which proceeded from supernatural privilege, ceased with their cause: who now dare undertake to continue them? Unless perhaps some bold Papists, who have brought in gross magic in stead of miraculous authority; and daub very carcases in stead of healing diseases. There be more yet which we need not do. What need we to choose Ministers by lot? What need we to disclaim all peculiarity in goods? What need we to christian in rivers; or to meet upon their banks? What need we to receive God's Supper after our own? What to lean in each others bosom while we receive it? what to abhor leaven in that holy Bread? what to celebrate love-feasts upon the receipt? what to abstain from all strangled and blood? what to depend upon a maintenance arbitrary, and uncertain? what to spend our days in a perpetual pererration, as not only the Apostles, but the Prophets and Evangelists some ages after Christ? whosoever would impose all these on us, he should surely make us, not the sons, but the slaves of the Apostles. God's Church never herself in such servile terms; yea Christ himself gave at first some precepts of this nature, which he reversed ere long: when he sent the Disciples to preach, he charges: Take not gold, nor silver, nor money in your girdles; afterwards judas carried the bag. He charges, not to take so much as a staff; yet after behold two swords: should the Disciples have held their Master to his own rule? Is it necessary that what he once commanded, should be observed always? The very next Age to these Christian Patriarches, neither would nor durst have so much varied her rites, or augmented them; if it had found itself tied either to number, or kind: As yet it was pure, chaste, and (which was ground of all) persecuted. The Church of Rome distributed the sacramental Bread: the Church of Alexandria permitted the people to take it: the Churches of Africa and Rome, mixed their holy wine with water; other colder Regions drank it pure. Some kneeled in their prayers, others fell prostrate; and some lifted up eyes, hands, feet towards heaven: some kept their Easter according to the jewish use, the fourteenth of March; the French (as Nicephorus) the eight of the Calends of April, in a set solemnity: the Church of Rome the Sunday after the fourteenth Moon; which yet (as Socrates truly writes) was never restrained by any Gospel, by any Apostle. That Romish Victor overcame the other world in this point, with too much rigour; whose censure therefore of the Asian Churches was justly censured by Irenaeus. What should I speak of their difference of fasts? there can scarce be more variety in days, or meats. It hath ever been thus seen, according to our Anselmes rule, that the multitude of different ceremonies in all Churches, hath justly commended their unity in faith. The French Divines preach covered (upon the same rule which required the Corinthians to be uncovered) we bore: The Dutch sit at the Sacrament, we kneel; Geneva useth wafers, we leavened bread; they common vestures in Divine service, we peculiar: each is free: no one doth either blame, or overrule others. I cannot but commend those very Novatian Bishops (though it is a wonder any precedent of peace should fall from Schismatics) who meeting in Council together, enacted that Canon of indifferency, when the Church was distracted with the differences of her Paschal solemnities; concluding, how insufficient this cause was to disquiet the Church of Christ. Their own issue (our Separatists) will needs be unlike them in good; and strive to a further distance from peace: whiles in a conceit not less idle, then scrupulous, they press us to an uniform conformity in our fashions to the Apostles. Their own practice condemns them: They call for some, and yet keep not all: yet the same reason enforces all, that pleads for some: and that which warrants the forbearance of some, holds for all. Those tools which serve for the foundation are not of use for the roof. Yea the great masterbuilder chose those workmen for the first stones, which he meant not to employ in the walls. Do we not see all Christ's first agents extraordinary; Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Prophetesses? See we not fiery and cloven tongues descending? What Church ever since boasted of such founders, of such means? Why would God begin with those which he meant not to continue; but to show us we may not always look for one face of things? The nurse feeds and tends her child at first; afterward he is undertaken by the discipline of a Tutor: must he be always under the spoon, and ferule, because he began so? If he have good breeding, it matters not by whose hands. Who can deny, that we have the substance of all those royal laws, which Christ and his Apostles left to his Church; What do we now thus importunately catching at shadows? If there had been a necessity of having what we want, or wanting what we have, let us not so fare wrong the wisdom and perfection of the Lawgiver, as to think he would not have enjoined that, and forbidden this. His silence in both argues his indifferency, and calls for ours; which while 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 outside of both is made of one clay, and cast in one mould; both are inspired with one common breath: Outward events distinguish them not; those, God never made for evidences of love or hatred. So the senses can perceive no difference betwixt the reasonable soul, and that which informs the beast: yet the soul knows there is much more, then betwixt their bodies. The fame holds in this: Faith sees more inward difference, than the eye sees outward resemblance. This point is not more high than material: which that it may appear, let me show what it is to be a Christian: You that have felt it, can second me with your experience; and supply the defects of my discourse. He is the living temple of the living 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 up. Both his heart and his hands are clean: All his outward purity flows from within; neither doth he frame his soul to counterfeit good actions; but out of his holy disposition commands and produces them, in the light of God. Let us begin with his beginning, and fetch the Christian out of his nature, as another Abraham from his Chaldea; whiles the worldling life's and dies, in nature, out of God. The true convert therefore, after his wild and ●ecure courses, puts himself (through the motions of God's Spirit) to school unto the Law; there he learns what he should have done, what he could not do, what he hath done, what he hath deserved. These lessons cost him many a stripe, & many a tear, and not more grief than terror: for this sharp master makes him feel what sin is, and what hell is, and in regard of both, what himself is. When he hath well smarted under the whip of this severe usher, and is made vile enough in himself, then is he led up into the higher school of Christ, and there taught the comfortable lessons of grace; there he learns what belongs to a Saviour, what one he is, what he hath done, and for whom, how he became ours, we his: and now finding himself in a true state of danger, of humility, of need, of desire, of fitness for Christ, he brings home to himself all that he learns, and what he knows, he applies. His former Tutor he feared, this he loveth; that shown him his wounds, yea made them; this binds and heals them: that killed him; this shows him life, and leads him to it. Now at once he hates himself, defies Satan, trusts to Christ, makes account both of pardon & glory. This is his most precious Faith, whereby he appropriates, yea ingrosses Christ jesus to himself: whence he is justified from his sins, purified from his corruptions, established in his resolutions, comforted in his doubts, defended against temptations, overcomes all his enemies. Which virtue, as it is most employed, and most opposed, so caries the most care from the Christian heart, that it be sound, lively, growing: sound, not rotten, not hollow, not presumptuous: sound in the act; not a superficial conceit, but a true, deep, and sensible apprehension; an apprehension, not of the brain, but of the heart; and of the heart not approving, or assenting, but trusting and reposing. Sound in the object, none but Christ: he knows, that no friendship in heaven can do him good, without this? The Angels cannot: God will not: Ye believe in the Father, believe also in me. Lively; for it cannot give life, unless it have life; the faith that is not fruitful, is dead: the fruits of faith are good works; whether inward, within the roof of the heart, as love, awe, sorrow, piety, zeal, joy, and the rest; or outward towards God, or our brethren: obedience and service to the one; to the other relief and beneficence: These he bears in his time; sometimes all, but always some. Growing: true faith cannot stand still; but as it is fruitful in works, so it increaseth in degrees; from a little seed it proves a large plant, reaching from earth to heaven, and from one heaven to another: every shower and every Sun adds something to it. Neither is this grace ever solitary, but always attended royally: for that he believes what a Saviour he hath, cannot but love him; and he that love's him, cannot but hate whatsoever may displease him; cannot but rejoice in him, and hope to enjoy him, and desire to enjoy his hope, and contemn all those vanities which he once desired and enjoyed. His mind now scorneth to grovel upon earth, but soareth up to the things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; and after it hath seen what is done in heaven looks strangely upon all worldly things. He dare trust his faith above his reason, and sense: and hath learned to wean his appetite from craving much. He stands in awe of his own conscience, and dare no more offend it, than not displease himself. He fears not his enemies, yet neglects them not; equally avoiding security, and timorousness. He sees him that is invisible; and walks with him awfully, familiarly. He knows what he is borne to, and therefore digests the miseries of his wardship, with patience: he finds more comfort in his afflictions, than any worldling in pleasures. And as he hath these graces to comfort him within, so hath he the Angels to attend him without; spirits better than his own; more powerful, more glorious: These bear him in their arms, wake by his bed, keep his soul while he hath it, and receive it when it leaves him. These are some present differences: the greatest are future; which could not be so great, if themselves were not witnesses; no less than betwixt heaven and hell, torment and glory, an incorruptible crown, and fire unquenchable. Whether Infidels believe these things or no, we know them: so shall they, but too late. What remains but that we applaud ourselves in this happiness, and walk on cheerily in this heavenly profession? acknowledging that God could not do more for us; and that we cannot do enough for him. Let others boast (as your Ladyship might with others) of ancient and Noble Houses, large patrimonies, or dowries, honourable commands; others of famous names, high and envied honours, or the favours of the greatest; others of valour or beauty, or some perhaps of eminent learning and wit; it shall be our pride that we are Christians. To my Lady HONORIA HAY. EP. IU. Discoursing of the necessity of Baptism; and the estate of those which necessarily want it. MADAM: MEthinks children are like teeth, troublesome both in the breeding, and losing, and oftentimes painful while they stand: yet such, as we neither would; nor can well be without. I go not about to comfort you thus late, for your loss: I rather congratulate your wise moderation, and Christian care of these first spiritual privileges; desiring only to satisfy you in what you heard as a witness; not in what you needed as a mother. Children are the blessings of Parents, and Baptism is the blessing of children, and parents: wherein there is not only use, but necessity; necessity, not in respect so much of the end, as of the precept: God hath enjoined it, to the comfort of parents, and behoof of children: which therefore, as it may not be superstitiously hastened, so not negligently deferred. That the contempt of baptism damneth, is past all doubt; but that the constrained absence thereof, should send infants to hell, is a cruel rashness. It is not their sin to die early: death is a punishment, not an offence; an effect of sin, not a cause of torment; they want nothing but time; which they could not command. Because they could not live a while longer, that therefore they should die everlastingly, is the hard sentence of a bloody religion. I am only sorry, that so harsh an opinion should be graced with the name of a Father, so reverend, so divine: whose sentence yet let no man plead by halves. He who held it impossible for a child to be saved unless the baptismal water were poured on his face, held it also as impossible, for the same Infant, unless the sacramental bread were received into his mouth. There is the same ground for both, the same error in both, a weakness fit for forgetfulness; see yet how ignorant, or ill-meaning posterity, could single out one half of the opinion for truth, and condemn the other of falsehood. In spite of whom, one part shall easily convince the other; yea, without all force: since both cannot stand, both will fall together, for company. The same mouth, which said, Unless ye be borne again of water, and the Holy Ghost, said also, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood: an equal necessity of both. And lest any should plead different interpretations, the same S. Austin avers this later opinion also, concerning the necessary communicating of children, to have been once the common judgement of the Church of Rome: A sentence so displeasing, that you shall find the memory of it noted with a black coal, and wiped out in that infamous bill of Expurgations. Had the ancient Church held this desperate sequel, what strange, and yet wilful cruelty had it been in them, to defer baptism a whole year long: till Easter, or that Sunday, which hath his name (I think) from the white robes of the baptised? Yea what an adventure was it in some, to adjourn it till their age (with Constantine) if being unsure of their life, they had been sure the prevention of death would have inferred damnation? Look unto that legal Sacrament of circumcision, which (contrary to the fancies of our Anabaptists) directly answers this Evangelicall. Before the eight day, they could not be circumcised: before the eight day they might die. If dying the seventh day, they were necessarily condemned: either the want of a day is a sin, or God sometimes condemneth not for sin: Neither of them possible, neither according with the justice of the Lawgiver. Or if from this parallel, you please to look either to reason or example, the case is clear. Reason; no man that hath faith, can be condemned, for Christ dwells in our hearts by faith: and he in whom Christ dwells, cannot be a reprobate. Now it is possible a man may have a saving faith, before baptism: Abraham first believed to justification: then after received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of that faith, which he had when he was uncircumcised: Therefore some dying before their baptism, may, yea must be saved. Neither was Abraham's case singular; he was the Father of all them also, which believe, not being circumcised: these, as they are his Sons in faith, so in righteousness, so in salvation: uncircumcision cannot hinder, where faith admitteth; These following his steps of belief before the Sacrament, shall doubtless rest in his bosom, without the Sacrament; without it, as fatally absent, not as willingly neglected. It is not the water, but the faith: not the putting away the filth of the flesh (saith S. Peter) but the stipulation of a good conscience; for who takes Baptism without a full faith (saith Hierom) takes the water, takes not the spirit; Whence is this so great virtue of the water, that it should touch the body, and cleanse the heart (saith Austin) unless by the power of the word; not spoken, but believed? Thou seest water (saith Ambrose:) every water heals not, that water only heals which hath the grace of God annexed; And if there be any grace in the water (saith Basil) it is not of the nature of the water, but of the presence of the Spirit. Baptism is indeed, as Saint Ambrose styles it, the pawn and image of our resurrection; yea (as Basil) the power of God to resurrection: but (as Ignatius expounds this phrase aright) believing in his death, we are by baptism made partakers of his resurrection. Baptism therefore without faith cannot save a man, and by faith doth save him: and faith without baptism (where it cannot be had; not where it may be had, and is contemned) may save him: That spirit which works by means, will not be tied to means. Examples. Cast your eyes upon that good thief; good in his death, though in his life abominable: he was never washed in jordan, yet is received into Paradise; his soul was foul with rapines, and injustice, yea bloody with murders: and yet being scoured only with the blood of his Saviour, not with water of baptism, it is presented glorious to God. I say nothing of the souls of Traian, and Falconella, mere heathens, living and dying without Christ, without baptism: which yet their honest Legend reports to be delivered from hell, transported to heaven, not so much as scorched in Purgatory: The one by the prayers of Gregory, the other of Tecla. What partiality is this, to deny that to the children of Christians, which they grant to known Infidels? The promise is made to us, and our seed: not to those that are without the pale of the Church. Those Innocents' which were massacred for Christ, are by them canonised for Saints, and make one day in their Calendar (each year) both holy, and dismal; whereof yet scarce any lived to know water, none to know baptism. Yea, all Martyrs are here privileged; who are Christened in their own blood, in stead of water: but where hath God said, All that die without baptism, shall die for ever, except Martyrs; why not, except believers? It is faith that gives life to Martyrs; which if they should want, their first death could not avoid the second. Ambrose doubted not to say, his Valentinian was baptised because he desired it; not because he had it: he knew the mind of God; who accounts us to have what we unfeignedly wish. Children cannot live to desire baptism: if their Parents desire it for them, why may not the desire of others be theirs, as well as (according to Augustine's opinion) the faith of others believing, and the mouth of others confessing? In these cases therefore, of any souls but our own, it is safe to suspend, and dangerous to pass judgement. Secret things to God: He that made all souls, knows what to do with them, neither will make us of counsel? But if we define either way, the errors of charity are inoffensive. We must honour good means, and use them, and in their necessary want depend upon him, who can work, beyond, without, against means. Thus have I endeavoured your Ladyship's satisfaction in what you heard, not without some scruple. If any man shall blame my choice in troubling you with a thorny and scholastical discourse, let him know that I have learned this fashion of Saint Hierome the Oracle of Antiquity, who was want to entertain his Paula and Eustochium, Marcelia, Principia Hedibia, and other devout Ladies, with learned canuases of the deep points of Divinity. This is not so perplexed, that it need to offend: nor so unnecessary, that it may be unknown. To Sir RICHARD LEA, since deceased. EP. V. Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions. WISE men seek remedies before their disease: sensible patients, when they begin to complain: fools, too late. Afflictions are the common maladies of Christians: These you feel, and upon the first groans seek for ease. Wherefore serves the tongue of the learned, but to speak words in season? I am a Scholar of those that can comfort you: If you shall, with me, take out my lessons, neither of us shall repent it. You smart and complain: take heed lest too much. There is no affliction not grievous: the bone that was disjointed, cannot be set right without pain. No potion can cure us, if it work not: it works not, except it make us sick: we are contented with that sickness, which is the way to health. There is a vexation without hurt: such is this: We are afflicted, not over-pressed; needy, not desperate; persecuted, not forsaken; cast down, but perish not. How should we, when all the evil in a City comes from the providence of a good God; which can neither be impotent, nor unmerciful? It is the Lord: let him do what he will. Woe were us if evils could come by chance; or were let lose to alight where they list: now they are overruled; we are safe. The destiny of our sorrows is written in heaven by a wise and eternal decree: Behold, he that hath ordained, moderates them. A faithful God, that gives an issue with the tentation: An issue, both of their end, and their success. He chides not always, much less striketh. Our light afflictions are but for a moment; not so long, in respect of our vacancy, and rest. If we weep sometimes, our tears are precious; As they shall never be dry in his bottle, so they shall soon be dry upon our cheeks. He that wrings them from us, shall wipe them off: how sweetly doth he interchange our sorrows, and joys, that we may neither be vain, nor miserable? It is true; To be strooke, once in anger, is fearful: his displeasure is more than his blow: In both, our God is a consuming fire. Fear not, these stripes are the tokens of his love: he is no Son, that is not beaten; yea till he smart, and cry; if not till he bleed: no Parent corrects another's child; and he is no good Parent that corrects not his own. Oh rod worthy to be kissed, that assures us of his love, of our adoption! What speak I of no hurt? short praises do but discommend; I say more, these evils are good: look to their effects. What is good, if not patience? affliction is the mother of it; tribulation bringeth forth patience. What can earth or heaven yield better than the assurance of God's Spirit: Afflictions argue, yea seal this to us. Wherein stands perfect happiness, if not in our near resemblance of Christ? Why was man created happy, but because in God's image? The glory of Paradise, the beauty of his body, the duty of the creatures, could not give him felicity, without the likeness to his Creator. Behold, what we lost in our height, we recover in our misery; a conformity to the image of the Son of God: he that is not like his elder brother, shall never be coheir with him. Lo, his side, temples, hands, feet, all bleeding: his face blubbered, ghaftly, and spitted on: his skin all pearled with a bloody sweat, his head drooping, his soul heavy to the death: see you the worldling mercy, soft, delicate, perfumed, never wrinkled with sorrow, never humbled with afflictions? What resemblance is here, yea what contrariety? Ease flayeth the fool; it hath made him resty, and leaves him miserable. Be not deceived; No man can follow Christ without his Cross, much less reach him; and if none shall reign with Christ, but those that suffer with him, what shall become of these jolly ones? Go now thou dainty worldling, and please thyself in thy happiness, laugh always, and be ever applauded; It is a woeful felicity that thou shalt find in opposition to thy Redeemer: He hath said, Woe to them that laugh; Believest thou, and dost not weep at thy laughter? and with Solomon, condemn it of madness? And again, with the same breath, Blessed are ye that weep: who can believe this, and not rejoice in his own tears, and not pity the faint smiles of the godless? Why blessed? For ye shall laugh: Behold, we that weep on earth, shall laugh in heaven: we that now weep with men, shall laugh with Angels; while the fleering worldling, shall be gnashing, and howling with Devils: we that weep for a time, shall laugh for ever: who would not be content to defer his joy a little, that it may be perpetual, and infinite? What mad man would purchase this crackling of thorns (such is the worldlings joy) with eternal shrieking and torment? he that is the door and the way, hath taught us, that through many afflictions we must enter into heaven. There is but one passage, and that a straight one: If with much pressure we can get through, and leave but our superfluous rags as torn from us in the crowd, we are happy. He that made heaven, hath on purpose thus framed it; wide when we are entered, and glorious: narrow and hard in the entrance: that after our pain, our glory might be sweeter. And if beforehand you can climb up thither in your thoughts; look about you, you shall see no more Palms, than crosses: you shall see none crowned, but those that have wrestled with crosses and sorrows, to sweat, yea to blood; and have overcome. All runs here to the over comer: and overcoming implies both fight and success. Gird up your loins therefore, and strengthen your weak knees: resolve to fight for heaven, to suffer fight, to persist in suffering; so persisting you shall overcome, and overcoming, you shall be crowned. Oh reward truly great, above desert, yea above conceit! A crown for a few groans: An eternal crown of life and glory, for a short and momentany suffering: How just is Saint Paul's account, that the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be showed unto us? O Lord let me smart that I may reign; uphold thou me in smarting, that thou mayest hold me worthy of reigning. It is no matter how vile I be, so I may be glorious. What say you? would you not be afflicted? Whether had you rather mourn for a while, or for ever? One must be chosen: the election is easy: Whether had you rather rejoice for one fit, or always? You would do both. Pardon me, it is a fond covetousness, and idle singularity to affect it. What? That you alone may far better than all God's Saints? That God should strew Carpets for your nice feet only, to walk into your heaven, and make that way smooth for you, which all Patriarches, Prophets, Evangelists, Confessors, Christ himself, have found rugged and bloody? Away with this self-love; and come down you ambitious sons of Zebedee: and ere you think of sitting near the Throne, be content to be called unto the Cup. Now is your trial: Let your Saviour see how much of his bitter potion you can pledge; then shall you see how much of his glory he can afford you. Be content to drink of his vinegar and gall, and you shall drink new wine with him in his Kingdom. To Mr PETER MOULIN, Preacher of the Church at PARIS. EP. VI Discoursing of the late French occurrents, and what use God expects to be made of them. SInce your travels here with us, we have not forgotten you; but since that, your witty and learned travels in the common affairs of Religion have made your memory both fresh, and blessed. Behold, whiles your hand was happily busy in the defence of our King, the heads and hands of traitors were busy in the massacring of your own. God doth no memorable and public act, which he would not have talked of, read, construed of all the world. How much more of neighbours, whom scarce a sea severeth from each other? how much yet more of brethren, whom neither land, nor sea, can sever? Your dangers, and fears, and griefs have been ours: All the salt water that runs betwixt us, cannot wash off our interest in all your common causes: The deadly blow of that miscreant (whose name is justly sentenced to forgetfulness) pierced even our sides. Who hath not bled within himself, to think that he, which had so victoriously out lived the swords of enemies, should fall by the knife of a villain? and that he should die in the peaceable streets, whom no fields could kill? that all those honourable and happy triumphs should end in so base a violence? But oh our idleness and impiety, if we see not a divine hand from above, striking with this hand of disloyalty. Sparrows fall not to the ground without him, much less Kings. One dies by a tyle-sheard, another by the splinters of a Lance, one by Lice, another by a Fly, one by poison, another by a knife; What are all these but the executioners of that great God, which hath said, Ye are Gods, but ye shall die like men? Perhaps God saw (that we may guess modestly at the reasons of his acts) you reposed too much, in this arm of flesh; or perhaps he saw this scourge would have been too early, to those enemies, whose sin, though great, yet was not full: or perhaps he saw, that if that great spirit had been deliberately yielded in his bed, you should not have slept in yours: Or perhaps the ancient connivance at those streams of blood, from your too common Duels was now called to reckoning; or, it may be, that weak revolt from the truth. He whose the rod was, knows why he strooke: yet may it not pass without a note, that he fell by that religion, to which he fell. How many Ages might that great Monarch have lived (whatsoever the ripe head of your more than mellow Cotton could imagine) ere his least finger should have bled, by the hand of an Huguenot? All religions may have some monsters: but blessed be the God of heaven, ours shall never yield that good jesuite, either a Mariana to teach treason, or a Ravillac to act it. But what is that we hear? It is no marvel: That holy society is a fit Guardian for the hearts of Kings: I dare say, none more love's to see them: none takes more care to purchase them. How happy were that Chapel (think they) if it were full of such shrines? I hope all Christian Princes have long, and well learned (so great is the courtesy of these good Fathers) that they shall never (by their wills) need be troubled with the charge of their own hearts. An heart of a King in a jesuites hand, is as proper, as a wafer in a Priests. justly was it written of old, under the picture of Ignatius Loyola, Cavete vobis Principes; Be wise O ye Princes, and learn to be the keepers of your own hearts. Yea rather, O thou keeper of Israel, that neither slumberest nor sleepest, keep thou the hearts of all Christian Kings, whether alive or dead, from the keeping of this traitorous generation; whose very religion is holy rebellion, and whose merits bloody. Doubtless, that murderer hoped to have stabbed thousands with that blow, and to have let out the life of religion, at the side of her collapsed Patron: God did at once laugh and frown at his project; and suffered him to live to see himself no less a fool then a villain. O the infinite goodness of the wise and holy governor of the world! Who could have looked for such a calm in the midst of a tempest? who would have thought that violence could beget peace? Who durst have conceived that King Henry should die alone? and that Religion should lose nothing but his person? This is the Lords doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. You have now paralleled us: Out of both our fears God hath fetched security: Oh that out of our security, we could as easily fetch fear: not so much of evil, as of the Author of good; and yet trust him in our fear, and in both magnify him. Yea, you have by this act gained some converts, against the hope of the agents: neither can I without many joyful congratulations, think of the estate of your Church; which every day honours with the access of new clients; whose tears and sad confessions make the Angels to rejoice in heaven, and the Saints on earth. We should give you example, if our peace were as plentiful of goodness as of pleasure. But how seldom hath the Church gained by ease? or lost by restraint? Bless you God for our prosperity; and we shall praise him for your progress. To M. THOMAS SUTTON. EP. VII. Exciting him, and (in him) all others, to early and cheerful beneficence: showing the necessity and benefit of good works. SIR, I trouble you not with reasons of my writing, or with excuses: if I do ill, no plea can warrant me; if well, I cannot be discouraged with any censures. I crave not your pardon, but your acceptation. It is no presumption to give good counsel; and presents of love fear not to be ill taken of strangers. My pen and your substance are both given us for one end, to do good: These are our talents; how happy are we, if we can improve them well! suffer me to do you good with the one, that with the other you may do good to many, and most to yourself. You cannot but know, that your full hand and worthy purposes, have possessed the world with much expectation: what speak I of the world? whose honest and reasonable claims yet, cannot be contemned with honour, nor disappointed with dishonour. The God of heaven, which hath lent you this abundance, and given you these gracious thoughts of charity, of piety, looks long for the issue of both; and will easily complain either of too little, or too late. Your wealth and your will are both good: but the first is only made good by the second. For if your hand were full, and your heart empty, we who now applaud you, should justly pity you; you might have riches, not goods, not blessings: your burden should be greater than your estate; and you should be richer in sorrows, then in meals. For (if we look to no other world) what gain is it to be the keeper of the best earth? That which is the common coffer of all the rich mines, we do but tread upon; and account it vile, because it doth but hold, and hide those treasures: Whereas the skilful metallist, that findeth, and refineth those precious veins, for public use, is rewarded, is honoured. The very basest Element yields gold; the savage Indian gets it, the servile prentice works it, the very Midianitish Camel may wear it, the miserable worldling admires it, the covetous jew swallows it, the unthrifty Ruffian spends it: what are all these the better for it? Only good use gives praise to earthly possessions. Herein therefore you own more to God, that he hath given you an heart to do good: a will to be as rich in good works, as great in riches. To be a friend to this Mammon, is to be an enemy to God: but to make friends with it, is royal, and Christian. His enemies may be wealthy: none but his friends can either be good, or do good. Dam & accipe saith the Wiseman. The Christian, which must imitate the high pattern of his Creator, knows his best riches to be bounty; God that hath all, gives all; reserves nothing. And for himself; he well considers, that God hath not made him an owner, but a servant: and of servants, a servant not of his goods, but of the Giver; not a Treasurer, but a Steward: whose praise is more To lay out well, then to have received much. The greatest gain therefore that he affects, is an even reckoning, a clear discharge: which since it is obtained by disposing, not by keeping, he counts reservation loss & just expense his trade, and joy; he knows, that Well done faithful servant is a thousand times more sweet a note, than Soul take thine ease; for that is the voice of the matter recompensing, this of the carnal heart presuming: and what follows to the one, but his master's joy? what to the other, but the loss of his soul? Blessed be that God which hath given you an heart to forethink this; and in this dry and dead Age, a will to honour him with his own; and to credit his Gospel, with your beneficence; Lo, we are upbraided with barrenness; your name hath been publicly opposed to these challenges; as in whom it shall be seen, that the truth hath friends that can give. I neither distrust, nor persuade you; whose resolutions are happily fixed on purposes of good: only give me leave to hasten your pace a little, and to excite your Christian forwardness, to begin speedily, what you have long and constantly vowed. You would not but do good; why not now? I speak boldly, The more speed, the more comfort: Neither the times are in our disposing, nor ourselves: if God had set us a day, and made our wealth inseparable, there were no danger in delaying; now our uncertainty either must quicken us, or may deceive us. How many have meant well, and done nothing, and lost their crown with lingering? whose destinies have prevented their desires, and have made their good motions the wards of their executors, not without miserable success: to whom, that they would have done good, is not so great a praise, as it is dishonour that they might have done it: their wracks are our warnings, we are equally mortal, equally fickle. Why have you this respite of living, but to prevent the imperious necessity of death? it is a woeful and remediless complaint, that the end of our days hath overrun the beginning of our good works. Early beneficence hath no danger, many joys: for the conscience of good done, the prayers and blessings of the relieved, the gratulations of the Saints, are as so many perpetual comforters, which can make our life pleasant, and our death happy, our evil days good, and our good better. All these are lost with delay: few and cold are the prayers for him that may give: and in lieu, our good purposes foreslowed are become our tormentors upon our deathbed. Little difference is betwixt good deferred, and evil done: Good was meant; who hindered it, will our conscience say? there was time enough, means enough, need enough, what hindered? Did fear of envy, distrust of want? Alas what bugs are these to fright men from heaven? As if the envy of keeping, were less then of bestowing: As if God were not as good a debtor, as a giver: he that gives to the poor, lends to God, saith wise Solomon. If he freely give us what we may lend, & grace to give; will he not much more pay us what we have lent; and give us because we have given? That is his bounty, this his justice. O happy is that man that may be a creditor to his Maker: Heaven and earth shall be empty before he shall want a royal payment. If we dare not trust God whiles we live, how dare we trust men when we are dead? men that are still deceitful, & light upon the balance, light of truth, heavy of self-love. How many Executors have proved the executioners of honest Wills? how many have our eyes seen, that after most careful choice of trusty guardians, have had their children and goods so disposed, as if the Parent's soul could return to see it, I doubt whether it could be happy. How rare is that man that prefers not himself to his dead friend? profit to truth? that will take no vantage of the impossibility of account? Whatever therefore men either show, or promise, happy is that man that may be his own auditor, supervisor, executor. As you love God and yourself, be not afraid of being happy too soon. I am not worthy to give so bold advice; let the wise man of Syrach speak for me: Do good before thou die, and according to thine ability stretch out thine hands, and give: Defraud not thyself of thy good day; and let not the portion of thy good desires overpass thee: Shalt thou not leave thy travels to another, and thy labours to them that will divide thine heritage? Or let a wiser than he, Solomon: Say not, to morrow I will give, if now thou have it: for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth. It hath been an old rule of liberality, He gives twice that gives quickly; whereas slow benefits argue uncheerfulnesse, and lose their worth. Who lingers his receipts is condemned as unthrifty: he that knoweth both, saith, It is better to give, then to receive. If we be of the same spirit, why are we hasty in the worse, and slack in the better? Suffer not yourself therefore, good Sir, for God's sake, for the Gospel's sake, for the Church's sake, for your soul's sake, to be stirred up by these poor lines, to a resolute and speedy performing of your worthy intentions: and take this as a loving invitation sent from heaven, by an unworthy messenger. You cannot deliberate long of fit objects for your beneficence, except it be more for multitude, than want: the streets, yea the world is full; How doth Lazarus lie at every door? how many sons of the Prophets in their meanly-provided Colleges may say, not, Mors in olla, but fames? how many Churches may justly plead that which our Saviour bade his Disciples, The Lord hath need: And if this infinite store hath made your choice doubtful, how easy were it to show you, wherein you might oblige the whole Church of God to you, and make your memorial both eternal and blessed; or, if you had rather, the whole Commonwealth? But now I find myself too bold and too busy, in thus looking to particularities: God shall direct you; and if you follow him, shall crown you: howsoever, if good be done, and that betimes; he hath what he desired, and your soul shall have more than you can desire. The success of my weak yet hearty counsel, shall make me as rich, as God hath made you with all your abundance. That God bless it to you, and make both our reckon cheerful in the day of our common Audit. To E.B. Dedicated to Sir George Goring. EP. VIII. Remedies against dulness and heartlessness in our callings, and encouragements to cheerfulness in labour. IT falls out not seldom (if we may measure all by one) that the mind overlayed with work, grows dull and heavy: and now doth nothing because it hath done too much; over-lavish expense of spirits hath left it heartless: as the best vessel with much motion and vent, becomes flat, and dreggish. And not fewer (of more weak temper) discourage themselves with the difficulty of what they must do: some Travellers have more shrunk at the Map, then at the way. Betwixt both, how many sit still with their hands folded, and wish they knew how to be rid of time? If this evil be not cured, we become miserable losers, both of good hours, and of good parts. In these mental diseases, Empirics are the best Physicians. I prescribe you nothing but out of feeling: If you will avoid the first, moderate your own vehemency; suffer not yourself to do all you could do: Rise ever from your desk, not without an appetite. The best horse will tire soon, if the reines lie ever lose in his neck: Restraints in these cases are encouragements: obtain therefore of yourself to defer, and take new days. How much better is it to refesh yourself with many competent meals, then to buy one days gluttony, with the fast of many? And if it be hard to call off the mind, in the midst of a fair and likely flight; know that all our ease and safety gins at the command of ourselves; he can never task himself well, that cannot favour himself. Persuade your heart, that perfection comes by leisure; and no excellent thing is done at once: the rising and setting of many Suns (which you think slackens your work) in truth ripens it. That gourd which came up in a night, withered in a day; whereas those plants which abide age, rise slowly. Indeed, where the heart is unwilling, prorogation hinders: what I list not to do this day, I loathe the next; but where is no want of desire, delay doth but sharpen the stomach. That which we do unwillingly leave, we long to undertake: and the more our affection is, the greater our intention, and the better our performance. To take occasion by the foretop, is no small point of wisdom; but to make time (which is wild and fugitive) tame and pliable to our purposes, is the greatest improvement of a man: All times serve him, which hath the rule of himself. If the second, think seriously of the condition of your being: It is that we were made for; the Bird to fly, and Man to labour. What do we here, if we repine at our work? We had not been, but that we might be still busy; if not in this task we dislike, yet in some other of no less toil: there is no act that hath not his labour, which varies in measure, according to the will of the doer. This which you complain of, hath been undertaken by others, not with facility only, but with pleasure; and what you choose for ease, hath been abhorred of others, as tedious. All difficulty is not so much in the work, as in the Agent. To set the mind on the rack of a long meditation (you say) is a torment: to follow the swift foot of your hound all day long, hath no weariness: what would you say of him that finds better game in his study, than you in the field, and would account your disport his punishment? Such there are, though you doubt and wonder. Never think to detract from your business, but add to your wil It is the policy of our great enemy, to drive us with these fears, from that the foresees would grow profitable: like as some in hospital Savages make fearful delusions by sorcerie upon the shore, to fright strangers from landing. Where you find therefore motions of resistance, awaken your courage the more, and know there is some good that appears not; vain endeavours find no opposition. All crosses imply a secret commodity: resolve then to will, because you begin not to will: and either oppose yourself, as Satan opposes you, or else you do nothing. We pay no price to God for any good thing, but labour; if we higgle in that, we are worthy to lose our bargain. It is an invaluable gain, that we may make in this traffic: for God is bountiful, as well as just; and when he sees true endeavour, doth not only sell, but give: whereas idleness neither gets nor saves; nothing is either more fruitless of good, or more fruitful of evil; for we do ill whiles we do nothing, and lose whiles we gain not. The sluggard is senseless; and so much more desperate, because he cannot complain: but (though he feel it not) nothing is more precious than time, or that shall abide a reckoning more strict and fearful: yea this is the measure of all our actions, which if it were not abused, our accounts could not be but even with God: so God esteems it (what ever our price be) that he plague's the loss of a short time, with a revenge beyond all times. Hours have wings, and every moment fly up to the Author of time, and carry news of our usage: All our prayers cannot entreat one of them either to return, or slacken his pace: the misspence of every minute is a new record against us in heaven. Sure, if we thought thus, we would dismiss them with better reports, and not suffer them either to go away empty, or laden with dangerous intelligence: how happy is it that every hour should convey up, not only the message, but the fruits of good, and stay with the Ancient of days, to speak for us before his glorious Throne? Know this, and I shall take no care for your pains, nor you for pastime. None of our profitable labours shall be transient; but even when we have forgotten them, shall welcome us into joy: we think we have left them behind us; but they are forwarder than our souls, and expect us where we would be. And if there were no crown for these toils, yet without future respects there is a tediousness in doing nothing. To man especially, motion is natural: there is neither mind, nor eye, nor joint which moveth not: and as company makes a way short, hours never go away so merrily, as in the fellowship of work. How did that industrious Heathen draw out water by night, and knowledge by day, and thought both short; ever labouring, only that he might labour? Certainly, if idleness were enacted by authority, there would not want some, which would pay their mulct, that they might work: and those spirits are likest to heaven, which moves always, and the freest from those corruptions, which are incident to nature. The running stream cleanseth itself, whereas standing ponds breed weeds and mud. These meditations must hearten us to that we must do: whiles we are cheerful, our labours shall strive whether to yield us more comfort, or others more profit. To Sir JOHN HARRINGTON. EPIST. IX. Discussing this Question: Whether a man and wife after some years mutual and loving fruition of each other, may upon consent, whether for secular, or religious causes, vow and perform a perpetual separation from each others bed, and absolutely renounce all carnal knowledge of each other for ever. I Wish not myself any other advocate, nor you any other adversary, then S. Paul, who never gave (I speak boldly) a direct precept, if not in this: his express charge whereupon I insisted, is, Defraud not one another, except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and then again come together, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. Every word (if you weigh it well) opposes your part, and pleads for mine. By consent of all Divines, ancient and modern [defrauding] is refraining from matrimonial conversation: see what a word the Spirit of God hath chosen for this abstinence; never but taken in ill part. But there is no fraud inconsent, as chrysostom, Athanasius, Theophylact, expound it: true; therefore S. Paul adds (unless with consent) that I may omit to say, that in saying (unless with consent) he implies, both that there may be a defrauding without it, and with consent a defrauding, but not unlawful: but see what he adds, (for a time) consent cannot make this defrauding lawful, except it be temporary: No defrauding without consent, no consent for a perpetuity. How long then, and wherefore? Not for every cause, not for any length of time, but only for a while, and for devotion (ut vacetis, etc.) Not that you might pray only (as chrysostom notes justly) but that you might (give yourselves to prayer.) In our marriage society (saith he, against that paradox of Hierome) we may pray, and woe to us if we do not; but we cannot (vacare orationi.) But we are bidden to pray continually: Yet not I hope, ever to fast and pray. Mark how the Apostle adds (that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer.) It is solemn exercise, which the Apostle here intends, such as is joined with fasting, and external humiliation; wherein all earthly comforts must be forborn. But what if a man list to task himself continually, and will be always painfully devote? may he then ever abstain? No: Let them meet together again, saith the Apostle; not as a toleration, but as a charge. But what if they both can live safely thus severed? This is more than they can undertake: there is danger, saith our Apostle, in this abstinence (lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency) what can be more plain? Neither may the married refrain this conversation without consent: neither may they without consent refrain it for ever. What can you now urge us with, but the examples, and sentences of some Ancients? Let this stand evicted for the true and necessary sense of the Apostle; and what is this, but to lay men in the balance with God? I see and confess how much some of the Father's admired virginity; so fare, that there wanted not some, which both detested marriage as vicious, and would force a single life upon marriage, as commendable: whose authority should move me, if I saw not some of them opposite to others, and others no less to S. Paul himself. How oft doth S. Austin redouble that rule and importunately urge it to his Ecdicia, in that serious Epistle, that without consent the continence of the married, cannot be warrantable: teaching her (from these words of S. Paul, which he charges her, in the contrary practice, not to have read, heard, or marked) that if her husband should contain, and she would not, he were bound to pay her the debt of marriage benevolence; and that God would impute it to him for continence notwithstanding. Hence is that of chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Cor. 7. that the wife is both the servant and the mistress of her husband; a servant to yield her body, a mistress to have power of his: who also in the same place determines it forbidden fraud, for the husband, or wife, to contain alone: according to that of the Paraphrast; Let either both contain, or neither. Hierome contrarily, defines thus: But if one of the two (saith he) considering the reward of chastity, will contain, he ought not to assent to the other which contains not, etc. because lust ought rather to come to continency, than continency decline to lust: concluding that a brother, or a sister is not subject in such a case; and that God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. A strange gloss to fall from the pen of a father: which yet I durst not say, if it were more boldness for me to descent from him, then for him to descent from all others. He that censures S. Paul to argue grossly to his Galatians, may as well tax him of an unfit direction to his Corinthians: It shall be no presumption to say, that in this point all his writings bewray more zeal than truth: whether the conscience of his former slip caused him to abhor that sex; or his admiration of Virginity transported him to a contempt of marriage. Antiquity will afford you many examples of holy men voluntarily sequestered from their wives: Precepts must be our guides, and not patterns. You may tell me of Sozomens Ammon, that famous Monk, who having persuaded his bride the first day to continuance of Virginity, lived with her 18 years in a several bed, and in a several habitation, upon the mountain Nitria, 22 years: you may tell me of Ieromes Malchus, Austrins Edicia, and ten thousand others: I care not for their number, and suspect their example: Do but reconcile their practice with S. Paul's rule, I shall both magnify and imitate them. I profess before God and men, nothing should hinder me but this law of the Apostle: whereto consider I beseech you, what can be more opposite than this opinion, than this course of life. The Apostle says, Refrain not but with consent for a time: your words, and their practice saith, Refrain with consent for ever: he saith (meet together again) you say, never more: he saith (meet lest you be tempted) you say, meet not though you be tempted. I willingly grant with Athanasius, that for some set time, especially (as Anselme interprets it) for some holy time, we may, (and in this latter case) we must forbear all matrimonial acts, and thoughts: not for that they are sinful, but unseasonable. As marriage must be always used chastely, and moderately: so sometimes it must be forgotten. How many are drunk with their own vines, and surfeit of their own fruits: either immodesty, or immoderation in man or wife, is adulterous. If yet I shall further yield, that they may conditionally agree, to refrain from each other, so long till they be perplexed with temptations, on either part: I shall go as fare as the reach of my warrant, at least; perhaps beyond it: since the Apostle chargeth, Meet again lest you be tempted; not, meet when you are tempted: But to say, absolutely, and for ever renounce (by consent) the conversation of each other, what temptation so ever assault you, is directly, not beyond, but against Paul's divinity, no less than my assertion is against yours. The ground of all these errors in this head of Matrimony, is an unworthy conceit of some filthiness in the marriage-bed: Every man will not utter, but too many hold that conclusion of Hierome: It is good for a man not to touch a woman, therefore to touch her, is evil; whom I doubt not, but S. Austin meant to oppose, while he writes, Bonum inquam sunt nuptiae, & contra omnes calumnias possunt sana ratione defendi: De bono coniug. cap. 16. Marriage (I say) is a good thing, and may by found proof be defended, against all slanders: well may man say, that it is good, which God saith is honourable; and both good and honourable must that needs be, which was instituted by the honourable author of goodness, in the state of man's perfect goodness: Let us take heed of casting shame upon the ordinance of our Maker. But there was no carnal knowledge in Paradise. But again, in Paradise God said, Increase and multiply: there should have been, if there were not. Those that were naked without shame should have been conjoined without shame, De bono coniug. cap. 9 etc. 16. because without sin. Meats and drinks, and acts of marriage (saith Austin) for these he compares both in lawfulness, and necessity) are, as they are used, either lawful, venial, or damnable. Meats are for the preservation of man: marriage acts for the preservation of mankind: neither of them without some carnal delight: which yet, if by the bridle of temperance is be held to the proper and natural use, cannot be termed lust. There is no ordinance of God, which either is of more excellent use, or hath suffered more abuse in all times: the fault is in men, not in marriage: let them rectify themselves, their bed shall be blessed. Here need no separation from each other, but rather a separation of brutishness, and close corruption from the soul; which whosoever hath learned to remove, shall find the crown of matrimonial chastity, no less glorious than that of single continence. To M. WILLIAM KNIGHT. EP. X. Encouraging him to persist in the holy calling of the ministry; which upon conceit of his insufficiency, and want of affection, he seemed inclining to forsake and change. I Am not more glad to hear from you, then sorry to hear of your discontentment: whereof, as the cause is from yourself, so must the remedy. We Scholars are the aptest of all others to make ourselves miserable: you might be your own best counsellor, were you but indifferent to yourself. If I could but cure your prejudice, your thoughts would heal you: and indeed the same hand that wounded you, were fittest for this service. I need not tell you, that your calling is honourable: if you did not think for you had not complained. It is your unworthiness that troubles you. Let me boldly tell you, I know you in this case better than yourself: you are never the more unsufficient, because you think so: if we will be rigorous, Paul's question (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) will oppose us all: but according to the gracious indulgence of him that calls things which are not as if they were, we are that we are, yea, that we ought; and must be thankful for our any thing. There are none more fearful than the able, none more bold than the unworthy. How many have you seen and heard, of weaker graces (your own heart shall be the judge) which have sat without paleness, or trembling, in that holy chair, and spoken as if the words had been their own; satisfying themselves, if not the hearers? And do you (whose gifts many have envied) stand quaking upon the lowest stair? Hath God given you that unusual variety of tongues, still of Arts, a style worth emulation, and (which is worth all) a faithful and honest heart; and do you now shrink back, and say, Send him by whom thou shouldst send? Give God but what you have; he expects no more: This is enough to honour him, and crown you. Take heed while you complain of want, lest pride shroud itself under the skirts of modesty: How many are thankful for less? You have more than the most; yet this contents you not; it is nothing unless you may equal the best, if not exceed; yea, I fear how this may satisfy you, unless you may think yourself such as you would be. What is this but to grudge at the bestower of graces? I tell you without flattery, God hath great gains by fewer talents: set your heart to employ these, and your advantage shall be more than your masters. Neither do now repent you of the unadvisedness of your entrance; God called you to it upon an eternal deliberation, & meant to make use of your suddenness, as a means to fetch you into his work, whom more leisure would have found refractory: Full little did the one Saul think of a kingdom, when he went to seek his father's strays in the land of Shalishah; or the other Saul of an Apostleship, when he went with his Commission to Damascus: God thought of both; and effected what they meant not. Thus hath he done to you: acknowledge this hand, and follow it. He found and gave both faculty and opportunity to enter: find you but a will to proceed, I dare promise you abundance of comfort. How many of the Ancients, after a forceable ordination, became not profitable only, but famous in the Church? But, as if you sought shifts to discourage yourself, when you see you cannot maintain this hold of insufficiency, you fly to alienation of affection; in the truth whereof, none can control you but your own heart; in the justice of it, we both may, and must. This plea is not for Christians; we must affect what we ought, in spite of ourselves: wherefore serves religion, if not to make us Lords of our own affections? If we must be ruled by our slaves, what good should we do? Can you more dislike your station, than we all naturally distaste goodness? Shall we neglect the pursuit of virtue; because it pleases not; or rather displease, and neglect ourselves, till it may please us? Let me not ask whether your affections be estranged, but wherefore? Divinity is a mistress worthy your service: All other Arts are but drudges to her alone: Fools may contemn her, who cannot judge of true intellectual beauty: but if they had our eyes, they could not but be ravished with admiration. You have learned (I hope) to contemn their contempt, and to pity iniurions ignorance. She hath chosen you as a worthy client, yea a favourite; and hath honoured you with her commands, and her acceptations; who but you would plead strangeness of affection? How many thousands sue to her, and cannot be looked upon? You are happy in her favours, and yet complain; yea so fare, as that you have not stuck to think of a change. No word could have fallen from you more unwelcome. This is Satan's policy, to make us out of love with our callings, that our labours may be unprofitable, and our standings tedious. He knows that all changes are fruitless, and that while we affect to be other, we must needs be weary of what we are: That there is no success in any endeavour without pleasure; that there can be no pleasure, where the mind longs after alterations. If you espy not this craft of the common enemy, you are not acquainted with yourself. Under what form soever it come, repel it; and abhor the first motion of it, as you love your peace, as you hope for your reward. It is the misery of the most men, that they cannot see when they are happy; and whiles they see but the outside of others conditions, prefer that which their experience teaches them afterwards to condemn, not without loss and tears. Far be this unstableness from you, which have been so long taught of God. All vocations have their inconueniencies; which if they cannot be avoided, must be digested. The more difficulties, the greater glory: Stand fast therefore, and resolve that this calling is the best, both in itself, and for you: and know that it cannot stand with your Christian courage to run away from these incident evils, but to encounter them. Your hand is at the plough: if you meet with some tough clods, that will not easily yield to the share, lay on more strength rather; seek not remedy in your feet by flight, but in your hands by a constant endeavour. Away with this weak timorousness, and wrongful humility. Be cheerful and courageous in this great work of God; the end shall be glorious, yourself happy, and many in you. EPISTLES. THE sixth DECAD. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE sixth DECAD. To my Lord DENNY. EPIST. I. A particular account how our days are, or should be spent, both common and holy. EVery day is a little life; and our whole life is but a day repeated: whence it is that old jacob numbers his life by days, and Moses desires to be taught this point of holy Arithmetic, To number not his years, but his days: Those therefore that dare lose a day, are dangerously prodigal; those that dare misspend it, desperate We can best teach others by ourselves: let me tell your Lordship, how I would pass my days, whether common or sacred; that you (or whosoever others, over hearing me) may either approve my thriftiness, or correct my errors: To whom is the account of my hours either more due, or more known? All days are his, who gave time a beginning, and continuance; yet some he hath made ours, not to command, but to use. In none may we forget him: in some we must forget all, besides him. First therefore, I desire to awake at those hours, not when I will, but when I must; pleasure is not a fit rule for rest, but health; neither do I consult so much with the Sun, as mine own necessity, whether of body, or in that, of the mind. If this vassal could well serve me waking, it should never sleep: but now, it must be pleased, that it may be serviceable. Now, when sleep is rather driven away, then leaves me; I would ever awake with God; my first thoughts are for him, who hath made the night for rest, and the day for travel: and as he gives, so blesses both. If my heart be early seasoned with his presence, it will savour of him all day after. While my body is dressing, not with an effeminate curiosity, nor yet with rude neglect; my mind addresses itself to her ensuing task; bethinking what is to be done, and in what order; and marshalling (as it may) my hours with my work: That done, after some whiles meditation, I walk up to my masters and companions, my books; and sitting down amongst them, with the best contentment, I dare not reach forth my hand to salute any of them, till I have first looked up to heaven, and craved favour of him to whom all my studies are duly referred: without whom, I can neither profit, nor labour. After this, out of no overgreat variety, I call forth those, which may best fit my occasions; wherein, I am not too scrupulous of age: Sometimes I put myself to school, to one of those Ancients, whom the Church hath honoured with the name of Fathers; whose Volumes, I confess not to open, without a secret reverence of their holiness, and gravity: Sometimes to those later Doctors, which want nothing but age to make them classical: always, to God's Book. That day is lost, whereof some hours are not improved in those Divine Monuments: others I turn over out of choice; these out of duty. Ere I can have sat unto weariness, my family, having now overcome all houshold-distractions, invites me to our common devotions: not without some short preparation. These hearty performed, send me up, with a more strong and cheerful appetite to my former work, which I find made easy to me by intermission, and variety: Now therefore can I deceive the hours with change of pleasures, that is, of labours. One while mine eyes are busied, another while my hand, and sometimes my mind takes the burden from them both: Wherein, I would imitate the skilfullest Cooks, which make the best dishes with manifold mixtures: one hour is spent in textual Divinity, another in Controversy: Histories relieve them both. Now, when the mind is weary of others labours, it gins to undertake her own: sometimes it meditates and winds up for future use; sometimes it lays forth her conceits into present discourse; sometimes for itself, ofter for others. Neither know I whether it works or plays in these thoughts: I am sure no sport hath more pleasure, no work more use: Only the decay of a weak body, makes me think these delights insensibly laborious. Thus could I all day (as Ringers use) make myself Music with changes, and complain sooner of the day for shortness, then of the business for toil; were it not that this faint monitor interrupts me still in the midst of my busy pleasures, and enforces me both to respite and repast: I must yield to both; while my body and mind are joined together in these unequal couples, the better must follow the weaker. Before my meals therefore, and after, I let myself lose from all thoughts; and now, would forget that I ever studied: A full mind takes away the body's appetite, no less than a full body makes a dull and unwieldy mind: Company, discourse, recreations, are now seasonable and welcome; These prepare me for a diet, not gluttonous, but medicinal; The palate may not be pleased, but the stomach; nor that for it own sake: Neither would I think any of these comforts worth respect in themselves, but in their use, in their end; so fare, as they may enable me to better things. If I see any dish to tempt my palate, I fear a Serpent in that Apple, and would please myself in a wilful denial: I rise capable of more, not desirous: not now immediately from my trencher, to my book; but after some intermission. Moderate speed is a sure help to all proceed; where those things which are prosecuted with violence of endeavour, or desire, either succeed not, or continue not. After my later meal, my thoughts are sleight: only my memory may be charged with her task, of recalling what was committed to her custody in the day; and my heart is busy in examining my hands and mouth, and all other senses, of that day's behaviour. And now the evening is come, no Tradesman doth more carefully take-in his wares, clear his shopboard, and shut his Windows, than I would shut up my thoughts, and clear my mind. That Student shall live miserably, which like a Camel lies down under his burden. All this done, calling together my family, we end the day with God. Thus do we rather drive away the time before us, then follow it. I grant, neither is my practice worthy to be exemplary, neither are our callings proportionable. The lives of a Nobleman, of a Courtier, of a Scholar, of a Citizen, of a Countryman, differ no less than their dispositions: yet must all conspire in honest labour. Sweat is the destiny of all trades, whether of the brows, or of the mind. God never allowed any man to do nothing. How miserable is the condition of those men, which spend the time as if it were given them, and not lent: as if hours were waste creatures, and such as should never be accounted for: as if God would take this for a good bill of reckoning; Item, spent upon my pleasures forty years. These men shall once find, that no blood can privilege idleness; and that nothing is more precious to God, then that which they desire to cast away; Time. Such are my common days: but God's day calls for another respect. The same Sun arises on this day, and enlightens it; yet because that Sun of righteousness arose upon it, and gave a new life unto the world in it, and drew the strength of God's moral precept unto it, therefore justly do we sing with the Psalmist; This is the day which the Lord hath made. Now, I forget the world, & in a sort myself; and deal with my wont thoughts, as great men use, who, at some times of their privacy, forbidden the access of all suitors. Prayer, meditation, reading, hearing, preaching, singing, good conference, are the businesses of this day; which I dare not bestow on any work, or pleasure, but heavenly. I hate superstition on the one side, and looseness on the other; but I find it hard to offend in too much devotion, easy in profaneness. The whole week is sanctified by this day: and according to my care of this, is my blessing on the rest. I show your Lordship what I would do, and what I ought: I commit my desires to the imitation of the weak; my actions to the censures of the Wise and Holy; my weaknesses to the pardon and redress of my merciful God. To Mr T. S. Dedicated to Sir Fulke Grevill. EP. II. Discoursing how we may use the world without danger. HOw to live out of the danger of the World, is both a great and good care, and that which troubles too few. Some, that the world may not hurt them, run from it; and banish themselves to the tops of solitary mountains: changing the Cities for Deserts, houses for Caves, and the society of men for beasts; and lest their enemy might insinuate himself into their secrecy, have abridged themselves of diet, clothing, lodging, harbour, fit for reasonable creatures; seeming to have left off themselves, no less than companions. As if the world were not every where; as if we could hide ourselves from the Devil; as if solitariness were privileged from Temptations: as if we did not more violently affect restrained delights; as if these Ieromes did not find Rome in their heart, when they had nothing but rocks and trees in their eye. Hence, these places of retiredness, founded at first upon necessity mixed with devotion, have proved infamously unclean; Cells of lust, not of piety. This course is preposterous; if I were worthy to teach you a better way, learn to be an Hermit at home: Begin with your own heart, estrange and wean it from the love, not from the use of the world: Christianity hath taught us nothing, if we have not learned this distinction; It is a great weakness not to see, but we must be enamoured: Elisha saw the secret state of the Syrian Court, yet as an enemy: The blessed Angels see our earthly affairs, but as strangers: Moses his body was in the Court of Pharaoh, amongst the delicate Egyptians, his heart was suffering with the afflicted Israelites. Lot took part of the fair meadows of Sodom, not of their sins. Our blessed Saviour saw the glory of all Kingdoms, and contemned them: and cannot the world look upon us Christians, but we are bewitched? We see the Sun daily, and warm us at his beams, yet make not an Idol of it; doth any man hide his face, lest he should adore it? All our safety or danger therefore, is from within. In vain is the body an Auachoret, if the heart be a Ruffian: And if that be retired in affections, the body is but a Cipher: Lo than the eyes will look carelessly and strangely on what they see, and the tongue will sometimes answer to that was not asked. We eat and recreate, because we must, not because we would: and when we are pleased, we are suspicious: Lawful delights, we neither refuse nor dote upon, and all contentments go and come like strangers. That all this may be done, take up your heart with better thoughts; be sure it will not be empty: if heaven have forestalled all the rooms, the world is disappointed, and either dares not offer, or is repulsed. Fix yourself upon the glory of that eternity, which abides your after this short pilgrimage. You cannot but contemn what you find, in comparison of what you expect. Leave not till you attain to this, that you are willing to live, because you cannot as yet be dissolved: Be but one half upon earth, let your better part converse above whence it is, and enjoy that whereto it was ordained. Think how little the World can do for you, and what it doth how deceitfully: what stings there are with this Honey, what Farewell succeeds this Welcome. When this jael brings you milk in the one hand, know she hath a nail in the other. Ask your heart what it is the better, what the merrier, for all those pleasures wherewith it hath befriended you: let your own trial teach you contempt; Think how sincere, how glorious those joys are, which abide you elsewhere, and a thousand times more certain (though future) then the present. And let not these thoughts be flying, but fixed: In vain do we meditate, if we resolve not: when your heart is once thus settled, it shall command all things to advantage. The World shall not betray, but serve it; and that shall be fulfilled which God promises by his Solomon; When the ways of a man please the Lord, he will make his enemies also at peace with him. Sir, this advice my poverty afforded long since to a weak friend; I writ it not to you any otherwise, then as Scholars are wont to say their part to their Masters. The world hath long and justly both noted and honoured you for eminence in wisdom and learning, and I above the most; I am ready with the awe of a Learner, to embrace all precepts from you: you shall expect nothing from me, but Testimonies of respect and thankfulness. To Sir GEORGE FLEETWOOD. EP. III. Of the remedies of sin, and motives to avoid it. THere is none, either more common or more troublesome guest, then Sinne. Troublesome, both in the solicitation of it, and in the remorse. Before the act it wearies us with a wicked importunity; after the act, it torments us with fears, and the painful gnawings of an accusing Conscience: Neither is it more irksome to men, then odious to God; who indeed never hated any thing but it; and for it any thing. How happy were we, if we could be rid of it? This must be our desire, but cannot be our hope, so long as we carry this body of sin and death about us: yet (which is our comfort) it shall not carry us, though we carry it: It will dwell with us, but with no command; yea, with no peace: We grudge to give it houseroom; but we hate to give it service. This our Hagar will abide many strokes, ere she be turned out of doors: she shall go at last, and the seed of promise shall inherit alone. There is no unquietness good, but this: and in this case, quietness cannot stand with safety: neither did ever war more truly beget peace, then in this strife of the soul. Resistance is the way to victory; and that, to an eternal peace and happiness. It is a blessed care then, how to resist sin, how to avoid it: and such as I am glad to teach and learn. As there are two grounds of all sin, so of the avoidance of sin; Love, and Fear: These if they be placed amiss, cause us to offend: if right, are the remedies of evil: The Love must be of God; Fear, of judgement. As he love's much, to whom much is forgiven: so he that love's much, will not dare to do that which may need forgiveness. The heart that hath felt the sweetness of God's mercies, will not abide the bitter relish of sin: This is both a stronger motive than Fear; and more Noble; None but a good heart is capable of this grace: which who so hath received, thus powerfully repels tentations. Have I found my God so gracious to me that he hath denied me nothing; either in earth or heaven: and shall not I so much as deny my own will for his sake? Hath my dear Saviour bought my soul at such a price, and shall he not have it? Was he crucified for my sins, and shall I by my sins crucify him again? Am I his in so many bonds, and shall I serve the Devil? O God is this the fruit of thy beneficence to me, that I should wilfully dishonour thee? Was thy blood so little worth, that I should tread it under my feet? Doth this become him that shall be once glorious with thee? Hast thou prepared heaven for me, and do I thus prepare myself for heaven? Shall I thus recompense thy love, in doing that which thou hatest? Satan hath no Dart (I speak confidently) that can pierce this shield: Christians are indeed too oft surprised, ere they can hold it out: there is no small policy in the suddenness of temptation: but if they have once settled it before their breast, they are safe, and their enemy hopeless. Under this head therefore, there is sure remedy against sin, by looking upwards, backwards, into ourselves, forwards. Upwards, at the glorious Majesty, and infinite goodness of that God whom our sin would offend, and in whose face we sin: whose mercies, and whose holiness is such, that if there were no hell, we would not offend. Backwards, at the manifold favours, whereby we are obliged to obedience. Into ourselves, at that honourable vocation, wherewith he hath graced us, that holy profession we have made of his calling, and grace, that solemn vow and covenant, whereby we have confirmed our profession; the gracious beginnings of that Spirit in us, which is grieved by our sins, yea quenched. Forwards, at the joy which will follow upon our forbearance, that peace of conscience, that happy expectation of glory, compared with the momentary and unpleasing delight of a present sin; All these, out of love; Fear is a retentive, as necessary, not so ingenuous. It is better to be won, then to be frighted from sin: to be alured, then drawn. Both are little enough in our proneness to evil: Evil is the only object of fear. Herein therefore, we must terrify our stubbornness, with both evils; Of loss, and of sense: that if it be possible, the horror of the event may countervail the pleasure of the tentation: Of loss; remembering that now we are about to lose a God; to cast away all the comforts and hopes of another world; to rob ourselves of all those sweet mercies we enjoyed; to thrust his spirit out of doors (which cannot abide to dwell within the noisome stench of sin,) to shut the doors of heaven against ourselves. Of sense; That thus we give Satan a right in us; power over us; advantage against us; That we make God to frown upon us in heaven; That we arm all his good creatures against us on earth; That we do as it were take God's hand in ours, and scourge ourselves with all temporal plagues, and force his curses upon us, and ours: That we wound our own consciences with sins, that they may wound us with everlasting torments; That we do both make a hell in our breasts beforehand, and open the gates of that bottomless pit, to receive us afterwards: That we do now cast brimstone into the fire; and lest we should fail of tortures, make ourselves our own fiends: These, and what ever other terrors of this kind, must be laid to the soul: which, if they be throughly urged to an heart, not altogether incredulous, well may a man ask himself, how he dare sin? But if neither this Sun of mercies, nor the tempestuous winds of judgement can make him cast off Peter's cloak of wickedness: he must be clad with confusion, as with a cloak, according to the Psalmist. I tremble to think how many live, as if they were neither beholden to God, nor afraid of him; neither in his debt, nor danger: As if their heaven and hell were both upon earth; sinning not only without shame, but not without malice: It is their least ill to do evil: Behold they speak for it, joy in it, boast of it, enforce to it; as if they would send challenges into heaven, and make love to destruction: Their lewdness calls for our sorrow, and zealous obedience; that our God may have as true servants, as enemies. And as we see natural qualities, increased with the resistance of their contraries; so must our grace with others sins: we shall redeem somewhat of God's dishonour by sin, if we shall thence grow holy. To Mr Doctor MILBURNE. EP. IU. Discoursing how fare, and wherein Popery destroyeth the foundation. THe means in all things is not more safe than hard; whether to find or keep: and as in all other morality, it lieth in a narrow room; so most in the matter of our censure, especially concerning Religion: wherein we are wont to be either careless or too peremptory. How fare, and wherein Popery raceth the foundation, is worth our inquiry: I need not stay upon words. By foundation, we mean the necessary grounds of Christian faith. This foundation Papistry defaces, by laying a new, by casting down the old. In these cases, addition destroys: he that obtrudes a new word, no less overthrows the Scripture, than he that denies the old; yea this, very obtrusion denies: he that sets up a new Christ, rejects Christ: Two foundations cannot stand at once; the Ark and Dagon: Now Papistry lays a double new foundation: the one, a new rule of faith, that is, a new word; the other, a new Author, or guide of faith, that is a new head besides Christ. God never laid other foundation, then in the Prophets and Apostles: upon their divine writing, he meant to build his Church; which he therefore inspired, that they might be (like himself) perfect and eternal: Popery builds upon an unwritten word; the voice of old (but doubtful) Traditions; the voice of the present Church, that is, as they interpret it, theirs; with no less confidence and presumption of certainty, than any thing ever written by the singer of God: If this be not a new foundation, the old was none. God never taught this holy Spouse to know any other husband, than Christ; to acknowledge any other head; to follow any other Shepherd; to obey any other King: he alone may be enjoyed without jealousy, submitted to without danger, without error believed, served without scruple: Popery offers to impose on God's Church a King, Shepheard, Head, Husband, besides her own: A man; a man of sin. He must know all things, can err in nothing: direct, inform, animate, command, both in earth and Purgatory; expound Scriptures, canonize Saints, forgive sins, create new Articles of Faith; and in all these, is absolute and infallible as his Maker: who sees not, that if to attribute these things to the Son of God, be to make him the foundation of the Church; then to ascribe them to another, is to contradict him that said, Other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid, which is jesus Christ. To lay a new foundation, doth necessarily subvert the old: yet see this further actually done in particulars; wherein yet this distinction may clear the way: The foundation is overthrown two ways; either in flat terms, when a main principle of faith is absolutely denied, as the deity and consubstantiality of the Son by Arrius, the Trinity of persons by Sabellius and Seruetus, the resurrection of the body by Himeneus & Philetus, the last judgement by S. Peter's mockers: Or secondly, by consequent, when any opinion is maintained, which by just sequel over-turneth the truth of that principle, which the defendant professes to hold; yet so, as he will not grant the necessity of that deduction. So the ancient Minoei, of whom Jerome speaketh, while they urged Circumcision, by consequent, according to Paul's rule, rejected Christ: So the Pelagians, while they defended a full perfection of our righteousness in ourselves, overthrew Christ's justification: and in effect said, I believe in Christ, and in myself: So some Ubiquitaries, while they hold the possibility of conversion and salvation of reprobates, overthrew the doctrine of God's eternal Decree, and immutability. Popery comes in this latter rank, and may justly be termed Heresy, by direct consequent; though not in their grant, yet in necessary proof and inference. Thus it overthrows the truth of Christ's humanity, while it holds his whole humane body locally circumscribed in heaven, and at once (the same instant) wholly present in ten thousand places on earth, without circumscription: That whole Christ is in the forms of bread, with all his dimensions, every part having his own place and figure; and yet so, as that he is wholly in every part of the bread. Our justification, while it ascribes it to our own works: The all-sufficiency of Christ's own sacrifice, whiles they reiterate it daily by the hands of a Priest. Of his satisfaction, while they hold a payment of our utmost farthings, in a devised Purgatory. Of his mediation, while they implore others to aid them, not only by their intercession, but their merits; suing not only for their prayers, but their gifts: The value of the Scriptures, whiles they hold them insufficient, obscure, in points essential to salvation, and bind them to an uncertain dependence upon the Church. Besides hundreds of this kind, there are Heresies in actions, contrary to those fundamental practices which God requires of his: as prohibitions of Scriptures to the Laity: Prescriptions of devotion in unknown tongues: Tying the effect of Sacraments and Prayers to the external work; Adoration of Angels, Saints, Bread, Relics, Crosses, Images: All which, are so many recall undermine of the sacred foundation, which is no less active, then vocal. By this the simplest may see, what we must hold of Papists; neither as no Heretics, nor yet so palpable as the worst. If any man ask for their conviction: In the simpler sort, I grant this excuse fair and tolerable; poor souls, they cannot be any otherwise informed, much less persuaded: Whiles in truth of heart, they hold the main principles which they know; doubtless the mercy of God may pass over their ignorant weakness, in what they cannot know. For the other, I fear not to say, that many of their errors are wilful. The light of truth hath shined out of heaven to them, and they love darkness more than light. In this state of the Church, he shall speak and hope idly, that shall call for a public and universal eviction: How can that be, when they pretend to be judges in their own cause? Unless they will not be adversaries to themselves, or judge of us, this course is but impossible. As the Devil, so Antichrist, will not yield: both shall be subdued; neither will treat of peace: what remains, but that the Lord shall consume that wicked man (which is now clearly revealed) with the breath of his mouth, and abolish him with the brightness of his coming Even so, Lord jesus come quickly. This briefly is my conceit of Popery: which I willingly refer to your clear and deep judgement; being not more desirous to teach the ignorant what I know, then to learn of you what I should teach, and know not: The Lord direct all our thoughts to his glory, and the behoof of his Church. Written long since to Mr J. W. EP. V. Dissuading from separation, and shortly oppugning the grounds of that error. IN my former Epistle (I confess) I touched the late separation with a light hand: only setting down the injury of it (at the best) not discussing the grounds in common: now your danger draws me on to this discourse: it is not much less thankworthy, to prevent a disease, then to cure it: you confess that you doubt; I mislike it not: doubting is not more the way to error, then to satisfaction; lay down first, all pride and prejudice, and I cannot fear you: I never yet knew any man of this way, which hath not bewrayed himself far gone with overweening: and therefore it hath been just with God, to punish their self-love with error: an humble spirit is a fit subject for truth: prepare you your heart, and let me then answer, or rather God for me; you doubt whether the notorious sin of one unreformed, uncensured, defile not the whole Congregation; so as we may not without sin communicate therewith: and why not the whole Church? woe were us, if we should thus live in the danger of all men: have we not sins enough of our own, but we must borrow of others? Each man shall bear his own burden: is ours so light, that we call for more weight, and undertake what God never imposed? It was enough for him that is God and Man to bear others iniquities; it is no task for us, which shrink under the least of our own. But it is made ours, you say (though another's) by our toleration and connivance: indeed, if we consent to them, encourage them, imitate, or accompany them in the same excess of riot; yet more, the public person that forbears a known sin, sinneth; but if each man's known sin, be every man's, what difference is betwixt the root and the branches? Adam's sin spread itself to us, because we were in him, stood or fell in him; our case is not such. Do but see how God scorneth that unjust Proverb of the jews, That the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? How much less are strangers? Is any bond so near as this of blood? Shall not the child smart for the Parent; and shall we (even spiritually) for others? You object Achans stealth, and Israel's punishment: an unlike case, and extraordinary: for see how direct God's charge is. Be ye ware of the execrable thing, lest ye make yourselves execrable; and in taking of the execrable thing, make also the Host of Israel execrable and trouble it. Now every man is made a party, by a peculiar injunction: and not only all Israel is as one man; but every Israelite is a public person in this act, you cannot show the like in every one, no, not in any: it was a law for the present, not intended for perpetuity: you may as well challenge the Trumpets of Rams-hornes, and seven days walk unto every siege. Look elsewhere: the Church of Thyatira suffers the woman jezabel to teach and deceive. A great sin, Yet to you (saith the Spirit) the rest of Thyatira, as many as have not this learning, I will put upon you none other burden, but that which you have, hold fast; He saith not, Leave your Church, but Hold fast your own. Look into the practice of the Prophets, ransack their burdens, and see if you find this there; yea, behold our best pattern, the Son of God. The jewish Rulers in Christ's time were notoriously covetous, proud, oppressing, cruel, superstitious: our Saviour feared not polluting, in joining with them; and was so fare from separating himself, that he called and sent others to them. But, a little Leaven leavens the whole lump: it is true; by the infection of it, sin, where it is unpunished, spreadeth; it soureth all those whose hands are in it, not others. If we dislike it, detest desist, reprove, and mourn for it, we cannot be tainted: the Corinthian love-feasts had gross and sinful disorder: yet you hear not Paul say, Abstain from the Sacrament till these be reform; Rather he enioynes the act, and controls the abuse: God hath bidden you hear and receive: show me, where he hath said, except others be sinful. Their uncleanness can no more defile you, than your holiness can excuse them. But while I communicate (you say) I consent; God forbidden. It is sin, not to cast out the deserving: but not yours; who made you a Ruler and a judge? The unclean must be separated; not by the people: Would you have no distinction betwixt private and public persons? What strange confusion is this? And what other than the old note of Corah and his company, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the Congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the Congregation of the Lord? What is (if this be not) to make a Monster of Christ's body? he is the head, his Church the body, consisting of diverse limbs. All have their several faculties and employments; not every one, all; who would imagine any man so absurd, as to say, that this body should be all tongue, or all hands; every man a Teacher, every man a Ruler? As Christ had said to every man, Go teach, and whose sins ye remit: How senseless are these two extremes? Of the Papists, that one man hath the Keys: Of the Brownists, that every man hath them. But these privileges and charges are given to the Church: True; to be executed by her Governors: the faculty of speech is given to the whole man, but the use of it to the proper instrument. Man speaketh; but by his tongue; if a voice should be heard from his hand, ear, foot, it were unnatural. Now, if the tongue speak not when it ought, shall we be so foolish as to blame the hand? But you say; if the tongue speak not, or speak ill, the whole man smarteth; the man sinneth: I grant it, but you shall set the natural body on too hard a rack, if you strain it in all things, to the likeness of the spiritual, or civil. The members of that being quickened by the same soul, have charge of each other, and therefore either stand or fall together: It is not so in these. If then notwithstanding unpunished sins, we may join with the true Church: Whether is ours such? You doubt, and your solicitors deny: surely, if we have many enormities, yet none worse than rash and cruel judgement; let them make this a colour to departed from themselves: there is no less woe to them that call good, evil. To judge one man is bold and dangerous. judge then what it is to condemn a whole Church; God knows, as much without cause, as without shame. Vain men may libel against the Spouse of Christ: her husband never divorced her: No, his love is still above their hatred, his blessings above their censures: Do but ask them, were we ever the true Church of God? If they deny it, Who then were so? Had God never Church upon earth, since the Apostles time, till Barrow and Greenwood arose? And even then scarce a number? nay, when or where was ever any man in the world (except in the schools perhaps of Donatus or Novatus) that taught their doctrine; and now still hath he none, but in a blind lane at Amsterdam? Can you think this probable? If they affirm it, when ceased we? Are not the points controverted still the same? The same government, the same doctrine? Their minds are changed, not our estate: Who hath admonished, evinced, excommunicated us; and when? All these must be done. Will it not be a shame to say, that Francis johnson, as he took power to excommunicate his Brother, and Father; so had power to excommunicate his Mother, the Church? How base and idle are these conceits? Are we then Heretics condemned in ourselves? Wherein overthrow we the foundation? What other God, Saviour, Scriptures, justification, Sacraments, Heaven, do they teach besides us? Can all the Masters of Separation, yea can all the Churches in Christendom, set forth a more exquisite and worthy confession of faith, then is contained in the Articles of the Church of England? Who can hold these and be heretical? Or, from which of these are we revolted? But to make this good, they have taught you to say, that every truth in Scripture is fundamental; so fruitful is error of absurdities; Whereof still one breeds another more deformed then itself. That Trophimus was left at Miletum sick, that Paul's Cloak was left at Troas, that Gaius, Paul's host, saluted the Romans, that Nabal was drunk; or that Thamar baked Cakes, and a thousand of this nature are fundamental: how large is the Separatists Creed, that hath all these Articles? If they say all Scripture is of the same Author, of the same authority; so say we, but not of the same use: is it as necessary for a Christian to know that Peter hosted with one Simon a Tanner in joppa, as that jesus Christ the Son of God was borne of the Virgin Mary? What a monster is this of an opinion, that all truths are equal? that this spiritual house should be all foundation, no walls, no roof? Can no man be saved but he that knows every thing in Scripture? Then both they and we are excluded: heaven would not have so many, as their Parlour at Amsterdam. Can any man be saved that knows nothing in Scripture? It is fare from them to be so overcharitable to affirm it: you see then that both all truths must not of necessity be known, and some must; and these we justly call fundamental: which who so holdeth, all his hay and stubble (through the mercy of God) condemn him not: still he hath right to the Church on earth, and hope in heaven: but whether every truth be fundamental, or necessary? discipline (you say) is so: indeed necessary to the well-being of a Church, no more: it may be true without it, not perfect. Christ compares his Spouse to an Army with banners: as order is to an Army, so is discipline to the Church: if the troops be not well marshaled in their several ranks, and move not forward according to the discipline of war, it is an Army still: confusion may hinder their success, it cannot bereave them of their name: it is, as beautiful proportion to the body, an hedge to a vineyard, a wall to a City, an hem to a garment, feeling to an house. It may be a body, vineyard, city, garment, house, without them: it cannot be well and perfect: yet which of our adversaries will say we have no discipline? Some they grant, but not the right: as if they said, Your City hath a brick wall indeed, but it should have one of hewed stone; your Vineyard is hedged, but it should be paled and ditched: while they cavil at what we want, we thank God for what we have; and so much we have, in spite of all detraction, as makes us both a true Church, and a worthy one. But the main quarrel is against our Ministry, and form of worship: let these be examined; this is the circle of their censure. No Church, therefore no Ministry: and no Ministry, therefore no Church: unnatural sons, that spit in the face of those spiritual Fathers that begot them, and the Mother that bore them. What would they have? Have we not competent gifts from above, for so great a function? Are we all unlearned, unsufficient? Not a man that knows to divide the word aright? As Paul to the Corinth's, Is it so that there is not one wise man amongst us? No man will affirm it: some of them have censured our excess in some knowledge; none, our defect in all: What then? Have we not a true desire to do faithful service to God and his Church? No zeal for God's glory? Who hath been in our hearts to see this? Who dare usurp upon God, and condemn our thoughts? Yea, we appeal to that only judge of hearts, whether he hath not given us a sincere longing for the good of his Zion: he shall make the thoughts of all hearts manifest: and then shall every man have praise of God. If then we have both ability and will to do public good: our inward calling (which is the main point) is good and perfect; for the outward, what want we? Are we not first (after good trial) presented and approved by the learned in our Colleges: examined by our Church-governors, ordained by imposition of hands of the Eldership, allowed by the Congregations we are set over: do we not labour in word and doctrine? do we not carefully administer the Sacraments of the Lord jesus? have we not by our public means won many souls to God? what should we have and do more? All this, and yet no true Ministers? we pass very little to be judged of them, or of man's day: but our Ordainers (you say) are Antichristian: surely our censurers are : though we should grant it, some of us were baptised by Heretics: is the Sacrament annihilated, and must it be redoubled? How much less Ordination, which is but an outward admission to preach the Gospel? God forbidden that we should thus condemn the innocent: more hands were laid upon us, than one: and of them, for the principal, except but their perpetual honour, and some few immaterial rites, let an enemy say what they differ, from Superintendents; and can their double honour make them no Elders? If they have any personal faults, why is their calling scourged? Look into our Saviour's times: what corruptions were in the very Priesthood? It was now made annual, which was before fixed and singular. Christ saw these abuses, and was silent: here was much dislike and no clamour; we, for less, exclaim and separate: even personal offences are fetched into the condemnation of lawful courses. God give both pardon and redress to this foul uncharitableness. Alas! how ready are we to toss the forepart of our Wallet, whiles our own faults are ready to break our necks behind us: all the world sees and condemns their Ordination to be faulty: yea none at all: yet they cry out first on us, craftily (I think) left we should complain: that Church-governors should ordain Ministers, hath been the constant practice of the Church, from Christ's time, to this hour. I except only, in an extreme desolation, merely for the first course: that the people should make their Ministers, was unheard of in all ages and Churches, till Bolton, Browne, and Barrow: and hath neither colour nor example: Doth not this comparison seem strange and harsh? Their Tradesmen may make true Ministers, our Ministers cannot: who but they would not be ashamed of such a position? Or who but you would not think the time misspent in answering it? No less frivolous are those exceptions that are taken against our worship of God, condemned for false and idolatrous, whereof Volumes of Apologies are written by others: we meet together, pray, read, hear, preach, sing, administer, and receive Sacraments: wherein offend we? How many Gods do we pray to? or to whom but the True God? In what words but holy? whom do we preach but the same Christ with them? what point of faith, not theirs? What Sacraments but those they dare not but allow? Where lies our Idolatry, that we may let it out? In the manner of performing: in set Prayers, Antichristian Ceremonies of crossing, kneeling, etc. For the former: what sin is this? The original and truth of prayer is in the heart the voice is but as accidental; if the heart may often conceive the same thought, the tongue her servant may often utter it, in the same words: and if daily to repeat the same speeches be amiss, then to entertain the same spiritual desires, is sinful: to speak once without the heart is hypocritical: but to speak often the same request with the heart, never offendeth. What intolerable boldness is this; to condemn that in us which is recorded to have been the continual practice of God's Church in all successions? Of the jews, in the time of Moses, David, Solomon, jehosaphat, Ezekiah, jeremy: Of the ancient Christian assemblies, both Greek and Latin, and now at this day of all reformed Churches in Christendom; yea, which our Saviour himself so directly allowed, and in a manner prescribed, and the blessed Apostles Paul and Peter in all their formal salutations (which were no other than set prayers) so commonly practised: for the other (lest I exceed a Letter) though we yield them such as you imagine (worse they cannot be) they are but Ceremonious appendances, the body and substance is sound. Blessed be God that we can have his true Sacraments at so easy a rate, as the payment (if they were such) of a few circumstantial inconveniences: how many dear children of God in all ages, even near the golden times of the Apostles, have gladly purchased them much dearer, and not complained: but see how our Church imposes them: not as to bind the conscience, otherwise then by the common bond of obedience; not as actions, wherein Gods worship essentially consisteth, but as themselves, Ceremonies: comely or convenient, not necessary; whatsoever: is this a sufficient ground of separation? How many moderate and wiser spirits have we, that cannot approve the Ceremonies, yet dare not forsake the Church? and that hold your departure fare more evil, than the cause. You are invited to a feast, if but a Napkin or Trencher be misplaced, or a dish ill carved; do you run from the Table, and not stay to thank the Host? Either be less curious or more charitable. Would God both you and all other, which either favour the Separation or profess it, could but read over the ancient stories of the Church, to see the true state of things and times; the beginnings; proceed, increases, encounters, yielding, restaurations of the Gospel, what the holy Fathers of those first times were glad to swallow for peace; what they held, practised, found, left: whosoever knows but these things, cannot separate; and shall not be contented only, but thankful: God shall give you still more light: in the mean time, upon the peril of my soul, stay, and take the blessed offers of your God, in peace: And since Christ saith by my hand, will you also go away? Answer him with that worthy Disciple, Master whither shall I go from thee? thou hast the words of eternal life. To Mr J. B. EP. VI A complaint of the miseducation of our Gentry. I Confess, I cannot honour blood without good qualities; not spare it, with ill. There is nothing that I more desire to be taught, than what is true Nobility: What thank is it to you, that you are borne well? If you could have lost this privilege of Nature, I fear you had not been thus fare Noble: that you may not plead desert, you had this before you were; long ere you could either know or prevent it; you are deceived if you think this any other than the body of Gentility: the life and soul of it, is in noble and virtuous disposition, in gallantness of spirit without haughtiness, without insolence, without scornful overlinesse: shortly, in generous qualities, carriage, actions. See your error, and know that this demeanour doth not answer an honest birth: If you can follow all fashions, drink all healths, wear favours & good , consort with Ruffianly companions, swear the biggest oaths, quarrel easily, fight desperately, game in every inordinate Ordinary, spend your patrimony ere it fall, look on every man betwixt scorn and anger; use gracefully some gestures of apish compliment; talk irreligiously, dally with a Mistress, or (which term is plainer) hunt after Harlots, take smoke at a Playhouse, and live as if you were made all for sport, you think you have done enough, to merit, both of your blood, and others opinions. Certainly, the world hath no baseness, if this be generosity: welfare the honest and civil rudeness of the obscure sons of the earth, if such be the graces of the eminent: The shame whereof (me thinks) is not so proper to the wildness of youth, as to the carelessness or vanity of Parents: I speak it boldly; our Land hath no blemish comparable to the miseducation of our Gentry: Infancy and youth are the seed-times of all hopes: if those pass unseasonably, no fruit can be expected from our age, but shame and sorrow: who should improve these, but they which may command them? I cannot altogether complain of our first years. How like are we to children, in the training up of our children! Give a child some painted Babe; he joys in it at first sight: and for some days will not abide it out of his hand or bosom; but when he hath sated himself with the new pleasure of that guest, he now (after a while) casts it into corners, forgets it, and can look upon it, with no care: Thus do we by ours. Their first times finds us not more fond, then careful: we do not more follow them with our love, then ply them with instruction: When this delight gins to grow stolen, we begin to grow negligent. Nothing that I know can be faulted in the ordering of Childhood, but indulgence. Foolish Mothers admit of Tutors, but debar rods. These, while they desire their children may learn, but not smart, as is said of Apes, kill their young ones with love; for what can work upon that age, but fear? And what fear without correction? Now at last, with what measure of Learning their own will would vouchsafe to receive, they are too early sent to the common Nurseries of Knowledge; There (unless they fall under careful tuition) they study in jest, and play in earnest. In such universal means of Learning, all cannot fall besides them; what their company, what their recreation would either instill or permit, they bring home to their glad Parents. Thence are they transplanted to the Collegiate Inns of our common Laws: and there too many learn to be lawless, and to forget their former little: Paul's is their Westminster, their Study, an Ordinary, or Playhouse, or Dancing-school, and some Lambert their Ploydon. And now after they have (not without much expense) learned fashions and licentiousness, they return home, full of welcomes and gratulations. By this time some blossoms of youth appearing in their face, admonish their Parents to seek them some seasonable match; Wherein the Father inquires for wealth, the son for beauty, perhaps the mother for Parentage, scarce any for Virtue, for Religion. Thus settled, What is their care; their discourse, yea, their Trade, but either an Hound, or an Hawk? And it is well, if no worse: And now, they so live, as if they had forgotten that there were books: Learning is for Priests, and Pedants; for Gentlemen, pleasure. Oh! that either wealth or wit should be cast away thus basely: That ever reason should grow so debauched, as to think any thing more worthy than knowledge. With what shame and emulation may we look upon other Nations (whose apish fashions we can take up in the channels, neglecting their imitable examples) and with what scorn do they look upon us? They have their solemn Academies for all those qualities, which may accomplish Gentility: from which they return richly furnished, both for action and speculation. They account knowledge and ability of discourse as essential to greatness, as blood: neither are they more above the vulgar in birth, then in understanding: They travel with judgement, and return with experience: so do they follow the exercises of the body, that they neglect not the culture of the mind. From hence grows civility, and power to manage affairs, either of justice, or State: From hence encouragement to learning, and reverence from inferiors. For those only can esteem knowledge, which have it; and the common sort frame either observance, or contempt, out of the example of their Leaders. Amongst them, the sons of Nobles scorn not either Merchandise, or learned professions; and hate nothing so much as to do nothing: I shame and hate to think, that our Gallants hold, there can be no disparagement, but in honest callings. Thus perhaps I have abated the envy of this reproof, by communicating it to more; which I had not done, but that the generality of evil importunes redress. I well see that either good or evil descends: In vain shall we hope for the reformation of the many, while the better are disordered. Whom to solicit herein, I know not, but all: How glad should I be to spend my light to the snuff, for the effecting of this! I can but persuade and pray; these I will not fail of: The rest to him that both can amend and punish. To M. IONAS REIGESBERGIUS in ZEALAND. EP. VII. Written some while since, concerning some new opinions then broached in the Churches of HOLLAND; and under the name of Arminius (then living:) persuading all great wits to a study and care of the common peace of the Church, and dissuading from all affectation of singularity. I Received lately a short relation of some new Paradoxes from your Leiden; you would know what we think: I fear not to be censured, as meddling: your truth is ours: The Sea cannot divide those Churches, whom one faith unites. I know not how it comes to pass, that most men, while they too much affect civility, turn flatterers; and plain truth is most-where counted rudeness. He that tells a sick friend he looks ill, or terms an angry tumour the Gout, or a waterish swelling Dropsy; is thought unmannerly. For my part, I am glad that I was not borne to feed humours: How ever you take your own evils, I must tell you, we pity you, and think you have just cause of dejection, and we for you: not for any private cares, but (which touch a Christian nearest) the Commonwealth of God. Behold, after all those hills of carcases, and streams of blood, your civil sword is sheathed, wherein we neither congratulate, nor fear your peace; lo now, in stead of that, another while, the spiritual sword is drawn and shaken, and it is well, if no more. Now the politic State sits still, the Church quarrels: Oh! the insatiable hostility of our great enemy, with what change of mischiefs doth he afflict miserable man? No sooner did the Christian world begin to breathe from persecution, but it was more punished with Arrianisme: when the red Dragon cannot devour the child, he tries to drown the mother; and when the waters fail, he raises war. Your famous junius had nothing more admirable than his love of peace: when our busy Separatists appealed him, with what a sweet calmness did he reject them, and with a grave importunity called them to moderation! How it would have vexed his holy soul (now out of the danger of passions) to have foreseen his chair troublesome. God forbidden that the Church should find a Challenger, in stead of a Champion: Who would think but you should have been taught the benefit of peace, by the long want? But if your temporal state (besides either hope, or belief) hath grown wealthy with war, like those Fowls which fatten with hard weather: yet be too sure, that these spiritual broils cannot but impoverish the Church; yea, affamish it. It were pity that your Holland should be still the Amphitheatre of the world, on whose scaffolds all other Nations should sit, & see variety of bloody shows, not without pity, and horror. If I might challenge aught in that your acute and learned Arminius; I would thus solicit and conjure him: Alas that so wise a man should not know the worth of peace; that so noble a son of the Church should not be brought to light, without ripping the womb of his mother! What mean these subtle Novelties? If they make thee famous, and the Church miserable, who shall gain by them? Is singularity so precious, that it should cost no less, than the safety and quiet of our common mother? If it be truth thou affectest; what alone? Can never any eyes (till thine) be blessed with this object? where hath that sacred verity hid herself thus long from all her careful Inquisitors, that she now first shows her head to thee unsought? Hath the Gospel shined thus long, and bright, and left some corners unseen? Away with all new truths; fair and plausible they may be, sound they cannot? some may admire thee for them; none shall bless thee. But grant that some of these are no less true, then nice points: what do these unseasonable crotchets and quavers trouble the harmonious plaine-songs of our peace? Some quiet error may be better than some unruly truth. Who binds us to speak all we think? So the Church may be still, would God thou wert wise alone. Did not our adversary's quarrel enough before, at our quarrels? Were they not rich enough with our spoils? By the dear name of our common parents, what meanest thou Arminius? Whither tend these new-raised dissensions? Who shall thrive by them, but they which insult upon us, and rise by the fall of truth? who shall be undone, but thy brethren? By that most precious, and bloody ransom of our Saviour, and by that awful appearance we shall once make before the glorious Tribunal of the Son of God, remember thyself, and the poor distracted limbs of the Church: Let not those excellent parts, wherewith God hath furnished thee, lie in the narrow way, and cause any weak one either to fall, or stumble, or err. For God's sake, either say nothing, or the same. How many great wits have sought no by-paths, and now are happy with their fellows! Let it be no disparagement to go with many to heaven. What could he reply to so plain a charge? No distinction can avoid the power of simple truth. I know he hears not this of me first: Neither that learned and worthy Fran. Gomarus, nor your other grave fraternity of reverend Divines, have been silent in so main a cause. I fear rather too much noise in any of these tumults: There may too many contend, not entreat. Multitude of suitors is commonly powerful; how much more in just motions? But if either he, or you, shall turn me home, and bid me spend my little moisture upon our own brands, I grant there is both the same cause, and the same need. This counsel is no whit further from us, because it is directed to you: Any Reader can change the person: I lament to see, that every where peace hath not many clients, but fewer lovers; yea, even many of those that praise her, follow her not. Of old, the very Novatian men, women, children, brought stones and mortar (with the Orthodox) to the building of the Church of the resurrection, and joined lovingly with them, against the Arrians: lesser quarrels divide us; and every division ends in blows, and every blow is returned; and none of all lights beside the Church. Even the best Apostles dissented; neither knowledge, nor holiness can redress all differences: True, but wisdom and charity could teach us to avoid their prejudice. If we had but these two virtues, quarrels should not hurt us, nor the Church by us: But (alas) self-love is too strong for both these: This alone opens the floodgates of dissension, and drowns the sweet, but low valley of the Church. Men esteem of opinions, because their own; and will have truth serve, not govern. What they have undertaken, must be true: Victory is sought for, not satisfaction; victory of the Author, not of the cause: He is a rare man that knows to yield, as well as to argue: what should we do then, but bestow ourselves upon that which too many neglect, public peace; first, in prayers that we may prevail, then in tears that we prevail not? Thus have I been bold to chat with you of our greatest and common cares. Your old love, and late hospital entertainment in that your Island, called for this remembrance; the rather to keep your English tongue in breath, which was wont not to be the least of your desires. Would God you could make us happy with news, not of truce, but sincere amity and union; not of Provinces, but spirits. The God of spirits effect it both here and there, to the glory of his Name and Church. To W. J. condemned for murder. EP. VIII. Effectually preparing him, and (under his name) whatsoever Malefactor for his death. IT is a bad cause that robbeth us of all the comfort of friends; yea, that turns their remembrance into sorrow. None can do so, but those that proceed from ourselves: for outward evils, which come from the infliction of others, make us cleave faster to our helpers, and cause us to seek and find ease in the very commiseration of those that love us: whereas those griefs which arise from the just displeasure of conscience, will not abide so much as the memory of others affection; or if it do, makes it so much the greater corrasive, as our case is more uncapable of their comfort. Such is yours. You have made the mention of our names tedious to yourself, and yours to us. This is the beginning of your pain, that you had friends: If you may now smart sound from us, for your good, it must be the only joy you must expect, and the final duty we own to you. It is both vain and comfortless, to hear what might have been; neither would I send you back to what is past, but purposely to increase your sorrow; who have caused all our comfort to stand in your tears. If therefore our former counsels had prevailed, neither had your hands shed innocent blood, nor justice yours. Now, to your great sin, you have done the one; and the other must be done to your pain: and we your well-willers, with sorrow and shame live to be witnesses of both. Your sin is gone before, the revenge of justice will follow: seeing you are guilty, let God be just. Other sins speak, this cryeth, and will never be silent, till it be answered with itself. For your life; the case is hopeless; feed not yourself with vain presumptions, but settle yourself to expiate another's blood with your own. Would God your desert had been such, that we might with any comfort have desired you might live. But now, alas, your fact is so heinous, that your life can neither be craved without injustice, nor be protracted without inward torment. And if our private affection should make us deaf to the shouts of blood, and partiality should teach us to forget all care of public right; yet resolve, there is no place for hope. Since than you could not live guiltless, there remains nothing, but that you labour to die penitent; and since your body cannot be saved alive, to endeavour that your soul may be saved in death. Wherein, how happy shall it be for you, if you shall yet give care to my last advice; too late indeed for your recompense to the world, not too late for yourself. You have deserved death, and expect it: Take heed lest you so fasten your eyes upon the first death of the body, that you should not look beyond it to the second, which alone is worthy of trembling, worthy of tears. For, this, though terrible to Nature, yet is common to us, with you. You must die: what do we else? And what differs our end from yours, but in haste and violence? And who knows whether in that? It may be a sickness as sharp, as sudden, shall fetch us hence: it may be the same death, or a worse, for a better cause: Or if not so, there is much more misery in lingering: He dies easily, that dies soon: but the other is the utmost vengeance that God hath reserved for his enemies: This is a matter of long fear, and short pain. A few pangs lets the soul out of prison: but the torment of that other is everlasting; after ten thousand years scorching in that flame, the pain is never the nearer to his ending. No time gives it hope of abating; yea, time hath nothing to do with this eternity. You that shall feel the pain of one minutes dying, think what pain it is to be dying for ever and ever. This, although it be attended with a sharp pain, yet is such as some strong spirits have endured without show of yeeldance. I have heard of an Irish Traitor, that when he lay pining upon the wheel with his bones broke, asked his friend if he changed his countenance at all; caring less for the pain, than the show of fear. Few men have died of greater pains, than others have sustained and live: But that other overwhelmes both body and soul, and leaves no room for any comfort in the possibility of mitigation. Here, men are executioners, or diseases; there fiends. Those Devils that were ready to tempt the graceless unto sin, are as ready to follow the damned with tortures. Whatsoever become of your carcase, save your soul from the flames; and so manage this short time you have to live, that you may die but once. This is not your first sin; yea, God hath now punished your former sins with this: a fearful punishment in itself, if it deserved no more: your conscience (which now gins to tell truth) cannot but assure you, that there is no sin more worthy of hell, then murder; yea, more proper to it. Turn over those holy leaves (which you have too much neglected, and now smart for neglecting) you shall find murderers among those that are shut out from the presence of God: you shall find the Prince of that darkness, in the highest style of his mischief, termed a . Alas! how fearful a case is this, that you have herein resembled him, for whom Topheth was prepared of old; and imitating him in his action, have endangered yourself to partake of his torment! Oh, that you could but see what you have done, what you have deserved; that your heart could bleed enough within you, for the blood your hands have shed: That as you have followed Satan our common enemy in sinning, so you could defy him in repenting: That your tears could disappoint his hopes of your damnation. What a happy unhappiness shall this be to your sad friends, that your better part yet liveth? That from an ignominious place your soul is received to glory? Nothing can effect this but your repentance; and that can do it. Fear not to look into that horror, which should attend your sin: and be now as severe to yourself, as you have been cruel to another. Think not to extenuate your offence with the vain titles of manhood: what praise is this, that you were a valiant murderer? Strike your own breast (as Moses did his Rock) and bring down rivers of tears to wash away your bloodshed. Do not so much fear your judgement, as abhor your sin; yea, yourself for it. And with strong cries lift up your guilty hands to that God whom you offended, and say, Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O Lord. Let me tell you: As without repentance there is no hope; so with it, there is no condemnation. True penitence is strong, and can grapple with the greatest sin, yea with all the powers of hell. What if your hands be red with blood? Behold, the blood of your Saviour, shall wash away yours: If you can bathe yourself in that; your Scarlet soul shall be as white as Snow. This course alone shall make your Cross the way to the Paradise of God. This plaster can heal all the fores of the soul, if never so desperate: Only, take heed that your heart be deep enough pierced, ere you lay it on; else, under a seeming skin of dissimulation, your soul shall fester to death. Yet joy us with your true sorrow, whom you have grieved with your offence; and at once comfort your friends, and save your soul. To Mr. JOHN MOLE, of a long time now prisoner under the Inquisition at Rome. EPIST. IX. Exciting him to his wont constancy, and encouraging him to Martyrdom. WHat passage can these lines hope to find into that your straight and curious thraldom? Yet who would not adventure the loss of this pains for him, which is ready to lose himself for Christ? what do we not owe to you which have thus given yourself for the common faith? Blessed be the name of that God who hath singled you out for his Champion, and made you invincible: how famous are your bonds? how glorious your constancy? Oh, that out of your close obscurity, you could but see the honour of your suffering, the affections of God's Saints, and in some, an holy envy at your distressed happiness. Those walls cannot hide you: No man is attended with so many eyes from earth and heaven: The Church your Mother beholds you, not with more compassion, than joy: Neither can it be said, how she at once pities your misery, and rejoices in your patience: The blessed Angels look upon you with gratulation and applause. The adversaries with an angry sorrow to see themselves overcome by their captive, their obstinate cruelty over-matched with humble resolution, and faithful perseverance. Your Saviour sees you from above, not as a mere spectator, but as a patiented with you, in you, for you: yea, as an agent in your endurance and victory, giving new courage with the one hand, and holding out a Crown with the other. Whom would not these sights encourage? who now can pity your solitariness? The hearts of all good men are with you. Neither can that place be but full of Angels, which is the continual object of so many prayers, yea the God of heaven was never so near you, as now you are removed from men. Let me speak a bold, but true word. It is as possible for him to be absent from his heaven, as from the prisons of his Saints. The glorified spirits above sing to him; the persecuted souls below, suffer for him, and cry to him; he is magnified in both, present with both; the faith of the one, is as pleasing to him, as the triumph of the other. Nothing obligeth us men so much, as smarting for us; words of defence are worthy of thankes, but pain is esteemed above recompense. How do we kiss the wounds which are taken for our sakes, & profess that we would hate ourselves, if we did not love those that dare bleed for us: How much more shall the God of mercies be sensible of your sorrows, and crown your patience? To whom you may truly sing that ditty of the Prophet, Surely for thy sake am I slain continually, and am counted as a sheep for the slaughter. What need I to stir up your constancy, which hath already amazed, and wearied your persecutors? No suspicion shall drive me hereto; but rather the thirst of your praise. He that exhorts to persist in well-doing, while he persuades, commendeth. Whither should I rather send you, then to the fight of your own Christian fortitude? which neither prayers, nor threats, have been able to shake: Here stands on the one hand, liberty, promotion, pleasure, life, and (which easily exceeds all these) the dear respect of wife and children (whom your only resolution shall make widow and orphans) these with smiles, and vows, and tears, seem to importune you. On the other hand, bondage, solitude, horror, death, (and the most lingering of all miseries) tuine of posterity: these with frowns and menaces labour to affright you: Betwixt both, you have stood unmoved; fixing your eyes either right forward upon the cause of your suffering, or upwards upon the crown of your reward: It is an happy thing when our own actions may be either examples, or arguments of good. These blessed proceed call you on to your perfection; The reward of good beginnings prosecuted, is doubled; neglected, is lost. How vain are those temptations, which would make you a loser of all this praise, this recompense? Go on therefore happily; keep your eyes where they are, and your heart cannot be but where it is, and where it ought: Look still, for what you suffer, and for whom: For the truth, for Christ: what can be so precious as truth? Not life itself. All earthly things are not so vile to life, as life to truth; Life is momentary, Truth eternal; Life is ours, the Truth, Gods: Oh happy purchase, to give our life for the truth. What can we suffer too much for Christ? He hath given our life to us; he hath given his own life for us. What great thing is it, if he require what he hath given us, if ours for his? Yea, rather if he call for what he hath lent us; yet not to bereave but to change it; giving us gold for clay, glory for our corruption. Behold that Saviour of yours weeping, and bleeding, and dying for you: alas! our souls are too straight for his sorrows; we can be made but pain for him; He was made sin for us: we sustain, for him, but the impotent anger of men; he struggled with the infinite wrath of his Father for us. Oh, who can endure enough for him, that hath passed thorough death and hell for his soul? Think this, and you shall resolve with David, I will be yet more vile for the Lord. The worst of the despite of men, is but Death; and that, if they inflict not, a disease will; or if not that, Age. Here is no imposition of that, which would not be; but an hastening of that which will be: an hastening to your gain. For behold, their violence shall turn your necessity, into virtue and profit. Nature hath made you mortal: none but an enemy can make you a Martyr; you must die, though they will not; you cannot die for Christ, but by them: How could they else device to make you happy? since the giver of both life's hath said, He that shall lose his life for my sake shall save it. Lo, this alone is lost with keeping, and gained by loss. Say you were freed, upon the safest conditions, and returning: (as how welcome should that news be, more to yours, then to yourself) perhaps, Death may meet you in the way, perhaps overtake you at home: neither place, nor time, can promise immunity from the common destiny of men: Those that may abridge your hours, cannot lengthen them; and while they last, cannot secure them from vexation; yea, themselves shall follow you into their dust; and cannot avoid what they can inflict; death shall equally tyrannize by them, and over them: so their favours are but fruitless, their malice gainful. For it shall change your Prison into Heaven, your Fetters into a Crown, your jailors to Angels, your misery into glory. Look up to your future estate, and rejoice in the present: Behold, the Tree of Life, the hidden Manna, the Sceptre of Power, the Morning. Star, the white garment, the new name, the Crown, and Throne of Heaven, are addressed for you. Overcome and enjoy them: oh glorious condition of Martyrs! whom conformity in death, hath made like their Saviour in blessedness; whose honour is to attend him for ever, whom they have joyed to imitate. What are these which are arrayed in long white robes, and whence came they? These are (says that heavenly Elder) they which came out of great tribulation, and washed their long Robes, and have made their long Robes white, in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are in the presence of the Throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple: and he that sitteth on the Throne, will dwell among them, and govern them, and lead them unto the lively Fountains of waters, and God shall wipe all tears from their eyes. All the elect have Seals in their foreheads: but Martyrs have Palms in their hands. All the elect have white Robes; Martyrs, both white and long: white, for their glory; long, for the largeness of their glory. Once red with their own blood; now white with the blood of the Lamb: there is nothing in our blood, but weak obedience; nothing but merit in the Lamb's blood. Behold, his merit makes our obedience glorious. You do but sprinkle his feet with your blood; lo, he washes your long white Robes, with his. Every drop of your blood is answered with a stream of his; and every drop of his is worth Rivers of ours: Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his Saints: Precious in prevention, precious in acceptation, precious in remuneration. Oh, give willingly that which you cannot keep, that you may receive what you cannot lose. The way is steep, but now you breathe towards the top. Let not the want of some few steps, lose you an eternal rest. Put to the strength of your own Faith: The prayers of God's Saints shall further your pace; and that gracious hand that sustains heaven and earth, shall uphold, and sweetly draw you up to your glory. Go on to credit the Gospel with your perseverance: and show the falsehearted clients of that Roman-Court, that the Truth yields real and hearty professors; such as dare no less smart, then speak for her. Without the walls of your restraint, where can you look beside encouragements of suffering? Behold in this, how much you are happier than your many predecessors. Those have found friends, or wives, or children, the most dangerous of all tempters. Suggestions of weakness, when they come masked with love, are more powerful to hurt. But you, all your many friends, in the valour of their Christian love, wish rather a blessed Martyr, than a living and prosperous reuolter: yea, your dear wife (worthy of this honour, to be the wife of a Martyr) prefers your faith, to her affection; and in a courage beyond her sex contemns the worst misery of your loss; professing she would redeem your life with hers, but that she would not redeem it with your yeeldance: and while she looks upon those many pawns of your chaste love, your hopeful children, wishes rather to see them fatherless, than their father unfaithful: The greatest part of your sufferings are hers: She bears them with a cheerful resolution: She divides with you in your sorrows, in your patience; she shall not be divided in your glory: For us, we shall accompany you with our prayers, and follow you with our thankful commemorations; vowing to write your name in red letters in the Kalendars of our hearts; and to register it in the monuments of perpetual Records, as an example to all postery, The memorial of the just shall be blessed. To all READERS. EP. X. Containing Rules of good advice for our Christian and civil carriage. I Grant, brevity where it is neither obscure, nor defective, is very pleasing, even to the daintiest judgements. No marvel therefore, if most men desire much good counsel in a narrow room; as some affect to have great personages drawn in little tablets; or, as we see worlds of Countries described in the compass of small maps: Neither do I unwillingly yield to follow them; for both the powers of good advice are the stronger, when they are thus united; and brevity makes counsel more portable for memory, and readier for use. Take these therefore for more; which as I would fain practise, so am I willing to commend. Let us begin with him who is the first and last: Inform yourself aright concerning God; without whom, in vain do we know all things: Be acquainted with that Saviour of yours, which paid so much for you on earth, and now sues for you in heaven; without whom we have nothing to do with God, nor he with us. Adore him in your thoughts, trust him with yourself: Renew your sight of him every day, and his of you. Overlook these earthly things; and when you do at any time cast your eyes upon heaven, think, there dwells my Saviour, there I shall be. Call yourself to often reckon; cast up your debts, payments, graces, wants, expenses, employments; yield not to think your set devotions troublesome: Take not easy denials from yourself; yea, give peremptory denials to yourself: He can never be good that flatters himself: hold nature to her allowance; and let your will stand at courtesy: happy is that man which hath obtained to be the master of his own hearts Think all Gods outward favours and provisions the best for you; your own ability, and actions the meanest. Suffer not your mind to be either a Drudge, or a Wanton; exercise it ever, but over-lay it not: In all your businesses, look through the world, at God; whatsoever is your level, let him be your scope: Every day take a view of your last; and think either it is this, or may be: Offer not yourself either to honour, or labour; let them both seek you: Care you only to be worthy, and you cannot hide you from God. So frame yourself to the time and company, that you may neither serve it, nor sullenly neglect it; and yield so far, as you may neither betray goodness, nor countenance evil. Let your words be few, and digested: It is a shame for the tongue to cry the heart mercy, much more to cast itself upon the uncertain pardon of others ears. There are but two things which a Christian is charged to buy, and not to sell, Time and Truth; both so precious, that we must purchase them at any rate. So use your friends, as those which should be perpetual, may be changeable. While you are within yourself, there is no danger: but thoughts once uttered must stand to hazard. Do not hear from yourself, what you would be loath to hear from others. In all good things, give the eye and ear the full of scope, for they let into the mind: restrain the tongue, for it is a spender. Few men have repent them of silence. In all serious matters, take counsel of days, and nights, and friends; and let leisure ripen your purposes: neither hope to gain aught by suddenness. The first thoughts may be confident, the second are wiser. Serve honesty ever, though without apparent wages: she will pay sure, if slow. As in apparel, so in actions, know not what is good, but what becomes you. How many warrantable acts have misshapen the Authors? Excuse not your own ill, aggravate not others: and if you love peace, avoid censures, comparisons, contradictions. Out of good men choose acquaintance; of acquaintance, friends; of friends, familiars: after probation admit them, and after admittance change them not: Age commendeth friendship. Do not always your best: it is neither wise, nor safe for a man ever to stand upon the top of his strength. If you would be above the expectation of others, be ever below yourself. Expend after your purse, not after your mind: take not where you may deny, except upon conscience of desert, or hope to requite. Either frequent suits, or complaints, are wearisome to any friend. Rather smother your griefs and wants as you may; then be either querulous, or importunate. Let not your face belie your heart, nor always tell tales out of it: he is fit to live amongst friends or enemies, that can be ingenuously close. Give freely, sell thriftily: Change seldom your place, never your state: either amend inconveniences, or swallow them, rather than you should run from yourself to avoid them. In all your reckon for the world, cast up some crosses that appear not; either those will come, or may: Let your suspicions be charitable; your trust fearful; your censures sure. Give way to the anger of the great: The thunder and Cannon will abide no fence. As in throngs we are afraid of loss; so while the world comes upon you, look well to your soul; There is more danger in good then in evil: I fear the number of these my rules; for Precepts are wont (as nails) to drive out one another: but these, I intended to scatter amongst many: and as I was loath that any guest should complain of a niggardly hand; Dainty dishes are wont to be sparingly served out; homely ones supply in their bigness, what they want in their worth. FINIS. PHARISAISME AND CHRISTIANITY. COMPARED AND SET FORTH IN A SERMON AT Paul's Cross, MAY 1. 1608. BY IOS. HALL.. Upon MATTH. 5.20. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, AND MY VERY good Lord, THOMAS, Lord Bishop of LONDON, I. H. wisheth all Grace and Happiness. RIght Reverend and Honourable: I Know there is store of Sermons extant: The Pulpit scarce affordeth more than the Press. I add to the number, and complain not: in all good things abundance is an easy burden. If the soul may feed itself with variety, both by the ear, and by the eye, it hath no reason to find fault with choice. But if any weaker stomach (as in our bodily Tables) shall fear to surfeit at the fight of too much, it is easy for that man to look off, and to confine his eyes to some few: Who cannot much sooner abate to himself, then multiply to another? Let not his nice sullenness prejudice that delight and profit which may arise to others from this number. For me, I dare not be so envious, as not to bless God for this plenty, and seriously to rejoice that God's people may thus liberally feast themselves by both their senses: neither know I for whether more: The sound of the word spoken pierceth more; the letter written endureth longer: the ear is taught more suddenly, more stirringly; the eye with leisure and continuance. According to my poor ability, I have desired to do good both ways; not so much fearing censures, as caring to edify. This little labour submissly offers itself to your Lordship, as justly yours: being both preached at your call, and (as it were) in your charge, and by one under the charge of your fatherly jurisdiction, who unfeignedly desires by all means to show his true heart to God's Church, together with his humble thankfulness to your Lordship: and professeth still to continue Your Lordships in all humble duty and observance, IOS: HALL.. PHARISAISME AND CHRISTIANITY. MATTH. CHAP. 5. Vers. 20. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. THE curious Doctors of the jews had reduced all God's statute-law ●o six hundred and thirteen precepts; Petr. Galat●● de arca● fide●●ath. ad fin ●. Ex glos. Ru●. Shelemo●. so many as there are days in the year, and members in the body. It was an honest and (which were strange) a Christian conceit of one of their Rabbins, that David abridges all these to eleven, in his Psalm 15. Esay to six, in his 33 15. Michai yet lower to three, in his 6, 8. Esay yet again to two, in his 56, 1. Habacue to one, The just man shall live by faith. So ye see, the Law ends in the Gospel: and that Father said not amiss, The Law is the Gospel foretold; Lex est Euangelium praedictum: Euangelium lex completa. and the Gospel is the Law fulfilled. These two are the freehold of a Christian; and what but they? The jews of these times perverted the Law, rejected the Gospel. Our Saviour therefore, that great Prophet of the world (as it was high time) clears the Law, delivers and settles the Gospel, well approving in both these, that he came not to consume, but to consummate the Law. Wherein (as Paul to his Corinth's) he had a great door, but many adversaries: 1 Cor. 16. ●. john 3. Art thou a Master in Israel? amongst these were the great masters of Israel (so our Saviour terms the Pharises) and their fellows (and yet their rivals) the Scribes: both so much harder to oppose, by how much their authority was greater. Truth hath no room till falsehood be removed; Our Saviour therefore (as behooveth) first shows the falsehood of their Glosses, and the hollowness of their profession: and if both their life and doctrine be naught; what free part is there in them? And lo both of these so faulty, that Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. What were the men? What was their righteousness? What wanted it? Fellow me, I beseech you, in these three: and if my discourse shall seem, for a while, more thorny and perplexed, remedy it with your attention. Those things which are out of the ken of sense or memory, must be fetched from Story. The Sect (or order whether) of the Pharises ceased with the Temple; since that, no man reads of a Pharise; and now is grown so fare out of knowledge, that the modern jews are more ready to learn of us who they were: There is no point, wherein it is more difficult to avoid variety, yea ostentation of reading; without any curious traversing of opinions, I study for simple truth, as one that will not lead you out of the rode-way to show you the turnings. Ezr. 6.7 Scribes were ancient; Ezra is called (Sopher tahir) a prompt Scribe. As long before him, so ever since they continued till Christ's time; but in two ranks; some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Some popular, others legal; Some the peoples; others, Gods; the one, Secretaries, Recorders, Notaries, as 2 Chron: 24. jer. 8.8. 11. (Sopher hamelec) the King's Scribe: The other Doctors of the Law of God: The Law of the Lord is with us, in vain made he it, the pen of the Scribe is in vain. As the Pharises were (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;) Law-masters: so these are the same which Luke 11.45. are called (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) interpreters of the Law. Tho to some not mean Critics, it seems these should be a third sort; which consider not that our Saviour on purpose addressing his speech to the Pharises, fell by the way upon the Scribes; and being admonished by one of them, as of an oversight, now avers right down of the Scribes, what before he had but indifferently glanced at. Neh. 8.4. Mat. 23. ●. Clerics Iudaeor●. saith Jerome. What they were, is plain by Ezraes' pulpit, and Moses his chair. These and Pharises differed not so much; they agreed in some good, but in more evil. But the profession of Pharises, because it is more obscure, you shall give me leave to fetch somewhat further. Euseb: eccl. hist. l. 4. c. 22. Erant in circumcisione diversae sententia quae maximè tribu: judae adversabantur, etc. vide Ios. Scalig. resp. ad Serarun. Orig. lib. 5. adverse. Cells. Christianos non habere veram religionem, quòd in varias sectas divisi essent Domus Sam●rai & Hillel. Ar. Mont. in Euan●. An●e adventum Chri●ti, no●●ot & tam blasphemae haereses. iron. lib. ●. Act. 15.5. There were, saith old Egesippus (as Eusebius cities him) diverse opinions in the Circumcision; which all crossed the Tribe of juda: Essens, Galileans, Emerobaptists, Masbutheans, Samaritans, Pharises, Sadduces. It were easy to help him with more, Sebuaeans, Cannaeans, Sampsaeans; and if need were, yet more. Where are those waverers, that stagger in their trust to the Church, because of different opinions, receiving that rotten argument of profane Celsus against the Christians? Say the Papists, one saith I am Caluins, another, I am Luther's. We disclaim, we defy these titles, these divisions: we are one in truth: would God we were yet more one: It is the lace and fringe of Christ's garment that is questioned amongst us, the cloth is sound. But what? Was the jewish Church before Christ, God's true Church, or not? If it were not, which was it? If it were: lo that here rend in more than eight parts, and one of them differing from itself in eighteen opinions: and yet as Irenaeus well observes, before Christ, there were neither so many heresies, nor so blasphemous. Show me a Church on earth without these wrinkles of division, and I will never seek for it in heaven: although to some, Pharisaime seems rather a several order, than a sect: but S. Luke that knew it better, hath (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the sect of the Pharises. When the Profession began, no history recordeth. Some would fain fetch them Esay 65.5. Touch me not, for I am holter than thou. But these strain too fare; for in the verse before, the same men eat Swine's flesh; which to the Pharises is more than piacular. Hear briefly their name, their original, their office. Their name (though it might admit of other probable derivations, yet) by consent of all * In eam conse●tin●nt omnes Hebra●, t●●e Bahal. Harneb, Pagnin. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar. Montanus Ios. Scal. I. Drusius. etc. Hebrew Doctors (I have a great author for it) is fetched from separation; though upon what grounds, all agree not; doubtless for the perfection of their doctrine, and austerity of life. Their original is more intricate; which after some scanning, I have thus learned of some great Masters of jewish Antiquities. Before there was any open breach in the old jewish Church, there were two general and diverse conceits about God's service: One that took up only with the law of God; and if they could keep that, thought they needed no more; neither would they sapere supra scriptum, be wiser than their Maker: These were called (Karraim) of which sort there are diverse at this day in Constantinople, and othere-where, at deadly feode with the other jews, which they now call Rabbinists. The other, that thought it small thankes to do only what they were bidden; God's Law was too strait for their holiness: It was nothing, unless they did more than content God, earn him (for these were popish jews) and supererrogate of him. These were therefore called Chasidim, Holy, above the Law. They plied God with unbidden oblations, gave more than needed, did more than was commanded; yet so, as both parts pleased themselves, resisted not the other. The more frank sort upbraided not the other, with too much niggardliness; neither did the straiter-handed envy the other for too much lavishness. Would God we could do thus. They agreed, though they differed. But now, when these voluntary services began to be drawn into Canons (as Scaliger speaketh) and that which was before but arbitrary, was imposed as necessary, (necessary for belief, necessary for action) questions arose, and the rent began in the jews. Those dogmatic Doctors which stood for supererogation, and traditions above Law, were called (Peruschim) Pharises; separate from the other in strict judgement, in superfluous holiness: These, as they were the brood of those (Chasidim) whom we find first mentioned in the Maccabees, by the corrupt name of Asideans; 1 Mac. 2.47. so from them again, in a second succession proceeded (as their more refined issue) the Essens, Acts 26.5. Eruditius caeteris legem exponunt Phar. Ios. l. 1. de bello jud. c. 4. An old saying, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This ipul. Sammai occid. baut d scipulos Hillel. Epiphaa. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. In nomen Mosis, Acibe, Annae, Filiorium, Assanonaei. Hier. Algasia de 11. questionib. 1 Cor. 1.20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉? Scribae lectionar●j, quasi Scriptuarij vel Textuarij; Pharisei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Drus. Matth. 9 Eodem habitu cum Scribis; multebr: pallio, latis crepedis, & Cal●eamentorum figalis procedentes. Epiphan. Meabavab. Epiph. both Collegiate and Eremitical: These Pharises then, were a fraternity or College of extraordinary devotion; whose rule was Tradition, whose practice voluntary austereness: To them the Scribes joined themselves, as the purer jews; for Paul calls them [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] the most exquisite sect; yea and as (josephus) the best expositors; willingly expounding the Law according to their Traditions, & countenancing their traditions by the forced senses of the Law. Both which professions were greatly enlarged and graced by two famous Doctors, Sammai and Hillel (whom some, though falsely, would have the founders of them) not long before Christ's time; for old Hillel of a 120 years, protracted his days by likely computation, to ten years after Christ's birth. How Hierome fetcheth their names with more witness than probability, from Dissipating and Profaning the Law; and what bicker and deadly quarrels were even amongst themselves in those two famous houses; and what were the four expositions of the Law which they followed, I list not now to discourse. Their employment was, expounding the Law, and urging Traditions; therefore their Auditors had wont to say, when they called one another to Church (as St. Hierome tells us) [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] The wise, that is, the Pharises, expound to day. Whence perhaps, that may be interpreted of S. Paul to the Corinth's, Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? So did the Scribes too; but the difference was, that the Scribes were more textual, the Pharises more Traditional: therefore observe, that the Scribe finds fault with the suspicion of blasphemy; the Pharise, with vnwashen hands: the Scribes (their Doctors) excelled for learning, the Pharises for piety. Their attire was the same, and their fashions: but the Pharises had [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] more sway; and were more strict and Cappucine-like; professed more years continency; and in a word, took more pains to go to hell. These did so carry away the hearts of the jews, that there was no holy man, which was not termed a Pharisee; and therefore among the seven kinds of Pharises in their Taimud, they make Abraham a Pharisee of Love, job a Pharisee of Fear. And if from the men you cast your eyes upon their righteousness, you cannot but wonder at the curiosity of their zeal. Wherein look (I beseech you) first at their devotion, than their holy carriage, lastly their strict observation of the Law. Such was their devotion, that they prayed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] as a Father saith, oft and long: thrice a day was ordinary; at nine, twelve, and three a clock: yea their progenitors (whom they would scorn not to match) divided the day into three parts; Chasidim. whereof one was bestowed on prayer, the next on the Law, the third on their work. See here, God had two parts of three, themselves but one: beside, at their meals what strictness? Praec. Mosaica came expos. Rabbinorum à Munster. ed. Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Epiphan. Hier. in Mat. 23. Acutissimas in eyes spinas ligabant, ut ambulintes & sedent●s ●●orgerentur & idm. nerentur offi ●j. I sephus. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Qui ci medit panem samaritictur ac si c●m●deret s●ill●m. Precept. Mos. cum expos. Rab. á 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the new Testament the common people. Unapt ex sex opprobrijs vitandis a discipulis sapientum, Comessatio cum populo t●rrae. Ar. Mont. in Euan. Epiphan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mark. 7.3. Praec. Mos. cum expos. Rab. Epiphan. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Montan. in loc. Praec. Mos. cum expos. Their very disciples were taught (to shame us Christians) if they had forgotten to give thankes, to return from the field to the board to say grace. For divine service; the Decalogue must be read once a day of every man: the Scribes say the first watch; the Pharises, any hour of the night: others, twice, without moving eye, hand, foot, in a clean place, free from any excrement, and four cubits distant from any sepulchre. For fasting, they did it twice a week; not popishly (which Wickliff justly calls Foole-fasting) but in earnest; on Monday and Thursday. Besides (to omit their alms, which were every way proportionable to the rest) what miserable penance did they wilfully? They beat their heads against the walls, as they went, till blood came: whence one of their seven Pharises is called (Kizai) a Pharise-draw-bloud: They put thorns in their skirts, to sting them themselves; they lay, on planks; on stones, on thorns: and Banus that Hermiticall Pharisee drenched himself oft, night and day, in cold water [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] for chastity; or (if you read it without an aspiration) it signifies for folly rather: what could that apish and stigmatical Friar have done either more or worse? This was their devotion. The holiness of their carriage was such, that they avoided every thing that might carry any doubt of pollution: they would not therefore converse with any different religion; and this Law went currant amongst them: He that eats a Samaritans bread, be as he that eats swines-flesh. An Hebrew Midwife might not help a Gentile; not books, not wax, not incense, might be sold to them: yea, no familiarity might be suffered with their own vulgar. For whereas there were three ranks among the jews; the wise, (those were the Pharises) their Disciples, and the populus terrae, (as they called them) this was one of the six reproaches to a novice of the Pharises, To eat with the vulgar sort: and lest (when they had been abroad) they should have been touched by any, contrary to the warning of their phylacteries, they scour themselves at their return; and eat not, unless they have washed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] that is, accurately, as the Syriac; oft, as Erasmus; or with the gripped fist, as Beza following Hierome. And not with every water (mark the niceness) but with that only which they had drawn up with their own labour: and to make up the measure of their pretended sanctimony, they vowed continency, not perpetual (as our Romanists urge) but for eight or ten years. Thus they did unbidden. How strictly did they perform what was enjoined? No men so exact in their tithes: I pay tithes of all, saith the boasting Pharisee: Of all (as a great Doctor noteth) it was more than he needed. God would have a Sabbath kept; they over-keepe it. They would not on that day stop a running vessel, not lay an apple to the fire, not quench a burning, not knock on a table to still a child: what should I note more? not rub or scratch in public. God commands them to wear (Totaphoth) phylacteries: Vex Egyptiaca. Versus quidam ex lege Mosis in pergameno scripti. sez. 14. priores 13. Exo. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 6. Deut. Pagn. Quo ferrum vim assandi habet. Praec. Mos. cum expos. Ibid. they do (which our Saviour reproves) [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] enlarge them: and these must be written with right lines in a whole parchment of the hide of a clean beast. God commands to celebrate and roast the Passeover; they will have it done (in an excess of care) not with an iron, but a wooden spit, and curiously choose the wood of Pomegranate: God commanded to avoid Idolatry; they taught their Disciples, if an Image were in the way, to fetch about some other; if they must needs go that way, to run: and if a thorn should light in their foot (near the place) not to kneel, but sit down to pull it out, lest they should seem to give it reverence. I weary you with these jewish niceties. Consider then how devout, how liberal, how continent, how true dealing, how zealous, how scrupulous, how austere these men were, and see if it be not a wonder that our Saviour thus brandeth them; Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven: That is, If your doctrine be not more righteous, you shall not be entered of the Church: if your holiness be not more perfect, you shall not enter into heaven: behold, God's kingdom below and above is shut upon them. The poor jews were so besotted with the admiration of these two, that they would have thought if but two men must go to heaven, the one should be a Scribe, the other a Pharisee. What strange news was this from him that kept the keys of David, that neither of them should come there? It was not the person of these men, not their learning, not wit, not eloquence, not honour they admired so much, but their righteousness: and lo nothing but their righteousness is censured: Herein they seemed to exceed all men: herein all that would be saved, must exceed them. Do but think how the amazed multitude stared upon our Saviour, when they heard this Paradox. Exceed the Pharises in righteousness. It were much for an Angel from heaven. What shall the poor sons of the earth do, if these worthies be turned away with a repulse? yea perhaps, yourselves, all that hear me this day, receive this not without astonishment and fear, whiles your consciences secretly comparing your holiness with theirs, find it to come as much short of theirs, as theirs of perfection. And would to God you could fear more, and be more amazed with this comparison; for (to set you forward) must we exceed them, or else not be saved? If we let them exceed us, what hope, what possibility is there of our salvation? Ere we therefore show how fare we must go before them, look back with me (I beseech you) a little, and see how fare we are behind them. They taught diligently, and kept Moses his chair warm: How many are there of us, Matth. 23.3. whom the great Master of the Vineyard may find loitering in this public marketplace, and shake us by the shoulder with a Quid statis otiosi? Why stand you here idle? They compassed sea and land (Satan's walk) to make a proselyte: we sit still and freeze in our zeal, and lose proselytes with our dull and wilful neglect. They spent one quarter of the day in prayer: how many are there of us that would not think this an unreasonable service of God? We are so fare from this extreme devotion of the old Euchita, Correcti à Concilio Toletan. Bellar. that we are rather worthy of a censure with those Spanish Priests for our negligence. How many of you Citizens can get leave of Mammon to bestow one hour of the day in a set course, upon God? How many of you Lawyers, are first clients to God, ere you admit others, clients to you? How many of you have your thoughts fixed in Heaven, ere they be in Westminster? Alas, what dulness is this? what injustice? All thy hours are his, and thou wilt not lend him one of his own for thine own good. They read, they recited the Law, (some) twice a day; never went without some parts of it about them: but to what effect? There is not one of our people (saith josephus) but answers to any question of the Law as readily as his own name. Quilibet nostrum de lege interrogatus, facilius quam nemen suum respondet. Ios. cone● App. lib. 2. How shall their diligence upbraid, yea condemn us? Alas! how do our Bible's gather dust for want of use, while our Chronicle, or our Statute-booke, yea perhaps our idle and scurrilous playbooks, are worn with turning? Oh how happy were our forefathers (whose memory is blessed for ever) if they could with much cost and more danger get but one of Paul's Epistles in their bosoms; how did they hug it in their arms, hide it in their chest, yea in their hearts! How did they eat, walk, sleep, with that sweet companion, and in spite of persecution, never thought themselves well, but when they conversed with it in secret! Lo now these shops are all open, we buy them not; these books are open, we read them not, and we will be ignorant because we will. The Sun shines and we shut our windows. It is enough for the miserable Popish Laity to be thus dark, that live in the perpetual night of Inquisition. Shall this be the only difference betwixt them and us; that they would read the holy leaves, and may not; we may, and will not? There is no ignorance, to the wilful. I stand not upon a formal and verbal knowledge: that was never more frequent, more flourishing. But if the main grounds of Christianity were throughly settled in the hearts of the multitude, we should not have so much cause of shame and sorrow, nor our adversaries of triumph and insultation. Show less therefore for God's sake, and learn more; and ballast your wavering heart with the sound truth of Godliness, that you may fly steadily thorough all the tempests of errors. Make God's Law of your learned counsel with David, and be happy: Matth. 8.12. Else if you will needs love darkness, you shall have enough of it: you have here inward darkness, there outward [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] This is your own darkness, Choshet Aphelab. Tenebrae caliginis. that his of whom the Psalmist; He sent darkness, and it was dark: Dark indeed: A thick and terrible darkness, joined with weeping and gnashing. I urge not their awful reverence in their devotion, our sleepy or wild carelessness; their austere and rough discipline of the body, our wanton pampering of the flesh; though who can abide to think of a chaste Pharisee, & a filthy Christian? a temperate Pharise, & a drunken Christian? how shamefully is this latter vice (especially) grown upon us with time? we knew it once in our ordinary speech appropriated to beggars, now gallants fight for it. This beastliness had wont be bashful, now it is impudent; once children were wont to shout at a drunkard (as some foul wonder) now not to be drunk is quarrel enough among men, among friends: Those knees that we were wont to bow to the God of Heaven, are now bend to Bacchus, in a paganish, bestial, devilish devotion. To leave the title of Christians, for shame let us be either men or beasts. My speech hastens to their holy and wise strictness of carriage; wherein I can never complain enough of our inequality: They hated the presence, the fire, the fashion, the books of a Gentile, of a Samaritane; neither was there any hatred lost on the Samaritans part; In aquam se cum vestibus immergunt ubi contigerent aliquem ex alia gente. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; etc. Epiph. for if he had but touched a jew, he would have thrown himself into the water, clothes and all: both of them equally sick of a Noli me tangere; Touch me not, for I am holier, Esay 65. Our Romish Samaritans haunt our tables, our closerts, our ears; we frown not, we dislike not: We match, converse, confer, consult with them carelessly, as if it were come to the old stay of that indifferent Apelles in Eusebius; Sat est credere in crucifixum: but that which I most lament, and ye, Fathers and Brethren, if my voice may reach to any whom it concerneth, in the bowels of Christ let me boldly (though most unworthy) move your wisdoms, your care to redress it. Our young students (the hope of posterity) newly crept out of the shell of Philosophy, spend their first hours in the great Doctors of popish controversies; Bellarmine is next to Aristotle: yea, our very ungrounded Artisans, young Gentlemen, frail Women, buy, read, traverse promiscuously the dangerous Writings of our subtlest jesuites. What is the issue? Many of them have taken poison, ere they know what milk is; and when they have once tasted this bane, they must drink & die. Oh what pity, what vexation is it to a true heart, to see us thus robbed of our hopes; them of their souls! I have heard, yea I have seen and envied the cautelous severity of our Adversaries, which upon the deepest pains forbidden the sale, yea the sight of those Authors, which they term infectious; where was ever Caluin publicly bought in one of their Churchyards? where ever read without licence, without security? I censure not this as the peculiar fault of this place: would God this open remissness were not a common evil, and had not spread itself wide thorough all those Churches that are gone out of Babylon. Barthol. Brixensis. Let no man tell me of the distinction of that old Canonist: Some things (saith he) we read lest they should be neglected, as the Bible; some lest they should be unknown, as Arts and Philosophy; some that they may be rejected, as Heretical books. True; But let them read that can reject, that can confute; we distrust not our cause, but their weak judgements. A good Apothecary can make a good medicine of a strong poison; must children therefore be allowed that box? I know how unworthy I am to advice; only I throw down myself at your feet, and beseech you, that our losses and their examples may make us no less wise in our generation. Matth. 23.13. I follow the comparison; They paid tithes of all they had: not a pot-hearbe, but they tithed it. Hear this ye sacrilegious Patrons, the merchants of souls, the Pirates of the Church, the enemies of religion; they tithed all; you nothing; they paid to their Levites, your Levites must pay to you: Your cures must be purchased, your tithes abated or compounded for: O the shame of Religion! How too justly may I usurp of you that of Seneca? Petty sacrileges are punished, while great ones ride in triumph. Never excuse it with pretence of Ceremony; Moses never gave so strict a charge for this, as Paul [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] communicate all thy goods with thy Teacher; Gal. 6.6. All, with an emphasis. Welfare yet the honest Pharises, whose rule was: (Decima ut diues fias) Tithe and be rich: If ever thou be the fatter for this gravel, or the richer with that thou stealest from God, let me come to beg at thy door. Woe to you spiritual robbers. Our blind forefathers clothed the Church; you despoil it: their ignorant devotion shall rise in judgement against your ravening covetousness. If robbery, simony, perjury will not carry you to hell; hope still that you may be saved. They gave plentiful alms to the poor: we in stead of filling their bellies, grind their faces. What excellent Laws had we lately enacted that there should be no beggar in Israel? Let our streets, ways, hedges, witness the execution. Thy liberality relieves some poor. It is well. But hath not thy oppression made more? Thy usury, extorting, racking, enclosing, hath wounded whole Villages, and now thou befriendest two or three with the plasters of thy bounty. The mercies of the wicked are cruel. They were precise in their Sabbath; we so lose in our, as if God had no day: See whether our Taverns, streets, hie-wayes descry any great difference. These things I vowed in myself to reprove; if too bitterly, (as you think) pardon (I beseech you) this holy impatience: and blame the foulness of these vices, not my just vehemency. And you (Christian hearers) than which no name can be dearer: be persuaded to ransack your secure hearts; and if there be any of you whose awaked conscience strikes him for these sins, and places him below these jews in this unrighteousness, if you wish or care to be saved, think it high time, as you would ever hope for entrance into God's kingdom, to strike yourselves on the thigh, and with amazement and indignation to say, What have I done? to abandon your wicked courses; to resolve, to vow, to strive unto a Christian and conscionable reformation. Paul, a Pharise, Phil. 6.3. was according to the righteousness of the Law unreprovable: yet if Paul had not gone from Gamaliels' feet, to CHRIST'S, he had never been saved. Vnreproveable, and yet rejected? Alas, my brethren, what shall become of our gluttony, drunkenness, pride, oppression, bribing, cousenages, adulteries, blasphemies, and ourselves for them? God and men reprove us for these; what shall become of us? If the civilly righteous shall not be saved, where shall the notorious sinner appear? A Christian below a jew? For shame, where are we? where is our emulation? Heaven is our goal, we all run; lo the Scribes and Pharises are before thee; what safety can it be to come short of those that come short of heaven? Except your righteousness, etc. You have seen these Scribes and Pharises; their righteousness and our unrighteousness. See now with like patience, their unrighteousness that was, and our righteousness that must be: wherein they failed, and we must exceed. They failed then in their Traditions and Practice. May I say they failed, when they exceeded? Their Traditions exceeded in number and prosecution, faulty in matter. To run well, but out of the way (according to the Greek proverb) is not better than to stand still. Fire is an excellent thing: but if it be in the top of the chimney, it doth mischief rather. It is good to be zealous in spite of all scoffs, Gal. 4.13. but [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] in a good thing. If they had been as hot for God, as they were for themselves, it had been happy: but now in vain they worship me (saith our Saviour) teaching for doctrines the Traditions of men. Hence was that axiom received currently amongst their jewish followers: There is more in the words of the wise, than in the words of the Law: More; Plus est in verbis sapien●um quam in verbis legis. Galatin. Serarius. Non malè compara●i Pharisaeos Catholicis. that is, more matter, more authority: and from this principally arises and continues that mortal quarrel betwixt them and their (Karraim) and (Minim) unto this day. A great jesuite (at least that thinks himself so) writes thus in great earnest: The Pharises (saith he) may not unfitly be compared to our Catholics. Some men speak truth ignorantly, some unwillingly; Caiaphas never spoke truer, when he meant it not: one egg is not liker to another, than the Tridentine Fathers to these Pharises in this point, besides that of freewill, merit, full performance of the Law, which they absolutely received from them: For mark, Pari pietatis affecta & reverentia, Trans iones una cum libris veteris & novi Testamentis●, spicimus & veneram●r. Decr. 1. Sess. 4. Nolo verba quae scripta non sunt legt. With the same reverence and devotion do we receive and respect Traditions, that we do the Books of the Old and New Testament, say those Fathers in their fourth Session: Hear both of these speak, and see neither; if thou canst discern whether is the Pharise, refuse me in a greater truth. Not that we did ever say with that Arrian in Hilary: We debar all words that are not written: or would think fit with those fanatical Anabaptists of Munster, that all books should be burnt besides the Bible: some Traditions must have place in every Church; but, Their place: they may not take wall of Scripture: Substance may not in our valuation give way to circumstance, God forbidden. If any man expect that my speech on this opportunity should descend to the discourse of our contradicted ceremonies, let him know that I had rather mourn for this breach than meddle with it. God knows how willingly I would spend myself into persuasions if those would avail any thing: but I well see that tears are fit for this Theme than words. The name of our mother is sacred, and her peace precious. As it was a true speech cited from that Father by Bellarmine: Bellum Hereticorum pax est Ecclesiae: ex Hilario Bellar. The war of Heretics is the peace of the Church: so would God our experience did not invert it upon us: The war of the Church is the peace of Heretics. Our discord is their music; our ruin their glory: On what a sight is this, Brethren strive, while the enemy stands still, and laughs, and triumphs. If we desired the grief of our common mother, the languishing of the Gospel, the extirpation of Religion, the loss of posterity, the advantage of our adversaries, which way could these be better effected than by our dissensions? Isc●●●●. That Spanish Prophet in our Age (for so I find him styled) when King Philip asked him how he might become master of the Low-Countries, answered: If he could divide them from themselves: According to that old Machivellian principle of our jesuites, Divide and Rule. And indeed it is concord only (as the Poesy or Mot of the united States runs) which hath upheld them in a rich and flourishing estate against so great and potent enemies. Concordiâ res paruae crescunt, etc. Our Adversaries already brag of their victories: and what good heart can but bleed to see what they have gained since we dissented; to foresee what they will gain? They are our mutual spoils that have made them proud and rich. Nostrâ miseriâ tu es magnus. de Pomp. Mimus. If you ever therefore look to see the good days of the Gospel, the unhorsing and confusion of that strumpet of Rome, for God's sake, for the Church's sake, for our own soul's sake, let us all compose ourselves to peace and love: Oh pray for the peace of jerusalem: that peace may be within her walls and prosperity within her palaces. For the matter of their Traditions, our Saviour hath taxed them in many particulars; about washings, oaths, offerings, retribution: whereof he hath said enough when he hath termed their doctrine, the Leaven of the Pharises, that is, sour and swelling. Saint Hierome reduces them to two heads: In Matth. 23. They were Turpia, anilia; some so shameful that they might not be spoken; others idle and dotish; both so numerous that they cannot be reckoned. Take a taste for all; and to omit their real Traditions, hear some of their interpretative. Praec. Mos. cum expos. Rab. The Law was, that no Leper might come into the Temple; their Tradition was, if he were let down thorough the roof, this were no irregularity. The Law was, Ibid. a man might not carry a burden on the Sabbath: their Traditional gloss; Ibid. if he carried aught on one shoulder it was a burden; if on both, none. If shoes alone, no burden; if with nails, not tolerable. Their stint of a Sabbaths journey was a thousand cubits; their gloss was, That this is to be understood without the walls: but if a man should walk all day thorough a City as big as Ninene, he offends not. The Church of Rome shall vie strange glossems and ceremonious observations with them, Sacrarum Ceremoniarum lib. 1. accipit de gremic Camerarij pecuniam, ubi nihil tamen est argenti; spargensque in populos dicit: Aurun & argentum non est mihi: quod autem habeo, hoc tibi do. Canon. Penitential. pag. 1. Numb. 12. Ezec. 4. Luc. 5. Otho Frisingensis in praefat. In Matth. 23. whether for number or for ridiculousness. The day would fail me if I should either epitomise the volume of their holy rites, or gather up those which it hath omitted. The new elected Pope in his solemn Lateran procession must take copper money out of his Chamberlains lap, and scatter it among the people; and say; Gold and silver have I none. Seven years penance is enjoined to a deadly sin; because Miriam was separated seven days for her leprosy; and God says to Ezekiel, I have given thee a day for a year. Christ said to Peter, Launch forth into the deep: therefore he meant that Peter's successor should catch the great fish of Constantine's donation. But I favour your ears. That one I may not omit, how S. Hierome, whom they fond term their Cardinal, compares some Popish fashions of his time with the Pharisaical; who when he had spoken of their purple fringes in the four corners of their (Tallin) and the thorns which these Rabbins tie in their skirts, for penance, and admonition of their duty: Hoc apud nos (saith he) superstitiosae muliercula in parvulis Euangelijs, in crucis ligno & istinsmodi rebus factitant: That is, Thus superstitious old wives do amongst us with little Gospels of john, with the wood of the Cross, and the like. Thus that Father directly taxeth this Romish use: who if he were now alive, and should hear their Church groaning under the number of Ceremonies more than the jewish, would (besides holy Austin complaint) redouble that censure of our Saviour's, Matth. 23.4. Woe to you Scribes, Pharises, hypocrites: for ye bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders. I forbear to speak of the erroneous opinions of these jewish Masters concerning that Pythagorean transanimation or passage of the soul from one body to another (a point which the jews had learned from them, Vide Drusium de tribus sectis jud. Alia Doctrina. Matth. 16.14.) concerning the not-rising up of the wicked, Astronomical destiny, freewill, merit of works, perfection of obedience; in every of which it were easy to lose myself and my speech. I haste to their main unrighteousness; which was not so much the planting of these stocks, which God never set, Pharisae●rum, quae est nisi legis secundum carnem obseruatio. Hier. in Gal. 1. as the graffing of all holiness and God's service, upon them; a fashionable observation of the outward letter, with neglect of the true substance of the Law; a vainglorious ostentation of piety and perfection; and more care to be thought, than to be good; a greater desire to be great, than good; cruelty and oppression coloured with devotion. My speech now towards the closure shall draw itself up within these two lists; of their Hypocrisy, their Worldliness; Hypocrisy in fashionableness and Ostentation; Worldliness in Covetousness, Ambition. Only stir up yourselves a while, and suffer not your Christian attention to fail in this last act. Some of their Rabbins say well, that God requires two things concerning his Law; Custody and Worke. Custody in the heart; work in the execution: These unsound and overly Pharises did neither. It was enough if they kept the Law in their hands; so they had a formal show of godliness, it was enough; 2 Tim. 3.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. if the outside of the platter were clean, they cared for no more. God had charged them to bind the Law to their hand, and before their eyes, Deut. 6. wherein, as Jerome and Theophylact well interpret it, he meant the meditation and practice of his Law: they, like unto the foolish Patient, which when the Physician bids him take that prescript, eats up the paper; if they could get but a lift of parchment upon their left arm next their heart, and another scroll to tie upon their forehead, and four corners of fringe, Si haec prohibeantur, filum rubrum ponent in manu. Praec. Mos. cum expos. or (if these be denied) a red thread in their hand, thought they might say with SAUL, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have done the commandment of the Lord. That Opus operatum of the Papists (for I still parallel them) is not more false Latin then false Divinity: it is not the outside of thy obedience that God cares for, if never so holy, never so glorious; it is enough that men are cozened with these flourishes: the heart and the reines are those that God looks after. What cares a good market-man how good the fleece be, when the liver is rotten? God doth not regard fashion so much as stuff. Thou deceivest thyself, if thou think those shows that bleared the eyes of the world, can deceive him. God shall smite thee thou whited wall, God shall smite thee. Dost thou think he sees not how smoothly thou hast daubed on thine whorish complexion? He sees thee a far off, and hates thee while thy parasites applaud thy beauty. I speak not of this carrion flesh which thou wantonly infectest with the false colours of thy pride, which God shall once wash off with rivers of brimstone: I speak of thy painted soul, and thy counterfeit obedience. Give me leave (yea let me take it) to complain that we are fallen into a cold and hollow age, wherein the religion of many is but fashion, and their piety gilded superstition: Men care only to seem Christians; if they can get God's livery on their backs, and his name in their mouths, they outface all reproofs. How many are there, which if they can keep their Church, give an alms, bow their knee, say their prayers, pay their tithes, and once a year receive the Sacrament (it matters not how corrupt hearts, how filthy tongues, how false hands they bear) can say in their hearts with Esau, I have enough my brother? As if God cared for this thy vain formality; as if he hated thee not so much more than a Pagan, by how much thou wouldst seem more good. Be not deceived: If long devotions, sad looks, hard penances, bountiful alms, would have carried it (without the solid substance of godliness) these Scribes and Pharises had never been shut out of heaven. Consider this therefore (dear brethren) none but your own eyes can look into your hearts: we see your faces, the world sees your lives; if your lives be not holy, your heart's sound, though your faces were like Angels, you shall have your portion with Devils. Tell not me thou hearest, prayest, talkest, believest: How livest thou? What dost thou? Show me thy faith by thy works, saith james. It was an excellent answer that good Moses gave to Lucius in the church-story: The faith that is seen, Socrat. eccl. hist. is better than the faith that is heard; and that of Luther not inferior, that faith doth pinguescere operibus, grow fat and well-liking with good works. It is a lean starved carcase of faith thou pretendest without these. If profession be all, the Scribes and Pharises are before thee. Ransack thy heart, and find sound affection to God, firm resolutions to goodness, true hatred of sin: ransack thy life, and find the truth of works, the life of obedience; then alone thy righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, and thou shalt enter into Heaven. Their ostentation follows; wherein it is strange to consider, how those that cared not to be good, should desire yet to seem good: so did these Pharises. They would not fast without a smeared face, nor give an alms without a trumpet, nor pray without witnesses. Scribes, Pharises, hypocrites. They did act a religious part, they did but play devotion. They were nothing beside the stage: all for sight, nothing for substance. Would God this vice of hypocrisy had either died with them, or had only hereditarily descended to their successors. Satan will not let us be thus happy. I see no man's heart: but I dare boldly say, the world is full of hypocrisy. By their fruits ye shall know them (saith our Saviour:) By their fruits; not by the blossoms of good purposes, nor the leaves of good profession, but by the fruits of their actions. Not to speak, how our mint and cummin hath encroached upon judgement and justice: Search yourselves (ye Citizens:) now you draw near to God with your lips, with yoar ears, where is your heart? Here your devout attention seems to cry, The Lord is God: how many are there of you, that have any God at home? how many that have a false God? God at Church; Mammon in your shops? I speak not of all; God forbidden. This famous City hath in the darkest, in the wantonest times, afforded (and so doth) many, that have done God honour, honesty to the Gospel. But how many are there of you that under smooth faces have foul consciences? Fair words, false measures, forsworn valuations, adulterate wares, griping usuries, have filled many of your coffers, and festered your souls: You know this, and yet like salomon's Courtesan you wipe your mouths, and it was not you. Your alms are written in Church-windowes, your defraudings in the sand; all is good save that which appears not. How many are there every where, that shame religion by professing it? whose beastly life makes God's truth suspected: for as, howsoever the Samaritan, not the jew, relieved the distressed traveller, yet the jews religion was true, not the Samaritans; so in others, truth of causes must not be judged by acts of persons; yet, as he said, It must needs be good that Nero persecutes; so who is not ready to say, It cannot be good that such a miscreant professes? Woe to thee Hypocrite, thou canst not touch, not name goodness, but thou defilest it; God will plague thee for acting so high a part: See what thou art, and hate thyself; or (if not that) yet see how God hates thee: he that made the heart, says thou art no better than an handsome tomb; the house of death. Behold here a green turf, or smooth marble, or engraven brass, and a commending Epitaph; all sightly: but what is within? an unsavoury, rotten carcase. Tho thou were wrapped in gold, and perfumed with never so loud prayers, holy semblances, honest protections; yet thou art but noisome carrion to God: Of all earthly things, God cannot abide thee; and if thou wouldst see how much lower yet his detestation reacheth, know that when he would describe the torments of Hell, he calls them (as their worst title) but the portion of hypocrites. Wherefore cleanse your hands ye sinners, jam. 8.4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. and purge your hearts ye double-minded: For unless your righteousness exceed the hypocritical righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. My speech must end in their Covetousness and Ambition: A pair of heinous vices. I join them together: for they are not only brethren, but twins; yet so as the elder here also serves the younger. It is ambition that blows the fire of Covetousness. Oppression gets wealth; that wealth may procure honour. Why do men labour to be rich, but that they may be great? Their Covetousness was such, that their throat (an open sepulchre) swallowed up whole hoases of Widows. Whence their goods are called by our Saviour [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Luc. 13.41. as if they were already in their bowels: and which was worst of all, while their lips seemed to pray, they were but chewing of that morsel. Their Ambition such, that they womanishly brawled and shouldered for the best seat; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Matth. 23.6. the highest pew: A title, a wall, a chair, a cap, a knee, these were goodly cares for them that professed gravity, humility, mortification. Let me boldly say, jerusalem never yielded so very Pharises as Rome. These old disciples of Sammai and Hillel were not Pharises in comparison of our jesuites. From judgement (you see) I am descended to practise: wherein it is no less easily made good that these are more kindly Pharises, than the ancient. A poor Widow's Cottage filled the paunch of an old Pharise; How many fair Patrimonies of devout young Gentlemen * A word which the Se●●r●s report (in their Quodlibet) usual amongst them, to signify beguiled and wiped of their inheritance; from the example of M. Henry Drury of Lawshall in Suffolk so defeated by the jesuits. As at Winnoxberg in Flanders near Dunkirk, where a rich Legacy given by a charitable Lady for the building of an Hospital, was cunningly turned to the maintenance of jesuites. Sacr. cerem. l. 1. de Conse. Benedict. & coron. Pontif. Postea Imperator si praesens est stapham equi Papalis tenet, & dem ducit equum per froenun aliquantulum. And afterward: Dum Imperator haec officia praestat, debet Papa modeste recusare: tande● cum aliquibus bonis verbis recipiendo permittit aliquamtulum progred● etc. That is, while the Emperor doth these services to the Pope, of holding his stirrup and ●ading his horse by the bridle, the Pope ought modestly to refuse: but at last with some good words, he suffers him to go on a while; and then at last states himself, etc. Act. 9.8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Give me not poverty nor riches. Prou. 30.8. Druryed by them, (pardon the word, it is their own; the thing I know and can witness) have gone down the throat of these Loyalists, let their own Quodlibet and Catechism report. What speak I of secular inheritances? these eyes have seen no mean houses of devotion and charity swallowed up by them. As for their ambitious insinuations, not only all their own Religions enviously cry down, but the whole world sees and rings of. What oar of state can stir without their rowing? What Kingdom either stands or falls without their intermeddling? What noble Family complains not of their proling and stealth? And all this with a stern face of sad piety and stern mortification. Yea what other is their great Master, but the King of Pharises? who, under a pretence of simple piety, challenges without shame to have devoured the whole Christian world, the natural inheritances of secular Princes, by the foisted name of Peter's patrimony, and now in most infamous and shameless ambition calls great Emperors to his stir up, yea to his footstool. But what wander we so far from home? Vae nobis miseris (saith S. Jerome) ad quos Pharisaeorum vitia tranfierunt, (Woe to us wretched men, to whom the Pharises vices are derived.) The great Doctor of the Gentiles long ago said, All seek their own, and not the things of God; and is the world mended with age? would God we did not find it a sure rule; that (as it is in this little world) the older it grows, the more diseased, the more covetous: we are all too much the true sons of our great grandmother; and have each of us an Eues sweet tooth in our heads, we would be more than we are: and every man would be either (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) 〈◊〉 (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) either the man, or somebody. If a number of your consciences were ripped, O ye that would be Christian Gentlemen, Lawyers, Citizens, what do we think would be found in your maws? Here the devoured patrimony of poor Orphans; there the commons of whole Towneships; here the impropriate goods of the Church; there piles of usury; here bribes and unlawful fees; there the raw and indigested gobbets of Simony: yea, would God I might not say, but I must say it, with fear, with sorrow, even of our sacred and divine profession, that which our Saviour of his Twelve, Ye are clean, but not all. The multitude of our unregarded Charges, and souls dying and starved, for want of spiritual provision, (while they give us bodily) would condemn my silence for too partial. In all conditions of men (for particulars are subject to envy and exception) the daughters of the horseleech had never such a fruitful generation: They cry still, Give, Give: not give alone, that is, the bread of sufficiency; but give, give, that is, more than enough. But what is more than enough? What is but enough? What is not too little for the insatiable gulf of humane desires? Every man would engross the whole world to himself, and with that ambitious conqueror fears ●t will be too little: and how few Agurs are there, that pray against too much? From hence 〈◊〉, that ye Courtiers grate upon poor Trades with hard Monopolies. Hence, ye Merchants load them with deep and unreasonable prices, and make them pay dear for days. Hence, ye great men wring the poor sponges of the Commonalty into your private purses; for the maintenance of pride and excess. Hence, ye cormorant Corne-mongers hatch up a dearth in the time of plenty. God sends grain, but many times the Devil sends garners. The earth hath been no niggard in yielding: but you have been lavish in transporting, and close in concealing. Never talk of our extreme frosts: we see God's hand, and kiss the rod; but if your hearts, your charity, were not more frozen than ever the earth was, mean Housekeepers should not need to beg, nor the meanest to starve for want of bread. Hence lastly, our loud oppressions of all sorts cry to heaven, and are answered with threats, yea with variety of vengeances. Take this with thee yet, O thou worldling, which hast the greedy-worme under thy tongue with Esaies' dogs, and never hast enough; Thou shalt meet with two things as unsatiable as thyself: the Grave and Hell; and thou, whom all the world could not satisfy, there be two things whereof thou shalt have enough: Enough would in the grave, enough fire in hell. I love not to end with a judgement; and as it were to let my Sun set in a cloud. We are all Christians, we should know the world what it is, how vain, how transitory, how worthless. We know where there are better things, which we profess ourselves made for, and aspiring to: Let us use the world like itself, and leave this importunate wooing of it, to Heathens and Infidels, that know no other heaven, no other God. Or if you like that counsel better; Be covetous: Be ambitious: Covet spiritual gifts, 1 Cor. 14.1. Never think you have grace enough; desire more, seek for more: this alone is worthy your affections, worthy your cares: Be still poor in this, that you may be rich; be rich that you may be full; be full that you may be glorious. Be ambitious of favour, of honour, of a kingdom; of God's favour, of the honour of Saints, of the Kingdom of glory: whither, he that bought it for us, and redeemed us to it, in his good time, safely and happily bring us. To that blessed Saviour of ours, together with the Father and his good Spirit, the God of all the world, our Father, Redeemer, and Comforter, be given all praise, honour, and glory now and for ever. Amen. FJNJS. THE PASSION SERMON. PREACHED AT PAUL'S CROSS ON GOOD-FRIDAY. April. 14. 1609. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE ONLY HONOUR AND GLORY OF GOD MY DEAR AND BLESSED SAVIOUR (WHICH HATH DONE AND SUFFERED ALL THESE THINGS FOR MY SOUL.) HIS WEAK AND UNWORTHY SERVANT HUMBLY DESIRES TO CONSECRATE HIMSELF AND HIS POOR LABOURS: BESEECHING HIM TO ACCEPT AND BLESS THEM TO THE PUBLIC GOOD, AND TO THE PRAISE OF HIS OWN GLORIOUS NAME. TO THE READER. I Desire not to make any Apology for the Edition of this my Sermon: It is motive enough, that herein I affect a more public and more enduring good. Spiritual niceness, is the next degree to unfaithfulness: This point cannot be too much urged, either by the tongue, or Press. Religion and our souls depend upon it, yet are our thoughts too much beside it. The Church of Rome, so fixes herself (in her adoration) upon the Cross of Christ, as if she forgot his glory: Many of us so conceive of him glorious, that we neglect the meditation of his Cross, the way to his glory and ours. If we would proceed aright, we must pass from his Golgotha, to the mount of Olives, and from thence to Heaven, and there seek and settle our rest. According to my weak ability, I have led this way in my speech, beseeching my Readers to follow me with their hearts, that we may overtake him which is entered into the true Sanctuary, even the highest Heavens, to appear now in the sight of GOD for us. THE PASSION SERMON. JOH. 19 VER. 30. When jesus therefore had received the Vinegar, he said, It is finished; and bowing the head, he gave up the ghost. THE bitter and yet victorious passion of the Son of God, (Right Honourable and beloved Christians) as it was the strangest thing that ever befell the earth; so is both of most sovereign use, and looks for the most frequent and careful meditation. It is one of those things, which was once done, that it might be thought of for ever. Every day therefore must be the Good-Friday of a Christian: who, with that great Doctor of the Gentiles, must desire to know nothing but jesus Christ, and him crucified. There is no branch or circumstance in this wonderful business, which yields not infinite matter of discourse. According to the solemnity of this time and place, I have chosen to commend unto your Christian attention, our Saviour's Farewell to Nature (for his reviving was above it) in his last word, in his last act. His last word, It is finished; his last act, He gave up the Ghost. That which he said, he did. If there be any theme that may challenge and command our ears and hearts, this is it: for behold, the sweetest word that ever Christ spoke, and the most meritorious act that ever he did, are met together, in this his last breath. In the one ye shall see him triumphing; yielding in the other, yet so as he overcomes. Imagine therefore, that you saw Christ jesus, in this day of his passion (who is every day here crucified before your eyes) advanced upon the Chariot of his Cross; and now, after a weary conflict, cheerfully overlooking the despite and shame of men, the wrath of his Father, the Law, sin, death, hell, which all he gasping at his foot: and then you shall conceive, with what spirit he saith, Consummatum est, It is finished. What is finished? Shortly; All the prophecies that were of him; All legal observations, that prefigured him; his own sufferings; our salvation. The prophecies are accomplished, the ceremonies abolished, his sufferings ended, our salvation wrought: these four heads shall limit this first part of my speech; only let them find and leave you attentive. Even this very word is prophesied of; All things that are written of me have an end, saith Christ. What end? This, it is finished. This very end hath his end here. What therefore is finished? Not this prediction only of his last draught, as Augustine: that were too particular. Let our Saviour himself say, All things that are written of me by the Prophets. It is a sure and convertible rule; Nothing was done by Christ, which was not foretold: Nothing was ever foretold by the Prophets of Christ, which was not done. It would take up a life to compare the Prophets and Evangelists, ☜ ☞ Esay 7.14. Matth. 1.23. Michah 5.2. Matth. 2.6. Esay 11.1. Matth. 2.15. jeremy 31.15. Matth. 2.18. judg. 13.5. Matth. 2. vlt. Esay 40.3. Matth. 3.2. Esay 9.1. Matth. 4.15. Levit. 14.4. Matth. 8.4. Esay 53.4. Matth. 8.17. Esay 61.1. Matth. 11.4. Esay 42.1. Matth. 12.17. jonah 1.17. Matth. 12.40. Esay 6.9. Matth. 13.14. Psalm. 78.2. Matth. 13.35. Esay 35.5, 6. Matth. 15.30. Esay 62.11. Matth. 21.5. Zach. 9.9. Matth. Ibidem. jeremy 7.11. Matth. 21.13. Psalm. 8.2. Matth. 21.16. Esay 5.8. Matth. 21.33. Psal. 118.22. Matth. 21.44. Psal. 110.1. Matth. 22.44. Esay 3.14. Matth. 21.44. Psal. 41.9. Matth. 26.31. Esay 53.10. Matth. 26.54. Zach. 13.7. Matth. 26.31. Lam. 4.20. Matth. 26.56. Esay 50.6. Matth. 26.67. Zach. 11.13. Matth. 27.9. Psalm. 22.18. Matth. 27.35. Psalm. 22.2. Matth. 27.46. Psalm. 69.22. Matth. 27.48. the predictions and the history, and largely to discourse how the one foretells, and the other answers: let it suffice to look at them running. Of all the Evangelists, Saint Matthew hath been most studious, in making these references and correspondences; with whom, the burden or undersong of every event, is still (ut impleretur) That it might be fulfilled. Thus hath he noted (if I have reckoned them aright) two and thirty several prophecies concerning Christ, fulfilled in his birth, life, death. To which, S. john adds many more. Our speech must be directed to his Passion: Omitting the rest, let us insist in those. He must be apprehended: it was fore-prophesied; The Anointed of the Lord was taken in their nets, saith jeremy: but how? he must be sold: for what? thirty silver pieces; and what must those do? buy a field: all foretold; And they took thirty silver pieces, the price of him that was valued, and gave them for the Potter's field, saith Zacharie (miswritten jeremy, by one letter mistaken in the abbreviation.) By whom? That child of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Which was he? It is foretold; He that eateth bread with me, saith the Psalmist. And what shall his Disciples do? Run away: so saith the prophecy: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, saith Zacharie. What shall be done to him? He must be scourged and spit upon: behold, not those filthy excrements could have light upon his sacred face, without a prophecy; I hide not my face from shame and spitting, saith Esay. What shall be the issue? In short, he shall be led to death: it is the prophecy, The Messiah shall be slain, saith Daniel: what death? He must be lift up; Like as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness, so shall the Son of man be lift up. chrysostom saith well, that some actions are parables; so may I say, some actions are prophecies, such are all types of Christ, and this with the foremost. Lift up, whither? to the Cross: it is the prophecy, hanging upon a tree, saith Moses: how lift up? nailed to it: so is the prophecy, Foderunt manus, They have pierced my hands and my feet, saith the Psalmist: With what company? Two thiefs: With the wicked was he numbered, saith Esay: Where? Without the gates, saith the prophecy: What becomes of his garments? They cannot so much as cast the dice for his coat, but it is prophesied: They divided my garments, and on my vestures cast lots, saith the Psalmist. He must die then on the Cross: but how? voluntarily. Not a bone of him shall be broken: what hinders it? lo, there he hangs, as it were neglected, and at mercy; yet all the raging jews, no, all the Devils in hell cannot stir one bone in his blessed body: It was prophesied in the Easter-Lamb, and it must be fulfilled in him that is the true Passeover, in spite of fiends and men: how then? he must be thrust in the side: behold, not the very spear could touch his precious side being dead, but it must be guided by a prophecy; They shall see him whom they have thrust thorough, saith Zacharie: what shall he say the while? not his very words but are fore-spoken: his complaint, Eli Eli lammasabactani, as the Chalde, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew; Psalm. 22.2. his resignation: In manus tuas, Into thy hands I commend my spirit, Psal. 31.5. his request, Father forgive them: He prayed for the transgressors, saith Esay. And now when he saw all these prophecies were fulfilled, knowing that one remained, he said, I thirst. Domine, quid sitis? saith one, O Lord, what thirstest thou for? A strange hearing, that a man, yea that GOD and MAN dying, should complain of thirst. Can he endure the scorching flames of the wrath of his Father, the curse of our sins, those tortures of body, those horrors of soul, and doth he shrink at his thirst? No, no: he could have borne his drought, he could not bear the Scripture not fulfilled. It was not necessity of nature, but the necessity of his Father's decree, that drew forth this word, I thirst. They offered it before, he refused it: Whether it were an ordinary potion for the condemned to hasten death (as in the story of M. Anthony which is the most received construction) or whether it were that jewish potion, whereof the Rabbins speak; whose tradition was, that the malefactor to be executed, Sit mors mea in remission●m omnium miquitatum mearum. usus rationis tollatur. should after some good counsel from two of their Teachers, be taught to say; Let my death be to the remission of all my sins; and than that he should have given him a bowl of mixed wine, with a grain of Frankincense, to bereave him both of reason and pain. I durst be confident in this latter; the rather for that S. Mark calls this draught, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Myrrh-wine, mingled (as is like) with other ingredients. And Montanus agrees with me in the end, Ad stuporem & mentis alienationem: A fashion which Galatine observes out of the Sannedrim, to be grounded upon Prou. 31.6. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish. I leave it modestly in the midst; let the learneder judge. Whatsoever it were, he would not die till he had complained of thirst, and in his thirst tasted it. Neither would he have thirsted for, or tasted any but this bitter draught; that the Scripture might be fulfilled; They gave me vinegar to drink: And lo, now Consummatum est; All is finished. If there be any jew amongst you, that like one of john's unseasonable Disciples, shall ask, Art thou he, or shall we look for another? he hath his answer; Ye men of Israel, why stand you gazing and gaping for another Messiah? In this alone, all the Prophecies are finished; and of him alone, all was prophesied, that was finished. Paul's old rule holds still, To the jews a stumbling block; and that more ancient curse of David, Let their table be made a snare: And Stevens two brands stick still in the flesh of these wretched men: One in their neck, stiffnecked; the other in their heart, uncircumcised; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. the one, Obstinacy; the other, Unbelief: stiff necks indeed, that will not stoop and relent with the yoke of sixteen hundred years judgement and servility; uncircumcised hearts, the film of whose unbelief, would not be cut off with so infinite convictions. Oh mad and miserable Nation: let them show us one prophecy that is not fulfilled, let them show us one other in whom all the prophecies can be fulfilled, and we will mix pity with our hate: If they cannot, and yet resist, their doom is past; Those mine enemies, that would not have me to reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord. But what go I so far? Even amongst us (to our shame) this riotous age hath bred a monstrous generation (I pray God I be not now in some of your bosoms, Aug add Hit. D●m volunt & judaei esse & Christiani, nec judae: sunt, nec Christiani. that hear me this day) compounded, much like to the Turkish religion, of one part, Christian; another, jew; a third, worldling; a fourth, Atheist: a Christians face, a jews heart, a worldlings life; and therefore Atheous in the whole; that acknowledge a God, and know him not; that profess a Christ, but doubt of him; yea, believe him not: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no Christ. What shall I say of these men? They are worse than devils: that yielding spirit could say, jesus I know: and these miscreants are still in the old tune of that tempting devil; Situ es filius Dei, If thou be the Christ. Oh God, that after so clear a Gospel, so many miraculous confirmations, so many thousand martyrdoms, so many glorious victories of truth, so many open confessions of Angels, men, devils, friends, enemies; such conspirations of heaven and earth, such universal contestations of all Ages and people; there should be left any spark of this damnable infidelity in the false hearts of men. Behold then, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: Whom have all the Prophets foretold? or what have the prophecies of so many hundreds, yea thousands of years, foresaid, that is not with this word finished? who could foretell these things, but the Spirit of God? who could accomplish them, but the Son of God? He spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, saith Zacharie: he hath spoken, and he hath done; one true God in both: none other spirit could foresay these things should be done; none other power could do these things, thus fore-shewed: this word therefore can fit none but the mouth of God our Saviour, It is finished. We know whom we have believed; Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. Let him that love's not the Lord jesus be accursed to the death. Thus the prophecies are finished: Of the legal observations, with more brevity. Christ is the end of the Law: What Law? Ceremonial, Moral. Of the Moral; it was kept perfectly by himself, satisfied fully for us: Of the Ceremonial; it was referred to him, observed of him, fulfilled in him, abolished by him. There were nothing more easy, than to show you how all those jewish Ceremonies looked at Christ; how Circumcision, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Passeover, the Tabernacle, both outer and inner, the Temple, the Laver, both the Altars, the Tables of Shewbread, the Candlesticks, the Veil, the Holy of Holies, the Ark, the Propitiatory, the pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod, the High Priest, his Order & Line, his Habits, his Inaugurations, his Washings, his Anointings, his Sprinklings, Offerings, the sacrifices, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and whatever jewish Rite; had their virtue from Christ, relation to him, and their end in him. This was then their last gasp; for, now strait they died with Christ, now the veil of the Temple rend: As Austen well notes out of Matthewes order; Ex quo apparet, tunc scissiam esse, cum Cirillus emisit spiritam. It tore then, when Christ's last breath passed. That conceit of Theophilact is witty; that as the jews were wont to rend their garments, when they heard blasphemy: so the Temple not enduring these execrable blasphemies against the Son of God, tore his veil in pieces. But this is not all: the veil rend, is the obligation of the ritual Law canceled; the way into the heavenly Sanctuary opened; the shadow giving room to the substance: in a word, it doth that which Christ saith, Consummatum est. Even now then the law of Ceremonies died: It had a long and solemn burial, Ceremoniae sicut defancta corpora necessariorum efficijs deducenda erant ad sepulturam, non simulatè, sed religiose, nec descrenda continuò. Augustin. Ego è contrario loqua●, & reclamante mundo lib●râ voce pronunciem, ceremonas judaeorum pernici●sa● ess●, & mortiferas, & quicunque eas obs●ruau●r●t, sive ex Iudaeis sieve ex Gentibus, in barathrum diaboli devolutum. Hier. Quisque is nunc ea celebrare voluerit, tanquam sopitos cineres erucus, non erit pius, etc. as Augustine saith well; perhaps figured in Moses, who died not lingeringly, but was thirty days mourned for: what means the Church of Rome to dig them up, now rotten in their graves? and that, not as they had been buried, but sown, with a plenteous increase; yea, with the inverted usury of too many of you Citizens; ten for one. It is a grave and deep censure of that resolute Hierome; Ego è contrario loquar, etc. I say, saith he, and in spite of all the world dare maintain, that now the jewish ceremonies are pernicious and deadly; and whosoever shall observe them, whether he be jew or Gentile, in barathrum Diaboli devolutum; Shall fry in Hell for it. Still Altars? still Priest? sacrifices still? still washings? still unctions? sprinkling, shaving, purifying? still all, and more than all? Let them hear but Augustine's censure, Quisquis nunc, etc. Whosoever shall now use them, as it were raking them up out of their dust; he shall not be Pius deductor corporis, sed impius sepulturae violator; an impious and sacrilegious wretch, that ransacks the quiet tombs of the dead. I say not that all Ceremonies are dead; but the Law of Ceremonies, and of jewish. It is a sound distinction of them, that profound Peter Martyr hath in his Epistle, to that worthy Martyr, Father, Bishop Hooper: Some are typical, foresignifying Christ to come: some, of order and decency, those are abrogated, not these: the jews had a fashion of prophesying in the Churches; so the Christians from them, as Ambrose: the jews had an eminent pulpit of wood; so we: they gave names at their Circumcision; so we at Baptism: they sung Psalms, melodiously in Churches; so do we: they paid and received tithes; so do we: they wrapped their dead in linen with odours; so we: the jews had sureties at their admission into the Church; so we: these instances might be infinite: the Spouse of Christ cannot be without her laces, and chains, and borders. Christ came not to dissolve order. But thou O Lord, how long? how long shall thy poor Church find her ornaments, her sorrows? and see the dear sons of her womb, bleeding about these apples of strife: let me so name them not for their value (even small things, when they are commanded, look for no small respect) but for their event: the enemy is at the gates of our Syracuse; how long will we suffer ourselves, taken up with angles and circles in the dust: ye Men, Brethren, and Fathers, help, for God's sake put to your hands to the quenching of this common flame: the one side by humility and obedience; the other, by compassion; both, by prayers and tears: who am I, that I should revive to you the sweet spirit of that divine Augustine, who when he heard and saw the bitter contentions betwixt two grave and famous Divines, Jerome and Ruffian; Heu mihi, saith he, qui vos alicubi fi●al invenire non possum; Alas that I should never find you two together, how I would fall at your feet, how I would embrace them, and weep upon them, and beseech you, either of you for other, and each for himself, both of you for the Church of God, but especially, for the weak, for whom Christ died, who not without their own great danger, see you two fight in this Theatre of the world. Yet let me do what he said he would do; beg for peace, as for life: by your filial piety to the Church of God, whose ruins follow upon our divisions; by your love of God's truth; by the graces of that one blessed Spirit, whereby we are all informed and quickened; by the precious blood of that Son of God, which this day, and this hour, was shed for our redemption, be inclined to peace and love: and though our brains be different, yet let our hearts be one. It was, as I heard, the dying speech of our late reverend, worthy and gracious Diocesan; Modo me moriente vivat ac floreat Ecclesia; Oh, yet if, when I am dead, the Church may live and flourish. What a spirit was here? what a speech? how worthy never to die? how worthy of a soul so near to his heaven? how worthy of so happy a succession? Ye whom God hath made inheritors of this blessed care, who do no less long for the prosperity of Zion, live you to effect what he did but live to wish; all peace with ourselves, and war with none but Rome and Hell. And if there be any wayward Separatist, whose soul professeth to hate peace; I fear to tell him Paul's message, yet I must: Si tu pacem sugis, ego te ab Ecclesia fugere mando. Would to God those were cut off that trouble you. How cut off? As good Theodosius said to Demophilus, a contentious Prelate; Si tu pacem fugis, etc. If thou fly peace, I will make thee fly the Church. Alas, they do fly it: that which should be therir punishment, they make their contentment; how are they worthy of pity? As Optatus of his Donatists, they are Brethren, might be companions, and will not. Oh wilful men; whither do they run? from one Christ to another? Is Christ divided? we have him, thankes be to our good God, and we hear him daily; and whither shall we go from thee? thou hast the words of eternal life. Thus the Ceremonies are finished: now hear the end of his sufferings, with like patience and devotion: his death is here included; it was so near, that he spoke of it as done; and when it was done, all was done. How easy is it to lose ourselves in this discourse! how heard not to be overwhelmed with matter of wonder; and to find either beginning or end! his sufferings found an end, our thoughts cannot. Lo, with this word, he is happily waded out of those deeps of sorrows, whereof our conceits can find no bottom: yet let us, with Peter, gird our coat, and cast ourselves a little into this sea. All his life was but a perpetual Passion: In that he became man, he suffered more than we can do, either while we are men, or when we cease to be men; he humbled, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. yea, he emptied himself. We, when we cease to be here, are clothed upon, 2 Cor. 5. We both win by our being, and gain by our loss; he lost, by taking our more or less to himself, that is, manhood. For, though ever as God, I and my Father are one: yet as man, My Father is greater than I That man should be turned into a beast, into a worm, into dust, into nothing; is not so great a disparagement, as that God should become man: and yet it is not finished; it is but begun. But what man? If, as the absolute Monarch of the world, he had commanded the vassalage of all Emperors and Princes, and had trod on nothing but Crowns and Sceptres, and the necks of Kings, and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his train; this had carried some port with it; suitable to the heroical Majesty of God's Son. No such matter: here is neither Form nor Beauty; unless perhaps (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the form of a servant: you have made me to serve, with your sins. Behold, he is a man to God; a servant to man; and, be it spoken with holy reverence, a drudge to his servants. He is despised and rejected of men; yea (as himself, of himself) a worm, and no man, the shame of men, and contempt of the people. Who is the King of glory? Psal. 24.10. the Lord of Hosts, he is the King of glory. Set these two together; the King of glory; the shame of men: the more honour, the more abasement. Look back to his Cradle: there you find him rejected of the Bethlemites; borne and laid, alas, how homely, how unworthily; sought for by Herod, exiled to Egypt, obscurely brought up in the Cottage of a poor Foster-Father, transported and tempted by Satan, derided of his kindred, blasphemously traduced by the jews, pinched with hunger, restless, harbourless, sorrowful, persecuted by the Elders, and Pharises, sold by his own servant, apprehended, arraigned, scourged, condemned, and yet it is not finished. Let us, with that Disciple, follow him a fare off; and passing over all his contemptuous usage in the way, see him brought to his Cross. Still the further we look, the more wonder: every thing adds to this ignominy of suffering, and triumph of overcoming. Where was it? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Act 26.27. not in a corner, as Paul saith to Festus, but in jerusalem, the eye, the heart of the world. Obscurity abateth shame: public notice heightens it: Before all Israel and before this Sun, saith God to David, when he would thoroughly shame him: In jerusalem, which he had honoured with his presence, taught with his preachings, astonished with his miracles, bewailed with his tears; O jerusalem, jerusalem, how oft would I, and thou wouldst not: O yet, if in this thy day. Cruelty and unkindness, after good desert, afflict so much more, as our merit hath been greater. Whereabouts? without the gates: in Caluarie, among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors. Before, the glory of the place bred shame; now the vileness of it. When? but in the Passeover; a time of greatest frequency, and concourse of all jews and Proselytes: An holy time, when they should receive the figure, they reject the substance: when they should kill and eat the Sacramental Lamb, in faith, in thankfulness, they kill the Lamb of God, our true Passeover, in cruelty and contempt. With whom? The quality of our company, either increases or lessens shame. In the midst of thiefs (saith one) as the Prince of thiefs: & In ●●edio latronum tanquam latronum immanissimus. Luth●r. there was no guile in his mouth, much less in his hands: yet behold he that thought it no robbery to be equal with God, is made equal to robbers and murderers; yea superior in evil. What suffered he? As all life's are not alike pleasant, so all deaths are not equally fearful. 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, even the death of the Cross. The Cross, a lingering, tormenting, ignominious death. The jews had four kinds of death for malefactors; the towel, the sword, fire, stones; each of these above other in extremity. Strangling with the towel, they accounted easiest: the sword worse than the towel; the fire worse than the sword: stoning worse than the fire: but this Roman death was worst of all. Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree. Yet (as Jerome well) he is not therefore accursed, because he hangeth; but therefore he hangeth, because he is accursed. He was made (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a Curse for us. The curse was more than the shame: yet the shame is unspeakable; and yet not more than the pain. Yet all that die the same death, are not equally miserable: the very thiefs fared better in their death than he. I hear of no irrision, no inscription, no taunts, no insultation on them: they had nothing but pain to encounter, he pain and scorn. An ingenuous and noble Nature, can worse brook this than the other; any thing rather than disdainfulness and derision: especially, from a base enemy. I remember that learned Father gins Israel's affliction, with Ismaels' persecuting laughter. The jews, the Soldiers, yea, the very Thiefs flouted him, and triumphed over his misery; his blood cannot satisfy them, without his reproach. Which of his senses now was not a window to letin sorrow? his eyes saw the tears of his Mother and friends, the unthankful demeanour of Mankind, the cruel despite of his enemies: his ears heard the revile and blasphemies of the multitude; and (whether the place were noisome to his scent) his touch felt the nails, his taste the gall. Look up, O all ye beholders, look upon this precious body, and see what part ye can find free. That head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelical spirits, is all raked and harrowed with thorns: Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum spinis corenatur, etc. that face, of whom it is said; Thou art fairer than the children of men, is all besmeared with the filthy spittle of the jews, and furrowed with his tears; those eyes, clearer than the Sun, are darkened with the shadow of death; those ears that hear the heavenly consorts of Angels, now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men: those lips that spoke as never man spoke, that command the spirits both of light and darkness, are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall: those feet that trample on all the powers of hell (his enemies are made his footstool) are now nailed to the footstool of the Cross: those hands that freely sway the sceptre of the heavens, now carry the reed of reproach, and are nailed to the tree of reproach: that whole body, which was conceived by the Holy-Ghost, was all scourged, wounded, mangled: this is the outside of his sufferings. Was his heart free? Oh no: the inner part or soul of this pain, which was unseen, is as far beyond these outward and sensible, as the soul is beyond the body; God's wrath beyond the malice of men: these were but love-tricks to what his soul endured. O all ye that pass by the way, behold and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: Alas, Lord, what can we see of thy sorrows? we cannot conceive so much as the heinousness and desert of one of those sins which thou barest: we can no more see thy pain, than we could undergo it; only this we see, that what the infinite sins, of almost infinite men, committed against an infinite Majesty, deserved in infinite continuance; all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained. We may behold and see; but all the glorious spirits in Heaven cannot look into the depth of this suffering. Do but look 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 do not complain of a little; holy Martyrs have been racked, and would not be loosed; what shall we say, if the author of their strength, God and Man, bewray passions? what would have overwhelmed men, would not have made him shrink; and what made him complain, could never have been sustained by men. What shall we then think, if he were affrighted with terrors, perplexed with sorrows; and distracted with both these? And lo, he was all these: for, first, here was an amazed fear; for millions of men to despair; was not so much as for him to fear: and yet it was no slight fear: he began (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) to be astonished with terror; Which in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to help him, and was heard in that he feared. Never was man so afraid of the torments of Hell, as Christ (standing in our room) of his Father's wrath. Fear is still suitable to apprehension. Never man could so perfectly apprehend this cause of fear; he felt the chastisements of our peace, yea, the curse of our sins; and therefore might well say with DAVID; I suffer thy terrors with a troubled mind; yea with JOB; The arrows of God are in me, and the terrors of God fight against me. With fear, there was a dejecting sorrow (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) My soul is on all sides heavy to the death: his strong cries, his many tears, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. are witnesses of this Passion: he had formerly shed tears of pity, and tears of love, but now of anguish: he had before sent forth cries of mercy; never of complaint till now: when the Son of God weeps and cries, what shall we say or think? yet further, betwixt both these and his love what a conflict was there? It is not amiss distinguished, that he was always in Ago; but now in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in a struggling passion of mixed grief. Behold, this field was not without sweat and blood; yea, a sweat of blood. Oh what Man or Angel can conceive the taking of that heart, that without all outward violence, merely, out of the extremity of his own Passion, bled (through the flesh and skin) not some faint dew, but solid drops of blood? No thorns, no nails, fetched blood from him, with so much pain as his own thoughts: he saw the fierce wrath of his Father, and therefore feared: he saw the heavy burden of our sins to be undertaken; and thereupon, besides fear, justly grieved; he saw the necessity of our eternal damnation, if he suffered not: if he did suffer, of our redemption; and therefore his love encountered both grief and fear. In itself, he would not drink of that cup. In respect of our good; and his decree, he would and did; and while he thus striveth, he sweats and bleeds. There was never such a combat, never such a bloodshed, and yet it is not finished; I dare not say with some Schoolmen, that the sorrow of his Passion, was not so great as the sorrow of his compassion: yet that was surely exceeding great. To see the ungracious carelessness of mankind, the slender fruit of his sufferings, the sorrows of his Mother, Disciples, friends; to foresee, from the watch tower of his Cross, the future temptations of his children, desolations of his Church; all these must needs strike deep into a tender heart. These he still sees and pities, but without passion; then he suffered in seeing them. Can we yet say any more? Lo, all these sufferings are aggravated by his fullness of knowledge, and want of comfort: for, he did not shut his eyes, as one saith, when he drunk this cup: he saw how dreggish, and knew how bitter it was. Sudden evils afflict, if not less, shorter. He foresaw, and foresaid, every particular he should suffer: so long as he foresaw, he suffered: the expectation of evil, is not less than the sense: to look long for good, is a punishment; but for evil, is a torment. No passion works upon an unknown object: as no love, so no fear is of what we know not. Hence men fear not Hell, because they foresee it not: if we could see that pit open before we come at it, it would make us tremble at our sins, and our knees to knock together, as Baltazars; and perhaps, without faith, to run mad at the horror of judgement. He saw the burden of all particular sins to be laid upon him; every dram of his Father's wrath, was measured out to him, ere he touched this potion; this cup was full, and he knew that it must be wringed, not a drop left: it must be finished. Oh yet, if as he foresaw all his sorrows, so he could have seen some mixture of refreshing. But I found none to comfort me, no, none to pity me. And yet it is a poor comfort that arises from pity. Even so, O Lord, thou treadest this winepress alone; none to accompany, none to assist thee. I remember Ruffinus in his Ecclesiastical story reports, that one Theodorus a Martyr, told him, that when he was hanging ten hours upon the rack for religion under julian's persecution, his joints distended and distorted, his body exquisitely tortured with change of Executioners; nulla unquam aetas sunilem meminerit. so as never age (saith he) could remember the like: he felt no pain at all, but continued indeed, all the while in the sight of all men, singing & smiling: for there stood a comely young man by him on his jibbet (an Angel rather, in form of a man) which with a clean towel, still wiped off his sweat, and poured cool water upon his racked limbs; wherewith he was so refreshed, that it grieved him to be let down. Even the greatest torments are easy, when they have answerable comforts: but a wounded and comfortless spirit, who can bear? If yet but the same messenger of God, might have attended his Cross, that appeared in his agony; and might have given ease to their Lord, as he did to his servant. And yet, what can the Angels help, where God will smite? Against the violence of men, against the fury of Satan, they have prevailed in the cause of God, for men: they dare not, they cannot comfort, where God will afflict. When our Saviour had been wrestling with Satan in the end of his Lent, than they appeared to him, and served; but now, while about the same time, he is wrestling with the wrath of his Father for us, not an Angel dare be seen to look out of the windows of heaven to relieve him. For men, much less could they, if they would; but what did they? Miserable comforters are ye all: the Soldiers, they stripped him, scorned him with his purple, crown, reed, spat on him, smote him; the passengers, they reviled him; and insulting, vagging their heads and hands at him, hay thou that destoyest the Temple come down, etc. The Elders and Scribes; alas, they have bought his blood, suborned witnesses, incensed Pilot, preferred Barrabbas, undertook the guilt of his death, cried out, Crucifia, Crucify. He thou that savedst others. His Disciples, alas, they forsook him, one of them forswears him, another runs away naked, rather than he will stay and confess him. His mother and other friends they look on indeed, and sorrow with him; but to his discomfort. Where the grief is extreme, and respects near, partnership doth but increase sorrow. Paul chides his love: What do you weeping and breaking my heart? The tears of those we love, do either slacken our hearts, or wound them. Who then shall comfort him? himself? Sometimes our own thoughts find a way to secure us, unknown to others; no, not himself. Doubtless (as Aquinas) the influence of the higher part of the soul, was restrained from the aid of the inferior: My soul is filled with evils, Psalm. 87.4. Who then? his Father? here, here was his hope: If the Lord had not helpen me, my soul had almost dwells in silence: I and my Father are one. But now (alas) he, even he, delivers him into the hands of his enemies; when he hath done, turns his back upon him as a stranger; yea, he woundeth him as an enemy. The Lord would break him, Esay 53.10. yet any thing is light to the soul, whiles the comforts of God sustain it: who can dismay, where God will relieve? But here, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? What a word was here, to come from the mouth of the Son of God? My Disciples are men, weak and fearful; no marvel if they forsake me. The jews are themselves, cruel and obstinate. Men are men, graceless and unthankful. Devil's are, according to their nature, spiteful and malicious. All these do but their kind; and let them do it: but thou, O Father, thou that hast said; This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: thou of whom I have said, It is my Father that glorifies me; what? forsaken me? Not only brought me to this shame, smitten me, unregarded me; but as it were, forgotten, yea forsaken me? What even me, my Father? How many of thy constant servants have suffered heavy things: yet in the multitudes of the sorrows of their hearts, thy presence and comforts have refreshed their souls. Hast thou relieved them, and dost thou forsake me? me, thine only, dear, natural, eternal Son? O ye heavens and earth, how could you stand, whiles the maker of you thus complained? Ye stood: but partaking after a sort of his Passion: the earth trembled and shaken, her rocks tore, her graves opened, the heavens withdrew their light, as not daring to behold this sad and fearful spectacle. Oh dear Christians, how should these earthen and rocky hearts of ours shake, and rend in pieces at this Meditation? how should our faces be covered with darkness, and our joy be turned into heaviness? All these voices and tears, and sweats, and pangs are for us; yea from us. Shall the Son of God thus smart for our sins, yea with our sins, and shall not we grieve for our own? shall he weep to us in this Marketplace, and shall not we mourn? Nay, shall he sweat and bleed for us, and shall not we weep for ourselves? Shall he thus lamentably shrieke out, under his Father's wrath, and shall not we tremble? Shall the heavens and earth suffer with him, and we suffer nothing? I call you not to a weak and idle pity of our glorious Saviour: to what purpose? His injury was out glory. No, no; Ye daughters of jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves: for our sins, that have done this; not for his sorrow that suffered it: not for his pangs, that were; but for our own, that should have been, and (if we repent not) shall be. Oh how grievous, how deadly are our sins, that cost the Son of God (besides blood) so much torment? how fare are our souls gone, that could not be ransomed with an easier price? that took so much of this infinite Redeemer of men, God and man, how can it choose but swallow up and confound thy soul, which is but finite and sinful? If thy soul had been in his soul's stead, what had become of it? it shall be, if his were not instead of thine. This weight that lies thus heavy on the Son of God, and wrung from him these tears, sweat, blood, and these unconceivable groans of his afflicted spirit, how should it choose but press down thy soul to the bottom of hell? and so it will do: if he have not suffered it for thee, thou must and shalt suffer it for thyself. Go now thou lewd man, and make thyself merry with thy sins; laugh at the uncleannesses, or bloodiness of thy youth: thou little knowest the price of a sin; thy soul shall do, thy Saviour did when he cried out, to the amazement of Angels, and horror of men, My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? But now no more of this; It is finished: the greater conflict, the more happy victory. Well doth he find and feel of his Father, what his type said before, He will not chide always, nor keep his anger for ever. It is fearful; but in him, short: eternal to sinners; short to his Son, in whom the Godhead dwelled bodily. Behold; this storm, wherewith all the powers of the world were shaken, is now over. The Elders, Pharises, judas, the soldiers, Priests, witnesses, judges, thiefs, executioners, devils, have all tired themselves in vain, with their own malice; and he triumphs over them all, upon the throne of his Cross: his enemies are vanquished, his Father satisfied, his soul with this word at rest and glory; It is finished. Now there is no more betraying, agonies, arraignments, scourge, scoffing, crucifying, conflicts, terrors; all is finished. Alas, beloved, and will we not let the Son of God be at rest? do we now again go about to fetch him out of his glory, to scorn and crucify him? I fear to say it: God's spirit dare and doth; They crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and make a mock of him. To themselves, not in himself: that they cannot, it is no thank to them; they would do it. See and consider: the notoriously-sinfull conversations of those, that should be Christians, offer violence unto our glorified Saviour, they stretch their hands to heaven, and pull him down from his throne, to his Cross: they tear him with thorns, pierce him with nails, load him with reproaches. Thou hatest the jews, spittest at the name of judas, railest on Pilate, condemnest the cruel butchers of Christ; yet, thou canst blaspheme, and swear him quite over, curse, swagger, lie, oppress, boil with lust, scoff, riot, and livest like a debauched man; yea like an humane Beast; yea like an unclean Devil. Cry Hosanna as long as thou wilt; thou art a , a jew, a judas, an Executioner of the Lord of life; and so much greater shall thy judgement be, by how much thy light and his glory is more. Oh, beloved, is it not enough that he died once for us? Were those pains so light, that we should every day redouble them? Is this the entertainment that so gracious a Saviour hath deserved of us by dying? Is this the recompense of that infinite love of his, that thou shouldest thus cruelly vex and wound him with thy sins? Every of our sins is a thorn, and nail, and spear to him: while thou pourest down thy drunken carouses, thou givest thy Saviour a potion of gall; while thou despisest his poor servants, thou spettest on his face: while thou puttest on thy proud dresses, and liftest up thy vain heart with high conceits, thou settest a Crown of thorns on his head: while thou wringest and oppressest his poor children, thou whippest him, and drawest blood of his hands and feet. Thou hypocrite; how darest thou offer to receive the Sacrament of God, with that hand, which is thus imbrued with the blood of him whom thou receivest? In every Ordinary, thy profane tongue walks, in the disgrace of the religious and conscionable. Thou makest no scruple of thine own sins, and scornest those that do: Not to be wicked, is crime enough. Hear him that saith, Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me? Saul strikes at Damascus; Christ suffers in Heaven. Thou strikest; Christ jesus smarteth, and will revenge. These are the [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] aftering of Christ's sufferings: In himself it is finished; in his members it is not, till the world be finished. We must toil, and groan, and bleed, that we may reign: if he had not done so, It had not been finished. This is our warfare; this is the region of our sorrow & death. Now are we set upon the sandy pavement of our Theatre, and are marched with all sorts of evils; evil men, evil spirits, evil accidents; and (which is worst) our own evil hearts; temptations, crosses, persecutions, sicknesses, wants, infamies, death; all these must in our courses, be encountered by the Law of our profession. What should we do but strive and suffer, as our General hath done, that we may reign as he doth, and once triumph in our Consummatum est? God and his Angels sit upon the scaffolds of heaven, and behold us: our Crown is ready: our day of deliverance shall come; yea our redemption is near, when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; and we that have sown in tears, shall reap in joy. In the mean time, let us possess our souls not in patience only, but in comfort: let us adore and magnify our Saviour in his sufferings, and imitate him in our own: our sorrows shall have an end, our joys shall not: our pains shall soon be finished; our glory shall be finished, but never ended. Thus his sufferings are finished; now together with them, man's salvation. Who knows not, that man had made himself a deep debtor, a bankrupt, an outlaw to God? Our sins are our debts; and by sins, death. Now, in this word and act, our sins are discharged, death endured, and therefore we cleared: the debt is paid, the score is crossed, the Creditor satisfied, the debtors acquitted, and since there was no other quarrel, saved: we are all sick, and that mortally: sin is the disease of the soul: Quot vitia, tot febres, saith chrysostom; so many sins, so many fevers, and those pestilent. What wonder is it, that we have so much plague, while we have so much sin? Our Saviour is the Physician: The whole need not the Physician, but the sick: wherein? He healeth all our infirmities: he healeth them after a miraculous manner, not by giving us receipts, but by taking our receipts for us. A wonderful Physician; a wonderful course of cure: One while he would cure us by abstinence; our superfluity, by his forty days emptiness, according to that old rule; Hunger cures the diseases of gluttony: Another while, by exercise: He went up and down from City to City, and in the day was preaching in the Temple; in the night praying in the mount. Then, by diet; Take, eat, this is my body: and, Let this cup pass. After that yet, by sweat; such a sweat as never was, a bloody one: yet more, by incision; they pierced his hands, feet, side: and yet again by potion; a bitter potion, of vinegar and gall. And lastly, which is both the strangest and strongest receipt of all, by dying: Which died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, 1 Thaff. 5.10. we should live together with him. We need no more, we can go no further; there can be no more physic of this kind: there are cordials after these, of his Resurrection and Ascension; no more penal receipts. By this blood we have redemption, Ephes. 1.7. justification, Rom. 3.24. Reconciliation, Colos. 1.20. Sanctification, 1 Pet. 1.2. Entrance into glory, Heb. 10.19. Is it not now finished? Woe were us if he had left but one mite of satisfaction upon our score, to be discharged by our souls: and woe be to them that derogate from Christ, that they may charge themselves; that botch up these all-sufficiently meritorious sufferings of Christ, as imperfect, with the superfluities of flesh and blood. Maledictus homo, qui spem ponit in homine. We may not with patience see Christ wronged by his false friends: As that heroical Luther said in the like; Maledictum silentium quod hic conninet. Cursed be that silence that here forbeareth. To be short, here be two injuries intolerable; both give Christ the lie upon his Cross: It is finished. No: somewhat remains: the fault is discharged, not the punishment. Of punishments, the eternal is quit, not the temporal. It is finished by Christ: No, there wants yet much; the satisfaction of Saints applied by this Vicar; add men's sufferings unto Christ's, than the treasure is full; till then, It is not finished. Two qualities strive for the first place in these two opinions; impiety and absurdity: I know not whether to prefer. For impiety; here is God taxed of injustice, unmercifulness, insufficiency, falsehood. Of injustice, that he forgives a sin, and yet punishes for that which he hath forgiven: unmercifulness, that he forgives not while he forgives, but doth it by halves: insufficiency, that his ransom must be supplied by men: falsehood, in that he saith, It is finished, when it is not. For absurdity; how gross and monstrous are these positions? that at once the same sin should be remitted and retained; that there should be a punishment, where there is no fault; that what could strike off our eternal punishment, did not wipe off the temporal; that he which paid our pounds, sticks at our farthings; that God will retain what man may discharge; that it is, and it is not finished. If there be any opinions, whose mention confutes them, these are they. None can be more vain, none had more need of solidity: for, this prop bears up, alone, the weight of all those millions of indulgences, which Rom. creates and sells to the world. That Strumpet would well-near go naked, if this were not. These spiritual Treasures fetched in the Temporal: which yet our reverend and learned Fulke, justly calls a most blasphemous and beggarly principle: It brings in whole chests, yea mines of gold, like the Pope's Indieses; and hath not so much as a rag of proof to cover it, whether of Antiquity, of Reason, of Scripture. Not of Antiquity: for these jubily proclamations began but about three hundred years ago. Not of Reason: Negotiatores te●ae sunt ipsi Sacerdotes, qui vendunt orationes & missas prodenarijs, facientes domum orationis, Apot●ecam negotiationis. In Reve. l. 10. p. 5. how should one mere man pay for another, dispense with another, to another, by another? Not of Scripture, which hath flatly said, The blood of jesus Christ his Son, purgeth us from all sin: and yet I remember, that acute Sadeel hath taught me, that this practice is according to Scripture: what Scripture? He cast the money-changers out of the Temple; and said, Ye have made my house a den of thiefs. Which also joachim their prophetical Abbot, well applies to this purpose. Some modest Doctors of Lonan would fain have minced this Antichristian blasphemy; who began to teach, that the passions of the Saints are not so by Indulgences applied, that they become true satisfactions; but that they only serve to move God, by the sight of them, to apply unto us Christ's satisfaction. But these meal-mouthed Divines were soon charmed; Bellar. lib. 1. de Indulgent. four several Popes (as their Cardinal confesseth) fell upon the neck of them, & their opinion; Leo the tenth, Pius the fift, Gregory the thirteenth, and Clemens the sixth: and with their furious Bulls bellow out threats against them, and toss them in the air for Heretics, and teach them upon pain of a curse, to speak home with Bellarmine, Passionibus sanctorum expiari delicta: and strait, Applicari nobis sanctorum passiones ad redimend as poenas, quas propeccatis Deo debemus: That by the sufferings of Saints, our sins are expiated; and that, by them applied, we are redeemed from those punishments, which we yet own to God. Blasphemy, worthy the tearing of garments: How is it finished by Christ, if men must supply? Oh blessed Saviour, was every drop of thy blood enough to redeem a world, and do we yet need the help of men? How art thou a perfect Saviour, if our brethren also must be our Redeemers? Oh ye blessed Saints, how would you abhor this sacrilegious glory? and with those holy Apostles, yea, that glorious Angel, say, Vide ne feceris: and with those wise Virgins; Lest there will not be enough for us, and you, go to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. For us, we envy not their multitude: let them have as many Saviour's as Saints, and as many Saints as men; we know with Ambrose, Christi passio adiutore non eguit; Christ's passion needs no helper: and therefore, with that worthy Martyr, dare say, None but Christ, none but Christ. Let our souls die, if he cannot save them; let them not fear their death or torment, if he have finished. Hear this, thou languishing and afflicted soul: There is not one of thy sins but it is paid for; not one of thy debts in the scroll of God, but it is crossed; not one farthing of all thine infinite ransom is unpaid. Alas, thy sins (thou sayest) are ever before thee, and God's indignation, goes still over thee, and thou goest mourning all the day long, and with that pattern of distress, criest out in the bitterness of thy soul, I have sinned, what shall I do to thee, O thou preserver of men? What shouldst thou do? Turn and believe. Now thou art stung in thy conscience with this fiery Serpent, look up with the eyes of faith to this brazen Serpent, Christ jesus, and be healed. Behold, his head is humbly bowed down in a gracious respect to thee; his arms are stretched out lovingly to embrace thee; yea, his precious side is open to receive thee, and his tongue interprets all these to thee for thine endless comfort; It is finished. There is no more accusation, judgement, death, hell for thee: all these are no more to thee, than if they were not. Who shall condemn? It is Christ which is dead. I know how ready every man is to reach forth his hand to this dole of grace, and how angry to be beaten from this door of mercy. We are all easily persuaded to hope well, because we love ourselves well: Which of all us in this great congregation, takes exceptions to himself, and thinks, I know there is no want in my Saviour; there is want in me. He hath finished, but I believe not, I repent not. Every presumptuous and hard heart so catches at Christ, as if he had finished for all, as if he had broken down the gates of hell, and loosed the bands of death, and had made forgiveness as common as life: Prosperitas stultorum perdit eos, saith wise Solomon; Ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperity of fools destroyeth them; yea, the confidence of prosperity. Thou sayest, God is merciful, thy Saviour bounteous, his passion absolute: all these, and yet thou mayest be condemned. Merciful, not unjust; bountiful, not lavish; absolutely sufficient for all, not effectual to all. Whatsoever God is, what art thou? Here is the doubt: Thou sayest well; Christ is the good Shepherd. Wherein? He gives his life: but for whom? for his sheep. What is this to thee? While thou art secure, profane, impenitent, thou art a Wolf or a Goat: My sheep hear my voice: what is his voice, but his precepts? Where is thine obedience to his commandments? If thou wilt not hear his Law, never hearken to his Gospel. Here is no more mercy for thee, than if there were no Saviour. He hath finished, for those in whom he hath begun: if thou have no beginnings of grace as yet, hope not for ever finishing of salvation: Come to me all ye that are heavy laden, saith Christ: thou shalt get nothing, if thou come when he calls thee not. Thou art not called, and canst not be refreshed, unless thou be laden, not with sin (this alone keeps thee away from God) but with conscience of sin: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Is thy heart wounded with thy sin? doth grief and hatred strive within thee, whether shall be more? Are the desires of thy soul with God? Dost thou long for holiness, complain of thy imperfections, struggle against thy corruptions? Thou art the man, fear not, It is finished. That Law which thou wouldst have kept, and couldst not, thy Saviour could, and did keep for thee: that salvation which thou couldst never worke-out alone (alas, poor impotent creatures, what can we do towards heaven without him, which cannot move on earth but in him?) he alone for thee hath finished. Look up therefore boldly to the throne of God, and upon the truth of thy repentance and faith, know that there is no quarrel against thee in heaven, nothing but peace and joy. All is finished. He would be spitted on, that he might wash thee; he would be covered with scornful robes that thy sins might be covered; he would be whipped, that thy soul might not be scourged eternally; he would thirst, that thy soul might be satisfied; he would bear all his Father's wrath, that thou mightest bear none; he would yield to death, that thou mightest never taste of it; he would be in sense for a time as forsaken of his Father, that thou mightest be received for ever. Now bid thy soul return to her rest, and enjoin it David's task: Praise the Lord, O my soul; and, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. And, as ravished from thyself with the sweet apprehension of this mercy, call all the other creatures to the fellowship of this joy, with that divine Esay: Rejoice, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it: shout ye lower parts of the earth, burst forth into praises ye mountains: for the Lord hath redeemed jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. And even now begin that heavenly Song, which shall never end with those glorified Saints; Praise, and honour, and glory, and power, be to Him that sitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for evermore. Thus our speech of Christ's last word is finished. His last act accompanied his words: our speech must follow it. Let it not want your devout and careful attention; He bowed and gave up the ghost. The Cross was a slow death, and had more pain than speed; whence a second violence must dispatch the crucified: their bones must be broken, that their hearts might break. Our Saviour stays not death's leisure, but willingly and courageously meets him in the way; and like a Champion that scorns to be overcome, yea, knows he cannot be, yields in the midst of his strength, that he might by dying, vanquish death. He bowed and gave up: Not bowing, because he had given up, but because he would. He cried with a loud voice, saith Matthew. Nature was strong, he might have lived; but he gave up the ghost, and would die, to show himself Lord of life and death. Oh wondrous example! he that gave life to his enemies, gave up his own: he gives them to live, that persecute and hate him; and himself will die the while for those that hate him. He bowed and gave up: not they; they might crown his head, they could not bow it: they might vex his spirit, not take it away: they could not do that without leave; this they could not do, because they had no leave. He alone would bow his head, and give up his ghost: I have power to lay down my life. Man gave him not his life; man could not bereave it. No man takes it from me. Alas, who could? The High Priests forces, when they came against him armed, he said but, I am he, they flee, and fall backward. How easy a breath dispersed his enemies? whom he might as easily have bidden the earth, yea, hell to swallow, or fire from heaven to devour. Who commanded the Devils and they obeyed, could not have been attached by men: he must give not only leave, but power to apprehend himself, else they had not lived to take him: he is laid hold of, Peter fights: Put up, saith Christ; Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father, and he will give me more than twelve Legions of Angels? What an Army were here? more than threescore and twelve thousand Angels, and every Angel able to subdue a world of men: he could, but would not be rescued; he is led by his own power, not by his enemies; and stands now before Pilate, like the scorn of men; crowned, rob, scourged, with an Ecce homo; Yet thou couldst have no power against me, unless it were given thee from above. Behold, he himself must give Pilate power against himself, Quod emittitur voluntarium est: quod am●●tur aecessarium. Ambr. else he could not be condemned: he will be condemned, lifted up, nailed; yet no death without himself. He shall give his soul an offering for sin. Esay 53.10. No action, that savours of constraint, can be meritorious: he would deserve, therefore he would suffer and die: He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. O gracious and bountiful Saviour: he might have kept his soul within his teeth, in spite of all the world; the weakness of God is stronger than men: and if he had but spoken the word, the heavens and earth should have vanished away before him: but he would not. Behold, when he saw, that impotent man could not take away his soul, he gave it up, and would die, that we might live. See here a Saviour, that can contemn his own life for ours; and cares not to be dissolved in himself, that we might be united to his Father. Skin for skin, saith the Devil, and all that he hath, a man will give for his life. Lo here, to prove Satan a liar, skin and life and all hath Christ jesus given for us. We are besotted with the earth, and make base shifts to live; one with a maimed body, another with a perjured soul, a third with a rotten name: and how many had rather neglect their soul than their life, and will rather renounce and curse God, than die? It is a shame to tell; Many of us Christians dote upon life, and tremble at death; and show ourselves fools in our excess of love, cowards in our fear. Peter denies Christ thrice, and forswears him; Marcellinus twice casts grains of incense into the Idols fire; Ecebolius turns thrice; Spira revolts and despairs: Oh let me live, saith the fearful soul. Whither dost thou reserve thyself, thou weak and timorous creature? or what wouldst thou do with thyself? Thou hast not thus learned Christ: he died voluntarily for thee, thou wilt not be forced to die for him: he gave up the ghost for thee; thou wilt not let others take it from thee for him, thou wilt not let him take it for himself. When I look back to the first Christians, and compare their zealous contempt of death with our backwardness; I am at once amazed and ashamed: I see there even women (the feebler sex) running with their little ones in their arms, for the preferment of Martyrdom, and ambitiously striving for the next blow. I see holy and tender Virgins, choosing rather a sore and shameful death, than honourable Espousals. I hear the blessed Martyrs, Quod si venire nolucrint, ego vim faciam ut d●●orer. entreating their tyrants and tormentors for the honour of dying. Ignatius, amongst the rest, fearing lest the beasts will not devour him; and vowing the first violence to them, that he might be dispatched. And what less courage was there in our memorable and glorious forefathers of the last of this age? and do we, their cold and feeble offspring, look pale at the face of a fair and natural death; abhor the violent, though for Christ? Alas, how have we gathered rust with our long peace? Our unwillingness is from inconsideration, from distrust. Look but up to Christ jesus upon his Cross, and see him bowing his head, and breathing out his soul, and these fears shall vanish: he died, and wouldst thou live? he gave up the ghost, and wouldst thou keep it? whom wouldst thou follow, if not thy Redeemer? If thou die not, if not willingly, thou goest contrary to him, and shalt never meet him. Si per singules di●s pro ●o moreremur, qui nos dlexit, non sic debitum exolueremus. Chrys. Though thou shouldest every day die a death, for him, thou couldst never requite his one death: and dost thou stick at one? Every word hath his force, both to him and thee: he died, which is Lord of life, and commander of death; thou art but a tenant of life, a subject of death: and yet it was not a dying, but a giving up; not of a vanishing and airy breath, but of a spiritual soul, which after separation, hath an entire life in itself. He gave up the Ghost: he died, that hath both overcome, and sanctified, and sweetened death. What fearest thou? He hath pulled out the sting and malignity of death: If thou be a Christian, carry it in thy bosom, it hurts thee not. Darest thou not trust thy Redeemer? If he had not died, Death had been a Tyrant: now he is a slave. O Death where is thy sting? O Grave where is thy victory? Yet the Spirit of God saith not, he died, but gave up the ghost. The very Heathen Poet saith; He durst not say, that a good man dies. It is worth the noting (me thinks) that when Saint Luke would describe to us the death of Annanias and Sapphire, he saith (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) he expired: but when Saint john would describe Christ's death, he saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He gave up the ghost: How? How gave he it up, and whither? So, as after a sort he retained it: his soul parted from his body; his Godhead was never distracted either from soul or body: this union is not in nature, but in person. If the natures of Christ could be divided, each would have his subsistence; so there should be more persons. God forbidden, one of the natures thereof may have a separation in itself: the soul from the body: one nature cannot be separate from other, or either nature from the person. If you cannot conceive, wonder: the Son of God hath wedded unto himself our humanity, without all possibility of divorce; the body hangs on the Cross, the soul is yielded, the Godhead is 〈◊〉 united to them both; acknowledges, sustains them both. The soul in his agony fowls not the presence of the Godhead; the body upon the Cross ●●●les not the presence of the soul. Yet as the Fathers of Chalcedon say truly, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) indivisibly, inseparably is the Godhead, with both of these, still and ever, one and the same person. The Passion of Christ (as Augustine) was the sleep of his Divinity: so I may say, The death of Christ was the sleep of his humanity. If he sleep, he shall do well, said that Disciple, of Lazarus. Death was too weak to dissolve the eternal bonds of this heavenly conjunction. Let not us Christians go too much by sense; we may be firmly knit to God, and not feel it: thou canst not hope to be so near thy God, as Christ was, united personally: thou canst not fear, that God should seem more absent from thee, Quantumcunque te d●ieceris, ha●i●ior non eris Christo. Hieron. than he did from his own Son: yet was he still one with both body and soul, when they were divided from themselves; when he was absent to sense, he was present to faith; when absent in vision, yet in union one and the same: so will he be to thy soul, when he is at worst. He is thine, and thou are his: if thy hold seem loosened, his is not. When temptations will not let thee see him, he sees thee, and possesses thee; only believe thou against sense, above hope; and though he kill thee, yet trust in him. Whither gave he it up? Himself expresses; Father into thy hands; And, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. It is justice to restore whence we receive; Into thy hands. He knew where it should be both safe and happy: True; he might be bold (thou sayest) as the Son with the Father. The servants have done so; David before him, Stephen after him. And lest we should not think it our common right; Father (saith he) I will that those thou hast given me, may be with me, even where I am: he wils it, therefore it must be. It is not presumption, but faith, to charge God with thy spirit; neither can there ever be any believing soul so mean, that he should refuse it; all the fear is in thyself: how canst thou trust thy jewel with a stranger? What sudden familiarity is this? God hath been with thee, and gone by thee, thou hast not saluted him: and now in all the haste, thou bequeathest thy soul to him: On what acquaintance? How desperate is this carelessness? If thou have but a little money, whether thou keep it, thou layest it up in thy Temple of trust; or whether thou let it, thou art sure of good assurance, sound bonds. If but a little land, how carefully dost thou make firm conveyances to thy desired heirs? If goods, thy Will hath taken secure order, who shall enjoy them: We need not teach you Citizens to make sure work for your estates. If children, thou disposest of them in trades, with portions: only of thy soul (which is thyself) thou knowest not what shall become. The world must have it no more; thyself wouldst keep it, but thou knowest thou canst not: Satan would have it, & thou knowest not whether he shall thou wouldst have God have it, and thou knowest not whether he will: yea, thy heart is now ready with Pharaoh to say, Who is the Lord? O the fearful and miserable estate of that man, that must part with his soul, he knows not whither: which if thou wouldst avoid, (as this very warning shall judge thee if thou do not) be acquainted with God in thy life, that thou mayest make him the Guardian of thy soul in thy death. Given up it must needs be, but to him that hath governed it: if thou have given it to Satan in thy life, how canst thou hope God will in thy death entertain it? Did you not hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? how then come ye to me now in this time of your tribulation, said jephta to the men of Gilead. No, no, either give up thy soul to God while he calls for it in his word, in the provocations of his love, in his afflictions, in the holy motion of his spirit to thine: or else when thou wouldst give it, he will none of it, but as a judge to deliver it to the Tormentor. What should God do with an unclean, drunken, profane, proud, covetous soul? Without holiness, it is no seeing of God. Depart from me, ye wicked, I know ye not: Go to the gods you have served. See how God is even with men: they had, in the time of the Gospel; said to the holy name of Israel, Depart from us; now in the time of judgement, he saith to them, Depart from me: They would not know God when they might: now God will not know them when they would. Now therefore (beloved) if thou wouldst not have God scorn the offer of thy deathbed, fit thy soul for him in thy health; furnish it with grace; injure it to a sweet conversation with the God of heaven: then mayest thou boldly give it up, and he shall as graciously receive it, yea fetch it by his Angels to his glory. He gave up the ghost. We must do as he did: not all with the same success. Giving up, supposes a receiving, a returning. This inmate that we have in our bosom is sent to lodge here for a time, may not dwell here always. The ●ight of this tenure is the Lords, not ours: As he said of the hatcher; It is but lent, it must be restored: It is ours to keep, his to dispose and require. See and consider both our privilege and charge. It is not with us as with bruit creatures: we have a living ghost to inform us, which yet is not ours, (and alas, what is ours, if our souls be not?) but must be given up to him that gave it. Why do we live as those that took no keep of so glorious a guest? as those that should never part with it, as those that think it given them to spend, not to return with a reckoning? If thou hadst no soul, if a mortal one, if thine own, if never to be required, how couldst thou live but sensually? Oh remember but who thou art, what thou hast, and whither thou must; and thou shalt live like thyself, while thou art, and give up thy ghost confidently, when thou shalt cease to be. Neither is there here more certainty of our departure, than comfort. Carry this with thee to thy deathbed, and see if it can refresh thee, when all the world cannot give thee one dram of comfort. Our spirit is our dearest riches: if we should lose it, here were just cause of grief. Howle and lament, if thou thinkest thy soul perisheth: it is not forfeited, but surrendered. How safely doth our soul pass thorough the gates of death, without any impeachment, while it is in the hand of the Almighty? Woe were us, if he did not keep it while we have it; much more when we restore it. We give it up to the same hands that created, infused, redeemed, renewed; that do protect, preserve, establish, and will crown it: I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. O secure and happy estate of the godly: O blessed exchange of our condition: while our soul dwells in our breast, how is it subject to infinite miseries, distempered with passions, charged with sin, vexed with tentations? above, none of these, how should it be otherwise? This is our pilgrimage, that our home: this our wilderness, that our land of promise: this our bondage, that our kingdom: our impotency causeth this our sorrow. When our soul is once given up, what evil shall reach unto heaven, and wrestle with the Almighty? Our loathness to give up, comes from our ignorance and infidelity. No man goes unwillingly to a certain preferment. I desire to be dissolved, saith Paul; I have served thee, I have believed thee, and now I come to thee, saith Luther. The voice of Saints, not of men. If thine heart can say thus, thou shalt not need to entreat with old Hilarity, Egredere mea anima, egredere, quid times? Go thy ways forth my soul, go forth, what fearest thou? but it shall fly up alone cheerfully from thee, and give up itself into the arms of God, as a faithful Creator and Redeemer. This earth is not the element of thy soul, it is not where it should be: It shall be no less thine, when it is more the owners. Think now seriously of this point; God's Angel is abroad, and strikes on all sides; we know not which of our turns shall be the next: we are sure, we carry deaths enough within us. If we be ready, our day cannot come too soon. Stir up thy soul to an heavenly cheerfulness, like thy Saviour: Know but whither thou art going; and thou canst not but, with divine Paul; contra. Nullam animam recipio quae me ●olente separatur à corp●re. Hieron. say from our Saviour's mouth, even in this sense: It is a more blessed thing to give, than to receive. God cannot abide an unwilling guest: give up that spirit to him, which he hath given thee; and he will both receive what thou givest, and give it thee again, with that glory and happiness, which can never be conceived, and shall never be ended. Even so LORD JESUS come quickly. Gloria in excelsis Deo. THE IMPREZE OF GOD. IN TWO SERMONS PREACHED AT THE COURT. In the Years 1611. 1612. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE IMPREZE OF GOD. THE FJRST PART. ZACHAR. 14.20. In that day shall be written upon the bridles (or, bells) of the Horses, Holiness unto the Lord: and the pots of the Lords house shall be like the bowls before the Altar. IF any man wonder whither this discourse can tend, of horses, and bells, and pots, and bowls for the Altar; Let him consider that of Tertullian, Ratio divina in medulla est, non in superficie: These Horses, if they be well managed, will prove like those fiery horses of Elias, to carry us up to our heaven, 2 King. 2.11. These Bells, like those golden bells of Aaron's robe, Exod. 39.25. These Pots, like that Olla pulmenti of the Prophets, after Elisha's meal, 2 King. 4. and these Bowls, like that blessed and fruitful navel of the CHURCH, Cant. 7.2. S. Paul asks, Doth God take care for oxen? so may I here, Doth God take care for horses? Surely, to provide for them, not to prophesy of them; much less of their bells, the unnecessary ornaments of a necessary creature; But, he that forbids us to learn of the horse that lesson of stubbornness, by the PSALMIST, and checks us oft by the ox and ass, for their good nature, would have us learn here, under this parable of the horse, and the bells of the horse, and the writing on those bells, the estate of our own peace, and sanctification. God doth both speak, and work in Parables, as that Father saith well: Of this than I may truly say, as Hierome said of the Book of JOB, Singula verba plena sunt sensibus: Suffer yourselves with Abraham's Ram to be perplexed a while in these briars, that you may be prepared for a fit sacrifice to God. In that day:] What day is that? All days are his, who is the Ancient of days; and yet he says, Abraham saw my day, and rejoiced. He that made all days, says yet again, This is the day which the Lord hath made: There is one day of the week, Gods; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Reuel. 1. and yet I would it were his; Gods day by creation, by ordination; I would it were his by observation too: There is one day in an Age his; While it is called to day, Heb. 3. The day of visitation; and yet this thy day, Luke 19.42. One day in a world his, Matth. 7.22. In that day: A day beyond the world, his. To day have I begotten thee, Hodie, i. ab Eterno, which is a nunc stans, as Aquinas defines it. The Heathens have five famous periods of computations, Ninus Monarchy, Ogyges' Flood, Trojan War, Olympiads, Vrbs condita; All ours is ab illo die, which S. Paul calls, the fullness of Time; But Christ hath two days, as two come: His first, In die illa radix jesse, saith Esay 11.10. The day of his coming to sojourn in the world; His second, 1 Cor. 1.8. The day of his return, which S. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ephes. 4.30. when he comes to ransom us, and to judge the world: Both are days indeed; In the first, there is no night of his absence, though to our sense there be some little darkness of our misery: In the second, no absence, nor no misery; A day without night, Reuel. 21.25. This prophecy is true of both; Partially, and inchoatly of the first; totally and absolutely of the second: Of the first so far as it makes way for, and resembles the second: and this as it is here principally intended, so shall it be the drift of our discourse. This is the day: Now what of this day? There shall be a Motto written: An honourable Motto; such as was written upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Turbaut of the High Priest, Holiness to the Lord: And where shall it be written? An honourable Motto in an ignoble place; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; Not as Aquila and Theodotian, under the belly of the horse, super profundum; Nor as Symmachus, under his feet, super incessum umbrosum; These senses are senseless (though you take them cum grano salis, as the Lawyers admonish) they savour neither the sense, nor word; Not as Jerome, the Septuagint and Geneve, super froenum; Tho this hath the sense well, not the word; Hieroms master came a little nearer (super phaleras;) Those of the Rabbins yet light rightest both on the word, and sense, which turn super Tintinnabula; For ten times at least in the Chronicles and Ezra, is the same word dually used; for Cymbals; and the Verb of this root, is the same, whereby God would express the tingling of the ears; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tinnient aures audientium, jer. 19 To adorn their horses with bells, was not only a fashion in those Southeast Countries, but in our forefather's days in this Land: as it were easy to show you, but out of Chancers' Antiquity; and some of us have seen it still in use elsewhere. What bells then were these? Not of the Priest; It had been easy to transfer his Emblem from his forehead, to his skirts; but of the horses: The horse an unclean beast, Levit. 11. A warlike beast, Equus paratur in diem belli, Prou. 21, 31. Whence still shall you find Horses and Chariots put together; and In bello & equis, Ose. 1.7. Behold this Motto had wont to be written upon a man, now upon a beast; had wont upon an holy man, The High Priest: now upon an unclean beast; before, upon a man of peace, now on a beast of war; Before, upon the forehead of the High Priest, now (as Rab. Eliezer) inter oculos, betwixt the eyes of the horse. But what? not to continue there; as some Rabbins and good Interpreters; but so that of these very Bells shall be made Pots for the use of sacrifice; Like as of the glasses of the jewish women was made a Laver; and of the jewels of the Midianitish Camels, a rich Ephod. This is well, to come thus near; yet they shall be promoted higher: They shall be Bowls for the Altar: The Pots might be greater, for there was Olla grandis, 2 King. 4. But the bowls were more noble, and more peculiarly devoted to God's service: Moses shall comment upon Zacharie: Num. 7. Twelve several times you have the matter of these bowls (silver) the weight, 70. shekels; The use, for flower and oil for the meat-offering, besides that following employment for the incense. But I hold not this dependence necessary: Here are rather two distinct prophecies, though to one purpose, as we shall see in the process. You see now Zacharies holy riddle read; That God, under the Gospel will effect a gracious sanctification both of things, and persons; and by those things which in their use have been altogether profane, will indifferently glorify himself, and work them both to peace, and holiness: And as Cyprian saith, Fidem rerum cursus implevit. What now is more fit for Courtiers to hear of, than an Impreze of Honour? What more fit for Kings and Princes than the Impreze of the God of heaven? And as in all Imprese, there is a body, and a soul, as they are termed; so are both here without any affectation: the soul of it is the Motto, or Word, Holiness to the Lord: The body, is the subject itself; As ofttimes the very shield is the devise: The subject, Bells of the horses. In the Word, first see the ancient use of Heraldry in the Scriptures; That part especially which concerns Inscriptions; as on Coins, Shields, Ensigns: If the Testament of the Patriarcks had as much credit, as antiquity, all the Patriarcks had their Arms assigned them by JACOB; judah a Lion, Dan a Serpent, Nepthali an Hind, Benjamin a Wolf, joseph a bough, and so the rest. The coin which jacob paid to the Shechemites, was stamped with a Lamb, Gen. 32. And, if judah's ring that he left with Thamar, had not had an inscription, it could not so certainly have descried his master. These coins had a figure without a word; The frontal of the High Priest had a word, without a figure; The sheckel of the Sanctuary (whose character we have oft seen) had both a word and a figure: the word, Holy jerusalem; the figure, A pot of Manna, like a large chalice, and Aaron's rod, not budding but branching out. Solomon compares the Church; to an Army with Banners; there could be no use, no distinction of Banners, without inscriptions. The Maccabees had four Hebrew letters in their Ensign, for both their word, and device; whence they had their name: Yea, this is not in via only, but in patriâ: They shall have a white stone, and a new name written in it: The field and the arms, both named, and unknown: The use therefore of inscriptions and arms must needs be very laudable, as ancient; since God himself was the first Herald, and shall be the last. Yea the very Anabaptists, that shake off all the yoke of Magistracy, yet when they had ripened their fanatical projects, and had raised their King Becold, from the shop-bord to the Throne, would not want this point of honour: And therefore, he must have one henchman on the right hand, to carry a Crown, and a Bible, with an inscription; On the left, another, that carried a sword naked, and a ball of Gold: Himself in great state carries a globe of Gold, with two swords a cross. His pressing iron and shears would have become him better. And if I should look to heathenish Antiquity, I should need to say no more, than that the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, whereof they say Horus Apollo was the inventor, were nothing else, but Emblems, and Imprese: among the rest, it is memorable that Ruffinus reports, that the sign of the Cross was one of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their ancient figures long before CHRIST: which (saith he) signified to them, eternal life: and Socrates adds, that when they found the sign of the Cross (in templo Serapidis) the Heathen and Christians contended for it, each challenged it for theirs; and when the Heathen knowing the signification of it, saw it thus fulfilled to the Christians, many of them converted to Christianity. Be it fare from us, to put any superstition in this; I think it done, by the same instinct whereby the Sibyls prophesied of Christ. And as Arms, and Embleticall devices are thus ancient, and commendable; so more directly Posyes and words, whether for instruction, or distinction, are here warranted. So the word of a faithful King, is Dominus mihi adiutor; or when he would thankfully ascribe his peace to God; Exurgat Deus, dissipentur inimici: so of a good Prince, either, I serve, to express his officious care, Or One of your own, to signify his respective love. So the good Statesman's should be given him by Solomon, Non est consilium contra Dominun, No policy against the Lord: A good Courtier's, by Samuel, Honorantes me honorabo: A good Bishop's, by Paul, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; in season, out of season. A good Subjects Not for fear but Conscience. A good Christians, Christus mihi vivere est. So the Israelites were charged to make their Emblem the Law of God; for their posts, for their garments. But these things may not be written upon our walls, or shields only; They must be written upon our hearts; else we are as very painted walls, as our walls themselves: Else we shall be like some Inn, that hath a Crown for the sign without, and within there is none but peasants; or a Rose upon the post without, and nothing but sluttishness and filth within: Or an Angel without, and nothing within, but lewd drunkards. As it is said of God, Dixit, & factum est; So also, scripsit, & factum est; They shall be written holy, that is, they shall be made holy: Happy is it for us, though we writ no new Emblems of our own, if we can have this holy Impreze of God, written not in foreheads, but in our hearts, Holiness to the Lord. Thus much of the Emblem, or word. Now for the subject and circumstances: In that day, above this; there is the proficiency of the Church: Holiness shall be written upon the Bells; profane things shall be holy, There is the sanctification of the Church: The Bells of warlike horses shall be turned to the quiet use of Religion; There is the religious peace of the Church. Thirdly, the pots to seethe in, shall be as Bowls to offer up incense in; There is the degrees of the Church's perfection: so that here arise four heads of our speech; The proficiency, Sanctification, Peace, Perfection of the Church. All which crave your gracious and Christian attention; or lest I be too long, two of them only. When therefore shall this be fulfilled? Not under the Law; It had been a great profanation: For none but the Highpriest might wear this Posy: The place ofttimes disparages; As to put the Ark of God into a Cart, or to set it by Dagon. It is under the Gospel, that this posy of Holiness shall be so common; In ille die; and this is that day: How great is this proficiency of the Church? Look how much difference there is between one and many, between the holiest of men, and an ordinary beast, between the frontal of the Highpriest, and the Bells of horses, so much there must be betwixt the Church in that day, and in this. It is the fashion of the true Church, to grow up still, from worse to better, as it is said of the head of the Church, Crescebat & corroborabatur. As it is compared to stones for firmness, so to grifts for growth: Yea the Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustardseed, that of the least seed, proves the greatest plant, in his kind: the river of God flows first up to the ankles, then to the knees, and at last to the chin. The Church was an Embryo till Abraham's time; In swathing-bands till Moses, In childhood till Christ; A man in Christ, A man full-growne in glory. As man is an Epitome of the World, so is every Christian an abridgement of the Church; Best at last; In illa die. He is like to the feast of Cana, where the best wine was brought in last: not naturally, but by transmutation. It was a blasphemous, and (me thinks) a Vorstian reason, that Tostatus brings, why God did not create the voices out of the Propitiatory, Quia Deus non potest agere per succcessionem: Surely in us he doth; and as we can do nothing, in instant, no more doth God in us. As in the Creation he could have made all at once, but he would take days for it, so in our re-creation by grace: As natural, so spiritual agents, do agere per moram. That rule of Aquinas is sure, Successivorum non simul est esse & perfectio: to which that accords of Tertullian, Perfectio ordine posthumat. There must be an illa dies, for our full stature; till which, if we be true Christians, we must grow from strength to strength: herein grace is contrary to nature, strongest at last. We must change till then, but in melius; till we come to our best; and then, we must be like him, in whom is no shadow by turning. But, where we should be like the Sun till noon, ever rising; there be many like Ezekiaes' Sun, that go back many degrees in the dial: whose beginnings are like Nero's first five years, full of hope, and peace. Or, like the first month of a new servant; or like unto the four Ages, whose first was gold, the last iron: Or to Nebuchadnezars image, which had a precious head, but base feet. Look to yourselves, this is a fearful sign, a fearful condition: Can he ever be rich, that grows every day poorer? Can he ever reach the goal that goes every day a step back from it? Alas then, how shall he ever reach the goal of glory, that goes every day a step backward in grace? He that is worse every day, can never be at his best, In illa die, In that day. Hitherto the proficiency; The sanctification follows. The Mosaical Law was scrupulous: There were unholy places, unholy garments, persons, beasts, fowls, vessels, touches, tastes: Under the Gospel all is holy. All was made unholy, when the first Adam sinned; when the second Adam satisfied for sin, all was made holy: Moses the servant built his house, with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ephes. 2.14. A partition wall in the midst: Christ the Son pulled down that screen, and cast all into one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: jews and Gentiles; whole hooves and clonen, dwell now both under a roof. Moses branded some creatures with uncleanness; he that redeemed his children from moral impurity, redeemed his creatures from legal; What should S. Peter's great she● let down by four corners teach us, but that all creatures through the four corners of the world, are clean and holy; S. Paul proclaims the sum of Peter's vision; Omnia munda mundis: It is an injurious scrupulousness, to make differences of creatures; injurious to God, to the creature, to ourselves: To God, while we will not let him serve himself of his own: To the creature, while we pour that shame upon it, which God never did: To ourselves, while we bring ourselves into bondage, where God hath enlarged us. When julian had poisoned the wells, and shambles, and fields, with his heathenish Lustrations; the Christians (saith Theodores) are freely of all, by virtue of PAUL'S, Quicquid in macell●: To let pass the idle curiousness of our Semi-Anabaptists, of the feparation, at whose folly, if any man be disposed to make himself sport, let him read the Tragicomical relation of the Troubles & Excommunication of the English at Amsterdam; There shall he see such wars waged betwixt brothers, for but a busk, or whale-bone, or lace, or cork-shooe, as if all Law and Gospel stood upon this point; as if heaven and earth were little enough to be mingled in this quarrel; Nec gemina bellum Troianum. To pass over all other lighter niceness of this kind: Who can choose but be ashamed of the Church of Rome; which is here in a double extremity, both gross: In denying, wiping out holiness, where God hath written it: and in writing it, where God hath not written it: In the first, how do they drive out Devils out of good creatures, by foolish exorcisms? I would he were no more in themselves. How do they forbidden meats, drinks, days, marriage which God hath written holy? He that reads Nau●rs Manual, shall find choleric blasphemy a venial sin, pag. 91. some theft venial, p. 140. Common lying, venial, p. 191. Cursing of parents if not malicious, venial, p. 100 and yet the same Author, chap. 21. nu. 11. p. 209. to eat of a forbidden dish, or an allowed dish more than once on a forbidden day, is a mortal sin: And now these venials (saith Francis a Victoria) by a Paternoster, or sprinkling of holy water, or knock of the breast are cleared; but that mortal eater is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, guilty of judgement, yea, of hell itself: Scribes, pharisees, Hypocrites, which prate of Peter's chair, but will never take out Peter's lesson, That which God hath sanctified, pollute thou not. In the other: What Holiness do they write in religious Cowls, Altars, Relics, Ashes, Candles, Oils, Salts, Waters, Ensigns, Roses, Words, Grains, Agnus Dei, Medals, and a world of such trash: So much, that they have left none in themselves. Let me have no faith, if ever playbook were more ridiculous, than their Pontifical, and book of holy Ceremonies. It is well that Jerome reads these words, super froenum, not super Tintinnabulum; Else, what a rule should we have had; though he had said, Equorum, not Templorum: What comparisons would have been; If Holiness to the Lord must be written on the bells of Horses, much more on the bells of Churches. What a colour would this have been for the washing, anointing, blessing, christening of them? What a warrant for driving away Devils, chase of ghosts, stilling of tempests, staying of thunders, yea delivering from Tentations, which the Pontifical ascribes to them? By whose account, there should be more virtue in this piece of metal, than in their holy Father himself, yea than in any Angel of heaven: But their vulgar bridles them in this, which reads it, super froenum, which some superstitious man would say were fulfilled in Constantine's snaffle made of the nails that pierced Christ. How worthy are they in the mean time of the whip, not of men only, but of God, which thus in a ridiculous presumption write Holiness, where God would have a blank; and wipe out Holiness, where God hath written it. For us, there is a double holiness; for use, for virtue: All things are holy to us for use; nothing is holy for virtue of sanctification, but those things which God hath sanctified to this virtue; his Word, his Sacraments: We may use the other, and put no holiness in them; we must use these, and expect holiness from them: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Nothing unclean, is Peter's rule, but with Paul's explication, Munda mundis: All things are clean in themselves; to thee they are not clean, unless thou be clean. Mine own clothes shall make me filthy, saith job. 9.31. Many a one may say so, more justly. The proud man's gay coat, the wanton woman's beastly fashions, both show them to be unclean, and make them so. But the lewd man makes his own clothes filthy; his meats, drinks, sports, garments, are unclean to him, because he is unclean to God; they are cursed to him, because he is cursed of God: God hath written on the outside of his creatures, Holy to the Lord; we writ on the inside, Unholy to men; because our outside and inside is unholy to God: yea, we do not only deface this inscription of holiness in other creatures to●●● but we will not let God write it upon us, for himself. O our misery and shame: All things else are holy; Men, Christians, are unholy. There is no impurity, but where is Reason, and Faith, the grounds of Holiness. How oft would God have written this title upon our foreheads? and ere he can have written one full word we blot out all: One swears it away, another drinks it away, a third scoffs it away, a fourth riots it away, a fift swaggers it away; and I would to God it were uncharitable to say, that there is as much holiness in the Bridles of the Horses, as in some of their Riders. Oh holiness, the riches of the Saints, the beauty of Angels, the delight of God, whither hast thou withdrawn thyself? where should we find thee if not among Christians? and yet how can we be, or be named Christians without thee? I see some that are afraid to be too holy: and I see but some that fear to be too profane. We are all Saints, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 1 Cor. 1.2. All by calling; and some but by calling: By calling of men, not of God: As the Church of Rome hath some Saints which are questioned whether ever they were in nature; others, whether they be not in Hell; burning Tapers to them on earth, to whom perhaps the fiends light firebrands below. As Caesarius the Monk brings in Petrus Cantor, and Roger the Norman disputing the case of Becket; so we have many titular Saints, few real; many which are written in red Letters in the Calendar of the world, Holy to the Lord, whom God never canonizes in heaven, and shall once entertain with a Nescio, I know you not. These men yet have Holiness written upon them, and are like, as Lucian compares his Grecians, to a fair gilt bossed book: look within, there is the Tragedy of Thyestes, or perhaps Arrius his Thalia; the name of a Muse, the matter heresy; or Conradus Vorstius his late monster, that hath De Dev in the front, and Atheism and Blasphemy in the text. As S. Paul says to his Corinth's, Would God ye could suffer me a little: Ye cannot want praisers, ye may want reprovers; and yet you have not so much need of Panegyrics, as of reprehensions. These by how much more rare they are, by so much more necessary. Nec-censura deest quae increpet, nec medicina quae sa●et, saith Cyprian. A false praise grieves; and a true praise shames, saith Anastasius. As Kings are by God himself called Gods (for there are Dij nuncupatiuè, and not essentialiter, as Gregory distinguishes) because of their resemblance of God, so their Courts should be like to heaven, and their attendants like Saints and Angels: Decet domum tuam sanctitudo, agrees to both. Thus you should be: But alas, I see some care to be gallant, others care to be great, few care to be holy. Yea I know not what Devil hath possessed the hearts of many great ones of our time in both sexes, with this conceit, that they cannot be gallant enough, unless they be godless. Holiness is for Divines, or men of mean spirits, for grave, subdued, mortified, retired minds; not for them that stand upon the terms of honour, height of place and spirit, noble humours: hence are our oaths, duels, profanesses. Alas, that we should be so besotted, as to think that our shame, which is our only glory: It is reason that makes us men, but it is holiness that makes us Christians. And woe to us that we are men, if we be not Christians. Think as basely of it as ye will; you shall one day find, that one dram of holiness is worth a whole world of greatness; yea, that there is no greatness, but in holiness. For God's sake therefore do not send holiness to Colleges or Hospitals for her lodging, but entertain her willingly into the Court, as a most happy guest. Think it a shame, and danger, to go in fine clothes, while you have foul hearts; and know, that in vain shall you be honoured of men, if you be not holy to the Lord. Your goodly outsides may admit you into the Courts on earth; but you shall never look within the gates of the Court of heaven without holiness: Without holiness no man shall see God. O God, without holiness we shall never see thee; and without thee we shall never see holiness: writ thou upon these flinty hearts of ours, Holiness to thyself: Make us holy to thee, that we may be glorious with thee and all thy Saints and Angels. All this only for thy Christ's sake, and to whom, etc. THE IMPREZE OF GOD. THE SECOND PART. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. THE IMPREZE OF GOD. THE SECOND PART. ZACH. vlt. 20. IT is well-near a year ago, since in this Gracious Presence, we entered upon this mystical, yet pertinent Text. You then heard what This day is; what these Bells or Bridles; what this inscription, what these Pots and Bowls: And out of That day you heard the proficiency of the Church; out of Holiness written on the Bells, the sanctification of the Church: You shall now hear, out of these bells, or bridles of warlike horses, thus inscribed, the change of the holy war, and peace of the Church; out of these pots, advanced to the likeness of the bowls of the Altar, the degrees of the Church's perfection, and acceptation; All which crave your gracious and honourable attention. That conceit (which yet is graced with the name of some Fathers) that takes this in the literal sense of Constantine's bridle, we pass, as more worthy of smiles than confutation: Questionless, the sense is spiritual; and it is a sure rule, that as the historical sense is fetched from signification of words, so the spiritual from the signification of those things, which are signified by the words. For this inscription then, it shall not be upon the bells, for their own sakes, but for the horses: not as bells, but as bells of the horses; And on the horses, not for their own sakes, but as they serve for their Riders. The horse, a military creature; there is no other mention of him in Scripture, no other use of him of old: when the eyes of Elishaes' servant were open, he saw the hill full of horses, 2. King. 6. Even the celestial warfare is not expressed without them: Hence you shall ever find them matched with Chariots in the Scripture: And the Poet, Nunc tempus equos, nunc poscere currus: he rusheth into the battle, saith jeremy; and he is made for it; for he hath both strength and nimbleness. He is strong: there is fortitudo equi, Psalm. 47. and God himself acknowledges it. Hast thou given the horse his strength, job 39 He is swift, saith jeremy, 4.13. yea as Eagles or Leopards, saith Abacuc. We must take these horses then, either as continuing themselves, or as altered. If the first; The very wars under the Gospel shall be holy; and God shall much glorify himself by them: He saith not, There shall be no horses, or those horses shall have no bells, or those bells no inscription; but those horses, and their use, which is war, and their ornaments, which are bells, shall have a title of Holiness. While Cornelius Agryppa writes of the vanity of Sciences, we may well wonder at the vanity of his opinion, that all war was forbidden under the Gopell. But let Agrippa be vain in this, as a mere Humanist, and the Anabaptists grossly false as being frantic heretics: it is marvel how Erasmus so great a Scholar, and Ferus so great a Text-man, could miscarry in this Manichean conceit. Alphonsus a Castro would fain have our Oecolompadius to keep them company, but Bellarmine himself can hardly believe him: No marvel, when he sees Zuinglius die in the field, though as a Pastor, not as a Soldier: and when our swords have so well taught them, besides our tongues, that the heretics are as good friends to war, as enemies to them. It is Gods everlasting title, Dominus exercituum. To speak nothing of the old Testament; What can Cornelius Agrippa say to Cornelius the Centurion? I fear no man would give that title to him that opposed war, which Gods spirit gives to this agent in war; A just man, and fearing God: His warfare saith Chrysostme, hurt him not. Did not Christ himself bid (even he that said, who so smites with the sword shall perish with the sword, in case of private revenge) Qui non habet gladium, vendat tunicam, emat gladium? The Angels themselves are heavenly soldiers; Every Christian is a soldier; As he is a Christian, he fights not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers; as he is a Christian soldier, he fights both against flesh and blood, and principalities; All the wars of God: So that contrary to S. Martin, who said, I am a Christian, I may not fight; he must say, I am a Christian, I must fight. And why may he not? God when he makes us christian's, leaves us the same wit to device stratagems, the same hands to execute them. All things (as Erasmus wittily) have in them naturally a means of defence; the Horse heels, Dog teeth, Ox horns, Porcupine quills, Be sting, Serpent poison; those weaker creatures that cannot resist, have either nimble feet to outrun us, or wings to out-flie us: Only man is left naked: Yet so, as his furniture within can soon furnish him for without: Yet all horses, all wars, are not written holy; As there is a spiritual evil war, of the flesh against the spirit: so there is a temporal of flesh, against flesh. Vnde bella? saith Saint james. Militare propter praedam, to fight for a booty (saith Ambrose) is sin. That witty Alphonsus' King of Artagon (to whom we are beholden for so many Apothegms) had for his Impreze a Pelican striking herself in the breast, and feeding her young with the blood; with a word, Pro lege & grege. All war draws blood: oft of the innocent part, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and therefore must never be but pro lege, for Religion; or pro grege, for the Commonwealth. And as it hath these two grounds; so also two directors; justice and Charity. justice, that requires both authority in the menager, and innocence in menaging; Authority; A sub-ordinate power is not capable of holy war: He only may say pro lege, that is, custos utriusque tabulae; he only pro grege, that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: If private men shall say, pro lege, or pro grege, they are traitors and not soldiers; In them, as he said to Alexander, war is but theft and murder. Only Kings are the public justicers of the world: which can command peace with their own, and punish the breach of peace in others Innocence. Wrong no man saith joh. Bapt. That non ex iure, is more than , brutish. Charity; whether in the intention; Peace must be the end of war. Bellarmine said this one thing well, That war to the Commonwealth is as vulnera Chirurgi: or, in the action; both of undertaking and cessation: undertaking; according to the jewish proverb, First, we must inquire of Abel; and the heathen Poet could say, extrema nemo primo tentavit loco: no just war is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Cessation, upon just satisfaction; as Shebaes' head raises the siege of Abel: This is bellum Domini; and Holiness is written upon the bells of these horses of war. Such were the wars of that blessed Constantine, both Theodosijs, Honorius, and all whom God wrote Holy and made happy. Such were many gallant Princes of old persuaded that those wars of Palestine were; who in a cunning wile were sent to get the Holy Land, that in the mean time they might lose their own: How many Counsels were summoned, how many Armies levied, one of 300000. at once, by Pope Urbans procurement? how many streams of Christian blood spilt to recover the land of them that murdered Christ, which God had cursed to confusion, terram sacerrimam, in the Plautine sense? Such are those that are undertaken against the scourge of Christendom, the creature of Mahomet, that Turkish Magog. Such are those that the Defender of the Christian Faith hath been justly provoked to undertake against that Romish Usurper, PETER'S successor in nothing, but in denying his Master. The inclemency of the late Pope labouring to forestall him in his just throne, and the absurd pragmatical impudence of the present, in that gross prohibition of a favourable & natural oath, for his Majesty's security, in a sort countenancing rebellion against his Person; beside those shameless libels of his factors, to the scorn of Gods Anointed, have seemed to usurp samuel's message, Vade, percute, demolire. To omit private motives; Pope Vrbane in that his zealous Oration to the Council of Clerimont used no one reason to persuade the world to draw their sword against the Turks, which might not justly be urged to Christian Princes, to scale the walls of Rome. Doth he speak of the Saracens profaning of jerusalem? we parallel the shameful profanations of the spiritual jerusalem; their heathenism was never so idolatrous. Doth he he speak of abusing the sepulchre of Christ? we parallel them with the abusing of his sacred body. Doth he speak of the cruelty of those savages? we also may say of them, Effunditur sanguis Christianus, Christi sanguine redemptus, etc. neither need I fear to say with junius, that in this they are Trucis Truciores. But I know what difference there is betwixt a Preacher, and an Herald: our title is Euangelizantes pacem; And though the sword of the hand doth well, yet it is the sword of the mouth, that must slay that Man of sin: Yet this I dare say, that if in the cause of God and his Church, this war should be undertaken, Holiness should be written upon our Horse's bridles; and, as we shall enter with fewer crosses upon our breasts, than those honest soldiers into their holy war: so both our cause should be more holy, and we should return with fewer crosses on our backs; But I meddle not with this. There is a war that we cannot shake off: Not with the person, but the corruptions of that foul Church, we have long waged it. God had never any quarrel upon earth, if this be not his. Our blessed forefathers have shed their blood in this field, & are glorious: let us stir up our christian courage to this service, upon our horses heads shall be written holiness; upon ours, glory and immortality. But take these horses & bells altered (as fits better) by this writing from themselves; what God writes is done: Writ this man childless; therefore he must be so. joel doth not so well comment upon this place, Break your ploughshares into swords, and your scythes into spears, joel 3.10. as Mich. 4.3. They shall break their swords into mattocks, and their spears into scythes; Mattocks and scythes the instruments of profit, one for the commodities above the earth, the other for those under it: which as I take it, would not be so strictly restrained to the very time of Christ's coming, when there was an universal peace on earth, and the Temple of janus was shut: as Cyril, Chrisostome, Eusebius, Hierome, understand it: rather it is a prophecy of that outward and during peace under the Gospel, which all the true professors of it should maintain with themselves. All nations, though fierce & stern of disposition, Bellicosa pectora vertuutur in mansuetudinem Christianam. Hier. Suniae & Fritellae. yet if they once stoop sincerely to the Gospel, shall compose themselves to a sweet accordance, and employ their united strength to the service of God: But how is this fulfilled? Some in all ages have run forth into fury, & troubled the common peace: It is true; but these are blanks, such as upon whom God hath not written holiness. It is no hoping that all horses shall be bridled, or all bridles written on. As grace, so peace is not in such sort universal, that all should incline to it, on all conditions: There are some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace-haters; it is as possible to tame a wasp, as to incline them to peace: Such are the wilful Romanists of our time (to omit Schisms) which will rather mingle heaven & earth together, than remit one gainful error. But what ever become of these Manizers, which do thus exclude themselves from the congregation of God, it were happy, if all the true & acknowledged sons of the Church would admit the inscription of an holy peace. Alas, why do we that are brethren fall out for our change of suits by the way? and make those quarrels deadly, which deserve not to be quarrels? Oh that some blessed Dove would bring an Olive of peace into this Ark of God Who is so fit for this glorious service as our gracious Peacemaker? Nemo me impune lacesset, is a good Posy; but Beati pacifici, is a better. Let the Vicegerent of him which is the Prince of peace, as he was made for the peace of the walls, and prosperity of the gates of Zion, be that Angelus pacis, Es. 33.7. Let his wisdom and sweet moderation proceed to allay all these unkindly storms of the Church, that we may live to see that happy greeting of the Psalmist, Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. And as this holds in matter of judgement, so of practice too. Do you see a lose & lawless man, wilful in his desires, unbridled in his affections, inordinate in his life, employing his wit to scoff at his Creator, caring for nothing but the worse part of himself? There is one of Zacharies horses; when God's Spirit breathes upon the soul of this man, he is now another from himself: Holiness to the Lord is written upon his Bels. This was done sometimes of old: Saul was among the Prophets; Solomon and Manasses, great patterns of conversion; but rarely in respect of the days of the Gospel. What should I speak of S. Paul? No ground would hold him, he runs chafing and foaming from Jerusalem to Damascus; of his jailor? of Mary Magdalen? Behold whole troops of wild natures reclaimed, Eph. 4. Col. 3. Act. 2. Who can despair where God undertakes? Show me never so violent and desperate a sinner, let him be as jobs wild ass in the desert, or as Amos his horse that will run upon the rocks, Amos 6.12. if God once take him in hand, thou shalt soon see that his horse is flesh, and not spirit; and shalt sing Deborahs', Vngulae ceciderunt, judg. 5.22. or joshuahs', Subneruabis, jos 11.6. Now shalt thou see him stand quaking under the almighty hand of God, so that he may write what he will in his bridle, yea in his skin. And if there be any such headstrong and resty stead here among us, let him know, that God will either break his stomach or his heart: Flagellum equo, saith Solomon; and if that will not serve, Collidan in te equum & equiten, jer. 51.21. But alas, how rare are these examples of reclamation? Where is this power of the Gospel? Men continue beasts still, and with that filthy Gryllus plead for the privilege of their bestiality. The sins of men strive to outface the glory of the Gospel. What shall I say to this? If after all these means thou have no bridle, or thy bridle no inscription, it is a fearful doom of the Apostle; If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that perish. Thus much of the horses & bells. Now from the pots and bowls, you shall see the degrees of the Church's perfection: and see it, I beseech you, without weariness, with intention. The pots of the Temple were seething vessels for the use of sacrifice: These are the Priests themselves here, for that there is a distinction made betwixt the Pots of the Lords house, and every pot in jerusalem. The ordinary jew was every pot: therefore the Pots of the Lords house must be his Ministers. These under the Gospel shall be of more honourable use; (as the bowls before the Altar) like as the Altar of perfumes was more inward, and of higher respect. The pots were of shining brass; bowls of gold, 1 King. 7.50. It is no brag to say, that the Ministry of the Gospel is more glorious than that of the Law: The least in the kingdom of Heaven (saith CHRIST) is greater than john Baptist, Matth. 11.11. The Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the Church, not as Austen, Jerome, Bede expound it, of the third heaven; for Christ would make an opposition betwixt the old and new Testament. The not unlearned jesuite Maldonat, while he taxeth us for preferring every Minister of the Gospel to john Baptist, mends the matter so well, that he verifies it of every person; Minimus quisque in Euangelio, that is, qui Euangelium recipit, maior est illo; not feeling how he buffets himself: for if the least of those that receive the Gospel, how much more the least of those that preach it? This is no arrogance. God would have every thing in the last Temple more glorious than in the first, which was figured by the outward frame, more glorious in CHRIST'S time, than that of SALOMON; as that was beyond the Tabernacle. This is a better Testament, Hebr. 7.22. That had the shadow, this the substance, Heb. 10. Under this, is greater illumination; Effundam spiritum meum, saith the Prophet: before, some few drops distilled; now a whole current of graces; Effundam. If therefore john Baptist were greater than the sons of men, because they saw Christ to come, he pointed at him coming; ours must needs be more glorious, because we see and point at him now come, and fully exhibited. We will not contest with the Leviticall Priesthood, for cost of clothes, for price of vessels; let the Church of Rome emulate this pomp, (which cares not if she have golden vessels, though she have leaden Priests) we envy it not; but for inward graces, for learning, knowledge, power of teaching, there is no less difference, than betwixt the pots of the Temple, and bowls of the Altar: God says of them in way of rejection, Non est mihi voluntas in vobis, Mal. 1. Hence the Priesthood of the new Law is Levi refined, Mal. 3.3. Et purgabit filios Levi; which Hierome not unlikely, interprets of the Ministry of the Gospel: They are the sons of Levi, which signifies Copulation; quia homines cum Deo copulant; but of Levi purged, and purged as gold: As much difference between them, as betwixt gold in the Ore, and in the wedge. Hence is double honour challenged to the Evangelicall Ministry, yea, and given: Ye received me, saith S. Paul, as an Angel of God, yea as Christ jesus, Gal. 4.14. Hence the Angel, of himself to JOHN, I am thy fellow-servant. Woe be to them therefore which spit in the faces of those whom God hath honoured: It is God's second charge, this of his Prophets: His first is, Touch not mine Anointed; his second, Hurt not my Prophets. And if one disgraceful word spoken but by rude children to a Prophet of the old Testament, cost so many throats, God be merciful to those dangerous and deadly affronts that have been, and are daily offered to the Prophets of the new: What can we say, but with the women of Tekoah, Serua-ô-rex. We bless God that we may bemoan ourselves to the tender and indulgent ears of a gracious Sovereign, sensible of these spiritual wrongs; who yet (we know) may well answer us with jacobs' question, An loco Dei ego sum? It grieves me to think and say of ourselves, that for a great part of this, Perditio tua ex te. Woe to those corrupted sons of Heli, which through their insufficiency and unconscionableness, have poured contempt on their own faces. That proud fugitive Campian could say, Ministris illorum nihil vilius, etc. As falsely as spitefully. Let heaven and earth witness, whether any Nation in the world can afford so learned, so glorious a Clergy. But yet, among so many pots of the Temple, it is no marvel if some be dry for want of liquor, others rusty for want of use, others full of liquor without meat, others so full of meat that they want liquor. Let the Lords anointed, whose example and encouragements have raised even this divine learning to this excellent perfection, by his gracious countenance, dispel contempt from the professors of it, and by his effectual endeavours remove the causes of this contempt. But as every Christian under the Gospel is a Priest and Prophet, let the people be these pots, or the offerings of the people. That shall be in respect of the frequency, or fragrance, according to the double acception of that particle of comparison (Camisrachim) as the bowls; for number, or quality. For the frequency. A few seething pots served the sacrifice; but bowls they used many; what for the use of the Altar of incense, what for the receiving of the blood of the sacrifice, Solomon made too of gold. Now then saith God, in the days of the Gospel, there shall be such store of oblations to God, that the number of the pots shall equalise the number of the bowls of the Altar: not unlike, because of the following words; Every pot in jerusalem shall be fain to be employed to the sacrifices. This frequency then, is either of the officers, or offerings; persons, or acts. For the persons; they were few in comparison, under the Law. All Palestine, which comprehends all their officers, except some few Proselytes, was but (as Jerome, which was a Lieger there, reckons it) an 160. miles long from Dan to Beersheba, and 46. miles broad from joppa to Bethleem. Now the partition wall is broken down, all Nations under heaven: yield frank offerers to the Altar of God. There was no offering then but at jerusalem: now jerusalem is every where. So much therefore as the world is wider than judea, so much as Christendom is larger than the walls of the Temple; so many more officers hath the Gospel than the Law. And it were well, if there were as many, as they seem. If but as many as all the world over offer their presence to God's service on God's day (leave those that spend it in the stew●●s and Taverns, to him whom they serve) were true offerers, how rich would the Altar be, and the Temple how glorious? But alas, if God will be served with mouths full of oaths, curses, bitterness, with heads full of wine, with eyes full of lust, with hands full of blood, with backs full of pride, with paunches full of gluttony, with souls and lives full of horrible sins, he may have offerers as many as men: else, as Esay, relicta est in urbe solituda; a few pots will hold our sacrifices: and what is this, but through our wilful disobedience, to cross him which hath said, that in this day the pots of the Temple shall be as the bowls of the Altar? The act or commodity is offerings; whether outward, or inward. The outward fulfilled in those large endowments of the Church, by our devout and bountiful predecessors. What liberal revenues, rich maintenances were then put into (mortmain) the dead hand of the Church? Laws were fain to restrain the bounty of those contributions (the grounds whereof I examine not) in stead of MOSES his proclamation, Nequis facito deinceps opus ad oblationem Sanctuarij, satis enim est, adeoque superest, Exod. 26.6. Then mons Domini, mons pinguis: but now the Church may cry with the Prophet, My leanness, my leanness. For shame, why should sacrilege crowd in with religion? why should our better knowledge find us less conscionable? O injurious zeal of those men, which think the Church cannot be holy enough, unless she beg. It hath been said of old, That Religion bred wealth, and the daughter eat up the mother: I know not, if the daughter devoured the mother; I am sure these men would devour both daughter and mother: Men of vast gor●es, and insatiable. Our Saviour cried out against the Scribes and pharisees, yet the devoured but widow's houses, poor low cottages: but these gulfs of men, whole Churches; and yet the sepulchres of their throats are open for more. I can tell them of a mouth that is wider than theirs, and that is the Prophets, Os inferni: Therefore Hell hath enlarged itself, and hath opened his mouth, without measure: and their glory, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth in it, shall descend into it, Esa. 5.14. In the mean time, Oh that our SAMSON would pull this honey of the Church out of the jaws of these Lions; or if the cunning conveyances of sacrilege have made that impossible, since it lies not now entire in the combs, but is let down and digested by these raveners, let him whose glory it is not to be Pater patriae only, but Pater Ecclesiae, provide that those few pots we have, may still seethe, and that if nothing will be added, nothing can be recovered, yet nothing may be purloined from the Altars of God. But these outward offerings were but the types of the inward: what cares God for the blood or flesh of bullocks, rams, goats? Non delectaris sacrificio ut dem, holocaustum non vis, saith David: what then? The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit, a broken heart. Our humiliation is sacrificium poenitentiae, our new obedience is sacrificium iustitiae, our thankful commemorations are sacrificium laudis. These are the oblations, which as they shall be frequent under the Gospel, so most fragrant unto God: and this is that last, and perhaps most proper sense, wherein the fleshpots of the sacrifices erunt sicut aromata, shall be as perfumes in the bowls of incense. A lively sacrifice is well matched with holy and acceptable. When Noah sacrificed to God after the Deluge, it is said God smelled a savour of rest, alluding to his name: but now the sacrifices we offer are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a savour of sweetness: so that the same savour that Christ's oblation had, Ephes. 5.2. the same have our offerings, Philip. 4.18. God's children, out of the conscience of their own weaknesses, are easily discouraged in the valuation of their own obedience. As therefore they can say of their persons, with Mephibosheth, What is thy servant? so of their services, as Philip said of the five loaves & two fishes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Alas, what are these? But they and their offerings cannot be so base to themselves, as they are precious to God. There is no sense that gives so lively a refreshing to the spirits, as that of smelling: no smell can yield so true and feeling delight to the sense, as the offerings of our penitence, obedience, praise, send up into the nostrils of the Almighty. Hence as the Church can say of Christ, He is as a bundle of myrrh lying between her breasts; so he again of her in that heavenly Epithalamion, Thy plants are as an Orchard of Pomegranates, with sweet fruits, as cypress, spicknard, saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, with all the trees of incense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the chief spices, Cant. 4.13. Let this therefore comfort us, against our imperfections; If we be pots of the Lords house, those faint streams that we send up, shall be as sweet, as the best incense of the bowls of the Altar, and God says to us, as to Cornelius, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up, Act. 10. And how are they come up? Like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and incense, and with all the chief spices, Cant. 3.6. I say if we be pots of the Lords house; for if we be Egyptian fleshpots, that reek of the strong-smelling onions and garlic of our own corruptions; If we be ezechiel's bloody pots, whose scum or (as the vulgar) whose rust is in them, Ezec. 24. If we boil with lust, if with revenge, if with ambition; I can say no other of us, than the sons of the Prophets said of theirs, Mors in olla, Death is in the pot: a double death, of body, and soul. It is a true speech of Origen, Peccatum est putidi odoris: No carrion is so noisome. Alas, what savours are sent up to God from those, that would seem not only pots of the Temple, but bowls of the Altar; How unsavoury is the pride, profaneness, riotousness, oppression, beastliness of our times? It were happy if the Court were free: and as it receives more sweet influences of favour, than all other places; so, that it returned back more fragrant obedience: that as it is said of Mary's spicknard, wherewith she anointed Christ, that the whole house was filled with the savour of the ointment, joh. 12.3. so the whole world might be full of the pleasant perfumes of virtuous example, that might arise from hence. But alas, the painted faces, and mannishnesse, and monstrous disguisednesse of the one sex, the factious hollowness, prodigal garishness, wanton pampering, excess in our respect to ourselves, defects in our respects to God in the other, argue too well, that too many of us savour more like the golden sockets of the holy lights, than the bowls of the Altar; God cannot abide these ill scents. The five Cities of the Plains sent up such poisonous vapours to God, that he sent them down brimstone again with their fire. That which hell is described by, is sent down from Heaven, because that such hellish exhalations ascend from them, to heaven. How should the sins of Sodom not expect the judgements of Sodom? Well might the jews fear, because they would not be serviceable caldrons unto God, that therefore they should be the flesh, and their City the caldron, Ezec. 11.3. Well may we fear it, who have had so sensible proofs, as of the favours, so of the judgements of God: and happy shall it be for us, if we can so fear, that our fear may prevent evils. Let these pots of ours therefore send up sweet fumes of contrition, righteousness, thanksgiving, into the nostrils of God; and the smoke of his displeasure, wherewith coals of eternal fire are kindled against his enemies, shall not come forth of his nostrils against us: He shall smell a savour of rest from us; we a savour of peace and life from him: which God for his mercy sake, and for his Son Christ's sake, vouchsafe to grant us. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, one glorious God, be given all praise, honour, and glory, now and for ever. AMEN. FJNJS. A FAR WELL SERMON, PREACHED TO THE FAMILY OF PRINCE HENRY, UPON THE DAY OF THEIR DISSOLUTION AT S. JAMES. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. A FAREWELL SERMON. REVEL. 21.3. And I heard a great voice from heaven, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be their God with them. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the first things are passed. And he that sat upon the throne said; Behold, I make all things new. IT is no wonder, if this place, as it is (for the present) the Wellhead of sorrow to all Christendom, have sent forth abundance of waters of tears. And perhaps, you may expect, that as the trumpets of our late heavy funeral solemnity, sounded basest and dolefullest at the last, so my speech being the last public breath of this sad dissolving Family, should be most passionately sorrowful. And surely I could easily obtain of myself, out of the bitterness of my soul, to spend myself in lamentations, and to break up this assembly, in the violent expressions of that grief; wherewith our hearts are already broken: but, I well consider, that we shall carry sorrow enough home with us, in my silence; and that it is both more hard, and more necessary for us, to be led forth to the waters of comfort. And because our occasions of grief are such, as no earthly tongue can relieve us, nor no earthly object; A voice from heaven shall do it, and a voice leading us from earth to heaven. And I heard a voice from heaven, etc. This day is a day of note for three famous periods. First, it is the day of the dissipation of this Royal Family. Then, the last day of our public and joint mourning. Lastly, the day of the alteration and renewing of our state, and course of life, with the New-year. All these meet in this Text with their cordials; and divine remedies; Our dissipation and dissolution in these words, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men. Our mourning, God shall wipe away all tears, etc. Our change of estate, Behold, I will make all things new. I must crave leave to glide thorough all of these with much speed, and for (the better conveniency of our discourse) through the first, last. My speech therefore shall as it were climb up these six stairs of doctrine. 1. That here our eyes are full of tears: how else should they be wiped away? how all, unless many? 2. That these tears are from sorrow; and this sorrow from death, and toil, out of the connexion of all these. 3. That God will once free us, both from tears which are the effect of sorrow, and from toil and death which are the causes of it. 4. That this our freedom, must be upon a change; for that the first things are passed. 5. That this change shall be in our Renovation. Behold I make all things new. 6. That this renovation and happy change shall be in our perpetual fruition of the inseparable presence of God, whose Tabernacle shall be with men. Psal. 84. judg. 2.5. As those grounds that lie low are commonly moorish, this base part of the world wherein we live, is the vale of tears, That true Bochim, as the Israelites called their mourning-place: We begin our life with tears, and therefore our Lawyers define life, by weeping; if a child were heard cry, It is a lawful proof of his living: else if he be dead, we say he is stillborn; and at our parting God finds tears in our eyes, which he shall wipe off. So we find it always, not only (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a time of weeping, but (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) of solemn mourning, as Solomon puts them together, Eccl. 3.4. Except we be in that case that David and his people were in, 1 Sam. 30. Lam. 2.11. (and jeremy says the same in his Lamentations, of the jews) that they wept till they could weep no more: Here are tears at our devotion; The Altar covered with tears, Mal. 2. Tears in the bed, David watered his couch with tears, Psal. 6. Tears to wash with, as Maries. Tears to eat, Psal. 42.3. Tears to drink, Psal. 80. yea drunkenness with tears, Esay 16.9. This is our destiny as we are men, but more as we are Christians, To sow in Tears; and God love's these wet seed-times; they are seasonable for us here below: Those men therefore are mistaken, that think to go to heaven with dry eyes, and hope to leap immediately out of the pleasures of earth, into the Paradise of God; insulting over the drooping estate of God's distressed ones. As Jerome, and Bede, say of Peter, that he could not weep while he was in the High Priests walls, so these men cannot weep where they have offended. But let them know that they must have a time of tears; and if they do not begin with tears, they shall end with them; Woe be to them that laugh, for they shall weep; and if they will not weep, and shake their heads here, they shall weep and wail, and gnash their teeth hereafter: Here must be tears, and that good store: All tears; as rivers are called the tears of the sea, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) job 38. so must our tears be the rivers of our eyes, Psal. 119.136. and our eyes fountains, jer. 9.1. Here must be tears of penitence, tears of compassion, and will be tears of sorrow: Well are those two met therefore; tears and sorrow: for though some shed tears for spite, others for joy, as Cyprians Martyrs, Gaudium pectoris lachrymis exprimentes; yet commonly tears are the juice of a mind pressed with grief; Greg. Nis. Orat. And as well do tears, and crying, and sorrow, accompany death, either in the supposition, or the denial; For as worldly sorrow (even in this sense) causeth death, by drying the bones, and consuming the body: so death ever lightly, is a just cause of sorrow; sorrow to nature in ourselves, sorrow to ours. And as death is the terriblest thing, so it is the saddest thing, that befalls a man. Nature could say in the Poet, Quis matrem in funere nati Flere vetat? yea God himself allowed his holy Priests, to pollute themselves in mourning, for their nearest dead friends, Exod. 21. excepting the High Priest; which was forbidden it in figure. And the Apostle while he forbids the Thessalonians to mourn, as without hope; doth in a sort command their tears, but bar their immoderation. It was not without a special reference to a judgement, Ezech. 24. that God says to Ezechiel, Son of man, behold I will take from thee the pleasure of thy life with a plague, yet shalt thou neither mourn nor weep, neither shall my tears run down. So fit did the jews hold tears for Funerals, that they hired mourners, which with incomposed gestures ran up and down the streets, Eccl. 12. who did also cut and lance themselves, that they might mourn in earnest, jer. 16. That good natured Patriarch Isaac, mourned three years for his mother, as the Chineses do at this day for their friends. jacob mourned two and twenty years for joseph: and there want not some, which have thought Adam and Eve mourned an 100 years for Abel: but, who knows not the wail of Abel-●itzraim for joseph; of the valley of Megiddon for josiah? And if ever any corpse deserved to swim it tears, if ever any loss could command lamentation; then this of ours, yea of this whole ISLAND, yea of the whole Church of God, yea of the whole world, justly calls for it, and truly hath it. O HENRY our sweet Prince, our sweet Prince HENRY, the second glory of our Nation, ornament of mankind, hope of posterity, and life of our life, how do all hearts bleed, and all eyes worthily gush out, for thy loss! A loss, that we had neither grace to fear, nor have capacity to conceive. Shall I praise him to you, who are therefore now miserable, because you did know him so well? I forbear it, though to my pain; If I did not spare you, I could not so swiftly pass over the name, and the virtues of that glorious Saint, our dear Master, or the aggravation of that loss, whereof you are too sensible: my true commiseration shall command me silence; yet I could not but touch our sore (with this light hand) though yet raw and bleeding: Death (especially such a death) must have sorrow and tears; All Nations, all succession of times shall bear a part with us in this lamentation: And if we could but as hearty have prayed for him before, as we have hearty wept for him since; perhaps we had not had this cause of mourning. From sorrow, let us descend to pains (which is no small cause of crying and tears) as I fear some of us must: the word howsoever it is here translated, is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) labour; I must confess, labour and pain are near one another; whence we say, that he which labours, takes pains; and contrarily, that a woman is in labour, or travel, when she is in the pain of childbirth; tears cannot be wiped away whiles toil remains; That the Israelites may leave crying, they must be delivered from the brick-kilnes of Egypt. Indeed, God had in our creation allotted us labour, without pain; but when once sin came into the soul, pain seized upon the bones, and the mind was possessed with a weariness, and irksome loathing of what it must do: and ever since, sorrow and labour have been inseparable attendants upon the life of man: Insomuch as God, when he would describe to us the happy estate of the dead, does it in those terms, They shall rest from their labours: Look into the field, there you shall see toiling at the plough and . Look into the waters, there you see tugging at the oars and cabels. Look into the City, there you see plodding in the streets, sweeting in the shops. Look into the studies, there you see fixing of eyes, tossing of books, scratching the head, paleness, infirmity. Look into the Court, there you see tedious attendance, emulatory officiousness. All things are full of labour, and labour is full of sorrow. If we do nothing, idleness is wearisome; if any thing, work is wearisome; in one or both of these, the best of life is consumed. Who now can be in love with a life that hath nothing in it but crying, and tears, in the entrance; death, in the conclusion; labour and pain in the continuance; and sorrow in all these? What Galleyslave but we would be in love with our chain? what prisoner would delight in his dungeon? How hath our infidelity besotted us, if we do not long after that happy estate of our immortality, wherein all our tears shall be wiped away; and we at once freed from labour, sorrow, and death? Now, as it is vain to hope for this till then; so than not to hope for it, is paganish and brutish. He that hath tasked us with these penances, hath undertaken to release us. God shall wipe away all tears. While we stay here, he keeps all our tears in a bottle, Psal. 56. so precious is the water that is distilled from penitent eyes; and because he will be sure not to fail, he notes how many drops there be, in his register. It was a precious ointment; wherewith the woman in the Pharises house (it is thought Mary Magdalene) anointed the feet of Christ: Luke 7.37. but her tears wherewith she washed them, were more worth than her spil●nard. But that which is here precious, is there unseasonable; then he shall wipe away those which here he would save. As death, so passions are the companions of infirmity; whereupon some that have been too nice, have called those which were incident into Christ, Propassions; not considering that he which was capable of death, might be as well of passions. These troublesome affections of grief, fear, and such like, do not fall into glorified souls. It is true, that they have love, desire, joy, in their greatest perfection: yea they could not have perfection without them; but like as God love's, and hates, and rejoices truly, but in a manner of his own, abstracted from all infirmity, and passion: so do his glorified Saints in imitation of him. There therefore, as we cannot die, so we cannot grieve, we cannot be afflicted. Here one says, My belly, my belly, with the Prophet; another, mine head, mine head, with the Shunamites son; another, my son, my son, as David; another, my father, my father, with Elisha. One cries out of his sins, with David; another of his hunger, with Esau; another of an ill wife, with job; another of treacherous friends, 2 Kings 4. with the Psalmist; One of a sore in body, with Ezechias; another of a troubled soul, with our Saviour in the garden; every one hath some complaint, or other, to make his cheeks wet, and his heart heavy. Stay but a while, and there shall be none of these: There shall be no crying, no complaining in the streets of the new jerusalem: No axe, no hammer shall be heard within this heavenly Temple. Why are we not content to weep here a while, on condition that we may weep no more? Why are we not ambitious of this blessed ease? Certainly, we do not smart enough with our evils, that we are not desirous of rest; These tears are not yet dry, yet they are ready to be overtaken by others, for our particular afflictions. Miseries, as the Psalmist compares them, are like waves, which break one upon another, and toss us with a perpetual vexation; and we vain men, shall we not wish to be in our haven? Are we sick, and grieve to think of remedy? Are we still dying, and are we loath to think of life? Oh this miserable unbelief, that though we see a glorious heaven above us, yet we are unwilling to go to it: we see a wearisome world about us, and yet are loath to think of leaving it: This gracious master of ours, whose dissolution is ours, while he was here amongst us, his princely crown could not keep his head from pain, his golden rod could not drive away his fevers; now is he freed from all his aches, agues, stitches, convulsions, cold sweats: now he triumphs in glory, amongst the Angels and Saints; now he walks in white robes, and attends on the glorious bridegroom of the Church; and do we think he would be content now, for all the kingdoms of the world, to be as he was? We that profess it was our joy and honour to follow him, whither soever he had gone; In his disports, in his wars, in his travels; why are we not now ambitious of following him to his better crown; yea of reigning together with him, (for heaven admits of this equality) in that glory, wherein he reigns with his Saviour & ours? Why do we not now hearty, with him that was ravished into the third heavan, say, Cupio dissolui & esse cum Christo, not barely to be dissolved; a malcontent may do so; but therefore to be dissolved, that we may be with Christ, possessed of his everlasting glory; where we shall not only not weep, but rejoice and sing Hallelujahs for ever; not only not die, but enjoy a blessed and heavenly life. Even so Lord jesus come quickly. Now if any man shall ask the Disciples question: Master, when shall these things be; the celestial voice tells him, it must be upon a change; For the first things are passed; It shall be, in part, so soon as ever our first things, our life, the condition of our mortality are passed over; It shall be fully, when the first things of the world are passed; Passed not by abolition, but by immutation, as that Father said well; Not the frame of the world, but the corruption of that frame must pass. The Spirit of God is not curious, he calls those things first which were only former; not in respect of the state which is, but that which shall be; For those things which were first of all, were like their Maker, good, not capable of destruction: Our sins tainted the whole creation, and brought shame upon all the frame of heaven, and earth: That which we did, shall be disannulled; that which God did, shall stand for ever; and this dissolution shall be our glory: other dissolutions strike tears into our eyes; as this day is witness: it is our sorrow that the first things are passed, our offices, our pensions, our hopes, our favours, and (which we esteemed most) our services are gone: Let this last dissolution comfort us against the present. Who can grieve to see a Family dissolved, that considers the world must be dissolved? This little world of ours, first, whereof this day gives us an image: for as our service, so our life must away; and then that great one, whose dissolution is represented in these. The difference is, that whereas this dissolution brings tears to some eyes, that wipes them away from all: For all our tears, and sorrow, and toil, and crying, and death, are for our sins; take away corruption, and misery goes away with it, and till then, it will never be removed: No man puts new wine into old vessels; much less will God put the new wine of glory, into the old vessels of corruption: They are our sins, which as in particular they have robbed us of our Prince, changed our seasons, swept away thousands with varieties of deaths, so in general, they have deformed the face of heaven and earth, and made all the Creation sigh and groan, and still make us incapable of the perfection of our blessedness; for while the first things continue, there must needs be tears, and sorrow, and death. Let us therefore look upon heaven and earth as goodly creatures; but, as blemished, as transitory, as those which we shall once see more glorious. Let us look upon ourselves with indignation, which have thus distained them; and as those which after some term of their cottage expired, are assured they shall have a marble palace built for them, do long after the time perfixed them, and think the days and months pace slowly away, till then; so let us earnestly desire the day of the dissolution of this great house of the world, that we may have our consummation in the new heaven. For so soon as ever the old is past, Behold (saith God) I will make all things new. Yea, the passage of the one, is the renewing of the other: As the Snake is renewed, not by putting on any new coat, but by leaving his slough behind him: the gold is purified, by leaving his dross in the fire; Therefore he adds, not, I will, but, I do make all new; and because this is a great work, behold a great Agent; He that sat upon the Throne said, Behold I make all new. A Throne signifies Majesty, and sitting permanence or perpetuity: God says, Heaven is my throne, in the Psalm: but as Salomons throne of ivory and gold, was the best piece of his house; So God's throne is the most glorious heaven, the heaven of heavens; for you see that though heaven and earth pass away, yet God's throne remained still, and he sitting on it; neither sin nor dissolution, may reach to the Empyreal heaven, the seat of God. Here is a state worthy of the King of Kings; All the thrones of earthly Monarches, are but pieces of his footstool. And as his throne is majestical and permanent, so is his residence in it; He sat in the throne. S. Stephen saw him standing, as it were ready for his defence and protection: S. john sees him sitting (as our Creed also runs) in regard of his inalterable glory. How brittle the thrones of earthly Princes are, and how they do rather stand than sit in them, and how slippery they stand too, we feel this day, and lament. O Lord, establish the throne of thy servant our King, and let his seed endure for ever. Let his throne be as the Sun before thee for evermore; and as the Moon a faithful witness in heaven. But howsoever it be with our earthly Gods; of his kingdom there is no end. Here is a master for Kings, whose glory it is, to rise up from their thrones, and throw down their Crowns at his feet, and to worship before his footstool. Be wise therefore, O ye Kings; be learned ye Rulers of the earth: serve this Lord in fear, and rejoice in him with trembling. Yea behold here (since we have the honour to serve him, whom Kings serve) a royal Master for us; It was one of our sins I fear, that we made our Master, our God; I mean, that we made flesh our arm; and placed that confidence in him, for our earthly stay, which we should have fixed in heaven: Our too much hope hath left us comfortless: Oh that we could now make God our Master, and trust him so much the more, as we have less in earth to trust to. There is no service to the King of heaven; for both his throne is everlasting and unchangeable, and his promotions certain and honourable: He that sits on the throne hath said it; To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne; even as I overcame and sit with my Father in his throne. Behold, ye ambitious spirits, how ye may truly rise to more than ever the sons of Zebedee desired to aspire to: serving is the way to reigning; serve him that sits upon the Throne, and ye shall sit yourselves upon the Throne with him. This is the Agent; the act is fit for him, I make all things new. Even the very Turks in their Alcoran, can subscribe to that of Tertullian, Qui potuit facere, potest & reficere: I fear to wrong the holy Majesty with my rude comparison; It is not so much to God, to make a world, as for us, to speak: He spoke the word, and it was done: There is no change which is not from him: He makes new Princes, new years, new governments, and will make new heavens, new earth, new inhabitants; how easy then is it for him, to make new provisions for us? If we be left destitute, yet where is our faith? Shall God make us new bodies, when they are gone to dust? shall he make new heavens, and new earth, and shall not he (whose the earth is, and the fullness thereof) provide some new means, and courses of life for us, while we are upon earth? Is the maintenance of one poor worm more than the renewing of heaven and earth? Shall he be able to raise us when we are not, and shall he not sustain us while we are? Away with these weak diffidences; and if we be Christians, trust God with his own: Psal. 37.34. Wait thou on the Lord, and keep his ways, and he shall exalt thee. He will make all things new: And shall all things be made new, and our hearts be old? Shall nothing but our souls be out of the fashion? Surely beloved, none but new hearts are for the new heavens: Except we be borne anew, we enter not into life. All other things shall in the very instant receive their renovation; only our hearts must be made new before hand, or else they shall never be renewed to their glory. S. Peter, when he had told us of looking for new heavens, and new earth; infers this use upon it; Wherefore (beloved) seeing ye look for such things, 2 Pet. 3.14. be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Behold, the new heavens require pure and spotless inhabitants. As ever therefore we look to have our part in this blessed renovation, let us cast off all our evil and corrupt affections, put off the old man with his works, and now with the new year, put on the new: labour for a new heart, begin a new life. That which S. john says here, that God will say and do in our entrance to glorification; Behold, I make all things new. 2 Cor. 5.17. out of Esa. 43. Saint Paul saith he hath done it already, in our regeneration; Old things are passed away, all things are become new. What means this, but that our regeneration must make way for our glorification, and that our glory must but perfect our regeneration? and God supposes this is done, when there are means to do it. Why do we then still (in spite of the Gospel) retain our old corruptions, and think to go to the wedding feast in our old clothes? if some of us do not rather (as the vulgar reads that, judg. 10, 6.) Addere nona veteribus, add new sins to our old; new oaths, new fashions of pride, new compliments of drunkenness, new devices of filthiness, new tricks of Machiavelisme: these are our novelties, which fetch down from God new judgements upon us, to the tingling of the ears of all hearers, and for which Topheth was prepared of old. If God have no better news for us, we shall never enjoy the new heaven with him. For God's sake therefore, and for our soul's sake, let us be wiser, and renew our covenant with God; and seeing this is a day of gifts, let my New-yeeres-gift to you be this holy advice from God, which may make you happy for ever: Let your New-yeeres-gift to God be your hearts, the best part of yourselves, the centre of yourselves, to which all our actions are circumferences: and if they be such a present, as we have reason to fear God will not accept, because they are sinful; yet if they be humbled, if penitent, we know he will receive them: Psal. 51. A contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. And if we cannot give him our hearts, yet give him our desires, and he will take our unworthy hearts from us; I will take the stony hearts out of their bodies, Ezec. 11.19. and he will graciously return an happy New-yeeres-gift to us, Ezec. 11.14. I will put a new spirit within their bowels, and will give them an heart of flesh. He will create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us; so, as he will make a new heaven for us, he will make us new for this heaven; he will make his Tabernacle in us, that he may make ours with him. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, etc. The superstitious Listrians cried out amazed, that Gods were come down to them in the likeness of men: but we christian's know, that it is no rare thing for God to come and dwell with men; Yea are the Temples of the living God, 2 Cor. 6.16. and I will dwell among them and walk there. The faithful heart of man is the Tabernacle of God. But because though God be ever with us, we are not always so with him, yea whiles we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, as S. Paul complains, therefore will God vouchsafe us a nearer cohabitation that shall not be capable of any interposition, of any absence. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men. But besides this Tabernacle of flesh, time was when God dwelled in a material visible house with men: He had his Tabernacle first, which was a moving Temple, and then his Temple, 2 Chron. 7.16. which was a fixed Tabernacle: both of them had one measure, both one name. But, as one said upon that, Eze. 42. Mensus est similitudinem domus; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the Tabernacle and Temple were similitudes of God's house, rather than the house itself: so say I, that they were intended for notable resemblances both of the holy Church of God upon earth, and of the glorious Sanctuary of heaven. This is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God, 1 Pet. 2.5. which word signifieth both a Temple, Ezra 4.1. and a Palace, Dan. 1.4. because he dwells where he is worshipped, and he is magnificent in both: It is the material Tabernacle which is alluded to, the immaterial which is promised; A Tabernacle that goes a thousand times more beyond the glittering Temple of Solomon, than salomon's Temple went beyond the Tabernacle of Moses: Neither let it trouble any man, that the name of a Tabernacle implies flitting and uncertainty. For as the Temple, howsoever it were called (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a house of Ages; yet lasted not (either the first, I mean, or second) unto 500 years: so this house, though God call it a Tabernacle, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Luke 16.9. yet he makes it an everlasting habitation; for he tells us, that both age and death are gone before it come down to men. But why rather doth the Tabernacle of God descend to men, than men ascend to it? Whether this be in respect of john's vision, to whom the new jerusalem seemed to descend from heaven; descendit (as one saith) innotescendo, and therefore it is resembled by all the riches of this inferior world, gold, precious stones, pearl; or whether heaven is therefore said to descend to us, because it meets us in the air, 1 Thess. 4.16. when Christ jesus attended with innumerable Angels shall descend to fetch his elect; or, whether this phrase be used for a greater expression of love, and mercy, since it is more for Prince to come to us, than for us to go to his Court. Certainly, God means only in this to set forth that perpetual and reciprocal conversation, which he will have with men: They shall dwell with God, God shall dwell with them. Our glory gins ever in grace: God doth dwell with all those in grace, with whom he will dwell in glory: Every Christian carries in his bosom a shrine of God; 2 Cor. 12. Know ye not that Christ jesus is in you, saith S. Paul. Wheresoever God dwells, there is his Temple: Wilt thou pray in the Temple, pray in thyself, saith Austen. Here is the Altar of a clean heart, from which the sweet incense of our prayers, as a pleasant perfume, is sent up into the nostrils of God: Here are the pure candles of our faith ever burning before God, night and day; never to be extinguished: Here is the spiritual Shewbread, the bread of life standing ever ready upon the Table of the soul: Here doth the Ark of the heart, in the inwardest of the breast, keep the law of God, and that Manna that came down from heaven: Here God dwells, and here he is worshipped. Behold, what need we care whither we go, while we carry the God of heaven with us? He is with us, as our companion, as our guide, as our guest: No impotency of person, no cross of estate, no distance of place, no opposition of men, no gates of hell can separate him from us: He hath said it, I will not leave, nor forsake thee: We are all now parting one from another: and now is losing a knot of the most loving, and entire fellowship, that ever met in the Court of any Prince: our sweet Master (that was compounded of all loveliness) infused this gracious harmony into our hearts; now we are saluting our last, and every one is with sorrow enough, taking his own way: how safe, how happy shall we be, if each of us shall have God to go with him! Certainly (my dear fellows) we shall never complain of the want of Masters, of friends, while we find ourselves sure of him; nothing can make us miserable while we are furnished with him. Shall we think he cannot far ill that hath money in his purse; and shall we think he can miscarry that hath God in his heart? How shall not all comfort, all happiness accompany that God, whose presence is the cause of all blessedness? He shall counsel us in our doubts, direct us in our resolutions, dispose of us in our estates, cheer us in our distresses, prosper us in our lives, and in our death's crown us. And if such felicity follow upon Gods dwelling with us in these smoky cottages of our mortality, where we (through our unquiet corruptions) will not suffer ourselves to have a full fruition of God; what happiness shall there be in our dwelling with God, in those eternal Tabernacles of rest and glory? Beloved, there is no loss, no misery, which the meditation of heaven cannot digest: we have lived in the eye of a Prince, whose countenance was able to put life into any beholder: How oft hath that face shined upon us, and we have found our heart warm with those comfortable beams? Behold, we shall live with that God, in whose presence is the fullness of joy: we have lived in the soeciety of worthy men; yet, but men; subject to all passions, infirmities, self-respects: which of us all can have escaped without some unkindnesses, detractions, emulations? Earthly Courts can be no more without these, than these can be without corruption: there, we shall live in the company of innumerable Angels, and the spirits of just and perfect men; Reuel. 19.3. neither can there be any jar in these Hallelujahs, which we shall all sing to God. We have lived to see the magnificence of earthly Princes, and to partake of it; in their buildings, furnitures, feasts, triumphs; in their wealth, pomp, pleasures: But open your eyes and see the new jerusalem, the City of the great King of Saints, and all these sublunary vanities shall be contemned. Here you shall see a foure-square City; the walls of jasper, the foundations garnished with all precious stones, Twelve gates of twelve pearls, The houses and streets of pure gold, like shining glass: A Crystal river runs in the midst of it; and on the banks of it grows the tree of life; ever green, ever fruitful; this is for the eye. The ear shall be filled with the melody of Angels, ever singing Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. The taste shall be satisfied with Manna, the food of Angels, with the fruit of the tree of life, with that new wine which our Saviour hath promised to drink with us in his Kingdom; These are the dim shadows of our future blessedness. At thy right hand o God are pleasures for evermore; and such pleasures, as if they could be expressed or conceived, were not worthy of our long, nor able to satisfy us: Oh that we could so much the more long to enjoy them, by how much less we are able to comprehend them! When S. Paul made his Farewell-Sermon to the Ephesians, he fetched tears from the eyes of his auditors (so full of holy passion was his speech) especially with that one clause, And now behold I know, Act. 20.25. that henceforth you all, through whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more: A sad clause indeed, You shall see my face no more. The mind of man cannot endure to take a final leave of any thing that offends it not; but the face of a friend, of a companion, hath so much pleasure in it, that we cannot without much sorrow think of seeing it our last: But what if we shall meet here no more? what if we shall no more see one another's face? Brethren, we shall once meet together above; we shall once see the glorious face of God, and never look off again. Let it not overgrieve us to leave these Tabernacles of stone, since we must shortly lay down these Tabernacles of clay, and enter into Tabernacles not made with hands; eternal in the heavens. Till then, farewell my dear brethren, farewell in the Lord: Go in peace, and live as those that have lost such a Master, and as those that serve a Master, whom they cannot lose: And the God of peace go with you, and prosper you in all your ways; and so fix this Tabernacle in you upon earth, that you may be received into those Tabernacles of the new jerusalem, and dwell with him for ever, in that glory which he hath provided for all that love him. AMEN. FINIS. NOAH'S DOVE, BRINGING AN OLIVE OF PEACE TO THE TOSSED ARK OF CHRIST'S CHURCH. A SERMON PREACHED IN LATIN, IN THE CONVOCATION, HELD IN SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH, TO THE CLERGY OF ENGLAND, AND ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY. By IOS: HALL., Deane of Worcester. Done into English by R. H. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, ¶ Printed by JOHN HAVILAND for HANNA BARRET, 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, EDWARD Lord DENNY, Baron of WALTHAM, all health and Happiness. RIGHT HONOURABLE, I Might well perceive by the Author, that this Sermon was never intended to be published, in any other Language than that wherein it was first spoken: being in respect of the matter, in a sort appropriate to that Auditory wherein it was delivered; But besides the common desire of many, finding the translation attempted by diverse, and performed by some in such a manner as did not altogether satisfy; It pleased my Father herein to improve my leisure, wherein, howsoever I may have somewhat failed of the first elegancy, yet I have not been far short of the sense. I have presumed to dedicate the same to your Lordship, in respect of your many favours, and my obligations, for which (besides this officious, though unequal requital) I shall still vow my prayers for your Lordship, and remain. Your Lordship's most humbly devoted, RO: HALL.. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, GEORGE, LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND, AND METRAPOLITAN. TO THE REVEREND LORDS, THE BISHOPS, AND TO THE WHOLE FLOURISHING CLERGY OF ENGLAND, ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY, GATHERED TOGETHER IN THE CONVOCATION AT LONDON, BEFORE WHOM THIS MEAN SERMON WAS DELIVERED: J. H. THE LEAST OF ALL THE SERVANT'S OF THE CHURCH HUMBLY DEDICATES THIS HIS POOR AND UNWORTHY LABOUR. IN aede Pauli, déque Pauli oraculis, Pro concione praeviâ Synodo Jacrae, Varias ab uno Spiritu, Domino, Deo Distinctiones esse donorum probans, Ostendis, Halle, quanta spiritalium, Quàm multiformis dos tibi fluat affatim, Charismatumque multiplex peculium. Quae nempe tractas, per tui specimen doces. Theologe nate pulpitis, calami potens, Cui suavitatis conscius semper stylus, Cui pectus almi condus est sacrarij, Et lingua promus pectoris, cujus latus Loquentis ambit auribus rapax cohors, Humerisque densa; non sat est semel tua Hausisse vocis impetu fugacia. Ni perlegendo te recognosci sinas, Auri invidebit oculus, & Templo Schola. Nosti Decane flexanime, quàm terecens Jam tunc ab ipso ambone redeuntem, manu Prensum, rogator vellicavi feruidus, Manare fineres haec in absentum sinus, Reliquisque nostri fratribus Cleri dari. Quid mirum? ubi ipsi postmodùm cudi typis Provinciales postulant Episcopi. Audin' joseph? Nolo iam: te nil peto. Non est, amicus quod roget. Domini regunt. Parere justum est: parere te certum est: age. Quàm facilis isthic obstetricanti labor? Post tam verenda iussa quid restat mihi, Nisi ut adprecantis suppleam idiotae locúm, Amen sacrato succinens Patrum choro? Lambethae Febr. 21. 1623. sic approbavit Tho: Goadus S.T.D. NOAH'S DOVE. Ye are here met (which I humbly wish, may prove every way prosperous, and happy to the Church of God) most Reverend Father in God, Reverend Bishops, venerable Deans, Archdeacon's, Brethren of the Clergy, by the providence of our good God, and the command of our gracious Sovereign, to hold an holy Convocation this day. Blessed Paul, in whose name this ancient pile doth not a little pride itself, salutes you by my unworthy tongue, and as if he were present, addresses himself to you, and exhorts you In his former Epistle to the Corinthians, the 12 Chapter, verse 4. There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; there are diversities of ministeries, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God, etc. SEe, I beseech you, the meet correspondence of all things. Ye are met in one, and here is unity; Ye are many of you met from the utmost parts of this large Province, and here is manifold diversity; ye are met the flower of our English Clergy, learned and exquisite Divines, and here are diversities of gifts; Ye are met, the Lords and Commons of our sacred function, and here are diversities of ministeries; Ye are met for the holy affairs of the Church, and here are Operations; Ye are met (as I verily hope, and wish) in unity of Spirit, and here is one Spirit; Ye are lastly met to consecrate yourselves, your gifts, Ministeries, Operations, to the service of our Lord God; and here is that Lord, that God whom we profess to serve. Now that same God, that same Lord jesus Christ, that same holy Spirit, be present with us all this day; and by his blessed influences guide and govern this sacred meeting, and happily direct all our counsels and endeavours to the glory of his own great name, the salvation of our souls, and the assured edification of his Church, through jesus Christ. See here then, Honoured Prelates, and beloved Brethren, the loop or combination of both worlds; Both the worlds of our Divinity; The greater world, God; the lesser world, Man; What is there that can so much concern us to know, to behold? Will ye look up to God? He is one in essence (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Three in person, The Father, Lord, Spirit. He is three in one, and one in three; The Father, Lord, Spirit, one and the same God. Will ye cast your eye to Man? ye shall see him not single, but branched into infinite diversity, not bare and naked, but furnished with gifts; not superfluous, but destined to due services; not idle, but busy in meet operations: Neither are these operations, services, gifts, all of one kind, but diversely distinguished, and varied: And whence are these so manifold graces, so diverse employments, but from one God, the Father, Lord, Spirit? And wherefore are all these, but that these operations, ministeries, gifts, proceeding from one God, Lord, Spirit, may be directed to one, and may end as they began, in a perfect unity? O marvelous conjunction of divine and humane things; O unutterable communion of heaven and earth; Wherein is laid forth unto us the entire respects and union of God to himself by consubstantiality, of God to man by munificence, of man to God by the bond of thankfulness, of men to each other by the bond of charity, of gifts to ministeries, of ministeries to operations, of all to all. I shall not now need, neither indeed would it befit me, in so awful an assembly of Divines to dwell upon catechetical points, concerning the mystery of the sacred Trinity; Although this labour is well worthy of you elsewhere, my brethren, and such as (if I may persuade you) you shall carefully bestow at home; This familiar kind of teaching the word of the beginnings of Christ is grown out of fashion; Like ambitious Orators, we overlook this popular strain, and are carried to an affectation of perfection. Ye see how the Heron can soar high, yet life's, for the most part, in the lowest valley; builds in the tallest trees, yet feeds in the humble marshes; So do ye, my dear fellow-labourers, not so much caring to show yourselves learned, as to make your people so. This by the way. Such as God is, such he expresses himself to us; and such as he expresses himself to us, such he forms us to himself: As the Sun looking upon a cloud fitly disposed, for that purpose, imprints in that moist glass a certain bright image of himself; so doth God to his Church; From that Celestial and divine Trinity, therefore, is here apparently deduced another Trinity, sublunary and humane; Of gifts, ministeries, operations; From the spirit are derived gifts; ministeries from the Son, operations from the Father; There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; of ministeries, but the same Lord; of operations, but the same God. Away with all niceties of Pythagorean calculations; All numbers are alike to me, save those which God himself hath chalked out unto us; as here he hath manifestly done. In one word; An Unity and a Trinity make up this golden sentence. There is a Trinity in this Unity; There is an Unity in this Trinity; First, here is a perfect (that is a Triple) Trinity; A Trinity of diversities, a Trinity of faculties, a Trinity of givers; For there are so many diversities as faculties, and so many faculties, as givers; The faculties are three; gifts, ministeries, operations; The giver's three, The Father, the Son, the Spirit, which all are included in one Unity (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the same God; And yet even that Unity hath his distinction, whiles gifts are (as it were) by a specialty ascribed to the Spirit, ministeries to the Son, to the Father operations. That our discourse may not seem too perplexed, we will follow the footsteps of our Apostle, and with all possible perspicuity, will apply the diversities to the faculties, the faculties to the givers; These Trinities to their Unity, and (this done) draw to a brief conclusion. A threefold Diversity argues multiplicity; What meant the Ancients to dream but of three Graces? here are a thousand graces, gifts infinite; Look upon all the grandchildren of Adam, that ever were; amongst so many thousand millions of faces, ye shall easily observe some variety of favours; It is a wonder to see what diversity of forms there is, in that which we call beauty; No twins are so like as not to bewray some dissimilitude; Certainly there is not so great variety of faces, as of minds; As features are to the countenance, so are gifts to the mind; Each one hath some, all have many, none have all; There are diversities of gifts. Salmeron, with Caietan, understands here those gifts which we call Gratias gratis datas. Graces freely given; wherein he says true, but not enough; For as the old word is, Favours must be enlarged; and ●hose gifts which make us gracious are best worthy of this name; It is not amiss that Hugo reckons up three sorts of God's gifts to man; Gifts of nature, of grace, of glory: By the gifts of nature we are men, by the gifts of grace we are holy, by the gifts of glory, we shall be blessed. The gifts of nature, are memory; reason, will, wherein we excel the brute creatures; The gifts of grace are faith, hope, charity, wherein we go beyond the Devils; The gifts of glory, eternal and true blessedness, blessed and eternal truth, true and blessed eternity, wherein we are equal to the Angels; Amongst the gifts of nature the same Author reckons some to be of the lowest rank, some of the mean, some of the highest; In the lowest, he accounts beauty and health of body; In the mean he accounts the faculties of the mind; In the highest, the virtues of the soul; Thus there are diversities of gifts. There are some gifts of Regeneration; there are some gifts of our calling; by the former, we are borne again for our own good; with the latter, we are furnished, for the good of others; These latter are peculiarly bestowed upon several men, the former ●e by a certain common propriety bestowed upon all the Saints of God; For, as in the most wise disposition of this universe, the best things, and those which are necessary for the sustentation of life, as air, light, fire, water, are abundantly given to all; but those things which serve only for ornament and pleasure, as Gold, Pearl, Precious stones, are more sparingly bestowed upon some few; So every saving grace is abundantly dispensed to all Saints, by the liberal hand of God; Whereas tongues, prophecy, power of miracles, as also eloquence, skill, honour, and the rest of this kind, are reserved only for some few receivers; And in all these, what strange diversity there is? They differ in respect of themselves, being in nature diverse from each other; They differ in respect of the Subject, as being diversely given to one, and other; for as the blind Bard saw truly, God doth not give all to all; They differ in respect of degree, as they are more given to one, than to other. Thus every way there are diversities of gifts. It is the common voice of nature, that the same remaining the same cannot produce but the same; but, when we speak of the God of Nature; that word of Bonaventure is more true, Ab unissimo Deo manan● multiforma, ab aeterno temporalia; From that most one God flows multiformity of effects, and from that eternal God, temporal effects. Hugo said well, In te variatur qui in se non mutatur; he is varied in thee, who is not changed in himself: If the divine power had made only one creature, that alone work of his had been worthy of a God, and such as could proceed from no less than an omnipotent hand; But now he hath created many things, yea innumerable; If God had made these many creatures altogether uniform and like themselves; only distinguished in number, not in form; the work had been more excellent and admirable, than the frame of any one creature alone; But now, that he hath made these many, these innumerable creatures, no less different from themselves, and so, as that the difference of their forms strives with the praise of their number; O the depth of divine wisdom! O the stupendious workmanship of omnipotency! And yet there is no Subject wherein the power and providence of the Almighty doth so much magnify itself, as in the diverse Oeconomie of man; In so much as in this little world, there is a world of diversities; Marvel at yourselves, brethren, and be astonished at your own prospects; Whether we look at the fashion of the face, or the proportion of parts, or the colour of the skin, or the stature of the body, or the endowments of the mind, the degrees of faculties, the disposition of nature, the measure of graces, the opportunities of stations, or lastly the outward condition of our life; O good God, what wondrous diversity is here; how impossible is it for the eye to meet twice with the like object, whithersoever it roveth? Thus there are diversities of gifts. Away now from hence, with all haughtiness of pride, all mutinies of envy; These two dangers will be sure to haunt the most just inequality; The needy is envious, the rich is proud. Poor I am contemned, others are set up; others shine in scarlet, and purple, whiles I am patching of nasty rags; Others wallow in their wealth and excess, I f●●●sh for hunger. Others Lord it in lofty seats, I am trod under their footstools; Others are eloquent, I am a stammerer: Others excel in the skill of Arts and Tongues, I am a silly ignorant; And why should not I? Oh fool, these that thou talkest of, are gifts, and therefore freely bestowed where it pleases the giver; What doth he own to thee, that hath given these things to others? Withal, know, there are diversity of gifts; God hath perhaps denied thee heaps of red and white earth, but he hath given thee strength of body; At how high a rate would the great ones of the world buy that blessing of thine? He hath denied thee eloquence, he hath yet given thee sharpness of wit; he hath denied thee honour, but he hath given thee sweet rest, quiet security; 〈◊〉 hath denied thee preferment, he hath not denied thee health. Go then, and envy the great man's weak stomach, sleepless nights, racks of cares; envy, to him, if thou canst, the slippery stairs of the Court, and the common envy of the most; He wan●● something which thou injoyest, and something he hath which is denied thee; He had rather make choice of thy condition, thou of his; Each of you hath his own, neither of you shall have all; neither shall have both; There are diversities of gifts. Yea, and we new blown bladders, how easily are we puffed up with every blast of gifts; I am not like other men; How base are the vulgar of men? I sit gloriously impurpled, other fellows may be glad to lick the dust of my footstool; I am enriched with all liberal sciences, this people which now not the Law are accursed; I have skill of tongues, others are rude Idiots; I lead the amazed hearers by the ears whither I list, through the power of my oratory, others frieze and languish in their Pulpits. Hear, O thou proud man; These things whereof thou braggest, are not thine own; What hast thou that thou hast not received? All these are gifts; And art thou thus happy alone? Vain boaster, thou knowest no others, thou knowest not thyself; There are diversities of gifts, which thy thoughts reach not unto: Sat thou aloft, and cheer thyself with the bowed knees of thy suppliants, they are happier men than thyself that are glad to lie close, and affect a quiet and safe obscurity: Be thou more learned than another, that other perhaps is wiser than thou; be thou more eloquent than another man, that other is perhaps more judicious; If thy tongue be richer than another's, his mind is richer than thine. It is reported, that in the house of worthy M. Luther was found written; Res & verba Philippus, Res sine verbis Lutherus, Verba sine re Erasmus; Melancton was words and matter; Luther, matter without words; Erasmus, words without matter; Every one hath his own share; Neither art thou furnished with all gifts; nor that other with none; Let not him envy, thee; neither do thou contemn him; Rather both, apply yourselves to cast in the shot of your contributions to the public good: For to what end hath our bountiful God showered down these diverse kinds of gifts from heaven upon man, but that he might hereby provide for the common profit and welfare of mankind? Why hath the blind man legs, and the lame man eyes, but that the one may exchange with the other, for the benefit of both? Thinkest thou that God meant to heap his gifts upon thee for thine own sake only? Fie on this shameful self-love; Surely he that made thee, made thee for a conduit-pipe to convey, not a Cistern to hold the water of his graces. God hath clothed you, (as ye well know, Reverend Prelates) with this sacred purple, that you should shine before others as conspicuous Guides of that straight and hard way of life; and that by your well-bestowed honours you should credit his Church, and be the servants of many. Ye perceive now, I imagine, how inexpectedly my speech is glided from Gifts to Ministeries; The Author of these Gifts, the Spirit of God, leads me by S. Paul's hand; who presently upon 〈◊〉 mention of gifts, subioynes ministeries, and upon the members of ministeries, adds operations. This 〈◊〉 munificent Spirit. (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) (that with Athanasius we may note the ●●●ce of the Article) hath enabled the most of you; Fathers and brethren, with an eminent mea●● to of gifts. With what powers of the mind; what singular learning, what powerful eloquence, with how great wisdom, with what gravity, with what 〈◊〉 of honour, with what large dignities? It is a great word that I shall speak, and yet I must, and will saying without all, either arrogance or ●●●tery; Stupor mundi Cleris Pri●●●●cus; The ●onder of the world is the Clergy of 〈◊〉. So many learned Divines, ●o many eloquence Preachers: shall in vain be sought elsewhere this day, in what 〈◊〉 regioni under the rope of heaven; What 〈◊〉 reckon up those great lights of our Church, not long since set; Iuell●, H●●●freys, Foxes, Wh●●gift●, Ful●●s, ●●●●ers, Ray●●lds, bilson's, Gre●●●s, babington's, Eedeses, Hollands, Pl●ys●●s, Ab●●ses, Per●●●ses 〈◊〉, hooker's, Overalls, willet's, Whites, ●●s●ns? There are now of you under th●● very ●oofe, that hear me this day, in whose just praises I could be content to sp●●d not 〈◊〉 hou●e, 〈◊〉 life, herein not that mutual modesty inioynes me silence: Ho●●g●● at so every ye are, ye are not your own; All these gifts end in services. Oh let it please you to stir up this grace of God in you; and faithfully to employ all these your gifts to the happy advancement of your ministeries; in the practice of your life, (as in the course of my speech) Let the Diversities of gifts be taken up with the Diversities of ministeries. There are then as differences of gifts, so of ministeries; And which be they? Differences in offices, and in degrees; There were Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists; There are, were, shall be Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons; These are more than one rank of Ministers; It was part of the exploded heresy of Aerius that took away these three steps of the Clergy, as the Synod of Carthage calls them. Yea, and somewhere, Jerome himself smarts with the lash of this censure, as if perhaps he did more savour of Aerius, than of Tully; Not without open wrong in both, but I may not now stay upon needless Apologies, There is none of you, I hope, can be so witless as to question these diversities of Ministeries, Did they ever read Histories that doubt of this point. Sure, they have never so much as seen them: Turn over all the monuments of Times, and places, so fare as ever Christendom hath spread itself, you shall find nothing more evident; I will not here stand to abridge the Annals of all Ages, and Regions; Look upon the Counsels; and first of all, the first and chief of those which are styled General, the great Council of Ni●e; You shall there see three hundred and eighteen Bishops, so many as Abraham had soldiers in the victory over the Kings, as Ambrose wittily alludeth. But perhaps they were then but newly instituted, ne●ly received in the Church; No such matter; Those Fathers profess it to be (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the ancient guise, that the Bishop of Alexandria should be over Egypt, Libya, Pen●●polis, as the Bishop of Rome was over his Suburbitarie Churches: Do but bear Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus, an old man of above threescore, solemnly protesting that he succeeded his Grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, for seven successive generations; in the same Episcopal chair. Hear but Irenaus, Tertullian, Clement, Dorotheus, Eusebius, describing and recording the Bishops of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Rome, in the undoubted order of their successions, not only by their numbers, but by their names also. Certainly, never day looked forth since the age of the Apostles, wherein the Spouse of Christ wanted the attendance of these Bridemen: But what do I urge this? The Sun is in the heaven, and shines there: Even Jerome himself, though but a Presbyter, and a stout Champion of his own order, yet deduceth this difference of degrees from the cradle of the first Schism, from the common decree of the first Church, from tradition Apostolical; yea, when Saint Paul wrote this to his Corinthians, that jarring word had sounded in the Church, I am Paul's, I am Apollo's, I am Cephaes, and therefore even then had these differences been. Differences perhaps in Order, you will say, not in Degree; Yes, both in Order, and in Power, too; There were those whom Saint Paul calls (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Presidents and Rulers; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I whom Ignatius calls (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Governors; Dionysius, Hierarches, Cypri●●, Overseers; to whom Saint Paul attributes Power of reformation and correction; to whom the Canons of the Apostles give the power of sentence or constitution, Ignatius, chiefly and authority; Eusebius, out of Egesippus, the throne of Episcopality; Cyprian, the vigour and authority of the Chair, Origen, the highest pitch of the Church; Jerome, a peerless and eminent power; The Council of Sardis, the height of government; and lastly, Epiphanius an Order generative of Fathers. But what do I gleaning after the harvest of so great Authors as have discussed this point? Oh how oft, and with what deep sighs hath this most flourishing, and happy. Church of England wished, that she might with some of her own blood have pu●●●ased unto her dearest Sisters abroad, the retention of this most ancient, and every way best form of government; Which might happily 〈◊〉 so have taken place, if they had met with such a Monarchical reformation, as (through the blessing of God) wa● designed unto us; Now they are fain to undergo ●hat administration, Provisionally only (if we may believe wise and learned Frege●ill) which the necessity of their condition doth for the time cast upon them: The God of heaven raise them up Queens for their nurses and Kings for their nursing fathers, that they may once enjoy with us this happy blessing of the sequence and subordination of degrees; In the mean time I dare with Ignatius profess to put my soul (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc.) in pawn for the safe observation of this excellent order; Which, if it have ever not happily succeeded to any region, or Church, it is the fault of the person, not of the institution itself, which cannot justly be deemed other, than wholesome, holy, divine. But remember, I beseech you, in the mean while, (Reverend Fathers) that these are (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) ministeries; a word raked out of the very dust, lest it should not imply humility enough; Ye are graced with Honours by the pious munificence of Princes; But our Lord jesus Christ (ye know) uses to measure your honours by your services; Ye are Fathers of the Church, but Sons of the Bride-chamber; Peers of the State, but servants of the Church; Generals of this warfare, but with S. Paul, fellow-soldiers; Rulers in God's house, but withal, fellow-servants; Entreat your Clergy kindly, use them familiarly, as knowing yourselves to be Fathers in dignity, brethren in service; Ye know the counsel of Saint Ambrose; Let those of the Clergy, within your charge, be as limbs of your own body: God hath called you Stars and Angels; Imitate ye the Stars, which the higher they are, the lesser they are wont to appear; Imitate ye the Angels, who though Peers of heaven, yet are wont to approve themselves ministering spirits for the poorest of God's Saints; No spectacle can be more odious than a proud Prelate. But hear me also, O ye Laics, take heed of contemning this sacred function; These are ministeries indeed, but glorious and honourable: To serve God, is to rule and command; And what is it even to serve you? Surely those heavenly Spirits, those principalities and powers do the very same to us continually; whom yet their love and service hath never drawn into contempt; We beseech you Brethren, that you know them which labour amongst you; and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and hold them dear for their works sake. We have dispatched the Diversities of Ministeries: now follows that of Operations; God hath not ordained to himself idle services, but busy and painful; One governs, another teaches, a third doth both teach and govern, worthy therefore of double honour, for his rule, for his labour. And he that governs, sometimes must strike with the rod, sometimes with the sword; One while he must kindly allure, another while he must sharply punish; he must uphold the falling, retain the wavering, reduce the wand'ring; And for him that teaches, it is not only the charge of doctrine that lies upon him, but of reproof, of correction, of instruction in righteousness. One while he directs with counsels, than he erects with promises; then again he dejects with threatenings, he wounds the whole, salves the wounded, works always: The office of a Bishop is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a worthy work; Whosoever plays in this holy Chair, shall once wail in hell: Saint Bernard said well in that famous Epistle of his, to Henricus Senonensis; Many would not so eagerly run to honours, if they could think them burdens; Certainly they would fear to be crushed with this weight, neither would with so much pain and peril gape for every promotion; Thus he. But will it please you withal, to hear what that pious Censor casts in the teeth of his own times; Sola attenditur gloria, & non poena; Curritur in clero passim, etc. The dignity only is cared for, not the duty; Men of all Ages, and ranks in the Clergy, learned and unlearned, run to spiritual Cures, as if they might live for ever, Sine curis, when once they have gotten Cures of souls; Do you mark well this Prophecy (for such it might seem) of the Oracle of Clarenall? Would to God this were not the very disease of our times. There be some delicate pieces that thrust themselves into fat benefices, only that they may make much of one; and give themselves over to their pleasure, and ease; Even of those mouths which are sacred to God, there want not some, which out of a wanton custom savour of nothing but Indian soot; and take more pleasure to put forth a cloud of smoke, than the thunderings and lightnings of the law: Some negligent pastorlings there are, which have more heed to their own hides, than to the souls of their people. I speak plain truth, in a plain fashion, nuda nudè, as that faithful monitor professes. Howsoever, I beseech you, brethren, suffer yourselves to be stirred with this poor speech of mine: Even sleeping lions are wont to be awakened with the sting of a gnat. Are these the Operations, the diversities whereof call God their Father? God indeed, but Deum ventrem; that beastly deity, the belly; I tremble to add the rest, but I must; whose glory is their shame, whose end is damnation. Is it now time for us to play, and keep holiday? Behold two cruel enemies are upon us, Impiety and superstition, and do we either sit still with our hands folded, or rise, and in a wilful carelessness open the gates to our enemy? That sovereign Master of ours, the great Housholder of the world, when he was to go forth into a fare Country, yea rather, when he was to return to his own everlasting country and ours, committed to every one of us one talon at the least, to some more; and bade us, Negotiamini dum venio; Traffic till I come; Lo he bade us Negotiari, not nepotari; To trade, not to trifle, to labour, not to deboshe. And is this the traffic which he requires, to seek our own, to take our ease, to say nothing, to do worse? No, these are those unclean napkins rather, wherein we have slothfully hid the Talents, which we should have improved to the gain of our Master, by putting them into the hands of the Exchangers. That awful judge of heaven and earth will be sure upon his return to call us to an account; which if we must give for our idle words, why not also for our idle silence, as Ambrose wittily? What shall we wretched creatures than answer for ourselves? Where shall we appear? It is a fearful word, O evil servant, but more fearful, that which follows, Bring him hither, and kill him before me; Oh then, let me entreat you, let me adjure you, brethren, by the dear respect to your own souls, by the bowels, yea by the wounds, and precious blood of jesus Christ, by that dreadful Tribunal, before which we must all, one day, stand, that you carefully endeavour to set forth and accomplish your ministeries with all holy operations; Preach the Word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. Let every of us study to approve himself unto God, a labourer that shall not be ashamed, and a right divider of the Word of Truth; Oh sweet Word, and such as in comparison whereof the very harmony of heaven sounds harshly, Well done good servant; thou hast been faithful in a little, enter into thy master's joy. Oh let it be our only ambition, dear brethren, that we may once hear this Word; Let us work that which God hath commanded, and God shall be sure to crown that which we have wrought. Yea and ye (Honored Fathers) who are this day met to consult of the weighty affairs both of Church and Commonwealth, Work now; If ever ye have wrought heretofore, if ever ye will work hereafter, Now work; A large door and effectual is opened unto you, and many adversaries; ye see how audacious Will-worship hath of late set upon us; how proudly the Tridentine faith hath advanced her crossed, and hath dared to fly fiercely in the very face of the Gospel: The Romish forces 〈◊〉 themselves openly into array, and have dared to sound not an alarm only, but (which no wise man knows whether he should more stamp at or scorn) a victory. They presume to erect here amongst us an Hierarchy emulous to yours, and in the time of your life, and health, and vigour, appoint what heirs shall succeed in your Seas: What wise spectator can think this indignity to be endured? Is this to be smothered in silence? Is this to be any longer winked at? Rouse up yourselves, O ye holy Fathers, if there be any ardour of Piety in your breasts, and destroy this Tyberine Monster, (Popery, I mean) with the breath of your mouths: and what ever grace and authority ye have with our Gracious King, with the Peers, and commons of this Realm, improve it all with your best prayers and counsels, to the utter extermination of Idolatry, to the happy victory, and advancement of the sincere Truth of God. And thus ye see with how swift a pace I have run over these Operations, Ministeries, Gifts, and the diversities of them all; One thing only remains to be duly considered of us; and that is, That all these Ministeries, Gifts, Operations, do flow from one and the same, Spirit, Lord, and God; This Trinity from an Unity; Wherein ye easily discover the Emphasis to lie not so much in the Author, as in the Identity; (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) I shall not therefore in the remainder of my discourse prosecute, either the wonderful wisdom, of absolute perfection, or the bountiful liberality of God, but rather drive my speech to the consideration of the Unity of this gracious giver of all these. We silly men, in the height of our bounty, bestow some one favour upon some one Subject; But this one God hath bestowed all upon all, and upon every one, some; Neither may we conceive of any other, whether fountain, or Ocean of good; And why hath our Apostle so carefully beaten upon this point; urging not so much the beneficence, as the unity of the Giver? Surely, as Salmeron guesses well, ut schismatum radices enelleret, that he might pull up the roots of schisms: For if there were diverse givers, there might be some reason for every sect to stand for the author of his own gift, of his own ministry; But now, that one and the same Spirit hath given to every one these diverse gifts, that one and the same Lord hath appointed to every one these diverse ministeries, that one and the same God hath distributed to every one these diverse operations; Why should not all these gifts, ministeries, operations, unanimously conspire to the glory of that one giver and founder of them all? Certainly, every thing here sounds of unity: The Church is an entire body (as our Apostle speaks soon after) we are members of it: One man is an eye, another, an ear, a third is a tongue; One is a palate, another an hand, another a foot; yea one is a Thumb, another a little finger, or (if lower yet) a joint of that small limb; We must all concur in our desires and endeavours to the constitution, and maintenance of this one body; Whosoever he be that doth otherwise, he is justly found guilty, not only of the violation of the public weal, but of Divine Unity; And now, O ye Reverend Fathers, I find myself entered into a pleasing and ample common place; and such a one, as wherein I could wish with Peter to fix the Tabernacle of my abode: Would to God your leisure could allow you to walk along with me a while thorough these sweet, and flowery Meads of Unity, and happy conspiration of thoughts; And yet I shall not so much bend the residue of my speech to the praise of unity, (to what purpose were that waste?) as to the necessary vindication of it from the unjust challenges of the enemies of peace. It is an heavy crime, and, of all other, the most heinous, wherewith we are charged by the Romanists, That we are fallen off from the Catholic Church, that we have rend the seamlesse coat of Christ, yea broken his bones, and torn his very body in pieces, whereof if we were indeed guilty, how unworthy were we to breathe in this air, how most worthy of the lowest Hell? But we call heaven and earth to record, how unjustly this calumny is cast upon us, yea, we protest before God and men, that the envy of this so foul a crimination lights most justly upon the heads of the accusers. May it please you, to hear a short Apologue; A certain man invited to a feast one or two of his friends, entertained them bountifully; They sat together lovingly, they are together, and were merry one with another; In the second course (as the custom is) the Master offereth them wine, sets before them an apple: now a worm had somewhat eaten the apple, and a spider by chance had fall'n into the cup; The guest sees and balks it; The Master urgeth him; Why do you not eat, quoth he, why drink you not? I dare not, saith the other, 'tis not safe to do either; seest thou not this vermin in the cup, and that in the apple? Tush, saith the Master, what so great matter is this? It was I that set this before thee; It was I that began to thee in the other; Drink it, eat it, at least for my sake. But suffer me first (replies the guest) to take out this spider, to cut out this worm; the wine, the apple likes me well enough; the spider, the worm I cannot away with; Away with such over-nine and curious companions (quoth he again) Fie upon thee, thou ungrateful fellow, that dost so little regard my friendship, so contemn my cheer; and with that in a rage, throws the platters and pots in the very face of his guest, and thrust him out of doors all wounded. Tell me now, I beseech you, worthy Auditors, whether of these violates the laws of hospitality? I dare say, you have easily applied it before me; There was a time when we sat together in a familiar manner with these Romanists, and fared well; The spider in the cup, The worm in the apple, what else be they, but superstition in their worship, rotten and unwholesome traditions in their faith? without these, the Religion pleaseth us well: But they will needs importunately thrust these upon us, and we refusing, are therefore scorned, spit upon, beaten, and cast out; Had they but given us leave to take out this spider, this worm, we had still eaten; and drank together most gladly; They obstinately resisted, and preferred their own headstrong will to our good and safety; nay, they repel us with reproaches, strike us with their thundering Anathemaes, condemn us to the stakes; what should we do in this case? Hear, oh heavens, and hearken oh earth, and thou, Almighty God, the Maker and Governor of them both, suffer thyself, and thy glorious spirits to be called to the testimony of our innocence; We are compelled, we are driven away from the Communion of the Church of Rome; They forced us to go from them, who departed first from themselves. We have willingly departed from the communion of their errors, from the Communion of the Church we have not departed; Let them renounce their erroneous doctrine, we embrace their Church; Let them but cast away their soul-slaying Traditions, we will communicate with them in the right of one and the same Church, and remain so for ever. But, alas, I must be forced to complain, and that not without extreme grief of heart, how that it cannot be determined, whether those that boast themselves for Catholics, be greater enemies to Truth; or to Charity. To Truth, in that they have of late forged new errors, and forced them upon the Church; To Charity, in that they have not stuck to condemn the adverse part, and to brand them with the black mark of Heresy. I will speak (if you please) more plainly; Three manner of ways do these Romanists offend against Charity. First, that they will not remit any thing either of their most convicted opinion or vicious practice, no not for peace sake. Secondly, that for Articles of Christian faith, they put upon the Church certain opinions of their own, false, doubtful, and uncertain, peculiar only to the schools, which do no whit touch the foundation of Religion. And lastly, that if they meet with any faithful and sound monitors, which do never so little gainsay these new Articles, they cruelly cast them out of the bosom of the Church, and throw them headlong into Hell: Away with these Schismatics, Heretics, Acheists; Iwis the Protestants have no Church, no faith, no salvation. Good Lord, what fury, what frenzy distempers Christians; that they should be so impotently malicious against those, who profess themselves to be redeemed by the ransom of the same most precious blood? At length, At length, O ye Christians, be wise, and acknowledge those, whom the God and Father of mercies holds worthy of his arms, yea of his bowels. Let frantic error bawl what it list, we are Christians, we are Catholics, the undivided members of one holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; Let us meet at this bar; if you please; Le● who will maintain the plea; What is it which maketh a Church? What is it which maketh that Church; One, holy, Catholic, Apostolic? Is it not one holy Catholic Apostolic saith? But which is that? Is it not the same which was delivered by Christ, and the Apostles, to the whole world, and was always and every where approved through all Ages, even unto our times? Wherefore are the Scriptures, wherefore the Creeds, wherefore were the primitive Counsels, but that there might be certain marks, whereby Catholics might be undoubtedly discerned from Heretics? You know the Epilogue of the Athanasian Creed, This is the Catholic Faith. If we may believe Leo, the heads of all heresies are quite cut off with this one sword of the Creed; How much more then, with that two-edged sword of the Scriptures, and of the Fathers their Interpreters? What then? Those that then were Catholics, can they in any age be condemned for Heretics? No: Faith is always constant to itself, and so is the Church that is built upon that Faith. Did we ever deny or make doubt of any Article, or clause of that Ancient Divinity? Either then Christ himself, the Apostles, Counsels, Fathers, erred from the Catholic truth; or we yet remain Catholics. What ever other opinions we meet withal, concerning Religion, neither make nor mar it; Say they be false, say they be vicious, they are but hay and stubble, which nothing appertain to the foundation of this everlasting frame. The Church may be either more sound, or more corrupt for them; It cannot be more or less a Church; The beauty or deformity of a Church may consist in them; the strength, the welfare of it doth not: Surely, whosoever willingly subscribes to the Word of God signed in the everlasting monuments of Scripture, to the ancient Creeds, to the four General Counsels, to the common consent of the Fathers, for six hundred years after Christ, which we of the reformed Church religiously profess to do; if he may err in small points, yet he cannot be an Heretic. Some particular Church may easily offend by imputing heresy to an undeserved opinion, whether perhaps true, or lightly erroneous; but neither soul, nor Church can greatly err; while it treads in the steps of the most ancient and universal: Must he therefore, of necessity, die a Romanist, that would die a Catholic? This is an idle fancy, and worthy of no less than Bedlam. Give me leave (ye Reverend Fathers) The blessed Ghost of the most holy, and latest Bishop of this See, interrupts my speech, and charges me not to suffer his ashes so shamefully to be wronged. I can neither be silent for indignation, nor speak for anger: It was not only rumoured, but books were cast abroad over the world, concerning the revolt of this worthy and excellent Prelate, reporting, that at his death, he reconciled himself to the Church of Rome, and with many sighs renounced the Heresies of the Church of England: and at last being absolved by a Popish Priest, sweetly slept in the faith of the Church of Rome; Neither did his departed soul want; somewhere (as is reported) suffrages, and oblations of Massmongers in this behalf; Oh immortal God what blasphemy is here? Can impudency itself, so cast off all shame, as to raise so slanderous a lie, thus boldly; against the credit of so many witnesses, against the solemn detestation of their own Priest, against the religious oaths of his nearest friends, and domestic servants? against the Sermon, and public writings of his Learned Son? a son well worthy of such a Father? Other lies have some colour to plead for their credit; This (besides boldness) hath none at all. How many of us sat by that faithful Pastor of ours then breathing toward his last, and received from his dying lips, words of most constant piety: And some of you (reverend Fathers) devoutly received with him, that sacred Vinticum, the last bread that ever he tasted, even the bread of the Lord; and were witnesses of the last motions of his soul, then ready to departed, and breathing toward his heaven. Ours he lived, Ours he died, and now, as ours, is crowned in heaven. Go on now, yea mis-zealous spirits; go on to lie stoutly; somewhat will always stick fast to the accusers; But in the mean time, It cannot be truth, that needs the props of lies. Only this by the way. Let the boldest Sophister of the Romish School, come forth now, and if he can, for shame, let him undertake to prove that those most noted additions of the Tridentine Faith, which only we reject, were received of all the Church, in all Ages, for necessary heads of Religion: or let him confess (as he needs must) that we have still constantly persisted in the Communion of One, Holy, Catholic Church and faith; He shall easily bewray his own novelty, but never shall evince any Heresy of ours. It is a golden saying of Cardinal Contarenus; Hearken I beseech you, if any ingenuous spirit of you all, be a friend to Rome, Non opus est concilio, non syllogismis ad sedandas hasce Luthera●●●um turbas, etc. There needs no Council, (saith he) no Syllogisms to allay these broils of the Lutherans, but only charity, humility, and a sincere mind, that being void of all self-love; we may be persuaded to correct, and reform those things wherein we have manifestly transgressed. Thus he. Thou art wise indeed (O Contarenus) would to God thy fellows were so also. But we (forsooth) are the disobedient and rebellious children of our mother the Church, whose commands while we disdain to receive, and obey and reverence her decrees, we are enwrapped in a shameful schism, and stricken with the curses of an angry Mother. Surely this were an odious contumely. But for us; we have not acknowledged her a Mother, a Sister we have: But grant we were Sons, yet we are no slaves. To forge a new faith, and imperiously thrust it upon her own, is not the part of an indulgent parent, but of a Tyrant; This lawless liberty (we confess) we could never endure, and therefore are we openly thunder-stricken with more than one Anathema. Neither have they otherwise dealt with us, than that foolish fellow in Gerson, who being very busy to drive away a fly from his neighbour's forehead, brained the man. But lament ye with me (my brethren) the woeful case of that Church, that hath learned to fit her faith to the Times, and is more impatient of a remedy, than of the disease. Whilst they so eagerly persecute us, let us hearty pity them: And let us still wish to them, (that which they envy and deny to us) Salvation; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Our prayers, our tears, our admonitions must not be wanting: Return to yourselves now at last (oh ye Christian souls) Return, from whence you have sensibly declined; Recover your first love, your first works. Suffer not yourselves any longer to be mocked with the glorious title of a Church. Frame yourselves to that holy Unity which hitherto you have so stiffly resisted, which oh if once we might live to see effected, you should well find (as it runs in the law of the twelve Tables) that the recovered should with us have the same privileges with the healthful. Behold we are ready (as our gracious and peaceable King james piously undertook) to meet you half way. But if they shall still obstinately cast off all hope of Unity, and being set on fire with the hatred of peace, shall go on to delight themselves only, in the alarm of their sacred Trumpet (as they call it) why should not we, religiously, and entirely keep peace among ourselves? I speak to all the Sons of the purer Church wheresoever dispersed, we profess this Church of ours by God's grace reform: Reformed (I say) not new made, as some emulous spirits spitefully slander us. For me; I am ready to fork to the very ground, when I hear that hedge-row reproach, Where was your Religion before Luther? Where was your Church? Hear, oh ye ignorant, Hear, oh ye envious Cavillers, we desired the reformation of an old Religion, not the formation of a new. The Church accordingly was reformed, not new wrought. It remains therefore the same Church it was before, but only purged from some superfluous and pernitions additaments of error. Is it a new face that was lately washed? a new garment that is but mended? a new house that is repaired? Blush, if ye have any shame, who thus ignorantly, and maliciously cast this in our teeth. Go to now (my brethren) we are by God's grace reform, Let us take heed lest we be deformed again by mutual dissensions; This is that which weakens, and Iames us, and which lays us open to the insulting triumphs of our Adversaries. Yet (lest we should seem to give too much way to a spiteful slander) these jars of our 〈◊〉 so great, as our enemies either desire, or clamour. Certainly; what discon●●●ner hitherto have troubled us, we are beholding to none other for them, but to these our kind enemies, who upbraid us with them: For if they had but reached forth unto us an helping hand in due time, and jointly conferred their endeavours (which then behoved them) for the reforming of the Church, all had run squarely on; There had been no jars, no grudge, no parts take: But they stiffly refused, and by their frowardness, and pertinacy, caused this so weighty a task to be cast upon some few; and those both weak, unable, and altogether unfit for such a charge. It could not therefore be otherwise, but that the opinions of some single men, not conferred together, in such a business must needs somewhat differ. But thankes be to thee, O blessed God, the Author of peace, that hast vouchsafed by thy spirit so to bridle the distemperate affections of men, that their busy spirits being stirred up have not boiled forth into more fearful divisions. But what are these so great dissensions, and blows of bloody war, which our adversaries so cry out upon? Forsooth, rather than want, they can feign names of sects to themselves; And where they can find the least difference in the paper of any obscure Author of ours, presently they cry out, New schisms, new sects; What malice is this? what eager desire of multiplying quarrels? If it had been so of old, so small hides had not served to contain the volumes of Augustine, Epiphanius, Philastrius: there had not been fewer sects, than teachers since the publishing of the Gospel. But let us pass over the number, and come to the weight. Let the malicious prattle what they will; With some of ours, the controversy is not about any solid limbs of Christian Faith, but only of the very skin; with some others, not about the skin, but the garment rather, nor about the garment itself neither, but of the very hem. There are certain scholastical opinions of a middle rank, mere Theological Corollaries, or perhaps some outward ceremonies, wherein we descent: Principles of Christian Religion there are not. And withal, these controversies are but such, as that when the heat whether of zeal, or anger, shall abate, and either part shall well understand each other, they will easily admit of a Reconciliation. Neither have these very Romanists lesser quarrels amongst themselves; They can more hide their enmities, not exercise them less. If they be more wise, they are not more accordant. Neither is there (I dare say) any head of Religion, wherein they do at once differ from us, and agree all with one another. Finally, our differences are no greater, than were those of old, among the holy Fathers of the Church, whose quarrels notwithstanding are not so odiously blazoned by posterity. I let pass the private scold of the Ancients not without some unpleasing (I had almost said misbeseeming) tartness. I had rather set before your eyes (for good luck sake) those public altercations of the Churches and Fathers, which afterward shut up in a blessed concord. What quarrels arose at the Council of Ephesus, between Cyril of Alexandria, and john of Antioch? The Churches under both, stuck not to counterthunder Anathemaes one against another; Thereupon Theodoret thrust in his sickle into this harvest; against whom Cyrillus (by Enoptius instigation) makes as strong opposition: Theodoret accuseth Cyril of Apollinarisme; Cyril accuses Theodoret of Nestorianisme; The flame of their rage broke out more and more, and almost drew the Christian world to parties; so that afterwards when Theodoret would have entered the Council of Chalcedon, the Egyptian, and other reverend Bishops cried out. We must cast out Cyril, if we take in Theodoret: The very Canons cast him forth: God abhors him. The like was done afterwards in the eighth Action; The Bishops openly proclaiming, He is an Heretic, a Nestorian; Away with the Heretic. But when the matter was well scanned, and it was found that he willingly subscribed to the Orthodox Creeds, and the Epistles of Leo; The whole Synod with one accord cried out, Theodoret is well worthy of a See in the Church, Let the Church receive her Orthodox Pastor. It is worthy of immortality, that which Gregory Nazianzan ●●t ordeth of holy Athanasius: The Romans seemed to the Eastern Churches to follow the heresies of Sobellius, in denying three Hypostases; The Eastern likewise seemed to the Romans, to favour too much of Arrius, in denying three Persons; The quarrel grew hot; Then came that great dispenser of souls, and having meekly and mildly called forth both sides before him, he so handled the business, that granting them the free use of their terms, he tied them close to the matter, and shown them a light, whereby they might behold one another: upon this, without more ado, finding themselves, both, in the right, they fall to mutual embracements. Neither would it speed otherwise with us, Brethren, (as I do verily believe) if some Athanasius from Heaven, would but join our hands together. Oh if once the gates of intestine and horrid wars were shut up, and the religious Princes, which are the Nursing-fathers' of the reformed Churches, would command by virtue of their authority a Synod to be assembled (as General as it might) wherein both parts freely and modestly might lay forth their opinions, and such common terms might be agreed upon, as wherein both parts might freely rest, without prejudice to either: How easily then, how happily might these grievous stirs be quietly pacified? Let us pray for this (my brethren) let us pray devoutly. In the mean while, let us all sweetly incline our hearts to peace, and unity. Let there be amongst us (as S. Augustine to Jerome) pure brotherhood; Neither let us suffer ourselves, upon every slight quirk of opinion, to be distracted, or torn asunder. Let us forget that there were ever any such (in respect of the devotion of a Sect) as Luther, Melancton, Caluin, Zuinglius, Arminius, or if any other mortal name; for what have we to do with man? Let us breathe nothing, let us affect nothing, but jesus Christ. We Divines are Pleyades, (as Gregory saith wittily) Let us therefore shine still together, though not without some difference of place. In a pomegranate are many grains under one rind; You know the mystery. Let us join these pomegranates to our Bells; Let us be loud, but consorted. Let us devote for ever, with one heart, all our operations, ministeries, gifts, to one God, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; to one Head, Christ; one body, the Church; that being washed with one Baptism, ransomed with one price, professing one Faith, and holding the Unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace, we may at last happily enjoy one, and the same Heaven, through jesus Christ our Lord: To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be ascribed all honour and glory for evermore. Amen. FINIS. AN HOLY PANEGYRIC. A SERMON PREACHED at Paul's Cross, upon the anniversary Solemnity of the happy Inauguration of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, March 24. 1613. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, SIR JOHN SWINERTON Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of LONDON, All Grace and Happiness. RIght Honourable: MY own forwardness (whereof it repenteth me not) hath sent forth other of my labours unbidden, but this your effectual importunity hath drawn forth into the common light. It is an holy desire that the eye may second the ear in any thing that may help the soul: and we, that are fishers of men, should be wanting to ourselves, if we had not baits for both those senses. I plead not the disadvantage of a dead letter, in respect of that life which elocution puts into any discourse. Such as it is, I make it both public and yours. I have caused my thoughts, so near as I could, to go back to the very terms wherein I expressed them, as thinking it better to fetch those words I have let fall, than to follow those I must take up. That therefore which it pleased your Lo. to hear with such patiented attention, and with so good affection to desire, I not unwillingly suffer abroad, that these papers may speak that permanently to the eyes of all our Countrymen, which in the passage found such favour in the ears of your Citizens, and such room in so many hearts. Besides your first and vehement motion for the Press, your known love to learning deserves a better acknowledgement, and no doubt finds it from more worthy hands. And if my gratulation would add any thing, those should envy you which will not imitate you. For the rest, God give your Lo. a wise, understanding, and courageous heart, that you may prudently and strongly menage these wild times, upon which you are fallen: and by your holy example and powerful endeavours, help to shorten these reines of licentiousness: That so this City, which is better taught than any under heaven, may teach all other places how to live; and may honour that profession which hath made it renowned, and all God's Church joyful: The welfare and happiness whereof, and your Lo. in it, is unfeignedly wished, by Your Lordships humbly devoted, IOS. HALL.. AN HOLY PANEGYRICKE. 1 SAM. 12.24, 25. Therefore fear you the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your hearts, and consider how great things he hath done for you. But if you do wickedly, ye shall perish, both ye and your King. I Hold it no small favour of God (Right Honourable and beloved) that he hath called me to the service of this day, both in the name of such a people, to praise him for his Anointed, and in his name to praise his Anointed to his people. The same hand that gives the opportunity, vouchsafe to give success to this business. That which the jews sinned in but desiring, it is our happiness to enjoy. I need not call any other witness than this day, wherein we celebrate the blessing of a King, and (which is more) of a King higher than other Princes by the head and shoulders. And if other years had forgotten this tribute of their loyalty and thankfulness, yet the example of those ancient Roman Christians (as Eusebius and Sozomen report) would have taught us, Decimum quemque annum Imperatores Romani magna festivitate celebrant, Sozom. l. 1. 24. Idem Euseb. de vita Const. that the tenth complete year of our Constantine deserves to be solemn and jubilar. And if our ill nature could be content to smother this mercy in silence, the very Lepers of Samaria should rise up against us and say, We do not well; this is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. My discourse yet shall not be altogether laudatory; but as samuel's, led in with exhortation, and carried out with threatening. For this Text is a composition of duties, favours, dangers: of duties which we own, of favours received, of dangers threatened. The duties that God looks for of us, come before the mention of the favours we have received from him (though after their receipt) to teach us, that as his mercy, so our obedience should be absolute: and the danger follows both, to make us more careful to hold the favours, and perform the duties. And me thinks there cannot be a more excellent mixture. If we should hear only of the favours of God, nothing of our duties, we should fall into conceitedness: if only of our duties without recognition of his favours, we should prove uncheerefull; and if both of these, without mention of any danger, we should presume on our favours, and be slack in our duties. Prepare therefore your Christian ears and hearts for this threefold cord of God, that (through his blessing) these duties may draw you to obedience, the dangers to a greater awe, and the favours to a further thankfulness. The goodness of these outward this as is not such as that it can privilege every desire of them from sin. juxta Homer. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. Monarchy 〈…〉 and like●● to his rule that sits in the assembly of Gods. One God, 〈…〉 the acclamation of those ancient Christians: and ye it was mis-desired of the Isr●●●es: We may not ever desire that which is better in itself, but that which is better for us; Neither must we follow our conceit in this judgement, but the appointment of God: Now, though God had appointed in time, both a Sceptre and a Lawgiver to 〈◊〉, yet they sinned in mending the pace of God, and sputting on his decree. And if they had stayed his leisure, so that they had desired that which was best in itself, best for them appointed by God, and now appointed; yet the manner and ground offended. For out of an humour of innovation, out of discontent, out of distrust, out of an itch of conformity to other Nations, to ask a King, it was not only a sin as they confess, vers. 29. but (ragnah rabbah) a great wickedness, as Samuel tells them, vers. 17. and (as oftentimes we may read God's displeasure in the face of heaven) he shows it in the weather, God thunders and raines in the midst of wheat-●aruest. The thunder was fearful; the rain in that hot climate and season, strangely unseasonable: both to be in the instant of samuel's speech, was justly miraculous. The heathen Poets bring in their feigned God thundering in applause; I never find the true God did so. Psal. 29. This voice of God broke these Cedars of Lebanon, and made these Hinds to calf: and now they cry Peccavimus, vers. 19 If ever we will stoop, the judgements of God will bring us on our knees. Samuel takes vantage of their humiliation, juxta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythagora. Oneratis superponendum onus, id est, ad virtutem incedentibus augmentanda praecepta; Tradentes se otio relinquendos. Hier. adverse. Ruffin. Psal. 2. Iosh. 24.14. Eccl. vlt. and according to the golden sentence of that Samian-wise-man, that bids us lay weight upon the laden, (how ever Hierom take it in another sense) he jades them with these three duties; Fear, service, consideration. Fear and service go still together. Serve the Lord in fear, saith David. Fear the Lord and serve him, saith joshua; And, fear ever before service, for that unless our service proceed from fear, it is hollow and worthless. One says well, that these inward dispositions are as the kernel; outward acts are as the shell he is but a deaf nut therefore, that hath outward service, without inward fear; Fear God (saith Solomon) first, & then, keep his commandments. Behold, the same tongue that bade them not fear, ver. 20. now bids them fear; and the same spirit that tells us they feared exceedingly (ver. 18.) now inioynes them to fear more. What shall we make of this? Their other fear was at the best Initial; for now they began to repent; and as one says of this kind of fear, joh. de Combis Compend. Theol. that it hath two eyes fixed on two diverse objects, so had this of theirs. One eye looked upon the rain and thunder; the other looked up to the God that sent it. The one of these it borrowed of the slavish or hostile fear (as Basil calls it,) the other of the filial; for the slavish fear casts both eyes upon the punishment; the filial looks with both eyes on the party offended. Now than Samuel would rectify and perfect this affection, and would bring them from the fear of slaves through the fear of penitents, to the fear of sons: and indeed one of these make way for another. It is true that perfect love thrusts out fear: but it is as true, that fear brings in that perfect love, which is joined with the reverence of sons. Like as the needle or bristle (so one compares it) draws in the thread after it, or as the potion brings health. The compunction of fear (saith Gregory) fits the mind for the compunction of love. Greg. 3. Dial. cap. 34. Compunctio for midinis tradit animum compunctioni dilectionis. We shall never rejoice truly in God, except it be with trembling: Except we have quaked at his thunder, we shall never joy in his sunshine. How seasonably therefore doth Samuel, when he saw them smitten with that guilty and servile fear, call them to the reverential fear of God; Therefore fear ye the Lord? It is good striking, when God hath stricken; there is no fishing so good as in troubled waters. The conscience of man is a nice and sullen thing: and if it be not taken at fit times, there is no meddling with it. Tell one of our gallants, in the midst of all his jollity and revels, of devotion; of piety, of judgements; he hath the Athenian question ready, What will this babbler say? Let that man alone till God have touched his soul with some terror, till he have cast his body on the bed of sickness, when his feather is turned to a kerchief, when his face is pale, his eyes sunk, his hand shaking, his breath short, his flesh consumed, now he may be talked with, now he hath learned of Eli to say, Speak Lord for thy servant heareth. The convex or our bowed side of a vessel will hold nothing; it must be the hollow and depressed part that is capable of any liquor. Oh if we were so humbled with the varieties of God's judgements as we might, how savoury should his counsels be, how precious and welcome would his fear be to our trembling hearts? whereas now our stubborn senselessness frustrates (in respect of our success, though not of his decree) all the threatenings and executions of God. There are two main affections, Love and Fear; which as they take up the soul where they are, and as they never go asunder, (for every love hath in it a fear of offending & foregoing; and every fear implies a love of that, which we suspect may miscarry) so each of them fulfils the whole law of God. That love is the abridgement of the Decalogue, both our Saviour & his blessed Apostle have taught us: It is as plain of Fear; The title of job is, A just man, and one that feared God; justice is expressed by Fear. Pro 8.13. Deut. 6.13. Mat. 4.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isay 29.13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mat. 15.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. Caesare. Acts 23.10. Heb. 5.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles. 1.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 1.6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 20. For what is justice, but freedom from sin? And the fear of the Lord hates evil, saith Solomon. Hence Moses his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt fear, is turned by our Saviour (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Thou shalt worship, or adore. And that which Esay saith, In vain they fear me, our Saviour renders, In vain they worship me; as if all worship consisted in Fear. Hence it is probable that God hath his name in two languages from (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Fear, and the same word in the Greek signifies both Fear and Religion. And Solomon when he says, The fear of the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning (as we turn it) of wisdom, says more than we are ware of; for the word signifies as well Caput or Principatum; the head or top of wisdom; yea (saith Stracides) it is the crown upon the head, it is the root of the same wisdom, whereof it is the top-branch, saith the same Author. And surely this is the most proper disposition of men towards God; for though God stoop down so low as to vouchsafe to be loved of men, yet that infinite inequality; which there is between him and us, may seem not to allow so perfect a fitness of that affection, as of this other; which suits so well betwixt our vileness, and his glory, that the more disproportion there is betwixt us, the more due and proper is our fear. Neither is it less necessary than proper, for we can be no Christians without it, Hem. in Ps. 25. whether it be (as Hemingius distinguishes it well) timor cultus, or culpae, either our fear in worshipping, or our fear of offending; the one is a devout fear, the other a careful fear. The latter was the Corinthians fear, whose godly sorrow when the Apostle had mentioned, he adds, Yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what desire? The former is that of the Angels, 2 Cor. 7.11. who hide their faces with their wings; yea of the Son of God, as man, who fell on his face to his Father. And this is due to God, as a Father, as a master, as a benefactor, as a God infinite in all that he is. Let me be bold to speak to you, with the Psalmist, Come ye children, Psal. 34.11. hearken to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What is it therefore to fear God; but to acknowledge the glorious (though invisible) presence of God in all our ways, with Moses his eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Heb. 11. Sic semper Deum praesentem intelligit ac si ipsum qui praesens est in sua essentia viderit. Bern. form. hon. vitae. 2 Sam. 15.26. Senec. Epist. Psal. 36.1. to be awfully affected at his presence with jacob (quàm tremendus?) to make an humble resignation of ourselves to the holy will of God with Eli, It is the Lord; and to attend reverently upon his disposing with DAVID, Here I am; let him die to me as seemeth good in his eyes. This is the lere of the Lord. There is nothing more talked of, nothing less felt. I appeal from the tongues of men to their hands; the wise Heathen taught me to do so, Verba rebus proba. The voice of wickedness is actual, saith the Psalmist, wickedness saith there is no fear of God before his eyes. Behold wheresoever is wickedness, there can be no fear of God; these two cannot lodge vnde● one roof, for the fear of God drives out evil (saith Ecclesiasticus: Ecclus. 1.26. ) As therefore Abraham argues well from the cause to the effect; Because the fear of God is not in this place, therefore they will kill me: So David argues back from the effect to the cause, They imagine wickedness on their bed, etc. therefore the fear of God is not before them. I would to God his argument were not too demonstrative. Brethren, our life's shame us. If we feared the Lord, durst we dally with his name, durst we tear it in pieces? Surely we contemn his person, whose name we contemn. The jews have a conceit that the sin of that Israelite which was stoned for blasphemy, was only this, that he named that ineffable name of four letters jehovah. Shall their fear keep them from once mentioning the dreadful name of God, and shall not our fear keep us from abusing it? Durst we so boldly sin God in the face, if we feared him? Durst we mock God with a formal flourish of that, which our heart tells us we are not, if we feared him? Durst we be Christians at Church, Mammonists at home, if we feared him? Pardon me, if in a day of gratulation, I hardly temper my tongue from reproof: for as the jews had ever some malefactor brought forth to them in their great feast; so it shall be the happiest piece of our triumph and solemnity, if we can bring forth that wicked profaneness, wherewith we have dishonoured God, and blemished his Gospel, to be scourged, and dismissed with all holy indignity. From this fear, let us pass as briefly, through that which we must dwell in all our lives; the service of God. This is the subject of all Sermons, mine shall but touch at it. You shall see how I hasten to that discourse which this day and your expectation calls me to. Divine Philosophy teaches us to refer, not only our speculations, but our affections to action. As therefore our service must be grounded upon fear, so our fear must be reduced to service. What strength can these masculine dispositions of the soul yield us, if with the Israelites brood they be smothered in the birth? Indeed the worst kind of fear, is that we call servile: but the best fear, is the fear of servants. For there is no servant of God, but fears filially. And again, God hath no son but he serves. Even the natural son of God, was so in the form of a servant, that he served indeed; and so did he serve, that he endured all sorrow, and fulfilled all righteousness. So every Christian is a son and heir to the King of heaven, and his word must be, I serve. We all know what service means. For we all are, or were (I imagine) either servants of masters, or servants of the public, or masters of servants, or all these. We cannot therefore be ignorant either what we require of ours, or what our superiors require of us. If service consisted only in wearing of liveries, in taking of wages; in making of courtesies, and kissing of hands, there were nothing more easy, or more common. All of us wear the cognizance of our Christianity in our Baptism, all live upon God's trencher in our maintenance, all give him the compliments of a fashionable profession. But, be not deceived, the life of service is work; the work of a Christian is obedience to the Law of God. The Centurion, when he would describe his good servant in the Gospel, needed say no more but this; I bid him do this, and he doth it. Service then briefly is nothing but a readiness to do as we are bidden; and therefore both Solomon, and he that was greater than Solomon, describes it by keeping the commandments: and the chosen vessel gives an everlasting rule: Rom. 6.1. His servants ye are to whom ye obey. Now I might distinguish this service into habitual and actual. Habitual; for as the servant, while he eats or sleeps, is in service still; so are we to God. Actual, whether universal in the whole carriage of our lives (which Zacharie tells us is in holiness, Luke 1.75. and righteousness; holiness to God, righteousness to men) or particular, either in the duties which are proper to God, Invocation and Attendance on his ordinance (which by an excellence is termed his service) or in those which are proper to us, as we are pieces of a Family, Church, Commonwealth; the stations whereof God hath so disposed, that we may serve him in serving one another. And thus you see I might make way for an endless discourse; but it shall content me (passing over this world of matter) to glance only at the generality of this infinite theme. As every obedience serves God, so every sin makes God serve us. One said wittily, that the angry man made himself the judge, and God the executioner. There is no sin that doth not the like. The glutton makes God his cator, and himself the guest, and his belly his God, especially in the newfound feasts of this Age, wherein profuseness and profaneness strive for the table's end. The lascivious man makes himself the lover, Lud. Viues de verit. Relig. l. 4. and (as Viues says of mohammed) God the Pander. The covetous man makes himself the Usurer, and God the broker. The ambitious makes God his stolen, Esay. 43.24. and Honour his God. Of every sinner doth God say justly, Seruire me fecisti; Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. There cannot be a greater honour for us, than to serve such a master, as commands heaven, earth, and hell: whom it is both dishonour and baseness not to serve. Non reputes magnum quod Deoserum, sed maximum repata, quod ipse dignatur te in se vum assumere sibi. Bernard Psal. 1.6. Revel. vlt. Eccles. 10.7. The highest style that King David could device to give himself (not in the phrase of a frivolous French compliment, but in the plain speech of a true Israelite) was, Behold I am thy servant; and he that is Lord of many servants of the Devil, delights to call himself the servant of the servants of God. The Angels of Heaven rejoice to be our fellows in this service. But there cannot be a greater shame, than to see servants ride on horseback, and Princes walking as servants on the ground; I mean, to see the God of heaven made a lackey to our vile affections, and in the lives of men, to see God attend upon the world. Brethren, there is service enough in the world, but it is to a wrong master. In mea patria Deus venture (as Hierome said;) Every worldling is a Papist in this, that he gives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, service, In mea. n. patria Deus venter est, & in diem vivitur, & sanctior est ilic qui di●ior est. Hier. ad Chrematum. to the creature, which is the lowest respect that can be; Yea, so much more humble than (latria) as it is more absolute, and without respect of recompense. Yea, I would it were uncharitable to say, that many besides the savages of Calcutta, place Satan in the throne, and God on the footstool. For as Witches and Sorcerers converse with evil spirits in plausible and familiar forms, which in ugly shapes they would abhor, so many a man serves Satan under the forms of gold and silver, under the images of Saints and lightsome Angels, under glittering coats, or glorious titles, or beauteous faces, whom they would defy as himself. And as the freeborn Israelite might become a servant, either by forfeiture upon trespass, or by sale, or by spoil in war; so this accursed servitude is incurred the same ways, by them which should be christian's. By forfeiture: for though the debt and trespass be to God, yet (tradet lictori) he shall deliver the debtor to the jailor. By sale: Matth. 18.34. 1 King. 21.20. as Ahab sold himself to work wickedness: sold under sin, saith the Apostle. By spoil: beware lest any man make a spoil of you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Paul to his Colossians. Alas, Col. 2.8. what a miserable change do these men make, to leave the living God, which is so bountiful, that he rewards a cup of cold water with eternal glory, to serve him that hath nothing to give but his bate wages? and what wages? The wages of sin is death; And what death? not the death of the body; in the severing of the soul, but the death of the soul, in the separation from God: there is not so much difference betwixt life and death, as there is betwixt the first death and the second. Oh woeful wages of a desperate work! Well were these men, if they might go unpaid, and serve for nothing: but as the mercy of God will not let any of our poor services to him go unrewarded; so will not his justice suffer the contrary service go unpaid; 1 Thess. 1.8. in flaming fire rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord jesus. Beloved, as that worthy Bishop said on his deathbed, we are happy in this, Ambrose. that we serve a good Master: how happy shall it be for us, if we shall do him good service, that in the day of our account we may hear, Euge serve bone, well done good servant, enter into thy master's joy. Now he that prescribes the act (service) must also prescribe the manner (Truly, totally.) God cannot abide we should serve him with a double heart (an heart & an heart) that is, hypocritically. Neither that we should serve him with a false heart, that is, niggardly and unwillingly: but against doubling, he will be served in truth, and against haluing, he will be served with all the heart. To serve God and not in truth, is mockery. To serve him truly and not with the whole heart, is a base dodging with God. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, eyeservice is a fault with men: but let us serve God, but while he sees us, it is enough. Behold he sees us every where. If he did not see our heart, it were enough to serve him in the face; and if the heart were not his, Epist. 108. Quidan veniunt ut audiam non ut discant; Aliqui cum pugillaribus veniunt, non ut res excipiant, sed verba. it were too much to give him a part of it: but now that he made this whole heart of ours, it is reason he should be served with it; and now that he sees the inside of the heart, it is madness not to serve him in truth. Those serve God, not in truth, which as Seneca says of some auditors, come to hear, not to learn: which bring their tablets to write words, not their hearts for the finger of God to write in. Whose eyes are on their Bible, whiles their heart is on their Count-book; which can play the Saints in the Church, Ruffians in the tavern, Tyrants in their houses, Cheators in their shops; those Dames which under a cloak of modesty and devotion, hide nothing but pride and fiendishnesse. Those serve God, not with all their heart; whose bosom is like Rachel's tent, that hath (Teraphim) Idols hide in the straw; or rather like a Philistims Temple, that hath the Ark and Dagon under one roof; That come in ever with Naaman's exceptives, Only in this: Those that have let down the world like the spies into the bottom of the well of their heart, and cover the mouth of it with wheat: I mean that hide great oppressions, with the show of small beneficences: Those which like salomon's false Courtesan, cry (Dividatur) and are willing to share themselves betwixt God and the world. And certainly, this is a noble policy of the Devil, because he knows he hath no right to the heart, he can be glad of any corner; but withal he knows, that if he have any, he hath all; for where he hath any part, God will have none. This base-mindedness is fit for that evil one. God will have all, or nothing. It was an heroical answer, Theod. l. 4. c. 4. that Theodoret reports of Valentinian, whom when the soldiers had chosen to be Emperor, they were consulting to have another joined with him. No (my soldiers) said he, it was in your power to give me the Empire, while I had it not: but now when I have it, it is not in your power to give me a partner. We ourselves say, The bed and the throne can abide no rivals. May we not well say of the heart, as Lot of Zoar, Is it not a little one? Alas it is even too little for God; what do we think of taking an Inmate into this cottage? It is a favour and happiness, that the God of glory will vouchsafe to dwell in it alone. Even so (O God) take thou up these rooms for thyself; and enlarge them for the entertainment of thy Spirit: Have thou us wholly, and let us have thee. Let the world serve itself. O let us serve thee, with all our hearts. God hath set the heart on work to fear, the hands on work to serve him: now (that nothing may be wanting) he sets the head on work to consider; and that, not so much the judgements of God, (yet those are of singular use, and may not be forgotten) as his mercies, What great things he hath done for you, not against you. He that looked upon his own works, and saw they were good, and delighted in them, delights that we should look upon them too, and applaud his wisdom, power, and mercy that shines in them. Even the least of God's works are worthy of the observation of the greatest Angel in heaven: but (the magnalia Dei) the great things he hath done are more worthy of our wonder, of our astonishment. Great things indeed that he did for Israel; he meant to make that Nation a precedent of mercy; that all the world might see what he could do for a people. Heaven and earth conspired to bless them. What should I speak of the wonders of Egypt? Surely, I know not whether their preservation in it, or deliverance out of it, were more miraculous. Did they want a guide? Himself goes before them in fire. Did they want a shelter? His cloud is spread over them for a covering. Did they want way? The sea itself shall make it; and be at once a street, and a wall to them. Did they want bread? Heaven itself shall pour down food of Angels. Did they want meat to their bread? The wind shall bring them whole drifts of Quails into their Tents. Do they want drink to both? The very Rock shall yield it them. Do they want suits of apparel? Their very clothes shall not wax old on their backs. Do they want advice? God himself shall give his vocal Oracle between the Cherubins. Do they want a Law? God shall come down upon Sinai, and deliver it in fire, thundering, smoke, earthquakes, and write it with his own finger, in tables of stone. Do they want habitations? God shall provide them a land that flows with milk and honey. Are they persecuted? God stands in fire between them and their harms. Are they stung to death? The brazen Serpent shall cure them. Are they resisted? The walls of jericho shall fall down alone; hailstones brain their enemies. The Sun shall stand still in heaven, to see joshuahs' revenge and victory. Oh great and mighty things that God did for Israel! And if any Nation under heaven could either parallel or second Israel in the favours of God, this poor little ISLAND of ours is it. The cloud of his protection hath covered us. The blood-red sea of persecution hath given way to us, and we are passed it dryshod. The true Manna from heaven is reigned down abundantly about our tents. The water of life gusheth forth plenteously to us: The better law of the Gospel is given us from heaven by the hands of his Son: the walls of the spiritual jericho are fallen down before us, at the blast of the trumpets of God; and cursed be he that goes about to build them up again. Now therefore, that we may come more close to the task of this day; Let me say to you, as SAMVEL to his Israelites, Consider with me what great things the Lord hath done for us: and as one wished that the envious had eyes in every place; so could I seriously wish that all which have ill will at our Zion, had their ears with me but one hour, that if they belong not to God, they might burst with judas, which repine with judas at this seasonable cost of the precious ointment of our praises. If I should look back to the ancient mercies of God, and show you that this Kingdom (though divided from the world) was one of the first that received the Gospel: That it yielded the first Christian Emperor that gave peace and honour to the Church: The first and greatest lights that shone forth in the darkest of Popery, to all the world, and that it was the first kingdom that shaken Antichrist fully out of the saddle; I might find just matter of praise and exultation: but I will turn over no other Chronicles but your memory. This day alone hath matter enough of an eternal gratulation. For this is the communis terminus, wherein God's favours meet upon our heads; which therefore represents to us, both what we had, and what we have. The one to our sense, the other to our remembrance. This day was both Queen Elizabeths' Initium gloriae, and King JAMES his Initium regni. To her Natalitium salutis, as the passion-dayes of the Martyrs were called of old; and Natalis Imperij to him. These two names show us happiness enough to take up our hearts for ever. And first, why should it not be our perpetual glory and rejoicing, that we were her subjects? Oh blessed Queen, the mother of this Nation, the nurse of this Church, the glory of womanhood, the envy and example of foreign Nations, the wonder of times, how sweet and sacred shall thy memory be to all posterities? How is thy name not Parables of the dust, job 13.4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the jews speak; not written in the earth, as jeremy speaks, but in the living earth of all loyal hearts, never to be razed. And though the foul mouths of our Adversaries stick not to call her miseram foeminam, as Pope Clement did; nor to say of her, as Euagrius says uncharitably of justinian the great Lawgiver (ad supplicia iusto Dei iudicio apud inferos luenda profecta est;) Euagr. l. 5. c. 1. and those that durst bring her on the stage living, bring her now dead (as I have heard by those that have seen it) into their processions, like a tormented ghost attended with fiends and firebrands, to the terror of their ignorant beholders: Yet, as we saw, she never prospered so well, as when she was most cursed by their Pius 5; so now we hope she is rather so much more glorious in heaven, by how much they are more malicious on earth. These arrogant wretches, that can at their pleasure fetch Solomon from heaven to hell, and Traian and Falconella from hell to heaven; Campian and Garnet from earth to heaven, Queen Elizabeth from earth to hell, shall find one day that they have mistaken the keys; and shall know what it is to judge, by being judged. In the mean time, in spite of the gates of Rome, Memoria iustae in benedictionibus. To omit those virtues which were proper to her sex, by which she deserved to be the Queen of women, how excellent were her Masculine graces of learning, valour, wisdom, by which she might justly challenge to be the Queen of men! So learned was she, that she could give present answers to Ambassadors in their own tongues: or if they listed to borrow of their neighbours, she paid them in that they borrowed. So valiant, that her name like Ziscaes' drum, made the proudest Romanists to quake. So wise, Didymus veridicus. that whatsoever fell out happily against the common Adversaries in FRANCE, NETHERLANDS, IRELAND; it was by themselves ascribed to her policy. What should I speak of her long and successful government, of her miraculous preservations, of her famous victories, wherein the waters, O nim●ū dilecta Deo cui militat aether: & coniurati veniunt ad classica venti. Claud. Pro. 13.29. winds, fire, and earth fought for us, as if they had been in pay under Her? of Her excellent laws, of Her careful executions? Many daughters have done worthily, but thou furmountest them all. Such was the sweetness of her government, and such the fear of misery in her loss, that many worthy Christians desired their eyes might be closed before Hers; and how many thousands therefore welcomed their own death, because it prevented Hers? Every one pointed to her white hairs, and said with that peaceable Leontius, Soz. l. 3. c. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Dolm. p. 1. p. 2: 6. p. 2. p. 117. When this snow melts there will be a flood. Never day, except always the fift of November, was like to be so bloody as this, not for any doubt of Title (which never any loyal heart could question, nor any disloyal ever did, besides Dolman) but for that our Esavites comforted themselves against us, and said, The day of mourning for our mother will come shortly, then will we slay our brethren. What should I say more? Lots were cast upon our Land; and that honest Politician (which wanted nothing but a gibbet to have made him a Saint) Father Parsons, took pains to set down an order, how all English affairs should be marshaled when they should come to be theirs. Consider now the great things that the Lord hath done for us. Behold this day, which should have been most dismal to the whole Christian world, he turned to the most happy day, that ever shone forth to this ISLAND. That now we may justly insult with those Christians of Antioch (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Theod. 3.15. ) Where are your prophecies, O ye fond Papists? Our snow lies here melted, where are those floods of blood that you threatened? Yea, as that blessed soul of Hers gained by this change of an immortal crown, for a corruptible; so (blessed be the name of our God) this Land of ours hath not lost by that loss. Many think that this evening the world had his beginning. Surely a new and golden world began this day to us, and (which it could not have done by her loins) promises continuance (if our sins interrupt it not) to our posterities. I would the flattery of a Prince were treason; in effect it is so: (for the flatterer is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a kind murderer.) I would it were so in punishment. If I were to speak before my Sovereign King and Master, I would praise God for him, not praise him to himself. Euseb. de vita Const. l. 4. c. 4. A Preacher in CONSTANTINE'S time, saith Eusebius (ausus est Imperatorem in os beatum dicere) presumed to call CONSTANTINE an happy Emperor to his face; but he went away with a check; such speed may any Parasite have, which shall speak, as if he would make Princes proud, and not thankful. A small praise to the face may be adulation, (though it be within bounds:) a great praise in absence may be but justice. If we see not the worth of our King, how shall we be thankful to God that gave him? Give me leave therefore freely to bring forth the Lords Anointed before you, 1 Sam. 10.24. and to say with SAMVEL, See you him whom the Lord hath chosen. Euagr. l. 5. c. 21. As it was a great presage of happiness to Mauritius the Emperor, that an (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a familiar Devil removing him from place to place in his swathing bands, yet had no power to hurt him; So that those early conspiracies, wherewith Satan assaulted the very cradle of our dear Sovereign, prevailed not, it was a just bodement of his future greatness and beneficial use to the world. And he that gave him life a 〈◊〉 Crown together, and miraculously preserved them both; gave him graces fit for his Deputy on earth to wield that Crown, and improve that life to the behoof of Christendom. Let me begin with that (which the Heathen man required to the happiness of any State) his learning and knowledge: wherein I may safely say he exceedeth all his 105 Predecessors. Our Conqueror King William (as our Chronicler reports) by a blunt proverb that he was wont to use against unlearned Princes, Malmesbur. made his son Henry a Beauclearc to those times. But a candle in the dark will make more show, than a bonfire by day. In these days so lightsome for knowledge, to excel (even for a professed student) is hard, and rare. Never had England more learned Bishops and Doctors; which of them ever returned from his Majesty's discourse without admiration? What King christened hath written so learned volumes? To omit the rest, his last (of this kind) wherein he hath so held up Cardinal Bellarmine, and his Master Pope Paulus, is such, that Plessis and Mouline (the two great lights of France) profess to receive their light in this discourse, from his beams; and the learned jesuite Salkeild, could not but be converted with the necessity of those demonstrations; and I may boldly say, Poperic (since it was) never received so deep a wound from any work, as from that of His. What King ever moderated the solemn acts of an University in all professions, and had so many hands clapped in the applause of his acute, and learned determinations? Briefly, such is his entire acquaintance with all sciences, and with the Queen of all, Divinity, that he might well dispute with the infallible Pope Paulus Quintus for his triple Crown; and I would all Christian quarrels lay upon this duel. His justice in governing matcheth his knowledge how to govern; for as one that knows the Commonwealth cannot be unhappy, wherein (according to the wise Heathens rule) law is a Queen, and will a subject, Plato. He hath ever endeavoured to frame the proceed of his government to the laws, not the laws to them. Witness that memorable example, whereof your eyes were witnesses; I mean the unpartial execution of one of the ancientest Barons of those parts, for the murder of a mean subject. Wherein not the favour of the block might be yielded, that the dishonour of the death might be no less than the pain of the death. Yet who will not grant his Mercy to be eminent amongst his virtues, when Parsons himself yields it? And if a virtue so continuing, could be capable of excess, this might seem so in him. For that which was said of Anastasius the Emperor, Euagr. l. 3. c. 34. that he would attempt no exploit (though never so famous) if it might cost the price of Christian blood; and that which was said of Mauritius, Euagr. l. 6. c. 1. that by his good will he would not have so much as a Traitor dye; and that of Vespasian, Sueton. Vesp. Socr. l. 7. c. 22. that he wept even for just executions; and lastly that of Theodosius, that he wished he could recall those to life again that had wronged him; may in some sense be justly verified of our merciful Sovereign. I pray God the measure of this virtue may never hurt himself: I am sure the want of it shall never give cause of complaint to his adversaries. But among all his Heroical Graces, which commend him as a Man, as a Christian, as a King; Piety and firmness in Religion calls me to it, and will not suffer me to defer the mention of it any longer. A private man unsettled in opinion, is like a lose tooth in the head, troublesome and useless: but a public person vnstayed, is dangerous. Resolution for the truth is so much better than knowledge, by how much the possessing of a treasure, is better than knowing where it is. With what zeal did his Majesty fly upon the blasphemous novelties of Vorstius? How many solicitations, threats, promises, proffers hath he trampled under his feet in former times, for but a promise, of an indifferent connivance at the Romish religion? Was it not an answer worthy of a King, worthy of marble and brass, Watson. B. Barl. answer to Parsons pag. 115. è Com. Northamp. lib. that he made unto their agent for this purpose, in the times of the greatest peril of resistance, That all the Crowns and Kingdoms in this world should not induce him to change any jot of his profession? Hath he not so engaged himself in this holy quarrel, that the world confesses Rome had never such a● Adversary? and all Christian Princes rejoice to follow him as their worthy leader, in all the battles of God; and all Christian Churches in their prayers & acclamations, style him, in a double right, Defender of the Faith, more by desert, than inheritance. But because as the Sun beams, so praises are more kindly, when they are cast obliqne upon their objects, than when they fall directly; let me show you him rather in the blessings we receive from him, than in the graces which are in him. And not to insist upon his extinguishing of those hellish feudes in Scotland, and the reducing of those barbarous borderers to civility and order, (two acts worthy of eternity, and which no hand but his could do) Consider how great things the Lord hath done for us by him in our Peace, in our freedom of the Gospel, in our Deliverance. Continuance detracts from the value of any favour. Little do we know the price of peace. If we had been in the coat of our forefathers, or our neighbours, we should have known how to esteem this dear blessing of God. Oh, my dear brethren, we never knew what it was to hear the murdering pieces about our ears; to see our Churches and houses flaming over our heads; to hear the fearful cracks of their falls mixed with the confused out-cries of men, Tum vero & gemitus morientum & sanguine in alto. Armaque corporaque & permisti caede virorum Semianimos voluuntur equi. Virg. Aen. 11. killing, encouraging to kill, or resist, dying, and the shriekings of women and children; we never saw tender babes snatched from the breasts of their mothers, now bleeding upon the stones, or sprawling upon the pikes; and the distracted mother ravished, ere she may have leave to die. We never saw men and horses lie wallowing in their mingled blood, and the ghastly visages of death deformed with wounds. The impotent wife hanging with tears on her armed husband, as desirous to die with him, with whom she may not live. The amazed run to and fro of those that would fain escape if they knew how, and the furious pace of a bloody victor; The rifling of houses for spoil, and every soldier running with his load, and ready to fight with other for our booty; The miserable captive driven manacled before the insulting enemy. Never did we know how cruel an Adversary is, and how burdensome an helper is in war. Look round about you. All your neighbours have seen and tasted these calamities. All the rest of the world have been whirled about in these woeful tumults: only this ISLAND hath like the centre stood unmoveable. Nam cum tristis hyems alias produxerit undas, Tum Nilum retinent ripae. Claud. Epigr. Only this ISLE hath been like Nilus, which when all other waters overflow, keeps within the banks. That we are free from these and a thousand other miseries of war, Whither should we ascribe it, but next under God, to his Anointed, as a King, as a King of Peace? For both Anarchy is the mother of division, as we see in the State of ITALY: wherein, when they wanted their King, all ran into civil broils; Otho Fris. lib. 7. cap. 29. The Venetians with them of Ravenna; Verona and Vincentia, with the Paduans and Taruisians; The Pisans and Florentines with them of Luca and Sienna. And beside, every King is not a Peacemaker; Ours is made of Peace. Socr. lib. 7. c. 22. There have been Princes, which, as the Antiochians said of JULIAN (taking occasion by the Bull which he stamped in his coin) have gored the world to death. The breasts of some Princes have been like a Thunder-cloud, whose vapours would never leave working till they have vented themselves with terror to the world: Ours, hath nothing in it, but a gracious rain to water the inheritance of God. Behold, He, even He alone, like to NOAH'S Dove, brought an Olive of peace to the tossed Ark of Christendom; He like another AUGUSTUS, before the second coming of CHRIST hath becalmed the world, and shut the iron gates of war; and is the bond of that peace he hath made. And if the Peacemaker both doth bless and is blessed; how should we bless him, and bless God for him, and hold ourselves blessed in him? Now what were peace without religion, but like a Nabals sheepshearing; like the fatting of an Epicurean hog; the very festival revel's of the Devil. But for us; we have Gloria in excelsis Deo, sung before our Pax in terris; in a word, we have Peace with the Gospel. Discors. l. 1. c. 20. Due continuove successioni di principi virtuosos fanno grandi effetti. Plato 8. de Rep. Machiavelli himself could say in his Discourses, that two continued successions of virtuous Princes (fanno grandi effetti) cannot but do great matters. We prove it so this day; wherein religion is not only warmed, but locked in her seat so fast, that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. There have been Princes, and that in this land, which (as the heathen Politician compared his Tyrant) have been like to ill Physicians, that have purged away the good humours, and left the bad behind them; with whom any thing hath been lawful, but to be religious. Some of your grey hairs can be my witnesses. Behold, the evils we have escaped, show us our blessings. Here hath been no dragging out of houses, no hiding of Bibles, no creeping into woods, no Bonnering or Butchering of God's Saints, no rotting in dungeons; no casting of infants out of the mother's belly into the mother's flames; nothing but God's truth abundantly preached, cheerfully professed, encouraged, rewarded. What nation under heaven yields so many learned Divines? What times ever yielded so many preaching Bishops? When was this City (the City of our joy) ever so happy this way, as in these late successions? Whither can we ascribe this health of the Church, and life of the Gospel, but, next to God, to His example, His countenance, His endeavours? Wherein I may not omit how right he hath trod in the steps of that blessed Constantine, in all his religious proceed. Let us in one word parallel them. Euseb. de vita Const. l. 4. c. 36. Constantine caused fifty Volumes of the Scriptures to be fair written out in parchment, for the use of the Church. Lib. 3.61.62. King james hath caused the Books of Scriptures to be accurately translated and published by thousands. Constantine made a zealous edict against novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites. King james, Lib. 3.63. besides his powerful proclamations and sovereign laws hath effectually written against Popery, and Vorstianisme. Constantine took away the liberty of the meetings of Heretics: King james hath by wholesome laws inhibited the assemblies of Papists and schismatics. Constantine sat in the midst of Bishops, Lib. 1. c. 37. In media istorum frequentia ac congressu adesse & una consider non ded●gnatus. Basil. dor. as if he had been one of them. King james besides his solemn conferences, vouchsafes (not seldom) to spend his meals in discourse with his Bishops, and other worthy Divines. Constantine charged his sons, (ut planè & sine fuco Christiani essent) that they should be Christians in earnest. King james hath done the like in learned and divine precepts, which shall live till time be no more. Yea, in their very coins is a resemblance. Constantine had his picture stamped upon his metals, praying. Lib. 4.15. King james hath his picture with prayer about it; O Lord, protect the kingdoms which thou hast united. Lastly, Constantine built Churches; one in jerusalem, another in Nicomedia. Lib. 3.43. & King james hath founded one College, which shall help to build and confirm the whole Church of God upon earth. Ye wealthy Citizens that love jerusalem, cast in your store after this royal example, into the Sanctuary of God: and whiles you make the Church of God happy, make yourselves so. Brethren, if we have any relish of Christ, any sense of heaven, let us bless God for the life of our soul, the Gospel; and for the spirit of this life, his Anointed. But where had been our peace, or this freedom of the Gospel, without our deliverance? and where had our deliverance been without him? As it was reported of the Oak of Mamre, that all religions rendered their yearly worship there. Socr. l. 2. c. 3. The jews, because of Abraham their Patriarch; the Gentile because of the Angels that appeared there to Abraham; The Christians because of Christ that was there seen of Abraham, with the Angels: So was there to King james in his first beginnings, a confluence of all sects, with papers in their hands, and (as it was best for them) with a Rogamus Domine, non pugnamus, like the subjects of Theodosius. Ribera in prophet. min. ex joseph. Antiq. lib. 9 vlt. ●. mritam judaeos cognatos appellari soliti quamdiu illis bene erat. At ubi contra, etc. 1 King. 12. Flect●re si nequco, etc. But our cousins of Samaria, when they saw that salomon's yoke would not be lightened, soon flew off in a rage. What portion have we in David? And now those, which had so oft look up to Heaven in vain, resolve to dig down to Heli for aid. Satan himself met them, and offered (for saving of their labour) to bring Hell up to them. What a world of sulphur had he provided against that day? What a brewing of death was tunned up in those vessels? The murderous pioneers laughed at the close felicity of their project; and now beforehand seemed in conceit to have heard the crack of this hellish thunder, and to see the mangled carcases of the Heretics flying up so suddenly, that their souls must needs go upward towards their perdition; their streets strewed with legs and arms; and the stones braining as many in their fall, as they blew up in their rise. Remember the Children of Edom, O Lord, in the day of jerusalem, which said, Psal. 117.7. Down with it, down with it, even to the ground. O daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed, blessed shall he be that serveth thee, as thou wouldst have served us. But he that sits in Heaven laughed as fast at them; to see their presumption that would be sending up bodies to heaven before the resurrection, and preferring companions to Elias in a fiery Chariot; and said (ut quid fremuerunt?) Consider now how great things the Lord hath done for us; The snare is broken, and we are delivered. But how? As that learned Bishop well applied Solomon to this purpose, Divinatio in labijs Regis. Pro. 16.10. B. Barlow. p. 350 If there had not been a divination in the lips of the King, we had been all in jaws of death. Under his shadow we are preserved alive, as jeremy speaketh. It is true, God could have done it by other means; but he would do it by this, that we might owe the being of our lives to him, of whom we held our well-being before. Oh praised be the God of heaven for our deliverance! Praised be God for his anointed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Suet. by whom we are delivered. Yea how should we call to our fellow creatures? the Angels, Saints, heavens, elements, meteors, mountains, beasts, trees, to help us praise the Lord for this mercy. Addit, neque me liberosque meos cariores habebo quam Caium & eius sorores. Clodoneus. Otho Fris. l. 4. c. 32. Clodoucus Otho Fris. l. 4. c. 31. And (as the oath of the Roman soldiers ran) how dear and precious should the life of Caesar be to us, above all earthly things? how should we hate the base unthankfulness of those men, which can say of him, as one said of his Saint Martin, Martinus bonus in auxilio, charus in negotio; who whiles they own him all, grudge him any thing. Away with the mention of outward things: all the blood in our bodies is due to him: all the prayers and well-wishes of our souls are due to him. How solemnly festival should this day be to us and to our posterities for ever? How cheerfully for our peace, our religion, our deliverance, should we take up that acclamation with the people of Rome used in the Coronation of Charles the great, Carolo jacobo a Deo coronata, Fris. l. 5. c. 31. magno & pacifico Britannorum Imperatori, vita & victoria. To Charles james crowned of God, the great and peaceable Emperor of Britain, Life and victory, and let God and his people say, Amen. These were great things indeed, that God did for Israel; great that he hath done for us; great for the present, not certain for the future. They had not, no more have we, the blessings of God by entail, or by lease. Only at the good will of the Lord; and that is, during our good behaviour. Sin is a forfeiture of all favours. If you do wickedly, you shall perish. It was not for nothing, that the same word in the original signifies both sin and punishment. These two are inseparable. There is nothing but a little priority in time between them. The Angels did wickedly, they perished by their fall from heaven. The old world did wickedly, they perished by waters from heaven. The Sodomites did wickedly, the perished by fire from heaven. Corah and his company did wickedly, they perished by the earth. The Egyptians did wickedly, they perished by the Sea. The Canaanites did wickedly, they perished by the sword of Israel. The Israelites did wickedly, they perished by pestilence, serpents, Philistims. What, should I run myself out of breath in this endless course of examples? There was never sin, but it had a punishment, either in the actor, or in the Redeemer. There was never punishment, but was for sin. Heaven should have no quarrel against us, Hell could have no power over us, but for our sins. Those are they that have plagued us: Those are they that threaten us. But what shall be the judgement? Perishing. To whom? To you and your King. He doth not say, If your King do wickedly, you shall perish, as sometimes he hath done: nor, If your King do wickedly, he shall perish, although Kings are neither priveleged from sins, nor from judgements: nor if you do wickedly, you only shall perish; but, If ye do wickedly, ye and your King shall perish. So near a relation is there betwixt the King and Subject; the sin of the one reacheth to the judgement of the other; and the judgement of the one is the smart of both. The King is the Head, the Commons the stomach: if the head be sick, the stomach is affected. David sins, the people die, If the stomach be sick, the head complains. For the transgression of the people are many Princes. What could have snatched from our head that sweet Prince, of fresh & bleeding memory, (that might justly have challenged Othoes' name, Otho 3. Fris. 6. 26. Mirabilia mundi) now in the prime of all the world's expectation, but our traitorous wickednesses? His Christian modesty upon his deathbed could charge himself, (no, no, I have sins enough of my own to do this.) But this very accusation did clear him, & burden us. O glorious Prince, they are our sins, that are guilty of thy death, & our loss. We have done wickedly thou perishedst. A harsh word for thy glorified condition. But such a perishing, as is incident to Saints; (for there is a Perire de medio, as well as a Perire à fancy) a perishing from the earth, as well as a perishing from God. It was a joyful perishing to thee: our sins have advamtaged thy soul, which is partly therefore happy, because we were unworthy of thee; but they have rob us of our happiness in thee. Oh our treacherous sins, that have offered this violence to that sweet hopeful sacred person! And do they not yet still conspire against him, that is yet dearer to us, the root of these godly branches, the breath of our nostrils, the anointed of God? Brethren let me speak it confidently: As every sin is a traitor to a man's own soul, so every wicked man is a traitor to his King: yea, every of his crying sins is a false-harted rebel, that hides powder & pocket dags for the precious life of his Sovereign. Any statesman may learn this even of Machiavelli himself: which I confess when I read, I thought of the Devil confessing Christ. That the giving of God his due, Oss●ruanza del culto divinae cagione della grandezza delle. Cofiil dispregio diq●a, etc. Discor. l. 1. c. 11. Euagr. l. 3. c. 41. is the cause of the greatness of any State; and contrarily, the neglect of his service, the cause of ruin: and if any profane Zosimus shall doubt of this point, I would but turn him to Euagrius his discourse to this purpose, where he shall find instances of enough particulars. Whatever politic Philosophers have distinguished, betwixt bonus vir, and civis, I say, that as a good man cannot be an ill subject, so a lewd man can no more be a good subject, than evil can be good. Let him sooth, and swear what he will, his sins are so many treasons against the Prince and State: for, Ruin is from iniquity, saith Ezechiel. Alas, Ezech. 7.19. what safety can we be in, when such miscreants lurk in our houses, jet in our streets; when the Country, City, Court, is so full of these spiritual conspiracies? Ye that are Magistrates, not for God's sake only, but for your King's sake, whose Deputies ye are; as he is Gods; not for religion only, but for very policy, as you tender the dear life of our gracious Sovereign; as you regard the sweet peace of this State, and Kingdom; the welfare of this Church; yea, as you love your own life, peace, welfare; rouse up your spirits, awaken your Christian courage, and set yourselves hearty against the traitorly sins of these times, which threaten the bane of all these. Cleanse ye these Augean stables of our drunken Taverns, of our profane Stages, and of those blind Vaults of professed filthiness, Whose steps go down to the chambers of death, yea, to the deep of hell. Pro. 27.7.9.18. And ye, my holy brethren, the messengers of God, if there be any sons of Thunder amongst you, if ever you rattled from heaven the terrible judgements of God against sinners, now do it; for (contrary to the natural) the deep winter of iniquity is most seasonable for this spiritual thunder. Be heard above, be seen beneath. Outface sin, outpreach it, outlive it. We are stars in the right hand of God: Reu. 8.11. let us be like any stars save the Moon, that hath blots in her face; or the star Wormwood, whose fall made bitter waters; or Saint judes' planets, that wander in irregularities. jude 13. Cum imperio docetur quod prius agitur quam dicatur. Greg. 23. in job. Let the light of our lives shine in the faces of the world, and dazzle them whom it shall not guide. Then shall we with authority speak what we do, when we do that which we speak. We can never better testify our thankful and loyal respects to so good a King, in whose favour is our life, and by whose grace we are upheld against the unworthy affronts of this sacrilegious Age, than by crying down, by living down those sins which threaten our happiness in him. And ye, beloved Christians, whose faces seem worthily to congratulate the joy of this day, if ye would approve yourselves good subjects to our King, labour to be good subjects to His King, the King of Heaven. Away with those rebellious wickednesses which may be prejudicial to our peace. In vain shall we testify our loyalty by these outward ceremonies of rejoicing, if we be faulty in the substance. To what purpose shall we ring our bells, Pro. 5.22. if in the mean time we hold fast salomon's (funes peccatorum) cords of sin; yea, the prophet's cart-ropes of iniquity; and thereby pull down judgement upon our heads? To what purpose shall we kindle Bonfires in our streets, if we kindle the flame of God's displeasure against us by our sins? To what purpose shall ye feast one another in your houses, if you shall feast the fiends of hell with your wilful sins? Daemonum cibus ebrietas; Hierome saith well, Drunkenness, Hier. de filio prodigo. Daemonum cibus ebrietas, luxuria, fornicatio, & universa vitia. luxury, fornication, and every sin is the very diet and dainties of the devil. For God's sake therefore, for your King's sake, for your own soul's sake, be good, that you may be loyal. Oh my brethren, let us not with old Toby suffer our eyes to be blinded with the swallows dung of this world. Let us not dare to make a willing shipwreck of conscience, for the venture of a little ballast of gain. Away with our pride, usury, oppression, false weights, false oaths, false faces; Do no more wickedly, that we perish not. They are our sins, which as they threaten to lose us our best friend above, (the God of our salvation) so they hearten our adversaries against us on earth. Their hopes, their designs, their wickedness to us, hath been professed to be built upon ours to God. If they did not see we did evil, they durst not hope we could perish. Authority hath wisely and seasonably taken order for disarming of wilful Recusants. What should weapons do in the hand of disloyalty? Oh that it could take order to strip us of our sins, which will else arm God and his creatures against us! The gates of Rome, the gates of hell, could not hurt us, if we did not hurt ourselves. Oh that we could so love ourselves, as to part with all our plausible and gainful evils; that we would this day renew our holy covenants with God, and keep them for ever! How would he still feed us with the finest of the wheat? How would he, that (as this day) when we feared a tempest, Dum non timet in sereno patitur tempestatem. Hier. dial. adverse. Pelag. gave us an happy calm, prevent a tempest in our calm when we fear not? How safely should our children play, and we feast in our streets? How memorable a pattern of mercy should this Island be to all posterities? What famous Trophies of victory would he erect over all Antichristianisme amongst us? How freely and loud should the Gospel of God ring every where in the ear of the generations yet unborn? How sure should we be, long and long to enjoy so gracious and dear a Sovereign, so comfortable a peace, so happy a government? even till this Eve of the Annunciation of the first coming of Christ, overtake the day of the Annunciation of the second coming, for our redemption. Which God for his mercy's sake, for his Christ's sake, vouchsafe to grant us. Amen. FINIS. A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAJESTY AT his Court of Thebalds, on Sunday, Sept. 15. 1622. In the ordinary course of attendance. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAJESTY, AT his Court at THEBALDS, on Sunday the 15. of SEPTEMBER 1622. JOHN 7.24. judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement. AS in the civil body, so in the natural; the head as it is the highest, so the chief part: according to the place is the dignity: Of the head, the highest Region is chiefest, serving only for the use of intellectual powers; whereas the lower part of it is only employed for bodily nutrition: Now, as the reasonable part of the Soul is Vertex animae, being contradistinguished to the sensitive; So, if ye distinguish the reasonable into judgement and Deliberation, Naturale judicatorium dicetur esse vertex, saith Aquinas; judgement is the top of our Soul, and therefore calls for the top of our care: If the highest Wheel go right, the inferior hardly err. Hear then the golden rule of the Author, of the judge of our judgement, judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement. The negative part is first, judge not; then, judge: Where the mind is free and clear, it is good to begin with the positive documents of right, which is the rule to itself and the wrong; but where the heart is forestalled with mis-opinion, ablative directions are first needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. judge not therefore according to the appearance: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is (as the Vulgar rightly) secundùm faciem, according to the face, because the face only appears, the rest is hid: Every thing, not man only, hath both a face and an heart; a face which is pervious to every eye, an heart to which none eye can pierce but the wise. This face, as of man, so of things, is a false rule of judgement; Frons, oculi, etc. The forehead, eyes, countenance tell many a lie. judge not therefore according to appearance: it is no measuring by a crooked line: There is nothing more uncertain than appearance; some things appear that are not, and some things are that appear not; and that (besides natural occurrences) in morally both good and evil: Some things appear good that are not, and therefore misled the heart both to an unjust prosecution, and to a false applause; some things appear evil that are not, and therefore misled us to an injurious censure, and undeserved abomination: Again, some things are good that appear not, and therefore lose both our allowance and pursuit; some things are evil that appear not, and therefore insinuate themselves into our acquaintance and love, to our cost: Many a Snake lies hid under the Strawberry leaves, and stings us ere we be ware. Vitia virtutes mentiuntur, saith Gregory, Vice too oft makes a mask of the skin of Virtue, and looks lovely: Virtue as often comes forth (like a Martyr in the Inquisition) with a Sanbenit upon her back, and a cap painted with Devils upon her head, to make her ugly to the beholders; judge not therefore according to the appearance. The appearance or face, is of things, as of men: We see it at once with one cast of the eye, yet there are angles, and hills and dales, which upon more earnest view the eye sees cause to dwell in: so it is with this appearance or face of things, which however it seems wholly to appear to us at the first glance, yet upon further search will descry much matter of our inquiry: For every thing from the skin inclusively to the heart, is the face; every thing besides true being, is appearance. All the false 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that use to beguile the judgement of man, hide themselves under this appearance: These reduce themselves to three heads; Presumptions, false Forms, Events: Presumptions must be distinguished; for whereas there are three degrees of them, first (levia Probabilia) light Probabilities, then fair Probabilities, and thirdly strong Probabilities, which are called, Indicia iuris, the two first are allowed by very Inquisitors, but as sufficient to cause suspicion, to take information, to attach the suspected, not enough whereon to ground the Libel, or the torture, much less a final judgement: Thus Elie sees Annaes' lips go, therefore she is drunk: The Pharises see Christ sit with sinners, he is a friend to their sins. False forms are presented either to the eye or to the ear. In the former, besides supernatural delusions, there is a deceit of the sight, whether through the indisposition of the Organ, or the distance of the Object, or the mis-disposition of the medium: So as, if we should judge according to appearance, the Sun should double itself by the first, through the crossness of the eye, it should diminish itself by the second, and seem as big as a large Sieve, or no large Cart wheel at the most; It should dance in the rising, and move irregularly by the third. To the ear are misreports, and false suggestions, whether concerning the person or the cause. In the former, the calumniating tongue of the Detractor is the juggler that makes any man's honesty or worth appear such as his malice listeth: In the latter, the smooth tongue of the subtle Rhetorician is the Impostor, which makes causes appear to the unsettled judgement, such as his wit or favour pleaseth: Events, which are ofttimes as much against the intention, and above the remedy of the Agent, as besides the nature of the Act: There is sometimes a good event of evil, as jasons' adversary cured him in stabbing him; the Israelites thrive by oppression, the Field of the Church yields most when it is manured with blood: There is sometimes an ill event of good; Ahimelec gives David the Shewbread, and the Sword, he and his family dies for it: Sapientis est praestare culpam; It is enough for a wise man to wield the Act, the issue he cannot; Wisdom makes demonstrative Syllogisms, à priori, from the causes; folly Paralogismes, à posteriori, from the success. Careat successibus opto quisquie ab eventu, etc. was of old the word of the Heathen Poet. If therefore either upon sleight probabilities, or false forms, or subsequent events we pass our verdict, we do what is here forbidden, judge according to appearance. Had the charge been only judge not, and gone no further, it had been very useful, and no other than our Saviour gave in the Mount: we are all on our way; Every man makes himself a justice Itinerant, and passeth sentence of all that comes before him, yea (beyond all commission) of all above him; and that many times, not without gross misconstruction, as in the case of our late directions: Our very judges are at our bar; Secrets of Court, of Counsel, of State escape us not, yea not those of the most reserved Cabinet of Heaven: Quis te constituit judicem? Who made thee a judge? as the Israelite (unjustly) to Moses: These are saucy usurpers of forbidden Chairs; and therefore it is just with God, that (according to the Psalmist) such judges should be cast down in stony places, yea, as it is in the Original (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) that they should be left in the hands of the rock (allidantur Petrae) that they should be dashed against the rocks, that will be sailing without Card or compass in the vast Ocean of God's Counsels, or his Anointeds. But now here our Saviour seals our Commission, sets us upon the Bench; allows us the act, but takes order for the manner; we may judge, we may not judge according to the appearance; we may be judges (whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the one to condemn, the other to absolve; we may not be (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) judges of evil thoughts; and we shall be evill-thoughted judges, if we shall judge according to the appearance. Not only Fortune and Love, but even justice also is wont to be painted blindfold; to import that it may not regard faces. God says to every judge as he did to Samuel, concerning Eliab, Look not on his countenance, nor the height of his stature. Is an outrageous rape committed? Is blood shed? Look not whether it be a Courtiers or a Peasants, whether by a Courtier or a Peasant; either of them cries equally loud to heaven: justice cannot be too Lyncean to the being of things, nor too blind to the appearance. The best things appear not, the worst appear most; God, the Angels, souls both glorified and encaged in our bosoms, grace, supernatural truths, these are most-what the objects of our faith, and faith is the evidence of things not seen; Like as in bodily objects, the more pure and simple aught is (as air and ethereal fire) the more it flieth the sight; the more gross and compacted (as water and earth) the more it fills the eye, judge not therefore according to appearance. It is an useful and excellent rule for the avoiding of error in our judgement of all matters whether Natural, Civil, or Divine. Natural; what is the appearance of a person, but the colour, shape, stature? The colour is ofttimes bought or borrowed, the shape forced by Art, the stature raised (to contradict Christ) a cubit high; judge not therefore according to appearance. What are the collusions of jugglers and Mountebanks, the weep and motions of Images, the noises of miraculous cures and dispossessions, but appearances? Fit aliquando in Ecclesiâ maxima deceptio populi in miraculis fictis à sacerdotibus; There is much cozenage of the poor people by cogged miracles, saith Cardinal Lyranus; these holy frauds could not gull men, if they did not judge according to appearance. Should appearance be the rule, our harvest had been rich; there was not more show of plenty in our fields, than now of scarcity in our streets. This dearth (to say truth) is not in the grain, but in the heart; If the hearts of men were not more blasted with covetousness and cruel self-love, than their grain with distemper of air, this needed not; The Barns and Granaries are full, the Markets empty; Authority knows how to remedy this evil, how to prevent a dearth in abundance, that men may not affamish whom God hath fed; and that when God hath given us the staff of bread; it may not be either hid, or broken, shortly, that our store may not be judged by the appearance. Civil; Wisemen and statesmen especially may not always look the same way they would go; like skilful Seamen, they sometimes lavere, and (as the wind may stand) fetch compasses of lawful policies to their wished point. That of Tiberius was fearful; of whom Xiphiline, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. That he sailed ever against the wind of his words: But sometimes a good Constantius, or Anastasius, will wisely pretend what he intends not: As our Saviour made as if he went further, when he meant to turn into Emaus: The hearts of Kings are as deep waters; we may not think to drain them in the hollow of our hand: Secret things to them of whom God hath said, Dixi Dij estis; things revealed to us and our children. Even we mean ones would be loath to have always our hearts read in our faces; judge not therefore according to the appearance. Divine; In these our speech must dwell; If we should judge according to the appearance, we should think basely of the Saviour of the world; Who that had seen him sprawling and wring in the Cratch, flitting to Egypt, chopping of chips at Nazareth, famishing in the Desert, transported by Satan, attended by Fishermen, persecuted by his Kindred, betrayed by one Servant, abjured by another, forsaken of all, apprehended, arraigned, condemned, buffeted, spat upon, scourged to blood, sceptred with the reed, crowned with thorns, nailed to the Cross, hanging naked betwixt two Thiefs, scorned of the beholders, sealed up in a borrowed grave, could say other, than, He hath no form nor beauty, when we shall see him there is nothing that we should desire him? Who that should have seen his skin all dewed with pearls of bloody sweat, his back bleeding, his face blubbered and besmeared, his forehead harrowed, his hands and feet pierced, his side gushing out, his head bowed down in death, and should withal have heard his dying lips say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? would not have said, He is despised and rejected of men, yea (in appearance) of God himself. Yet even this while to the cutting of the sinews of those stiffnecked jews, the Angels owned him for their Lord, the Sages adored him, the Star designed him, the Prophets foreshowed him, the Devils confessed him, his Miracles evinced him, the earth shaken, the Rocks rend, the Dead looked out, the Sun looked in, astonished at the sufferings of the God of nature; Even whiles he was despised of men, he commanded the Devils to their chains: whiles base men shot out their tongues at him, Principalities and Powers bowed their knees to him; whiles he hanged despicably upon the tree of shame, the powers of hell were dragged captive after the triumphant chariot of his Cross; the appearance was not so contemptible, as the truth of his estate glorious. judge not therefore according to the appearance. Should appearance be the rule, how scornfully would the carnal eye overlook the poor ordinances of God? What would it find here but foolishness of preaching, homeliness of Sacraments, an inky Letter, a Priest's lips, a savorlesse message, a morsel of Bread, a mouth full of Wine, an handful of Water, a slander-beaten Cross, a crucified Saviour, a militant Church, a despised profession. When yet this foolishness of preaching is the power of God to salvation; these mute Letters the lively Oracles of God; these vile Lips the Cabinets of heaven to preserve knowledge; this unplausible Message, Magnalia Dei; this Water, the Water of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God: (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) this Bread the Manna of Angels, thy Wine heavenly Nectar, this Church the King's Daughter, all glorious within, this dying Sacrifice the Lord of life, this Cross the Banner of Victory, this Profession Heaven upon earth. judge not therefore according to appearance. Should appearance be the rule, woe were God's children, happy were his enemies. Who that had seen Cain standing masterly over the bleeding carcase of Abel, joseph in his bonds, his Mistress in her dress, Moses in the Flags, Pharaoh in the Palace, David skulking in the Wilderness, Saul commanding in the Court, Elias fainting under his juniper tree, jezebel painting in her closet, Michaiah in the prison, Zidkijah in the presence, jeremy in the dungeon, Zedekiah in the throne, Daniel trembling among the Lions, the Median Princes feasting in their Bowers, john's head bleeding in the Platter, Herod's smiling at the Revels, Christ at the Bar, Pilate on the Bench, the Disciples scourged, the Scribes and Elders insulting, would not have said; O happy Cain, Potiphars wife, Pharaoh, Saul, jezebel, Zidkijah, Zedekiah, Median Princes, Pilate, Herod, Elders; miserable Abel, joseph, Moses, David, Eliah, Michaiah, jeremy, Daniel, john, Christ, the Disciples: Yet we know Cain's victory was as woeful, as Abel's martyrdom glorious; josephs' irons were more precious, than the golden tires of his Mistress; Moses Reeds were more sure than Pharaohs Cedars; David's Ca●e in the Desert more safe than the Towers of Saul; Eliahs' Raven a more comfortable purveyor than all the Officers of jezebel: Michaiahs' prison was the gard-chamber of Angels, when Ahabs' presence was the counsel-chamber of evil spirits; jeremies' Dungeon had more true light of comfort than the shining state of Zedekiah; Daniel was better guarded with the Lions, than Darius and the Median Princes with their janissaries; john's head was more rich with the Crown of his martyrdom, than Herod's with the Diadem of his Tetrarchate; Christ at the Bar gave life and being to Pilate on the Bench, gave motion to those hands that struck him, to that tongue that condemned him, and in the mean while, gave sentence on his judge; The Disciples were better pleased with their stripes and wales than the jewish Elders with their proud Phylacteries. After this, who that had seen the primitive Christians, some broiled on Gridirons, others boiled in Lead, some roasted, others frozen to death, some flayed, others torn with horses, some crashed in pieces by the teeth of Lions, others cast down from the rocks to the stakes, some smiling on the wheel, others in the flame, all werying their tormentors and shaming their Tyrants with their patience, would not have said; Of all things I would not be a Christian? Yet, even this while were these poor torturing-stocks higher (as Marcus Arethusius bragged) than their persecutors; dying Victors, yea Victors of death; never so glorious as when they began not to be; in gasping crowned, in yielding the ghost more than Conquerors; judge not therefore according to appearance. When thou lookest about, and seest on the one hand, a poor conscionable Christian drooping under the remorse for his sin, austerely checking his wanton appetite and curbing his rebellious desires, wearing out his days in a rough penitential severity, cooling his infrequent pleasures with sighs, and saucing them with tears; on the other hand ruffling Gallants made all of pleasure and jovial delights, bathing themselves in a sea of all sensual satieties, denying their pampered nature nothing under heaven, not wine in bowls, not strange flesh, and beastly dalliance, not unnatural titillations, not violent filthiness; that feast without fear, and drink without measure, and swear without feeling, and live without God; their bodies are vigorous, their coffers full, their state prosperous, their hearts cheerful: O how thou blessest such men: Lo these (thou sayest) these are the darlings of heaven and earth; Sic ô ficiuvat vinere: Whiles those other sullen mopish creatures are the (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) offscouring and recrements of the world; Thou fool, give me thy hand, let me lead thee with David into the sanctuary of God: Now what seest thou? The end, the end of these men is not peace. Surely o God thou hast set them in slippery places, and castest them down into desolation: how suddenly are they perished, and horribly consumed! Woe is me, they do but dance a Galliard over the mouth of hell, that seems now covered over with the green sods of pleasure; The higher they leap, the more desperate is their lighting: Oh woeful, woeful condition of those godless men, yea those Epicurean Pockets, whose belly is their God, whose heaven is their pleasure, whose cursed jollity is but a feeding up to an eternal slaughter: the day is coming, wherein every minute of their sinful unsatisfying joys shall be answered with a thousand thousand millions of years frying in that unquenchable fire; And when those damned Ghosts shall forth of their incessant flames see the glorious remuneration of the penitent and pensive souls which they have despised, they shall then gnash and yell out that late recantation; We fools thought their life madness, and their end without honour; now they are counted among the children of God, and the portion is among the Saints, our amongst Devils: judge not therefore according to appearance. Should we judge according to appearance, all would be Gold that glistereth, all dross that glistereth not: Hypocrites have never shown more fair, than some Saints foul. Saul weeps, Ahab walks softly: Tobias and Sanballat will be building God's walls; Herod hears john gladly; Balaam prophesies Christ, judas preaches him, Satan confesses him; When even an Abraham dissembles, a David cloaks adultery with murder, a Solomon gives (at least) a toleration to idolatry; a Peter forswears his Master; brieffly, the prime disciple is a Satan; Satan an Angel of light. For you: How gladly are we deceived in thinking you all such as you seem; None but the Court of Heaven hath a fairer face. Prayers, Sermons, Sacraments, geniculation, silence, attention, reverence, applause, knees, eyes, ears, mouths full of God; Oh that ye were thus always! Oh that this were your worst side! But if we follow you from the Church, and find cursing and bitterness under your tongues; licentious disorder in your lives, bribery and oppression in your hands; If God look into the windows of your hearts, and find there be (intus vapina) we cannot judge you by the appearance; or, if we could, What comfort were it to you to have deceived our charity with the appearance of Saints, when the righteous judge shall give you your portion with Hypocrites; What ever we do, he will be sure not to judge according to the appearance. If appearance should be the rule, false religion should be true, true false. Quaedam falsa probabiliora quibusdam veris, is the old word; Some falsehoods are more likely than some truths: Native beauty scorns Art: Truth is as a matron; Error a courtesan: The matron cares only to concile love by a grave and graceful modesty, the courtesan with philtres and farthing. We have no hierarchy mounted above Kings, no pompous ostentation of magnificence, no garish processions, no gaudy altars, no fine images clad with Taffates in summer, with velvets in winter, no flourishes of universality, no rumours of miracles, no sumptuous canonisations, we have nothing but (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the sincerity of Scriptures, simplicity of Sacraments, decency of rare ceremonies, Christ crucified. We are gone if ye go by appearance: Gone? alas, who can but blush and weep, and bleed to see that Christian souls should (after such beams of knowledge) suffer themselves to be thus palpably cozened with the gilded slips of error, that after so many years pious government of such an incomparable succession of religious Princes, authority should have cause to complain of our defection? Dear Christians (I must be sharp) are we children or fools, that we should be better pleased with the glittering tinsel of a painted baby from a Pedlar's shop, than with the secretly-rich and invaluable jewel of divine Truth? Have we thus learned Christ? Is this the fruit of so clear a Gospel? of so blessed sceptres? For God's sake be wise and honest, and ye cannot be Apostates. Shortly, for it were easy to be endless: If appearance might be the rule, good should be evil, evil good; there is no virtue that cannot be counterfeited, no vice that cannot be blanched; we should have no such friend as our enemy, a flatterer; no such enemy as our friend that reproves us. It were a wonder if ye great ones should not have some such burrs hanging upon your sleeves; As soon shall corn grow without chaff, as greatness shall be free from adulation: These servile spirits shall soothe up all your purposes, and magnify all your actions, and applaud your words, and adore your persons: Sin what ye will, they will not check you; Project what you will, they will not thwart you; say what ye will, they will not fail to second you; be what ye will, they will not fail to admire you; Oh how these men are all for you, all yours, all you; They love you as the Ravens do your eyes. How dear was Sisera to jael, when she smoothed him up, and gave him milk in a lordly dish; Samson to Dalilah, when she lulled him in her lap; Christ to judas, when he kissed him; See how he loved him, would some fool have said, that had judged by appearance. In the mean time an honest plain dealing friend is like those sauces which a man praises with tears in his eyes: like a chestnut, which pricks the fingers, but pleases our taste; or like some wholesome medicinal potion, than distastes and purges us (perhaps makes us sick) that it may heal us. Oh let the righteous smite me, for that is a benefit, let him reprove me, and it shall be a precious oil that shall not break my head; Break it? no, it shall heal it, when it is mortally wounded by my own sin, by others assentation: Oh how happy were it, if we could love them that love our souls, and hate them that love our sins. They are these rough hands that must bring us savoury dishes, and carry away a blessing; truth is for them now, thankes shall be for them hereafter, but in the mean time they may not be judged by the appearance. Lastly, if we shall judge friendship by compliment, salubrity by sweetness, service by the eye, fidelity by oaths, valour by brags, a Saint by his face, a devil by his feet, we shall be sure to be deceived: judge not therefore according to appearance. But (that ye mistake not) though we may not judge only by the appearance, yet appearance may not be neglected in our judgement. Some things according to the Philosopher (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) seem and are, are as they seem: Semblances are not always severed from truth; Our senses are safe guides to our understandings. We justly laugh at that Sceptic in Laertius, who because his servant rob his Cupboard, doubted whether he left his victuals there: What do we with eyes if we may not believe their intelligence? That world is past, wherein the gloss Clericus amplectens foeminam praesumitur benedicendi causà fecisse; The wanton embracements of another man's wife must pass with a Clerk for a ghostly benediction; Men are now more wise, less charitable: Words and probable shows are appearances, actions are not; and yet even our words also shall judge us; If they be filthy, if blasphemous, if but idle, we shall account for them, we shall be judged by them: Ex ore tuo; A foul tongue shows ever a rotten heart; By their fruits ye shall know them, is our Saviour's rule; I may safely say, No body desires to borrow colours of evil: if you do ill, think not that we will make dainty to think you so; When the God of love can say by the Disciple of love, Qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est; He that committeth sin is of the devil: Even the righteous judge of the world judgeth (secundum opera) according to our works; we cannot err whiles we tread in his steps. If we do evil, sin lies at the door; but it is on the street side; Every Passenger sees it, censures it; How much more he that sees in secret? Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil: Every soul; here is no exemption by greatness, no buying off with bribes, no bleering of the eyes with pretences, no shrouding ourselves in the night of secrecy; but, if it be a soul that doth evil, Tribulation and anguish is for it; Contrarily, If we do well, shall we not be accepted? If we be charitable in our alms, just in our awards, faithful in our performances, sober in our carriages, devout in our religious services, conscionable in our actions; Glory, and honour, and peace to every man that works good; we shall have peace with ourselves, honour with men, glory with God and his Angels: Yea that peace of God which passeth all understanding; such honour as have all 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 us, as mercifully bring us for the sake of his dear Son jesus Christ the just: To whom with thee O Father, and thy good Spirit, one infinite God, our God, be given all praise, honour and glory now and for ever. Amen. THE GREAT IMPOSTOR, LAID OPEN IN A SERMON AT GRAY'S INN, Febr. 2. 1623. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, ❧ Printed for NATHANIEL BUTTER. 1624. TO THE MOST NOBLE, AND WORTHILY HONOURED SOCIETY OF GRAY'S INN: AT WHOSE BAR THIS JMPOSTOR WAS openly arraigned: J. H. HUMBLY DEDICATES THIS PUBLIC LIFE OF HIS WEAK AND UNWORTHY LABOUR. THE GREAT IMPOSTOR, LAID OPEN, OUT OF IER. 17.9. The heart is deceitful above all things. I Know where I am; in one of the famous Phrontisteries of Law, and justice: wherefore serves Law and justice, but for the prevention or punishment of fraud and wickedness? Give me leave therefore to bring before you, Students, Masters, Fathers, Oracles of Law and justice, the greatest Cheater and Malefactor in the world, our own Heart. It is a great word that I have said, in promising to bring him before you; for this is one of the greatest advantages of his fraud, that he cannot be seen: That as that old juggler Apollonius Thyanaeus, when he was brought before the judge, 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 own consent, and we would be loath that he could be seen: Therefore as an Epiphonema to this just complaint of deceitfulness, is added Who can know it? It is easy to know that it is deceitful, and in what it deceives, though the deceits themselves cannot be known, till too late; As we may see the ship, and the sea, and the ship going on the sea, yet the way of a ship in the sea (as Solomon observes) we know not: God asks, and God shall answer; What he asks by jeremy, he shall answer by S. Paul, Who knows the heart of man? Even the spirit of man that is in him. 1 Cor. 2.11. If then the heart have but eyes enough to see itself by the reflection of thoughts, it is enough: Ye shall easily see & hear enough (out of the analogy and resemblance of hearts) to make you both astonished and ashamed. The heart of man lies in a narrow room, 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 style given it; of deceitfulness; of wickedness; either of which knows no end, whether of being, or of discourse. I spend my hour, and might do my life, in treating of the first. See then, I beseech you, the Impostor, and the Imposture; The Impostor himself, The heart of man; The Imposture, Deceitful above all things. As deceitful persons are wont ever to go under many names, and ambiguous, and must be expressed with an [alias] so doth the heart of man; Neither man himself, nor any part of man hath so many names, as the heart alone; For every faculty that it hath, and every action it doth, it hath a several name: Neither is there more multiplicity, than doubt in this name; Not so many terms are used to signify the heart, as the heart signifies many things. When ye hear of the heart, ye think strait of that fleshy part in the centre of the body which life's first; and dies last; and whose beat you find to keep time all the body over; That is not it which is so cunning; Alas, that is a poor harmless piece; merely passive; and if it do any thing, as the subministration of Vital spirits, to the maintenance of the whole frame, it is but good; no, it is the spiritual part that lurks in this flesh, which is guilty of such deceit. We must learn of witty Idolatry to distinguish betwixt the stock and and the invisible powers that dwell in it. It is not for me to be a stickler betwixt the Hebrews, and the Greek Philosopher's, and Physicians, in a question of natural learning, concerning the seat of the soul; nor to insist upon the reasons why the spirit of God rather places all the spiritual powers in the heart, than in the brain; Doubtless in respect of the affections there resident, whereby all those speculative abilities are drawn to practise; It shall suffice us to take things as we find them, and to hold it for granted, that this Monosyllable (for so it is in many languages) comprises all that intellective and affective world which concerneth man; and in plain terms to say, that when God says The heart is deceitful, he means, the understanding, will, affections are deceitful. The understanding is doubly deceitful; It makes us believe it knows those things which it doth not; and that it knows not those things which it doth: As some foolish Mountebank, that holds it a great glory to seem to know all things; or some presuming Physician, that thinks it a shame not to profess skill in any state of the body, or disease; so doth our vain understanding; therein framing itself according to the spirits it meets withal; if they be proud and curious, it persuades them, they know every thing; if careless, that they know enough. In the first kind; What hath not the fond heart of man dared to arrogate to itself? It knows all the stars by their names; Tush, that is nothing; It knows what the stars mean by their very looks, what the birds mean by their chirping, as Apollonius did; What the heart means, by the features of the face; it knows the events of life by the lines of the hand: the secrets of Art, the secrets of Nature, the secrets of State, the secrets of others hearts, yea the secrets of God in the closet of heaven; Yea, not only what God hath done, but what he will do: This is (Sapiens stultitia) a wise folly, as Irenaeus said of his Valentinians; All Figure-casters, Palmisters, Physiognomers, Fortune-tellers, Alchemists, fantastic projectors, and all the rabble of professors of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Acts 19.19. not so much curious as idle Arts, have their word given them by the Apostle, Deceiving and deceived; neither can these men make any worse fools, than their hearts have made themselves; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. and well may that Alexandrian tax be set upon them in both names, whether of active, or passive folly: And (as it commonly falls out, that superfluous things rob the heart of necessary) in the mean while, those things which the heart may and should know, it lightly mis-knowes: As our senses are deceived by distance, or interpositions, to think the stars beamy and sparkling, the Moon horned, the Planets equally remote, the Sun sometimes red, pale other some: so doth also our understanding err, in misopinion of divine things; It thinks it knows God, when it is but an Idol of fancy, as saul's messengers, when they came into the room, thought they had the true David, when it was but a Wisp; it knows the will of God, when it is nothing but gross misconstruction: so as the common knowledge of men, though they think it a Torch, is but an Ignis Fa●nus to lead them to a ditch: How many thousand Assyrians think they are in the way to the Prophet, when they are in the midst of Samaria? How many millions think they walk fairly on to heaven, when indeed they are in the broad way that leads to destruction? Oh poor blind Pagans, halfe-sighted Turks, blear-eyed Iewes, blindfolded Papists, Squint-eied Schismatics, purblind ignorants, how well do they find themselves pleased with their devotion, and think God should be so too; when it is nothing but a mixture of mesprison; superstition, conceitedness; and (according to the seldome-reverently-used proverb) whiles they think they have God by the finger, they hold a devil by the toe; and all this, because their heart deceives them. If careless, and loath to be at the pains of knowing more, it persuades them they know enough; that they cry out of more, as he did on the ointment, ( quid perditio hac?) What needs all this waste? and makes them as conscionable for knowledge, as Esau was for cattle, I have enough, my brother, keep that thou hast to thyself; or as contentedly-resolute, as the Epicure in the Gospel: Soul take thy ease, thou hast knowledge enough laid up for many years. From whence it is, that too many rest simply (yea wilfully) in their own measure, not so much as wishing more skill in Soule-matters; applauding their own safe mediocrity; like the credulous blind man that thought he now saw a shimmering of the Sunbeams, when indeed his back was towards it: Hence it is that they scoff at the foolishness of preaching, scorn the forward bookishness of others, fearing nothing but a surfeit of Manna, and hating to know more, than their neighbours, than their forefathers; and thus are led on muffled up in an unfelt ignorance, to their grave, yea, (without the mercy of God) to their hell. And as in these things there is a presumption of knowing what we do not; so contrarily, a dissimulation and concealment of the knowledge of what we do understand; The heart of man is a great liar to itself this way; Saint Paul says that of Pagans, which I may boldly say of Christians, they have the effect of the law written in their hearts; yet many of them will not be acknown of one letter engraven there by the finger of God: Certain common principles there are (together with this law) interlinearily written in the Tables of the heart, as that we must do as we would be done to; That there is a God; That this God is infinite in justice and truth, and must be served like himself; these they either blot out, or lay their finger on, that they may not be seen, purposely, that they may sinne freely; and fain would persuade themselves they never had any such evidence from God: so putting off the checks of conscience with bold denials; like the harlot of jericho, (but worse than she) that hath hid the Spies, and now outfaces their entertainment: Wherein the heart doth to itself, that which Nahash the Ammonite would have done to Israel, put out his own right eye, that it may not see that law whereby it might be convinced, and find itself miserable. Thus the understanding of man is every way deceitful in overknowing; mis-knowing, dissembling; in all which it is like an evil and unfaithful eye, that either will be seeing by a false glass, or a false light, or with distortion; or else wilfully closes the lids that it may not see at all; and in all this deceives us. The will is no less cunning; which though it make fair pretences of a general inclination to good, yet (hic & nunc) in particulars, hangs towards a pleasing evil; Yea though the Understanding have sufficiently informed it of the worthiness of good, and the turpitude of evil, yet being overcome with the false delectableness of sin, it yields to a misse-assent; Reason being (as Aquinas speaks) either swallowed up by some passion, or held down by some vicious habit: It is true, still the Will follows the Reason, neither can do otherwise; but therefore, if Reason misled be contrary to Reason, and a schism arise in the soul, it must follow that the Will must needs be contrary to Will and Reason; Wherein it is like a Planet, which though it be carried above perpetually by the first mover, yet slily creeps on his own way, contrary to that strong circumvolution: And though the mind be sufficiently convinced of the necessity, or profit of a good act, yet for the tediousness annexed to it, in a dangerous spiritual ●codie, it insensibly slips away from it, and is content to let it fall; As some idle; or fearful Merchant; that could be glad to have gold, if it would come with ease, but will not either take the pains, or hazard the adventure to fetch it: Thus commonly the Will (in both respects) Water-man-like looks forward, and rows backward; and under good pretences doth nothing but deceive. The affections are as deceitful as either; whether in misse-placing, measure, or manner. Mis-placing: They are fiery where they should be cool; and where they should burn, frieze; Our heart makes us believe it love's God, and gives him pledges of affection; whiles it secretly dotes upon the world; like some false strumpet, that entertains her husband with her eyes, and in the mean time treads upon the toe of an Adulterer under the board: That it love's justice, when it is but revenge; That it grieves for the missing of Christ, when indeed it is but for the loaves and fishes; That it fears God, when indeed it is but afraid of our own torment; That it hates the sin, when it is the person; That it hates the world, when it thrusts God out of doors to lodge it. Measure: That we love God enough, and the world but enough, when as indeed the one love is but as the cold fit of an ague, the other an hot; we chill in the one, no less than we glow in the other; when we make God only a stolen to draw on the world; That we do enough hate our corruptions, when (at our sharpest) we do but gently sneap them, as Hely did his sons; or as some indulgent parent doth an unthrifty darling; whom he chides, and yet feeds with the fuel of his excess; That we have grieved enough for our sins, when they have not cost us so much as one tear, nothing but a little fashionable wind, that never came further than the roots of our tongue; That we do enough compassionate the afflictions of joseph, when we drink wine in bowls; That we fear God more than men, when we are ashamed to do that in presence of a child, which we care not to do in the face of God. Manner. That our heart love's, and hates, and fears, and joys, and grieves truly, when is an hypocrite in all; That it delights constantly in God, and holy things, when it is but an Ephraim's morning dew; That our anger is zealous, when it is but a flash of personal malice, or a superstitious fury; That we fear as sons, when it is as cowards, or slaves; That we grieve as God's patients, when we fret, and repine, and struggle like frantics against the hand of our Maker. Thus (to sum up all) the heart of man is wholly set upon cozenage; the understanding over-knowing, mis-knowing, dissembling; The will pretending, and inclining contrarily; The affections mocking us in the object, measure, manner; and in all of them the heart of man is deceitful. Ye have seen the face of this Cheater; look now at his hand; and now ye see who this Deceiver is, see also the sleights of his deceit; and therein, the fashion, the subject, the sequel of it; from whence we will descend to our Demeanour towards so dangerous an Impostor. The fashion of his deceit is the same with our ordinary jugglers; either cunning conveyance, or false semblance. Cunning conveyance, whether into us, in us, from us. The heart admits sin, as Paradise did the Serpent; There it is, but by what chinks or crannies it entered, we know not; so as we may say of sin as the Master of the feast in the Gospel said to his slovenly guest, Quomodo intrasti? How camest thou in hither? Corruption doth not eat into the heart as our first Parents did into the apple, so as the print of their teeth might be seen, but as the worm eats into the core, insensibly; Neither is there less closeness when it is entered; I would it were as untrue a word, as it is an harsh one, that many a professedly Christian heart, lodges a devil in the blind rooms of it, and either knows it not, or will not be acknown of it; every one that harbours a willing sin in his breast, doth so: The malicious man hath a furious devil; the wanton an unclean devil, a Beelphegor, or a Tammonz; the proud man a Lucifer, the covetous a Mammon; Certainly, these soul spirits are not more truly in hell, than in a wicked heart; there they are, but so closely, that I know not if the heart itself know it; it being verified of this citadel of the heart, which was said of that vast Niniu●, that the enemy had taken some parts of it, long ere the other knew it: What should I speak of the most common, and yet most dangerous guest, that lodges in this Inn of the heart, Infidelity? Call at the door, and ask if such a one host not there; They within make strange of it, deny it, forswear it; Call the officers, make privy search, you shall hardly find him: Like some jesuite in a Popish dames chamber, he is so closely contrived into false floors, and double walls, that his presence is not more easily known, than hardly convinced, confessed. How easy is it to say, that if infidelity did not lurk in the hearts of men, they durst not do as they do; they could not but do, what they do not? Durst they sin if they were persuaded of an hell? durst they buy a minute of pleasure with everlasting torments? Can they so slight heaven if they believed it? Can they be so loath to possess it? Can they think much of a little painful goodness to purchase an eternity of happiness? No, no, men, fathers, and brethren; if the heart were not Infidel, whiles the face is Christian, this could not be. Neither doth the heart of man more cunningly convey sin into, and in itself, than from it; The sin that ye saw even now openly in the hands, is so swiftly passed under the board, that it is now vanished; Look for it in his forehead, there it is not; look for it under his tongue, there is none; look for it in his conscience, ye find nothing; and all this by the legierdemaine of the heart: Thus Achan hath hid his wedge, and now he dares stand out to a lot; Thus salomon's Harlot hath wiped her mouth, and it was not she: Thus Saul will lie-out his sacrilege, until the very beasts out-bleat, and out-bellow him; Thus the swearer swears, and when he hath done, swears that he swore not; Thus the unclean fornicator bribe's off his sin, and his shame, and now makes challenges to the world of his honesty. It cannot be spoken how peevishly witty the heart of man is this way; neither doubt I but this wiliness is some of the poison that the subtle serpent infected us with in that fatal morsel: They were three cunning shifts which the Scripture recordeth of three women (as that sex hath been ever noted for more sudden pregnancy of wit) Rachel, Rahab, and the good wife of Bahurim; The first hiding the Teraphim with a modest seat, the second, the spies with flaxe-stalkes, and the third David's scouts with corn spread over the Well; but these are nothing to the devices that nature hath wont to use for the cloaking of sin; God made man upright, saith Solomon, but he sought many inventions: Is Adam challenged for sin? Behold all on the sudden it is passed from his hand, to Gods; The woman that thou gavest me: Is Saul challenged for a covetous and disobedient remissness? the sin is strait passed from the field to the Altar; I saved the fattest for a Sacrifice to the Lord thy God; So the one gins his sin in God, and the other ends it in him: Is David bewitched with lust to abuse the Wife? the Husband must be sent home drunk to hide it, or if not that, to his long home, in a pretended favour of his valour: Is a griping Usurer disposed to put his money together to breed a monster? he hath a thousand quirks to cousin both law and conscience: Is a Simoniacal Patron disposed to make a good match of his people's souls? it shall be no bargain, but a gift: he hath a living to give, but an horse to sell. And sure I think in this wise age of the world, Usurers and Simonists strive who shall find the wittiest way to hell: What should I speak of the secret frauds in contracts, booties in matches, subornation of instruments, hiring of oaths, seeing of officers, equivocations of answers, and ten thousand other tricks that the heart of man hath devised for the conveyances of sin; in all which it too well approves itself incomparably deceitful. The false semblance of the heart is yet worse; for the former is most-what for the smothering of evil; this is for the justifying of evil, or the disgrace of good; In these two doth this act of falsehood chief consist; in making evil good, or good evil. For the first; The natural man knows well how filthy all his brood is, and therefore will not let them come forth, but disguised with the colours and dresses of good; so as now every one of nature's birds is a Swan; Pride is handsomeness, desperate fury, valour; lavishness is noble munificence, drunkenness civility, flattery compliment, murderous revenge, justice; the Courtesan is bona foemina, the Sorcerer a wise man, the oppressor a good husband; Absolom will go pay his vows; Herod will worship the Babe. For the second; such is the envy of nature, that where she sees a better face than her own, she is ready to scratch it, or cast dirt in it; and therefore knowing that all virtue hath a native beauty in it, she labours to deform it by the foulest imputations. Would the Israelites be devout? they are idle; Doth David dance for joy before the Ark? he is a fool in a Morris: Doth Saint Paul discourse of his heavenly Vision? too much learning hath made him mad. Do the Disciples miraculously speak all the tongues of Babel? They are full of new wine: Do they preach Christ's kingdom? they are seditious; The resurrection? they are babblers. Is a man conscionable? he is an Hypocrite: Is he conformable? he is unconscionable: Is he plain dealing? he is rudely uncivil: Is he wisely insinuative? he is a flatterer: In short, such is the wicked craft of the heart, that it would let us see nothing in it own form; but fain would show us evil fair, that we might be enamoured of it, and virtue ugly, that we might abhor it; and as it doth for the way, so doth it for the end; hiding from us the glory of heaven, that is laid up for over-commers, and showing us nothing but the pleasant closure of wickedness; making us believe that hell is a palace, and heaven a dungeon, that so we might be in love with death; and thus both in cunning conveyance, and false semblance, The heart of man is deceitful above all things. Ye have seen the fashion of this deceit; cast now your eyes upon the subject: And whom doth it then deceive? It doth deceive others, it can deceive itself, it would deceive Satan, yea God himself. Others, first: How many do we take for honest and sound Christians, who yet are but errant hypocrites? These Apes of Satan have learned to transform themselves into Angels of light; The heart bids the eyes look upward to heaven, when they are full of adultery; It bids the hands to raise up themselves towards their Maker, when they are full of blood; It bids the tongue wag holily, when there is nothing in the bosom but Atheous profaneness; It bids the knee to bow like a Camel, when the heart is stiff as an Elephant; yea if need be it can bid a tear fall from the eye, or an alms or just action fall from the hand, and all to g●ll the world with a good opinion; In all which, false chapmen and horse-coursers do not more ordinarily deceive their buyers in shops and fairs, than we do one another in our conversation: Yea, so crafty is the heart, that it can deceive itself; By overweening his own powers, as the proud man; by under-valuing his graces, as the modest; by mistaking his estate, as the ignorant; How many hearts do thus grossly beguile themselves? The first thinks he is rich, and fine, when he is beggarly and naked; so did the Angel of Laodicea: The second is poor in his own spirit, when he is rich of God's spirit: The third thinks that he is a great favourite of heaven, when he is rather branded for an outcast; that he is truly noble, when he is a slave to that, which is base than the worst of God's creatures, sin: Let the proud and ignorant worldling therefore know, that though others may mock him with applauses, yet that all the world cannot make him so much a fool as his own heart. Yea, so cunning is the heart, that it thinks to go beyond the devil himself: I can (thinks it) swallow his bait, and yet avoid his hook; I can sinne, and live; I can repent of sinning, and defeat my punishment by repenting; I can run upon the score, and take up the sweet and rich commodities of sinful pleasure; and when I have done, I can put myself under the protection of a Saviour, and escape the arrest: Oh the world of souls that perish by this fraud, fond beguiling themselves, whiles they would beguile the Tempter. Yet higher: Lastly, as Satan went about to deceive the Son of God; so this foolish consort and client of his goes about to deceive God himself: The first pair of hearts that ever was, were thus credulous, to think they should now meet with a means of knowledge and Deifying, which God either knew not of, or grudged them, and therefore they would be stealing it out of the side of the apple, without God, yea against him: Tush, none eye shall see us; Is there knowledge in the most high, saith the sottish Atheist? Lord have not we heard thee preach in our streets? have not we cast out Devils in thy Name? says the smoothing hypocrite; as if he could fetch God over for an admission into heaven. Thou hast not lied to man, but to God, saith S. Peter to Ananias. And pettish jonas, after he had been cooled in the belly of the Whale, and the Sea, yet will be bearing God down in an argument to the justifying of his idle choler, I do well to be angry to the death. But as the greatest Politicians are oft overtaken with the grossest follies (God owes proud wits a shame) the heart of man could not possibly device how so much to befool itself, Psal. 94.10, 11. as by this wicked presumption: Oh ye fools, when will ye understand? He that form the eye, shall he not see? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he understand? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. A rod for the back of fools, yea a rod of iron for such presumptuous fools, to crush them in pieces like a Potter's vessel. Ye have seen the fashion and the subject of this deceit: the sequel, or effect follows; every way lamentable; For hence it comes to pass that many a one hath had his heart in keeping forty, fifty, threescore years, and more, and yet is not acquainted with it; and all because this craft hath kept it at the Priscillianists lock, Tu omnes, te nemo; It affects to be a searcher of all men, no man is allowed to come aboard of it; And if a man whether out of curiosity, or conscience, be desirous to inquire into it (as it is a shame for a man to be a stranger at home; Know ye not your own heart; saith the Apostle;) it casts itself, Proteus-like, into so many forms, that it is very hard to apprehend it. One while the man hath no heart, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) saith Solomon; Psal. 12. Then he hath (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) an heart, and an heart, saith David; and one of his hearts contradicts another; and then how knows he whether to believe? And what certainty, what safety can it be for a man to live unacquainted with himself? Of this unacquaintance, secondly, arises a dangerous mesprison of a man's self, in the nature and quantity of his sin, in the quality of his repentance, in his peace and entireness with God, in his right to heaven, and (in a word) in his whole spiritual estate. Of this mes-prison, thirdly, arises a fearful disappointment of all his hopes, and a plunging into unavoidable torments: Wherein it is miserable to see, how cunningly the traitorous hearts of many men bear them in hand all their lives long; soothing them in all their courses, promising them success in all their ways, securing them from fear of evils, assuring them of the favour of God, and possession of heaven (as some fond Bigot would brag of his Bull, or Medal, or Agnus Dei; or as those Priests that Gerson * Qui publicè volunt dogmatizare seu praedicare populo, quod si quis audit missam in illo d●e non erit caecus, nec morietur morte subitanea, nec carebit sufficienti sustentatione, etc. taxes, who made the people believe that the Mass was good for the eyesight, for the maw, for bodily health, and preservation) till they come to their deathbeds; But then when they come to call forth the comforts they must trust to, they find them like to some unfaithful Captain, that hath all the while in Garrison filled his purse with dead pays, and made up the number of his companies with borrowed men; and in time of ease shown fair; but when he is called forth by a sudden alarm, bewrays his shame and weakness, and fails his General when he hath most need of him; right thus do the perfidious hearts of many, after all the glorious brags of their security, on the bed of their last reckoning, find nothing but a cold despair, and a woeful horror of conscience; and therefore too justly may their hearts say to them, as the heart of Appollodorus the Tyrant seemed to say unto him; who dreamt one night that he was flayed by the Scythians, and boiled in a Cauldron; and that his heart spoke to him out of the kettle (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) It is I that have drawn thee to all this. Certainly never man was, or shall be frying in hell, but cries out of his own heart, and accuses that deceitful piece as guilty of all his torment: For let Satan be never so malicious, and all the world never so parasitical, yet if his own heart had been true to him; none of these could have hurt him. Let the rest of our enemies do their worst, only from the evil of our own hearts, good Lord deliver us. It were now time for our thoughts to dwell a little upon the meditation, and deploration of our own danger and misery, who are every way so environed with subtlety. If we look at Satan, his old title is, that old Serpent; who must needs therefore now, by so long time and experience, be both more old and more Serpent. If we look at sin, it is as crafty as he; Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin: If at our own hearts, we hear (that which we may feel) that the heart is deceitful above all things. Oh wretched men that we are, how are we beset with Impostors on all hands; If it were more seasonable for us to bewail our estate; than to seek the redress of it; But since it is not so much worth our labour to know how deep the pit is, into which we are fallen, as how to come out of it, hear rather (I beseech you) for a conclusion, how we may avoid the danger of the deceit of our false heart; even just so as we would prevent the nimble feats of some cheating juggler; Search him, watch him, Trust him not. Look well into his hands, pockets, boxes, sleeves, yea, under his very tongue itself; There is no fraud so secret, but may be descried; were our hearts as crafty as the devil himself, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. they may be found out; We are not ignorant (saith Saint Paul) of Satan's devices; much more than may we know our own; Were the hearts of men (as Solomon speaks of Kings) like unto deep waters, they have a bottom; and may be fathomed; Were they as dark as hell itself, and never so full of windings, and blind ways, and obscure turnings, do but take the lantern of God's law in your hand, and you shall easily find all the false and foul corners of them; As David saith of the Sun, nothing is hid from the light thereof; Prove yourselves, saith the Apostle; It is hard if falsehood be so constant to itself that by many questions it be not tripped: Where this duty is slackened; it is no wonder if the heart be overrun with spiritual fraud; Often privy searches scare away vagrant and disorderly persons; where no inquiry is made, is a fit harbour for them; If ye would not have your hearts, therefore, become the lawless Ordinaries of unclean spirits, search them oft; Leave not a straw vnshaken to find out these Labanish Teraphim that are stolen, and hid within us, And, when we have searched our best, if we fear there are yet some unknown evils lurking within us (as the man after Gods own heart prays against secret sins) let us call him in that cannot be deceived; and say to God with the Psalmist, Search thou me, o Lord, and try me; Oh let us yield ourselves over to be ransacked by that allseeing eye, and effectual hand of the Almighty. All our daubing, and cogging, and packing, and shuffling lies open before him, and he only can make the heart ashamed of itself. And when our hearts are once stripped naked, and carefully searched, let our eyes be ever fixedly bend upon their conveyances, and inclinations; If we search and watch not, we may be safe for the present, long we cannot; for our eye is no sooner off, than the heart is busy in some practice of falsehood; It is well if it forbear whiles we look on, for The thoughts of man's heart are only evil continually; and many a heart is like some bold and cunning thief, that looks a man in the face, and cuts his purse: But surely, if there be any guardian of the soul, it is the eye; The wise man's eye (saith Solomon) is in his head; doubtless, on purpose to look into his heart: My son, above all keep keep thy heart, saith he; If we do not dog our hearts then in all our ways, but suffer ourselves to lose the sight of them, they run wild, and we shall not recover them till after many slippery tricks on their parts, and much repentance on ours. Alas, how little is this regarded in the world? wherein the most take no keep of their souls, but suffer themselves to run after the ways of their own hearts, without observation, without controlment; What should I say of these men, but that they would fain be deceived, and perish? For after this lose licentiousness (without the great mercy of God) they never set eye more upon their hearts, till they see them either fearfully intoyled in the present judgements of God, or fast chained in the pit of hell, in the torments of final condemnation. Thirdly, If our searches and watches should fail us, we are sure our distrust cannot; It is not possible our heart should deceive us, if we trust it not; We carry a remedy within us of others fraud; and why not of our own? The Italians not unwisely pray God (in their known proverb) to deliver them from whom they trust; for we are obnoxious to those we rely upon, but nothing can lose that which it had not; Distrust therefore can never be disappointed: If our hearts then shall promise us aught (as it hath learned to proffer largely, of him that said, All these will I give thee) although with vows and oaths, ask for his assurances; if he cannot fetch them from the evidences of God, trust him not: If he shall report aught to us, ask for his witnesses; if he cannot produce them from the records of God, trust him not: If he shall advice us aught, ask for his warrant; if he cannot fetch it from the Oracles of God, trust him not; And in all things so bear ourselves to our heart, as those that think they live amongst thiefs and cozeners; ever jealously and suspiciously; taking nothing of their word, scarce daring to trust our own senses; making sure work in all matters of their transactions. I know I speak to wise men, whose counsel is wont to be asked, and followed, in matter of the assurances of estates; whose wisdom is frequently employed in the trial, eviction, dooming of malefactors: Alas, what shall it avail you that you can advice for the prevention of others fraud, if in the mean time you suffer yourselves to be cozened at home? What comfort can you find in public service to the state against offenders, if you should carry a fraudulent and wicked heart in your own bosoms? There is one above whom we may trust, whose word is more firm than heaven; When heaven shall pass, that shall stand; It is no trusting aught besides, any further than he gives his word for it. Man's Epithet is, Homo mendax, and his best part, the hearts, deceitful. Alas, what shall we think, or say of the condition of those men, which never follow any other advice than what they take of their own heart? Such are the most; that make not God's Law of their counsel; As Esay said of Israel, Esa. 57.17. Abijt vagus in via cordis sui: Surely they are not more sure they have an heart, than that they shall be deceived with it, and betrayed unto death; Of them may I say, as Solomon doth of the wanton fool, that follows an harlot; Thus with her great craft she caused him to yield, Pro. 7.21. and with her flattering lips she enticed him: And he followed her strait ways, as an Ox that goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the stocks for correction. Oh then, dear Christians, as ever ye desire to avoid that direful slaughter-house of hell, those wail, and gnash, and gnawings, and everlasting burnings, look carefully to your own hearts; and what ever suggestions they shall make unto you, trust them not, till you have tried them by that unfaileable rule of righteousness, the royal law of your Maker, which can no more deceive you than your hearts can free you from deceit. Lastly, that we may avoid not only the events, but the very enterprises of this deceit, let us countermine the subtle workings of the heart. Our Saviour hath bidden us be wise as Serpents; What should be wise but the heart? And can the heart be wiser than itself? Can the wisdom of the heart remedy the craft of the heart? Certainly it may. There are two men in every regenerate breast, the old and the new; And of these (as they are ever plotting against each other) we must take the better side, and labour that the new man, by being more wise in God, may outstrip the old: And how shall that be done? If we would dispossess the strong man that keeps the house, our Saviour bids us bring in a stronger than he; and if we would overreach the subtlety of the old man, yea, the old Serpent, bring in a wiser than he, even the Spirit of God, the God of wisdom; If we would have Achitophel's wicked counsels crossed, set up an Hushai within us: The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. Can we but settle God within us, our crafty hearts would be out of countenance, and durst not offer to play any of their deluding tricks before him from whom nothing is hid; and if they could be so impudently presumptuous, yet they should be so soon controlled in their first motions, that there would be more danger of their confusion, than of our deceit. As ye love yourselves therefore, and your own safety, and would be free from the peril of this secret broker of Satan, your own hearts, render them obediently into the hands of God; give him the keys of these closerts, of his own making; beseech him that he will vouchsafe to dwell and reign in them; so shall we be sure that neither Satan shall deceive them, nor they deceive us; but both we and they shall be kept safe and inviolable, and presented glorious to the appearance of our Lord jesus Christ: To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. FINIS. The Best Bargain. A SERMON PREACHED TO THE COURT AT THEOBALD'S, on Sunday, Sept. 21. 1623. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM EARL OF PEMBROKE, LORD high Chamberlain; CHANCELLOR of the University of Oxford; One of his MAJESTY'S most Honourable Privy Counsel. RIGHT HONOURABLE, LEt it please you to receive from the Press what you vouchsafed to require from my pen: Unworthy I confess either of the public light, or the beams of your Honours judicious eyes; yet such as (besides the motive of common importunity) I easily apprehended might be not a little useful for the times; which, if ever, require quickening: Neither is it to no purpose that the world should see in what style we speak to the Court, not without acceptation. This, and what ever service I may be capable of, are justly devoted to your Lordship, whom all good hearts follow with true Honour, as the great Patron of learning, the sincere friend of Religion, and rich purchaser of Truth. The God of Heaven add to the number of such Peers, and to the measure of your Lo: graces and happiness. Your Honours in all humble and faithful observance, IOS: HALL.. THE BEST BARGAIN. PROV. 23.23. Buy the Truth, and sell it not. THE subject of my Text is a Bargain, and Sale. A bargain enjoined, a sale forbidden: and the subject of both bargain and sale, is Truth; A bargain able to make us all rich; a sale able to make any of us miserable; Buy the Truth, and sell it not; A sentence of short sound, but large extent; the words are but seven syllables, an easy load for our memories; the matter is a world of work; a long task for our lives. And first, let me call you to this Mart, which holds both now; and ever; If ye love yourselves, be ye customers at this shop of heaven; Buy the Truth. In every bargain there is merx, and mercatura; the commodity, and the match; The commodity to be bought is the Truth; The match made for this commodity, is Buying, Buy the Truth. An ill judge may put a good Interrogatory; yet it was a question too good for the mouth of a Pilate, What is Truth? The schools have wearied themselves in the solution; To what purpose should I read a Metaphysical Lecture to Courtiers? Truth is as Time, one in all; yet, as Time, though but one, is distinguished into past, present, future, and every thing hath a Time of it own; so is Truth variously distinguished, according to the subjects wherein it is; This is Anselmes, cited by Aquinas; I had rather say, Truth is as light: (Send forth thy Truth, and thy light, saith the Psalmist) which (though but one in all) yet there is one light of the Sun, another of the Moon, another of the Stars, another of this lower air: There is an essential, and causal Truth in the Divine understanding, which the schools call Primo-primam; This will not be sold, cannot be bought; God will not part with it, the world is not worth it; This Truth is as the Light in the body of the Sun. There is an intrinsical or formal truth in things truly existing; For, Being and True are convertible; and Saint Austen rightly defines, Verum est illud quod est; All this created Truth in things, is derived exemplarily, and causally, from that increated Truth of God; this the schools call Secundo-primam; and it is as the light of the Sunbeams, cast upon the Moon, and Stars. There is an extrinsecall, or secondary truth of propositions following upon, and conformable to the truth of the things expressed: thus, Verum is no other than Esse declaratinum, as Hilario; And this Truth, being the thing itself subiectively, in words expressively, in the mind of man terminatively, presupposeth a double conformity or adequation; Both of the understanding to the matter conceived; and of the words to the understanding; so as Truth is when we speak as we think, and think as it is; And this Truth is as the light diffused from those heavenly bodies, to the Region of this lower air; This is the Truth we are called to Buy: But this derivative and relative Truth, whether in the mind, or in the mouth, hath much multiplicity, according to the matter either conceived, or uttered; There is a Theological Truth, there is a natural, there is a moral, there is a civil; all these must be dear bought; but the best at the highest rate, which is Theologicall, or divine; whether in the principles, or necessary conclusions; The principles of divine Truth are Scriptura veritatis, Dan. 10. The Law of Truth, Mal. 2. The Word of Truth, 2 Cor. 6. The necessary conclusions are they, which upon irrefragable inferences are deduced from those holy grounds: Shortly then, every parcel of Divine Truth, whether laid down in Scripture, or drawn necessarily from Scripture, is this Mercimonium sacrum, which we are bidden to Buy; Buy the Truth. This is the commodity; The match is, Buy; that is, Beat the price, and pay it. Buy it; Of whom? For what? Of whom, but of the owner, of the Maker? The owner; It is Veritas Domini, God's Truth, Psal. 117. His style is the Lord God of Truth, Psal. 31. The Maker; The works of his hands are truth, and judgement, Psal. 111. And if any usurping spirit of error shall have made a free-bootie of Truth, and shall withhold it in unrighteousness, we must redeem it out of his hands with the highest ransom. What is the price? That is the main thing in buying; For, Buying is no other than pactio pretij: Elsewhere God proclaims; Ho, every one that thirsteth, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price, Esay 55. This is a Donation, in form of sale: But, here must be a price in the hand; God will give mercy, and not sell it; He will sell Truth, and not give it: For what will he sell it? First, for Labour; The Heathen Poet could say, his gods sold learning for sweat; The original word here used is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Compara; Get it any way, either labour, or precio; yea labour, ut precio. This great foreman of God's shop tells us we cannot have it under, Prou. 2.4. We must seek for her as silver, and search for her, as for hid Treasures; The vein of Truth lies low, it must be digged, and delved for to the very centre. If Truth could be bought with ease and pleasure, many a lazy Christian would bid fair for it, who now resolve rather upon want, than toil. The slothful worldling will rather take up a falsehood for Truth, than beat his brain to discern Truth from falsehood; an error of free-cost is better than an high-rated Verity; Labour for Truth is turned over for the task of Churchmen; no life savours to these phlegmatic Spirits, but that of the Lilies, Neque laborant, neque nent; They neither labour nor spin; This dull resolution is unworthy of a Christian, yea of a reasonable soul; and if we should take up no other for the body, we should be fed with hunger, and clothed with nakedness; the earth should be our featherbed, and the sky our Canopy; we should abound with want, live savagely, and die miserably. It was the just Canon of the Apostle, He that labours not, let him not eat; Certainly, he can never eat of the heavenly Manna of Truth, that will not step forth to gather it: Hear this ye delicate Courtiers, that would hear a Sermon if ye could rise out of your beds; that would lend. God an hour, if ye could spare it from your pleasures; the God of heaven scorns to have his precious Truth so basely undervalved; if ye bid God less than labour for Truth, I can give you no comfort, but that ye may go to hell with ease. The markets of Truth, as of all other commodities, : It is the rule of Casuists; justitia pretij non consistit in individuo; The justice of the Price doth not pitch ever upon a point; Sometimes the price of Truth hath risen, it would not be bought but for danger; sometimes, not under loss, not under disgrace, not under imprisonment, not under exile; sometimes yet dearer, not under pain; yea sometimes it hath not gone for less than blood. It did cost Elias danger, Michaiah disgrace, jeremy imprisonment, the Disciples loss, john and Athanasius exile, the holy Confessors pain, the holy Martyr's death; Even the highest of these is pretium legitimum, if God call for it, how ever nature may tax it as rigorous, yea such as the frank hearts of faithful Christians have bidden at the first word for Truth; What do ye weeping, and breaking my heart; For I am ready not to be bound only, but to die for the name of the Lord jesus, saith S. Paul, Act. 21. Skin for skin, yea all that a man hath will he give for his life, saith Satan; but skin, and life, and all, must a man give for Truth, and not think it an hard pennyworth; Neither count I my life dear unto me that I may finish my course with joy; saith the chosen vessel, to his Ephesians. Oh the heroical spirits of our blessed forefathers, that stuck not to give their dearest heartblood for but some corollaries of sacred Truth; whose burning zeal to Truth consumed them before those fires of Martyrdom, and sent up their pure and glorious souls, like Manoahs' Angel, to heaven, in the flame. Blessed be God; Blessed be his Anointed, under whose gracious Sceptre we have enjoyed days as much more happy than theirs, as their hearts were more fervent than ours: We may now buy Truth at a better hand; stake but our labour, we carry it with thanks; I fear there want not those that would be glad to mar the market; It can be only known to heaven what treacheries the malice of hell may be a brewing. Had but that Powder once taken, nothing had been abated of the highest price of our Predecessors; we had paid for every dram of Truth, as many ounces of blood, as ever it cost the frankest Martyr; should the Devil have been suffered to do his worst, we might not have grudged at this price of Truth, Non est delicata in Deum, & secura confessio; qui in me credit, debet suum sanguinem fundere, saith Jerome. Christian profession is no secure or delicate matter, he that believes must be no niggard of his blood. But why thus dear? Not without good reason: Monopolies use to enhance the price: Ye can buy Truth at no shop but one, In coelo praeparata est Veritas tua, Psal. 89.2. Thy truth is prepared in heaven. And it is a just Rule of Law, Quisque in rebus suis est moderator, & arbiter: Every man may rate his own: Neither is this only the sole commodity of God, but beside, dear to the owner. Dilexisti veritatem; Thou hast loved Truth, saith the Psalmist. And it is a true rule in the Cases of Commerce, Affectus astimari potest, Our love may be valued in the price. Yea, O God, thy love to Truth cannot be valued; It is thyself, thou that art Truth itself hast said so, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; We cannot therefore know how much thou lovest thy Truth, because as thyself is infinite, so is thy love to thyself: What should we hunt for comparisons? If all the earth were gold, what were it? when even very heaven itself is trash to thee in respect of Truth: No marvel if thou set it at an high rate; It is not more precious to thee, than beneficial to us. It frees us, john 8.32. It renews us, james 1.18. It confirms us, Prou. 12.19. It sanctifies us, john 17.17. It defends us, Psal. 91.4. Shortly, it doth all for us that God doth; for God works by his Almighty word, and his Word is Truth, john 17. Therefore buy the Truth. And if truth be thus precious, thus beneficial; how comes it to pass that it is neglected, contemned? Some pass by it, and do not so much as cheapen it; Others cheapen it, but bid nothing; Others bid something, but under foot; Others bid well, but stake it not; Others last stake down, but revoke it. The first that pass by and cheapen it not, are careless unbelievers; The next that cheapen it, and bid nothing, are formal Christians; The third that bid something but not enough, are worldly semi-Christians; The fourth that bid well and stake it not, are glorious hypocrites; The last that stake down and revoke it, are damnable Apostats. Take all these out of the society of men; and how many customers hath God that care to buy the Truth? If Truth were some rich chattel, it would be bought; If Truth were some goodly Lordship, or the reversion of some good Office, it would be bought; If Truth were some Benefice, or spiritual promotion, (Oh time!) it would be bought; Yea, how dear are we content to pay for our filthy lusts; we will needs purchase them (too oft) with shame, beggary, disease, damnation; only the saving Truth of God will not off hand. What is the reason of this? First of all; It is but bare, simple, plain, honest, homely Truth, without welt, without guard; It will abide none but native colours, it scorneth to woo favour with farthing, and licking, and counterfeisance; it hates either bought, or borrowed beauty; and therefore like some native face among the painted, looks course, and rusty. There are two shops that get away all the custom from Truth, The shop of Vanity, the shop of Error; The one sells knacks and gewgaws, the other false wares, and adulterate; both of their commodities are so gilded, and gaudy, and glittering, that all fools throng thither, and complain to want elbowroom, and strive who shall be first served; Whereas the secret work of artless, and unpolisht Truth can win no eye to view it, no tongue to ask so much, as, What will it cost me? Oh ye sons of men, how long will ye love vanity, and seek after lies? Secondly, though Truth in itself be always excellent, yet the issue of it is not seldom distasteful; Veritas odium: There is one Michaiah whom I hate: Am I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? And this is the cause that Friar Menot alleages, why Truth in his Time was so unwelcome to the court. But if truth be the mother of Hatred, she is the daughter of Time, and Truth hath learned this of Time, to devour her own brood; So that in Time, Truth shall consume hatred; and at the last, a galling Truth shall have more thanks, than a smoothing supparisitation. In the mean time, Veritas nihil erubescit praeterquam abscondi; Truth blusheth at nothing but secrecy, as Tertull. How ever then fond, or false hearts value the Truth, let us, that should be wise Christians, esteem it as the pearl hid in the field, which the man sold all that ever he had to purchase. Would it not set any heart on fire with an holy anger, to see wha the enemies of Truth bid, and give for falsehood, for faction? Their liberty, their country, the life of their Sovereign, the eternal state of their souls hath not seemed too dear to cast away upon an ill bargain of mis-religion; and shall not we bid so much as our zealous well-wishes, our effectual endeavours, our careful observances for the undoubted truth of our Maker and Redeemer? What shall I say to the miserable and stupid carelessness of these thriftless and godless times; wherein every thing is apprised, every thing is bought, save that which is most precious, most beneficial, Truth. Ye great ones are made for precedents to the inferior world; your example is able to bring either good or evil into fashion; For God's sake, for your soul's sake, what ever transactions ye make for the world, lay your plots for the blessed purchase of Truth; Oh let not your fickle honours, your unsatisfying pleasures, your worthless profits, yea your momentany lives seem dear to you in comparison of heavenly Truth. It is no shame in other parts for great Peers to be Merchants; Mercatores tui erant principes, saith the Angel concerning Babylon, Revel. 18. Thy Merchants were the Princes of the earth; And why should not ye great ones be the Merchants of Truth? Blessed be the God of Truth, ye are so. It is no proud word to say, that no Court under heaven hath so rich a stock of Truth, as this of Great Britain; yet let me tell you, the very Angels knew not so much, but they desired to know more, Ephes. 3.10. And if ye had already that vespertine knowledge of the Saints which ye shall once have in heaven, yet know that this Bargain stands not more in the judgement, than in the affections. What ever our speculations may be, if our hearts be not set upon Truth, we may be Brokers, we are not Merchants; Brokers for others, not Merchants for ourselves. As our Saviour then, when he bids us sell all, forsake all, holds it done, when in preparation of mind we are ready to abdicate all for his name, though we do it not, so doth God hold us to buy Truth, when we bestow our best thoughts, our dearest wel-wishes upon it, though we have it already. Oh stir up your languishing zeal, ye noble Courtiers, rouse up your drooping love to divine Truth; Give your hearts to it, ye cannot but give all for it; And if ye do not find the sweet gain of this Bargain, in this lower Region of error, and confusion, ye shall once find it in those eternal, and empireall habitations of Truth, where the God of Truth shall make up the Truth of his promises, with the everlasting truth of his glorious performances; where Mercy and Truth shall so meet, and embrace one another, that both of them shall embrace the faithful soul, for ever and ever. This for the Bargain of Truth; The forbidden sale followeth; sell it not. Commonly what we buy, we may sell. Alexander, not the Great, but the good, sold Mitres, Keys, Altars; the verse gives the reason; Emerat ille prius, He bought them. So Saint Austen of Simon Magus, Volebat emere spiritum Sanctum, quia vendere volebat spiritum Sanctum; He would buy the Holy Ghost, because he meant to sell it. Give me a man that buys a Seat of judicature; I dare not trust him for not selling of justice; he that sits in the chair of Simony, will not give Orders, will not stick to sell souls. Some things we may buy to sell, as joseph did the Egyptian corn; some things we must sell, if we buy, as an Israelites inheritance, Leu. 25. But here we are charged to buy what it is a sin to sell; Buy the Truth and sell it not; There is many a good thing ill sold; Esau sells his birthright for pottage, Hanun and Shechem sell their Country for love, Dalilah sells her lover for a bribe; The Patriarches sell their Brother for twenty siluerrings; Haman sells the jews for nought. The Gentiles sell the jewish girls for wine, joel 3.3. Israel sells the righteous for silver, and the poor for shoes, Amos 2.6. Their judges sell sins or innocence for rewards, Esa 5.23. Ahab sells himself to wickedness; judas sells his master; Demas sells the Truth; All these make an ill market; And in all it is a sure rule, the better the commodity is, the more pernicious is the sale. The indefiniteness of the charge implies a generality. Buy it at any price; At no price sell it. It is the favour of God, that it may be bought for any rate; It is the justice of God, that upon any rate it should not be sold: As buying and selling are opposites in relation; So that for which we must not sell Truth is opposite to that for which we may buy it. We must buy it with labour, therefore we may not sell it for ease; If need be we must buy it with loss, therefore we may not sell it for gain; we must buy it with disgrace, we may not sell it for honour; we must buy it with exile or imprisonment, we may not sell it for liberty; we must buy it with pain, we may not sell it for pleasure; We must buy it with death, we may not sell it for life; Not for any, not for all of these may we sell Truth; this were damnosa mercatio, as chrysostom: In every bargain and sale there must be a proportion; now ease, gain, honour, liberty, pleasure, life, yea worlds of all these are no way countervailable to Truth; For what shall it profit a man to win the whole world, and lose his own soul? And he cannot sell Truth, but his soul is lost: And if any thing in the world may seem a due price of Truth, it is Peace. Oh sweet and dear name of Peace, the good news of Angels, the joy of good men! who can but affect thee, who can but magnify thee? The God of heaven before whom I stand, from whom I speak, knows how oft, how deeply I have mourned for the divisions of his Church, how earnestly I have set my hand on work upon such poor thoughts of reunion, as my meanness could reach; but when all is done, I still found we may not offer to sell Truth for Peace. It is true that there be some Scholastical and immaterial Truths (the infinite subdivision whereof have rather troubled than informed Christendom) which for the purchase of peace might be kept in, and returned into such safe generalities as minds not unreasonable might rest in; but sold out they may not be; If some Truths may be contracted into a narrower room, none may be contracted for; Qui divinis innutriti sunt eloquijs, as that Father said; Those that are trained up in divine truths may not change a syllable for a world. Tene quod habes, Hold that thou hast, is a good rule in all things; which if in temporalities it were well observed, we should not have so many gallants squander away their inheritances to live Chameleonlike upon the air of favour; But how ever this be too well observed in these earthly things by frugal hands, which take as if they were quick, hold as if they were dead, yet in spiritual graces it can never be observed enough; we get Truth, we buy it as jacob did his birthright, to keep, to enjoy, not to sell again: If therefore the world, if Satan shall offer to grease us in the fist for truth, let us answer him as Simon Peter did Simon the Sorcerer, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought the Truth of God may be purchased with money. What shall we say then to those peddling petty-chapmen which we meet withal in every market, that will be bartering away the truth of God for trifles? Surely the form of our spiritual market is, contrary to the civil; In our civil markets there are more buyers than sellers; there would be but poor take, if many did not buy of one; but in the spiritual, there are more Sellers of Truth than Buyers. Many a one sells that he never had, that he should have had, the Truth of God; Here one chaps away the Truth for Fear or ambition; There another lets it go for the old shoes of a Gebeonitish pretence of Antiquity; Here one parts with it for a painted, gilded hobby-horse of an outwardly pompous magnificence of the Church; there another for the babbles of childish superstition; One for the fancies of hope, another for the breath of a colloguing Impostor; Amongst them all, Diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum, Psal. 12. Truth is failed from the children of men: Yea as Esay complained in his time, Corruit in platea veritas, Esa 59.14. Truth is fallen in the streets. What a shame it is to see, that in this clear and glorious Sunshine of the Gospel, under the pious government of the true Defender of the Faith; there should not want some souls that should truck for the truth of God, as if it were some Cheapside, or some Smithfield-Commoditie? Commutaverunt veritatem Dei; They have changed the Truth of God into a lie, Rom. 1.25. And all their care is, that they may be deceived good cheap. Whose heart cannot bleed to see so many well-rigged and hopeful Barks of our young Gentry, laden with the most precious merchandises of Nature and Grace, hall'd in every day to these deceitful Ports of Error, the owners partly cheated, partly rob of Truth, despoiled of their rich freight, and at last turned overboard into a sea of Desperation? Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey, that ye should not hold fast the Truth; Where shall I lay the fault of this miscarriage? Me thinks I could ask the Disciples question, Nunquid ego Domine, Is it we Lord? Are there of us that preach ourselves and not Christ? Are there that preach Christ, and live him not? Woe to the world because of offences. It must needs be that offences should come, but woe to the man by whom the offence cometh: God forbidden that we should be so bad that the seven hills should not justify us; But what ever we be, the Truth is still, & ever itself, neither the better for our innocence, nor worse for our guilt. If men be faulty, what hath Truth offended? Except the sacred word of the Euer-living God can misguide you, we have set you right. We are but Dust and Ashes, yet, O God, give us thine humble vassals leave in an awful confidence so far to contest with thee, the Lord of heaven and earth, as to say, If we be deceived, thou hast deceived us. It is thou that hast spoken by us to thy people; Let God be True, and every man a Liar; Whither should we go from thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Dear Christians, our forefathers transmitted to us the entire inheritance of the glorious Gospel of jesus Christ, repurchased by the blood of their martyrdom; Oh let not our ill husbandry impair it; Let not posterity once say, they might have been happy, but for the unthriftiness of us their progenitors; Let it not be said, that the coldness of us the Teachers, and professors of Truth, hath dealt with Religion as Rehoboham did with his shields, which he found of Gold, but lest of Brass. If Truth had no friends, we should plead for it; but now that we have before our eyes so powerful an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christian faith, that with his very pen hath so laid error upon the back, that all the world cannot raise it; what a shame were it to be wanting to him, to Truth, to ourselves? But perhaps now, I know some of your thoughts; you would buy Truth (ye think) you would hold it, if ye could be sure to know it; There are many slips amongst the true coin; Either of the mothers pleaded the living child to be hers, with equal protestations, oaths, tears. True, yet a Salomons sword can divide Truth from falsehood; and there is a test, and fire that can discern true metals from adulterate; In spite of all counterfeiting there are certain infallible marks, to know Truth from Error; Take but a few of many; whether in the originals, in the natures, in the ends of both. In the first, Truth is divine, Error is humane; what is grounded upon the divine word must needs be irrefragably true; that which upon humane Traditions, either must, or may be erroneous. In the second, Truth is one conform ever to itself, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one said; Omne verum omni vero consonat, All Truth accords with every Truth, as Gerson; and as it is pure, so peaceable; Error is full of dissonance, of cruelty: No particulars of ours descent from the written verity of God; We teach no man to equivocate; Our practice is not bloody with treasons, and massacres. In the third, Truth, as it came from God, so is referred to him; neither hath any other end than the glory of the God of Truth; Error hath ever some self-respects; either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, filthy lucre, or vainglory; profit, or pride; We do not prank up nature; we aim not, either to fill the coffers, or feed the ambition of men; Let your Wisdoms apply and infer, and now (if ye can) shut your eyes, that you should not see the Truth; and, if ye care not for your souls, when ye see it, sell it: Let no false tongue persuade you there is no danger in this sale: How charitably so ever we think of poor blinded souls, that live in the forced, and invincible darkness of error, certainly Apostasy is deadly; How ever those speed that are rob of Truth, you cannot sell Truth, and be saved. Have mercy therefore on your own souls, for their sakes, for the sake of him that bought them, with the dear ransom of his precious blood; And as God hath blessed you with the invaluable treasure of Truth, so hoard it up in your hearts, and menage it in your lives; Oh let us be Gens iusta custodiens veritatem, Esa. 26. A just nation keeping fast the Truth; So whiles ye keep the Truth, the Truth shall keep you, both in Life, in Death, in judgement; In life unto death, in death and judgement unto the consummation of that endless and incomprehensible glory which the God of Truth hath prepared for them that overcome. To the happy possession whereof he that hath ordained, in his good time as mercifully bring us; and that for the sake of the Son of his Love, jesus Christ the Righteous; To whom with thee, O Father, and thy blessed Spirit, one infinite God, be given all praise, honour, and glory, now and for ever. Amen. A SERMON PREACHED AT THE RECONCILEMENT OF THE HAPPILY-RESTORED, and re-edified Chapel of the Right Honourable, the Earl of EXETER, in his House of S. JOHN'S. ON SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY. 1623. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for GEORGE WINDER, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint DUNSTON'S Churchyard. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD Lady, the Lady ELIzABETH Countess of Exeter. RIght Honourable: this poor Sermon both preached and penned at your motion (that is to me your command) now presents itself to your hand, and craveth a place (though unworthy) in your Cabinet, yea, in your heart. That holy zeal which desired it, will also improve it. The God, whom your Ladyship hath thus honoured in the care and cost of his House, will not fail to honour you in yours. For me, your Honour may justly challenge me on both sides; both by the Druryes, in the right of the first Patronage; and by the Cecils, in the right of my succeeding devotions. In either, and both, that little I have, or am, is sincerely at your Ladyship's service, as whom you have merited to be Your Honours in all true observance and duty, IOS. HALL.. A SERMON PREACHED AT THE RE-EDIFIED CHAPEL OF THE RIGHT Honourable Earl of Exeter, in his House of Saint john's. HAGGAI 2.9. The glory of the latter house, shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts. AS we have houses of our own, so God hath his; yea, as great men have more houses than one, so hath the great God of Heaven much more; more, both in succession (as here, the latter house, and the first) and in variety: He hath an house of flesh (Ye are the Temples of the living God;) An house of stone; (Solomon shall build me an house;) An house immaterial in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5.1. Wherefore then hath God an house? Wherefore have we ours; but to dwell in? But doth not he himself tell David, and so doth Stephen the Protomartyr (upon whose day we are fall'n) tell the jews, that He dwells not in Temples made with hands? True; He dwells not in his House, as we in ours, by way of comprehension; he dwells in it by testification of presence. So do we dwell in our houses, that our houses contain us, that we are only within them, and they without us. So doth he dwell in his, that yet he is elsewhere, yea every where, that his house is within him. Shortly, God dwells where he witnesss his gracious presence, that, because he doth both in the Empyreal heaven, amongst his Angels and Saints, and in his Church upon earth; therefore his dwelling is both in the highest Heaven in perfect glory; and on Earth, in the hearts and assembly of his children. As of the former, our Saviour saith; In domo Patris mei, In my Father's house are many Mansions. So also may we say of the latter, There is much variety and choice in it; There was the Church of the jews, the Church of the Gentiles; There is a material, and a spiritual house. In the one, Salomons, Zorobabels, such piles as this: In the other; so much multiplicity, as there are Nations, yea, Congregations that profess the Name of Christ. One of these was a figure of the other, the Material, under the Law, of the Spiritual, under the Gospel. Ye see now the first house, and the latter, the subject of our Text and discourse. The latter, commended to us comparatively, positively. Comparatively with the former, Maior gloria. Positively, in itself, In this place will I give peace. Both, set out by the style of the promiser, and a vower; saith the Lord of Hosts. All which challenge your Christian attention. As the first house (which was material) was a figure of the second, which is spiritual: so the glory of that material, was a figure of the glory of this spiritual. Now because all the life and glory of the spiritual, stands in Christ the Messiah, the Prophet looks through the type of the material, at him which shall beautify, yea, glorify the spiritual, of whose exhibition the Prophet speaks, Adhuc modicum, yet a little while, and I will shake the Heavens. This Modicum was but some 500 and odd years; much to men, but a modicum to the Ancient of days, with whom 1000 years are but one day. It is in and by him, that this latter house under the Gospel, shall in glory surpass that first under the Law. The Prophets had spoken gloriously of the Temple that should be; and now, lest when the people should see the homely and cottage-like reedification of Zerubbabel, they should be disheartened and offended, the Prophet desires to draw their eyes from the stone and timber, to the spiritual inside of the Evangelicall Church, showing the glory of this latter House, to exceed the former. Some gross Interpreters have looked with jewish eyes upon the outward fabric, which was threefold: salomon's, Zorobabels, Herod's. Salomons, sumptuous and magnificent: Zorobabels, mean and homely; Herod's, rich and majestical, immodico sumptu, incredibili splendore, as one says. Salomons was before defaced. Now because Zorobabels was so fare from making his Word good, that the people wept, when they saw the difference (which Caluin well observes, was not without a special providence of the alwise God; else the jews would so have fixed their eyes upon the outward splendour, that they would never have looked for the spiritual and inward Grace of the House of God:) therefore they have taken it of Herod's temple; the walls and lining whereof were indeed answerable to this Prophecy, more glorious. But this conceit, as it is too carnal, so is quite dissonant from the context, both in regard of the precedents, and subsequents. Of the precedents: For, how did the desire of all nations come to that Pile of Herod's? Of the subsequents: For, what peace was under the Herodian Temple? First, the builder of it, was the chief oppressor of the jewish liberty: and then, secondly, it gave occasion to the perpetual misery of that people. Pilate would expilate the Treasures of it for aquae ductae, which denied, cost the jews much blood. Under Claudius, twenty thousand slain in a Feast of unleavened bread. jonathas the Priest slain by thiefs suborned by Foelix, in the very Temple; and ever after, it was the harbour and spoil of Villains. What hills of Carcases? What streams of blood was in't at the last vastation? Enough to amaze any Reader: so as in that 79. years wherein it stood (longer it did not,) it was no better than a stage of Tragedies, a shambles of cruelty. Of that therefore God could not say, Dabo pacem; it was Templum adulterinum, as one calls it justly, and had neither command nor promise: It was the Spiritual Temple, the Evangelicall Church, whose glory shall be greater than the jewish, which shall be blessed with the desire of the Nations, with the assurance of Peace. But why then doth the holy Ghost speak of Gold and Silver, the costly materials of an outward structure? Even these very metals are figurative: not that God cares so much for them, but because we do; because our eyes use to be dazzled with this best parcel of Earth; therefore when he would describe a glorious Church, he borrows the resemblance of Gold, Silver, precious Stones, Esay 60. and even by these doth he set forth his new and Heavenly jerusalem, Revelat. 21. Wherein then is the glory of God's Evangelicall House greater, than of the Legal? Yea, wherein is it not greater? Whether ye look to the efficient, the matter, the duration, the extent, the service. The efficient, that was built by man, though directed by God: In this, God himself is the Architect, not only giving the model, but the frame. The matter, whether of structure, or ornament. The structure of the one was of stone and wood: of the other, is of living stones. The ornament of the one was Gold and Silver: of the other, divine Graces of Faith, Charity, Hope, Sanctity, Truth, Piety, and all other virtues, to which, Gold itself were but trash. The duration of the one (even that longst-lived Temple of Solomon, though called (Beth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) domus seculi) was but 430. years. Of the other, beyond time to eternity. The extent of the one to be measured by a few poles, yea, (though ye take in the Courts, and all) by a few Acres: Of the other, universal, so far as the King of Heaven hath any Land. The service in the one performed by a few men, mortal, sinful, the blood of beasts shed upon the Altar: In the other, performed by our eternal Highpriest, after that higher order of Melchisedech; offering up his own most precious blood for our redemption. In that, Christ jesus was obscurely figured: In this, really exhibited, borne, living, dying, rising, ascending, preached, believed, lived; Every way therefore both in efficient, matter, duration, extent, service, Maior gloria. Let no man tell me now of that just wonder of the world, the jewish Temple; white Marble without, lined with Gold within, Brazen pillars, Golden vessels, costly veils, an High-Priesthood set forth with precious Stones, rich Robes, exquisite Perfumes, curious Music, and whatever that ancient goodly institution had rare and admirable; I say, the clay of the Gospel, is more worth than the Marble of the Law; Evangelicall Brass, more worth than legal Gold; the rags of the Evangelicall Priesthood, more excellent than the robes of the Leviticall. In short; the best of the Law is not comparable to the basest of the Gospel. john Baptist was the janus of both Testaments; he was to the Churches, as Noah was to the Worlds; he saw both the first, and the latter. It is a great word that our Saviour saith of him, that amongst those which were borne, or rather (as ours read it better) begotten of women, there did not a greater than he arise: but it is a greater word that he speaks of the Children of the new Testament, that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. I stand not upon examining the comparison, whether it be ratione sanctitatis, or officij; it makes either way for my purpose, therefore was john so great, because he was the last of the law, and the first of the Gospel: and the old rule is minimum maximi maius est maximo minimi; The least of the greatest is more, than the greatest of the least. Gospel of the Kingdom. therefore is the least in this Kingdom of Grace greater than he, because he is all, what john was half; wholly under that Euangelium Regni, which is able to advance him to a greater perfection, than that Harbinger of Christ. What a favour than is it (Right Honourable and beloved) that God hath reserved us to these better days of his Gospel, wherein the helps of salvation are more clear, obvious, effectual; wherein, as the glory of the latter House exceeded the former; so the means of that incomprehensible glory of the house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens, lie more open unto us? What should we do, but both uti, and frui, gladly use, and sweetly enjoy this unspeakable blessing, which God hath kept in store for us, and walk worthy of so incomparable a mercy. The old jews lived in the dawning of the day, wherein they had but a glimmering of that Sun, which would rise. We live after the high noon of that happy day. If we walk not answerable to so great a light, what can we look for, but utter darkness? Ye shall now give me leave (Right Honourable) to carry these words in a meet analogy to the present occasion. The Temples under the Law, were both a figure, and a pattern of the Churches under the Gospel. Within this roof, under which we now stand here, was both the former, and the latter house; and even in these walls doth God make his Word good, That the glory of this latter House shall be greater, than of the former. The first foundation of it was, no doubt, both pious and rich. I shall not need to fetch the Pedigrees of it from Saint john Baptist in jerusalem, Consecrated by Heraclius, Patriarch of jerusalem. nor to discourse of either the devotion, or wealth of that religiously-military Order, for whom these stones were first laid. Imagine the Altar never so gay, the Imagery never so curious, the Vestments never so rich, the Pillars, Walls, Windows, Pavement, never so exquisite; yet I dare boldly say, this present glory of this House in this comely whiteness, and well-contrived coarctation, is greater than the former. What care I? Nay, What doth God care for the work of a Lapidary, or Painter, or Mason? One zealous Prayer, one Orthodox Sermon is a more glorious furniture, than all the precious rarities of Mechanic excellencies. I do most willingly (as what good heart doth not?) honour the virtuous actions, and godly intentions of our worthy forefathers, which (no doubt) it hath pleased God in mercy to accept and crown, but withal it must be yielded, that they lived under the tyrannous injury and usurpation of those Pharises, who kept the keys of knowledge at their own girdles, and would neither draw for them, nor suffer them to draw for themselves. Blessed be God for better conditions; the Well of life lies open to us, neither are we only allowed, but invited to those heavenly liquors, Inebriamini O Charissimi, Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved, Cant. 5.1. This happy liberty of the saving Gospel of jesus Christ, daily and sincerely preached to us (Noble and beloved Christians) is worthy to be more worth unto us, than all the treasures, ornaments; privileges, of this transitory World; and this, since through the inestimable goodness of God, ye do, and may find in this latter House. Well hath God verified this word in your eyes and ears; The glory of the latter House shall be greater, than of the former. Hitherto the comparative praise of the latter House; the positive follows in the promise of a gracious effect; In this place will I give peace: wherein I know not whether the blessing doth more grace the place, or the place the blessing; both grace each other, and both bless God's people; In this place will I give peace. If ye look at the blessing itself, it is incomparable, Peace; that whereby the Hebrews had wont to express all welfare in their salutations, and wel-wishes; the Apostolical benediction dichotomizes all good things into Grace and Peace; wherein, at the narrowest, by Grace, all spiritual favours were signified; temporal by Peace. The sweet Singer of Israel could not wish better to God's Church, than Peace be within her walls: and behold, this is it which God will give, I will give peace. Dabo pacem: yea, our eyes should stoop too low, if they should fix here. The sweet Choristers of Heaven, when they sung that divine Caroll, to the honour of the first Christmas, Glory to God in the highest heavens; in earth, peace, etc. next to Gloria in excelsis Deo, said, In terris pax: Yet higher; the great Saviour of the World, when he would leave the most precious Legacy to his dear ones on earth, that they were capable of, he says, My peace I give you. And what he there gives, he here promises, Dabo pacem, I will give it. But where? Whence? In this place. Not any where; not every where; but in his own house, in his latter house, his Evangelicall House; as if this blessing were confined to his holy walls, he saith, In this place will I give peace. This flower is not for every soil; it grows not wild, but is only to be found in the Garden of Zion. It is very pregnant which the Psalmist hath, Psal. 128.5. and 134.3. The Lord that made Heaven and Earth, bless thee out of Zion. He doth not say, The Lord that made the Earth, bless thee out of Heaven; nor, The Lord that made Heaven, bless thee out of heaven; but, bless thee out of Zion. As if he would teach us, that all blessings come, as immediately and primarily from heaven, so mediately & secondarily from Zion, where this Temple stood. Some Philosophers have held the Moon to be the receptacle of all the influences of the heavenly bodies, and the conveyances of them to this inferior World, so as all the virtue of the upper Orbs and Stars are derived by her, to this elementary Sphere. Such doth both David and Haggai repute the house of God; whither, as to josephs' Storehouse, doth God convey the blessings of peace, that they may be thence transmitted to the sons of men. How, and why then doth God give peace in this his House? Because here (as Bernard well) Deus & audit, & auditur, God hears, and is heard here: audit orantes, erudit audientes; he hears his suppliants, and teacheth his hearers. As this place hath two uses, it is both Oratorium, and Auditorium: so in respect of both, doth it bless us with peace: our mouth procures it in the one, our ear in the other; God works in our hearts by both. In the first, God says, as our Saviour cities it, Domus mea domus orationis; My House shall be called the House of prayer. And what blessing is it, even the best of Peace, that our prayers cannot infeoff us in? Solomon when he would consecrate the Church he had built, solemnly sues to God, that he would invest it with this privilege of an universally gracious audience; and numbering the occasions of distressed Suppliants, makes it ever the foot of his request; (Then harken to the prayer that thy servant shall make towards this place; Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, have mercy.) If ever therefore we would have peace outward, inward, private, public, secular, spiritual: If we would have peace in our estate, peace in our Land, peace in our Church, peace in our souls, pray for it. And if ever we will pray for it, pray here, in God's house, for in this place will I give peace. In vain shall we look for it elsewhere, if we ask it not here. It is true, we are bidden every where to lift up pure hands to God: but they cannot be pure, that are profane; and they cannot be but profane, that contemn the holy ordinances of God. He said well, In templo vis orare, in te ora; for (Know you not, that your bodies are the Temples of the living God?) but let me as truly return it; In te vis orare, in templo ora? Wouldst thou pray with effect at home? Pray at Church; else thy devotion is but the sacrifice of fools; for he hath said it, who hath good reason to appoint the circumstances of his own beneficence, In this place will I give peace. Will ye then see the reason why there is so much empty Cask in the Cellar of God? Therefore are men void of grace, because they are void of devotion. They seek not God where he may be found; and therefore it is just with God not to be found of them, where they pretend to seek him: for, In hoc loco; In this place will I give peace. Gerson distinguishes well in his Sermon de Angelis, that there is Duplex Coelum, A double Heaven; Gloriae, & Ecclesiae; of Glory above, of the Church below; the Church is the Heaven on earth; where God is seen, heard, spoken unto: where are his Saints (whose Assemblies are here;) where are his Angels: (Let the woman have power on her head, because of the Angels, 1 Cor. 11.) As the jews then, whilst the Church of God was Nationall, were wont (according to command) to look towards the Temple, if they could not come to it, in their devotions: So now that the Church is Catholic, or universal, and every of our Churches is equally God's house, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;) we shall gladly with Peter and john, go up to this Temple to pray; How can we look for a better encouragement, than God gives us here, In this place will I give peace? In the latter, as it is Auditorium, so I create the fruit of the lips to be peace (saith God.) Naturally we are all (even those that applaud themselves in the best opinion of their harmless, and fair disposition) enemies to God: Enemies both actively and passively. Actively, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God-haters, Rom. 1. Passively, Filij irae, The sons of displeasure. We fell out in Adam, through our own wilful apostasy and disobedience; and we still stand out in the maintenance of our inward corruption. There is no way to peace, but by reconciliation; there is no way to reconciliation, but by the Gospel of jesus Christ, which is Euangelium pacis; there is no proper element for the Gospel of God, The Gospel of peace. but the House of God; Locus iste, In this place will I give peace. It is not (I know) for every heart to apprehend, either the want of this peace; or the misery of this want. This is one of those happinesses which is most bragged of, where it is least had. The sensual Securitan pleases himself in the conceit of his own peace. All is well at home; he quarrels not with himself, for he denies himself nothing: God quarrels not with him; here are no checks of a chiding conscience; no frowns of an angry judge; nothing but Pulchritudo pacis (as the Prophet speaks.) Alas, my beloved, call not this peace, The beauty of peace. I will give true peace. call it stupidity; even Hell itself is not a Kingdom divided in itself. There is no blessing, which is not also counterfeited, Pacem veram dabo, is the style of the Prophets, jer. 14.13. This were a needless Epithet, if there were not a false peace; such is this of carnal hearts. That Word of eternal Truth must stand: There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Have you seen a sore suddenly filled up with unsound flesh, and fairly skinned over, without all offence to the eye, which ere long will break out again, and bewray a secret, and so much-more-hardly-cured corruption? Such is a wicked man's peace. Have you seen a slave sit quietly in the Galley, not struggling with his chain, not repining at his Oar (necessitas fortiter, consuetudo facile?) Necessity hath taught him to bear it strongly, custom easily. Have you heard a dying man profess, that he felt no pain? Such is a wicked man's peace, of which he shall once say, though now all seem smooth, and plausible; In pace amaritudo mea amarissima; In peace I had great bitterness, Esay 38.17. Nether is the want of this peace less perceived, than the misery of this want. Men see no difference in the face of Heaven, whatsoever they do; their blasphemies and prayers find the same entertainment: therefore the careless man resolves, I shall have peace, though I follow the ways of mine own heart. Oh the miserable sottishness of wilful sinners! Sin lies (like a sleeping Bandog) at the door of their heart; they look upon him, as if he would never wake; or, as if though he should, yet he were so clogged, and chained, and muzzled, that there can be no danger of his hurt. Let God but rouse him up a little, he shall bay them to despair; he shall fly upon them, and pull out their throats: Then shall their troubled heart project terrible things, and they shall feel what it is to live in the anger of a God. They shall see the Almighty putting himself into the fearful forms of vengeance; Who can stand before his indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down before him, Nahum, 1.6. And if his very love have drawn blood of his dear ones: (Terrores Domini militant contra me, saith holy job: The terrors of the Lord are set in array against me, job 6.4:) and he that bore the chastisements of our peace, the Son of his love, could say (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?) Oh, what shall be the judgements of his wrath? If this be the rod of children, Oh, what shall be the Scorpions for his enemies? They shall see that gulf of fire ready to receive them into everlasting burnings. They shall see the Devils their incessant tormentors, ready to seize upon their guilty souls. Then, O then, shall they know, too late, what an happiness it is, that God here promises, Dabo pacem. Would we then avoid the unspeakable horror of this woeful condition? Would we find the bed of our sickness and death, comforted with the sweet testimony of an heavenly peace betwixt God and our souls? See whence we must fetch it; In this place will I give peace. If ever we have it, we must have it from the blessed ordinances of God, his Word and Sacraments, which this place can afford us. In vain shall ye seek for this (dear Christians) in a licentious Tavern, in a rich Countinghouse, in Chambers of dalliance, in full Tables, in Pompous Courts; no, not in thrones of earthly Majesty. Alas, many of these are the make-bates betwixt Heaven and us, most of them can mar, none of them can make our peace. It is only the despised Ministry of the Gospel; the Word of reconciliation, (as it is called, 2 Cor. 5.19.) which sounds in God's House, that can do it. As ye love your souls therefore, as you would find peace at the last, and would look with a comfortable assurance in the face of death and judgement; as ye would see a gracious Mercy-seat in the dreadful Tribunal of God, at the day of our last appearance, frequent the House of God; attend reverently and conscionably upon the sacred Institutions of God, yield yourselves over to be wrought upon by the powerful Gospel of jesus Christ. Oh, be not you wanting unto God, he will not be wanting unto you, but will make good this promise of his unfaileable grace, In this place will I give peace. It is a great word that is here spoken, Dabo pacem; and therefore it is undertaken by an omnipotent Agent, I will give peace. If all the Angels of Heaven should have said so, we should soon have replied, as Korah and his company did to Moses and Aaron; Ye took too much upon you, Numbers 16.3. This work is not for any finite power; the style of peace, is the peace of God; the style of God, the Mediator betwixt God and man, is, The Prince of Peace. He is the true Solomon, the other was but typical. It is he only, that when the Disciples were tossed with contrary winds and threatening billows, could command the winds and waves to a calm. It is he only, that when his Church is tossed with the winds and waves of raging and impetuous enmity, can give outward peace. It is he only, that when the distressed soul is tossed with the winds and waves of strong temptation, of weak diffidence, can give inward peace. justly therefore doth he challenge this act as his own, I will give peace. We use to say, It is best treating of peace with a Sword in our hand. Those who have the advantage of the war, may command peace: underlings must stoop to such conditions, as the victor will yield. To show us therefore how easily he can give peace, God styles himself the God of Hosts; a title wherein he takes no small delight, referring not to the being of the creature, but to their marshaling; not to their natural estate, but their military; neither would God be looked at in it, as a Creator, but as a General. In but two of the Prophets, Esay and jeremy, no less than an hundred and thirty times hath he this style given him. Every thing, as it hath an existence from the Maker, so an order from the Governor; and that order is no other than warlike, wherein it doth (militare Deo) serve under the colours of the Almighty. All creatures are both mustered and trained, and placed in Garrison, and brought forth into the field, in the service of their Creator; they are all exercitus pugnatorum. If ye look into Heaven, there is a company of heavenly Soldiers, Luke 2. Neither was there only the construction of Idolaters, universa militia coeli, to which they burned incense; but of Moses himself; Thus the Heaven and the Earth were finished, and all the Host of them, Gen. 2.1. If ye look to the Earth, not men only, whom reason hath fitted for such designs, but even the brute, yea, the basest and indociblest of the brute creatures are ranged into arrays: even the very Locusts, though they have no leader, yet Egrediuntur per turmas, They go forth by bands, Prou. 30.27. And if ye look into Egypt (where for the time was Sedes belli,) you shall find a band of Frogs, that were appointed to march into the very bedchamber, the bed, the ovens, the dishes of Pharaoh; you shall find an host of Lice, of Flies, of Caterpillars, sent against those Egyptian Tyrants. Elsewhere, ye shall find troops of Palmerwormes, of Locusts, of Cankerwormes, of Caterpillars to set upon Israel, joel 1.4. Shortly, where he means to preserve, the fiery Charets and Horsemen of Heaven shall compass Dothan. Where he means to destroy, the most despicable of his creatures shall be armed, to the ruin of the proudest. Doth Goliath stalk forth to the defiance of the God of Israel? A Pibble out of the brook shall strew him on the ground. Doth an Herod hear his flatterers gladly say, Nec vox hominem sonat? Stay but a while, God sets his vermin upon him; all the King's guard cannot master those Lice. He hath Hornets for the Hivites and Canaanites. Exod 23. Mice for the Philistims, 1. Sam. 6. Rats for the covetous Prelate: A Fly for Pope Adrian: A world of creatures for either defensive or offensive services. Quare fremuerunt gentes? Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The Kings of the Earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed. Presumptuous dust and ashes, that dare rise up against the God of hosts! If a silly Ant out of a Molehill should march forth, and proffer to wrestle a fall with a Giant, there were some proportion in this challenge; there is none of a finite power to an infinite. Should all the powers of Hell band themselves with those on earth, Quis restitit? What power have they of being, Who hath resisted his will? of motion, but from him whom they oppose? How easily can he blow upon their enterprises? How easily can he command these to the dust, those to their Chains? Be confounded therefore, O vain men, whose breath is in your nostrils (and that not your own neither) when ye think of the power and Majesty of the God of Hosts. And why are we dismayed with the rumours, or fears of the strongest oppositions? Gebal and Ammon, and Amelec, the Philistims, with them that dwell at Tyre? Ashur also is joined to the incestuous children of Lot: (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) O thou of little faith, why fearest thou? The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of jacob is our refuge, Psa. 46. Come, all ye Bands of wickedness, and conspire against the Sceptre of the Kingdom (that is, the Gospel) of jesus Christ. He hath his Armageddon, He hath a feast for the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field, whom he hath invited to the flesh of Captains, and the flesh of Kings, Reuel. 19.8. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about; Dominus suscepit; The Lord hath sustained me, and he is the Lord of Hosts. Yea, why are we apalled, when we see the measures of the sons of Anak; the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places? If we look at their number, they are Legions. If to their strength, they are Principalities and Powers. If to their nature, they are spirits that rule in the air. We are men, flesh and blood, single, weak, sinful. What ever we are, our God is in heaven, and doth whatsoever he will; he is the Lord of Hosts; though Cowards in ourselves, yet in him we are more than Conquerors; he who is more than all power, than All truth, hath said it; The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church. Thanks be to God, which giveth us victory, through our Lord jesus Christ. Lastly, he is the Lord of hosts; his undertake are infallible: Hath he said, that the glory of the Evangelicall Church shall exceed the Legal? Hath he said, that, In this place he will give peace? How can the Church fail of glory, or the soul of peace? His word can be no more defective, than himself impotent. Trust God with his own causes; trust him with thyself; do that he bids; expect what he promises; haunt this House of his, wait on his ordinances. The Lord of Hosts shall give thee that peace, which passeth all understanding; and with peace, glory, in that upper House of his not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. To the possession whereof, that God, who hath ordained us, in his good time mercifully bring us. And now, O Lord God of Hosts, make good thy promises to this House of thine. Whensoever any Suppliant shall in this place offer up his prayers unto thee, hear thou in Heaven, thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, have mercy. What Word soever of thine shall sound out of this place, let it be the favour of life unto life to every hearer. What Sacrament soever of thine in this place shall be administered, let it be effectual to the salvation of every receiver. Thou that art the God of glory, and peace, give peace and glory to thy Servants, for thy mercy's sake, for thy Son's sake, even the Son of thy love, jesus Christ the just. To whom with thee, and the holy Ghost, one infinite God, be given all praise, honour, and thanksgiving now and for ever. TO THE WORSHIPFUL AND REVEREND, Mr. Dr. HALL., DEANE OF WORCESTER, my worthy and much respected Friend, all happiness, with my love in CHRIST JESUS. Reverend Sir; this Sermon, I know, is at the Press before you expected: But I thought (as this glorious Chapel occasioned it, so) it might minister occasion of perpetual remembrance of the Chapel, by remaining its first Monument. And although both these were confined to the private; the Chapel for the Family of my Right Honourable Lord the Earl of Exeter, who hath given the material thereof sufficient lustre: and the Copy of the Sermon to the Cabinet of my truly Noble, and virtuous Lady, his Countess; yet both these are much and oft required to the public; the Sermon to be an instruction, and so it is; the Chapel, to be an example, and so it may be. The Sermon to teach all, to be all glorious in their souls. The Chapel to teach some, who build houses for their own habitation, to set up another for God's Religion. The Sermon was craved at the hands of my Honourable Lady, that it might come to the Press; who, of her own pious disposition, gave forth the Copy, and for her Noble esteem of yourself, and of the worth of your sermon, was willing and desirous to give it way to the Printer. And this I thought good to impart unto you, and to the courteous Reader, that you may be satisfied of the means how, and the cause why it comes in public. And so praying for you, and desiring your prayers for me, I remain Your truly loving Friend, H. BAGULEY. THE TRUE Peacemaker: LAID FORTH IN A SERMON BEFORE HIS MAJESTY AT THEOBALD'S September 19 1624. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed by JOHN HAVILAND for NATHANIEL BUTTER, 1624. THE TRUE Peacemaker. ESAY 32.17. Opus justitiae pax. The work of justice (or righteousness) shall be peace. MY Text (you hear) is of justice and peace, two royal graces; and such as flow from sovereign Majesty: There is a double justice, Divine and humane; there is a double peace, outward in the state, inward in the soul: Accordingly, there is a double sense of my Text; a spiritual, a civil sense: The spiritual concerning Theological justice, and inward peace; The civil concerning humane justice and outward peace. The spiritual thus; The Messiah shall cause the fruit of his perfect justice to be our inward peace with God, and ourselves. The civil thus; The Magistrate shall cause the work of civil justice in his administration, to be our outward peace with one another: In both, or either (as Musculus well) there is an allusion in the Hebrew word to a field; the soil is the heart or the State, the seed is justice, the fruit peace: That which was waste ground is now a Carmell, a fruitful field; and the fruit of this field of justice is peace. As there is good reason, we will begin with the spiritual justice and Peace. The great King of Heaven will disforest that piece of the world, which he calls his Church, and put it to tillage; it shall be sown with righteousness, and shall yield a sweet crop of peace: in this only, not in the barren heaths of the profane world, shall true peace grow. At first, God and man were good friends: How should there be other than good terms betwixt Heaven and Paradise? God made man just; and just man (whiles he was so) could not choose but love the just God that made him; sin set them at odds; in one act and instant did man lose both his justice and peace; now the world is changed; now the style of God is Fortis ultor, God the avenger, jer. 51.56. and the style of men, God the avenger. The sons of wrath. Filij irae, sons of wrath, Ephes. 2.3. There is no possible peace to be made betwixt God & man, but by the perfect justice of him that was both God & man: I would there were a peace in the Church about this justice; It is pity & shame there is not; but there must be heresies: As there are two parts of Divinity, the Law and the Gospel; so each of these have their justice; there is a justice of the Law, and an Evangelicall justice. The justice of the Law when a mere moral man is justified (out of his own powers) by the works of the Law; very Papists will give so much way to S. Paul, so much affront to Pelagius, as to renounce this; freely anathematising that man who by the strength of humane nature, or the doctrine of the Law, shall challenge justification; Unless perhaps some Andradius have privilege to teach, Moral righteousness. that this Ethica justitia, was enough to justify and save the old Philosophers. The Evangelicall justice is not without the intervention of a Saviour; To which claim is laid in two kinds, either as imputative, or as inherent; The inherent wrought in us: the imputed wrought for us. How easy were it to lead you through a thicket of distinctions into a large field of controversy, concerning the nature, means, manner of our justification? No head in all Divinity yields either more, or more important Problems; In so much as Cardinal De Monte, Vicepresident for the time of the Council of Trent, in an Oration made by him in the eleventh session, professes, that when they meant to dispatch their Decree concerning justification in fifteen days, it cost them seven months to finish, without one day's intermission; and when all is done, they have left the world, which was before (as Pighius ingenuously) intricated by the thorny questions of Schoolmen, rather more unsatisfied and perplexed than they found it. It is the main care of our lives, and deaths, what shall give us peace and acceptation before the dreadful Tribunal of God: What, but righteousness? What righteousness, or whose? Ours, or Christ's? Ours, in the inherent graces wrought in us, in the holy works wrought by us; or Christ's, in his most perfect obedience, and meritorious satisfaction wrought for us, applied to us? The Tridentine faction is for the former; we are for the latter; God is as direct on our side as his Word can make him; Every where blazoning the defects of our own righteousness, the imperfections of our best Graces, the deadly nature of our least sins, the radical sinfulness of our habitual concupiscence, the pollution of our best works: Every where extolling the perfect obedience of our Redeemer, the gracious application of that obedience, the sweet comfort of that application, the assurance and unfailableness of that comfort: and lastly, our happy rest in that assurance. I instance not; open the Book, see where your eyes can look beside these. Satis apertè (saith their Cassander) The Scripture is clear ours; So is all antiquity, if they believe that learned Arbiter; So are their more ingenuous Doctors of the last age; So would they all be, if they had grace to know God themselves, grace, sin, heaven, hell; God perfectly just, themselves miserably weak, Grace sensibly imperfect, sin unmeasurably sinful; Lastly, if they knew that heaven is for none but the pure, that hell is for the presumptuous. O Saviour, no man is just through thee, but he that is sanctified by thee; What is our inherent justice, but sanctity? That we aspire towards, we attain not to; Woe were us if we were not more just in thee, than sanctified in ourselves; we are sanctified, in part, according to the weakness of our receipt; we are justified thoroughly, according to the perfection of thine acceptation; were we fully sanctified here, we should be more than men; were we not thoroughly justified, we should be no more than sinners before thee; whiles we stand before thee as sinners, we can have no peace; Let others trust in the Charets and Horses of their own strength, we will remember the Name of the Lord our God; The work of thy justice shall be our peace, Peace is a sweet word; Every body would be glad of it; especially Peace at the last, as the Psalmist speaks: How have the politicly religious held out twigs for the drowning soul to catch at? Due satisfactions, undue supererogations, patronages of Saints, bargains of Indulgences, woolward pilgrimages, and at last (after whips and haire-clothes) leave the dying soul to a fear of Hell, doubt of Heaven, assurance of Purgatory flames; How truly may it now say to these Doctors, as job to his friends, Miserable comforters are ye all; Harken, O ye dear Christians, to a better voice that sounds from heaven; Mat. 11.28. Come to me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Is there any of you whose unquiet breast boiles continually with the conscience of any foul sin? whose heart is daily tired upon by the vulture of his secret guiltiness? whose bosom is gnawed beforehand with that hellish Worm, which can no more give over than die? It boots not to ask thee if thou wouldst have peace. Peace? Rather than life; Oh wherewithal shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the most high God? Micah 6. Shall I come before him with offerings? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand Rivers of Oil? Shall I give my first borne for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Hear, O thou distracted heart; what talkest thou of giving to the owner? The world is his; thou art not thine own; Yea, were these things thine, and not his, yet know, it is not giving, but taking that must procure thy peace: An infinite justice is offended; an infinite justice hath satisfied, an infinite mercy hath applied it; Take thou hold by the hand of faith on that infinite mercy, and justice of thy Saviour; The work of his justice shall be thy peace. Fly about whither thou wilt, O thou weary Dove, thorough all the wide Regions of the heaven, & waters, thou shalt no where find rest for the soles of thy feet, but in this Ark of Christ's perfect righteousness: In vain shalt thou seek it in schools of morality, in learned Libraries, in spacious fields and forests, in pleasant gardens, in sullen retiredness, in witty conversation, in wanton theatres, in drunken cellars, in tables of gluttony, in beds of just, chests of Mammon, whiffs and draughts of intoxication, songs of ribaldry, sports of recreation; No, no, the more thou seekest it in most of these, the further it flies from thee, the further thou art from finding it; and if these things may give some poor truce to thy thoughts, it shall soon end in a more direful war. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked: Stray whither thou wilt, O thou wounded heart, thorough the Lands and Woods; alas, the shaft sticks still in thee, or if that be shaken out, the head; None but the sovereign Dittany of thy Saviour's righteousness can drive it out; and till it be out, thou canst have no peace. In plain terms; wouldst thou have peace? None but Christ can give it thee; He will give it to none but the penitent, none but the faithful; Oh spend thyself into the sighs and tears of true repentance; and then raise thy humbled soul to a lively confidence in thine all-sufficient Redeemer; Set thy Lord jesus betwixt God and thy sins; God cannot see thy debt, but through thine acquittance; By his stripes we are healed, by his wounds we are staunched, by his death we are quickened, by his righteousness we are discharged; The work of his righteousness is our peace. Oh safe and blessed condition of believers; Let sin, Satan, world, death, hell, do their worst; Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifieth: who shall condemn? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again; who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh intercession for us: Our enemy is now our Father, our judge is our Saviour, the offended our surety, that precious blood our ransom, that perfect righteousness our everlasting peace. Thus much of our spiritual justice, and Peace. The Civil follows: I know these two are wide terms; justice comprises all virtue, as Peace all blessings; For that is just in all kinds, which hath a meet adequation to the rule; All virtue therefore conforming us to the law of God, which is the rule of perfection, challengeth justly to itself a style of justice. Narrower bounds will serve our turn: We speak of justice first as a single virtue. Habits are distinguished by their acts; acts by their objects. The object of all moral virtue is good, as of all intellectual, is True. The object of this virtue of justice is the good of men in relation to each other; O her virtue's order a man in regard to himself; justice, in regard to another. This good being either common, or private; common of all, private of some; the acts & virtue of justice must be suitable; either, as man stands in an habitude to the whole body; or as he stands to special limbs of the body: The former of these is that which Philosophers & Casuists call a legal & universal justice. The latter is that particular justice, which we use to distinguish by Distribution, & Commutation; the one consisting in matter of Commerce, the other in Reward, or Punishment; both of them according to a meet, though different, equality: An Arithmetical equality in Commutation; a Geometrical in distribution; the former regarding the value, or worth of the thing; the latter, regarding the proportionable difference of the person. The work of all these three justices, is Peace. First, the legal justice is the apparent mother and nurse of public Peace: When Governors and subjects are careful to give each other their own; when both conspire to command and obey for the common good; when men frame their lives to the wholesome laws of their Sovereigns, not more out of fear than conscience; when respect to the community caries men from partial reflections upon themselves; As contrarily distractions, and private ends are the bane of any state. When the head and members unite their thoughts and endeavours in the centre of the common good: the head to device and command, the eyes to see, the ear to hear, the palate to taste, the heart to move, the bellowes of the lungs to blow, the liver to sanguify, the stomach to digest, the guts to export, the hands to execute, the tongue to talk for the good of this natural Commonwealth of the body, all goes well and happily; but if any of these parts will be gathering to themselves, and obstructions grow within; and mutinous distempers arise in the humours, ruin is threatened to the whole: If either the Superiors miscommand, or the inferiors disobey, it is an affront to Peace. I need not tell you that good laws are the walls of the City, the sinews of the politic body, the rule of our life, the life of our state, without which men would turn brute, yea monstrous; the world were a Chaos, yea an hell. It is wisdom that makes laws, it is justice that keeps them; Oh let this justice still bless us with a perpetual peace; as those that do not think the world made for us, but ourselves made for the world, let us drive at an universal good; let there be ever that sweet correspondence betwixt Sovereignty and subjection, that the one may be happy in the other, both in peace. Secondly, the distributive justice is not less fruitful of peace; when rewards of honours, and gracious respects are suited to the well-deserving; when malefactors smart according to their crimes; This justice hath stocks for the vagrant, whips for harlots, brands for petty larzons, ropes for felons, weights for the contumaciously silent, stakes for blasphemous heretics, gibbets for murderers, the hurdle, and the knife, and the pole for traitors; and upon all these engines of justice hangs the garland of peace. It was not for nothing that Maximilian the First, passing by the gallows, saluted it with Salue justitia. Ye never see justice painted without a sword; when that sword glitters with use, it is well with the public; woe be to the Nation where it rusts. There can be no more acceptable sacrifice than the blood of the flagitious. Immediately after Garnets' execution, Father David at Ypre, in a public Sermon declared the miracles shown thereat; Amongst the rest, that a spring of oil broke forth suddenly in the place where that Saint was martyred; In stead of a lie, let it be a parable; The blood of Traitors shed by the sword of justice, is a well of oil to fatten, and refresh the Commonwealth. I know well how mercy befits the mouths of God's Ministers: The soft tongue of a Divine is no meet whetstone for the edge of severity; but withal, I dare say, that justice is a noble work of mercy; neither need we wish to be more charitable, than the God of mercy that says, Thine eye shall not spare the murderer, Numb. 35.31. The Tempter to idolatry, Deut. 13.6. The very sons of Levi were appointed to win an everlasting blessing, by consecrating their hands to God in Israelitish blood: The unjust favour, and plausibility of Romish Doctors, towards capital offenders, hath made their Sanctuaries (even literally) a den of thiefs, an harbour of villainy. It is memorable of Lewis of France, (styled the Saint) that he reversed a pardon wrought from him to a malefactor; Psal. 106.3. upon reading that verse in the Psalm, Beati qui faciunt iustitiam in omnitempore; Blessed are they that do justice at all times: No marvel if one of those four things which Isabel of Spain was wont to say, she loved to see, were, A Thief upon the ladder; Even through his halter might she see the prospect of peace. Woe be to them that either for gain or private interest engage themselves in the suit of favour to maliciously bloody hands; that, by the dam of their bribes labour to stop the due course of punitive justice; these, these are the enemies of peace; these stain the land with that Crimson die, that cannot be washed out but by many woeful laver of revenge: Fare, fare be it from any of you, generous Christians, to endeavour either to corrupt, or interrupt the ways of judgement, or for a private benefit to cross the public Peace: Woe be to those partial judges, that justify the wicked, and condemn the innocent; the girdle of whose equity sages down on that side where the purse hangs: Lastly, woe to those unworthy ones that raise themselves by fraud, bribes, simony, sacrilege; therefore are these enemies to the State, because to Peace; and therefore enemies to Peace, because violaters of justice, And the work of justice is Peace. Thirdly, that commuative justice works Peace; needs no other proof than that all the real brabbles and suits amongst men, arise from either true or pretended injustice of contracts. Let me lead you in a term morning to the spacious Hall of justice: What is the cause of all that concourse? that Hive-like murmur? that noise at the Bar, but injurious bargains, fraudulent conveyances, false titles, disappointment of trusts, wrongful detentions of money, goods, lands, coozenages, oppressions, extortions? Can the honesty and private justice of men prevent these enormities, silence and solitude would dwell in that wide Palace of justice; neither would there be more Pleas than Cobwebs under that vast roof. Every way therefore it is clear, that the work of justice is peace; In so much as the Guardians of Peace are called justicers. This for the Commonwealth; If it please you to cast your eyes upon her Sister the Church, you shall find that the outward Peace thereof also must arise from justice. Alas; thence is our hopelessness: Never may they prosper that love not, that wish not peace within those sacred walls; but what possibility of Peace in the peremptory repulses of justice? What possibility of justice in the long usurped tyranny of the successor of Romulus? Can we hope to see justice once shine from those seven hills, we would make account of Peace; but, oh, the miserable injustice of that imperious Sea; Injustice of claim, injustice of practice. Of claim, over Kings, Church, Scriptures, Conscience: Over Kings; there is S. Paul's super-exalted (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; Lord of the world. ) His usual title is Orbis Dominus; Dominus universorum in the mouths and pens of his flatterers: And lest Princes should seem exempted; He is Rex Regum, as Paulus 4. says of himself; Over Emperors and Kings. he is super Imperatores & reges, saith their Antoninus, Triumphus, Capistranus, and who not? How much? you know the calculation of the magnitude of the two great lights: How over them? As the master over the servant; they are the words of their Pope Nicholas; The Imperial throne is unde nisi à nobis, saith Pope Adrian: What should I tell you of his bridle, Whence but from us? stirrup, toe, cup, canopy? Let the book of holy Ceremonies say the rest; These things are stolen, The world hath long seen and blushed. Over the Church; There is challenged a proper head-ship, from whom all influences of life, sense motion come; as their Bozius; why said I over? He is under the Church: For he is the foundation of the Church saith Bellarmine; Over as the head, under as the foundation? What can Christ be more? Thence, where are general counsels but under him, as the stream of jesuites; Who but he is, regula fidei, as their Andradius: he alone hath infallibility and indefectibility, whether in decretis fidei, or in praeceptis morum, In decrees of faith or precepts of manners. as Bellarmine. He hath power to make new Creeds, & to obtrude them to the Church; the denial whereof was one of those Articles which Leo the tenth condemned in Luther. Over Scriptures. There is claimed a power to authorise them for such; A power to interpret them, sententialiter & Obligatoriè, being such; A power to dispense with them, ex causam, though such. Over the consciences of men; In dispensing with their oaths, in allowance of their sins. It is one head of their Canon Law, He absolues from the oath of Allegiance. A juramento fidelitatis absoluit, Decret. p. 2. Caus. 15. qu. 6. And in every oath is understood a reservation and exception of the Pope's power, say his Parasites. I am ashamed to tell, and you would blush to hear of the dispensation reported to be granted by Sixtus 4. to the family of the Cardinal of S. Lucy; and by Alexander 6. to Peter Mendoza Cardinal of Valentia. And as there is horrible injustice in these claims; so is there no less in practice. Take a taste of all: What can be more unjust than to cast out of the lap of the Church those that oppose their novelties, to condemn them to the stake, to hell for Heretics? What more unjust than to falsify the writings of ancient or modern Authors, by secret expurgations, by wilful mis-editions? what more unjust than the withholding the remedy of general Counsels, and transacting all the affairs of the Church by a packed conclave? What more unjust than the suppression of the Scriptures, and mutilation of the Sacrament to the Laity? What more unjust than allowance of equivocation, than upholding a faction by willing falsehood of rumours, than plotting the subversion of King and State by unnatural conspiracies? Well may we call heaven and earth to record against the injustice of these claims, of these practices. What then? Is it to hope for Peace, notwithstanding the continuance of all these? So the work of Injustice shall be Peace: And an unjust and unsound Peace must it needs be that arises from injustice; Is it to hope they will abandon these things for Peace? Oh that the Church of God might once be so happy: That there were but any life in that possibility; In the mean time, let God and his holy Angels witness betwixt us, that on their part the Peace faileth; we are guiltless: What have we done? What have we attempted? What have we innovated? Only we have stood upon a just and modest negative, and have unjustly suffered. Oh that all the innocent blood we have shed could wash their hands from Injustice, from enmity to Peace. That from them we may return to ourselves; For the public, we enjoy an happy Peace; Blessed be God for justice: and if in this common harmony of Peace, there be found some private jars of discord, whence is it but from our own Injustice? The world is of another mind; whose wont is to censure him that punishes the fault, not him that makes it; Severity, not guiltiness in common opinion, breaks the Peace: Let the question be who is the great makebate of the world; begin with the family: Who troubles the house? The like discourse to this ye shall find in Coara. Schlusselburgius in his preface to his thirteenth book Catal. Haeret. Not unruly, headstrong, debauched, children, that are ready to throw the house out of the windows, but the austere father, that reproves, that corrects them; would he wink at their disorders, all would be quiet. Not careless, slothful, false, lime-fingred servants, but the strict master, that observes and rates, and chastises them; would he hold his hands, and tongue, there would be peace. Not the peevish and turbulent wife, who forgetting the rib, usurps upon the head, but the resolute husband, that hates to lose his authority in his love; remembering that though the rib be near the heart, yet the head is above the shoulders; Would he fall from the terms of his honour, there would be peace. In the Country, not the oppressing Gentleman, that tyrannises over his cottagers, encroaches upon his neighbour's inheritance, encloses commons, depopulates villages, scruzes his Tenants to death, but the poor souls that when they are crushed, yield the juice of tears, exhibit bills of complaint, throw open the new thorns, maintain the old mounds; would these men be content to be quietly racked and spoiled, there would be peace. In the City; not the impure Sodomitish brothels, that sell themselves to work wickedness; not the abominable Panders, not the juggling Cheater, not the Counterfeit Vagrant, but the Marshal that draws these to correction; Not the deceitful Merchant that sophisticates his commodities, inhanceth prices, sells every inch of (what he cannot warrant) Time; Not the unconscionable and fraudulent Artisan, but the Promoter and the Bench. In the Commonwealth; not the cruel robber by sea or land, that lies in the way, like a spider in a window, for a booty, for blood: Not the bold nightwalker that keeps savage hours fit for the guilty intentions of his burglaries, but the watch that takes him; Not the rank adulterer that neighs after his neighbour's wife, and thirsts after only stolen waters, but the sworn men that present him. Not the traitorous coiner, that in every stamp reads his own conviction, whiles he still renews that face against which he offends, but the Sheriff that attaches him. Not the unreformable drunkard, that makes a God of his liquor, a beast of himself, and raves, and swaggers in his cups, but the Constable that punishes him; would these Officers connive at all these villainies, there would be peace. In the Church, not the chaffering Patron, or perjured Chaplain; not the seducing heretic, or seditious schismatic; not the scandalous Levite, not the careless Questman, not the corrupt Official, but the clamorous Preacher, or the rigorous High-Commission. In the world; lastly, Not the ambitious incrochers upon others dominions, not violaters of leagues, not usurpers of misgotten titles and dignities, not suborners, or abettors of conspiracies, and traitors, but the unkind patients that will not recipere ferrum: I wis the great Potentates of the world might see a ready way to peace. Thus in family, country, city, commonwealth, Church, world, the greatest part seek a licentious peace in a disordered lawlessness; condemning true justice of cruelty, stripping her of the honour of peace, branding her with the censure of troublesome. Foolish men speak foolish things: Oh noble and incomparable blessing of peace, how injuriously art thou ascribed to unjust neglect? Oh divine virtue of justice, how deservedly have the Ancients given thee wings, and sent thee up to heaven in a detestation of these earthly indignities; whence thou com'st not down at all, unless it please that essential and infinite justice to communicate thee to some choice favourites. It is but a just word, that this Island hath been long approved the darling of heaven; We have enjoyed peace, to the admiration, to the envy of neighbourhood: Would we continue it? would we traduce it to ours? justice's must do it for us. Both justice and Peace, are from the throne; Peace is the King's Peace; and justly descends from Sovereignty by commission; let me have leave to say with the princely Prophet (a word that was too good for the frequent text of a Pope) Diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram. Still, o God, give thy judgement to the King, and thy justice to the King's son. And if any shall offer wrong to the Lords anointed in his person, in his seed, the work of that injustice shall be war; yea Bellum Domini, the Lords war; (2 Sam. 25.28.) Then let him who is both the Lord of Hosts, and the God of Peace, rise up mightily for his anointed, the true King of peace; that he who hath graciously said all this while, Da pacem, Domine, Give peace in our time, O Lord; may superscribe at the last his just Trophies, with, Blessed be the Lord which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. Ye have heard of the spiritual justice and Peace; Ye have heard of the Civil; may it please you to mix both of them together: My text alone doth it; if you do but with our most accurate Translation, read Righteousness for justice; So shall you see the spiritual disposition of Righteousness produce the civil effect of Peace. What is righteousness, but the sincere uprightness of the heart to God in all our ways? He is perfect with God, that would be so. What need I tell you that this is the way to true inward peace, Nil conscire, Not to be guilty of ill. A clear heart will be a quiet one. There is no feast to a good conscience; this is meat, music, welcome; It seems harder that time spiritual honesty should procure even outward peace: Hear wise Solomon; By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, Prou. 11.11. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, Pro. 16.7. Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people, Pro. 14.24. It follows then as a just corollary, That the honestest, and conscionablest man is the best subject: He may perhaps be plain, perhaps poor, perhaps weak, but the state is more beholden to his integrity, than to the ablest purse, than to the strongest arm; Whereas the graceless, & vicious person, let him be never so plausible a talker, never so careful an officer, never so valiant a Leader, never so officious a Courtier, never so deep in subsidies, never so forward in actions, is no other than an enemy to the state, which he professes to adore. Let no Philosopher tell me of, maius vir bo● usic●uis; I say from better authority, An i'll man a good subject. that a lewd man can no more be a good subject than an ill subject can be a good man: Hear this then (wheresoever ye are) ye secret oppressors, ye profane scoffers, ye foul mouthed swearers, ye close adulterers, ye kind drunkards, and who ever come within this black list of wickedness, how can ye be loyal, whiles you lodge traitors in your bosoms? Protest what ye will; your sins break the peace, and conspire against the sacred Crown and dignity of your Sovereign; What care we that you draw your sword, and vow your blood, and drink your healths to your Govenours, when in the mean while you provoke God to anger, and set quarrels betwixt your Country and Heaven? That I may wind up this clew; It were folly to commend to you the worth of peace; we know that the excellency of Princes is expressed by serenity; what good hath the earth which God doth not couch under the name of Peace? Blessed be God, and his Anointed, we have long and comfortably tasted the sweetness of this blessing; the Lilies and Lions of our Solomon have been justly worded with Beati pacifici: Would we have this happiness perpetuated to us, to posterity? Oh let Prince and people meet in the ambition to be Gens iusta, a righteous nation, righteous every way; First, let God have his own; His own days, his own services; his fear, his love, his all: Let Religion lead all our projects, not follow them; let our lives be led in a conscionable obedience to all the Laws of our Maker: Fare be all blasphemies, curses, and obscenities from our tongues, all outrages and violences from our hands; all presumptuous & rebellious thoughts from our hearts. Let our hearts, hands, tongues, lives, bodies and souls be sincerely devoted to him. Then, for men: let us give Caesar his own: Tribute, fear, subjection, loyalty, and (if he need) our lives; Let the Nobility have honour, obeisance, observation; Let the Clergy have their dues, and our reverence; Let the commons have truth, love, fidelity in all their transactions: Let there be trutinae iustae, Leu. 19.36. Just balances, just weights. pondera iusta: Let there be no grinding of faces, no trampling on the poor (Amos 5.11.) no swallowing of widow's houses, no force, no fraud, no perjury, no perfidiousness. Finally, for ourselves; let every man possess his vessel in holiness and honour; framing himself to all Christian and heavenly temper, in all wisdom, sobriety, chastity, meekness, constancy, moderation, patience, and sweet contentation: so shall the work of our righteousness be peace of heart, peace of state; private and public peace; Peace with ourselves, peace with the world, peace with God; temporal peace here, eternal peace and glory above; unto the fruition whereof, he who hath ordained us, mercifully bring us, for the sake of him, who is the Prince of Peace, jesus Christ the righteous. A COMMON APOLOGY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, AGAINST THE UNJUST CHALLENGES OF THE OVER-IUST SECT, COMMONLY called BROWNISTS. WHEREIN THE GROUNDS, AND DEFENCES, OF THE SEPARATION are largely discussed. Occasioned, by a late Pamphlet, published under the name of AN ANSWER TO A CENSORIOUS EPISTLE: Which the Reader shall find prefixed to the several SECTIONS. By IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO OUR GRACIOUS AND BLESSED MOTHER, THE Church of England; THE MEANEST OF HER CHILDREN DEDICATES THIS HER APOLOGY, AND WISHES ALL PEACE AND HAPPINESS. NO less than a year and a half is passed (Reverend, Dear, and Holy Mother) since I wrote a loving monitory Letter to * Smith and Robinson. two of thine unworthy Sons; which (I heard) were fled from thee in person, in affection, and somewhat in opinion: Supposing them yet thine in the main substance, though in some circumstances their own. Since which, one of them hath washed off thy Font-water as unclean, and hath written desperately both against Thee and his own fellows: From the other, I received (not two months since) a stomachful Pamphlet; besides the private injuries to the Monitor, casting upon thine honourable Name blasphemous imputations of Apostasy, Antichristianisme, Whoredom, Rebellion: Mine own wrongs I could have contemned in silence; Meam iniuriam patienter tuli: impietatem contra Sponsam Christi ferre non potui, Hieron. ad Vigilant. but, For Zion's sake, I cannot hold my peace: If I remember not thee, O jerusalem, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. It were a shame and sin for me, that my zeal should be less hot for thine innocence, than theirs to thy false disgrace. How have I hastened therefore to let the World see thy sincere Truth, and their perverse slanders! Unto thy sacred Name then (whereto I have in all piety devoted myself) I humbly present this my speedy and dutiful labour: whereby I hope thy weak Sons may be confirmed, the strong encouraged, the rebellious shamed: And if any shall still obstinately accurse thee, I refer their revenge unto thy Glorious Head, who hath espoused thee to himself, in Truth and righteousness: Let him whose thou art, right thee: In the mean time, we thy true sons shall not only defend, but magnify thee: Thou mayst be black, but thou art comely: the Daughters have seen thee, and counted thee blessed; even the Queen, and the Concubines, and they have praised thee: thou art thy Welbeloveds, and his desire is towards thee. So let it be, and so let thine be towards him for ever; and mine towards you both, who am the least of all thy little Ones. IOS: HALL.. A COMMON APOLOGY AGAINST THE BROWNISTS. SECTION I. IF TRUTH and PEACE (Zacharies two Companions) had met in our love, this Controversy had never been; The Entrance into the work. Zach. 8.29. the severing of these two hath caused this separation: for while some unquiet minds have sought Truth without Peace, they have at once lost Truth, Peace, Love, us and themselves. God knows how unwillingly I put my hand to this unkind quarrel: Nothing so much abates the courage of a Christian, as to call his Brother Adversary: We must do it; Math. 18.7. woe be the men by whom this offence cometh: Yet by how much the insultation of a brotherly enemy is more intolerable; and the grief of our blessed Mother greater, for the wrong of her own; So much more cause I see to break this silence: If they will have the last words, they may not have all. For our carriage to them: They say, when Fire, Otho. Frising. ex Philem. V●. Chalde●●●. Ruffin. Eccles. Hist. l. 2. cap. 26. the god of the Chaldees had devoured all the other wooden Deities, that Canopis set upon him a Cauldron full of water, whose bottom was devised with holes stopped with wax; which no sooner felt the flame, but gave way to the quenching of that furious Idol. If the fire of inordinate zeal, conceit, contention, have consumed all other parts in the separation, and cast forth (more than Nebuchadnezars Furnace) from their Amsterdam hither; Dan. 3. it were well if the waters of our moderation and reason could vanquish, yea abate it: This little Hin. of mine shall be spent that way: we may try and wish, but not hope it: The spirits of these men are too well known, to admit any expectation of yeeld●nce. Since yet both for prevention and necessary defence, this task must be undertaken, * id. Treatis. of certain godly Minist. against Bar. I crave nothing of my Reader but patience and justice: of God, victory to the Truth: as for favour, I wish no more than an enemy would give against himself: With this confidence I enter into these lists, and turn my pen to an Adversary, God knows whether more proud or weak. SEP. IT is an hard thing even for sober-minded men in cases of controversy, to use soberly the advantages of the times: upon which whilst men are mounted on high, they use to behold such as they oppose too overlie, and not without contempt; and so are ofttimes emboldened to roll upon them as from aloft very weak and weightless discourses, thinking any sleight and slender opposition sufficient to oppress those underlings, whom they have (as they suppose) at so great an advantage. Upon this very presumption it cometh to pass, that this Author undertaketh thus solemnly and severely to censure a cause, whereof (as appeareth in the sequel of the discourse) he is utterly ignorant: which had he been but half so careful to have understood, as he hath been forward to censure, he would either have been (I doubt not) more equal towards it, or more weighty against it. As this Epistle is come to mine hands, so I wish the answer of it may come to the hands of him that occasioned it: Entreating the Christian Reader, in the name of the Lord, unpartially to behold without either prejudice of cause, or respect of person, what is written on both sides, and so from the Court of a sound Conscience to give just judgement. SECTION II. The answerers' Preamble, retorted, confuted. IT is an hard thing even for those that would seem sober-minded men, in cases of Controversy, to use soberly the frowns and disadvantages of causes and times: whereby whiles men are dejected and trodden down, they use to behold their opposites mounted on high, too repiningly, and not without desperate envy: and so are ofttimes moved to shoot up at them, as from below, the bitter arrows of spiteful and spleenish discourses; thinking any hateful opposition sufficiently charitable, to oppugn those adversaries, which have them (as they feel) at so great an advantage: upon this impotent maliciousness, it cometh to pass, that this Answerer undertaketh thus severely and peremptorily, to censure that charitable censure, of ignorance, which (as shall appear in the sequel) he either simply or willingly understood not: and to brand a dear Church of Christ with Apostasy, Rebellion, Antichristianisme: What can be more easy than to return accusations? Your Preamble (with a grave bitterness) charges me with, First, Presumption upon advantages, Secondly, Weak and weightless discourse, Thirdly, Ignorance of the cause censured: It had been madness in me to write, if I had not presumed upon advantages; but of the cause of the truth, not of the times: Though (blessed be God) the times favour the truth, and us: if you scorn them and their favours, complain not to be an underling: think that the times are wiser than to bestow their favours upon wilful adversaries; but in spite of times, you are not more under us in estate, than in conceit above us: so we say the Sun is under a Cloud, we know it is above it. * Hier. Marco. Presbyt. De cavernis cellularum damnamus orben; in sacco & cinere volutati de Episcopis sententiam ferimus: Quid facit sub tunica poenitentis regius animus Cypr. l. 3. ep: 9 Haec sunt initia haereticorum, ut sibi placeant, ut praepositum superbo tumore contemnant. Harison once theirs, in Psal. 12●. of Brown's Antichristian pride and bitterness, Bredw. pref. M. Brinsley his pref. to the 2. part of the Watch. Optat. Mil. de Donat. Collegae non eritiss si nolitis, fratres estis etc. Disclaimed by themselves. Answer against Broughton, page. 21. Would God overlinesse and contempt were not yours, even to them which are mounted highest upon best desert; and now you that have not learned sobriety in just disadvantages, tax us, not to use soberly the advantages of time: there was no gall in my pen, no insultation, I wrote to you as brethren, and wished you companions: there was more danger of flattery in my style, than bitterness: wherein used I not my advantages soberly? Not in that I said too much, but not enough; Not in that I was too sharp, but not weighty enough; My opposition was not too vehement, but too slight and slender; So, strong Champions blame their adversary for striking too easily: you might have forborn this fault, it was my favour that I did not my worst: you are worthy of more weight, that complain of ease. The discourse that I rolled down upon you, was weak and weightless: you shall well find, this was my lenity, not my impotence. The fault hereof is partly in your expectation, not in my letter: I meant but a short Epistle, you looked belike for a volume, or nothing; I meant only a general monition; you looked for a prosecution of particulars: It is not for you to give tasks to others pens. By what Law, must we write nothing but large Scholastical Discourses? Such Tomes as yours: May we not touch your sore, unless we will lance and search it? I was not enough your enemy; forgive me this error, and you shall smart more: But not only my omissions were of ignorance, but my censures, though severe and solemn: An easy imputation from so great a controller: I pardon you, and take this as the common lot of enemies. I never yet could see any Scribbler so unlearned, as that he durst not charge his opposite with ignorance. If Dr Whitaker, Separate. schis. M. Gyfford an ignorant Priest. Barr. p. 63. Confer. of D. Aud. & M. Hutchins. with Barrow. Mr Perkins, Mr Gyfford, and that Oracle of our present times, Dr Andrew's, went away content with this livery from yours; how can I repine? If I have censured what cause I knew not, let me be censured for more than ignorance, impudency: but if you know not what I censured (let all my trust lie on this issue) take both ignorance, boldness, and malice to yourself: Is your cause so mystical, that you can fear any man's ignorance? What Gobler or Spinster hath not heard of the maine holds of Brownism? Am I only a stranger in Jerusalem? If I know not all your opinions, pardon me: your own have not received this illumination; I speak boldly, not yourself; M. Spr. Considerate. Iren. lib. 1. Per singul●s 〈◊〉 ●●vum aliquod ad fectant, etc. Every day brings new conceits, and not one day teaches, but corrects another: you must be more constant to yourselves, ere you can upbraid ignorance or avoid it. But whether I knew your prime fancies, appears sufficiently by a particular discourse; which above a year since was in the hands of some of your Clients, and I wonder if not in yours: Shortly; am I ignorant? If I were obstinate too, you might hope (with the next gale) for me, your more equal adversary, at Amsterdam. As I am; my want of care and skill, shall (I hope) lose nothing of the truth by you, nor suffer any of your foul aspersions upon the face of God's Church and ours. But whiles we strive; who shall be our judge? The Christian Readers: who are those? Presume not, ye more zealous and forward Countrymen, that you are admitted to this Bench: so fare are we mere English, from being allowed judges of them; that they have already judged us to be no * Barr. confer. with Hutchins. fol. 1. Brown Estate of true Christians. Defence of true Christians against the D. D. of Oxford. john's. against jacob. passim. Bar. against Gyfford. Christians: We are Goats and Swine, no sheep of God: since then none but your Parlour in the West, and Amsterdam, must be our judges, who (I beseech you) shall be our Adversaries? God be judge betwixt you and us, and correct this your uncharitableness. SEP. The crime here objected is separation, a thing very odious in the eyes of all them from whom it is made: as evermore casting upon them the imputation of evil, whereof all men are impatient: And hence it cometh to pass, that the Church of England can better brook the vilest persons continuing communion with it, than any whomsoever separating from it, though upon never so just and well grounded reasons. SECTION III. I Wrote not to you alone: what is become of your partner, yea, your Guide? The pardon I written to, and their 〈◊〉. To M. Smith, and M. 〈◊〉. Ringe-leaders of the late separation at Amsterdam. Carat of the Beast, written by M. Smith. Pref. Be it known therefore to all the separation, that we account them, in respect of their constitution, to be as very an Harlot, as either her Mother the Church of England, or her Grandmother Rome is, etc. Iterato baptiz●us scienter, iterato Dominum cruci●git. De consecr. dist. 4. Quivis, etc. Woe is me, he hath renounced our Christendom with our Church: and hath wash off his former water, with new: and now condemns you all, for not separating further, no less than we condemn you for separating so fare. As if you could not be enough out of Babylon, unless you be out of yourselves, Alas, miserable Countrymen, whither run you? Religion hath but his height, beyond which is error and madness? he tells you true, your station is unsafe; either you must forward to him, or back to us. * The crime of the separation how great, M. Perry in his Disc. of this subject. I objected separation to you: yet not so extreme as your answer betrays: a late separation; not the first; my charity hoped you less ill, than you will needs deserve: you grant it odious, because it casts imputation of evil upon the forsaken: Of evil? Yea of the worst, an estate incurable & desperate. He is an i'll Physician, that will leave his Patient upon every distemper: his departure argues the disease helpless; were we but faulty, as your Landlord Churches, your own rules would not abide your flight: Vid. JOHNSON Preface to his Inquirie; Esay 5.20. Hence the Church of England justly matches Separatists with the vilest persons. God himself doth so: who are more vile than Patrons of evil? yet no greater woe is to them that speak good of evil, than those that speak evil of good: So wise Generals punish mutinous persons, worse than Robbers or Adulterers: Num. 16.31. Exod. 32.30. So Corah and his company (a Story cunningly turned upon us by your Martyr) for their opposition to Moses, were more fearfully plagued, than the Idolatrous Israelites. These sins are more directly against common society, the other more personal: and if both have like iniquity; yet the former have both more offence, and more danger: And if not so, yet who cannot rather brook a lewd servant, than an undutiful son, though pretending fair colours for his disobedience? At least, you think the Church of England thinks herself God's Church, as well as your Saints of Amsterdam: You that so accurse Apostasy in others, could ye expect, she should brook it in you? Prov. 21. ●. But your reasons are just and well grounded: every way of a man is right in his own eyes; Said we not well, that thou are a samaritan, and hast a Devil, say the jews? What Schism ever did not think well of itself? For us: we call Heaven and earth to record, your cause hath no more justice than yourselves have charity. SEP. And yet separation from the World, and so from the men of the World, and so from the Prince of the World that reigneth in them, and so from whatsoever is contrary to God, is the first step to our communion with God and Angels, and good men; as the first step to a ladder is to leave the earth. SECTION FOUR The kinds of the Separation, and which is just. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. YET there is a commendable and happy separation from the World, from the Prince and men of the World, and whatsoever is contrary to God: who doubts it? There were no Heaven for us without this, no Church; which hath her name given by her Father and Husband, of calling out from other. Out of the Egypt of the World doth God call his sons: But this separation is into the visible Church from the World; not (as yours) out of the Church, because of some particular mixtures with the World: or (if you had rather take it of profession) out of the World of Pagans and Infidels, into the visible Church; not out of the World of true (though faulty) Christians, into a purer Church, That I may here at once for all give light to this point of separation: we find in Scripture a separation either to good, or from evil: To good; Num. 8. 1●. Num. 16.9. Deut. ●. 1●. Exod. 1●. 12. Levit. 15. ●1. Deut. 1.41. Rom. 1.1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. so the Levites were separated from among the children of Israel to bear the Ark, and to minister: so the first borne, first fruits, and Cities of refuge: So Paul was (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) separated, which some would have allude to his Pharisaisme, but hath plain reference to Gods own words (Acts 13.2.) Separate me Barnabas and Saul: Though this is rather a destination to some worthy purpose, than a properly called separation. From evil, whether sin or sinners: From sin; so every soul must eschew evil, whether of doctrine or manners, and disclaim all fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, 1 Thess. vlt. ad fin. jer. 15.19. Vide Tremel. & Ti●. whether in himself or others. So S. Paul charges us to hold that which is good, and abstain from all appearance of evil: so jeremy is charged to separate the precious (doctrine or practice) from the vile. From sinners, not only practised by God himself (to omit his eternal and secret Decree, Num. 16. Mat. 15. ad fin. 2 Chron. 19.2. 1. Cor. 6. ad fin. Nulla cum malis convivia vel colloquia misceantur, simusque abijs t●m Separati, quam sunt illi ab ecclesia Dei profugi. Cypr. l. 1. epist. ad Corn. 2. whereby the Elect are separated from the Reprobate) both in his gracious vocation, sequestering them from nature and sin, as also in his excecution of judgement, whether particular, as of the Israelites from the Tabernacles of Corah; or universal, and final, of the Sheep from the Goats; But also enjoined from God to men, in respect either of our affection, or of our yoke, and familiar society, whereof Saint PAUL: Be not unequally yoked with Infidels, Come out from among them, and separate yourselves. In all this we agree: In the latitude of this last only we differ: I find you call for a double separation. A fast separation in the gathering of the Church: A second in the menaging of it: The first at our entrance into the Church, the second in our continuance: The first of the Church, from Pagans and Worldlings, an initiatory profession; The second of lewd men from the Church by just censures; You speak confusedly of your own separation; one while of both, another while of either single. For the first, either confess it done by our Baptism, or else you shall be forced to hold, we must rebaptize: Charact. of Beast Praef. But of this Constitutive separation anon: For the second of sinners, whether in judgement, or life, some are more gross, heinous, incorrigible: others less notorious, and more tractable: those other must be separated by just censures; not these. Which censures if they be neglected, the Church is foul, and (in your Pastor's word) faulty, john's. Inquir. and therefore calls for our tears, not for our flight. Now of Churches faulty and corrupted, some raze the foundation, others on the true foundation build timber, hay, stubble: From those we must separate, from these we may not. PETER'S rule is eternal, joh. 6.68. Whither shall we go from thee? thou hast the words of eternal life: where these words are found, woe be to us, if we be not found. Amongst many good separations then, yours cannot be separated from evil, for that we should so fare separate from the evil, that therefore we should separate from God's children in the communion of the holy things of God, that for some (after your worst done) not fundamental corruptions, H. Cl. Epistle before Treatise of Sin against the Holy Ghost. we should separate from that Church, in whose womb we were conceived, and from betwixt whose knees we fell to God: in a word, (as one of yours once said) to separate not only from visible evil, but from visible good, as all Antichristian: who but yours can think less than absurd and impious? Grant, we should be clean separated from the World; yet if we be not, must you be separated from us? Do but stay till God have separated us from himself: Neque propter paleam relinquam aream Domini, neque propter pisces males rumpimus retia Domini. Aug. epist. 48, will the wise Husbandman cast away his Corne-heap for the chaff and dust? Shall the Fisher cast away a good draught, because his Drag-Net hath Weeds? Doth God separate from the faithful soul, because it hath some corruptions her Inmates, though not her commanders? Certainly, if you could thoroughly separate the World from you, you would never thus separate yourselves from us: Begin at home, separate all self-love, and self-will, and uncharitableness from your hearts, and you cannot but join with that Church, from which you have separated: Your Doctor would persuade us, you separate from nothing but our corruptious: Answ. Counterpoison, p. 2. you are honester, and grant it from our Church: it were happy for you, if he lied not; who in the next page confutes himself, showing that you separate from us, as Christ from the Samaritans, namely from the Church, not the corruptions only; Counterpoison, p. 7. & 8. etc. and not as he did from the jews, namely from their corruptions, not from their Church: His memory saves our labour, and mars his discourse. SEP. The separation we have made in respect of our knowledge, and obedience, is indeed late, and new: yet is it in the nature and causes thereof as ancient as the Gospel, which was first founded in the enmity which God himself put betwixt the seed of the Woman, and the seed of the Serpent, Genes. 3.15. which enmity hath not only been successively continued, but also visibly manifested by the actual separation of all true Churches, from the World in their collection and constitution, before the Law, under the Law, and under the Gospel, Genes. 4.13, 14.16. & 6.1, 2. & 7.1.7. with 1 Pet. 3.20.12. & 12.2. Levit. 20.24.26. Nehem. 9.2. joh. 17.14.16. Acts 2.40. & 19.9. 1 Cor. 6.17. SECTION V. YET, if not equity, it were well you could plead age: The antiquity and examples of separation. This your separation in the nature and causes of it (you say) is no less ancient than the first institution of enmity betwixt the two seeds: you might have gone a little higher, and have said, than our first Parents running from God in the Garden, or their separation from God by their sin: But we take your time, and easily believe that this your late separation was founded upon that ancient enmity of the seed of the serpent, Euseb. Hist. Ecc. with the woman's. That subtle Devil, when he saw the Church breath from the persecutions of Tyrants, vexed her no less with her own divisions; seeking that by fraud, which by violence he could not effect. Hence all the fearful Schisms of the Church, whereof yours is part. This enmity hath not only been successively continued, but also too visibly manifested by the actual (but wilful) separation of Heretics and Sectaries from the Church in all ages: But I mistake you; yours is as ancient as the Gospel: What? Hen. Steph. Apol. Herod. Fox. Act. & Monu. H. N. his book Gal. 1.6. Eph. 6.17. Col. 1.5. 1 Tim. 1 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. that Euangelium aeteruum of the Friars? whose name they accursedly borrowed from Reuel. 14.6. Or that Euangelium Regni of the Familists? Or that Euangelium aliud, whereof Saint PAUL taxeth his Galatians? None of all these, you say; but as that Gospel of Peace, of Truth, of Glory; so ancient, and never known till Bolton, Barrow, and Browne? Can it escape all the holy Prophets, Apostles, Doctors of the old, middle, and later world, and light only upon these your three Patriarches? Perhaps, Nonatus or Donatus (those Saints with their Schools) had some little glimpse of it; but this perfection of knowledge is but late and new: So many rich Mines have lain long unknown, and great parts of the World have been discovered by late Venturers. If this course have come late to your knowledge and obedience, not so to others: For lo, it was practised successively in the constitution and collection of all true Churches, through all times, before the Law, under the Law, after it: We have acknowledged many separations: but as soon shall you find the time passed in the present, as your late separation, Iren. de Valen. l. 1. Innumerabilem multitudinem Scripturarum quas ipsi finxerunt, afferunt ad stuporem insensatorum. Vid. Preface to M. jacobs' and johnson, Confer. and Barr. pass. Description of the true visible Church. Nihil autem miram si & ex ipsius instrumento aptentur argumenta, cum oporteat hereses esse, quae esse non possunt, si non & perperam Scripturae intelligi possunt. Tertull. de Resurrect. Ibid. So Barrow terms Mast. Gyffords Refut. pag. 102. Si Christianus judaicae praevaricanti carnaliter coniungatur, à commu●●ne Ecclesiae segregetur. Dist. 28. q. 1. Ca●● & cap. siquis judaicae, etc. 1 Pet. 3.19. 2 Pet. 2.5. in the ancient and approved. You quote Scriptures, though (to your praise) more dainty indeed than your fellows. Who cannot do so? Who hath not? Even Satan himself cities the word against him which was the word of his Father. Let us not number, but weigh your texts: The rather, for that I find these as your Master-proofes, set as Challengers in every of your defences: In Genes. 4.13. CAIN a bloody Fratricide is excommunicated: In Genes. 6.1, 2. The sons of God married the daughters of men: In Genes. 7.1. & 7. NOAH'S time is approved as righteous, and enters the Ark: In 1 Pet. 3.20, 21. The rest in NOAH'S time were disobedient, and perished: What of all this? Alas, what mockage is this of the Reader, and Scriptures? Surely, you even join Scriptures, as you separate yourselves: This is right as your Pastor, to prove all members of the visible Church, elect and precious stones, cities, 1 King. 7.9. where is speech only of salomon's house in the Forest of Lebanon, his Porch for his Throne, his Hall, his Palace for Pharaohs daughter, and when he comes to describe the office of his imaginary Doctor, thwacks fourteen Scriptures into the margin, whereof not any one hath any just colour of inference to his purpose: and in this discourse of the power of the Church (that he might seem to honour his margin with show of texts) hath repeated six places twice over in the space of six lines. For these of yours: you might object the first to the Cainites, not to us: Cain was cast out worthily. Do we either deny, or utterly forbear this censure? Take heed you follow him not, in your voluntary exile, to the land of Nod. The second you might object to those mongrel Christians that match with Turks and Pagans. There are sons of God, that is, members of the visible Church; and daughters of men, which are without the bounds, mere Infidels; it is sin for those sons to yoke themselves with those daughters. What is this to us? Noah was righteous, the multitude disobedient: Who denies it? yet Noah separated not from the corrupted Church, till the flood separated him from the earth, but continued an ancient Preacher of righteousness, even to that perverse and rebellious Generation. But it sufficeth you, that Cain and the Giants were separated from the rest: We yield it: what will follow hence, save only that notorious Malefactors must be cast out, and professed Heathen not let into the Church? We hold, and wish no less: your places evince no more. These, before the Law: In Levit. 20.24.26. God chose our Israel from other people: This was God's act, not theirs: a sequestering of his Israelites from the Gentiles, not of Israel from itself: yours is your own, and from men, in all main points, of your own profession: But therefore Israel must be holy: If any man deny holiness to be required of every Christian, let him feel your Maranatha. In Nehem. 9.2. The Israelites separated themselves from the strangers, which were Infidels: whether in their marriage, or devotion: Neither God's service, nor an Israelites bed was for Heathens. This was not the constituting of a new Church, but reforming of the old: If therefore you can parallel us with Pagans, and yourselves will be jews, this place fits you. Lastly, what if there be an hatred betwixt the World and Christ's true Disciples, joh. 17.14.16? what if PETER charged his Auditors to save themselves from the errors and practice of that froward Generation, whose hands were yet freshly embrued with the blood of Christ, Act. 2.40? What if the same which PETER taught, PAUL practised, in separating his followers from hearing some obstinate and blasphemous jews, Act. 19.9? What if the Church of Corinth were Saints by calling, 1 Cor. 1.2? and therefore must be separated from the yoke of Infidels, 2.6.17? Are these your patterns? Are these fit matches for your brethren, baptised in the same water and name, professing every point of the same true faith, using (for substance) the same worship with you? He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness, 1 joh. 2.9. SEP. Which separation the Church of England neither hath made, nor doth make, but stands actually one with all that part of the World within the Kingdom, without separation: for which cause, amongst others, we have chosen by the grace of God, rather to separate ourselves to the Lord from it, than with it from him, in the visible constitution of it. SECTION VI. BUT all these examples, perhaps are not so much to warrant what you have done, What separation is to be made by churches in their planting or restauration. In his Preface to the Reader, and in his causes of separation defended, pag. 4. Eiusdem p. 10. Refutat. of M. Gyff. p. 22. & 2. Transgress. p. 51. 52. & 55. 66. & 70. 85. & 86. etc. Inconstance of Browne, p. 110. Inquiry into M White, confessed by Fr. johnson pag. 63. Passage 'twixt Clifton and Smith: And concerning the constitution of the Churches, etc. But the constituting of Churches now after the defection of Antichrist, may more properly be called a repairing than a constitution, etc. as to condemn the Church of England for what she hath not done: for such a separation she neither hath made nor doth make, but stands actually one with all that part of the World within the Kingdom without separation. Lo, here the main ground of this Schism, which your Proto-Martyr BARROW hammers upon in every page; an ill constitution: Thus he comments upon your words: For where such profane confuse multitudes, without any exception, separation or choice, were all of them from public Idolatry, at one instant received or rather compelled to be members of the Church, in some Parish or other, where they inhabited, without any due calling to the faith, by the preaching of the Gospel going before, or orderly joining together in the faith, there being no voluntary or particular confession of their own faith and duties made or required of any, and lastly, no holy walking in the faith amongst them; who can say that these Churches consisting of this people, were ever rightly gathered or built according to the rule of Christ's Testament? In his words and yours I find both a miscollection, and a wrong charge. For the former: the want of noting one poor distinction, breeds all this confusion of Doctrine, and separation of men: for there is one case of a new Church to be called from Heathenism to Christianity, another of a former Church to be reform from errors, to more sincere Christianity. In the first of these is required indeed a solemn initiation by Baptism; and before that, a voluntary and particular confession of faith, and therefore a clear separation, and exception of the Christian, from the Infidel: In the latter, neither is new Baptism lawful (though some of you belike of old were in hand with a rebaptisation: which not then speeding, succeedeth now to your shame) nor a new voluntary and particular confession of Faith, besides that in Baptism (though very commendable) will ever be proved simply necessary to the being of a Church; so long as the erring parties do actually renounce their doctrines, and in open profession embrace the truth; and (as generally in the public confession) so particularly upon good occasion give just testimonies of their repentance: This is our case, we did not make a new Church, but mended an old: your CLIFTON is driven to this hold by necessity of Argument; Otherwise he sees there is no avoiding of Anabaptism: Mended, saith your Doctor, and yet admitted the misceline rabble of the profane? Say now, that such separation were not made: Let some few be holy, and the more part profane: Shall the lewdness of some disannul God's Covenant with others? This is your mercy; Gods is more: who still held Israel for his, when but few held his pure service: Let that Divine Psalmist teach you how full the Tents of Israel were of mutinous Rebels in the Desert; yet the Pillar by day and night forsook them not; and Moses was so fare from rejecting them, that he would not endure God should reject them to his own advantage: Look into the black censures, and bitter complaints of all the Prophets, and wonder that they separated not: Look into the increased mass of corruptions, in that declined Church; whereof the blessed eyes of our Saviour were witnesses, and marvel at his silent and sociable incuriousnesse: yea, his charge of not separating; Ye know not of what spirit you are: Mat. 23. Now you fly to constitution, as if notorious evils were more tolerable in continuance, than in the collection of Assemblies: Sardi had but a few names that had not defiled their garments; Reuel. 3.4. God praises these, bids them not separate from the rest. Thyatira suffers a false prophetess: the rest that have not this learning, Reuel. 2.24. yet are bidden but to hold their own; not to separate from the Angel, which hath not separated IEzABEL from the Church. SECTION VII. What separation the Church of England hath made. Bar. p. 22. & 55. Fr. john's. against M. H. Act. & Mon. poss●●. YOUR charge is no less injurious; that the Church of England hath made no separation: Concerning which you have learned of your Martyr, and overseers so to speak, as if before her late disclamation of popery, in Queen Elizabeths' time, she had not been. Her monuments could have taught you better, and have lead you to her ancient Pedigree not much below the Apostolic days, and in many descents have showed you not a few worthy witnesses and patrons of Truth; all which, with their holy and constant offspring, it might have pleased you to have separated from this imputation of not separating: Will you know therefore how the Church of England hath separated? In her first conversion she separated herself from Pagans: in her continuance she separated herself from gross heretics, and sealed her separation with blood: in her reformation she separated herself from wilful Papists, by her public profession of Truth, and proclaimed hatred of error; and she daily doth separate the notoriously evil, by suspensions, by excommunications, though not so many as yours; Troubls. & excom. p. 191. M Spr. p 1. Besides the particular separations of many from the acknowledged corruptions, in judgement, profession, practice. All these will be avowed in spite of all contradiction: with what forehead then can you say; The whole Church of England hath not at all separated? After all your shifts and idle tales of constitution, you have separated from this Church against the Lord; not with the Lord, from it: If there be Christ with us, if the Spirit of God in us, F: jun. lib. de Eccles. if Assemblies, if calling by the word: whatsoever is, or is not else in the Constitution, there is whatsoever is required to the essence of a Church. No corruption either in gathering or continuance can destroy the truth of being, but the grace of being well: If Christ have taken away his word and spirit, you have justly subduced; else you have gone from him in us. And when you have all done, the Separatists Idol, visible Constitution, will prove but an appendance of an external form, no part of the essence of a true Church: and therefore your separation no less vain than the ground, than the Authors. Lastly, if our bounty should (which it cannot) grant, that our collection was at first deeply faulty: Ratibabitio retrahi, etc. Subsequens consensus jacobi in Leam fecit eos coniuges, d. 29. q. 1. S. sed obijcitur. Barrow against Gyff. cannot the Ratibabition (as the Lawyers speak) be drawn back? may not an after-allowance rectify and confirm it? In contracts (your own similitude) a following consent justifies an act done before consent: and why not in the contract betwixt God, and his visible Church? Lo, he hath confirmed it by his gracious benedictions, and as much as may be in silence given us abundant proofs of his acceptation: That after-act, which makes your Baptism lawful, why can it not make our Church? SECT. VIII. BUT for as much as Constitution is the very state of Brownism, Constitution of a Church. Let us (I beseech you) inquire a little into the complexion of your Constitution: Whether Physic, or Law, or Architecture have lent you it: sure I am, it is in this use, Apocryphal: Never man used it this scrupulously till your times: Though, what need you the help of Fathers or Schools? new words must express new Paradoxes. It is no treason to come terms: What then is Constitution? Your Doctor can best tell us: As the Constitution of a Commonwealth, or of a City, H. Answorth. Counterp. p. 170. is a gathering or uniting of a people together into a civil Polity: So (saith he) the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Israel, and of the City of God, the new jerusalem, is a gathering and uniting of people into a divine Polity. The form of which Polity, is Order: which Order is requisite in all actions, and Administrations of the Church, as the Apostle showeth, and specially in the Constitution thereof: So that next unto faith in God, it is to be esteemed most necessary for all holy societies. Coloss. 2.5. Hence Paul rejoiced in the Colossians Order and Faith: To this Constitution therefore, belong a people, as the matter; secondly, a calling, or gathering together, as the form, whereof the Church consisteth. The Constitution of the Church of England is false in both: Why so? Have we not a people? Are not those people called together? To prevent this, you say our Constitution is false, not none: Why false? Because those people have neither Faith, nor Order. For Faith first: Who are you that dare thus boldly break into the closerts of God, Tertull. de Prescript. Tu ut homo extrinsecus unumquemque nosti, putas quod vides, vides autem quousque oculos habes, sed oculi Domini sunt alti, Homo in faciem, Deus in praecordia contemplatur. Principles and inferences concerning the visible Church. Anno 1607. p. 13. the hearts of men? and condemn them to want that, which cannot be seen by any but divine eyes? how dare you intrude thus into the throne of your Maker? Consider, and confer seriously: What faith is it, that is thus necessarily required to each member in this Constitution? Your own Doctor shall define it: Faith required to the receiving in of members, is the knowledge of the Doctrine of salvation by Christ, 1 Cor. 12.9. Gal. 3.2. Now I beseech you in the fear of God, lay by a while all prejudice, and peremptory verdicts of those souls, which cost Christ as much blood as your own: and tell me ingenuously, whether you dare say, that not only your Christian brethren with whom you lately conversed, but even your forefathers which lived under Queen Elizabeth's first confused reformation, knew not the doctrine of salvation by Christ: if you say they did not, your rash judgement shall be punished fearfully, by him whose office you usurp. As you look to answer before him that would not break the bruised Reed, nor quench the smoking Flax; presume not thus, above men and Angels. If they did, then had they sufficient claim both to true Constitution and Church: But this faith must be testified by obedience; so it was. If you think not so, yours is not testified by love: both were weak, both were true: Weakness in any grace or work, takes not away truth: Their sins of ignorance could no more disannul God's covenant with them, than multiplicity of wives with the Patriarches. SECT. IX. Order, 2. Part of Constitution, how fare requisite, and whether hindered by constraint. D. Allis. against the Descript. Confess. of the Brownists. Brow. State of true Christians. Inquire into M. White. Ans. ibid. Arist. Pol. 3. c. 1. WHat wanted they then? Nothing but Order; and not all Order, but yours: Order, a thing requisite and excellent; but let the world judge whether essential. Consider now, I beseech you in the bowels of Christ jesus, whether this be a matter for which heaven and earth should be mixed: whether for want of your Order, all the world must be put out of all Order, and the Church out of life and being: Nothing (say we) can be more disorderly, than the confusion of your Democracie, or popular state (if not Anarchy): Where all (in a sort) ordain and excommunicate; We condemn you not for no true members of the Church: what can be more orderless (by your own confessions) than the Trine-une Church at Amsterdam? which yet you grant but faulty. If there be disproportion and dislocation of some parts, is it no true humane body? will you rise from the feast, unless the dishes be set on in your own fashion? Is it no City, if there be mudwalles half broken, low Cottages unequally built, no Statehouse? But your order hath more essence than you can express; and is the same which Politicians in their trade call (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) an incorporating into one common civil body, by a voluntary union, and that under a lawful government: Our Church wants both: wherein there is both constraint, and false office. Take your own resemblance and your own ask: Say that some Tyrant (as Basilius of Ruff●●) shall forcibly compel a certain number of Subjects into Moscow, and shall hold them in by an awful Garrison, forcing them to new laws and Magistrates, perhaps hard and bloody: They yield; and making the best of all, live together in a cheerful communion, with due commerce, loving conversation, submissive execution of the enjoined laws: In such case, Whether is Moscow a true City, or not? Since your Doctor cities Aristotle, Arist. Pol. 3 c. 1. Edesius & Frumentius pueri à Meropio Tyrio Philosopho in Indiam d●portati, postca ibi Christianam religionem plantarunt, Ruffian. l. 1. c. 9 Foemina inter Iber●s. let it not irk him to learn of that Philosopher, who can teach him, that when Calisthenes had driven out the Tyrant from Athens, and set up a new Government, and received many strangers, and bondmen into the Tribes, it was doubted, not which of them were Citizens, but whether they were made Citizens unjustly. If you should find a company of true Christians in utmost India, would you stand upon terms, and inquire how they became so? Whiles they have what is necessary for that heavenly profession; what need your curiosity trouble itself with the means? SECT. X. Constraint requisite. 2 Chr. 33.16. 2 Chr. 34.32, 33. 2 Chr. 15.13. Barr. against Gyff. Brow. Reformation without tarrying. Greenewood, Conference with Cooper, Browne, Reformation without tarrying Conference with Doctor Andr. Master Hutch. Conference with D. Andr. Reformation without tarrying Ber. Fides suadenda non cogenda. Counterpoison. Dixit Pater familias seruis, Quoscunque inveneritis, cogite intrare, etc. Aug. Epist. 48. Pless. de Eccles. c. 10. Aug. Quod si ●ogip. riegem aliquem vel ad bona sicuisset, vos ipsi miseri à nobis ad fidem purissimam cogi deluistis: sed absit à nostra conscientia, ut ad fidem nostram aliquem cogamus. Aug. Epist. 48. & 68 Qui phreneticum ligat, & qui letharg. excitat, ambobus molestus, ambos amat, Ibid. Cl●mant, Neminem ad unitatem cogendum; quid hoc aliud, quam quod de vobis quidam. Quod volumus sanctum est. YOu see then what an idle plea constraint is in the constitution of a City, the ground of all your exception: But it is otherwise in God's city, the Church; why then doth his Doctorship parallel these two? And why may not even constraint itself have place in the lawful constitution or reformation of a Church? Did not Manasses after his coming home to God, charge and command juda to serve the Lord God of Israel? Did not worthy josiah, when he had made a covenant before the Lord, cause all that were found in jerusalem, and Benjamin, to stand to it, and compelled all that were found in Israel, to serve the Lord their God? What have Queen Elizabeth, or King james done more? Or what other? Did not Asa upon Obeds prophesy, gather both juda and Benjamin, and all the strangers from Ephraim, Manasses, and Simeon, and enact with them, that whosoever would not seek the Lord God, should be slain? What means this perverseness? You that teach we may not stay Prince's leisure to reform, will you not allow Princes to urge others to reform? What crime is this, that men were not suffered to be open Idolaters, that they were forced to yield submission to God's ordinances? Even your own teach, that Magistrates may compel Infidels to hear the doctrine of the Church; and Papists, you say elsewhere (though too roughly) are Infidels: But you say, not to be members of the Church: God's people are of the willing sort: True, Neither did they compel them to this: They were before entered into the visible Church by true Baptism, though miserably corrupted: They were not now initiated, but purged: Your subtle Doctor can tell us from Bernard, that faith is to be persuaded, not to be compelled: yet let him remember that the guests must be compelled to come in, though not to eat when they are come. Compelled, not by persuasions; for these were the first invitations; therefore by further means; Though this conceit hath no place with us, where men are urged not to receive a new faith, but to perform the old; to abandon that wicked Idolatry which had defiled them, and to entertain but that truth, which the very power of their Baptism challenged at their hand: But this was the old song of the Donatists; Fare be it from our conscience, to compel any man to the faith. If God did not draw us, and by a sweet violence bend our wills to his, when should we follow him? Either you have not read, or not cared for the practice of the ancient Church, and Augustine's resolution concerning the sharp penalties imposed upon the Donatists (would God none of your kindred) in his time; with his excellent defences of these proceed. SECT. XI. BUT tell us then, what should have been done? The Gospel should have been every where preached; All converts should have been singled out, Constitution of the Church of England. Barrow and Greenew. passim. and have given a voluntary and particular confession of their Faith, and Repentance. I answer you: The Gospel was long and worthily preached in the days of King Edward; enough to yield both Martyrs to the stake, and Professors to the succeeding times. Were their holy Sermons, their learned writings, and their precious blood (which was no less vocal) of no force? Afterwards, in the beginning of Famous Queen Elizabeth's reparation, what confluence was there of zealous Confessors returning now from their late exile? How painfully and divinely did they labour in this Vineyard of God? How did they (with their many holy Partners, which had shrouded themselves during that storm of persecution, in a dangerous secrecy) spread themselves over this Land, and each-where drew stocks of hearers to them, and with them? Is all this nothing to their ingrateful Posterity? If you murmur that there were no more, take heed lest you forget there were so many: for us, we do seriously bless God for these, and triumph in them. All this premised; now comes a Christian Edict from the State, that every man shall yield obedience to this Truth, wherein they had been thus instructed: It was performed by the most; whose submission, what was it but an actual profession of their faith, and repentance? And since such was their face, who dares judge of their hearts? More than this, if ever can be showed absolutely necessary in such a State of the Church to the very constitution, and repaired being thereof, I do here vow never to take the Church of England for my Mother. We know, and grieve to see how scornfully your whole Sect, H. Answ. Counterp. and amongst the rest your resolute Doctor turns over these gracious entrances & proceed of these two Royal and blessed Reformers; and whom should he find to raise his scoffs upon, but that Saintlike Historian M. Fox? Act. & Monu. Edit. 5. p. 1180. Now (says Master Fox) a new face of things began to appear, as it were in a Stage, new Players coming in, the old thrust out: Now (saith your Doctor's Comment) new Bishops came in, Counterp. 226. as Player's upon the old stage of the Popish Church, as if the Church were no whit altered, but the men: Shall we say, this is too much malice, or too little wit, and conscience? Even in the Lord Protectors days, that holy man reports, that after the Scriptures restored, and Masses abolished, greater things followed these softer beginnings, in the reformation of the Churches: P. Martyr P. Fagius. Bucer, etc. Learned and godly Divines were called for from foreign parts, a separation was made (though not so much willing, as wilful) of open and manifest Adversaries from Professors, whether true or dissembled: Commissioners were appointed to visit every several Diocese. Every Bench of them had several godly and learned Preachers to instruct the people in the truth, and to dissuade them from Idolatry and Superstition. The Pope's Supremacy not thrust, but taught down: All will-worship whatsoever, oppugned by public Sermons: Images destroyed, Pilgrimages forbidden, the Sacraments enjoined to be reverently and holily ministered, Ecclesiastical persons reform in life, in Doctrine: Processions laid down, Presence and attendance upon God's word commanded, the holy expending of Sabbath days appointed, due preparation to God's table called for, set times of teaching enjoined to Bishops and other Ministers, all Shrines and Monuments of Idolatry required to be utterly taken from public and private houses: All this, before his Parliament: By that, Six Articles. 1547. Pag. 1182. Col. 2.60. all bloody laws against God's truth were repealed, zealous Preachers encouraged, so as (saith that worthy Historian) God was much glorified, and the people in many places greatly edified. What need I go further than this first year? Hear this and be ashamed, and assure yourselves, that no man can ever read those holy Monuments of the Church, but must needs spit at your separation. After that sweet and hopeful Prince, what his Renowned Sister Queen ELIzABETH did, the present times do speak, and the future shall speak, when all these Murmurers shall sleep in the dust. The public Disputations, zealous preachings, restaurations of banished Religion and men, Extirpations of Idolatry, Christian Laws, wise and holy proceed, and renewed covenants with God, are still fresh in the memories of some, and in the ears of all; so as all the World will justly say, you have lost shame with Truth, in denying it: Yea, to fetch the matter yet further, If the Reader shall look back to the days of their puissant Father King HENRY the Eighth, Act & Monu. p. 999. & 1000 he cannot but acknowledge (especially during the time of Queen ANNE, and before those six bloody Articles) a true face of a Church (though overspread with some Morphue of corruptions) and some commendable forwardness of Reformation: for both the Pope's Supremacy was abrogated, the true Doctrine of justification commonly taught, confidence in Saints untaught, the vanity of Pardons declared, worship of Images and Pilgrimages forbidden, learned and godly Ministers required, their absences & misdemeanours inhibited, the Scriptures translated, publicly and privately enjoined to be read and received, the Word of God commanded to be sincerely and carefully preached: Act. & Monu. Edit. 5. p. 1002. and to all this, Holy Master Fox addeth for my conclusion, such a vigilant care was then in the King and his Council, how by all ways and means to redress Religion, to reform errors, to correct corrupt customs, to help ignorance, and to reduce the mis-leading of Christ's Flock, drowned in blind Popery, Superstitious Customs, and Idolatry, to some better form of Reformation, whereunto he provided not only these Articles, Barr. against Gyff. Conference with Sperin. and Master Egerton. Greenw. & Barr. Arg. to Master Cartwr. Master Travers, Master Clark. Browne. Reformation without tarrying. Precepts, Injunctions above specified, to inform the rude people, but also procured the Bishops to help forward the same cause of decayed Doctrine, with their diligent preaching, and teaching of the people. Go now and say, that suddenly in one day, by Queen Elizabeth's Trumpet, or by the sound of a Bell, in the name of Antichrist, all were called to the Church: Go, say with your Patriarch, that we erect Religions by Proclamations, and Parliaments. Upon these premises I dare conclude, and doubt not to maintain against all Separatists in the World, that England (to go no higher) had in the days of King Henry the Eighth, a true visible Church of God: and so by consequent their succeeding seed was by true Baptism justly admitted into the bosom thereof; and therefore that even of them, without any further profession, God's Church was truly constituted. If you shall say, that the following idolatry of some of them in Queen Mary's days excluded them: Consider, how hard it will be to prove, that God's covenant with any people, is presently disannulled by the sins of the most, whether of ignorance, or weakness; and if they had herein renounced God, yet that God also mutually renounced them. To shut up your Constitution then: Master Smith against R. Clifton. Principl. and Infer. pag. 11. There is no remedy: Either you must go forward to Anabaptism, or come back to us. All your Rabbins cannot answer that charge of your rebaptised brother: If we be a true Church, you must return; if we be not (as a false Church is no Church of God) you must rebaptize: If our Baptism be good, then is our constitution good. Thus your own Principles teach. The outward part of a true visible Church is a Vow, Promise, Oath, or Covenant betwixt God and the Saints: Now I ask, Is this made by us in Baptism, or no? If it be, than we have, by your confession (for so much as is outwardly required) a true visible Church: so your separation is unjust: If it be not, than you must rebaptize; for the first Baptism is a nullity: and (if ours be not) you were never thereby as yet entered into any visible Church. SEP. To the title of a Ringleader, wherewith it pleaseth this Pistler to style me, I answer, that if the thing I have done be good, it is good and commendable to have been forward in it; if it be evil, let it be reproved by the light of God's Word, and that God, to whom I have done that I have done, will (I doubt not) give me both to see, and to heal mine error by speedy Repentance: if I have fled away on foot, I shall return on Horseback: But as I durst never set foot into this way, but upon a most sound and unresistable conviction of Conscience by the Word of God: (as I was persuaded) so must my retiring be wrought by more solid reasons from the same word, than are to be found in a thousand such pretty Pamphlets, and formal flourishes as this is. SECTION XII. AS For the title of Ringleader, wherewith I styled this Pamphleter; The answerers' title. if I have given him too much honour in his Sect, I am sorry: Perhaps I should have put him (pardon an homely, but in this sense, not unusual word) in the tail of this Train: Perhaps, I should have endorsed my Letter to Master Smith, and his shadow; So I perceive he was: Whatsoever, whether he lead or follow, God meets with him. If he lead: Behold, jer. 13.32. I will come against them that prophesy false dreams (saith the Lord) and do tell them, and cense my people to err by their lies. If he come behind; Thou shalt not follow a multitude in evil (saith God.) If either, or both, or neither, If he will go alone; Woe unto the foolish Prophets (saith the Lord) which follow their own Spirits, Ezech. 13.2. and have seen nothing. Howsoever, your evil shall be reproved by the light of God's word: Your conjunction I cannot promise, your reproof I dare; If thereupon you find grace to see and heal your errors, we should with all brotherly humbleness attend on foot upon your return on Horseback; but if the sway of your mis-resolued conscience be heady and unresistable, and your retiring hopeless; these not reasons, these pretty Pamphlets, these formal flourishes shall one day be fearful and material evidences against you before that awful judge, which hath already said, Pro. 19.21. That judgements are prepared for the Scorners, and stripes for the back of Fools. SEP. Your pitying of us and sorrowing for us, especially for the wrong done by us, were in you commendable affections, if by us justly occasioned; but if your Church be deeply drenched in Apostasy, and you cry, Peace, Peace, when sudden and certain desolation is at hand, it is you that do wrong, though you make the complaint: and so being cruel towards yourselves, and your own, whom you flatter, you cannot be truly pitiful towards others whom you bewail. But I will not discourage you in this affection, lest we find few in the same fault: the most in stead of pity and compassion, affording us nothing but fury and indignation. SECTION XIII. I PROFESSED to bestow pity and sorrow upon you and your wrong: The Apostasy of the Church of England. You entertain both harshly, and with a churlish repulse: What should a man do with such dispositions? Let him struck them on the back, they snarl at him, and show their teeth▪ Let him show them a Cudgel, they fly in his face: You allow not our actions, and return our wrong; Ours is both the injury and complaint: How can this be? You are the Agents, we sit still, and suffer in this rent: Yet (since the cause makes the Schism) let us inquire, not whose the action is, but whose the desert: Our Church is deep drenched in Apostasy; and we cry Peace, Peace: No less than a whole Church at once, and that not sprinkled, or wetshod, but drenched in apostasy; What, did we fall off from you, or you from us? Tell me, were we ever the true Church of God? and were we then yours? We cannot fall, unless we once stood: Was your Church before this Apostasy? Show us your Ancestors in opinion: Name me but one that ever taught as you do, and I vow to separate: Was it not? Then we fell not from you: Every Apostasy of the Church must needs be from the true Church. A true Church, and not yours? And yet can there be but one true; See now whether in branding us with Apostasy, you have not proved yours to be no true Church: Still I am ignorant: A Treatise of the Ministry of England, against M. H. pag. 125. Queen Mary's days (you say) had a true Church, which separated from Popery, chose them Ministers, served God holily, from thence was our Apostasy: But, were not the same also (for the most part) Christians in King Edward's days? Did they then, in that confused allowance of the Gospel, separate? Or (I pray you) were Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Hooper, and the rest, parts of that Church, or no? Was there any other ordination of Ministers than from them? Reject these, and all the world will hisse at you; Receive them, and where is our Apostasy? What Antichristianisme have we, whereof these were freed? But you leap back (if I urge you fare) from hence to the Apostles times, to fetch our once true Church from fare, that it might be dear: You shall not carve for us: we like not these bold overleapes of so many Centuries: I speak boldly, you dare not stand to the trial of any Church, since theirs: Now, I hear your Doctor say, this Challenge favours of Rome: H. Answorth in his fore-speech to his Count Inqu. into Wh. Tertul. l. de Ora. Tertul. lib. de Prescript. So. de Virginib. Veland. That no continuance of time can prejudice Truth. Si me reprehendas errantem, patere me quaeso errare cum talibus. Aug. Hier. Fr. johnson in his Answ. to T. Wh. pag. 26. Ans. against Brough. p. 17. These Dutch churches offend not only in practical disorders, but in their Constitution, Government, Worship, etc. Troubls. and Excom. at Amsterdam. p. 10. Browne charged with it by Barr. Letter to Master Egerton G. johnson ibid. pag. 194. Fr. john's. Inqui. Act. 15.38. Departing, that is, not going with them. Barr. pref. to the Separation defend. In his Observations. p. 251. We do not there condemn the Parish-Assemblies as separated from Christ, but prove them not as yet gathered to Christ. So Confe. with Sperin. p. 9 Fr. johnsons' Inquiry, pag. 36. H. Barr. Observation 242. Antiquity is with you, a Popish plea: we have willingly taken up our Adversaries, at this (by pretence, their own) weapon: You debar it in the conscience of your own novel singularity: Yet your Pastor can be content to make use of Tertullian alone against all Fathers; That such things are justly to be charged with vanity, as are done without any precept, either of the Lord, or of the Apostles: And the Apostles did faithfully deliver to the Nations the Discipline they received of Christ, which we must believe to be the tumultuary Discipline of the refined housefull at Amsterdam: What? all in all Ages, and places till now Apostates? Say if you can, that those famous Churches, wherein Cyprian, Athanasius, Ambrose, Hierome, Austen, chrysostom, and the rest of those blessed Lights lived, were less deep in this Apostasy than ours? O Apostatical Fathers, that separated not! yea, say if you dare, that other reformed Churches are not over the Ankles with us in this Apostasy: What hard news is this to us, when as your Oracle dare say not much less, of the reformed Churches of Netherlands, with whom you live? Thus he writes: For not hearing of them in other Congregations in these Countries; this I answer, That seeing by the mercy of God, we have seen and forsaken the corruptions, yet remaining in the public Ministration, and condition of these Churches (if they be all like to these of this City) we cannot therefore partake with them, in such case, without declining, and Apostasy from the truth, which we have ourselves already received and professed. See here, to partake with them in God's service is Apostasy; If so in the accessories, Alas, what crime is in the principal? It were but Apostasy to hear an English sermon; a Dutch is no less: Woe is you that you dwell still in Meshech: Good men; it were not more happy for you than the Church, that you were well in Heaven. No less than Apostasy? Let no Reader be appalled at so fearful a word; this is one of the terms of Art, familiar to this way: Find but any one page of a Dutch printed Volume without Apostasy, Excommunication, Commingling, Constitution, and suspect it not theirs: Heresy is not more frequent at Rome, than Apostasy at Amsterdam; nor Indulgences more ordinary there, than here Excommunications. Common use makes terrible things easy: Their own Master St. for holding with the Dutch Baptism, and Read-prayers, is acknowledged to be cast out for an Apostate: yea, their Doctor Master Answorth is noted with this mark from themselves: There is much latitude (as happy is) in their Apostasy: For when Stanshal, Mercer and jacob johnson were to be chosen Officers in their Church, and exception was taken by some at their Apostasy, answer was made, It was not such Apostasy as debarred them from Office, it was but a slip. john Mark (whether, as Isichius and Theophylact think, the blessed Evangelist, or some other holy Minister) is by the whole Parlour at Amsterdam, branded with this lame Apostasy; who departed indeed, but from Paul in his journey, not from Christ in his faith, and therefore his (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) is expounded by (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Act. 15.38. why do we think much to drink of an Evangelists Cup? Yet let this ignorant Epistler teach his censorious Answerer one point of his own (that is the Separatists) skill: and tell him that he objects two crimes to one poor Church, which are incompatible; want of Constitution, and Apostasy. Thus writes your Master of us: If it were admitted, (which can never be proved) that they sometimes had been true established Churches. Lo here, we never had true Constitution, therefore we are not capable of Apostasy: If we once had it, and so were true Churches, hear what your Pastor saith: As Christ giveth to all true Churches their being, so we must leave it unto him to take it away, when, and as he pleaseth. And therefore since he hath not removed his Candlestick, nor taken away his Kingdom, in spite of all objected Apostasies, we still continue so: and by consequent your separation upon this ground is most unjust. No faults disannul the being of a Church, until contempt of God's Word be added thereunto after due conviction. The faults & errors of a Church may be severely reproved & convinced according to the quality thereof, and yet the Church not be condemned. N. B. job 24.19. Vulg. Edit. Cypr. Epist. ad Cornel. Non est maius peccatum quàm apostatare à Deo. Aug. in Psal. 18. Prou. 6.12. job. 3●. 18. Ezec. 2.3. Apocal. 2.3. Thou hast laboured, and not given in. Tertul. de Pat. Si hominibus placetur, Dominus offenditur; si vero illud eni●mur & laboramus ut possimus Deo placere, & convitia & maledicta debemus humana contemnere. Confessed by M. john. loc. seq. Inquir. of Th. White. pag. 65. Gen. 49.7. Cypr. de simplic. prael. Quid facit in cord Christiano Luporum seritas, & Caenum rabbiss? Aug. Confess. l. 9 c. 9 Qualia solet eructare turgens indigesta discordia? An Apostate had wont to be the fearful surname of damned julian: Tertus was an easy accuser, to whom yet, we may say with Elihu, N●● dicis Regi, Apostata? Behold, now so many Apostates as men: Holy Cyprian describes him by forsaking Christ's colours, and taking up Arms for Gentilism in life, or heresy in judgement: And Augustine tells us, there cannot be a greater sin than Apostasy; making elsewhere this sinner, worse than the Infidel. And the old vulgar can give no worse term to (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) where he finds it, yea too (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Rebels themselves. What doth this brand to a Church, not Christian only (though you deny it) but famous: Of whom is truly verified (after all your spleen) that which the Spirit writes to the Angel of Ephesus: Laborasti & non Defecisti: Say if you can, what Article of the Christian and Apostolic faith have we renounced? What Heresy maintain we? Wherein have we run from the Tents of Christ? What hold we that may not stand with life in Christ, and salvation? We challenge all men and Devils in this point, for our innocence: Distinguish for stark shame, of so foul a word; or (which is better) eat it whole; and let not this blemish be left upon your soul and name in the Records of God, and the world; that you once said of a Church, too good for yours, Drenched in Apostasy. If we cry Peace, whiles you cry Apostasy; surely we flatter, whiles you rail: betwixt these two dangerous extremes, we know an wholesome means, so to approve, that we foster not security: so to censure, that we neither revile, nor separate: and in one word; to do that which your Pastor could exhort the Separators from your Separation (for even this Schism hath Schisms) If we should mislike, yet to rest in our differences of judgement, and notwithstanding peaceably to continue with the Church: Had you taken this course, you should neither have needed to expect our pity, nor to complain of our cruelty. Surely, whether our love be cruel, or not, your hatred is: whereof, take heed lest you hear from old JACOB, Cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruel. How can you expect compassion, when you breath fire, and write gall? Never mention the fury of others indignation, till the venomous and desperate writings of Barrow and Greenwood be either worn out with time, or by the Thunderbolts of your (not rare) censures be struck down to Hell, whence their maliciousness came. I forbear to recapitulate: how much rather had I help to bury, than to revive such exprobrations? SEP. The first action laid against us, is of unnaturalness and ingratitude towards our Mother the Church of England, for our causeless separation from her: to which unjust accusation, and trivial querimonie, our most just defence hath been, and is, that to our knowledge we have done her no wrong: we do freely, and with all thankfulness acknowledge every good thing she hath, and which ourselves have there received. SECTION XIIII. INGRATITUDE and unnaturalness to your mother is objected, The Separatists acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England. in that you fly from her, yea now (woe is me) that you spit in her face, and mark her for an Harlot: Would God the accusation were as far from being just, as from being trivial: Yet perhaps you intent it not in the lightness of this charge, but the commonness: you have caused me to smart for my charity, yet I forbear it not: What is your defence? That you have 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 be not wilful: an ignorant wrong is both in more hope of amends, and of mercy: But is not this caution added, rather for that you think no hard measure can possibly be a wrong to so vile a Church? I ask, and would be denied: No, you do freely, and with all thankfulness acknowledge every good thing she hath: Whatsoever you do to us, I will not any more in favour of you, wilfully wrong myself: you have bidden me now to take you as a complete Separatist: and speak this for yourself and yours, Let the Reader now judge, whether the wrong of your Sect be wilful; and acknowledgement of our good, H. Barr. Praef. to the separ. defended. Causes of separ. def. p. 12. Confer. with Doctor Andr. free and thankful. Your first false-named Martyr shall give the first witness of the titles of our Church: Who (saith he) that were not drunk and intoxicate with the Whore's Cup, could affirm this confuse Babel, these cages of unclean Birds, these Prisons of foul and hateful Spirits, to be the Spouse of Christ? And elsewhere, he calls the people of our Church, Goats and Swine. Is this any wrong to your knowledge? The same Author: They have not (saith he) in their Churches any one thing in their practice & proceed, not one pin, nail, or hook according to the true pattern: Pref. to separ. def. Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our Churches good things? What is more ordinary with him, and his brother in evil, john Greenwood, than to call our Ministers Baal's Priests, Cainites, the marked servants of Antichrist, Sellers of the Whores wares, Worshippers of the Beast? Is this yet any wrong to your knowledge? Pastor johnson sticks not to say, that the Ministry & Worship of the Church of England were taken out of the Whore's Cup; Gyff. refuted touch. Donat. Obseruat. of M. H. Bar. p. 239. Fr. john's. Reason. 9 against M. jac. p. 74. john's. against M. jac. Excep. 3. Nota Bene. and plainly styles our Church (as which of you do not?) Daughter of the great Babylon, that mother of Whoredoms and abominations of the earth: yet more; That Hierarchy, Worship, Constitution, and Government, which they profess and practise, being directly Antichristian, do utterly destroy true Christianity, so as their people and Churches cannot in that estate be judged true Christians: Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our good things? What can any Devil of Hell say worse against us than this, That we are no Christians? Or what good can there be in us, if no true Christianity? If we denied every Article of the Christian Creed: if we were Mahumetans (as your good Pastor sticks not to compare us) if the most damned Heretics under Heaven, 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 poisonous Counterpoison, 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 immodesty; yet what are your good things? Even to you, we are Apostates, Traitors, Rebels, Babylonish: this is well for a Learner: Hereafter (if you will hear me) keep our good things to yourself, and report our evil. Yea, that your uncharitableness may be, above all examples, monstrous; You do not only deny us any interest in the Church of Christ, but exclude us (what you may) from all hope and possibility of attaining the honour of Christendom: For when a godly Minister protested to Master Barrow, Barr. Conference with M. Sperin. as Barr. himself hath written. p. 9 the truth of his Ministry; upon the approbation also of his people, he received this answer from him: Though you had such allowance, it could nothing avail, but rather overthrew your Ministry, they being as yet ungathered to Christ, and therefore neither may not in this estate choose them a Minister, nor any exercise a Ministry unto them, without heinous sacrilege. O desperate judgement; we neither are Christians, nor can be! No Christianity without Faith, no Faith without the Ministry of the Word, Fr. john's. seven Reas. against jac. p. 46. G. john's. Pref. to the Pastor. no Word to us without Sacrilege: What are we, that the very offer of bringing us to God should be criminal? These are your acknowledgements of our good; who have learned of your Pastor to kiss and kill all at once; to bless and curse with one breath: your mercies are cruel. SECTION XV. The unnaturalness of some principal Separatists. Ruffin. l. 2. Eccles. Hist. c. 3. Aug. ep. & Posid. in vita Aug. BUT who can wonder at your unnaturalness to the Church, that hears what measure you meet to your own? Error is commonly joined with cruelty: The outrageous demenors of the Circumcelliones in Augustine's time, and more than barbarous tyranny of the Arrians before him, are well known by all Histories, and not enough by any: God forbidden, that I should compare you to these. Hear rather of Nonatus, the father of a not unlike Sect, of whom Cyprian reports, Euseb. Hist. Eccl. D●mnis gravissimis & caedibus afficiebant, armati diversis telis. Socrat. l. 2. c. 22. & 30. Cyprian. l. 2. epist. 8. Novati pater in vic● fame mortuus, nec postea ab ille sepultus Sic Optat. lib. 1. Purpurius Donatista occidit seroris filios, etc. that he would neither bestow bread on his father alive, nor burial on him dead, but suffered him both to starve and stink in the street: and for his wife (lest he should be merciful to any) he spurned her with his heel; and slew his own child in her body: What need I seek so fare? I grieve to think and report, that your own Pastor hath paralleled this cruelty: His own brother (which is no less savage) though one of your Sect, is the public accuser and condemner of him in this crime to all the World: who after a pitiful relation of his eight years quarrels with him, and four years Excommunication, in his Epistle before a large Volume to this purpose, writes thus: After all these, hath not our kind, careful, and old Father come a long journey to make Peace? Hath he not laboured with you, the Elders and the Church, to bring you to peace? Hath he not used the help and counsel of the Reformed Churches herein? Yet will you not be reclaimed; but adding that sin above all, * G. john's. Discourse of troubles & excommunications at Amsterdam, printed, 1603. Ibid. p. 5. have also monstrously excommunicated your Father, the Peace-seeker, etc. And strait; How oft desired he you (as if he had been the son and you the father) even with tears, that you would repent? In a word, how came He and I to your door, showing you that it might be (upon his departing) you should see his face no more? etc. Yet you forced him by your ill dealing, still to leave upon you, his Curse, and all the Curses written in God's Book against unthankful and disobedient children. Thus far a brother concerning a brother, against father and brother, Other strangely-unkinde usages of both, I had rather leave to the discovery of Master White, and this miserable Plaintiff, Discovery of Brownism. Vid. G. john's. Book. who have written enough to make an enemy ashamed. But whereupon was all this fearful broil in a pure Church? For nothing but a little lace, and Whale-bone in his wife's sleeve. The Trojan war could not be slandered with so weighty a beginning. As for your Elder, Daniel Studly (whom your Pastor so much extolleth) if Master Whites Apostasy may be your shift against his Relation; Inq into Th. Whites Discou. let him speak who should have been a Fellow-Elder with him, banished for your truth, though ejected by your censure: Mark (saith G. john's. of this Studly) how the Lord hath judged him with unnaturalness to his own children, suffering them to lie at other men's feet, and hang on other men's hands, Same Epist. 15. whiles he, his wife, and her daughter fared daintily, and went prankingly in apparel, They say, Filia Sponsae. Mihi accusatio etiam vera contra fratrem displacet. Hieron. adversus Ruffin. even in this place of banishment. It is no joy to me to blazon these, or your other sins; would God they were fewer, and less in us all. Only it was fit the World should know, as how undutiful you are to your common Parent, so that Father, Brother, Children bear part with your Mother in these your cruelties. SEP. The superabundant grace of God covering & passing by the manifold enormities in that Church wherewith these good things are inseparably commingled, and wherein we also through ignorance and infirmity were enwrapped. But what then? should we still have continued in sin, that grace might have abounded? If God have caused a further truth, like a light in a dark place, to shine in our hearts, should we still have mingled that light with darkness, contrary to the Lords own practice Genes. 1.4. and express precept? 2 Cor. 6.14. What the Separatists think themselves beholden to the Church of England for. Bar. Exam. before the Archbishop and L. Anderson. Browne, state of Christians. p. 39 Qui non habet quod dei, qu●● d● dei? vox Donat. Opt. lib. 1. SECTION XVI. IF then such be the good things of our Church; What good can you acknowledge to have received from her? Nothing gives what it hath not: A Baptism perhaps; Alas, but no true Sacrament, you say: yea, the seal of gracelessness and mischief; As little are you beholden to the Church for that, as the Church to you, for your good acceptation: Why are you not rebaptised? You that cannot abide a false Church, why do you content yourselves with a false Sacrament? especially, since our Church, being not yet gathered to Christ, is no Church, and therefore her baptism a nullity. What else do you own to the liberality of this Stepdame? You are close; your Pastor is lavish for you both; who thus speaks of himself, and you, and us: I confess that whiles I was Minister in your Church of England, Bar. supra Fr. john against M. jacob. p. 41. Exc. 2. I stood in an Antichristian estate; yet doubt I not, but even then, being of the Elect of God, I was partaker through faith, of the mercy of God in Christ to salvation: but as for you (Ma. JACOB & his fellow-Christians) whiles you thus remain, you cannot in that estate approve yourselves to have the promise of salvation. Behold here, the Church of England gave you but an Antichristian estate; if God give secret mercy, what is that to her? God's superaboundant grace doth neither abate aught of her Antichristianisme, nor move you to follow him in covering, and passing by the manifold enormities in our Church, wherewith those good things are inseparably commingled: Your own mouth shall condemn you: Doth God pass over our enormities, and do you stick, yea, separate? Doth his grace cover them, and do you display them? Have you learned to be more just than your Maker? Or if you be not above his justice, why are you against his mercy? God hath not disclaimed us, by your own confession; you have prevented him. If Prince's leasurees may not be stayed in reforming, yet shall not Gods in rejecting? Your ignorance enwrapped you in your errors: his infinite wisdom sees them, and yet his infinite mercy forbears them: so might you at once have seen, disliked, stayed; If you did not herein go contrary to the courses of our common God, how happy should both sides have been? yea, how should there be no sides? How should we be more inseparably commingled, than our good and evil? But should you have continued still in sin that grace might have abounded? God forbidden: you might have continued here without sin (save your own) and then grace would no less have abounded to you, than now your sin abounds in not continuing: What need you to surfeit of another man's Trencher? Other sins need no more to infect you, than your graces can sanctify them. As for your further light, suspect it not of God: suspect it to be mere darkness: and if the light in you be darkness, how great is that darkness? What? so true and glorious a light of God, and never seen till now? No Worlds, Times, Churches, Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Fathers, Doctors, Gen. 1.2. Esa. 5.20. Woe to them that put darkness for light. Esa. 59.9. Christians, ever saw this truth look forth besides you, until you? Externall light was God's first creature, and shall this spiritual light, whereby all Churches should be discerned, come thus late? Mistrust therefore your eyes, and your light: and fear Esayes woe, and the jews miserable disappointment: we wait for light, but lo, it is darkness: for brightness, but we walk in obscurity. SEP. But the Church of England (say you) is our Mother, and so ought not to be avoided: But say I, we must not so cleave to holy Mother Church, as we neglect our Heavenly Father, and his Commandments, which we know in that estate we could not but transgress, and that heinously, and against our consciences, not only in the want of many Christian Ordinances, to which we are most straightly bound both by God's Word and our own necessities, SECTION XVII. THE Church of England is your Mother, to her small comfort; she hath borne you, The Motherhood of the Church of England, how far it obligeth us. Deut. 21, 22, 23. and repent. Alas, you have given her cause to pour out jobs curses upon your Birthday, by your not only forsaking but cursing her: Stand not upon her faults, which you shall never prove capital: Not only the best Parent might have brought forth a rebellious son to be stoned. What then? Do we prefer duty to piety, and so plead for our Holy Mother Church, that we neglect our Heavenly Father, yea, offend him? See what you say: it must needs be an Holy Mother that cannot be pleased without the displeasure of God: A good wife, that opposes such an husband: a good son that upbraids this unjustly: Therefore is she a Church, your Mother, holy, Mater Ecclesia, Mater est etiam Matris nostrae. Aug. Epist. 38. because she bred you to God, cleaves to him, obeys his commandments, and commands them. And so fare is she from this desperate contradiction, that she voweth not to hold you for her son, unless you honour God as a Father. It is a wilful slander that you could not but heinously transgress under her: I dare take it upon my soul, that all your transgression which you should necessarily have incurred by her obedience, is nothing so heinous, as your uncharitableness in your censures and disobedience. Conscience is a common plea, even to those you hate: we inquire not how strong it is, but how well informed: not whether it suggest this, but whereupon. To go against the conscience is sin, to follow a misinformed conscience is sin also. If you do not the first, we know you are faulty in the second: He that is greater than the conscience, will not take this for an excuse: But wherein should have been this transgression; so unavoidable, heinous, against conscience? First, in the want of many Ordinances, to which we are most strictly bound, both by God's Word, and our own necessities. SECTION XVIII. CAn you think this hangs well together? The want of pretended Ordinances of God, whether sinful to us: and whether they are to be set up without Princes. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. N●m per exteriorem vi●l●●tiā cor●●pitur, si interior innocentia custodiat●r. cap. 114. 3. Custodi, etc. Ad docendum populum Israel●ticum, omnipotens Deus Prophetis praeconium dedit, non Regibus imperavit. Aug. l. 2. contra Gau. c. 11. Barr. causes of separate. def. p. 6. Barr. Reformation without tarrying. Aug. contra Petilian. l. 2. Optatus Milevit. lib. 30. Bar. second Examination before the Lord Archbishop and Lord Chiefe-Iustice compar. with his reply to M. Gyff. Art. 5. You should here want many of God's Ordinances: why should you want them? Because you are not suffered to enjoy them: who hinders it? Superior powers: Did ever man wilfully and heinously offend, for wanting of that which he could not have? What hath conscience to do with that which is out of our power? Is necessity with you become a sin, and that heinous? David is driven to lurk in the wilderness, and forced to want the use of many divine Ordinances: It was his sorrow, not his transgression: He complains of this, but doth he accuse himself of sin? Not to desire them had been sin, no sin to be debarred them: Well might this be saul's sin, but not his. Have you not sins enough of your own, that you must needs borrow of others? But I see your ground: You are bound to have these Ordinances; and therefore without Princes, yea against them: so it is your transgression to want them in spite of Magistrates: Gaudentius the Donatist taught you this of old; And this is one of the Hebrew Songs which Master Barrow sings to us in Babylon, that we care not to make Christ attend upon Princes, and to be subject to their Laws and Government: and his Predecessor (the root of your Sect) tells us in this sense the Kingdom of Heaven must suffer violence, and that it comes not with observation; that men may say, Lo, the Parliament, or lo, the Bishop's decrees: and in the same Treatise; The Lord's Kingdom must wait on your policy, forsooth; and his Church must be framed your civil State, etc. Just as that Donatist of old, in Augustine, Quid vobis, etc. What have you to do with worldly Emperors? and as that other in Optatus: Quid Imperatoricum Ecclesia? What hath the Emperor to do with the Church? Yea, your Martyr fears not to teach us, that God's servants being as yet private men, may and must together build his Church, though all the Princes of the World should prohibit the same upon pain of death: Belike than you should sinne heinously, if you should not be Rebels. The question is not, whether we should ask leave of Princes to be Christians; but whether of Christian Princes we should ask leave to establish circumstances of Government: God must be served though we suffer; our blood is well bestowed upon our Maker: but in patience, not in violence. Private profession is one thing; Public Reformation and Injunction is another; Every man must do that in the main: none may do this, but they of whom God says, I have said, Ye are Gods: and of them, There is difference betwixt Christian and Heathen Princes: If (at least) all Princes were not to you Heathen: If these should have been altogether stayed for, Religion had come late: If the other should not be stayed for, Religion would soon be overlaid with confusion: Lastly, the body of Religion is one thing, the skirts of outward Government another: that may not depend on men to be embraced, or (with loyalty) prosecuted: these (upon those general rules Christ) both may, and do, and must: If you cut off but one lap of these with David, you shall be touched: To deny this power to God's Deputies on Earth, what is it, but Ye take too much upon you, Moses and Aaron, 1 Sam. 24.6. Numb. 16.3. all the Congregation is holy: wherefore lift ye yourselves above the Congregation of the Lord? See, if herein you come not too near the walls of that Rome, which ye so abhor and accurse, in ascribing such power to the Church, none to Princes. Counterpoys. pag. 2.30. Let your Doctor tell you, 2 Chron. 13. 2 Chr. 14. & 15. 2 Chron. 29. 2 Chron. 30. 2 Chron. 34. whether the best Israelites in the times of Abisah, Asa, jehosaphat, Ezekiah, josiah, took upon them to reform without, or before, or against their Princes? Yea, did Nehemiah himself without Ar●●hshat (though an Heathen King) set upon the walls of God's City▪ Or what did ●erubbabel▪ and jeshua without Cyrus? In whose time Hagg●● and Zechariah prophesied indeed, but built not: And when contrary Letters came from above, they ●●id by both Trowels and Swords: They would be jews still, they would not be Rebels for God: Ezr. 4.23, 24. Had those letters enjoined Swine's flesh, or Idolatry, or forbidden the use of the Law, those which now yielded, had suffered, and at once testified their obedience to authority, and piety to him that sits in the Assembly of these earthen gods. I urge no more: Perhaps you are more wise, or less mutinous: you might easily therefore purge your conscience from this sin, of wanting what you might not perforce enjoy. Say that your Church should employ you back to this our Babylon, for the calling out of more proselytes: you are intercepted, imprisoned: Shall it be sin in you not to hear the Prophecies at Amsterdam? The Clinke is a lawful excuse: If your feet be bound, your conscience is not bound. In these Negatives, outward force takes away both sin and blame, and altars them from the patiented to the actor: so that now you see your strait bonds (if they were such) loosed by obedience, and overruling power. SECTION XIX. The bonds of God's Word unjustly pleaded by the Separ. BUT what bonds were these strait ones? God's Word and your own necessity: Both strong and indissoluble. Where God hath bidden, God forbidden that we should care for the forbiddance of men: I reverence from my soul (so doth our Church, their dear sister) those worthy foreign Churches which have chosen and followed those forms of outward Government that are every way fittest for their own condition. It is enough for your Sect to censure them: I touch nothing common to them with you: * Aug. Epist. 58. pastors autem & Doctores qu●● maxim ut discerner●m voluisti, eosdem puto esse sicut. & ●ibi visum est, ut non alios pastors, alios Doctores intelligeremus, sed ideo cùm praedixisset pastors, subi●●xisse Doctores, ut intelligerent Pastores ad officium suum pertinere doctrinam. Barr. against Gyff. inveighs for this cause against the Consistory of Geneva. Fr. john's. complaints of the Dutch. and Fr. Churches. Description of a visible Church cannot make a Distinct. in the Definition of their Offices. State of Christians 119. Description of visible Church. H. Clap. Epist. before his Treatise of Sin against the Holy Ghost. Brownists 4. Position. Trouble and Excom. at Amster. Fr. john's. in a Letter to M. Smith. While the world standeth, where will it ever be showed out of the Sacred Book of God, that he hath charged, Let there be perpetual Lay-Elders in every Congregation: Let every Assembly have a Pastor and Doctor, distinct in their charge and offices: Let all Decisions, Excommunications, Ordinations, be performed by the whole multitude: Let private Christians (above the first turn, in extremity) agree to set over themselves a Pastor, chosen from amongst them, and receive him with Prayer, and (unless that Ceremony be turned to pomp and Superstition) by imposition of hands. Let there be Widowers (which you call Releevers) appointed every where to the church-service. Let certain discreet and able men which are not Ministers, be appointed to preach the Gospel, and whole truth of God to the people. All the learned Divines of other Churches are in these left, yea, in the most of them censured by you: Hath God spoken these things to you alone? Plead not Revelations, and we fear you not. Pardon so homely an example: As soon, and by the same illumination shall G. john's. prove to your Consistory the lace of the Pastor's wife's sleeve, or rings, or Whalebones, or others amongst you (as your Pastor confesseth) knit-stockings, or cork-shoes forbidden flatly by Scriptures, as these commanded. We see the letter of the Scriptures with you: you shall fetch blood of them with straining, ere you shall wring out this sense: No, no, (M.R.) never make God your stolen: Many of your ordinances came from no higher than your own brain: Others of them though God acknowledges, yet he imposed not: Pretend what you will: These are but the cords of your own conceit, not bonds of Christian obedience. SECTION XX. THe first of these then, is easily untwisted: your second is necessity: The necessity of their pretended ordinance. Than which what can be stronger? what law, or what remedy is against necessity? What we must have we cannot want▪ Oppose but the public necessity to yours: your necessity of having, to the public necessity of withholding: and let one of these necessities (like two nails) drive out another: So they have done, Nulla necessit●● maior est charitate Hieron. Apol. ad Ruff. Fr. jun. de Eccl. Sed accidunt per saepe tempora quibus aut nova Ecclesia generatur, aut altera pars interrumpitur (scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) & tamen Ecclesia esse non definite, forma nimirum essentiali adhuc permanente. Act. 7. beg. Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 9 Mem. nisse Diacom debent quoniam Apostolos (id est) Episcopos & praepositos Dominus elega. Diaconos autem post ascensum Domini in coelos Apostoli sibi constituerunt Episcopatus sui et Ecclesiae ministros. Rom. 1.8. 1 Cor. 1.5. 1 Thes. 1.7. Gal. 4.15. and your own necessity (as the stronger) hath prevailed; for that other necessity might be eluded by flight: you have sought and found elsewhere what the necessity of our laws denied, and the necessity of your conscience required. Beware lest unjustly: Sin is as strong bond to a good heart as impossibility; Christians cannot do what they ought not: contrary to the laws of your Prince and Country: you have fled not only from us, but from our Communion. Either is disobedience no sin, or might you do this evil, that good may come of it? But what necessity is this? simple and absolute, or conditional? Is there no remedy but you must needs have such Elders, Pastors, Doctors, Releevers, such offices, such executions? Can there be no Church, no Christians without them? What shall we say of the families of the Patriarches, of the jewish congregations under the Law, yea, of Christ and his Apostles? Either deny them to have been visible Churches, or show us your distinct offices amongst them: But as yet (you say) they were not: Therefore God hath had a true Church (thousands of years) without them: Therefore they are not of the essence of the Church: You call me to the times since Christ: I demand then, was there not a worthy Church of God in jerusalem from the time of Christ's Ascension, till the election of the seven Deacons. Those hundred and twenty Disciples, Act. 1.15. and three thousand Converts, Act. 2.41. Those continual Troops that flocked to the Apostles, were they no true Church? Let the Apostles and Evangelists be Pastors and Doctors: where were their Elders, Deacons, Releevers? Afterwards, when Deacons were ordained, yet what news is there of Elders, till Act. 11? yet that of jerusalem was more forward than the rest: We will not (as you are wont) argue from Scriptures negatively: no proof, yet much probability is in S. Paul's silence: He writes to Rome, Corinth, and other Churches: those his Divine letters in a sweet Christian-civility salute even ordinary Christians: And would he have utterly passed by all mention of these Church-officers, amongst his so precise acknowledgement of lesser titles in others, if they had been ere this ordained? yet all these more than true Churches, famous some of them, rich, forward and exemplary. Only the Philippian Church is styled with Bishops and Deacons, Phil. 1.2. but no Elders besides them. The Churches of Christ since these, (if at least you will grant that Christ had any Church till now) have continued in a recorded succession through many hundreds of years. Search the Monuments of her Histories: show us where ever in particular Congregations all these your necessary Offices (as you describe them) were either found or required. It was therefore a new-no-necessitie that bond you to this course, or (if you had rather) a necessity of fallibility: If with these God may be well served, he may be well served without them. This is not that v●●m necessari●● that Christ commends in Marie: you might have sat still with less trouble, and more thankes. SEP. But also in our most sinful subjection to many Antichristian enormities, which we are bound to eschew as hell. SECTION XXI. BUT beside that we ought to have had somewhat which we want, The enormities of the Church in common. we have somewhat which we should have wanted: Some? yea, many Antichristian enormities. To say we are absolute, and neither want nor abound, were the voice of Laodicea or Tyrus in the Prophet: Our Church as she is true so humble: and is as far from arrogating perfection, as acknowledging falsehood: If she have enormities, yet not so many: Fr. john's. against M. jacob. Bar. Gyff. refuted, i. Transgress. p. 28. or if many, not Antichristian. Your Cham hath espied ninety one nakednesses in this his mother, and glories to show them; All his malice cannot show one fundamental error: and when the foul mouth of your false Martyr hath said all, they are but some spots and blemishes, not the old running issues, and incurable botches of Egypt: the particulars shall plead for themselves. These you eschew as hell: While you go on thus uncharitably both alike; Do you hate these more, than Master Smith, and his faction hates yours? His Character shall be judge: So do we value your detestation, as you his. It were well for you, if you eschewed these enormities less, and hell more: Your sinful subjection to these humours, will prove more fearful than to our Antichristian enormities. SEP. She is our mother: so may she be, and yet not the Lords Wife: every mother of children is not a wife. Ammi and Ruhamah were bidden to plead with their mother Apostate Israel, and pleads that she was not the Lord's wife, nor He her husband, Ho. 2.1, 2. And though you forbidden us a thousand times, yet must we plead: not to excuse our fault, but to justify our innocence: and that not only not so much in respect of ourselves, as of the truth: which without sacrilege we may not suffer to be condemned unheard. And if you yet hear her not, rather blame yourselves as deaf, than us as dumb. Hierom. ad Eustoch. Epitaph. Paulae ex Psal. 67. SECTION XXII. The Church of England is the Spouse of Christ. Cypr. de simplic. Praelator. Adulterari non potest sp●●sa Christi, incorrupta est & pudica. 1 King. 12.29. Hos. 2.16.2.13. SHE may be your Mother (you say) and not the Lords Wife. It is a good Mother that hath Children, and no Husband: Why did you not call her plain Where? Your old Emblem is, As is the mother, so is the Daughter. These are the modest circumlocutions of a good Son, who cares not to prove himself a Bastard, that his Mother may be marked for an Harlot: be you a true Lo-ammi; but England shall never (I hope) prove an Apostate Israel: We have no Calves in our Dan and Bethel, none of jeroboam Idolatry: We have still called God ISHI, and never burned incense to Baali●: It is your Synagogue that hath fallen away from us, as Israel from juda: But these Children were bidden to plead: Gods command shields them from the note of ungracious. Abraham must sacrifice his Son; and this Son must condemn his Mother: show us either our equal desert, or your equal warrant. Where hath God proclaimed our Church not his? By whose hand hath he published her divorce? You have shamed her womb, not she her bed, not God her demeanour. Your tongues are your own, who can forbid you? We know you will plead, and excuse; and censure, and defend; till all the world be weary: we may pray with Hierom to this sense that of the Psalmist, Increpa Domine Bestiaes Calami: yet we see your Pens, Tongues, and Presses, busy and violent. I will not apply to you that which Augustine of his Donatists. Aug. count. Epist. Parmen. l. 1. Though truth compel you to be dumb, yet iniquity will not suffer you to be silent. But if you writ whole Marts and worlds of Volumes, you shall never be able either to justify your Innocence, or excuse your fault: In the mean time, the noise of your contentions is so great, that your truth cannot be heard. Learned junius, and our learnedst Divines, and neighbour Churches, have oft heard your clamours, never your truth: Epist. junij ad Separ. So little have you of this, and so much of the other, that we are ready to wish (as he of old) either ourselves deaf, or you dumb. SEP. Is not Babylon the Mother of God's people? whom he therefore commandeth to departed out of her, lest being partakers of her sins, they also partake of her plagues. And to conclude, what say you more against us, for your Mother the Church of England, than the Papists do for their Mother, and your Mother's Mother, the Church of Rome, against you, whom they condemn as unnatural Bastards and impious Patricides in your separation from her? SECTION XXIII. THE spirit of your Proto-Martyr, would hardly have digested this title of Babylon Mother of God's people; a murdering Stepmother, rather: How the Church of England hath separated from Babylon. Gyff. refut. 2. transg. Revel 18.2. Ans. fore-speech to Counterpoise. She cannot be a Mother of Children to God, and no Church of God: Notwithstanding, God's people (would he say) may be in her, not of her. So Babylon bore them not, but Zion in Babylon; But I fear not your excess of charity: You fly to your Doctor's challenge; and ask what we say against you for us, which Rome will not say for herself against us: Will you justify this Plea of Rome, or not? If you will, why do you revile her? If you will not, why do you object it? Hear then what we say both to you and them, our enemies both: and yet the enemies of our enemies: First, we disclaim, and defy your Pedigree and theirs. The Church of Rome was never our Mothers Mother: Our Christian faith came not from the seven-hilles: Neither was derived either from Augustine the Monk, A Simone Zelota Niceph. Alij à Ios. Arimath. cuius hic sepulchrum cernitur. Angli Pascha Graeco more celebrarunt. jacob. Armin. Disp. Cant. 8.8. Fr. jun. l. sing. de Eccle. or Pope Gregory. Brittany had a worthy Church before either of them looked into the world: It is true that the ancient Roman Church was sister to ours: here was near kindred, no dependence: And not more consanguinity, than (while she continued faithful) Christian love: Now she is gone a whoring, her chaste sister justly spiteth at her: yet even still (if you distinguish, as your learned Antagonist hath taught you, betwixt the Church and Papacy) she acknowledges her Sisterhood, though she refrains her conversation: as she hath many slavish & factious abettors of her known and gross errors (to whom we deny this title) affirming them the body, whereof Antichrist is the head, the great Whore, and Mother of abominations; so again how many thousands hath she, which retaining the foundation according to their knowledge, (as our learned Whitakers had wont to say of Bernard) follow Absolom with a simple heart: all which to reject from God's Church, were no better than presumptuous cruelty. It were well for you before God and the world, if you could as easily wash your hands of unnatural impiety, and trecherousnesse, as we of Bastardy and unjust sequestration. There can be no Bastardy, where was never any Motherhood, we were nephews to that Church, never sons: unless as Rome was the mother City of the world, so by humane institution, we suffered ourselves to be ranged under her patriarchal authority, as being the most famous Church of the West: a matter of courtesy, and pretended Order; no necessity, no spiritual obligation. As for our sequestration, your mouth and theirs may be stopped with this Answer: As all corrupted Churches, so some things the Church of Rome still holds a right; a true God in three persons, true Scriptures, though with addition, a true Christ, though mangled with foul and erroneous consequences; true Baptism, though shamefully deformed with rotten Traditions; and many other undeniable truths of God: some other things (and too many) her wicked Apostasy hath devised and maintained abominably amiss; the body of her Antichristianisme, gross errors, and (by just sequel) heresies; their Pope's Supremacy, infallibility, Illimitation, Transubstantiation, Idolatrous and superstitious worship, and a thousand other of this bran: In regard of all these latter, we profess to the world a just and ancient separation from this false faith and devotion of the Romish Church; which neither you will say, nor they shall ever prove faulty: yea rather they have in all these separated from us, who still irrefragably profess to hold with the ancient, from whom they are departed. In regard of the other we are still with them, holding and embracing with them what they hold with Christ: neither will you (I think) ever prove that in these we should differ. As for our communion, they have separated us by their proud and foolish excommunications: if they had not, we would justly have begun: from their Tyranny and Antichristianisme, from their miserable Idolatry: but as for the body of their poor seduced Christians, which remain amongst them upon the true foundation (as doubtless there are thousands of them which laugh at their Pardons, Miracles, Superstitions, and their trust in merits reposing only upon Christ) we adhere to them in love and pity, and have testified our affection by our blood, ready upon any just call to do it more; Phil. Morn. du Plesses Lib. de Eccle. cap. 10. neither would fear to join with them in any true service of our common God: But the full discourse of this point, that honourable and learned Plesses hath so forestalled, that whatsoever I say, would seem but borrowed. Unto his rich Treatise I refer my Reader, for full satisfaction: Would God this point were thoroughly known, and well weighed on all parts. The neglect or ignorance whereof hath both bred and nursed your separation, and driven the weak and inconsiderate into strange extremities. This say we of ourselves in no more Charity than Truth: But for you; how dare you make this shameless comparison? Can your heart suffer your tongue to say; that there is no more difference betwixt Rome and us, than there is betwixt us and you? How many hundred errors, how many damnable heresies have we evinced with you, in that (so compounded) Church? show us but one mis-opinion in our Church that you can prove within the ken of the foundation: Counterp. p. 171. Let not zeal make you impudent: Your Doctor could say (ingenuously sure) that in the Doctrines which she professeth, she is far better and purer than the Whore Mother of Rome, and your last Martyr, yet better: If you mean (saith he) by a Church (as the most do) that public profession whereby men do profess salvation to be had by the death and righteousness of jesus Christ, I am free from denying any Church of Christ to be in this Land: 1. Penry Exam. before M Fanshaw and Justiniano. Young. Fr. jun. l. de Eccles. M. Hooker Eccles. pol. Du Plesses, l. de Eccl. jacob. Armin. disput. D Reynolds Thess. D. Field of the Church. Revel. 3. & 2. for I know the doctrine touching the holy Trinity, the natures and offices of the Lord jesus, free justification by him; both the Sacraments, etc. published by her Majesty's authority, and commanded by her laws, to be the Lords blessed and undoubted Truths, without the knowledge and profession whereof no salvation is to be had: Thus he with some honesty, though little sense. If therefore your will do not stand in your light, you may well see, why we should thus forsake their Communion, and yet not you ours. Yet though their corruptions be incomparably more, we have not dared to separate so fare from them, as you have done from us for less: Still we hold them even a visible Church, but unsound, sick, dying; sick, not of a consumption only, but of a leprosy or plague (so is the Papacy to the Church) diseases, not more deadly than infectious: If they be not rather in Sardies' taking; of whom the spirit of God saith, thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead; and yet in the next words bids them awake, and strengthen the things which are ready to die. And though our judgement and practice have forsaken their erroneous doctrines and service, yet our charity (if you take that former distinction) hath not utterly forsaken and condemned their persons. This is not our coolness, but equality: your reprobation of us for them, hath not more zeal than headstrong uncharitableness. SEP. And were not Luther, Zuinglius, Cranmer, Latimer, and the rest begot to the Lord in the Womb of the Romish Church? did they not receive the knowledge of his truth when they stood actual members of it? whom notwithstanding afterwards they forsook, and that justly for her fornication. SECTION XXIV. BUT how could you without blushing once name Cranmer, Latimer, The separation made by our holy Martyrs. and those other holy Martyrs, which have been so oft objected to the conviction of your Schism? Those Saints so forsook the Romish Church, as we have done, died witnesses of God's Truth in that Church, from which you are separated▪ lived, preached, governed, shed their blood in the communion of the Church of England, which you disclaim and condemn as no Church of God, as merely Antichristian: Either of necessity they were no Martyrs, yea, no Christians, or else your Separations and Censures of us are wicked. Choose whether you will; They were in the same case with us; we are in the same case with them; no difference but in the time: either their blood will be upon your heads, or your own: this Church had then the same constitution, the same confusion, the same worship, the same Ministry, the same government (which you brand with Antichristianisme) swayed by the holy hands of these men of God; condemn them, or allow us. For their Separation: They found many main errors of doctrine in the Church of Rome (in the Papacy nothing but errors) worth dying for: show us one such in ours, and we will not only approve your Separation, but imitate it. SEP. But here in the name of the Church of England, you wash your hands of all Babylonish abominations, which you pretend you have forsaken, and her for them. And in this regard you speak thus: The Reformation you have made of the many and main corruptions of the Romish Church, we do ingenuously acknowledge, and do withal embrace with you all the truths which to our knowledge you have received instead of them. But Rome was not built all in a day. The mystery of iniquity did advance itself by degrees: and as the rise was, so must the fall be. That Man of Sin, and Lawless man, must languish and die away of a consumption, 2 Thess. 2.8. And what though many of the highest Towers of Babel, and of the strongest Pillars also be● demolished, and pulled down, yet may the building stand still, though tottering to and fro (as it doth) and only underpropped and upheld with the shoulder and arm of flesh, without which in a very moment it would fall flat upon, and lie level with the earth. SECTION XXV. THE Church of England doth not now wash her hands of Babylonish abominations, but rather shows they are clean. What separation England hath made. Would God they were no more foul with your slander than her own Antichristianisme. Here will be found not pretences, but proofs of our forsaking Babylon; of your forsaking us, not so much as well-coloured pretences: You begin to be ingenuous; while you confess a reformation in the Church of England: not of some corruptions, but many; and those many not slight, but main. The gifts of Adversaries are thankless: As Jerome said of his Ruffinus; so may we of you, that you wrong us with praises: This is no more praise than your next page gives to Antichrist himself. Leave out many, and though your commendations be more uncertain, we shall accept it: so your indefinite proposition shall sound to us as general, That we have reform the main corruptions of the Romish Church: None therefore remain upon us, but slight and superficial blemishes. So you have forsaken a Church of foul skin, but of a sound heart; for want of beauty, not of truth. But you say many, not All; that if you can pick a quarrel with one, you might reject all: yet show us that one main and substantial error, which we have not reform: and you do not more embrace those truths with us which we have received, than we will condemn that falsehood which you have rejected, and embrace the truth of that Separation which you have practised. The degrees whereby that strumpet of Babylon got on Horseback you have learned of us, who have both learned and taught, that as Christ came not abruptly into the world, but with many presages and prefigurations, (The day was long dawning ere this Sun arose) so his adversary (that Antichrist) breaks not suddenly upon the Church, but comes with much preparation and long expectance: and as his rise, so his fall must be gradual, and leisurely: Why say you then, that the whole Church every where, must at once utterly fall off from that Church where that Man of Sin sitteth? His fall depends on the fall of others, or rather their rising from under him: If neither of these must be sudden, why is your haste? But this must not be, yet aught: as there must be heresies, yet there ought not: It is one thing what God hath secretly decreed, another what must be desired of us: If we could pull that Harlot from her seat, and put her to jesabels' death, it were happy: Have we not endeavoured it? What speak you of the highest Towers, and strongest pillars, or tottering remainders of Babylon? we show you all her roofs bare, her walls razed, her vaults digged up, her Monuments defaced, her Altars sacrificed to desolation: Shortly, all her buildings demolished, not a stone upon a stone, save in rude heaps, to tell that here once was Babylon: Your strife goes about to build again that her tower of confusion. God divides your languages: It will be well; if yet you build not more than we have reserved. SEP. You have renounced many false doctrines in Popery, and in their places embraced the truth. But what if this truth be taught under the same hateful Prelacy in the same devised office of Ministry, and confused communion of the profane multitude, and that mingled with many errors? SECTION XXVI. THe main grounds of Separation. YOu will now be free both in your profession and gift; You give us to have renounced many false doctrines in Popery: and to have embraced so many truths: we take it until more: You profess where you stick, what you mislike: In these four famous heads, which you have learned by heart from all your predecessors: An hateful Prelacy, Barr. and Gr. against Gyffe Confer. & Exam. passim. Penry in his Exam. Exo. 1.2, 3, etc. jerem. 20.1. jerem. 5. vlt. A devised Ministry, a confused and profane communion, and lastly, the intermixture of grievous errors. What if this truth were taught under a hateful Prelacy? Suppose it were so; Must I not embrace the truth, because I hate the Prelacy? What if Israel live under the hateful Egyptians? What if jeremy live under hateful Pashur? What if the jews live under an hateful Priesthood? What if the Disciples live under hateful Scribes; What are others persons to my profession? If I may be freely allowed to be a true professed Christian, what care I under whose hands? But why is our Prelacy hateful? Actively to you, or passively from you? In that it hates you? Would God you were not more your own enemies: Or rather because you hate it? your hatred is neither any news, nor pain: Who or what of ours is not hateful to you? Our Churches, Bells, Clothes, Sacraments, Preach, Prayers, Sing, Catechisms, Courts, Meetings, Burials, Marriages: It is marvel that our air infects not: and that our heaven and earth (as Optatus said of the Donatists) escape your hatred: john's. praef. to his 7. Reas. Not the forwardest of our Preachers (as you term them) have found any other entertainment; no enemy could be more spiteful; I spsake it to your shame. Rome itself in diverse controversarie discourses hath bewrayed less gall, than Amsterdam: the better they are to others, you profess they are the worse: john's. 7. Reas. p. 66. Tit. 3.4. yea, would to God that of Paul were not verified of you; hateful, and hating one another: but we have learned, that of wise Christians, not the measure of hatred should be respected, Psal. 69.4. but the desert: David is hated for no cause, Michaiab for a good cause: Your causes shall be examined in their places onwards. It were happy, if you hated your own sins more, and peace less: our Prelacy would trouble you less, and you the Church. SECTION XXVII. FOr our devised office of Ministry, you have given it a true title. The truth and warrant of the Ministry of England. Mat. 28.19. Ephes. 4.11. ● Tim. 2.2. 1 Tim. 3.1. Act. 13. 1 Tim. 3.6. 1 Tim. 5.22. 1 Tim. 2.15. Discourse of the trouble and Excom. at Amst. It was devised indeed by our Saviour, when he said, Go teach all Nations and baptise; and performed in continuance, when he gave some to be Pastors and Teachers; and not only the Office of Ministry in general, but ours whom he hath made able to teach, and desirous; separated us for this cause to the work, upon due trial admitted us, ordained us by imposition of hands of the Eldership, and prayer, directed us in the right division of the Word, committed a charge to us; followed our Ministry with power, and blessed our labours with gracious success, even in the hearts of those whose tongues are thus busy to deny the truth of our vocation: Behold here the devised Office of our Ministry: What can you device against this? Your Pastor, who (as his brother writes) hopes to work wonders by his Logical skill, hath killed us with seven Arguments, which he professeth the quintessence of his own, and Penries' extractions, whereto your Doctor refers us as absolute. I would it were not tedious, or worth a Readers labour to see them scanned. I protest before God and the world, I never read more gross stuff so boldly and peremptorily faced out: so full of Tautologies and beggings of the Question never to be yielded. Let me mention the main heads of them, and for the rest be sorry that I may not be endless. To prove therefore that no communion may be had with the Ministry of the Church of England, he uses these seven demonstrations. First, Certain Arg. against the Minist. of England. Counterpoys. Because it is not that Ministry which Christ gave, and set in his Church. Secondly, Because it is the Ministry of Antichrists Apostasy. Thirdly, Because none can communicate with the Ministry of England, but he worships the Beasts image, and yields spiritual subjection to Antichrist. Fourthly, Because this Ministry deriveth not their power and function from Christ. Fiftly, Because they minister the holy things of God by virtue of a false spiritual calling. Sixtly, Because it is a strange Ministry, not appointed by God in his word. Seventhly, Because it is not from Heaven but from Men. Now I beseech thee Christian Reader, judge whether that which this man was wont so oft to object to his brother (a cracked brain) appear not plainly in this goodly equipage of reasons? For what is all this, but one and the same thing tumbled seven times over? which yet with seven thousand times babbling shall never be the more probable. That our Ministry was not given and set in the Church by Christ, but Antichristian, what is it else to be from men, to be strange, to be a false spiritual calling, not to be derived from Christ, to worship the image of the Beast? So this great challenger that hath abridged his nine arguments to seven, might aswell have abridged his seven to one a half. Here would have been as much substance, but less glory: As for his main defence: First, we may not either have, or expect now in the Church that Ministry which Christ set: Where are our Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists? If we must always look for the very same administration of the Church which our Saviour left, why do we not challenge these extraordinary functions? Do we not rather think, since it pleased him to begin with those Offices which should not continue, that herein he purposely intended to teach us, that if we have the same heavenly business done, we should not be curious in the circumstances of the persons? But for those ordinary callings of Pastors and Doctors (intended to perpetuity) with what forehead can he deny them to be in our Church? How many have we that conscionably teach and feed, or rather feed by teaching? Call them what you please, Superintendents (that is) Bishops, Prelates, Priests, Lecturers, Parsons, Vicars, etc. If they preach Christ truly, upon true inward abilities, upon a sufficient (if not perfect) outward vocation: such a one (let all histories witness) for the substance, as hath been ever in the Church since the Apostles times: they are Pastors and Doctors allowed by Christ: Vbi res convenit quis non verba contemnat? Aug. de Ord. n. 2. We stand not upon circumstances and appendances of the fashions of ordination, manner of choice, attire, titles, maintenance: but if for substance these be not true Pastors and Doctors, Christ had never any in his Church, since the Apostles left the earth. All the difficulty is in our outward calling: Let the Reader grant our grave and learned Bishops to be but Christians, and this will easily be evinced lawful, even by their rules: For, Brow. state of Christians. if with them every Plebeian Artificer hath power to elect and ordain by virtue of his Christian profession (the act of the worthiest standing for all) how can they deny this right to persons qualified (besides common graces) with wisdom, learning, experience, authority? Either their Bishopric makes them no Christians (a position which of all the world besides this Sect, would be hissed at) or else their hands imposed are thus fare (by the rules of Separatists) effectual. Now your best course is (like to an Hare that runs back from whence she was started) to fly to your first hold: No Church, therefore no Ministry: So now, not the Church hath devised the Ministry, but the Ministry hath devised the Church: I follow you not in that idle circle: Thence you have been hunted already: But now, since I have given account of ours; I pray you tell me seriously, Who devised your Office of Ministry? I dare say, not Christ, not his Apostles, not their Successors: What Church ever in the world can be produced (unless in case of extremity for one turn) whose conspiring multitude made themselves Ministers at pleasure? what rule of Christ prescribes it? What reformed Church ever did, or doth practise it? what example warrants it? where have the inferiors laid hands upon their Superiors? What congregation of Christendom in all records afforded you the necessary pattern of an unteaching Pastor, or an unfeeding Teacher? It is an old policy of the faulty, to complain first: Certainly, there was never Popish Legend a more errand device of man than some parts of this Ministry of yours, so much gloried in for sincere correspondence to the first Institution. SECTION XXVIII. Confused Communion of the profane. Perplexae sunt istae duae civitates in hoc seculo invicemque permixtae, d●●ec ultimo iudicio dirimantur. Aug. de Civit. Dei, l. 13.3. Eze. 18.20. Orig. Vnusquisque propter proprium peccatum morietur, in propria iustitia vivet, etc. Fr. john's. Artic. against the Dutch and Fr. Answ. against Broughton. Discover. of Brown. Troubles and excom. at. Amst. Charact. praef. lidem in publico accusatores, in occulto rei, in semetipsos censores pariter & nocentes: Damnant f●ris quod intus operantur. YOur scornful exception at the confused communion of the profane multitude, savours strong of Pharisee, who thought it sin to converse (cum terrae filijs) the base vulgar, and whose very Phylacteries did say, Touch me not, for I am cleaner than thou, This multitude is profane (you say) and this communion confused: If some be profane, yet not all; for than could be no confusion in the mixture: If some be not profane, why do you not love them as much as you hate the other? If all main truths be taught amongst some godly, some profane; why will you more shun those profane, then cleave to those Truths, and those godly? If you have duly admonished him, & detested & bewailed his sin; what is another man's profaneness to you? If profaneness be not punished, or confusion be tolerated, it is their sin, whom it concerneth to redress them: If the Officers sin, must we run from the Church? It is a famous & pregnant protestation of God by Ezekiel: The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. And if the Father's sour Grapes cannot hurt the children's teeth, how much less shall the neighbours? But whither will you run from this Communion of the profane? The same fault you find with the Dutch and French; yea, in your own. How well have you avoided it in your separation, let M. White, George johnson, Master Smith be sufficient witnesses, whose plentiful reports of your known uncleanesses, smothered mischiefs, malicious proceed, corrupt pack, communicating with known offenders, bolstering of sins, and willing connivences, as they are shameful to relate, so might well have stopped your mouth from excepting at our confused Communion of the profane. SEP. Shall some general Truths (yea, though few of them in the particulars may be sound practised) sweeten and sanctify the other Errors? Doth not one Heresy make an Heretic? and doth not a little Leven, whether in doctrine or manners, leaven the whole lump? 1 Cor. 5.6, Gal. 5.9. Hag. 2.13. If Antichrist held not many truths, wherewith should he countenance so many forgeries, or how could his work be a mystery of iniquity? which in Rome is more gross and palpable; but in England spun with a finer thread, and so more hardly discovered. But towerde no further in universalities; we will take a little time to examine such particulars, as you yourself have picked out for your most advantage, to see whether you be so clear of Babel's Towers in your own evidence, as you bear the world in hand. SECTION XXIX. HOw many and grievous errors are mingled with our Truths, shall appear sufficiently in the sequel; If any want, let it be the fault of the accuser. Our Errors intermingled with Truth. It is enough for the Church of Amsterdam to have no errors. But ours are grievous: Name them, that our shame may be sequel to your grief: So many they are, Barr. Confer. with M. Hutchins. etc. and D. Andr. & so grievous, that your Martyr, when he was urged to instance, could find none but our opinion concerning Christ's descent into Hell; & except he had overreached, not that. Call you our Doctrines some general truths? Look into our Confessions, Apologies, Articles, and compare them with any, with all other Churches; and if you find a more particular, sound, Christian, absolute profession of all fundamental truths in any Church, since Christ ascended into Heaven, renounce us as you do, & we will separate unto you: But these truths are not sound practised: Let your Pastor teach you, Inquir. into M. W●●te, p. 35. Mat. 13.33. that if errors of practice should be stood upon, there could be no true Church upon earth: Pull out your own beam first: we willingly yield this to be one of your truths, that no truth can sanctify error: That one heresy makes an Heretic: but learn withal, that every error doth not pollute all truths: That there is hay and stubble, which may burn, yet both the foundation stand, and the builder be saved: Such is ours at the worst, why do you condemn where God will save? No Scripture is more worn with your Tongues and Pens, than that of the Leaven, 1 Cor. 5.6. If you would compare Christ's Leaven with Paul's, you should satisfy yourself. Christ says, The Kingdom of Heaven is as Leavens; Paul says, A gross sin is Leavens: Both leavens the whole lump: neither may be taken precisely, but in resemblance: not of equality, M. Bredwell. (as he said well) but of quality: For notwithstanding the Leaven of the Kingdom, some part you grant is unsanctified; So notwithstanding the Leaven of sin, some (which have striven against it to their utmost) are not soured: The leavening in both places must extend only to whom it is extended: the subjects of regeneration in the one; the partners of sin in the other: So our Saviour saith, Ye are the salt of the earth; Yet too much of the earth is unseasoned: The truth of the effect must be regarded in these speeches, not the quantity: It was enough for S. Paul to show them by this similitude, that gross sins where they are tolerated, have a power to infect others: whether it be (as Hierome interprets it) by ill example, or by procurement of judgements: Hierom. In hoc ignoratis, quia malo exemplo possunt plurimi interire? Sed & pe● untus delictum in omn●● populum Iudaeorum ●am Dei legimus advenisse. and thereupon the incestuous must be cast out: All this tends to the excommunicating of the evil, not to the separating of the good: Did ever Paul say, If the incestuous be not cast out, separate from the Church? Show us this, and we are yours: Else it is a shame for you, that you are not ours: If Antichrist hold many truths▪ and we but many, we must needs be proud of your praises: We hold all his truths, and have showed you, how we hate all his forgeries, no less than you hate us: Yet the mystery of iniquity is still spun in the Church of England; but with a finer thread: So fine, that the very eyes of your malice cannot see it; yet none of our least Motes have escaped you: Thanks be to our good God, 1 Tim. 3.16. we have the great mystery of godliness so fairly and happily spun amongst us, as all, but you, bless God with us, and for us: As soon shall ye find Charity and Peace in your English Church, as heresy in our Church of England. SEP. Where (say you) are those proud Towers of their universal Hierarchy? One in Lambeth, another in Fulham: and wheresoever a Pontifical Prelate is, or his Chancellor, Commissarie, or other Subordinate, there is a Tower of Babel unruinated. To this and I desire to know of you, whether the office of Archbishops, Bishops, and the rest of that rank, were not parts of that accursed Hierarchy in Queen MARY'S days, and members of that Man of sin? If they were then as shoulders & arms under that head the Pope, and over the inferior members; and have now the same Ecclesiastical jurisdiction derived and continued upon them, whereof they were possessed in the time of Popery (as it is plain they have by the first Parliament of Queen ELIzABETH) why are they not still members of that body, though the head the Pope be cut off? SECTION XXX. Whether our Prelacy be Antichristian. Seven Argu. first Answ. Counterpoys. TO the particular instances: I ask where are the proud Towers of their Universal Hierarchy? You answer roundly: One in Lambeth, another in Fulham, etc. What Universal? Did ever any of our Prelates challenge all the World as his Diocese? Is this simplicity, or malice? If your Pastor tell us, that as well a World as a Province, Let me return it; If he may be Pastor over a Parlour-full: Why not of a City? And if of a City, why not of a Nation? But these you will prove unruinated Towers of that Babel: You ask therefore whether the Office of Archbishops, Bishops, and the rest of that rank, were not in Queen MARY'S days, parts of that accursed Hierarchy, and members of that Man of sin. Doubtless they were: Who can deny it? But now (say you) they have the same Ecclesiastical jurisdiction continued: This is your miserable Sophistry: Those Popish Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergy were members of Antichrist: not as Church-governors, but as Popish; while they swore subjection to him, while they defended him, whiles they worship's him above all that is called God, and extorted this homage from others, how could they be other but limbs of that Man of sin? shall others therefore which defy him, resist, trample upon him, spend their lives and labours in oppugnation of him, be necessarily in the same case, because in the same room? Let me help your Anabaptists with a sound Argument: The Princes, Peers, and Magistrates of the Land in Queen MARY'S days were shoulders and arms of Antichrist; their calling is still the same; therefore now they are such: Your Master Smith upon no other ground, disclaimeth Infant's Baptism, Character of the Beast against R. Clifton. crying out that this is the main relic of Antichristianisme. But see how like a wise Master you confute yourself: They are still members of the body, though the head (the Pope) be cut off: The head is Antichrist, therefore the body without the head is no part of Antichrist: He that is without the head Christ, is no member of Christ: so contrarily; I hear you say, the very jurisdiction and Office is here Antichristian, not the abuse: What? in them, and not in all Bishops since, and in the Apostles times? Alas, who are you that you should oppose all Churches and times? Ignorance of church-story, and not distinguishing betwixt substances and appendances, personal abuses, and callings, hath led you to this error: Yet since you have reckoned up so many Popes, let me help you with more: Was there not one in Lambeth, when Doctor Cranmer was there? One in Fulham, when Ridley was there? One in Worcester, when Latimer was there? One at Winchester, when Philpot was there? We will go higher; Arch Deacon. Was not Hilarius at Arles, Paulinus at Nola, Primasius at Utica, Eucherius at Lions, Cyril at Alexandria, chrysostom at Constantinople, Augustine at Hippo, Ambrose at Millame? Beatissimus Papa passim in Epist. Ignat. ad Trallian. Euseb. l 3. Ex Euseb. Hier. Catalogue. Scrip. Epaphanio, etc. What should I be infinite? Was not Cyprian at Carthage, Euodius, and after him Ignatius in Saint john's time at Antioch, Polycarpus at Smyrna, Philip at Caesarea, james and Simeon and Cleophas at Jerusalem, and (by much consent of Antiquity) Titus in Crect, Timothy at Ephesus, Mark at Alexandria: yea, to be short, was there not every where in all Ages, an allowed Superiority of Church-governors under this title? Look into the frequent Subscriptions of all Counsels, and their Canons: Look into the Registers of all times, and find yourself answered: Let Reverend Caluin be our Advocate: I would desire no other words to confute you, but his: Caluin. Instit. l. 4. Hieron. Hu●gric. Heming. Potest. Eccles. clas. 3. cap. 10. Hinc Ecclesia p●rior se●●ta tempera Apostolorun, fecit alios Patriar●●●, quorum erat curate ut Ep scopi cui●sque Dioceseosrite eligerentur, ut suum munus Episcopi singuli probe administrarem, etc. Arist. P●l. 7. Potentia divitiarum & pe●pertatis homilitas vel humiliorem vel inferi●rem Episcop●m non facit. Hieron. Euagr. He shall tell you that even in the Primitive Church, the Presbyters chose one out of their number in every City, whom they titled their Bishop, lest dissension should arise from equality. Let Hemingius teach you that this was the practice of the purest Church: Thus it was ever; and if Princes have pleased to annex either large maintenances, or styles of higher dignity, and respect unto these, do their additions annihilate them? Hath their double honour made void their callings? Why, more than extreme neediness? If Aristotle would not allow a Priest to be a Tradesman, yet Paul could yield to homely Tentmaking: if your Elders grow rich or noble, do they cease to be, or begin to be unlawful? But in how many Volumes hath this point been fully discussed? I lift not to glean after their full carts. SEP. And so do all the Reformed Churches in the World (of whose testimony you boast so loud) renounce the Prelacy of England, as part of that Pseudo-Clergie, and Antichristian Hierarchy derived from Rome. SECTION XXXI. FRom your own Verdict you descend to the testimonies of all Reformed Churches: I blush to see so wilful a slander fall from the pen of a Christian. The judgement and practice of other reformed Churches. That all Reformed Churches renounce our Prelacy as Antichristian, what one hath done it? Yea, what one foreign Divine of note, hath not given to our Clergy the right hand of Fellowship? so fare is it from this, that I. Alasco was the allowed Bishop of our first Reformed strangers in this Land; so far, that when your Doctor found himself urged (by M. Spr.) with a cloud of witnesses for our Church and Ministry, as Bucer, Martyr, Fagius, Alasco, Caluin, Beza, Bullinger, Gualther, Simler, Zanchius, junius, Rollocus, and others, Answ. Counterpoys. third Consid. Psal. 20.7. he had nothing to say for himself, but, Though you come against us with Horsemen and Chariots, yet we will remember the name of the Lord our God; and turns it off with the accusation of a Popish plea, and reference to the practice of the Reformed: And if therefore they have so renounced it, because their practice receives it not; Why, like a true do you not say, that our Churches have so renounced their Government? These sisters have learned to differ, and yet to love and reverence each other: and in these cases to enjoy their own forms, without prescription of necessity or censure. Let Reverend Beza be the Trumpet of all the rest, who tells you that the Reformed English Churches continue, upheld by the authority of Bishops, & Archbishops, Bez. de Ministr. Euang. cap. 18. Cited also by D. D wn. p. 29. Hemingius. judicat caeteros Ministros suis Episcopis obtemperare debere. Potest. Eccl. c. 10. that they have had men of that Rank, both famous Martyrs, and worthy Pastors and Doctors: and lastly, congratulates this blessing to our Church: or let Hemingius tell you the judgement of the Danish Church: judicat caeteros Ministros, etc. it judgeth, saith he, that other Ministers should obey their Bishops in all things, which make to the edification of the Church, etc. But what do I oppose any to his nameless All? his own silence confutes him enough in my silence. SEP. It seems, the sacred (so called) Synod assumeth little less unto herself in her determinations: otherwise, how dared she decree so absolutely, as she doth touching things reputed indifferent, viz. that all men in all places must submit unto them without exception, or limitation? Except she could infallibly determine, that these her Ceremonies thus absolutely imposed, should edify all men at all times, how dared she thus impose them? To exact obedience in and unto them, whether they offend or offend not, whether they edify or destroy, were intolerable presumption. SECTION XXXII. Our Synods determination of things indiffere t. Article 11. THERE was never a more idle and beggarly cavil than your next: your Christian Reader must needs think you hard driven for quarrels, when you are fain to fetch the Pope's infallibility out of our Synod, whose flat Decree it was of old: That even general Counsels may err, and have erred. But wherein doth our sacred Synod assume this infallibility, in her determinations? Wherefore is a Synod, if not to determine? But of things reputed indifferent? What else are subject to the constitutions of men? Good and evil are either directly, or by necessary sequel ordered by God: these are above humane power: What have men to do, if not with things indifferent? All necessary things are determined by God, indifferent by men from God, Obligatio sine● coertione nulla. Reg. jur. Non iura dicenda sunt, etc. de Civit. l. b. 19 Answ. to the Admon. p. 279. cited also by D. Sparkes, p. 14 which are as so many particulars, extracts from the generals of God: These things (saith learned Caluin) are indifferent, and in the power of the Church: Either you must allow the Church this, or nothing. But these decrees are absolute, what laws can be without a command? The Law that ties not is no Law: No more than that (saith Austen) which ties us to evil. But for all men, and all times? How for all? For none (I hope) but our own. And why not for them? but without exception and limitation: Do not thus wrong our Church: our late Archbishop (if it were not piacular for you to read aught of his) could have taught you in his public writings, these five limitations of enjoined ceremonies: First, that they be not against the Word of God: Secondly, that justification or Remission of sins be not attributed to them: Thirdly, That the Church be not troubled with their multitude: Aug. Epist. 86. In his enim rebus, de quibus nihil certs statuit Scriptura Divina, mos populi Dei vel instituta matorum pro lege tu●●da sunt. Livius Dcca. l. 4 Nulla lex s●tis ●●●moda omnibus est, id modo quaerit●●, si mator● part● & in su●●●ma pro●est. Fourthly, that they be not decreed as necessary, and not to be changed: And lastly, that men be not so tied to them, but that by occasion they may be omitted, so it be without offence and contempt; you see our limits: but your fear is in this last, contrary to his. He stands upon offence in omitting, you in using: As if it were a just offence to displease a beholder, no offence to displease and violate authority: What Law could ever be made to offend none? Wise Cato might have taught you this, in Livy, that no Law can be commodious to all: Those lips which preserve knowledge, must impart so much of it to their hearers, as to prevent their offence: Neither must Lawgivers' ever foresee what constructions will be of their Laws, but what ought to be: Those things which your Consistory imposes, may you keep them if you list? Is not the willing neglect of your own Parlour-Decrees punished with Excommunication? And now what is all this to infallibility? The sacred Synod determines these indifferent Rites, for decency and comeliness to be used of those whom it concerns, therefore it arrogates to itself infallibility: A conclusion fit for a Separatist. Cum consedissent sancti & ●cligiosi Episcopi. ●in. Tom. 1. p. 239. Sancta Synod. C●rthagi: 4. sub Anastasio, 553. Sancta & Pacifica Synod. Antiochen. 1. p. ●20. Sancta Dei & Apostolica Synodus. 413. Peruenit ad Sanctam Synodum. Can. Nic. 18 309. Sancta Synod. Laod●cco●, 288. You stumble at the Title of Sacred: every straw lies in your way; your Calepine could have taught you, that Houses, Castles, Religious businesses, old age itself, have this style given them: And Virgil (vittasque resoluit Sacrati capitis:) no Epithere is more ordinary to Counsels and Synods: The reason whereof may be fetched from that Inscription of the Elibertine Synod; of those nineteen Bishops is said: When the holy and Religious Bishops were set: How few Counsels have not had this Title? To omit the late; The Holy Synod of Carthage, under Anastasius: The Holy and peaceable Synod at Antioch: The Holy Synod of God, and Apostolical, at Rome under julius. The Holy and great Synod at Nice: and not to be endless: The Holy Synod of Laodicea (though but provincial.) What do these Idle exceptions argue but want of greater? SEP. To let pass your Ecclesiastical Consistories, wherein sins and absolutions from them are as venial and saleable as at Rome; Is it not a Law of the Eternal God, that the Ministers of the Gospel; the Bishops or Elders should be apt and able to teach? 1 Timoth. 3.2. Titus 1.9. and is it not their grievous sin to be unapt hereunto? Esa. 56.10, 11. And yet who knoweth not that the Patrons amongst you present, that the Bishop's institute, the Archdeacon's induct, the Churches receive, and the Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical allow and justify Ministers unapt and unable to teach? Is it not a Law of the Eternal God, that the Elders should feed the stock over which they are set, labouring amongst them in the Word and Doctrine? Acts 20.28. 1 Pet. 5.1, 2. And is it not sin to omit this duty? Plead not for Baal. Your Dispensations for non-residency and Pluralities of Benefices, as for two, three, or more; yea tot quot, as many as a man will have or can get, are so many Dispensations with the Laws of God, and sins of men. These things are too impious to be defended, and too manifest to be denied. SECTION XXXIII. SOME great men, when they have done ill, outface their shame with enacting Laws to make their sins lawful. While you thus charge our practice, Sin's fold in our Courts. you bewray your own: Who having separated from God's Church, devise slanders to colour your sin: We must be shameful, that you may be innocent: You load our Ecclesiastical Consistories with a shameless reproach: Fare be it from us to justify any man's personal sins; yet it is safer sinning to the better part: Fie on these odious comparisons: sins as saleable as at Rome? Who knows not that to be the Mar● of all the World? Perjuries, Murders, Treasons are there bought and sold▪ when ever in ours? The Pope's coffers can easily confute you alone: What tell you us of these? let me tell you: Money is as fit an advocate in a Consistory, as favour or malice: These, some of yours have complained of, as bitterly as you of ours: As if we liked the abuses in Courts: G. john's. Trouble and Excommunications at Amsterdam. as if corrupt executions of wholesome Laws must be imputed to the Church, whose wrongs they are. No less heinous, nor more true in that which followeth. True Elders (not yours) should be indeed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This we call for as vehemently (not so tumultuously) as yourselves. That they should feed their Flocks with Word and Doctrine, we require more than you: That Patrons present, Bishops institute, Arch-Deacons induct some, which are unable, we grant and bewail. But that our Church-Lawes justify them, we deny, and you slander: For our Law (if you know not) requires, that every one to be admitted to the Ministry, should understand the Articles of Religion, Can. 34. not only as they are compendiously set down in the Creed, but as they are at large in our Book of Articles, neither understand them only, but be able to prove them sufficiently out of the Scripture, and that not in English only, but in Latin also: This competency would prove him (for knowledge) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: If this be not performed, blame the persons, clear the Law. Profound Master Hooker tells you, that both Arguments from light of Nature, Laws, and Statutes of Scripture, the Canons that are taken out of ancient Synods, M. hooker's fift book of Ecclesiastical Politic. Pag. 26.3. the Decrees and Constitutions of sincerest times, the sentences of all antiquity, and in a word, every man's full consent and conscience, is against ignorance in them that have charge and cure of souls. And in the same book; Did any thing more aggravate the crime of jeroboams Apostasy, than that he chose to have his Clergy the scum and refuse of his whole Land? Let no man spare to tell it them, D. D●wn●m of the office and dignity of the Ministry. Counterpoys. pag. 179. Dist. 34. Can. Lector. Papa potest contra Apostolum dispensare, & Caus. 25. q. 1. Can. sunt quidam Dispensat. in Euangelio, etc. De concess. praebend. Tit. 8. Ca they are not faithful towards God, that burden wilfully his Church, with such swarms of unworthy Creatures: Neither is it long, since a zealous and learned Sermon dedicated to our present Lord Archbishop by his own Chaplain, hath no less taxed this abuse, whether of insufficiency, or negligence (though with more discretion) than can be expected from your malicious Pen. Learn henceforth not to diffuse crimes to the innocent. For the rest: your Baal, in our Dispensations for Pluralities, would thus plead for himself: First, he would bid you learn of your Doctor to distinguish of sins: sins (saith he) are either controvertible, or manifest: if controvertible or doubtful, men ought to bear one with another's different judgement; if they do not, etc. they sin: such is this: if some be resolved, others doubt; and in whole Volumes plead, whether convenience, or necessity: how could your charity compare these with sins evicted? Secondly, Prop●suit secundum plenitudirem p●testatis de iure pos●●mus supra iu● d spensare, & Gloss● p●ulo infra, Papa contra Apostolum dispensat etc. Sun. confer. p. 52. M. W●ites disco. he would tell you that these Dispensations are intended and directed, not against the offence of God, but the danger of Humane Laws: not securing from sin: but from loss: But, for both these points of Nonresidence and insufficiency, if you sought▪ not rather strife than satisfaction; his Majesty's Speech in the Conference at Hampton Court, might have stayed the course of your quarrelous Pen: No reasonable mind, but would rest in that Gracious and royal determination. Lastly, Why look you not to your own Elders at home? even your handful hath not avoided this crime of Nonresidency: What wonder is it, if our world of men have not escaped? SEP. You are wiser, and I hope honester than thus to attempt, though that received Maxim amongst you (No Ceremony, no Bishop; no Bishop, no King) savours too strongly of that Weed. But what though you be loyal to earthly Kings and their Crowns and Kingdoms, yet if you be Traytice and Rebels agains the King of his Church jesus Christ, and the Sceptre of his Kingdom, not suffering him by his Laws and officers to reign over you, but in stead of them do st●●p to Antichrist in his offices and Ordinances; shall your loyalty towards men, excuse your Treasons against the Lord? though you now cry never folowd, We have no King but Caesar, john. 19.15, yet is there another King, one jesus, which shall return and pass a heavy doom upon the Rebellion, Luke 19.27. These enemies which would not have me reign over them, bring them and slay them before me. SECTION XXXIIII. Our Loyalty to Princes cleared, theirs questioned. Bar. against Gyfford. Inconst. of Brown. p. 113. You that confess our wisdom and honesty, must now plead for your own: your hope is not more of us; than our fear of you. To depose Kings, & dispose Kingdoms is a proud work: you want power, but what is our will? For Excommunication it is clear enough: While you fully hold that every private man hath as much power in this censure, as the Pastor; and that Princes must be equally subject with them to these their censures. Let any man now device if the Brownists could have a King, how that King could stand one day unexcommunicated? Or if this censure meddle only with his soul, not with his Sceptre: How more than credible is it, that some of your Assemblies in Queen Elizabeths' days concluded, Ibid. that she was not (even in our sense) Supreme Head of the Church, neither had authority to make Laws Ecclesiastical in the Church? Inquiry into Th. White. It is well if you will disclaim it: But you know your received position; That no one Church is Superior to other: No authority therefore can reverse this Decree; your will may do it: yea, what better than Rebellion appears in your next clause? While you accuse our Loyalty to an earthly King, as treasonable to the King of the Church, Christ jesus; If our Loyalty be a sin, where is yours? If we be Traitors in our obedience: what do you make of him that commands it? Pag. 36. Whether you would have us each man to play the Rex, and erect a new Government; or whether you accuse us as Rebels to Christ in obeying the old: GOD bless King JAMES from such Subjects. But whose is that so unsavoury weed; No Bishop, no King? Know you whom you accuse? let me show you your Adversary; it is King JAMES himself in his Hampton Conference: is there not now suspicion in the word? surely you had cause to fear that the King would prove no good subject: Belike, not to Christ: What do you else in the next but proclaim his opposition to the King of Kings? or ours in not opposing his? Esa. 26.13. As if we might say with the Israelites, O Lord our God, other Lords besides thee have ruled us: If we would admit each of your Elders to be so many Kings in the Church, we should stoop under Christ's Ordinances: Show us your Commission, and let it appear, whether we be Enemies, or you Usurpers; Alas, you both refuse the rule of this true Deputy, and set up false; Let this fearful doom of Christ light where it is most due: Even so let thine enemies perish, O Lord. SEP. Not to speak of the error of universal Grace, and consequently of , that groweth on ●pace amongst you. what do you else but put in for a part with God inconuersion? though not through freedom of will, yet in a devised Ministry▪ the means of conversion: it being the Lords peculiar as well to appoint the outward Ministry of conversion, as to give the inward grace. SECTION XXXV. Go on to slander: Even that which you say, you will not speak, you do speak with much spite and no truth: Errors of , etc. feigned upon the Church of England. What hath our Church to do with errors of universal grace or ? Errors which her Articles do flatly oppose what shamelessness is this? Is she guilty even of that which she condemns? If some few private judgements shall conceive, or bring forth an error, shall the whole Church do penance? Would God that wicked and heretical Anabaptism, did not more grow upon you than those errors upon us: you had more need to defend, than accuse: But see (Christian Reader) how this man drags in crimes upon us, as Cacus did his 〈◊〉 We do (forsooth) part stakes with God in our conversion▪ wherein? in a devised Ministry: the means of conversion; well fetched about: There may be a Ministry, without a conversion; and (è converso) There may be a conversion without a Ministry: Where now are the stakes parted? 1 Cor. 3.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. yet thus we part stakes (with the Apostle) that we are God's Fellow-labourers in this great work: He hath separated us to it, and joined us with him in it; it is he (as we have proved) that hath devised our Ministry: yea, yourself shall prove it: it is his peculiar to appoint the outward Ministry, that gives the inward grace. But hath not God given inward grace, by our outward Ministry? Your hearts shall be our witnesses: What will follow therefore, but that our Ministry is his peculiar appointment? SEP. Where (say you) are those rotten heaps of Transubstantiating of bread? And where (say I) learned you your devout kneeling to, or before the bread, but from that error of Transubstantiation? Yea, what less can it insinuate, than either that, or some other the like idolatrous conceit? If there were not some thing more in the Bread and Wine than in the water at Baptism, or in the Word read or pre●●●ed, Why should such solemn kneeling be so severely pressed at that 〈◊〉 rather than upon the other occasions? And well and truly have your own men affirmed that it were fare less sin, and appearance of an Idolatry that is nothing so gross, to tie men in their Prayers, to kneel before a Crucifix, than before the Bread and Wine: and the reason followeth, for that, Papists commit an Idolatry far more gross and odious in worshipping the Bread▪ than in worshipping any other of their Images or Idols whatsoever. Apol. of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Dioc. part. 1. pag. 66. SECTION XXXVI. OUR kneeling you derive (like a good Herald) from the error of Transubstantiation: but to set down the descent of this pedigree, will trouble you: Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. De Consecr. d. 2. Ego Bereng. Apol. we do utterly deny it, and challenge your proof. How new a fiction Transubstantiation is, appears out of Berengaries Recantation to Pope Nicholas: The error was then so young, it had not learned to speak; show us the same novelty in our kneeling: Till of 〈◊〉, ble●●eld not the Bread to be God; of old, they have held it sa●●ed: This is the gesture of reverence in our Prayer at the receipt, as Master Burgess w●ll interpreted it, not of idolatrous adoration of the Bread. This was most-what in the elevation: the abolishing whereof clears us of this imputation▪ you know we hate this conceit, why do you thus force wrongs upon the innocent? Neither are we alone in this use: The Church of Bohemy allows and practices it: and why is this error less palpable in the wafers of Geneva? If the King should offer us his hand to kiss, we take it upon our knees: how much more when the King of Heaven gives us his Son in these Pledges? But if there were not something more than just reverence, why do we solemnly kneel at the Communion, not at Baptism? Can you find no difference? In this (besides that there is both a more lively and feeling signification of the thing represented) we are the parties, but in the other witnesses: This therefore I dare boldly say, that if your partner M. Smith should ever (which God forbidden) persuade you to rebaptize, your fittest gesture (or any others at full age) would be to receive that Sacramental water, kneeling: How glad you are to take all scraps, that fall from any of ours for your advantage? Would to God this observation of your malicious gathering would make all our reverend Brethren wary of their censures: Surely, no idolatry can be worse than that Popish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The Bread, and the Crucifix strive for the higher place: if we should therefore be so tied to kneel before the Bread, as they are tied to kneel before the Crucifix, their sentence were just. They adore the Crucifix, not we the Bread: they pray to the Crucifix, not we to the Bread: they direct their devotions (at the best) by the Crucifix to their Saviour, we do not so by the Bread, we kneel no more to the Bread, than to the Pulpit when we join our prayers with the Ministers: But our quarrel is not with them; you that can approve their judgements in dislike, might learn to follow them in approbation, and peaceable Communion with the Church: if there be a galled place, you will be sure to light upon that. Your charity is good; whatsoever your wisdom be? SEP. To let pass your devout kneeling unto your Ordinary when you take the Oath of Canonical obedience, or receive absolution at his hands, which (as the main actions are religious) must needs be religious adoration, what is the adoring of your truly humane (though called Divine) Service book in and by which you worship God, at the Papists do by their Images? If the Lord jesus in his Testament have not commanded any such Book, it is accursed and abominable: if you think he have; show us the place where, that we may know it with you; or manifest unto us that ever the Apostles used themselves; or commended to the Churches after them any such Service book. Was not the Lord in the Apostles time, and Apostolic Churches, purely and perfectly worshipped; when the Officers of the Church in their ministration manifested the spirit of prayer which they had received according to the present necessities and occasions of the Church, before the least p●rcell of this pacchery came into the World? And might not the Lord now be also purely and perfectly worshipped; though this printed image; with the painted and c●●●ed ●●●ges; were sent back to Rome; yea, or cast to Hell, from whence both they and it came? Sp●●ke in yourself; might not the Lord be entirely worshipped with pure and holy worship, though 〈◊〉 other Book but the holy Scriptures were brought into the Church? If yes (as who can deny●●, that knows what the worship of God meaneth) what then doth your Service book there? The Word of God is perfect and admitteth of none addition. Cursed be he that addeth to the Word of the Lord, and cursed be that which is added, and so he your great idol the Communion book, though like Nabuchadnezzars Image some part of the matter be Gold and Silver, which is also so much the more detestable, by how much it is the more highly advanced amongst you. SECTION XXXVII. Whether our Ordinary and Service book be made Idols by us. YEt 〈◊〉 Idolatry? And which is more, New, and strange▪ such (I dare say) as will n●●er be found in the two 〈◊〉 Commandments. Behold, here two now Idols, Our Ordinary, and our Service book, a speaking Idol, and a written Idol. Calecute hath ●ne-strange Deity the Devil, Siberia many, whose people worship every day what they see first. Rome hath many merry Saints: but Saint Ordinary, and Saint Service book were never heard of till your Canonization. In earnest, do you think we make our Ordinary an idol? What else? you kneel devoutly to him when you receive either the Oath or Absolution. This must needs be religious adoration: is there no remedy? You have twice kneeled to our Vicechancellor, when you were admitted to your degree; you have oft kneeled to your Parents, and Godfathers to receive a blessing, did you make Idols of them? the party to be ordained, kneels under the hand of the Presbytery: doth he religiously adore them? Of old they were wont to kiss the hands of their Bishops, so they did to Baal: God and our Superiors have had ever one and the same outward gesture: Though here, Paulus in vita Ambros. not the Agent is so much regarded, as the Action: if your Ordinary would have suffered you to have done this piece of Idolatry, you had never separated. But the true God Bel, and Dragon of England is the humane-divine-seruice-booke: Let us see what ashes or lumps of pitch this Daniel brings: We worship God in, and by it, as Papists do by their Images: Indeed, we worship God in, and by prayers contained in it: Why should we not? Tell me, why is it more Idolatry for a man to worship God in, and by a prayer read, or got by heart, than by a prayer conceived? I utter both, they are both mine: if the heart speak them both, feelingly and devoutly, where lies the Idol? In a conceived prayer, is it not possible for a man's thought to stray from his tongue? in a prayer learned by heart, or read, is it not possible for the heart to join with the tongue? If I pray therefore in spirit, and hearty utter my desires to God, whether in mine own words, or borrowed (and so made mine) what is the offence? But (say you) if the Lord jesus in his Testament have not commanded any such Book, it is accursed and abominable: But say I, if the Lord jesus hath not any where forbidden such a Book, it is not accursed nor abominable: Show us the place where, that we may know it with you: Nay, but I must show you where the Apostles used any such Service book: show you me, where the Apostles baptised in a Basin: or where they received women to the Lords table: (for your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 1 Cor. 11. Passag. 'twixt Caluin and Smith. Egyptij ubi lautè epulati sunt, post coe●●a ●d s●cuint. Socr●. 5. c. 22. will not serve) show me that the Bible was distinguished into Chapters and Verses in the Apostles time: show me that they ever celebrated the Sacrament of the Supper at any other time than evening, as your Anabaptists now do: show me that they used one prayer before their Sermons always, another after; that they preached ever upon a Text: where they preached over a Table: or lastly, show me where the Apostles used that prayer which you made before your last prophecy; and a thousand such circumstances. What an idle plea is this from the Apostolic times? Platin. initio. And if I should tell you that Saint Peter celebrated with the Lords Prayer, you will not believe it: yet you know the History. But let the Reader know that your quarrel is not against the matter, but against the Book; not as they are prayers, but as stinted, or prescribed: Wherein all the world besides yourselves are Idolaters: Behold, all Churches that were, or are, are partners with us in this crime. Oh idolatrous Geneva, and all French, Scottish, Danish, Dutch Churches! All which both have their set Prayers with us, and approve them. Caluin Epist. ad Protest. Angl. Epist. 87. Quod ad formulam, etc. As concerning a form of Prayers and Rites Ecclesiastical (saith Reverend Caluin) I do greatly allow that it should be set and certain, from which it should not be lawful for Pastors in their function to departed. judge now of the spirit of these bold controllers, that dare thus condemn all God's Churches through the world, as idolatrous. But since you call for Apostolic examples; did not the Apostle Paul use one set form of appreciations, of benedictions? What were these but lesser Prayers? The quantity varies not the kind: Will you have yet ancienter precedents? The Priest was appointed of old to use a set form under the Law, Num. 6.23. so the people Deu. 26.3, 4, 5, etc. 15. Both of them a stinted Psalm for the Sabbath, Psal, 92. Answ. to the Minist. Counterpoys. 327. What saith your Doctor to these? Because the Lord (saith he) gave forms of Prayers and Psalms, therefore the Prelates may? Can we think that jeroboam had so slender a reason for his calves? Mark (good Reader) the shifts of these men: This Answerer calls for Examples, and will abide no stinting of Prayers, because we show no patterns from Scripture: We do show patterns from Scripture, and now their Doctor saith, God appointed it to them of old, must we therefore do it? So, whether we bring examples or none, we are condemned: But Master Doctor, whom, I beseech you, should we follow, but God in his own services? If God have not appointed it, you cry out upon inventions: if God have appointed it, you cry, We may not follow it: show then where God ever enjoined an ordinary service to himself, that was not ceremonial (as this plainly is not:) which should not be a direction for us? But if stinting our prayers be a fault (for as yet you meddle not with our blasphemous Collects) it is well that the Lords prayer itself beareth us company, Counterpoys. and is no small part of our Idolatry: Which, though it were given principally as a rule to our prayers, yet, since the matter is so heavenly, and most wisely framed to the necessity of all Christian hearts; Omnibus arietibus gregis (id est) Aposiolis suis dedit morem orandi, Dimitte nobis, etc. Aug. epist. 89. to deny that it may be used entirely in our Saviour's words, is no better than a fanatical curiousness: yield one and all, for if the matter be more divine, yet the stint is no less faulty: This is not the least part of our patchery: except you unrip this, the rest you cannot. But might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without it? Tell me, might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without Churches, without houses, without garments, yea, without hands or feet? In a word, could not God be purely worshipped, if you were not? Yet would you not seem a superfluous creature: speak in yourself: Might not God be entirely worshipped with pure and holy worship, though there were no other Books in the World, but the Scripture? If yea, as who can deny it, that knows what the worship of God meaneth? What then do the Fathers and Doctors and learned Interpreters? To the fire with all those curious Arts and Volumes, as your Predecessors called them: Yea, let me put you in mind, that God was purely and perfectly worshipped by the Apostolic Church, before ever the New Testament was written. See therefore the idleness of your proofs; God may be served without a prescription of Prayer, but (if all Reformed Churches in Christendom err not) better with it: The Word of God is perfect, and admits no addition: cursed were we, if we should add aught to it: cursed were that which should be added: But cursed be they that take aught from it, and dare say, Ye shall not pray thus, Our Father, etc. Do we offer to make our Prayers Canonical? do we obtrude them as parts of God's Word? Why cavil you thus? Why doth the same Prayer written add to the Word, which spoken addeth not? Because conceived Prayer is commanded, not the other: But first, not your particular Prayer: Secondly, without mention either of conception, or memory, God commands us to pray in spirit, and with the heart: These circumstances only as they are deduced from his Generals, so are ours: But whence soever it please you to fetch our Book of public Prayer, from Rome or Hell; or to what Image soever you please to resemble it; Let moderate spirits hear what the precious JEWEL of England saith of it: We have come as near as we could to the Church of the Apostles, Apolog. p. 170. Accessimus, etc. H. Burr. against Gyfford. etc. neither only have we framed our Doctrine, but also our Sacraments, and the form of public Prayers according to their Rites and Institutions. Let no jew now object Swines-flesh to us: He is no judicious man (that I may omit the mention of Cranmer, Bucer, Ridley, Taylor, etc. some of whose hands were in it, all whose voices were for it) with whom one JEWEL will not over-weigh ten thousand Separatists. SEP. The number of Sacraments seems greater amongst you by one at the least, than Christ hath left in his Testament, and that is Marriage; which howsoever you do not in express terms call a Sacrament (no more did Christ and the Apostles call Baptism and the Supper Sacraments,) yet do you in truth create it a Sacrament, in the administration and use of it. There are the parties to be married and their marriage, representing Christ and his Church, and their spiritual union: to which mystery, saith the Oracle of your service-book expressly, God hath consecrated them: there is the Ring hallowed by the said service-book, (whereon it must be laid) for the Element; there are the words of consecration; In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: there is the place, the Church; the time usually, the Lords day▪ the Minister, the Parish Priest. And being made as it is a part of God's Worship, and of the Ministers office, what is it if it be not a Sacrament? It is a part of Prayer, or preaching, and with a Sacrament it hath the greatest consimilitude: but an Idol I am sure it is in the celebration of it, being made a Ministerial duty and part of God's worship, without warrant, call it by what name you will. SECTION XXXVIII. HOw did Confirmation escape this number? how did Ordination? Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England. it was your oversight, I fear, not your charity: some things seem, and are not: such is this your number of our Sacraments: you will needs have us take-in marriage into this rank: why so? we do not (you confess) call it a Sacrament as the vulgar, misinterpreting Paul's Mysterium, Eph. 5. why should we not if we so esteemed it? wherefore derue names, but to denotate the nature of things? if we were not ashamed of the opinion, we could not be ashamed of the word: No more (say you) did Christ and his Apostles call Baptism and the Supper, Sacraments; but we do, and you with us: See now whether this clause do not confute your last: where hath Christ ever said, There are two Sacraments? Yet you dare say so: what is this but in your sense an addition to the word? yea, we say flatly, there are but two: yet we do (you say) in truth create it a Sacrament: how oft, and how resolutely hath our Church maintained against Rome, that none but Christ immediately can create Sacraments? If they had this advantage against us, how could we stand? How wrongful is this force, to fasten an opinion upon our Church which she hath condemned? But wherein stands this our creation? It is true; the parties to be married, and their marriage represent Christ, and his Church, and their spiritual union: Beware, lest you strike God through our sides: what hath God's Spirit said either less, or other than this? Eph. 5.25, 26, 27, & 32. Doth he not make Christ the husband, the Church his Spouse? Doth he not from that sweet conjunction, and the effects of it, argue the dear respects that should be in marriage? Or what doth the Apostle a●●nde elsewhere unto, when he says (as Moses of Eve) we are flesh of Christ's flesh, and bone of his bone? And how famous amongst the ancient is that resemblance of Eve taken out of Adam's side sleeping, to the Church taken out of Christ's side sleeping on the Cross? Since marriage therefore so clearly represents this mystery: and this use is holy and sacred: what error is it, to say that marriage is consecrated to this mystery? But what is the Element? The Ring; These things agree not; you had before made the two parties to be the matter of this sacrament? What is the matter of the Sacrament, but the Element? If they be the matter, they are the Element, and so not the Ring; both cannot be: If you will make the two parties to be but the receivers; how doth all the mystery lie in their representation? Or if the Ring be the Element, than all the mystery must be in the Ring, not in the parties: Labour to be more perfect, ere you make any more new Sacraments: but this Ring is laid upon the service-book: why not? For readiness, not for holiness: Nay, but it is hallowed (you say) by the book: If it be a Sacramental Element, it rather hallows the book, than the book it; you are not mindful enough for this trade: But what exorcisms are used in this hallowing? Or who ever held it any other than a civil pledge of fidelity? Then follow the words of Consecration: I pray you, what difference is there betwixt hallowing, and consecration? The Ring was hallowed before the book, now it must be consecrated: How idly? By what words? In the name of the Father, etc. These words you know are spoken after the Ring is put on: was it ever heard of, that a Sacramental Element was consecrated after it was applied▪ See how-il your slanders are digested by you: The place is the Church, the time is the Lords day, the Minister is the actor; and is it not thus in all ●●her reform Churches aswell as ours? Behold, we are not alone: all Churches in the world (if this will do it) are guilty of three Sacraments: Tell me, would you not have marriage solemnised publicly? You cannot mislike: though your founder seems to require nothing here but notice given to witnesses, & then to bed: Well, if public; Br●. state of Christians, 17● you account it withal, a grave and weighty business: therefore such, as must be sanctified by public prayer: What place is fit for public prayer than the Church? Who is fit to offer up the public prayer, than the Minister? who should rather join the parties in Marriage, than the public deputy of that God, who solemnly joined the first couple? who rather than he which in the name of God may bless them? The prayers which accompany this solemnity, are parts of God's worship, not the contract itself: This is a mixed action, therefore, compounded of Ecclesiastical and civil: imposed on the Minister, not upon necessity but expedience: neither essential to him, but accidentally annexed, for greater convenience. These two frivolous grounds have made your cavil either very simple, or very wilful. SEP. Your Court of faculties from whence your dispensations and tolerations for Nonresidency, and Plurality of Benefices are had together, with your commuting of Penances, and absolving one man for another. Take away this power from the Prelates, and you maim the Beast in a limb. SECTION XXXIX. SEE if this man be not hard driven for accusations, when he is fain to repeat over the very same crime, Commutation of Penance in our Church. which he had largely urged before: All the world will know that you want variety, when you send in these twice-sod Coleworts: Somewhat yet we find new, Commutation of Penance. Our Courts would tell you, that here is nothing dispensed with, but some ceremony of shame in the confession: which in the greater sort is exchanged (for a common benefit of the poor) into a pecuniary mulct; yet (say they) not so as to abridge the Church of her satisfaction, by the confession of the offender: and if you grant the Ceremony devised by them, why do you find fault that it is altered, or commuted by them? As for Absolution, you have a spite at it, because you sought it, and were repulsed: If the censures be but their own (so you hold) why blame you the managing of them in what manner seems best to the authors? This power is no more a limb of the Prelacy, than our Prelacy is that Beast in the Revelation: and our Prelacy holds itself no more S. john's beast, than it holds you S. Paul's beast, Phil. 3.2. Sep. In your High Commission Court very absolute, where, by the Oath Ex Officio, men are constrained to accuse themselves of such things as whereof no man will or can accuse them; what necessity is laid upon men in this case, let your prison's witness. SECTION XL. Oath Ex officio. I Ask of Auricular Confession; you send me to our High Commission Court: these two are much alike: But here is also very absolute necessity of confession: True; but as in a case of justice, not of shrift: to clear a truth, not to obtain absolution: to a bench of judges, not to a Priest's ear; Here are too many ghostly Fathers, for an auricular confession: But you will mistake, it is enough against us, that men are constrained in these courts to confess against themselves: why name you these courts only? Even in others also oaths are urged, not only (ex officio mercenario, but no●ili:) The honourablest Court of Star-chamber gives an oath in a criminal case to the defendant; So doth the Chancery, and Court of Requests: Shortly, to omit foreign examples, how many instances have you of this like proceeding in the common Laws of this Land? But withal you might learn, that no Enquiry Ex officio may be thus made but upon good grounds, D. Cos●●s his Apol. as Fame, Scandal, vehement presumption, etc. going before, and giving just cause of suspicion: Secondly, D. Au●r. determ. de Iur●●●rando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Num. 5.12. Icsh. 7.19. 1 Sam. 14 43. G. john's. & M. Crud. Trouble at Amsterd. p. 132. Non potest quis in una causa eodem mom●nto duas portarepersonas, ut in eodem iudicio & accusator sit & iud●●. Optat. 〈◊〉 7. that this proceeding is not allowed in any case of crime, whereby the life, or limbs of the examined party, may be endangered: nor yet, where there is a just suspicion of future perjury upon such enforcement. Thus is the suspected wife urged to clear h●● honesty by oath: Thus the Master of the house must clear his truth, Exod. ●●. 8. Thus A●●an and jonathan were urged to be their own accusers, though not by oath▪ But if perhaps 〈…〉 justicer in their proceed; must this b● 〈…〉 petty-Courts at ho● 〈…〉 only to the Commission Court of England, but to the Inquisition of Spain▪ See 〈◊〉 your Pastor defending himself to be both an accuser and judge in the same cause: See their proceed Ex Officio without commission: and if your prisons cannot witness it, your excommunications may. SEP. Though you have lost the Shrines of Saints, yet you retain their da●es, and those holy as the Lords day, and that with good profit to your spiritual carnal Courts, from such as profane them with the least and most lawful 〈◊〉 notwithstanding the liberty of the si● day's labour, which the Lord hath given: and as much would the Masters of these Courts be stirred at the Casting of these Saints days out of the Calendar, 〈◊〉 were the Masters of the possessed maid, when the Spirit of divination was cast out of her, Act. 1●. 19. SECTION XLI. We have not lost, but cast away the Idolatrous shrines of Saints: Holidays how observed in the Church of England. their days we retain; theirs, not for worship of them, which our Church condemneth, but partly for ●ommo● oration of their high deserts, and excellent examples: partly for distinction: indeed therefore God's days, and not theirs▪ their praises redound to him: show us where we implore them, where we consecrate days to their service: The main end of Holidays is for the service of God, and some, Socr. l. 5. c. 21. Est. 9.17. Nehe. 12.27. 1 Mac. 4.29. john 10.13. Aug. Ep. 44. Scias à Christianis Catholicis nullum coli mortuorum, nihil denique ut numen ad●rari, quod fit factum & conditu●● à Deo. Quae tolo orbe terrarum, etc. sicuti quoque Domini passio & resurrectio & in coelum ascensus, & adventus Spiritus sancti anniversar. à solemnitate c●●ebrantur. Aug. Epist. 118. Churches of France and Flanders in Har●. confess. Th' Whites Discover. p. 1●. as Socrates sets down of old, (quo se à láborum conte●●ione relax●●●) for relaxation from labour: and if such days may be appointed by the Church (as were the Holy days of Purim; of the dedication of the wall of jerusalem, the dedication of the Temple) whose names should they rather bear (though but for mere distinction) than the blessed Apostles of Christ? But his is a colour only: for you equally condemn those days of Christ's Birth, Ascension, Circumcision, Resurrection, Anunciation, which the Church hath beyond all memory celebrated: what then is our fault? We keep these holy as the Lords day, in the same manner, though not in the same degree: Indeed we come to the Church, and worship the God of the Martyrs and Saints: is this yet our offence? No, but we abstain from our most lawful labour in them; True, yet not in conscience of the day, but in obedience to the Church: If the Church shall indict a solemn Fast: do you not hold it contemptuous to spend that day i● lawful labour notwithstanding that liberty of the six days which God hath given? Why shall that be lawful in a case of dejection, which may not in praise and exultation? If you had not loved to cavil, you would rather have accepted the Apology, or excuse of our sister Churches in this behalf, than aggravated these uncharitable pleas of your own▪ yet even in this, your own Synagogue at Amsterdam (if we may believe your own) is not altogether guiltless: your hands are still and your shops shut upon festival days; But we accuse you not: would God this were your worst. The Masters of our Courts would tell you, they would not care so much for this dispossession, as that it should be done by such conjurers as yourself. SEP. If an ignorant and unpreaching Ministry be approved amongst you, and the people constrained by all kind of violence to submit unto it, and therewith to rest (as what a more usual throughout the whole kingdom?) then let no modest man once open his mouth to deny, that ignorance is constrained and approved amongst you. If the service said or sung in the Parish Church may be called devotion, then fa●e there is good store of unknown devotion, the greatest part in most parishes, neither knowing nor regarding what is said, nor wherefore. SECTION XLII. Our approbation of an unlearned Ministry disproved. YOur want of quarrels makes you still run over the same complaints: which if you redouble a thousand times, will not become just, may become tedious: God knows how far we are from approving an unlearned Ministry: The protestations of our gracious King, our Bishops, our greatest Patrons of conformity in their public writings, might make you ashamed of this bold assertion: we do not allow that it should be, we bewail that it will be: our number of Parishes compared with our number of Divines, will soon show; that either many Parishes must have none, or some Divines must have many Congregations, or too many Congregations must have scarce Divine-incumbents. Confer. at Hampt. Our dear Sovereign hath promised a medicine for this disease; But withal tells you that jerusalem was not built all on a day. The violence you speak of is commonly in case of wilful contempt, not of honest and peaceable desired further instruction, or in supposal of some tolerable ability in the Ministry forsaken; we do hearty pray for labourers into this harvest: we do wish that all Israel could prophesy: we publish the Scriptures, we Preach, Catechise, Writ, and (Lord thou knowest) how many of us would do more, if we knew what more could be done, for the information of thy people, and remedy of this ignorance which this adversary reproves us to approve. We doubt not but the service said in our Parish-Churches, is as good a service to God, as the extemporary devotions in your Parlours: But, It is an unknown devotion, you say: Through whose fault? The Readers, or the Hearers, or the Matter? Distinct reading you cannot deny ●o the most Parishes: the matter, is easy Prayers, and English Scriptures: if the hearers be regardless; or in some things dull of conceit, lay the fault from the Service to the men: All yours are free from ignorance, free from wandering conceits: we envy you not, some knowledge is no better than some ignorance, and carelessness is no worse than misregard. SEP. What are your sheet-penances for adultery, and all your purse-penances for all other sins? than which, though some worse in Popery, yet none more common. SECTION XLIII. Penances enjoined in the Church of England. Coming now to the Vaults of Popery, I ask for their Penances, and Purgatory; those Popish Penances, which presumptuous Confessors enjoined as satisfactory, and meritorious upon their bold absolutions: You send me to Shee●-penances and Purse-penances: the one, ceremonious corrections of shame, enjoined and adjoined to public Confessions of uncleanness, Sacc● & cin●ri incubare, corp●● fordibus ●bscurarē, presbyteris aduolu●, & aris Dei adgeniculari. Tert. de penit. for the abasing of the offender, and hate of the sin: such like as the ancient Church thought good to use for this purpose. Hence they were appointed (as Tertullian speaketh) in sackcloth and ashes, to crave the prayers of the Church, to besmear their body with filthiness, to throw themselves down before God's minister & Altar; not to mention other more hard, & perhaps no less ancient Rites; and hence, were those five stations of the Penitent, whereby he was at last received into the body of his wont Communion: Canon. Greg. Neocaesar. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. the other a pecuniary mulct imposed upon some (not all, you foully slander us) less heinous offences; as a penalty, not as a penance: I hope you deny not; Sodomy, Murder, Robbery, and (which you would not). Theft itself is more deeply avenged: But did ever any of ours urge either sheet or puse as the remedy of Purgatory, or enjoin them, to avoid those infernal pains? unless we do so, our Penances are not Popish, & our Answerer is idle. SEP. Touching Purgatory, though you deny the doctrine of it, and teach the contrary, yet how well your practice suits with it, let it be considered in these particulars: Your absolving of men dying excommunicate after they be dead, and before they may have Christian burial. Your Christian burial in holy ground (if the party will be at the charges;) your ringing of hallowed bells for the soul; your singing the Corpse to the grave from the Church style; your praying over, or for the dead, especially in these words, That God would hasten his Kingdom, that we with this our Brother (though his life were never so wretched, and death desperate) and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation both in body and soul. Your general doctrines and your particular practices agree in this, as in the most other things, like Harp and Harrow. In word you profess many truths, which in deed you deny. These and many more Popish devices (by others at large discovered to the world) both for pomp and profit, are not only not ra●ed and buried in the dust, but are advanced amongst you above all that is called God. SECTION XLIV. YOur next accusation is more ingeniously malicious; The practices of the Church of England concerning the funerals of the Dead. our Doctrine you grant contrary to Purgatory: but you will fetch it out of our practice, that we may build that which we destroy: Let us therefore purge ourselves from your Purgatory: We absolve men dying excommunicate; a rare practice, and which yet I have not lived to see: but if Lawmakers contemn rare occurrents, surely accusers do not: Once is too much of an evil: Mark then; Do we absolve his Soul after the departure? No: what hath the body to do with Purgatory? Yet for the body: do we by any absolution seek to quit it from sin? Nothing less: reason itself gives us, that it is uncapable either of sin or pardon; To lie unburied, or to be buried unseemly, is so much a punishment, that the Heathens objected it (though upon the havoc and fury of War) to the Christians: as an argument of God's neglect. All that Authority can do to the dead Rebel, is to put his carcase to shame, and deny him the honour of seemly sepulture: Thus doth the Church to those that will die in wilful contempt. Those Grecian virgins that feared not death, Aug. de Ciu. l. 2. Athenienses decreverunt ne siquis se interfecisset sepeliretur in agro attico, etc. were yet refrained with the fear of shame ●●ter death: it was a real, not imaginary curse of jezabel; The dogs shall eat jezabel. Now the absolution (as you call it, by an unproper; but malicious name) is nothing else, but a liberty given by the Church (upon repentance signified of the fault of the late offender) of all those external Rites of decent Funeral: Death itself is capable of inequality, and unseemliness: Suppose a just Excommunication: What reason is it, that he which in his life and death would be as a Pagan, should be as a Christia● in his burial? What is any, or all this to Purgatory? The next intimation of our Purgatory, is our Christian burial, in the place, in the manner: The place, holy ground, the Church, Churchyard, etc. The manner, Ringing sing, Praying over the corpse. Thus therefore you argue; We bury the body in the Church, or Churchyard, etc. therefore we hold a Purgatory of the Soul; a proof not less strange than the opinion: We do neither scorn the carcases of our friends, as the old Troglodytes: nor with the old Egyptians respect them more, than when they were informed with a living soul: but we keep a mean course betwixt both, using them as the remainders of dead men, Sleeping-places Coemiteria. Euseb. l. 7. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Splendidissimae sepulturae tradidit. Eus. l. 7. c. 15 Curatio funeris, conditio sepulturae, p●●npa exequiarum, magis sunt viu●rum solatia quam subsidia mortuorum Aug. de civet. l. 1. c. 12. Si enim paterna vestis & annulus tanto charaest posteris, nullo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora. Aug. de Ciu. l. 1. c. 13. Orig. cont. Cells. l. 8. Rationalem animam honorare didicimus, etc. yet as dead Christians: and as those which we hope one day to see glorious. We have learned to call no place holy in itself (since the Temple) but some more holy in their use, than others. The old (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) of the Christians, wherein their bodies slept in peace, were not less esteemed of them, than they are scorned of you. Galienus thought he did them a great favour (and so they took it) when he gave them the liberty not only of their Churches; but of their former burying places, In the same book Eusebius commends Astirius a noble Senator, for his care, and cost of Marinus his burial. Of all these rites of Funeral, and choice of place, we profess to hold with Augustine, that they are only the comforts of the living, not helps of the dead; yet as Origen also teacheth us, we have learned to honour a reasonable (much more a Christian,) soul; and to commit the instrument or case of it honourably to the grave. All this might have taught our Answerer, that we make account of an heaven, of a resurrection, not of a Purgatory. But we ring hallowed bells for the Soul: Do not those bells hang in hallowed Steeples too? and do we not ring them with hallowed ropes? what fancy is this? If Papists were so fond of old: their folly and their bells (for the most part) are both out of date; we call them soule-belles, for that they signify the departure of the soul, not for that they help the passage of the soul. This is mere Boyes-play. But we pray over or for the dead; Do we not sing to him also? Pardon me, I must need● tell you, here is much spite, and little wit. To pray for the conf●●mation of the glory of all Gods elect: What is it, but Thy kingdom come? How vainly do you seek a knot in a rush, while you cavil at so holy a Petition? Go and learn how much better it is, to call them our Brothers, which are not, in an harmless overweening, and over-hoping of charity: than to call them no brothers, which are, in a proud & censorious uncharitableness: you cannot be content to tell an untruth, but you must face it out: Let any Reader judge, how fare our practice in this dissented from our doctrine; would to God in nothing more: Yes (saith this good friend) in the most other things; our words profess, our deeds deny: at once you make us hypocrites, and yourselves Pharises. Let all the world know, that the English Church at Amsterdam professeth nothing which it practiseth not: we may not be so holy, or so happy. Generality is a notable shelter of untruth: Many more, you say, Popish devices, yet name none; No, you cannot. Advanced above all that is called God? surely this is a paradox of slanders: you meant at once to shame us with falsehood, and to appose us with Riddles: we say to the Highest, Whom have we in Heaven but thee? and for earth, yourself have granted we give too much to Princes, (which are earthen Gods (& may come under Paul's (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.) Either name our Deity, or crave mercy for your wrong certainly, though you have not remorse, yet you shall have shame. SEP. You are far from doing to the Romish Idols, as was done to the Egyptian Idols, MITH●● and SERAPIS, whose Priests were expelled their Ministry, and Monuments expose●●● utter scorn and desolation, their Temples demolished and razed to the very foundation. SECTION XLV. The Churches still retained in England. Socrat. Hist. Ec. l. 5. c. 16.17. Bed. hist. Eccl. l. 1. Cit Gregor. Ep. Aug. suo. c. 30. & Edil●●rto regi c. 32. Contra sibi etc. Sed & Haereticorum templa ve●●ata à Constantin●. Eused. l. 3. c. 63. THE Majesty of Romish Petti-gods (I truly told you) was long agone, with Mithra and Serapis, exposed to the laughter of the vulgar: you strain the comparison too fare; yet we follow you: Their Priests were expelled: for (as your Doctor yields) other Actors came upon the same stage: others in religion, else it had been no change: Their Ministry and Monuments exposed to utter scorn●: Their Masses, their oblations, their adorations, their invocations, their anoyling, their exorcizings, their s●rift, their absolutions, their Images, Rood-lofts, and whatsoever else of this kind: But the Temples of those old Heathens were demolished and razed: Here is the quarrel: ours stand still in their proud Majesty: Can you see no difference betwixt our Churches and their Temples? Aug. de Civit. l. 8 c. 27. Ho●ker 5. b. c. 13. Id. Aug. coner. Maximin. Arrian. Nun si templum. etc. Optat. Milevitan. l. 6. Levistis proculdubio pallas, judicate quid de co●●cibus fecistis: Aut utrumque lavate, aut etc. Si quod tangit aspectus lavandum est, ut parietes etc. Videmus rectum, videmus & coelum, etc. haec à vobis laua●i non possunt. The very name itself (if at least you have understood it) Kirke or Church (which is nothing but an abbreviation of (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the Lord's house) might have taught you, that ours were dedicated to God, & theirs to the Devil, in their false gods: Augustine answers you, as directly, as if he were in my room: The Gentiles (saith he) to their gods erected Temples; we not Temples unto our Martyrs, as unto Gods, but memorials as unto dead men, whose spirits with God are still living: These then if they were abused by Popish Idolatry, is there no way, but Down with them, down with them to the ground? Well far the Donatists yet your old friends: they but washed the walls that were polluted by the Orthodox; by the same token, that Optatus asks them, why they did not wash the books which ours touched, and the heavens which they looked upon: What, are the very stones sinful? what can be done with them? The very earth where they should lie on heaps would be unclean: But not their pollution anger's you more, than their proud Majesty: What house can be too good for the Maker of all things? As God is not affected with State, so is he not delighted in baseness. If the pomp of the Temple were ceremonial, yet it leaves this morality behind it, that God's house should be decent: and what if goodly? If we did put holiness in the stones, as you do uncleanness, it might be sin to be costly: Let me tell you, there may be as much pride in a clay wall, as in a carved: Proud Majesty is better than proud baseness: the stone or clay will offend in neither, we may in both: If you love cottages, the ancient Christians with us, loved to have God's house stately, as appears by the example of that worthy Bishop of Alexandria, Athanas. Apol. Euseb. de vita Const. O●bo Frising. l. 5. c. 3. and that gracious Constantine, in whose days these sacred piles began to lift up their heads unto this envied height: Take you your own choice, give us ours; let us neither repine, nor scorn at each other. SEP. But your Temples, especially your Cathedral and mother Churches, stand still in their proud Majesty possessed by Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops, like the Flamens and Arch-Flamins amongst the Gentiles, from whom they were derived and furnished with all manner of pompous and superstitious monuments, as carved and painted Images, Massing-Copes and Surplices, chanting and Organ-musicke, and many other glorious ornaments of the Romish Harlot, by which her Majesty is commended to, and admired by the vulgar: so fare are you in these respects for being gone, or fled, yea, or crept either, out of Babylon. Now if you be thus Babylonish where you repute yourselves most Sion-like, and thus confounded in your own evidence, what defence could you make in the things whereof an adversary would challenge you? If your light be darkness, how great is your darkness? SECTION XLVI. ALL this while I feared you had been in Popish Idolatry; The Founders and Furnitures of our Churches. now I find you in Heathenish: These our Churches are still possessed by their Flamens, and Arch- Flamens: I had thought none of our Temples had been so ancient: certainly I find but one poor ruinous building, reported to have worn out this long tyranny of time: For the most, you might have read their age, and their Founders in open records: But these were derived from those: surely the Churches as much as the men: It is true, the Flamens, and whatever other heathen Priests, were put down, Lumb. l. 4. dist. 24. Isid. l. 7. Etymol. cap. 12. Theophilus Episc. cum caeteras statuas deorum confringere●, unam integram seruari iussit, eamque in loco publico crexit, ut Christian Bishops were set up; Are these therefore derived from those? Christianity came in the room of judaisme: was it therefore derived from it? Before you told us, that our Prelacy came from that Antichrist of Rome, now from the Flamens of the Heathen: Both no less, than either: If you cannot be true, yet learn to be constant. But what mean you to charge our Churches with carved & painted Images? It is well you writ to those that know them; Why did not you say we bow our knees to them, and offer incense? Perhaps you have espied some old dusty statue in an obscure corner, covered over with Cobwebs, Gentiles tempore progrediente non infici●rentur se iu●●smodi deos coluisse. Ammonius Grammaticus hacdere valde discruciatus, Dixit gravem plagèm religioni Graecorum inflictam, quod illa una statua non cuerteretur. Socrat. l. 5. c. 16. with half a face, & that miserably blemished, or perhaps half a Crucifix inverted in a Church-window, and these you surely noted for English Idols: no less dangerous glass you might have seen at Geneva, a Church that hates Idolatry, as much as you do us: What more? Massing Copes, and Surplices: some Copes (if you will) more Surplices, no Massing: Search your books again, you shall find Albes in the Mass, no Surplices. As for Organ-musicke, you should not have fetched it from Rome, but from jerusalem: In the Reformed Church at Middleburgh, you might have found this skirt of the Harlot: which yet you grant at least crept out of Babylon; judge now (Christian Reader) of the weight of these grand exceptions; and see whether ten thousand such were able to make us no Church, and argue us not only in Babylon, but to be Babylon itself: Thus Babylonish we are to you, and thus Sion-like to God: every true Church is God's Zion: every Church that holds the Foundation, is true, according to that golden rule, Ephes. 2.21. Every building that is coupled together in this cornerstone, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord: No adversary, either Man or Devil, can confound us, either in our evidences, or their own challenges: we may be faulty, but we are true: And if the darkness you find in us be light, how great is our light? SEP. But for that not the separation, but the cause makes the Schismatic; and lest you should seem to speak evil of the thing you know not, and to condemn a cause vnhear●, you lay down in the next place the supposed cause of our separation, against which you deal as insufficiently. And that you pretend to be, none other than your consorting with the Papists in certain Ceremonies: touching which, and our separation in regard of them thus you writ. M.H. If you have taken but the least knowledge of the ground of our judgement and practice, how dare you thus abuse both us and the Reader, as if the only or chief ground of our separation were your Popish Ceremonies? But if you go only by guess, having never so much as read over one Treatise published in our defence, and yet stick not to pass this your censorious doo●e both upon us and it; I leave it to the Reader to judge whether you have been more lavish of your censure, or credit. Most unjust is the censure of a cause unknown, though in itself never so blame-worthy, which nevertheless may be praiseworthy, for aught he knows that censures it. SECTION XLVII. On what ground Separation or Ceremonies were objected. HE that leaves the whole Church in a gross and wilful error, is an Heretic; he that leaves a particular Church for appendances, is a Schismatic: such are you, both in the action and cause: The act is yielded, the cause hath been in part scanned, shall be more: This I vainly pretended to be our consorting in Ceremonies with the Papists: Behold here the ground of your loud challenge of my ignorance: Ignorance of your judgement and practice: Here is my abuse of you, of my Reader: and, how dared I? Good words (M. R.) What I have erred, I will confess: I have wronged you indeed: but in my charity: I knew the cause of Brownism, but I knew not you: For (to say ingenuously) I had heard and hoped, that your cause had been less desperate; My intelligence was, that in dislike of these Ceremonies obtruded, and an hopelessness of future liberty, you and your fellows had made a secession, rather than a separation from our Church; to a place where you might have scope to profess, and opportunity to enjoy your own conceits: whence it was that I termed you Ringleaders of the late separation, not followers of the first, and made your plea against our Church, imperfection, not falsehood: I hoped you, as not ours, so not theirs: not ours in place, Inq. into M. White. so not quite theirs in peevish opinion: I knew it to be no new thing for men inclining to these fancies, to begin new Churches at Amsterdam, several from the rest: witness the letters of some (sometimes yours) cited by your own Pastor: I knew the former separation, and hated it; I hoped better of the later separation, and pitied it: My knowledge both of * Which upon the Lo●ds Pray. hath confuted some 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉. M. Smith whom you followed, and yourself, would not let me think of you, as you deserved: How dared I charge you with that, which perhaps you might disavow? It was my charity therefore, that made my accusations easy: it is your uncharitableness that accuses them of ignorance. I knew why a Brownist is a true Schismatic; I knew not you were so true a Brownist. But why then did I write? Taking your separation at best; I knew how justly I might take occasion by it to dissuade from separation; too others good, though not to yours: Now I know you better, or worse rather, I think you hear more: Forgive me my charity, and make the worst of my ignorance. I knew that this separation (which now I know yours) stands upon four grounds, as some beasts upon four feet. First, God worshipped after a false manner; Barr. and Gr●en. passim. Penr. Exam. Secondly, Profane multitude received; Thirdly, Antichristian Ministry imposed; Fourthly, Subjection to Antichristian Government: The Ceremonies are but as some one paw in every foot: yet if we extend the word to the largest use, dividing all Religion into Ceremony, and Substance; I may yet, and do aver, that your separation is merely grounded upon Ceremonies. SEP. And touching the ceremonies here spoken of, howsoever we have formerly refused them, submitting (as all others did and do) to the Prelates spiritual jurisdiction, (herein through ignorance straining at Gnats, and swallowing Camels) yet are we verily persuaded of them, and so were before we separated, that they are but as leaves of that tree, and as badges of that Man of sin, whereof the Pope is head, and the Prelate's shoulders. And sow for our parts see no reason why any of the Bishops sworn servants (as all the Ministers in the Church of England are Canonically) should make nice to wear their Lords liveries. Which Ceremonies notwithstanding we know well enough, howsoever you for advantage extenuate and debase them unto us, to be advanced and preferred in your Church, before the preaching of the Gospel. It is much that they being not so much as Reed, nor any part of the building (as you pretend) should overturn the best builders amongst you as they do. The proportion betwixt Zoar and them holds well: Zoar was a neighbour unto Sodom, both in place and sin, and obnoxious to the same destruction with it: and it was Lot's error to desire to have it spared, Gen. 19.15, 18, 19, 20. and so he never found rest nor peace in it, but forsook it for fear of the same just judgement, which had overtaken the rest of the Cities, verse 30. The application of this to your Ceremonies, I leave to yourself, and them to that destruction, to which they are devoted by the Lord. SECTION XLVIII. ANd touching Ceremonies; you refused them formerly, but not long: Estimation of Ceremonies, and subjection to the Prelates. and when you did refuse them, you knew not wherefore; for immediately before your suspension, you acknowledged them to be things indifferent, and for matter of scandal by them, you had not informed yourself (by your own confession) of a whole quarter of a year after: Why refused you then, but as the Poet made his plays, to please the people, or as Simon Magus was baptised, for company? But refusing them, you submitted to the Prelates spiritual jurisdiction: there was your crime; this was your Camel, the other your Gnats: Did ever any Prelate challenge spiritual rule over your conscience? This they all appropriate to the great Bishop of our souls: and if other; grant them as your malice feigneth: what sin is it to be the subject of a Tyrant? now upon more grace, refusing the Prelacy, you have branded the Ceremonies: So you did before your separation; Tell us, how long was it after your suspension, and before your departure, that you could have been content (upon condition) to have worn this linen badge of your Man of sin? Was not this your resolution, when you went from Norwich to Lincolnshire, after your suspension? Deny it not; my witnesses are too strong. But let us take you as you are: these Ceremonies, though too vile for you, yet are good enough for our Ministers of England: As if you said, Lord, I thank thee, I am not as this Publican: Why for our Ministers? Because, those are the Liveries, and these the sworn servants of the Antichristian Bishops: 1 Cor. 4.1. jer. in Psal. 44. Heming. Class. 3. Potest. Eccl. c. 10. cuique suus clirus & sua plebs in bis quae Domini sunt, pie obsequerentur. We have indeed sworn obedience to our Ordinary, in honest and lawful Commandments, but service to Christ: But doth all obedience imply servitude? This obedience is, as to spiritual Fathers, not to Masters: yet so are we the servants of Christ, that we are ready to give our service to the least of his Saints: Thus vile will we be for God: How much more to those whom God hath made (as Hierome says) Principes Ecclesiae: whiles they command for God: What do we herein, but that which Epiphanius urged of old against Aërius; What but the same which Ignatius (that holy and old Martyr) requires (not once) of all Presbyters, and offers the engagement of his own soul for us in this act? Ignat. Epist. ad Tarsens. As for our Ceremonies, aggravate them how you can for your advantage, they are but Ceremonies to us: and such, as wherein we put no holiness, but order, decency, convenience: but they are preferred (you say) in our Church, before the preaching of the Gospel: a most wrongful untruth; We hold preaching an essential part of God's service, Ceremonies none at all: the Gospel preached we hold the life and soul of the Church; Ceremonies either the garment, or the lace of the garment: The Gospel preached we hold the Foundation and Walls; Ceremonies hardly so much as Reed, or Tile: But how then (say you) have they overturned our best builders? This is a word of rare favour: I had thought you had held us all ruiners, not builders: Or if builders; of Babel, not of jerusalem: in which work the best builders are the worst. Those whose hand hath been in this act, would tell you, that not so much the Ceremonies are stood upon, as obedience: If God please to try Adam but with an Apple, it is enough: What do we quarrel at the value of the fruit, when we have a prohibition? Shimei is slain: what merely for going out of the City? the act was little, the bond was great: what is commanded, matters not so much, as by whom; insult not, we may thank your outrage for this loss. For your retortion of my Zoar and Sodom: I can give you leave to be witty, you use it so seldom: but when you have played with the allusion what you list, I must tell you that he which will needs urge a comparison to go on four feet, is not worthy to go upon two: Zoar was near to Sodom, not part of it: Zoar was reserved when Sodom was destroyed: Fidem Domino habere debuerat qui se eam seruaturum propter eum dixerat. Mercer. in. Gen. Zoars nearness to the place where Sodom stood, needed not have given Lot cause of remoueall. Zoar might safely have been the harbour of Lot: his fear was, for want of faith: God promised him, and the place security: the far-fetched application therefore of the wickedness of Zoar, to our Ceremonies, might well have been forborn, and kept to yourself: much less needed you (like some Anti- Lot) to call for fire and brimstone from heaven upon your Zoar. SEP. How we would have behaved ourselves in the Temple, where the Money-changers were, and they that sold Doves, we shall answer you, when you prove your Church to be the Temple of God, compiled and built of spiritually-hewne and lively stones, 1 King. 5.17, 18. and 6, 7. 1 Pet. 2.5. and of the Cedars, Firres, and Thine trees of Lebanon, 2 Chron. 2.8. framed and set together in that comely order, which a greater than Solomon hath prescribed: unto which God hath promised his presence. But whilst we take it to be (as it is) a confused heaped of dead and defiled and polluted stones, and of all rubbish, of briers and brambles of the wilderness, for the most part, fit for burning than building; we take ourselves rather bound to show our obedience in departing from it, than our valour in purging it, and to follow the Prophet's counsel in flying out of Babylon, as the He goats before the flock, jer. 50.8. SECTION XLIX. HOw you would have behaved yourself in the Temple to the Money-changers, you will answer when we prove our Church to be God's Temple, The state of the Temple, and of our Church in resemblance. built of that matter, and in that form which God hath prescribed: & here you send us to 1 King. 5.17. and 2 Chron. 2.8. Ignorantly; as if salomon's Temple had stood till Christ's time: when neither the first, nor second (though called Beth Gu●●am) outlasted more than four hundred years: Or as if the Market had been under the very roof of that Temple. Whether Herod's were built of the same matter with salomon's, and in full correspondence to it, I dispute not: it was certainly dedicated to God's service, and that (which you would hardly digest) in a solemn anniversary Holy day; though not erected upon the word of any Prophet. But to let pass Allegories: we must prove ourselves the true Church of God: Thus we do it: We are true Christians, for we were baptised into the Name of Christ; we truly profess our continuance in the same faith▪ into which we were baptised: we join together in the public Services of God: we maintain every point of the most ancient Creeds: we overthrow not the foundation by any consequence. Therefore what ever is wanting to us, whatever is superfluous, in spite of all the gates of Hell, we are the true Church of God. Let me ask you: Were not the people of the jews in the Prophets, & in Christ's time, a confused heap of dead and defiled, and (for I will use your Tautologies) polluted stones, and of all rubbish, of beyers and brambles of the Wilderness, for the most part fit for burning than building? Can we be worse than they? If wickedness can defile a Church, they shall justify us: did either those Prophets, or our Saviour, rather show their obedience to God in departing from it, than their valour in purging it? you have well imitated these heavenly patterns. But what; Can your charity find nothing but rubbish? Not one square stone, not one living? You will be judging till God judge you: if you take not heed of these courses, you will so run with the He-goats, that you will stand with the Goats on the left hand. That God, whose place you have usurped, give you more wisdom and love. SEP. And what (I pray you) is the valour which the best hearted, and most Zealous Reformers amongst you have manifested, in driving out the money-changers? doth it not appear in this, that they suffer themselves to be driven out with the two stringed whip of Ceremonies and subscription, by the money-changers, the Chancellors and Officials, which sell sins like Doves and by the chief Priests, the Bishops which set them on work? so fare are the most Zealous amongst you from driving out the money-changers, as they themselves are driven out by them, because they will not change with them to the utmost farthing. SECTION L. THe valour of our most zealous Reformers hath truly showed itself in wel-dance: As in Duels: so here, Whether Ministers should endure themselves ●●enced. he is the most valiant that can so master himself as not to fight: you according to the common opinion of Swaggerers, blame the peaceable of cowardice, and accuse them of suffering. Behold a new crime: That they suffer themselves to be driven out: What should they have done? Should they have taken arms, and cry, The sword of God, and Gedeon? You that will not allow a Prince to compel Subjects, will you allow Subjects to compel Princes? God forbidden, This were high Treason against Gods Anointed: what then? Should they approve the Ceremonies by subscription, by practice? This you exclaim upon, as high Treason against the Highest: What yet more? Should they have preached with their mouths stop●● This is it, which you have learned of your Founder, and through not many hands received, and required with no less violence: Clamour and tumults is that you desire; Brow. Reforma. without Tar. still let our sin be peaceable obedience, yours fury and opposition. Your headstrong conceit is, that it is a sin to be silenced: Men must preach even when they may not: all times before you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. We charge him not to serve any more. So Can. 15. Can. 25. Cum compertum fuerit deponatur. Can. 10. De Clericatus bonore pericli●abitur. Can. 2. E Clero deponatur & sit alienus à Canone. Can. 17. & Can. 18. A Ministerio cessare debuerit. Concil. Sardic. c. 4. Concil. Carth. 4. c. 48. & 56, 57 Leo Ep. 1 Sect. 5. Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 9 Socr. l. 2. c. 21. would have wondered at this Paradox: For however the Apostles, which had not their calling from men, would not be silenced by men, yet we find that all their successors held that those hands which were laid upon their heads, might be laid upon their mouths: look into all Histories: Those Constitutions (which though not Apostolic, yet were ancient) in the seventh Canon punish a Bishop, or Presbyter, that upon pretence of Religion separates from is wife, with deposition: and if any Presbyter shall shift his charge without licence (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) and last; inflicts the same penalty upon Fornication, Adultery, Perjury. The great Nicene Council takes the same order with some misliked Bishops, and Presbyters in diverse Canons: Gaudentius in the Council of Sardi, takes it for granted, that a Bishop may by Bishops be deposed: so the second Council of Carthage, Can. 13. so the fourth Council of Carthage more than once imposes degradation: so Leo the first threats to put some offending persons from the office of their Ministry: so (that I may not be endless) blessed Cyprian advices Rogatianus, a good old Bishop, which was abused by a malapert Deacon, by the authority of his Chair to right himself, and either to depose, or suspend the offender. Leontius in Socrates, is deprived of his Priesthood: yea, what Council or Father gives not both rules and instances of this practice? See how fare the ancient Church was from these tumultuous fancies: No, no; (M. R.) we well find, it is doing that undoes the Church, not suffering: If your fellows could have suffered more, and done less, the Church had been happy: As for our Church-Officers, you may rail upon them with a lawless safety: there is a great Ditch betwixt you and them: else you might pay dear for this sin of slandering them with their cheap pennyworths: How idly do you insult over those, whom your money-changers, have driven out of their Pulpits: When you confess (after all your valour) that they have driven you both out of Church and Country: who can pity a miserable insulter? SEP. For the Wafers in Geneva, and disorders in Corinth, they were corruptions which may and do (or the like unto them) creep into the purest Churches in the World: for the Reformation whereof Christ hath given his power unto his Church, that such evils as are brought in by humane frailty, may by divine authority be purged out. This power and presence of Christ you want, holding all by homage (or rather by villanage) under the Prelates, unto whose sinful yoke you stoop in more than Babylonish bondage, bearing and approving by personal communion, infinite and abominations. And in these two last respects principally, your Babylonish confusion of all sorts of people in the body of your Church, without separation, and your Babylonish bondage under your spiritual Lords the Prelates, we account you Babylon, and fly from you. SECTION LI. Power of Reforming abuses given to the Church: and the issue of the neglect of it. YOu that can grant there will be corruptions in all other Churches, will endure none in ours: If England should have either unleavened Wafers, or drunken Love-feasts (though no other blemishes) she could not but be Babylon: We envy not your favours: These, or whatsoever like enormities, Christ hath given power unto his Church to reform: but what if the Church neglect to use it? What if those evils, which are brought in, by humane frailty, will not by divine authority be purged out? Barr. against Gyff. p. 27. & 88 Now the error (by your doctrine) is grown fundamental; so Christ is lost, and the foundation razed: if we shall then assume (against our friends, to convince our enemies) The Church of Geneva hath been seriously dealt with, in this corruption, and dissuaded by vehement importunity, yet still persisteth: How can you free them, and charge us? see how we love to be miserable, with company. This power to purge out all corruptions, Christ hath not given us: if he hath given it you; you must first begin to purge out yourselves: you have done it; but still there remain some: Troubles and Excommunications at Amsterdam. An tu su●●s Ecclesia es● Et qui te offenderit à Christo exclu●●tur. Hieron. Epiphan. Cypr. Solus in coelum ascend. Pup●anus? Et ad Acesu●m Novatianum Constan. Erigita tibi scalam Acesi, & ad coelum solus ascendito. Socr. l. 1. c. 7. would God we had as much execution as power: Our Church should be as clean as yours is Schismatical. If you should measure faculties by their exercise; Natural rest should be the greatest enemy to virtue: and the solitary Christian should be miserable: This power of ours is not d●ad, but sleepeth: When it awaketh unto more frequent use, (which we earnestly pray for) look you for the first handsel of it: None can be more worthy: as it is, we offend not more in defect than you in excess: Of whom that your Laxarello of Amsterdam, G. I. could say, that you have Excommunication as ready as a Prel●●e hath a Prison: Christ is in many that feel him not; but we want not the power oney, but the presence of Christ: How so? he was with us while you were here: Did he departed with you? will the Separatists engross our Saviour to themselves, and (as Cyprian said of Popianus) go to Heaven alone? yea, confine the God of Heaven to Amsterdam? What insolence is this? we have him in his Word: we have him in his Sacraments: we have him in our hearts: we have him in our profession; yet this enemy dare say, we want him: Wherein? I suppose in our censures: We have Peter's keys (as his true successors both in office and doctrine:) our fault is, that we use them not as you would: What Church doth so? your first Martyr doth as zealously inveigh against the practice of Geneva, Bar. Gyff. ref. So some of their own have termed their Excommunication. Confess. by M. john's. Inquirie pag. 65. and all other Reformed Congregations in this point, as against us: both for the wooden Dagger (as he terms it) of suspension, and for their consistorial Excommunication. Woe were to all the World, if Christ should limit his presence only to your fashions: Here you found him, and here you left him▪ Would to God we did no more grieve him with our sins, than you please him in your presumptuous censures: in the rest, you rail against our Prelates and us: Can any man think that Christ hath left peaceable spirits, to go dwell with Railers? Indeed, yours is freehold: so you would have it: free from subjection, free from obedience: This is looseness, more than liberty: You have broken the bonds, and cast the cords from you: but you miscall ou● tenure: We hate villainage no less than you hate peace, and hold (in capite) of him, that is, the head of his body, Coloss. 1.18. the Church● under whose easy yoke we do willingly stoop in a sweet Christian freedom; abhorring and reproving, and therefore (notwithstanding our personal Communion) avoiding all abominations: In these two respects therefore of our confusion, and bondage, we have well seen in this Discourse, how justly your Zion accounts us Babylon: since it is apparent for the one, that here is neither confusion, nor Babylonish, nor without separation: For the other, no bondage, no servility: Our Prelates being our Fathers, Amari Parens & Episcopus debet, non timeri. Hier. ad Theophilum. not our Masters: and if Lords for their external dignity, yet not Lords of our Faith: and if both these your respects were so, yet so long as we do inviolably hold the foundation, both directly, and by necessary sequel; any Railer may term us, but no Separatist shall prove us Babylon: you may fly whither you lift: would God yet further, unless you had more love. SEP. Master H. having formerly expostulated with us our supposed impiety in forsaking a ceremonious Babylon in England, proceeds in the next place, to lay down our madness in choosing a substantial Babylon in Amsterdam: and if it be so found by due trial as he suggesteth, it is hard to say, whether our impiety or madness be the greater. Belike Master H. thinks we gather Churches here by towne-rowes, as they do in England, and that all within the Parish Procession are of the same Church. Wherefore else tells he us of jews, Arrians and Anabaptists, with whom we have nothing common but the Streets and Market place? It is the condition of the Church to live in the World, and to have civil society with the men of his World, 1 Cor. 5.10. joh. 17.13. But what is this to the spiritual Communion of the Saints, in the fellowship of the Gospel, wherein they are separated, and sanctified from the World unto the Lord? joh. 17.16. 1 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. SECTION LII. I Need no better Analyser than yourself, save that you do not only resolve my parts, The view of the sins and disorders of others, whereupon objected, and how far it should affect us. but add more: whereas every motion hath a double term, from whence and whither: both these could not but all into our discourse. Having therefore formerly expostulated with you for your (since you will so term it) impiety, in forsaking a ceremonious Babylon of your own making in England: I thought it not unfit to compare your choice with your refusal; England with Amsterdam, which it pleaseth you to entitle a substantial Babylon: impiety and madness are titles of your own choice; let your guiltiness be your own accuser: The truth is, my charity and your uncharitableness have caused us to mistake each other. My charity thus: Hearing both at Middleburgh, and here, that certain companies from the parts of Nottingham and Lincoln (which Harbinger had been newly in Zealand before me) meant to retire themselves to Amsterdam, for their full liberty, not for the full approbation of your Church: not favouring your main opinions, but emulating your freedom in too much hate of our Ceremonies, and too much accordance to some grounds of your hatred: I hoped you had been one of their Guides; both because Lincolnshire was your Country, and Master Smith your Oracle, and General. Not daring therefore to charge you with perfect Brownism, what could I think might be a greater motive to this your supposed change, than the view of our (so oft proclaimed) wickedness, and the hope of less cause of offence in those foreign parts? this I urged, fearing to go deeper than I might be sure to warrant: Now comes my charitable Answerer, and imputes this easiness of my challenge to my ignorance; and therefore will needs persuade his Christian Reader, that I knew nothing of the first separation, because I objected so little to the second. It were strange if I should think, you gather Churches there by Towne-rowes (as we in England) who know that some one Prison might hold all your refined Flock: you gathered here by Hedge-rowes; but there it is easier to tell how you divide than how you gather: let your Church be an entire body, enjoying her own spiritual Communion, yet if it be not a corrosive to your heart to converse in the same streets, and to be ranged in the same Towne-rowes with jews, Arrians, Anabaptists, etc. you are to whit of kin to him, that vexed his righteous soul with the uncleannesses of foul Sodme. That good man had nothing but civil society with those impure Neighbours: he differed from them in Religion, in practice; yet could he not so carelessly turn off this torment: His house was God's Church; wherein they had the spiritual Communion of the Saints: yet whiles the City was so unclean, his heart was unquiet: Separation from the world how required. john 17.16. We may (you grant) have civil society with ill men, spiritual Communion only with Saints: Those must be accounted the world, these only the Church; your own allegations shall condemn you. They are not of the World (saith Christ) as I am not of the World: Both Christ and they were parts of the jewish Church: The jewish Church was not so sanctified, but the most were extremely unclean: therefore we may be parts of a Visible unsanctified Church; and yet be 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 carnal. In his second Epistle: Come out (saith he) from among them: But from whom? From Infidels by profession, not corrupted Christians. SEP. We indeed have much wickedness in the City where we live; you in the Church. But in earnest, do you imagine we account the Kingdom of England Babylon, or the City of Amsterdam Zion? It is the Church of England, or State Ecclesiastical, which we account Babylon, and from which we withdraw in spiritual Communion: but for the Commonwealth and Kingdom, as we honour it above all the States in the World, so would we thankfully embrace the meanest corner in it, at the extremest conditions of any people in the Kingdom. The hellish impieties in the City of Amsterdam, do no more prejudice our Heavenly Communion in the Church of Christ, than the Frogs, Lice, Murrain, and other plagues overspreading Egypt, did the Israelites, when Goshen the portion of their inheritance was free, Exod. 8.19. nor than the Deluge, wherewith the whole World was covered, did NOAH, when he and his Family were safe in the Ark, Genes. 7. nor then Satan's throne did the Church of Pergamus being established in the same City with it, Reuel. 2.12, 13. SECTION LIII. THe Church and State, if they be two, yet they are twins; and that so, The nearness of the State & Church, & the great errors found by the Separatists in the French and Dutch Churches. as either's evil proves mutual: the sins of the City not reform, blemish the Church. where the Church hath power and in a sort comprehends the State; she cannot wash her hands of tolerated disorders in the Commonwealth: hence is my comparison of the Church (if you could have seen it, not the Kingdom) of England, with that of Amsterdam: I doubt not, but you could be content to sing the old song of us, Bona terra, mala gens: Our Land you could like well, if you might be Lords alone. Thanks be to God it likes not you, and justly thinks the meanest corner too good for so mutinous a generation: when it is weary of Peace, it will recall you. you that neither in Prison, nor on the Seas, nor in the Coasts of Virginia, nor in your way, nor in netherlands could live in Peace, What shall we hope of your ease at home? Where ye are, all you thankful Tenants cannot in a powerful Christian state move God to distinguish betwixt the known sins of the City, and the Church: How oft hath our Gracious Sovereign, and how importunately, been solicited for a Toleration of Religions? It is pity that the Papists hired not your Advocation: who in this point are those true Cassander's, Cassand. de Offic. boni viri. which Reverend Caluin long since confuted: Their wishes herein are yours: To our shame and their excuse: his Christian heart held that Toleration and intolerable, which you either neglect or magnify: Good Constantine winked at it in his beginning; Bellar. de Laicis. Euseb. in vita Const. but as David at the house of Zeruiah●: Succeeding times found these Canaanites to be pricks and thorns, and therefore both by Mulcts and banishments sought either their yeeldance or voidance. If your Magistrates having once given their names to the Church, endeavour not to purge this Augean Stable; how can you prefer their Communion to ours? But howsoever now, lest we should think your Landlords have too just cause to pack you away for Wranglers, you turn over all the blame from the Church to the City; yet your Pastor and Church have so found the City in the Church and branded it with so black marks, as that all your smooth extenuations cannot make it a less Babylon than the Church of England: Behold now, by your own Confessions, either Amsterdam shall be, or England shall not be Babylon: These eleven crimes you have found and proclaimed in those Dutch and French Churches. Fr. john's. Artic. against the French and Dutch Churches. FIRST, That the Assemblies are so contrived, that the whole Church comes not together in one: So that the Ministers cannot together with the Flock sanctify the Lords day; the presence of the members of the Church cannot be known, and finally, no public action, whether Excommunication, or any other, can rightly be performed. Can you say worse of us? Where neither Sabbath can be rightly sanctified, nor presence or absence known, nor any holy action rightly performed, what can there be but mere confusion? SECONDLY, That they baptise the seed of them who are no members of any Visible Church; of whom moreover they have not care as of members, neither admit their Parents to the Lords Supper: Mere Babylonisme, and sin in constitution, yea, the same that makes us no Church: for what separation can there be in such admittance? what other but a sinful commixture? How is the Church of Amsterdam now gathered from the World? THIRDLY, That in the public worship of God they have devised, and used another form of Prayer, besides that which Christ our Lord hath prescribed, Matth. 6. reading out of a Book certain Prayers invented and imposed by man. Behold here our fellow-Idolaters: and (as follows) a daily Sacrifice of a set service-book, which in stead of the sweet Incense of spiritual Prayers is offered to God; very Swines-flesh, Barr. against G●ff. a new Portuise, and an equal participation with us of the Curse of addition to the Word. FOURTHLY, That rule and commandment of Christ, Matth. 18.15. they neither observe, nor suffer rightly to be observed among them. How oft have you said that there can be no sound Church without this course, because no separation? Behold the main blemish of England in the face of Amsterdam! FIFTHLY, That they worship God in the Idol Temples of Antichrist: so the Wine is marred with the Vessel; their service, abomination with ours: neither do these Antichristian stones want all glorious ornaments of the Romish Harlot yet more. SIXTLY, That their Ministers have their set maintenance in another manner than Christ hath ordained, 1 Chron. 14. and that also such, as by which any Ministry at all, whether Popish or other, might be maintained: Either Tithes, or as ill: Behold, one of the main Arguments whereby our Ministry is condemned as false and Antichristian, falling heavy upon our Neighbours. SEVENTHLY, That their Elders change yearly, and do not continue in their Office, according to the Doctrine of the Apostles and practice of the Primitive Church: What can our Church have worse than false Governors? Both annual and perpetual they cannot be: What is (if not this) a wrong in Constitution? EIGHTLY, That they celebrate marriage in the Church, as if it were a part of the Ecclesiastical Administration: a foul shame and sin: and what better than our third Sacrament? NINTHLY, That they use a new censure of suspension which Christ hath not appointed: no less than English presumption. TENTHLY That they observe days and times, consecrating certain days in the year to the Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension of Christ: Behold their Calendar as truly possessed: Two Commandments solemnly broken at once; and we not Idolaters alone. ELEVENTHLY, which is last and worst, that they receive unrepentant Excommunicates to be members of their Church, which by this means becomes one body with such as be delivered unto Satan; therefore none of Christ's body: England can be but a miscelline rabble of profane men; H. Ainsworth in his Counterpoison. The Dutch and French Churches are belike no better: who can be worse than an unrepentant Excommunicate? Go now, and say, It is the Apostasy of Antichrist to have communion with the World in the holy things of God, which are the peculiars of the Church, and cannot without Sacrilege be so prostituted and profaned; Go say, that the Plaguy-spirituall-leprosie of sin rising up in the foreheads of many in that Church, unshut up, uncovered, (yea, wilfully let lose) infects all both persons and things amongst them: Go now and fly out of this Babylon also, as the He-Goates before the flock, or return to ours: But however these errors be gross, perhaps they are tractable; Not the sin undoes the Church, but obstinacy: here is no evasion. For behold, you do no more accuse those Churches of corruption, than of wilfulness: for diverse times have you dealt with them about these fearful enormities: yea, you have often desired, that knowledge thereof might be by themselves given to the whole body of their Church, or that (at least) they would take order it might be done by you: They have refused both; What remains, but they be our fellow-Heathens and Publicans? And not they alone, but all Reformed Churches beside in Christendom, which do jointly partake in all these (except one or two personal) abominations: will you never leave, till you have wrangled yourselves out of the world? But now I fear I have drawn you to say, that the Hellish impieties both in the City and Church of Amsterdam, ar● but Frogs, Lice, Flies, Murrain and other Egyptian plagues, not preiudicing your Goshen: Say so if you dare; I fear they would soon make the Ocean your Red Sea, and Virginia your Wilderness. The Church is Noah's Ark, which gave safety to her Guests, whereof ye are part; but remember that it had unclean beasts also, and some savage: If the waves drown you not, yet (me thinks) you should complain of noisome society. Satan's throne could not prejudice the Church of Pergamus: but did not the Balaamites (the Nicolaitans?) Yet their heavenly Communion stood, and the Angel is sent away with but threats. SEP. It is the will of God and of Christ, that his Church should abide in the world, and converse with it in the affairs thereof, which are common to both: But it is the Apostasy of Antichrist to have C●●●●nion wi●h the World in the holy things of God, which are the peculiars of the Church, and 〈◊〉 without great sacrilege be so prostituted and profaned. SECTION LIV. AS it were madness to deny that the Church should converse with the World in the affairs thereof: So to deny her Communion in Gods Holy things, Conversation with the World. with any of those of the World, which profess Christianity (as yet unconsuted) is a point of An●baptisticall Apostasy such ●f the World are still of the Church. As my censure cannot eiect them, so their sin (after my private endeavour of redress) cannot defile me: I speak of private Communicants: If an unbidden Guest come with a r●gged garment, and unwashen hands, shall I forbear Gods heavenly dainties▪ The Master of the Feast can say, Friend, how camest thou in hither? not, Friends, why came you hither with such a Guest? God bids me come: He hath imposed this necessity, never allowed this excuse: Duobus nodis non te maculat malus, videlicet si non consentis, & si red●●guis. d. 23. q. 4. à mali●. My teeth shall not beset on edge with the four Grapes of others: If the Church cast not out the known unworthy, the sin is hers: If a man will come unworthy, the sin is his: But if I come not, because he comes, the sin is mine: I shall not answer for that others sin: I shall answer for mine own neglect: Another man's fault cannot dispense with my duty. SEP. The air of the Gospel which you draw in, is nothing so free and clear as you make show: it is only because you are used to it, that makes you so judge. The thick smoke of your Canons, especially of such as are planted against the Kingdom of Christ the visible Church, and the administration of it, do both obscure and poison the air, which you all draw in, and wherein you breathe. The plaguy spiritual 〈◊〉 of se● rising up in the forth●●ds of so many thousands in the Church, unshut up, uncovered, infects all, both persons and things amongst you, Leuit. 13.45, 46, 47. 2 Cor. 6.17. The blasting Hierarchy suffers no good thing to grow, or prosper, but withers all, both bud and branch. The daily sacrifice of the service-book, which in stead of spiritual Prayer, swe●● as Incense, you offer up Morning and Evening, smells so stron● of the Pope's Portuise, as it makes many hundreds amongst yourselves, stop their noses as it; and yet you boast of the free and clear air of the Gospel, wherein you breathe. SECTION LV. The impure mixtures of the Church of England. AS there is no Element which is not through many mixtures departed from the first simplicity: So no Church ever breathed in so pure an air, as that it might not justly complain of some thick and unwholesome evaporations of error and sin. If you challenge an immunity, you are herein the true brood of the ancient Puritans: But if too many sins in practice have thickened the air of our Church, yet not one Heresy: that smoke of the bottomless pit hath never corrupted it: and therefore justly may I aver, that here you might draw in the clear air of the Gospel: No where upon earth more freely. And if this be but the opinion of custom, you whom absence hath helped with a more nice and dainty sent, speak your worst: Show us our Heresies, and shame us: you have done it, and behold four main infections of our English air: 1. Canons. The first, the smoke of our Canons: Wittily: I fear, the great Ordinances of the Church have troubled you more with the blow, than the smoke: For you tell us of their Plantation against the Kingdom of Christ: What Kingdom? The visible Church: Which is that? Not the Reformedst piece of ours, whose best are but Goats and Swine: Not the close Nicodemians of your own Sect amongst us, which would be loath to be visible: Not foreigners; to them they extend not: None therefore in all the World, but the English Parlour-full at Amsterdam: Can there be any truer Donatism? Cry you still out of their poisoning the air: We hold it the best cleansed by the batteries of your idle fancies, by ridding you from our air, and by making this your Church invisible to us; smart you thus, till we complain. 2. Sin uncensured. The second is the plague or leprosy of sin unshut up and uncovered: We know that sin is as ill as the Devil can make it; a most loathsome thing in the eyes of God, and his Angels, and Saints: and we grant to our grief, that among so many millions of men, there may be found some thousands of Lepers: Good Laws and censures meet with some, others escape: It is not so much our fault as our grief. But that this Leprosy infects all persons, and things, is shamefully overreached: Plague and Leprosy have their limits, beyond which, is no contagion; If a man come not near them, Certè nullius crimen inaculat nescientem. Aug. Epist. 48. if he take the wind in an open air, they infect not: such is sin: It can infect none but the guilty: Those which act or assent to, or bear with it, or detest it not, are in this pollution: But those which can mourn for it, and cannot redress it, are free from infection: How many foul Lepers spiritually did our Saviour see in the public air of the jewish Church? wherewith yet he joined, and his, not fearing infection so much, as gracing the remnants of their ruinous Church: Were those seven thousand Israelites, 1 Reg. 19.18. whose knees bowed not to BAAL, infected with the Idolatry of their Neighbours? yet continued they still parts of the same Church. 3. Hierarchy. But this yet exceeds: Not only all persons, but all things? What? Our Gospel? Our Heaven, Earth, Sea? Our Books, Coin, Commodities? Behold, you see the same Heaven with us, you have no Bibles but ours: our air in his circular motion comes to be yours: the water that washeth our Island, perhaps washeth your hands. Our unclean Silver (I fear) maintains you: Our commodities (in part) in rich your Landlords: and yet all things amongst us infected? you are content to take some evil from your neighbours. The third is our blasting Hierarchy, which suffers no good thing (that is, no Brownist, no singular fancy, for what good things have we but yours?) to grow, or prosper amongst us, but withers all, both bud and branch, would to God the root also. The last, 4. service-book. is a daily Sacrifice of a service-book: an Incense, how ever unsavoury to you, yet such as all Churches in Christendom hold sweet, and offer up as fit for the nostrils of the Almighty; we are not alone thus tainted; all Christian Churches that are, or have been, present the same Censers unto God. But ours smells strong of the Pope's Portuise: See whether this be any better than trivial cavilling: If ●ither an ill man, or a Devil shall speak that which is good; may not a good man if it▪ If a good Angel, Patres nostri non selum ante Cyprianum vel Ag●●ppinum, sed p●stea salube●rimam consuetudinem tenue●unt, ut quicqu●d diu. nil atque legitimum in aliqu● haeresi vel si bismate in●egrum reper●ent, ●pprobent potius quàm negarent. August. or man shall speak that which is evil, is it ever the better for the Deliverer? If Satan himself shall say of Christ; Thou art the Son of the living God, shall I fear to repeat it? Not the Author, but the matter in these things is worthy of regard: As Jerome speaks of the poisoned Works of Origen, and other dangerous Treatisors, Good things may be received from ill hands. If the matter of any Prayer be Popish, fault it for what it contains, not for whence it came▪ what say you against us in this, more than Master Smith (your from Anabaptist) saith of our baptising of Infants: Both of them equally condemned for Antichristian. Still, therefore we b●ast of the f●ce, and clear air of the Gospel: if it be annoyed with some practical evils, we may be foul, the Gospel is itself, and our profession holy, neither can we complain of all evils while we want you. SEP. That all Christendom should so magnify your happiness (as you say) is much, and yet yourselves, and the best amongst you, complain so much both in word, and writing, of your miserable condition, under the imperious and superstitious impositions of the Prelates, yea, and suffer so much also under them, as at this day you do, for seeking the same Church Government and Ministry, which is in use in all other Churches save your own. The truth is, you are best liked where you are worst known. Your next neighbours of Scotland know your Bishop's Government so well; as they rather choose to undergo all the misery of bonds and banishment, than to partake with you in your happiness this way, so highly do they magnify and applaud the same. Which choice I doubt not other Churches also would make, if the same necessity were laid upon them. And for your graces, we despise them not, nor any good thing amongst you, no more than you do such graces and good things as are to be found in the Church of Rome, from which you separate notwithstanding. We have, by God's mercy, the pure and right use of the good gifts and graces of God, in Christ's Ordinance, which you want. Neither the Lords people, nor the holy Vessels, could make Babylon; Zion, though both the one and the other were captived for a time. SECTION LVI. THat which followeth is but words, a short answer is too much: The judgement of our own, and our neighbours of our Church. Socrat. l b. 1. c. 4. Constant. Alex. & Ario. Ac tamet si vos inter vos vicissim dere quap●am m●mini momenti dissentuis (siquidem neque omnes de omnibus rebus idem s●ntimus) nihilominus tamen fieri poterit, ut eximia concordia sincere inter vos, integreque seruetur, & una inter omnes communio & consoc●atio custo●atur. That all Christendom magnifies the worthiness of our Church, in so clear evidences of their own voices, you cannot deny; and now when you see such testimonies abroad (lest you should say nothing) you fetch cavils from home: Those men which (you say) complain so much of their miserable condition under the Prelate's impositions, have notwithstanding with the fame pens and tongues not only justified our Church, but extolled it: you have found no sharper adversaries in this very accusation, for which you maliciously cite them: How freely, how fully have they evinced the truth? yea, the happiness of the Church of England against your false challenges: and yet your forehead dare challenge them for Authors. So hath their moderation opposed some appendances, that they have both acknowledged and defended the substance with equal vehemence to your opposition: neither do they suffer (as you traduce them) for seeking another Church government: look into the Millenaries petition (the common voice of that part) I am deceived▪ if aught of their complaints sound that way, much less of their sufferings; deformity in practice is objected to them, not endeavour of innovation; That quarrel hath been long silent, your motion cannot revive it: would God you could as much follow those men in moderate and charitable carriage, as you have outrun them in complaint. It pleaseth you to device us, like pictures upon course Canvas, which show fairest at farthest; attributing foreign approbation (which you cannot deny) to distance, more than to desert. How is it then, that (besides strange witnesses) we which look upon this face without prejudice, commend it, (God knows) without flattery? we can at once acknowledge her infirmities, and bless God for her graces: Our neighbours, (yea, ourselves) of Scotland, know our Church so well, that they do with one consent praise her for one of God's best daughters; neither do the most rigorous amongst them, more dislike our Episcopal Government, than embrace our Church: what fraud is this; to fly from the Church in common, to one circumstance? we can honour that noble Church in Scotland, may we not dislike their alienations of Church-livings? If one thing offend, do all displease? Yet even this Government, which you would have them resist to bonds and banishment (who knows not?) gins to find both favour and place: what choice other Churches would make, as you doubt not, so you care not. If you regard their sentence, how durst you revile her as a false Harlot, whom they honour as a dear Sister? If you were more theirs than we, you might upbraid us: Now you tell us what perhaps they would do; we tell you what they do, and will do: Even with one voice; bless God for England, as the most famous and flourishing Church in Christendom: your handful only makes faces, & envies this true glory. Who yet (you say) despise not our graces, no more than we those of Rome: See how you despise us while you say, you are free from despite: How malicious is this comparison? as if we were to you, as Rome to us: and yet you despise us more: We grant Rome a true Baptism, M. Smith's retort upon M. Clifton, p. 50. true Visibility of a Church, though monstrously corrupted: you give us not so much: Thanks be to God, we care less for your censure, than you do for our Church: We have by God's mercy the true and right use of the Word and Sacraments, and all other essential gifts and graces of God; if there might be some further helps in execution, to make these more effectual, we resist not: But those your other imaginary ordinances, as we have not, so we want not: Neither the Chaldeans, nor any Idolatrous enemies could make Zion Babylon, nor the holy vessels profane; so as they should cease to be fit for God's use: but they were brought back at the return of the captivity, to jerusalem: Such were our Worship, Ministry, Sacraments, and those manifold subjects of your cavils, which whilst you disgrace for their former abuse, you call our good evil, and willingly despise our graces. SEP. Where the truth is a gainer, the Lord (which is truth) cannot be a loser. Neither is the thankes of ancient favours lost amongst them, which still press on towards new mercies: Unthankful are they unto the blessed Majesty of God, and unfaithful also, which knowing the will of their Master do it not, but go on presumptuously in disobedience to many the holy ordinances of the Lord and of his Christ, which they know, and in word also acknowledge, he hath given to his Church to be observed, and not for idle speculation, and disputation without obedience. It is not by our sequestration, but by our confusion, that Rome and Hell gains. Your odious commixture of all sorts of people in the body of your Church, in whose lap the vilest miscreants are dandled, sucking her breasts as her natural children, and are be-blest by her (as having right thereunto) with all her holy things, as Prayer, Sacraments, and other Ceremonies, is that which advantageth hell, in the final obduration and perdition of the wicked, whom by these means you flatter and deceive. The Romish Prelacy and Priesthood amongst you, with the appurtenances for their maintenance and ministrations, are Rome's advantage. Which therefore she challengeth as her own, and by which she also still holds possession amongst you, under the hope of regaining her full inheritance at one time or other. And if the Papists take advantage at our condemnation of you, and separation from you: it concerns you, well to see where the blame is, and there to lay it; lest through light and inconsiderate judgement, you justify the wicked, and condemn the righteous. SECTION LVII. ALL the sequel of my Answerer is merely sententious: The issue of Separation. it is fit for us to learn than reply: Where the truth gains (say you) God loseth not: I tell you again, where God loseth, the truth gaineth not, and where the Church loseth, God (which endowed her) cannot but lose: Alas, what can the truth either get or save by such unkind quarrels? Surely suspicion on some hands, on others rejection: for (as Optatus, of his Donatists) betwixt our Licet, and your Non licet, Inter licet vestrum, & non licet nostrum, nutant ac remigant animae Christianorum. Optat. co●●●. P●●m. many poor souls waver and doubt: neither will settle, because we agree not: Thanks are not lost, where new favours are called for, but where old are denied. While your Poesy is: Such as the mother, such is the daughter; where are our old, our any mercies? They are unthankful, which know what God hath done, and confess it not: They are unthankful to God and his Deputy, which knowing themselves made to obey, presume to ouer-ru●● and upon their private authority, obtrude to the Church those ordinances to be observed, which never had being but in their own idle speculation. Your Sequestration and our confusion, are both of them beneficial, where they should not: and as you pretend our confusion for the cause of your Separation; So is your Separation the true cause of too much trouble, and confusion in the Church: Your odious tale of commixture hath cloyed and surfeited your Reader already, and received answer to satiety: this one dish so oft brought forth, argues your poverty: The visible Church is God's Drag-not, and Field, and Floor, and Ark; Non enim propter malos boni deserendi, sed propter bonos mali tolerandi sunt, etc. Sicut toleraverunt Prophetae, etc. Aug. Ep. 48. Barr. against Gyff. here will be ever at her best, Sedge, Tares, Chaff, unclean Creatures: yet is this no pretence for her neglect: The notoriously evil she casts from her breast, and knee, denying them the use of her Prayers, and (which your Leaders mislike) of her Sacrament. If diverse through corruption of unfaithful Officers, escape censure; yet let not the transgressions of some, redound to the condemnation of the whole Church. In God's judgement it shall not; we care little, if in yours. We tell wicked men, they may go to hell with the water of Baptism in their faces, with the Church in their mouths, we denounce Gods judgements unpartially against their sins, and them: Thus we flatter, thus we deceive. If yet they will needs run to perdition; Perditio tua ex te Israel. Our Clergy is so Romish as our Baptism: If therefore Romish because they came thence, we have disproved it: If therefore Romish, because they have been used there, we grant and justify it; That ancient confession of their faith which was famous through the world, we receive with them: If they hold one God, one Baptism, one Heaven, one CHRIST, shall we renounce it? Why should we not cast off our Christendom and humanity, because the Romans had both? How much Rome can either challenge, or hope to gain in our Clergy and Ministration, is well witnessed by the blood of those Martyrs, eminent in the Prelacy, which in the fresh memories of many, was shed for God, against that Harlot: and by the excellent labours of others, both Bishops and Doctors: whose learned pens have pulled down more of the walls of Rome, than all the corner-creeping Brownists in the world shall ever be able to do, while Amsterdam standeth. It is you that furnish these Adversaries with advantages, through your wilful divisions: Take Scilurus his arrows, single out of the sheaf, the least finger breaks them, while the whole bundle fears no stress: we know well where the blame is, our deservings can be no protection to you: you went from us, not we from you. Plead not our constraint, you should not have been compelled to forsake us, while CHRIST is with us: But who compels you not to call us brethren? to deny us Christians? your zeal is so far from justifying the wicked, that it condemns the righteous. SEP. And for the suspicion of the rude multitude you need not much fear it. They will suspect nothing that comes under the King's broad seal▪ They are ignorant of this fault. Though it ●ere the Mass that came with authority of the Magistrate, they (for the most part) would b● wit● out suspicion of it: so ignorant and profane are they in the most places, 1 Sam. 10.10. It is the wise hearted amongst you, that suspect your dealings, who will also suspect you ye● more, in your unfound dealing shall be further discovered. SECTION LVIII. The Brownists scornful opinioo of our people. HOw scornfully do you turn over our poo●e rude multitude, as if they were beasts, not men; or if men, not rude but savage! This contempt needed not: These sons of the earth may go before you to Heaven: Indeed it was of old said, that all Egyptians were Physicians: So may it now of you; All Brownists are Divines, no Separatist cannot prophesy: No sooner can they lose at the skirts of this hill, but they are rapt from the ordinary pitch of men: Either this change is perhaps by some strange illumination, or else your learned paucity got their skill amongst our profane and rude multitude: we have still many in our rude multitude, whom we dare compare with your Teachers: neither is there any so lewd and profane, that can not pretend a scandal from your separation: Even these souls must be regarded (though not by you.) Such were some of you, but ye are washed, etc. The amongst us do more than suspect, find out our weaknesses, and bewail them; yet do they not more discover our imperfections than acknowledge our truth: If they be truly wise, we cannot suspect them, they cannot forsake us: Their charity will cover more, than their wisdom can discover. SEP. Lastly, the terrible threat you utter against us, that even whoredoms, and murders shall abide an easier answer than separation, would certainly fall heavy upon us, if this answer were to be made in your Consistory Courts, or before any of your Ecclesiastical judges; but because we know, that not Antichrist, but Christ shall be our judge; we are bold upon the warrant of his Word and Testament, (which being sealed with his blood may not be altered) to proclaim to all the world Separation from whatsoever riseth up rebelliously, against the Sceptre of his Kingdom, as we are undoubtedly persuaded, the Communion, Government, Ministry, and worship of the Church of England do. SECTION LIX. The Conclusion from the fearful answ. of Separation. Troub. and excom. at Amst. G. jons. professes he found better dealing in the Bishop's Consistories; & might have found better in the Inqusition. jerom. Cypr. de simplit. praelat. Ad pacis praemium venire non poterunt, qui pacem Domini discordiae fur●re ruperunt. Ibid. Inexpiaebilis & gravis culpa discord●a, nec passione purgatur. MY last threat, of the easier answers of whoredoms, and adulteries, than Separation, you think to scoff out of countenance. I fear, your conscience will not always allow this mirth; Our Consistories have spared you enough: let those which have tried, say, whether your corrupt Eldership be more safe judges: If ours imprison justly, yours excommunicate unjustly; To be in custody is less grievous, than out of the Church; at least if your censures were worth any thing, but contempt: As Jerome said of the like; it is well that malice hath not so great power as will: you shall one day (I fear) find the Consistory of Heaven more rigorous, if you wash not this wrong with your tears; That Tribunal shall find your confidence, presumption; your zeal, fury. You are bold (surely more than wise) to proclaim: we have no need of such cries: doubtless your head hath made Proclamations long, now you hand begins. What proclaim you? Separation from the Communion, Government Ministry, and worship of the Church of England: what need it? Your act might have saved your voice: what should our eyes and ears be troubled with one 〈…〉. But 〈◊〉 ●eparate you from these? Because they rise up rebelliously against the Sceptre of Christ: The Sceptre of Christ is his Word: he holds it out, we 〈◊〉 and ●sse it: That one sentence of it do we wilfully oppose? Away with these foolish 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 into your Saviour's hand, and say, Hail, King of the jews, and will needs persuade us, none but this is his rod of iron. Lastly, upon what warrant? Of his will and Testament. You may wrong us; But how dare you fasten your lies upon your Redeemer and judge? What clause of his hath bid you separate? We have the true Copies: As we hope or desire to be saved, we can find no sentence that soundeth toward the favour of this your act: Must God be accused of your wilfulness? Before that God and his blessed Angels and Saints, we fear not to protest that we are undoubtedly persuaded, that whosoever wilfully forsakes the Communion, Government, Ministry, or worship of the Church of England, are enemies to the Sceptre of Christ, and Rebels against his Church and Anointed: neither doubt we to say, that the Mastership of the Hospital at Norwich, or a lease from that City (sued for with repulse) might have procured that this separation from the Communion, Government, and worship of the Church of England, should not have been made by JOHN ROBINSON. FJNJS. A TABLE OF ALL THE SECTIONS CONTAINED in this BOOK. THE entrance into the Worke. 549 The Answerers Preamble. 550 The parties written to, and their crime. 551 The Kinds of separation, and which is just. 552 The Antiquity and examples of separation. 553 What separation is to be made by Churches in their planting, &c, 555 What separation the Church of England hath made. 556 Consititution of a Church. 557 Order, 2. Part of constitution, how fare requisite, etc. ibid. Constraint requisite. 558 Constitution of the Church of England. 559 The Answerers Title. 561 The Apostasy of the Church of England. ibid. The Separatists acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England. 564 The unnaturalness of some principal Separatists. 565 What the Separatists think themselves beholden to the church of England for. ibid. The motherhood of the Church of England how fare it obligeth us. 566 The want of pretended Ordinances of God, whether sinful to us, etc. 567 The bonds of God's word unjustly pleaded by the Separatists. 568 The necessity of their pretended Ordinances. 569 The enormities of the Church in common. ibid. The Church of England is the Spouse of Christ 570 How the Church of England hath separated from Babylon. 571 The separation made by our holy Martyrs. 573 What separation England hath made. ibid. The main grounds of separation. 574 The truth and warrant of the Ministry of England. 575 Confused Communion of the profane. 576 Our Errors intermingled with Truth. 577 Whether our Prelacy be Antichristian. 578 The judgement and practice of other Reformed Churches. 579 Our Synods determination of things indifferent. 580 Sins sold in our Courts. 581 Our loyalty to Princes cleared, theirs questioned. 582 Erros of freewill, etc. feigned upon the Church of England. 583 Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. 583 Whether our Ordinary and service-book, be made Idols by us. 584 Marriage not made a Sacrament by the Church of England. 587 Commutation of Penance in our Church. 588 Oath ex Officio. ibid. Holidays how observed in the Church of England. 589 Our approbation of an unlearned Ministry disproved. 590 Penances enjoined in the Church of England. ibid. The practices of the Church of England concerning the Funerals of the Dead. 591 The Churches still retained in England. 592 The Founders and Furnitures of our Churches. 593 On what ground Separation or Ceremonies was objected. 594 Estimation of Ceremonies, and subjection to the Prelates. 595 The state of the Temple, and of our Church in resemblance. 597 Whether Ministers should endure themselves silenced. ibid. Power of reforming abuses given to the Church, and the issue of the neglect of it. 598 The view of the sins and disorders of others, whereupon objected: and how fare it should affect us. 600 The nearness of the State and Church, and the great errors found by the Separatists in the French and Dutch Churches. 601 Conversation with the World. 603 The impure mixtures of the Church of England. 604 The judgement of our own, and our neighbours, of our Church. 605 The issue of Separation. 607 The Brownists scornful opinion of our people. 608 The Conclusion from the fearful answer of Separation. ibid. A SERIOUS DISSUASIVE FROM POPERY. To W. D. Revolted, etc. YOU challenged me for my bold assertion of your manifold divisions: I do here make it good with usury. Those mouths that say they teach you the truth, say also (and you have believed them) that they all teach the same. As you find them true in this, so trust them in the other: For me, I cannot without indignation see, that in this light of the Gospel, God and his truth should thus be losers by you; and that a miserable soul should suffer itself thus grossly cozened of itself, and glory▪ Many can write to you with more profoundness, none with more sincere fervency, and desire to save you. I call heaven and earth to record against you this day, that if you relent or answer not, your perishing is wilful. We may pity your weakness, but God shall plague your Apostasy; if you had been bred in blindness, your ignorance had been but lamentable, now your choice and love of darkness is fearful and desperate. Alas! you cannot be condemned without our sorrow and shame. What should we do? We can but entreat, persuade, protest, mourn, and gauge our souls for yours; if these avail not, who can remedy that which will perish? Here this yet (you weak Revolter) if there be any care left in you of that soul which you have thus prostituted to error; if you have any regard to that God, whose simple truth you have contemned and forsken; what is this that hath driven you from us, alured you to them? For God's sake, let me but expostulate a little ere my silence: Either be convicted or inexcusable. Our bad lives have set you off; Woe is me that they are no holier; I bewail our wickedness, I defend it not; Only ask how they live in Italy; if they be not (for the more part) filths to the worst of ours, go with them and prosper. Let all indifferent tongues say, whether that very See whereon your faith depends, even within the smoke of his Holiness, be not (for viciousness) the sin be of the world; we may condemn ourselves, their lives shall justify us; But you list not to look so fare; you see their lives at home, you see ours: The comparison is not equal; They take this for the time of their persecution; we of our prosperity. The stubbornest Israelite, and the most godless Mariner, could call upon God in his trouble: we are all worse with liberty: Look back and see how they lived in former times while they prospered; No Turks (saith ERASMUS) more abominably though now as the wors● how 〈…〉 profe● might you 〈…〉 which would scorn that the most 〈…〉, should go before them in a gracious life, and in true 〈…〉 amon● 〈◊〉, there will be one Devil: I wish they were so good that we ●g●ulate them: but for my part, I never yet could know that Papist, which made conscience of all Gods ten moral laws: Shortly, whatsoever is upraided to us; the truth is pure, though men be unholy; and God is where he was, whatsoever becomes of men: For you, if you had not fallen to cool affections, and a lose life, you had been still ours: It is just with God to punish your secure negligence with error and delusion, and to suffer you thus to lose the truth, who had lost your care of obedience and first love. And now you do well to shift off this blame to others sins, which have most cause to accuse your own. From manners to look towards our doctrine: the novelty of our Religion (you say) hath discouraged you: theirs hath drawn you with reverence of her age. It is a free challenge betwixt us, let the elder have us both: if there be any point of our Religion younger than the Patriarches, and Prophets, CHRIST and his Apostles, the Fathers and Doctors of the Primitive Church, let it be accursed, and condemned for an upstart: show us evidence of more credit and age, and carry it. The Church of Rome hath been ancient, not the errors; neither do we in ought differ from it, wherein it is not departed from itself. I did not more fear your weariness than my own; forgetting the measure of a Preface, I would pass through every point of difference betwixt us; and let you see in all particulars, which is the old way; and make you know, that your Popish Religion doth but put on a borrowed visor of gravity upon this Stage, to outface true antiquity. Yet lest you should complain of words, let me without your tediousness have leave but to instance in the first of all Controversies betwixt v●, offering the same proof in all, which you shall see performed in one, I compare the judgement of the ancient Church with yours, see therefore and be ashamed of your novelty. Especially, Toby, judeth, Wisd. of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Maccabees. Euseb. l. 4. c. 25. Exposit. Symboli veteris instrumenti, primi omnium Mosis quinque libri, etc. Haec sunt quae patres intra Cánonem concluserunt, ex quibus fidei nostrae assertiones, etc. Alij libri sunt qui non Canonici, etc. First, our question is, Whether all those books which in our Bible's are styled Apocryphal, and are put after the rest by themselves, are to be received as the true Scriptures of God? Hear first the voice of the old Church: to let pass that clear and pregnant testimony of MELITO SARDENSIS in his Epistle to ONESIMUS cited by EUSEBIUS. Let CYPRIAN or RUFFINUS rather speak in the name of all: Of the old Testament (saith he) first were written the five books of MOSES, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomie; after these the book of JOSHVAH the Son of NUN, and that of the judges, together of RUTH; after which were the four books of the Kings, which the Hebrews reckon but two: of the Chronicles which is called the book of Days; and of EzRA, are two books, which of them are accounted but single, and the book of ESTER. Of the Prophets there is ESAY, HIERE●●E, EzEKIEL, and DANIEL, and beside, one book which contains the twelve smaller Prophets. Also JOB, & the Psalms of DAVID are single books: of SALOMON there are three books delivered to the Church, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. In these they have shut up the number of the books of the old Testament. Of the new, there are four Gospels, of MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, and JOHN; the Acts of the Apostles, written by LUKE; of PAUL the Apostle fourteen Epistles; of the Apostle PETER two Epistles, of JAMES the LORDS brother and Apostle, one; of JUDAS one; of JOHN three; Lastly, the Revelation of JOHN. These are they which the Fathers have accounted within the Canon, by which they would have the assertions of our faith made good. But we must know there are other books, which are called of the Ancients not Canonical but Ecclesiastical, as the Wisdom of SALOMON, & another Book of Wisdom, which is called of JESUS the son of SIRACH; which book of the Latins, is termed by a general name Ecclesiasti●us: of the same rank is the book of TOBY and JUDETH; and the books of the Maccabees: Thus fare that Father; so HIEROME after that he hath reckoned up the same number of books with us in their order, hath these words: This Prologue of mine (saith he) may serve as a well defenced entrance to all the books which I have turned out of Hebrew into Latin; In prologue. g● to Tem. 3. p. 6. Hic prologus. Scripturam quasi Galeatum principium omnibus libris quos de Hebraeo, etc. scire valeamus quicquid extra bos est, inter apocrypha esse ponendum: igitur Sapientia quae vulgo Salomonis inscribitur & jesu, etc. non sunt in Canone, etc. Euseb. l. 6. c. 24. Haud ignorandum autem fuerit, veteris instrum. libros sicut Hebraei tradunt. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Haec sunt Apocrythae, jesus, Sapientia, Pastor, & Maccabaeorun libri, judeth atque Tobia. Hugo Card. Concil. Trident. Decr. de Canon. Script. April. 8. promulg. in quar. Sessione. Sacrorun vero librorum indicem huic decreto adscribendum censuit, etc. Sunt autem infra scripti Testamenti veteris quinque libri Mosis, etc. Tobias, judeth, Sapientia Salomonis, Ecclesiasticus, Maccab. 2. Si quis autem libros ipsos integres cum omnibus suis partibus pro ut in Ecclesia Catholica legi consueverunt, & in veteri vulgata Latina Editione habenter, pro sacrit & canonicis non susceperit, Anathema sit. Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 15. c. 13. Sed quomodo libet istud accipiatur, etc. Ei linguae potius credatur unde est in aliam facta translatio. Ludovic. Viues ibid. Hoc ipsum Hieronymus clamat ubique; ●c ips● 〈◊〉 ratio, etc. Sed frustra honorum ingraciorum consensus hoc d●cet. Hieron. l. 3. ●●m. in Esaiam. Quod si aliquis dixerit Hebraeos libros pes● à Iud● falsatos, etc. S● autem dixerint post adventum Domini saluatoris, etc. Hebraeos libros fuisse falsatos, cachi●num tenere non pote●, ut saler & Apostoli, etc. cap. 6. Decr. p. 1. dist. 9 c. ut veterum. veterum librorum fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinanda est, ita noverum Graeci sermonis normam defiderat. Ad Decr. p. 1. d. 19 c. 3. Ad divina re●urre scripta Graeca. that we may know that whatsoever is beside these, is Apocryphal: therefore that book which is entitled salomon's Wisdom, and the book of jesus the son of Syrach, and judeth, and Tobias and Pastor, are not Canonical: the first book of the Macabees I have found in Hebrew, the second in Greek: which book (saith he) indeed the Church readeth, but receiveth not as Canonical. The same reckoning is made by Origen in Eusebius, word for word. The same by Epiphanius, by cyril, by Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Damascen: yea, by Lyranus, both Hugoes, Caietan, Carthusian, and Montanus himself &c. All of them with full consent rejecting these same Apocryphal books with us. Now hear the present Church of Rome in her own words, thus: The holy Synod of Trent hath though good to set down with this Decree a just Catalogue of books of holy Scripture, lest any man should make doubt which they be which are received by the Synod; And they are these under-written, Of the Old Testament; five books of MOSES, than JOSHVAH, the judges, RUTH, four books of the Kings, two of the Chronicles, two of ESDRAS, the first and the second, which is called NEHEMIAS', TOBIAS, JUDETH, ESTER, JOB, the Psalter of DAVID, containing one hundred and fifty Psalms, The Proverbs of SALOMON, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the book of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, ESAY, HIEREMIE, etc. two books of the Maccabees, the first and the second. And if any man shall not receive these whole books with all the parts of them, as they are wont to be read in the Catholic Church; and as they are had in the old vulgar Latin Edition, for holy and Canonical, let him be accursed. Thus she: judge you now of our age; and say, whether the opinion of the ancient Church (that is ours) be not a direct enemy to Popery, and flatly accursed by the Romish. Pass on yet a little further. Our question is whether the Hebrew and Greek Originals be corrupted; and whether those first Copies of Scriptures be not to be followed above all Translations. Hear first the ancient Church with us: But (saith Saint AUGUSTINE) how soever it be taken, whether it be believed to be so done, or not believed, or lastly whether it were so or not so; I hold it a right course, that when any thing is found different in either books (the Hebrew and Septuagint) since for the certainty of things done, there can be but one truth; that tongue should rather be believed from whence the Translation was made into another language. Upon which words LUDOVICUS VIVES (yet a Papist) saith thus: The same (saith he) doth HIEROM proclaim every where, and reason itself teacheth it, and there is none of found judgement that will gainsay it; but in vain doth the consent of all good wits teach this, for the stubborn blockishness of men opposeth against it. Let HIEROM himself then, a greater Linguist be heard speak: And if there be any man (saith he) that will say the Hebrew books were afterwards corrupted by the jews; let him hear ORIGEN, what he answers in the eight volume of his explanations of ESAY to this question; that the Lord and his Apostles which reprove other faults in the Scribes and Pharises, would never have been silent in this, which were the greatest crime that could be. But if they say that the Hebrews falsified them after the coming of Christ and Preaching of the Apostles, I cannot hold from laughter, that our Saviour and the Evangelists and Apostles should so cite testimonies of Scripture, as the jews would afterwards deprave them: Thus JEROME. And the Canon law itself hath this determination, that the truth and credit of the books of the old Testament should be examined by the Hebrew Volumes; of the new, by the Greek. And Pope INNOCENTIUS as he is cited by GRATIAN, could say, Have recourse to the divine Scriptures in their Original Greek. The same lastly by BELLARMINE'S own confession, Bellar. l. de verb. Dei 2. cap. 11. §. 3. the Fathers teach every where: As JEROME in his book against HELVIDIUS, and in his Epistle to MARCELIA, that the Latin Edition of the Gospel is to be called back to the Greek fountains; and the Latin Edition of the old Testament, is to be amended by the Hebrew; in his Comment upon ZACHARY, 8. The very same hath AUSTEN in his second book of Christian doctrine, Chap. 11.12.15. and Epist. 19 and elsewhere. This was the old Religion and ours; now hear the new. The present Church of Rome hath thus: The holy Synod decreeth that the old vulgar Latin Edition in all Lectures, Dispuations, Sermons, Expositions, be held for Authentical, saith the Council of Trent: And her Champion BELLARMINE hath these words; That the fountain of the Originals in many places run muddy and impure, we have formerly showed, and indeed 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, etc. Concil. Trid. sess. 4. Sacrosancta Synodus statuit, ut haec ipsa vetus, etc. pro authentica habeatur. Bell de verb. l. 2. c. 11. Nunc autem fontes multis in locis turbidos fluere, etc. Omnino contendunt judaeos in odium Christianae relig. studiose depravasse: ita docet jacobus Christop. litanus & Canus, etc. Bell. 2. de verb. Dei, p. 100 So Raynolds in his refutation, pag. 303. against Isaac Valla, Andradius, Monta, etc. Haeretici huius temporis, odio vulgatae editionis nimium tribuunt editi●i Hebraicae, etc. omnia exa●●nari v●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, etc. Basil. in Ascet. o●. Regul. breviores. quae ambiguè, & obscurê videntur dici in quibusdam locis sacrae script. & reg. 267. Aug. Ep. 3. Non tenta in scriptures difficultate perveniter ad ea quae necessaria sunt saluti, etc. Aug. de doctr. Christ. l. 2. c. 9 In ijs quae ●pertè in scriptura positá si●●t, inven●tur illa 〈◊〉 quae continent fidem moresque vinendi. Magnificè & salubriter spirit. sanctui ita script. etc. De doctr. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 4. Aug. Epist. 3. Modus ipse dicendi quo sancta Scriptura, etc. Sed invitat omnes humili sermone. but that as the Latin Church hath been more constant in keeping the faith than the Greek, so it hath been more vigilant in defending her books from corruption. Yea, some of the Popish Doctors maintain, that the jews in hatred of the Christian faith, did on purpose corrupt many places of Scripture: so holds GREGORY de VALENTIA, JACOBUS CHRISTOPOLITANUS in his Preface to the Psalms, CANUS in the second book of his common places. But in stead of all, BELLARMINE shall shut up all with these words; The Heretics of this time, in hatred of the vulgar Edition, give too much to the Hebrew Edition, as CALVIN, CHEMNITIUS, GEORGIUS MAYOR: All which would have every thing examined and amended by the Hebrew text, which they commonly call a most pure fountain. See now whether that which BELLARMINE confesses to have been the judgement of HIEROME, AUSTEN, and all the ancient Fathers, be not here condemned by him, as the opinion of the Heretics: Ours was theirs; and theirs is condemned under our names: judge whether in this also Popery be not an upstart. Yet one step more: Our question is, whether the Scripture be easy or most obscure; and whether in all essential points it do not interpret itself; so as what is hard in one place, is openly laid forth in another: Hear the judgement of the old Church and ours: All things are clear and plain, and nothing contrary in the Scriptures, saith EPIPHANIUS. Those things which seem doubtfully and obscurely spoken in some places of Scripture, are expounded by them, which in other places are open and plain, saith BASIL: What could CALVIN and LUTHER say more? There is no so great hardness in the Scriptures to come to those things which are necessary to salvation, saith AUSTEN: In those things which are openly laid down in Scripture, are found all those things which contain our faith and rules of our life, saith the same Father; who yet again also saith thus: The Spirit of God hath Royally and wholsomely tempered the holy Scriptures so, as both by the plain places he might prevent our hunger, and by the obscure he might avoid our nice slothfulness; for there is scarce any thing that can be fetched out of those obscurities, which is not found most plainly spoken elsewhere. And because Bellarmine takes exception at this (Ferè, Scarce) compare this place with the former; and with that which he hath in his third Epistle, thus: The manner of speech in which the Scripture is contrived, is easy to be come to of all; although it be throughly attained by few: Those things which it containeth plain and easy, it speaks like a famliar friend, without guile, to the heart of the learned and unlearned, etc. But it invites all men with an humble manner of speech, whom it doth not only feed with manifest truth, but exercise with secret, having the same in readiness which it hath in secrecy: Thus AUSTEN. To omit IRENEUS and ORIGEN: chrysostom (whom BELLARMINE saith we allege alone for us) besides many other plain places, writeth thus: Who is there to whom all is not manifst, which is written in the Gospel? Chrysost. Hom. 3. de Lazaro. Cui non sunt manifesta quacunque in Euangel. etc. q● possis intellig●t qu● ne leviter quidem inspic●e vobis, etc. s● 〈◊〉 in ●us, lege, etc. Citat. ab ipso Bellarm. Apostoli verò & propheta omnis contra f●cerunt manifestae clar●que: quae pr●diderūt, exposuerunt, exposuerunt nobis veluti c●nes orbis doctores, ut per se quisque disc●re possit ea quae dicuntur, ex sola lectione. Chrys. hom. 3. in Laz. Qua●obrē opus est concionatore, omnia sunt plana ex scripturis divinis, sed quia delicatuli estis, etc. Hom. 3. in 2. Thess. Bellarm. lib. 3. de verbo, cap. 1. Necessario fatendum est Scripturas esse obscurissimas. Lutherus duo effugia excogitavit; van● quoth Scriptura etiamsi alicubi obscura, tamen illud idem alibi clarè proponat, etc. ibid. § 2. Eckius in Euchirid. c. 4 Lutherani contendunt Scripturas sacras esse claras. D●aeus contr. Whitak. lib. 6. Rhemists in 2 Pet. 3.16. and in their Preface at large, etc. Homil. in 4. Dominic. ab Epiphan. Amb. ser. 35. Hieron. in Psal. Dominus narrabit, & que modo narrabit? Non verbo sed scriptura. in cuius scriptura? in populorum etc. Dominus narrabit in scriptures populorum in scriptures sanctis; quae scriptura populis omnibus legitur, hac est, ut omnes intelligant, non ut pauci intelligerent, sed ut omnes, in Psalm. 86. Omnis quae post ascens. etc. quis fidelis vel etiam catech●menus antequam Spiritum Sanctum baptizatus accipiat, non aequo animo, etc. Aug. tract. in joh. 96. and to the same purpose, l. 2. de Doct. Christ. c. 8. Chrys. hom. 3. de Lazar, Semper hort●r, & hor●i non des●am, ut non hic tantum attendatis, etc. Ego forensibus causis affixus sum, etc. who that shall hear, Blessed are the meek, Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart, and the rest, would desire a teacher to learn any of these things which are here spoken? As also the signs, miracles, histories, are not they known and manifest to every man? This pretence and excuse is but the cloak of our slothfulness: thou understandest not those things which are written; how shouldest thou understand them, which wilt not so much as slightly look into them? take the book into thy hand, read all the history, and what thou knowest, remember, and what is obscure, run often over it. So chrysostom: yea, he makes this difference betwixt the Philosophers and Apostles: the Philosophers speak obscurely, but the Apostles and Prophets (saith he) contrarily make all things delivered by them, clear & manifest; & as the common teachers of the world have so expounded all things, that every man may of himself by bare reading, learn those things which are spoken: yea, lastly, so fare he goes in this point, as that he asketh, Wherefore needs a Preacher? all things are clear and plain in the Divine Scriptures; but because ye are delicate hearers, and seek delight in hearing; therefore ye seek for Preachers. You have heard the old Religion, now hear the new: BELLARMINE hath these words: It must needs be confessed that the Scriptures are most obscure; Here therefore (saith he) LUTHER hath devised two evasions; One, that the Scripture, though it be obscure in one place, yet that it doth clearly propound the same thing in another. The second is, that though the Scripture be clear of itself, yet to the proud and unbelievers it is hard by reason of their blindness & evil affections: so the Lutherans (saith Ecchius) contend that the Scriptures are clear and plain: so Duraeus against Whitakers: so the Rhemists in their annotations; and generally all Papists. judge now if all these forenamed Fathers, and so the ancient Church, were not Lutherans in this point; or rather we theirs; and yield that this their old opinion by the new Church of Rome is condemned for heretical: and in all these say upon your soul, whether is the elder? Let me draw you on yet a little further: Our question is, whether it be necessary or fit that all men (even of the Laity) should have liberty to hear and read the Scriptures, in a language which they understand? Hear first the voice of the old Religion. To omit the direct charges of GREGORY NISSEN and AMBROSE; thus hath JEROME upon the Psalms, The Lord will declare; and how will he declare? Not by word but by writing; In whose writing? In the writing of his people, etc. Our Lord and Saviour therefore tells us, and speaketh in the Scriptures of his Princes: Our Lord will declare it to us in the Scriptures of his people, in the holy Scriptures: which Scripture is read to all the people; that is, so read as that all may understand; not that a few may understand, but all. What faithful man, saith AUGUSTINE (though he be but a Novice, before he be baptised and have received the Holy Ghst) doth not with an equal mind read and hear all things, which after the Ascension of our Lord are written in Canonical truth, and authority, although as yet he understands them not as he ought? But of all other, Saint chrysostom is every where most vehement and direct in this point: Amongst infinite places, hear what he saith in one of his Homilies of LAzARVS. I do always exhort, and will never cease to exhort you (saith he) that you will not here only attend to those things which are spoken, but when you are at home, you continually busy yourselves in reading of the holy Scriptures; which practice also I have not ceased to drive into them which come privately to me: for let no man say, Tush, they are but idle words, and many of them such as should be contemned: Alas, I am taken up with law causes, I am employed in public affairs, I follow my trade, I maintain a wife and children, Vxorem alo & liberos, familiae curam gero, etc. Qui mo●t●m Vertices accuparunt, etc. Quid ●is homo? non est tui neg●tij scripturas evoluere? etc. 〈◊〉 tuum magis est quam illorum, etc. Non, nunc fieri potest ut quisquam, etc. Nae negligamus nobis parare libros, etc. Quid igitur in●, etc. Publicani, Piscatores, Tabernacularum ●pifices, pastors, & Apostoli, idiota illiterati. etc. and have a great charge to look to: It is not for me to read the Scriptures, but for them which have cast off the world, which have taken up the solitary tops of Mountains for their dwellings, which live this contemplative kind of life continually. What sayest thou, O man? is it not for thee to turn over the Scriptures, because thou art distracted with infinite cares? Nay, than it is for thee more than for them; for they do not so much need the help of the Scriptures, as you that are tossed in the midst of the waves of worldly business. And soon after: Neither can it be possible that any man should without great fruit be perpetually conversant in this spiritual exercise of reading: and strait; Let us not neglect to buy ourselves Books, lest we receive a wound in our vital parts; and after he hath compared the Books of Scripture to Gold, he addeth, But what, say they, if we understand not those things which are contained in those Books? What gain we then? Yes surely, though thou dost not understand those things which are there laid up, yet by the very reading much holiness is got: Although it cannot be, that thou shouldest be alike ignorant of all thou readest; for therefore hath the Spirit of God so dispensed this Word, that Publicans, Fishers, Tent-makers, Shepherds, and Goatheards, plain unlettered men may be saved by these Books; lest any of the simpler sort should pretend this excuse, Note that which is read in chrysostom, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in some better copies is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies Goatheards, more agreeable to the place. & famulus & vidua mulier, & omnium hominum indoctissimus, exaudita lectione aliquid lucri utilitatisque reportet. Hom. in Gen. 29. Obsecro ut subinde huc veniatis, etc. In Coloss. Hom. 9 Audite obsecro Seculares omnes, etc. Rhemists in their Preface to their Testament. Bellarm. de. verb. lib. 2. cap. 15. Haeretici huius temporis omnes in eo conveniunt, ut oporteat Scripturas omnibus permittere, imo & tradere in sua lingua; etc. At Catholica Ecclesia, etc. Prohibet ne passim omnibus sine discri●ine concedatur eiusmodi lectio, etc. Duraeus contra Whit. lib. 6. Si Christianis omnibus ut Scripturas for●tentur à Christo dictum esse intelligis, in magus certè errore, etc. Promiscu● fidelium turbae, etc. Basil. Ep. 82. That all things which are said should be easy to discern; and that the workman, the servant, the poor widow, and the most unlearned of all other, by hearing of the Word read, might get some gain and profit. And the same Father elsewhere, I beseech you (saith he) that you come speedily hither, and hearken diligently to the reading of the Holy Scriptures; and not only when you come hither, but also at home take the Bible into your hands, and by your diligent care reap the profit contained in it. Lastly, in his Homilies upon the Epistle to the Colossians, he cries out, Hear, I beseech you, O all you secular men, provide you Bibles which are the medicines for the soul; At least get the new Testament. Now on the contrary, let the new religion of Rome speak; first, by her Rhemish jesuites, thus: We may not think that the translated Bibles into vulgar tongues, were in the hands of every husbandman, artificer, apprentice, boys, girls, Mistress, Maid, Man; that they were sung, played, alleged of every Tinker, Taverner, Rhymer, Minstrel. The like words of scorn and disgrace are used by HOSIUS, and by ECKIUS, and by BELALR. de verb. l. 2. c. 15. The wise will not here regard (say our Rhemists) what some wilful people do mutter, that the Scriptures are made for all men, etc. And soon after, they compare the Scriptures to Fire, Water, Candles, Knives, Swords, which are indeed needful, etc. but would mar all, if they were at the guiding of other, than wise men, All the Heretics of this time, saith BELLARMINE, agree that the Scriptures should be permitted to all, and delivered in their own Mother tongue; But the Catholic Church forbids the reading of the Scriptures by all, without choice: or the public reading or singing of them in vulgar tongues, as it is decreed in the Council of Trent, Sess. 22. c. 8. & Can. 9 If you think (saith DURAEUS) that Christ bade all Christians to search the Scriptures, you are in a gross error; For how shall rude and ignorant men search the Scriptures? etc. And so he concludes, that the Scriptures were not given to the common multitude of Believers. judge now what either we say, or these Papists condemn, besides the ancient judgement of the Fathers: and if ever either CALVIN or LUTHER have been more peremptory in this matter, than S. CHRYSOST. I vow to be a Papist. If ours be not in this the old religion, be not you ours. Yet this one passage further, and then no more, lest I weary you: Our question is; whether the Scriptures depend upon the authority of the Church; or rather upon the authority of Scriptures? Hear first the ancient Church, with and for us: The question is (saith S. Aug. de v●late Ecclesiae, sive Epist. contra Potilianum Donatistam cap. 2. Inter nos autem & Donatistas' questio est, ubi sit Ecclesia, quid ergo facturisumus? in verbis nostris eam qua situri, etc. Aug. ibid. cap. 16. Vtrum ipsi Ecclesiam teneant, non nisi Divinarum Scripturarum Canonicis libris ostendunt, etc. Quia nec nos propterea dicimus etc. Aug. in Psal. 69. in illa verba: Omnes qui quaerunt te, etc. Ne in ecclesiam errares, ne quis, etc. Multi enim dixerunt carnem non habuisse: ostendit, etc. So Epi. 166. & in Ps. 57 etc. Chrysost. Hom. in Matth. 49. Qui vult cognoscere, quae sit vera Ecclesia Christi, unde cognoscet nisi etc. Eckius in Enchirid. c. de Ecclesia. Scriptura non est authentica sive authoritate Ecclesiae; Scriptores enim canonici ●unt membra Ecclesiae, unde haeretico contendere volenti, etc. Eckius ibidem. Scriptura definite in Concilio, visum est Spiritui Sancto, etc. rem tam clarè expressam, & definitam Ecclesia sua authoritate mutavit, etc. Ecce potestas Ecclesiae super Scriptura. Si tollamus authoritatem praesentis Ecclesiae & praesentis Concilij. in dubium revocari poterunt omnium aliorum Conciliorum decreta, & tota fides Christiana, etc. Bell. de effectu Sacram. l. 2. cap. 25. pag. 300. Omnium Dogmatum firmitas, etc. So Pigh. l. 1. de Hier. et Stapl. l. 9 Princ. doct. c. 1. Compertum est ab his damnata ut haeretica in Lutheri libri●, quae in Bernardi, Augustinique libris, ut Orthodoxa, imo ut pia leguntur. Erasm. Epist. ad Card. Mogunt pag. 401. AUSTIN) betwixt us and the Donatists, where the Church in. What shall we do then? shall we seek her in her own words, or in the words of her Head the Lord jesus Christ? I suppose we ought to seek her rather in his words, which is the Truth; and knows best his own body, for the Lord knows who are his; we will not have the Church sought in our words. And in the same Book, Whether the Donatists hold the Church (saith the same Father) let them not show, but by the Canonical Books of Divine Scriptures; for neither do we therefore say they should believe us, that we are in the Church of Christ, because OPTATUS or AMBROSE hath commended this Church unto us which we now hold; or because it is acknowledged by the Counsels of our fellow Teachers, or because so great miracles are done in it: it is not therefore manifested to be true and Catholic; but the Lord jesus himself judged, that his Disciples should rather be confirmed by the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets: These are the rules of our cause, these are the foundations, these are the confirmations. And upon the Psalms, Lest thou shouldest err (saith the same AUGUSTINE) in thy judgement of the Church: lest any man should say to thee, This is Christ, which is not Christ, or this is the Church, which is not the Church; for many, etc. Hear the voice of the Shepherd himself, which is clothed in flesh, etc. He shows himself to thee; handle him, and see. He shows his Church, lest any man should deceive thee under the name of the Church, etc. yet chrysostom more directly thus: He that would know which is the true Church of Christ, whence may he know it in the similitude of so great confusion, but only by the Scriptures? Now the working of miracles is altogether ceased; yea, they are rather found to be feignedly wrought of them, which are but false Christians; Whence then shall he know it, but only by the Scriptures? The Lord jesus therefore knowing what great confusion of things would be in the last days, therefore commands that those which are Christians, and would receive confirmation of their true faith, should fly to nothing but to the Scriptures; Otherwise if they fly to any other help, they shall be offended and perish, not understanding which is the true Church: This is the old faith; Now hear the new, contradicting it & us. The Scripture (saith ECKIUS a Popish Doctor) is not authentical without the authority of the Church; for the Canonical Writers are members of the Church; Whereupon let it be objected to an Heretic, that will strive against the decrees of the Church, by what weapons he will fight against the Church, he will say, By the Canonical Scriptures of the four Gospels, and Paul's Epistles. Let it be strait objected to him, how he knows these to be Canonical, but by the Church. And a while after, The Scripture (saith he) defined in a Council, it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, that you abstain from things offered to Idols, and blood, and strangled: the Church by her authority altered a thing so clearly defined & expressed: for it useth both strangled and blood; Behold, the power of the Church is above the Scripture; thus ECKIUS. And besides CUSANUS, BELLARMINE saith thus: If we take away the authority of the present Church, and of the present Council (of Trent,) all the Decrees of all other Counsels and the whole Christian faith may be called into doubt. And in the same place a little after; The strength of all ancient Counsels, and the certainty of all opinions, depends on the authority of the present Church. You have heard both speak: say now, with whom is true antiquity; and on God's name detest the newer of both. It were as easy to bring the same, if not greater evidence for the perfection, and all-sufficiency of Scripture; and so to deliver all the body of our religion, by the tongues and pens of the Fathers, that either you must be forced to hold them Novelists with us, or yourselves such against them. How honest and ingenuous is that confession of your ERASMUS? who in his Epistle to the Bishop and Cardinal of Mentz, could say, It is plainly found, that many things in LUTHER'S Books are condemned for Heretical, which in the books of BERNARD and AUSTEN, are read for Holy and Orthodox. This is too much for a taste: If your appetite stand to it, I dare promise you full dishes: Let me therefore appeal to you, if light and darkness be more contrary than these points of your Religion, to true Antiquity: No, no; Let your Author's gloze as they list; Popery is but a young faction, corruptly raised out of ancient grounds. And if it have (as we grant) some ancient errors, falsehood cannot be bettered with Age; there is no prescription against God and Truth: What we can prove to be erroneous, we need not prove new: some hundreths of years is an idle Plea against the Ancient of days. What can you plead yet more for your change? Their numbers perhaps, and our handfuls? You heard all the World was theirs, scarce any corner ours: How could you but suspect a few? These are but idle brags; we dare and can share equally with them in Christendom: And if we could not; this rule will teach you to advance Turkism above Christianity, and Paganism above that: the World above the Church, Hell above Heaven: If any proof can be drawn from numbers, He that knows all, says the best are fewest. The Peace of Rome left out, because it was but a Translation in this Edition, etc. What then could stir you? Our divisions and their unity. If this my following labour do not make it good to all the World, that their peace is less than ours, their dissension more, by the confession of their own months, be you theirs still, and let me follow you. I stand not upon the scold of Priests and jesuites, nor the late Venetian jars, nor the pragmatical differences now on foot, in the view of all Christendom, betwixt their own cardinals in their Sacred conclave, and all their Clergy, concerning the Pope's temporal power: Neither do I call any friend to be our Advocate; none but Bellarmine and Navarrus shall be my Orators; and if these plead not this cause enough, let it fall: See here dangerous rifts and flaws, not in the outward bark only, but in the very heart and pith of your Religion; and if so many be confessed by one or two, what might be gathered out of all? and if so many be acknowledged; think how many there are that lurk in secret, and will not be confessed? How loath would we be (after all exclamations) that your busy jesuites could rake out so many confessed quarrels out of all our Authors, as I have here found in two of yours? We want only their cunning secrecy in the carriage of our quarrels: Our few (and slight) differences are blazoned abroad with infamy and offence, their hundreds are craftily smothered in silence. Let your own eyes satisfy you in this, not my pen: see now what you would never believe. What is it then, that could thus bewitch you to forsake the comely and heavenly Truth of God, and to dote upon this beastly Strumpet? to change your Religion, for a ridiculous, sensual, cruel, irreligious faction? A Religion (if we must call it so) that made sport to our plain forefathers, with the remembrance of her gravest devotions: How oft have you seen them laugh at themselves, whiles they have told of their creeping-crouch, kissing the Pax, offering their Candles, signing with Ashes, partial Shrifts, merry Pilgrimages, ridiculous Miracles, and a thousand such May-games, which now you begin (after this long hissing at) to look upon soberly, and with admiration! A Religion, whose fooleries very Boys may shout and laugh at, if for no more but this, that it teaches men to put confidence in Beads, Medals, Roses, hallowed Swords, Spells of the Gospel, Agnes Dei, and such like idle babbles, ascribing unto them Divine virtue: yea, so much as is due to the Son of God himself, and his precious blood. I speak not of some rude Ignorants; your very Book of holy-ceremonies shall teach you what your holy-fathers' do, and have done. That tells you first with great allowance and applause, that Pope VRBAN the fift sent three Agnes Dei, to the Greek Emperor, with these verses: Balsam, pure wax, and Chrismes-liquor clear, Balsamus & munda cerae cum Chrismatis unda conficiunt Agnun, quod munus de tibi magnum, etc. Fulgura de coelo, etc. Peccatum frangit ut Christi sanguis & angit, etc. Sacr. Cerem. lib. 1. ea, quae in hoc equarum vesculo, praeparato ad nominis tui gloriam, infundere decrevimꝰ, benedicas: quatenus ipsorū● veneratione & honore nobis famulis tuis crimina diluantur, abster gentur maculae peccatorum, i●petrentur, veniae, gratia conferantur, ut tandem una cum sanctis & electis tuis vitam percipere merea●ur aeternam. Fran. a Victoria Ordin. Praedicatorum Sum. Sacram. art. 184. p. 204. Sed quod faciet Confessor cum interrogatur de peccato? etc. Respondes secundum omnes, quod sic. Sed fac quod Index aut praelatus ex malitia exigat à me iuramentum, an sciam in Confession? Respondeo: quod coactus iuret se nescire in confessura, quia intelligitur senescire ad revelandum, aut taliter quod possit dicere. Make up this precious Lamb, I send thee here; All lightning it dispels, and each ill spirit, Remedies stone, and makes the heart contrite, Even as the blood that Christ for us did shed. It helps the child-beds pain; and gives good speed Unto the birth; Great gifts it still doth win To all that wear it, and that worthy been: It quells the rage of fire; and cleanly bore It brings from shipwreck safely to the shore. And lest you should plead this to be the conceit of some one Fantastical Pope, hear (and be ashamed) out of the same Book, what by prescription, every Pope useth to pray in the blessing of the water, which serves for that Agnus Dei: If you know not, thus he prayeth: That it would please thee, O God, to bless those things which we purpose to pour into this Vessel of water prepared to the glory of thy Name, so as by the worship and honour of them, we thy servants may have our heinous offences done away, the blemishes of our sins wiped off, and thereby we may obtain pardon, and receive grace from thee; so that at the last with thy Saints and Elect Children we may merit to obtain everlasting life, Amen. How could you choose, but be in love with this Superstition, Magic, Blasphemy practised, and maintained by the heads of your Church? A Religion, that allows juggling Equivocations, and reserved senses even in very oaths. Besides all that hath been shamelessly written by our jesuites to this purpose; Hear what Franciscus Victoria, an ingenuous Papist, and a learned Reader of Divinity in Salmantica, writes in the name of all. But what shall a Confessor do (saith he) if he be asked of a sin that he hath heard in Confession? May he say that he knows not of it? I answer, according to all our Doctors, that he may? But what if he be compelled to swear? I say, that he may and aught to swear that he knows it not; for that it is understood that he knows it not besides confession, and so he swears true, But say, that the judge or Prelate shall maliciously require of him upon his oath, whether he know it in confession or no; I answer, that a man thus urged may still swear that he knows it not in confession; for that it is understood, he knows it not to reveal it, or so as he may tell: Who teach and do thus in another's case, judge what they would do in their own. O wise, cunning and holy perjuries, unknown to our forefathers! A Religion, that allows the buying and selling of sins, of Pardons, of souls: so as now Purgatory can have no rich men in it, but fools and friendless: Devils are Torments there (as themselves hold from many Revelations of Bede, Bernard, Carthusian) yet Men can command Devils, and money can command men. A Religion, that relies wholly upon the infallibility of those, whom yet they grant have been, and may be monstrous in their lives and dispositions. How many of those heirs of PETER (by confession of their own Records) by Bribes, by Whores, by Devils, have climbed up into that chair! Yet, to say that those men which are confessed to have given their souls to the Devil, that they might be Popes, can err, while they are Popes, is Heresy worthy of a stake and of Hell. A Religion, that hoodwinks the poor Laity in forced ignorance, lest they should know Gods will, or any way to Heaven but theirs; so as millions of souls live no less without Scripture, than as if there were none: that forbids spiritual food as poison; and fetches God's Book into the Inquisition. A Religion, that teaches men to worship stocks and stones, with the same honour that is due to their Creator; which practice lest it should appear to her simple Clients, how palpably opposite it is to the second Commandment; they have discreetly left out those words of God's Law, as a needless illustration, in their Catechisms and Prayer Books of the vulgar. A Religion, that utterly overthrows the true humanity of Christ, while they give unto it ten thousand places at once, and yet no place: flesh and no flesh, several members without distinction; a substance without quantity, and other accidents; or substance and accidents that cannot be seen, felt, perceived. So they make either a Monster of their Saviour, or nothing. A Religion, that utterly overthrows the perfection of Christ's satisfaction: If all be not paid, how hath he satisfied? If temporal punishments in Purgatory be yet due, how is all paid? and if these must be paid by us, how are they satisfied by him? A Religion, that makes more Scriptures than ever God and his ancient Church; and those which it doth make, so imperiously obtrudes upon the world, as if God himself should speak from heaven: & while it thunders out curses against all that will not add these Books to Gods, regards not God's Curse, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book. A Religion, whose Patrons disgrace the true Scriptures of God with reproachful terms, odious comparisons, imputations of corruption and imperfection; and in fine, pin their whole authority upon the sleeves of men. Papa facit protestationem ante Canonizationem, se nihil intendere facire, quod fit contra fidem aut Ecclesiam Catholicam. Aliqui tamen clarissimi viri dicunt, etc. Quia Pap● quodammodo cogebatur ad Canonizandum quendam contra suum voluntatem; lib. Sacr. Ceremon. A Religion, that erects a throne in the Conscience to a mere man, and gives him absolute power to make a sin, to dispense with it, to create new Articles of Faith, and to impose them upon necessity of salvation. A Religion, that baffoules all Temporal Princes, making them stand barefoot at their great Bishop's gate, lie at his foot, hold his stirrup, yea, their own Crowns at his Courtesy, exempting all their Ecclesiastical Subjects from their jurisdiction, and (when they list) all the rest from their Allegiance. A Religion, that hath made wicked men Saints, and Saints Gods. Even by the confession of Papists, lewd and undeserving men have leapt into their Calendar: Whence it is, that the Pope before his Canonization of any Saint, makes solemn protestation, that he intends not in that business to do aught prejudicial to the glory of God or to the Catholic Faith and Church: And once Sainted, they have the honour of Altars, Temples, Invocations; and some of them in a style fit only for their Maker. I know not whether that blessed Virgin receive more indignity from her enemies that deny her, or these her flatterers that deify her. A Religion, that robs the Christian heart of all sound comfort, whiles it teacheth us, that we neither can nor aught to be assured of the remission of our sins, and of present grace, and future salvation; That we can never know whether we have received the true Sacraments of God, because we cannot know the intention of the Minister, without which they are no Sacraments. A Religion that racks the conscience with the needless torture of a necessary shrift; wherein the virtue of absolution depends on the fullness of confession: and that, upon examination and the sufficiency of examination, is so full of scruples (besides those infinite cases of unresolued doubts in this feigned penance) that the poor foul never knows when it is dear. A Religion, that professes to be a 〈◊〉 of sin; whiles both (in practice) it tolerates open stews, and prefers fornication in some cases to honourable Matrimony, and gently blanches over the breaches of God's Law; with the name of venials and favourable titles of Diminution; daring to affirm that Venial sins are no hindrance to a man's cleanness and perfection. A Cruel Religion, that sends poor Infants remedilessly unto the eternal pains of Hell; for want of that which they could not live to desire: and f●igh●s simple souls with expectation of feigned torments in Purgatory; not inferior (for the time) to the flames of the damned. How wretchedly and fearfully must their poor Layicks needs die: for first, they are not sure they shall not go to Hell; and secondly, they are sure to be scorched, if they shall go to Heaven. A Religion, that makes nature namely proud in being joined by her, as copartner with God, in our justification, in our Salvation; and idly puffed up in a conceit of her perfection, and ability to keep more Laws than God hath made. A Religion, that requires no other faith to justification in Christians, than may be found in the Devils themselves: who besides a confused apprehension, can assent unto the Truth of Gods revealed will: Popery requires no more. A Religion, that instead of the pure milk of the Gospel hath long fed her starved souls with such idle Legends, as the Reporter can hardly deliver without laughter, and their Abettors not hear without shame and disclamation: the wiser sort of the World read those Stories on winter Evenings for sport, which the poor credulous multitude hears in their Churches, with a devout astonishment. A Religion, which (lest aught should be here wanting to the Doctrine of Devils) makes Religious Prohibitions of meat, and difference of diet; superstitiously preferring God's workmanship to itself, and willingly polluting what he hath sanctified. A Religion, that requires nothing but mere formality in our devotions; the work wrought suffices alone in Sacraments, in Prayers: So the number be found in the Chaplet, there is no care of the affection; as if God regarded not the heart, but the tongue and hands, and while he understands us, cared little whether we understand ourselves. A Religion, that presumptuously dares to alter and mangle Christ's last Institution; and sacrilegiously rob God's people of one half of that heavenly provision, which our Saviour left for his last and dearest Legacy to his Church for ever: as if Christ's Ordinance were superfluous, or any Shaveling could be wiser than his Redeemer. A Religion, that depends wholly upon nice and poor uncertainties, and unproveable supposals: that Peter was Bishop of Rome; that h●e left any heirs of his graces and spirit; or if any, but one in a perpetual and unfaileable succession at Rome; That he so bequeathed his infallibility to his chair, as that whosoever sits in it, cannot but speak true; that all which sit where he sat, must by some secret instinct say as he taught; That what Christ said to him absolutely, ere ever Rome was thought of, must be referred, yea, tied to that place alone, and fulfilled in it: That Linus, or Clemens, or Cletus, the Scholars and supposed Successors of Peter, must be preferred (in the Headship of the Church) to john the beloved Apostle then living: That he whose life, whose pen, whose judgement, whose keys may err, yet in his Pontifical chair cannot err: That the Golden Line of this Apostolical Succession, in the confusion of so many, long, desperate Schisms, shamefully corrupt Usurpations, and Intrusions, yielded Heresies, neither was, nor can be broken. Deny any of these, and Popery is no Religion. Oh the lamentable hazard of so many Millions of poor souls that stand upon these slippery terms, whereof if any be probable, some are impossible! Oh miserable grounds of Popish faith whereof the best can have but this praise, that perhaps it may be true! A Religion, that hath been oft died in the blood of Princes: that in some cases, teaches and allows Rebellion against Gods Anointed; and both suborneth Treasons, and excuses, pities, honours, rewards the Actors. A Religion, that overloades men's consciences with heavy burdens of infinite unnecessary Traditions; far more than ever Moses commented upon by all the jewish Masters; imposing them with no less authority, and exacting them with more rigour, than any of the royal laws of their Maker. A Religion, that cousins the vulgar with nothing but shadows of Holiness, in Pilgrimages, Processions, Offerings, Holywater, Latin Services, Images, Tapers, rich Vestures, garish Altars, Crosses, Censings, and a thousand such like (fit for Children and Fools) robbing them in the mean time of the sound and plain helps of true piety and salvation. A Religion, that cares not by what wilful falsehoods it maintains a part: as Wickliff's blasphemy, Luther's advice from the Devil, Tindals' community, Caluins' feigned Miracle, and blasphemous death, Bucers' neck broken, Bezaes' revolt, the blasting of Huguenots, England's want of Churches and Christendom; Queen Elizabeths' unwomanlinesse, her Episcopal jurisdiction, her secret fruitfulness; English Catholics cast in Bears skins to Dogs, Plesses shameful overthrow; Garnets' Straw, the Lutherans obscene night-revels; Scories drunken ordination in a Tavern; the Edict of our Gracious King JAMES (Anno 87.) for the establishment of Popery, our casting the Crusts of our Sacrament to Dogs, and ten thousand of this nature, maliciously raised and defended against knowledge and conscience, for the disgrace of those whom they would have hated, ere known. A Religion, that in the conscience of her own untruth, goes about to falsify and deprave all Authors that might give evidence against her, to outface all ancient truths, to foist in Gibeonitish witnesses of their own forging: and leaves nothing unattempted against Heaven or Earth, that might advantage her faction, & disable her innocent Adversary: Lo, this is your choice. If the zeal of your loss have made me sharp, yet not malicious, not fasle; God is my Record, I have not (to knowledge) charged you with the least untruth: and if I have wronged, accuse me: and if I clear not myself, and my challenge, let me be branded for a Slanderer. In the mean time, what spiritual frenzy hath overtaken you, that you can find no beauty, but in this Monster of Errors? It is to you, and your fellows that God speaks by his Prophet: O ye Heavens be astonished at this, be afraid and utterly confounded, saith the Lord; for my people hath committed two evils, they have forsaken me, the Fountain of living Waters, to dig them pits, even broken pits, that can hold no water: what shall be the issue? Et tu Domine, deduces eos in puteum interitus: Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. If you will thus wilfully leave God, there I must leave you: But (if you had not rather dye) return, and save one; return to God, return to his Truth, return to his Church: your blood be upon my head, if you perish. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER. THe Reader may please to take notice, that in the former Edition there was added unto this Discourse, a just Volume of above three hundred Contradictions and dissensions of the Romish Doctors, under the name of The Peace of Rome; which because it was but a collection out of Bellarmine and Navarre, and no otherwise mine, but as a Gatherer and Translator, I have here thought good to omit. FINIS. NO PEACE WITH ROME. WHEREIN IS PROVED, THAT (AS TERMS NOW Stand) there can be no Reconciliation of the REFORMED RELIGION, with the ROMISH: And that the Romanists are in all the fault. Written first in Latin by J. H. And now Englished. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE TRUE, SOUND, AND HOLY CHURCH OF GOD; wheresoever warfaring upon Earth. I Present unto thee (dear, and holy Mother) this poor unworthy token of my love and loyalty; the not so pleasing, as true report of thy future broils. How much gladder should I have been (if thy Spouse had so thought good) to have been the messenger of thy Peace and security! But since the great, and wise Moderator of all things, hath thought a Palm fit for thee, than an Olive; it is for thee to think of victory, not of rest: Thou shalt once triumph in heaven, and rest for all; but in the mean time, here is nothing to be looked for, but ambushes, skirmishes, tumults: And how cheerfully must thou needs both bear and overcome all oppositions, that art not more sure of the necessity of thy warfare, than of the happiness of thy success, whilst thou seest thy glorious husband, not only the leader of this field, but a most just, and merciful crowner of thy Conquest. Certainly, it is as impossible for thee to miscarry, as to sit still, and not fight: Behold, all the forces of heaven and earth conspire, and rejoice to come voluntaries unto this holy war of thine, and promise thee a most happy issue: address thyself therefore (as thou art wont) courageously to this work of God: But remember, first, to inquire (as thou dost) of ABEL: Spare no tears to thy desperate Sister, (now thine enemy) and calling heaven and earth to witness, upon thy knees beseech and entreat her, by her own soul, and by the dear bowels of CHRIST, by those precious drops of his bloody sweat, by that common price of our eternal redemption, that she would at the last return to herself, and that good disposition, which she hath now too long abandoned; that she would forbear, any more (as I fear she hath hitherto wilfully done) to fight against God: but if she shall still persist to stop her ears against thee, and to harden herself in rebellion against her God; forget (if thou canst) who she once was; and fly mercilessly upon this daughter of belial, that vaunts herself proudly in the glory of her munition; Go, smite, destroy, conquer, and reign, as the worthy partner of thine husband's Throne: For me, I shall in the mean time be as one of thy rude Trumpets, whose noise shall both awaken thy courage unto this spiritual battle, and whose joyful gratulations shall, after thy rich spoils, applaud thine happy return in the day of thy victory. J. H. THE SUM OF THE following Sections. SECTION I. THe state of the now-Roman Church. SECTION II. The commodities and conditions of Peace. SECTION III. The obstinate and Peace-hating disposition of Papists. SECTION IU. That the Confession of the same Creed is not with them, sufficient to Peace. SECTION V. The imputation or corruption of the Roman Church; and their impossibility of Reconciliation, arising from that wilful fable of the Pope's infallibility. SECTION VI. That the other Opinions of the Romish Church will not admit Reconciliation. SECTION VII. The Romish Heresy concerning justification. SECTION VIII. Concerning . SECTION IX. Concerning Merits. SECTION X. Concerning Satisfaction. SECTION XI. Concerning Purgatory. SECTION XII. Concerning Pardons. SECTION XIII. Concerning the distinction of Mortal and Venial sin. SECTION XIV. Concerning the Canon of the Scripture. SECTION XV. Concerning the insufficiency of Scripture. SECTION XVI. Concerning the authority of Scripture. SECTION XVII. Concerning Transubstantiation. SECTION XVIII. Concerning the Multi-presence of Christ's body. SECTION XIX. Concerning the sacrifice of the Mass. SECTION XX. Concerning the number of Mediators, and the Invocation of Saints. SECTION XXI. Concerning the Superstitious, Heathenish, and ridiculous worship of the Papists. SECTION XXII. Concerning the impossibility of the means of Reconciliation. THE OPINION OF George Cassander, A LEARNED PAPIST, AND GRAVE DIVINE; That by two several Emperors, FERDINAND, and MAXIMILIAN, was set on work to compose these quarrels of the CHURCH. In his consultation, pag. 56. & 57 YEt I cannot deny, but that in the beginning, many out of a godly zeal and care, were driven to a sharp and severe reproof of certain manifest abuses; and that the principal cause of this calamity, and distraction of the Church, is to be laid upon those, which being puffed up with a vain insolent conceit of their Ecclesiastical power, proudly and scornfully contemned and rejected them, which did rightly, and modestly, admonish their reformation: Wherefore my opinion is, that the Church can never hope for any firm Peace, unless they make the beginning, which have given the cause of the distraction: that is, unless those which are in place of Ecclesiastical Government, will be content to remit something of their too much rigour, and yield somewhat to the Peace of the Church; and harkening unto the earnest Prayers and Admonitions of many godly men, will set themselves to correct manifest abuses, according to the rule of Divine Scriptures, and of the ancient Church from which they have swerved. NO PEACE WITH ROME. SECT. I. The state of the now-Roman Church. THERE is no one question doth so rack the minds of men, G. Cassand. l. de Consult. Art. 7. Ex articulo hoc de Ecclesia, omnis haec distractio, quae hodie est in republica Christiana, originem ducit. at this day, as this of the Church: The infancy of the Church was sore and long vexed with heresies of an higher nature concerning God, concerning Christ, which still struck at the head; but her vigorous & hoary age is exercised with a slighter quarrel, concerning ourselves; which yet raiseth up the greater broils every where, by how much every man naturally love's himself, more than God. Not to meddle with any foreign questions of this nature: Too many seem unto me to mis-conceive the state of our Church, & the Romish, as if they had been always two; as if from their first foundations, they had been sensibly severed in time, and place, like to Babylon and Jerusalem, Aug. de Civit. or those two famous Cities, opposed in S. Austin's learned discourse. Hence are those idle demands of some smattering questionists; Where our Church hath thus long hid itself? What year and day it came to light? in which age that other Church lost itself? Why we have withdrawn ourselves no further from them? What is become of our sorefathers? Which was the religion of the former world? From hence have those sharp and rigorous censures passed on both sides; whether of novelty, or of the desperate condition of those souls, which have departed out of our own way. Alas! what monsters both of opinions and questions have risen hence; and have vexed not their own Authors only (for the Delphic Oracle said well, It is fit a man should have, as he doth: julian Caes. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. judicum, si quis quae secit perferat, aequum est. ) but together with them, the whole Church of God? How many silly souls have split upon this rock, which had never needed any votive monument of their wrack, if they had but learned to hold no other difference betwixt us and Rome, than must needs be granted betwixt a Church miserably corrupted, and happily purged; betwixt a sickly, languished, and dying Church, and one that is healthful, strong, and flourishing. Neither therefore did that Valdus of France, nor Wickliff of England, nor Hierom of Prague, Anno. Do. 1160. nor Luther of Germany, ever go about to frame a new Church to themselves, which was not; but only endeavoured (not without happy success) to cleanse, scour, restore, reform that Church which was, from that filthy soil both of disorder, & errors, wherewith it was shamefully blemished. All these rather desired to be accounted Physicians to heal, than parents to beget a Church: And the same have we carefully done, ever since, & do seriously, and ingenuously profess of ourselves this day, Rome is alike to us (as it was of old to Hierome) with Eugubium, Rhegium, Alexandria; save that this city is both more famous, Hierom. Epist. ad Euagr. & more near us: Places do not either faith, or title: What Church soever God shall call daughter, we will call sister; and so we safely may. How many honest, and chaste matrons have we known, that have been ashamed of a lewd sister, and have abhorred filthiness in one of their own blood! So it fareth now with us: Rome is overgone with heresy, with Idolatry, Let her practise her whoredom at home, by herself; It was not for us with the safeguard of our honesty, to dwell with such a partner. Not only her wickedness hath thrust us out, but her violence: We yield therefore, and sorrowfully complain with the Prophet, Esa. 21.22. How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgement; and justice lodged therein; but now it is full of murderers: Thy silver is become dross, and thy wine is brewed with water. Away with the imperious name of a mother: We are all the same Church (by the virtue of our outward vocation) whosoever all the world over worship jesus Christ, the only Son of God, and Saviour of the world, and profess the same common Creed: some of us do this more purely, Iren. l. 1. c. 2.3. others more corruptly▪ In the mean time we are all Christians, but sound Christians we are not: But how harslhly doth this sound to a weak Reader, and more than seems to need reconciliation with itself; that the Church should be one, and yet cannot be reconciled? certainly yet so it is: The dignity of the outward form (which comprehends this unity in itself) avails nothing to grace, nothing to salvation, nothing to the soundness of doctrine: The net doth not strait make all to be fish, that it hath dragged together; ye shall find in it vile weeds, and whatsoever else that devouring Element hath disgorged. The Church is at once One in respect of the common principles of faith; and yet in respect of consequences, Cyp.l. 3. ep. 13. Nullo concordia glutine aut unitatis vinculo copulari possunt. and that rabble of Opinions which they have raked together, so opposed, that it cannot by any glue of concord (as Cyprian speaketh) nor bond of unity, be conjoined: That which Rome holds with us, makes it a Church: That which it obtrudes upon us, makes it heretical; The truth of principles makes it one, the error and impiety of additions makes it irreconcilable. Neither do 〈◊〉 this late and spurious brood of traditions more oppose us, than it doth those very Principles of Religion, which the authors themselves desire to establish: Look on the face therefore of the Roman Church, she is ours, and Gods; Look on her back, she is quite contrary, Antichristian: More plainly; for it is no disputing in Metaphors as Clemens said well: Rome doth both hold the foundation, and destroy it; she holds it directly, destroys it by consequent: In that she holds it, she is a true Church, howsoever imputed; In that she destroys it (whatever semblance she makes of piety, and holiness) she is a Church of malignants: Psal. 26.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. If she did altogether hold it, she should be sound and Orthodox, If altogether she destroyed it, she should be either no Church, or devilish: but now that she professes to hold those things directly, which by inference of her consequences, she closely overthrows, she is a truly visible Church, but an unsound. In what she holds the principles, we embrace her; in what she destroys them, we pity her error, and hate her obstinate. The common bond of Christianity never ties us to favour gross errors, so much as with silence; there is no such slavery in the dear name of a sister, that it should bind us to give either aid, Eph. 5.11. or countenance to lewdness; Have no such fellowship (saith S. Paul) but rather reprove: So we have done, both modestly, and earnestly; The same is befallen us, which befell the blessed Apostle; we are become their enemies, for telling the truth. Gal. 4.16. Behold now we are thrust out of door, spit upon, railed at, and when opportunity serves, persecuted with most curious torments; And (lest any mischief should be wanting) obstinacy is now at last added unto error and a cruel rage arising from impatience; and now their wickedness began to please them the more, because it displeased us. And what should we now do in such a case; we, the despised, and rejected Patrons of this spiritual chastity? To let fall so just a cause, we might not; unless we would cast off that God, who challenges this plea for only his. To yield, and give in, were no other, than to betray the truth of God, and damn our own souls; No course remains but this one, (and here is our only safety) with all our courage, and skill, to oppose the wicked Paradoxes, and Idolatrous practices of the Romish Church, till either she be ashamed of herself, or repent that ever she was. SECT. II. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace. BEAUTIFUL is the name of Peace (as Hilary speaketh) and truly sacred; Hilar. cit. a Cal. de vera pacific. judic. 6.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 2 Sam 18.29. jud. 19.29. 1 Chr. 12.18. Luc. 2.14. joh. 14.27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 13.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jam. 3.18. Rom. 14 19 1 Pet. 3.11. and such as scarce savoureth of the earth; Neither did the Hebrews by any other term choose rather to express all happiness, and perfection of living: Neither is there any thing, which the Angels did more gladly congratulate unto men, or which Christ did more carefully bequeath, or the Apostles more earnestly enjoin; How oft, and how vehemently doth the Spirit entreat and command us to have peace? But this (thou sayest) is every man's wish, to have peace; but, what if peace will not be had? Lo then, Saint james charges us to make peace, by our endeavours, by our patience. Once made, and had, what if it will not stay with us? Then Saint Paul bids to follow those things which concern peace: What if it will needs away, and hide itself? yet then Saint Peter commands to follow, and inquire after it. What if once found, it refuse to come, as Abraham's servant presupposed of Rebecca? Even then study to be quiet, saith Saint Paul; or as the word implies, Be ambitious of Peace: 1 Thes. 4.11. So let the Author of Peace love us, as we love Peace. Socr. l. 1. c. 4. Socr. l. 3. c. 21. Who is there that would not rather wish with Constantine quiet days, and nights free from care and vexation? It was a speech worthy of an Emperor, and a Christian, that fell from jovianus about that querelous libel of the Macedonians, I hate contention; and those that are inclined to concord, I love, and reverence. Our adversaries would make us believe they profess and desire no less, with an equal zeal of charity, and agreement. God be judge betwixt us both; and whethersoever persists to hate peace, let him perish from the face of God, and his holy Angels: Yea (that this imprecation may be needless) he is already perished; Cypr. de simplic. prae l. Ad Pacis praemium ven●re non possunt, qui pacem D●mini discordiae furore ruperunt. In Psal. 28. For (as Cyprian according to his wont, gravely) they cannot come to the reward of Peace, which have broken the Peace of God, with the fury of discord. And surely what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of these fiery and boiling spirits? Basil observes well, that God's fire gave light, and burned not; contrarily, the fire of hell burneth, without light; and therefore is well worthy of those, who despising the light of truth, delight themselves in the flames of contentions. Those are the true haters of Peace, which do wilfully patronise errors contrary to the Christian faith. So long as we must dwell by these tents of Kedar, we shall too justly complain with the Psalmist, Psal. 120. I love Peace, but in the mean while they are bend to War. And as for us, which profess ourselves the ingenuous clients of Peace, since we must needs fight, it is not for us to do nothing; For that blessed Choir of Angels, before their Peace upon earth, Luc. 2.14. jam. 3.17. well sung, Glory to God in the highest Heavens; and Saint james describes the wisdom of God, to be first pure, then peaceable: And that chosen vessel implies no less, when to his charge of Peace, he adds, If it be possible. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rom. 12.18. That is as impossible to every good man, which ought not to be done, as that which cannot be done, neither indeed (as the rule of Lawyers runs) can we be said to be able to do that, which we cannot honestly do. God (saith S. Paul) is not the Author of confusion, but of Peace. It is a wicked peace, it is no peace, that necessarily breeds confusion. That Peace is worthy of a defiance, which proclaims war with God; And I would to God, that peace which Rome either can perform or dare promise, were of any better, of any other nature. Well then; Let it be our present task, carefully to discuss Saint Paul's condition of Possibility; and to teach how vain it is, to hope that a true, holy, and safe peace can be either had, or maintained with our present Romanists; whether we regard the averse and stubborn disposition of the one side, or the nature of the matters controverted, or lastly, the impossibility of those means, whereby any reconciliation may be wrought: These three shall be the limits, wherein this our, not unprofitable, nor yet unseasonable work, shall suffer itself to be bounded. SECT. III. The obstinate and adverse disposition of the Romanists. AND as for the first, I suppose we need not labour much. Indeed, God can easily make the Wolf to dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard to lodge with the Kid. Esa. 11.6. How easy is it for him, so to soften the adamantine hearts of men; by bathing them in the blood of that immaculate Lamb, that they should melt into pure love! but, as the times now are, it would be no less miraculous, to find a Popish heart truly charitable to us, than to see the Lions fawning upon Daniel. Even where there is strife about indifferent things, there is necessarily required a conspiring of the minds of them, which would be reconciled: neither is it enough, that one side is content, together with arms, to lay down hatred; and how will our Romanists endure this? Surely that hatred of Eteocles to his brother, or that of Vatinius, is but mere love to this of Papists. Sacr. Cere. l. 1. Alas! when, and where, are we not spit upon, as the most desperately heretical enemies of the Church? Rome admits jews into her bosom, from whose hands their Pope's holiness disdains not to receive the book of the Law of God; Socr. l 7. c. 3. but Protestants she may not endure: That which Socrates complains as injuriously done by Theodosius a Grecian Bishop against the very Macedonian Heretics, is daily done by them against us; No Arrians, no Circumcellion heretics were ever more cruel: Bellar. de notis Eccles. l. 4. c. 9 Nota Sexta sic accus. Luth. Cal. Brent. Bellar. ib. Reipsa Calumistis in Anglia mulier quaedam est summus sacerdos. Bellar. Anno ●532. Tesle Surio apud Bell. l. 1. de Chro. Ibid. haeres. 16. Zuingl. & Bucer. Ibid. Haer. 9 Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 1. sect. 7. Aug. Conf. art. 7. Ibid. Haeres. 8. Luth. art. 36. Call Iust. 2. c. 2. Ibid. Heres. 10. Haeres. 6. cit. Cal. Iust. 4. c. 19 Quaer. reliq. Ib. apud Bellar. and these idle Fablers in the mean time slander us to the world, as guilty of the same outrageous proceed against them. What heresy is there in all times, which that Romulean Wolf, and her bawling Clients are not wont to cast upon us? One while we are the Scholars of Simon Magus, because we do but once mention Grace and Salvation; for what have we else to do with that wicked Sorcerer? Another while we are fetched from the cursed school of Eunomius, for that we attribute too much to Faith; and yet no more than that holy Heretic Saint Paul. One while we are Pepuzians that ascribe too much to women; then we are Origenists for holding the Image of God to be defaced in man: then contrarily Pr●clians for holding the sin of concupiscence not enough defaced: One while we are the followers of Sabellius, because I think we lived in the same age with Seruetus; another while of Eutiches, because we lived in the time of Swinckfeldius; for what business have we ever had else with those branded Heretics? We are Pelagians one while, for holding the wages of sin to be death; then we are Donatists for admitting none but the just into the Church of the elect: sometimes we are Manichees for denying ; strait, we are Arrians for refusing traditions; then Novatians for taking away penance; another while we are Aerians for rejecting oblations for the dead, and fastings; then jovinianists, for not allowing a slippery and vanishing Faith; the followers of Vigilantius, for disclaiming the adoration of relics; of Nestorius, for disliking the asseveration of the Sacramental bread: now we are Xenaites, for demolishing of Images, than we are Lampetians, for disallowing the servitude of idle vows. It matters not whether the foul mouth of that hired strumpet accuse Timotheus the Presbyter, or Athanasius the Bishop, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. ●●nos carpere malorum solatium est, Higher add Theop. ad ver Io. Hier. Quotidiana fornax nostra, adversariorum lingua. Aug. Confess. l. 10 c. 37. And Fricius Modreu●us lib. de emendanda rep. Examen pacifique de la doctrina des Huguenots. so that some body be smitten; It matters not what be spoken, so it be malicious: That is fully resolved of, which Nazianzen hath; No man shall hold in the reines of a riotous and lawless tongue: for (as Hierom. saith well) it is the pastime of the wicked to slander the good: That therefore, which was the solemn fashion of the Lindians, never to do service to their Hercules, without railing, the same is too ordinary with these public Heralds of our patience: Our daily furnace (as Austen speaks wittily) is our adversary's tongue: How easily might I here unload whole car●s of reproaches, that have been heaped together by the scurrilous parasites of Rome? What rivers of blood, what bonfires of worthy Saints might I here show my Reader? All these the world knows, and feels too much: And as for those honest and goodnatured men, which would needs undertake to be the sticklers of these stripes, as Cassander, Fricius, the Interimists, and that nameless Apologist of the French, how ill have they sped on both parts? With whom it hath no otherwise fared, me thinks, than with some fond shepherd, that thrusts himself betwixt two furious Rams running together in their full strength, and abides the shock of both; Neither may it ever succeeded better to these kind Philistims, which will be bringing this Ark of God into the house of Dagon. And for us, since we must needs be put to it, we shall not here (as it often falls out in other quarrels) strive to our loss. Abraham far●d well by the dissensions of Lot; all the milk and honey of whole Palestine hereupon befell to him; whereof he should else have shared but the half: Doubtless these contentions (through the goodness of God) shall enrich us, with a great increase both of Truth and Glory. SECTION IU. That the Confession of the same Creed is not with them sufficient for Peace. IT is not Cassander's speech only, but every wise and honest man's, Lib. de office boni v●ri. that the Creed is the common cognizance of our faith; and we all do with one voice willingly profess it. Surely Theodoret, when be would by a favourable report allay the bitter contentions of those ancient Christians of Antioch, writes thus: Theod. hist. l. 3. c. 4. Both parts (saith he) made one and the same confession of their faith; for both maintained the Creed of the Nicen Council; And yet this position is spitefully handled by Cardinal Bellarmine, Bell. de la●cis lib. 3. c. 19 and can scarce draw breath since his last stripes: What care we (saith he) for the same Creed? Faith is not in words, but in the sense. And indeed, I remember, what Ruffinus reports done by Arrius. That worthy Constantine had charged him to write what faith he held; he delivered him a Creed in words, ours; in sense, his own; and how right his wicked brood took after their father, in the ensuing times of the Church, let Histories witness: sure I am, whosoever shall read the Creeds of their several Sects, shall hardly fe●ch out any thing, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. which an Orthodox Censurer would think worthy of reproof: How oft do they yield Christ to be God, yea, God of God; and yet perfidiously reserve to themselves, in the mean time that absurd conceit; That he was created, ex non ●●tibus! As therefore Severianus the Syrian in Theodoret. spoke Greek as a Grecian, but pronounced it like a Syrian: so there may be many, which may speak truths, but pronounce them heretically: Iren. l. 1. c. 9 Petr. Chrys. Ser. 109. Trinitatem vocabulis mentiuntur. Decr. 22. q. 5. humanae. For all Heresies (saith Irenaeus) talk of one God, but mar him with their misconceits; yea, for the most part all Heresies (saith Chrysologus) set a face of the Trinity; To little purpose; It was not ill said of Gratian, that no man is to care for words, since that not the meaning should serve the words, but the words rather the meaning; Let us grant all this, and more; Let it be said of the Creed, as Jerome said of the Book of job, that every word abounds with senses: Hier. in praef. Tert. de prasc. There is no Divine Word (as Tertullian speaketh wisely) so dissolute and de●●sed, that only the words may be defended, and not the true meaning of the words set down. To put the Cardinal out of this needless fear; The proper and native sense of the Creed may be fetched out; and I add yet more (except but that one Article of Christ's Descension into Hell, which Ruffinus confesses he could not find, either in the Roman, or Eastern Creeds) is openly confessed on both parts: And yet for all this, we are never the nearer to peace: For from these common Principles of Faith, the subtle device of Heretical pravity hath fetched strange and erroneous consequences, which by their sophistical and obstinate handling, are now improved into Heresies, and dare now threaten not only opposition, but death unto those very principles, from which they are raised: Of this kind are the most of those Romish opinions, which we undertake to censure in this Discourse. But, if by the universal consent of all, it should appear that both word and sense are entire; that both the principles, and necessary conclusions thence deduced, are undeniably sound: Nulla tamen pax cum Lutheranis. De Laicis. l. 3. 19 Sect. 4. yet (saith Bellarmine) there can be no peace with Lutherans. Let all the World know this, and wonder, Our King, (be it spoken to the envy of those which cannot emulate him, an incomparable Divine for a Prince, yea, a Prince of Divines, a King of men, and a wonder of Kings, mighty both with his sceptre, and his pen) going about in that learned and ponderous Discourse to clear himself from the aspersion of Heresy, which that foul hand had unworthily cast upon him, professes solemnly and holily, that whatsoever is contained either in the Sacred Scriptures, or the three famous Creeds, or the four first general Counsels, that he embraces with both arms, that He proclaims for His Faith, In praefat. ad Imper. & Princip. that He will defend with his Tongue, with his Pen, with His Sword, in that he will both live and die. Yea, but this is not enough, saith that Great Antagonist of Princes; For there are other points of faith wherewith religion is now of late times enlarged, Bell. resp. ad Regem. Non satis est ad haereticum nomen fugiendum, illa recipere quae Rex Anglorum recipere atque admittere se dicit, pag. 80. Etiamsi novitia & n●p●ra illa sint, si quis tamen ca neget, immu●●m ab heresi non fo●e Bell. resp. and Regem, pag. 98. Bell. l. de laicis. 2. c. 19 Dist. 22. Omnes. Margaritae Decret. vel Tabula Mortini●. I● verb. I●obedi●ntia. as Transubstantiation, Purgatory, the Pope's Primacy (a whole dozen of these goodly Articles hath the Tridentine Council created, in this decayed age of the World, lest the Fathers of Italy should seem to come short of the Apostles, and the Pope of Christ) any parcel whereof, whosoever shall presume to call into question, is an Heretic presently, and smells of the Faggot: and how ordinarily is that laid in every dish? that he cannot be a member of the Church, which withdraws his obedience from their Pope, the Head of the Church. Neither is that any whit milder, which Gratian cities from Pope Nicholas the Second. Whosoever goes about to infringe the privilege of the Roman Church, or derogates from her Authority, is an Heretic. But that is yet well worse, which the allowed Table of the Decree hath peremptorily broached, Whosoever obeys not the Pope's Commandment, incurs the sin of Idolatry; or (as Gregory the Seventh, from whom Gratian would seem to borrow this, which yet is not to be found in his Epistles) of Paganism. Whatsoever therefore Christ jesus, whatsoever the Apostles, whatsoever the counsels, & Fathers of the Primitive Church have commended to us, to be believed, shall avail us little, neither can ever make us friends, unless we will be content to beslave our Faith unto their Popeling: And can they think we will look at peace upon such a condition? That hope were bold and foolish that could expect this. Neither do they more scornfully cast us out of the bosom of their Church, for spitting at these Articles of Straw, which their vanity hath devised, than we can confidently condemn, and execrate their presumption, which have so imperiously obtruded such trash as this upon the Church of God. SECTION V The impuration or corruption of the Roman Church; and their impossibility of Reconciliation, arising from that wilful Fable of the Pope's infallibility. But, to leave this first head of our Adversary's indisposition to peace: Say that the Papists could be content to hearken to an agreement (which I can never hope to see, whiles Rome is itself) say they should seek it, yet (as things now stand) whiles they will not, and we may not stir one inch from our station of judgement, God forbids, the Truth debars our Reconciliation: we dare not (whatsoever some kindhearted Mediators may persuade us) either divide Christ, or betray him with a kiss. The Truth is on high: they may well ascend to us, as Leo said of old; but for us, to descend to them, is neither safe, nor honest: First of all, how too plain is it, Epist ad Euph. Pell. cit. lib. 3. de Laicis. that the Roman Church is palpably declined from that ancient purity of Religion which she once professed: It is not more certain, and sensible, that the City of Rome is descended from her seven Hills, to the Martian Plains, that lie below them; or, Euseb. Hist. l. 3. c. 25. that the spiteful Heathens of old (as Eusebius reports) turned the Sacred Monument of the Tomb of Christ, into the Temple of their Venus: An. 1170. Ex lec. come. Henr. Token. Illiric. Prophrythmic. Vita S. Brig. Praefixa Revela. What a cloud of witnesses have we of this noted decay of that Church? yea, witnesses of their own. To begin with the other Sex. Hildegardis a Numne, and a famous Prophetess of her time, accuses the Apostolical Order, of the utter extinguishing of Religion, amongst them. Matilda, or Ma●d, who lived in the same Age, censures them for common Apostasy from the Christian faith; and both of them, by some extraordinary Revelation, clearly and directly prophesied of this Religious and Holy restauration of the Church, which our days see accomplished. Saint Brigit, the Foundress of the Order of Saint Saviour, which was * Anno 1370. Revel. l. 1. c. 41. cruciare, uno crucifigere electorum anim. etc. Revel. extrau. c. 8 Grosseteste in Manusc. Anno 1250. Io. Trevisa translated into English. Habetur initio Polychron. Kanulph. in Manuscript. Anno 900. Artic. in Concil. Constant editu 1535. Anno 1350. lib. Vade mecum. Lib. Adverse. Ement. donat. Constant. Aeneas Syl. de gest. Concil. Anno 1416. Ad Pium. 2. lib. Reform. Cur. Rom. Anno 1400. Auentin. Annal. 〈◊〉. 7. Osiand. Confut. Thes. Coster. canonised by Pope Vrban, sticks not to teach openly in her Writings, that the Pope doth torment, yea, crucify the souls of the Elect; and boldly foretells, that all his Followers, and Abettors, and whole Clergy shall be cut off, and that his Sea shall sink down into the bottom of Hell; and this she doth so tartly and vehemently, that the Romanists of those times threatened, and endeavoured to burn her alive: Robert (our Bishop of Lincoln, to whom the greatness of his Head gave an homely, but famous name, whom Illyricus mis-nameth) Rupertus) a worthy and peerless man in his age, durst, before the Popes own fare, openly accuse the Pastors of his time to be the Spoilers of the Earth, the Dispersers and Devourers of God's flock, the utter wasters of the Holy Vineyard of God. That Carthusian of Coleyne, which is said to have gathered that Book of the Bundle of times, complains that Truth was then perished from the sons of men. Petrus de Aliaco, a Cardinal, confesses that the ancient Divines built up the Church, but the then-present Seducers destroyed it; And unto these agree john de Rupescissa, a Monk; Picus Earl of Mirandula, Trithemius the Abbot, Laurence Valla; And those worthy Lights of the Council of Basil, the Cardinal of Arles, and Thomas de Corsellis: But Nicholas Clemangis the Archdeacon of Bayeux speaks nothing but stones and bullets; who in a whole Volume, hath freely painted out the corrupt estate of the Church; neither did Dominicus Bishop of Brixia speak any whit more sparingly, who even in those times durst set before his Book, this Title, The Reformation of Rome; To say nothing of joachim, of Peter of Ferrara the Lawyer, of the three Theodericks, of Lyra, Petrarch, Gerson, Euerard, the Bishop of Salisburg, Erasmus, Cassander, Espens●us, the jury of Cardinals selected by Paul the Third, (amongst which, Gaspar Cotarenus, james Sadolet, and our Cardinal Poole were (as they might of eminent note) Aluarus Pelagius, * Io. Mirandula. Marsil. Fecin. & Conineus report him to have been a Prophet. Epenc. in Tit. Ostand. Papa non Papa. SAVANAROLA of Florence, and whomsoever those times yielded at once both learned and good. Even Pope ADRIAN himself, the sixth of that Name, whiles he instructs his Legate in his message, censures the Church, and ingenuously complains; that all was gone to wrack, and ruin: What shall we then say to this? Can any man be so partial, as to think, that so many Saints of both Sexes, Prophets, Prophetesses, Monks, Doctors, Cardinals, Popes, should (as Jerome speaks of the Luciferian Heretics) merely device these slanders, to the disgrace of their holy mother? If any man can be so mad, he is well worthy to be ever deceived. Indeed, Rome was once an holy City: Mat. 4.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. G●r hadammim. Ezek. 21.2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Theocrit. edyss. ●n. Hier. de vita Pauli. Ruff. l. 1. c. 20. Dum contentionis vitio nimis aguntur, etc. Hier. adverse. Luciferianos. but now (as no less famous the other way) she is become a City of blood; This Grape is grown a dry Raisin; Neither did that good Eremite, ANTONY, so justly say of his Alexandria, as we may now of Rome, Woe to thee thou Strumpetly City, into which the Devils out of all the rest of the World have assembled themselves. Certainly, therefore, so shameful and general a deformity could not but be discerned, by our latter Papists; and (to avoid all shifts) we have gently and lovingly laid our finger upon these spots: But, in the mean time, how heinous have they taken it? and (as Ruffinus speaks of Apollinaris the Heretic) whiles they are transported with the vicious humour of contention, and will be crossing every thing, that is spoken, out of the vain ostentation of a strong wit, they have improved their idle brabbles to Heresies: HIEROME said wittily, They use to wink, and deny, which believe not that to be done, which they would not have done. It is therefore a most lamentable and fearful case, that a Church which of her own favourites is justly accused of many and dangerous errors, should block up against herself, the way whereby she should return into the Truth; Fr. à Victoria Relect quarta de Potestate Papae & Concilij. Propos. duodecima Sect. ultima. Deventum est ad hunc talem statum ubi nec mala nostra nec remedia pati possumus. judicij impeccantiam. Senec. Ep. 28. and (as FRANCIS a Victoria honestly complains) should neither endure her own evils, nor their remedies. For whiles she stands upon it, that she cannot err, and stubbornly challenges unto her Chair a certain Impeccancie of judgement (that we may borrow a word from TERTULLIAN) what hope can now remain of recovering the Truth? How are we now, too saucy, that dare mutter aught against her? The first hope of health must needs be fetched from the sense, and acknowledgement of the disease: That of the Epicure is common and true, The beginning of recovery, is the knowledge of the fault; Thou must find thyself amiss, saith Seneca, ere thou canst amend thyself. Rome brags that she cannot be sick: What do we now talk of medicines for her? These Doctrinal Principles (as our Stapleton calls them) are they, from which a certain fatal necessity of erring must needs follow. For to what purpose is all this we do? If upon the sentence of this Romish Oracle (for in the closet, or the Prison rather, Epist. ad Pammach. de error. Io. Hierosol. An ●u solus Ecclesia? of his Breast (as Jerome objected to john of jerusalem) the Church is included) all things do so depend, that whatsoever he shall determine, must be received, without all contradiction, and his decree can by no inferior means be repealed, in vain do we wrangle for truth; in vain have all those former Synods both met, and defined; in vain do we either teach, or learn aught of any other Master: Is it possible, she should ever be drawn to remorse for her error, which eagerly defends that she cannot err? Either therefore let our Papists suffer this vain opinion of Infallibility, to be pulled up by the very roots, out of their breasts; or else there can be no hope, so much as of a consultation of Peace; And do we think that our Masters beyond the Alps will ever abide themselves stripped of this darling, which they have made so dainty of, all this while? Why do we not aswell demand Saint Peter's Throne, and his Revenues, and together with his Patrimony, all the body of Religion? For, what one Title is there of the now Roman faith, that hangs not on this string? Let them give us this, and Rome falls alone, and lies shamefully in the dust; Let them deny it us, and she shall be still that great Harlot, still an enemy to Peace, still hateful to Heaven: But so fare are their modern Doctors from an ingenuous rejection of this Infallibility, that no Age ever knew so well how to flatter a Pope: For not only have some yielded this unto him, Lib. 4. Hier. Eccl. si maturè procedat. Ecl. l. 4. de Pontif. Rom. c. 2. G. Valencia. Anlys. fidei. l. 8. de vi & usu auctorit. Rom. Pontificis in fide. Quaest. sexta. Respondeo, sive Pontifex in definiendo studium adhibeat, sive non adhibeat, modo tamen controversiam defi●at, infallibiter certè definiet, atque adeore ipsa vt●tur authoritate sibi à Christo concessa, etc. Xiphilim. Epit. Dionys. Tiberio. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Quar. Plat. de vitis Pontif. Clem. 6. jul. 2. Ben. 9 Greg. 6. sylvest 3. Mart. 2. sylvest 2. Io. 23. & 23. Luth. adverse. falso nomin. Episc. without a Council, as Alber, Pighius, Gretser, Bellarmine, and all jesuites wheresoever; but some others, (as Gregory of Valentia) have fastened this upon him, without any care or study required on his part. Oh happy Chair of Peter, firm, eternal, full of prodigious virtue! which if we might imagine a wooden one, I should sure think were made of Irish Oak; there is no Spider of error can touch it, but presently dies: Behold, the Tables, written with Gods own hand, were soon broken and gone; but the bars of thy frame can feel no Age, cannot incur the danger of any miscarriage. Sure (I think) VIRIUS RUFUS is alive again, which because he sat in the same seat wherein JULIUS CaeSAR had sat, and married CICEROE'S wife, had wont to vaunt of both, as if he should sure be CaeSAR, for his seat; or for his wife, CICERO. Belike, all the virtue of it is from PETER: it is well that his other Successors conferred nothing towards it, lest perhaps ALEXANDER the sixth should have turned the succeeding Popes into Letchours, CLEMENT into sacrilegious Church robbers, JULIUS into Swaggerers, BENEDICT, GREGORY, SILVESTER, into Symonists; PASCALIS into Perjurers; Pope JOAN of Mentz into women, Martin and that other SILVESTER into Magicians, the two johns into Devils incarnate. Now on the other part, can any man be so foolish to hope that our Church will ever be so mad, as thus basely to bolster up the great Bridge-maker of Tybur? As though we could be ignorant how Christ never either performed, or promised them any such privilege? For, where is it written (as Luther jested well) unless perhaps at Rome, in Saint Peter upon some Chimney with a Coal? Christ said indeed, Thou art PITER▪ but, Thou art Paul the Fift, he never said: He said, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not▪ so he said too, Go behind me, Satan, thou savourest not the things of God. Now let this Oracle of the Chair, teach us how he can at once make himself still heir of the promise, and yet shift off the censure at pleasure: Yea, (to treat in the steps of the Times) as though we could not know that the following Ages knew not of this; not Policr●tes and Irenaeus, which resisted Victor the Pope; not Cyprian, which opposed Stephen, not the Fathers of Chalcedon, which would not yield to Leo, not the Eastern Bishops, which would not yield to julius, nor the Fathers of Constantinople, which refused to yield to Vigilius and Honorius: yea, and of the latter Divines, those which have had either sense of s●ame, as john Gerson, Chancellor of Paris, Bell. reckons up most of these, ●. 4. de Pont. Alij à Cano. loc. come. lib. 6. cap. 8. Alphons. de Castro, lib. 1. contra Haeres. cap. 4. Turrecremata, Almain, Alphonsus de Castro, Pope Adrian the sixth; Archbishop Catharinus, Cardinal Caietan, Franciscus à Victoria; and who not of the best rank of their Doctors, have not feared openly to deny, and disclaim this fancy; and Alphonsus shall give a reason thereof for all. There are many unlearned Popes (saith he) that know not so much as the rules of Grammar, how then should they be able to interpret the holy Scriptures? As though we knew not which of their Popes favoured Arrius, which, Montanus; which Nestorius, which, Alac●●s, which the Monothelites, which, the Sadduces, and which were in league with Devils; which of them have defined contrary to their fellows, and which contrary to God; and (that I may use Ierome's words) how ●lly a Pilot hath ofttimes 〈◊〉 the leaking Vessel of the Church▪ A● though every 〈◊〉 and Ti●ke●, now a days, could not point their finger to the long ●ea●roule of Popes, and say, Such and such were the Monsters of men, such (as PLATINA, LYKA, GEN●●RARD confess) were Apo●acticall, Portenta hominum. Plat. in vit. Ec●ed. 4. & Christ. 〈◊〉. Gene●. 4. Sect. 10. Ly●a in ●at. 16. and Apostatical miscreants; 〈◊〉 their life 〈◊〉 been long the Table-●lke of the World, as BERNARD speaks▪ There can therefore been p●●●e possibly, unless they will be content to be headless, or we can be content to be the slaves of Rome: Imagine, they could be so ingenuous, as to confess that the same Serpent which insinuated himself of old 〈◊〉 P●ise, might perhaps creep closely into PETER'S Chair, yet there would be no less Controversy, defacto, than of the possibility of error. Besides, there are other Popish opinions of the same stamp, but more pragmatical, which are not more pernicious to the Church, than to commonweals: as those of the power of both Swords, of the deposition of Princes, disposing of Kingdoms, absolving of Subjects, frustration of Oaths (sufficiently canvased of late, both by the Venetian Divines, and French, and ours,) which are so palpably opposite to the liberty of Christian Government, that those Princes, and Peeple, which can stoop to such a yoke, are well worthy of their servitude: and can they hope that the great Commanders of the World will come to this bent? (we all, as the Comic Poet said truly, had rather be free, than serve; but much more Princes) or, on the contrary, can we hope, that the Tyrants of the Church will be content to leave this hold? What a foppery were this? For, both those Princes are grown more wise, and these Tyrants more arrogant; and (as Ruffinus speaks of George, Ruff. l. 1. c. 23. Procaciter ut raptum Episcopatum gerunt, etc. the Arrian Gallant) they insolently govern an usurped Bishopric, as if they thought they had the managing of a proud Empire, and not of a Religious Priesthood. SECTION VI That the other Opinions of the Romish Church will not admit Reconciliation. But let us be so liberal, as to grant this to ourselves, which certainly they will never grant us; for, this old Grandam of Cities thinks herself borne to command, and will either fall, or rule: Neither doth that Mitred Moderator of the World affect any other Emblem than that, which julian jestingly ascribes to julius Caesar (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) To rule all; julian. Caesares. or to Alexander the Great (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) to conquer all; It was a degenerating spirit of Adrian the sixth, which caused to be written upon his Tomb, Binius in vita Adrian. in the Church of Saint Peter; That nothing in all his life fell out so unhappily to him, Socrat. l. 5. c. 20. etc. 14. as that he governed: Let this, I say, be granted us; There want not (I know) some milder spirits (Theodosians, that can play with both hands) which think, if these busy points were by the moderation of both parts quietly composed, it might be safe for any man (so it be without noise) to think what he list, concerning the other differences of Religion: These are the Ghosts of that Heretic Appelles, whose speech it was, Euseb. l. 5. c. 13. ex Ro●n●. That it is sufficient to believe in Christ crucified, and that there should be no discussing of the particular warrants and reason of our faith: Or the brood of Leonas, one of the courtiers of Constantius, Socrat. l. 2. c. 32. and his Deputy in the Seleucian Council, which when the Fathers hotly contended, as there was good cause, for the Consubstantiality of the Son: Get you home, said he, and trouble not the Church still with these trifles. Saint Basil was of another mind, from these men; who (as Theodoret reports) when the Lieutenant of Valens the Emperor, Theodor. l●. c. 27. persuaded him to remit but one letter for peace sake, answered, Those that are nursed with the sincere Milk of God's Word, may not abide one syllable of his sacred Truth to be corrupted; but rather than they will endure it, are ready to receive any kind of torment, or death. El●●sius and Syluanus, which were Orthodox Bishops, and those other worthy Guardians, and (as Athanasius his title was) Champions of the truth, were of another mind from these cool and indifferent Mediators: Epiph. l. 1. Initio: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Cypr. de simplic. praelat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So fare as the Sacred truth will allow us, we will accompany them gladly; but if they urge us further, we stand still, or start back; and those two courses, which Epiphanius advised, as the remedies of Heresy (Heed, and Avoidance) both those do we carefully use, and perform. Great is the offence of discord, and unexpiable; and such, in the grave judgement of Cyprian, as is not purged with the blood of our passion; and justly do we think that Fiend of Homer, worthy of no place but Hell. But yet, we cannot think concord a meet price of truth; which it is lawful for us to buy at any rate, but to sell upon any terms, is no less than p●cular. Let us therefore a little discuss the several differences, and (as it uses to be done, when the house is too little for the stuff) Let us pile up all close together. It shall be enough in this large Harvest of matter, to gather some few Ears out of every Shocke, and to make a compendious dispatch of so long a task: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The grossest of the Popish Heresies, and (as HIEROME objects to ORIGEN) the most venomous opinions of Rome, which have bred so much trouble and danger at this day, to the Church of God, are either such as do concern ourselves, not without some ●●spect to God; or such as concern God, not without some respect to us: Of the former sort are those, which in a certain order (such as it is) of discourse, are conversant about justification, , the merit of our works, humane satisfaction, Indulgences, Purgatory, and the differences of mortal and Venial sins: These therefore first offer themselves to our examination. SECTION VII. The Romish Heresy concerning justification. THat point of justification (of all other) is exceeding important; Caluin. De vera Pacific. contra Interim. insomuch as CALVIN was fain to persuade, that if this one head might be yielded safe and entire, it would not quite the cost, to make any great quarrel for the rest. Would to God that word of CASSANDER might be made good, Consultat. de justific. which doubted not to say, That which is affirmed, that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but that they are freely justified by faith, was always allowed and received in the Church of God, and is at this day approved by all Ecclesiastical Writers: Yea, I would they would be ruled by their Thomas Aquinas in this, In Galat. & in I●c. 2. who attributes justification to works, not as justification is taken for an infusion of grace, but as it is taken for an exercise, or manifestation, or consummation of justice: If this were all, in this point all would be peace: Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 7. si quis dixerit sola fide, etc. Com. 9 But whilst the Tridentine Fathers take upon them to forge the formal cause of our justification, to be our own inherent justice, and thrust Faith out of Office, what good man can choose but presently address himself to an opposition? Who would not rather dye than suffer the ancient Faith of the Church to be depraved with these idle Dreams? Go now ye great Trent Divines, and brag of yourselves (as AETIUS did of old by Theodoret's report) that God hath now at last revealed to you those things, which he would have hitherto concealed from all the world: Rom. 4.6. Gal. 1.16. Ephes. 2.8 Rom. 3.20. Rom. 3.24. In the mean time we cannot but scorn to see the souls of men so shamefully deluded; whiles we hear the Spirit of God so oft redoubling, Without works, not by works but by faith: By their works, no flesh shall be justified; Being justified freely by his grace; By the power whereof, Arrius Montanus, an ingenuous Author (and as HIEROME said of APPOLLINARIUS, a man of approved labour, Epist. ad Pa●. & Oceanum. though in many things (as the times than were) faulty in opinion) being utterly convinced; It follows (saith he) that Faith is reputed for righteousness to him that works not in the Law; In Rom. 4.5. and that according to the purpose of the grace of God. If we cast our eyes back to the Ancient Fathers, they are all ours: Not according to the worth of our works, saith BASIL: Only to believe (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) saith NAZIANzEN; Faith alone is sufficient, saith JEROME: By believing are men justified, saith Augustine, In Psal. 1.14. Vide Whitak. contra Dur. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Lib. 1. adverse. Pelag. & in 3. ad Galat. De Patient. c. 20. & in Psal. 31. In An●chor. In R●m. 17. hom. & in 1. Cor. hom. 11 Orat. 1. contr. Arrian. De office l. 2. c. 2. De jacob. & vita beat. 2. In Rom 8. Chrysost. hom. de verbis Pauli. Non solum sed gloriamur in affl. Tom. 3. pag. 945. In Ep. ad Tit. c. 2. Hier. in Epist. ad Rom. c. 10. Fides sola iustificat, deleatur: ad Gal. 2. Literas quidem abol●re potestis, etc. Ambr. de Sp. S. l. 3. c. 11. Exam. pacifique Rom. 4.4. Aug. de Corrept. & great. Ephes. 2.8. Socr. l. 4. c. 18. In vita eius. In Bonaventura non peccau●t Adam. Qu. vitam eius. Hier. adverse. Pelag. ad Ctesiphont. Theod. l. 4. c. 10. and with these consort the rest, Epiphanius, chrysostom, Athanasius, Primasius, and that whole sacred Choir of Antiquity: But to what purpose do I instance in these, when as the Expurgatory Index of Spain, hath purposely wiped both out of the Tables and Text of chrysostom, Jerome, Cyrill, most clear Testimonies for the sole justification by Faith? The Book is every where abroad, it is needless to recite the severals: See now the Inquisitors guilty to themselves both of error, and fraud; To whom I must sing the same note, that Ambrose did of old, to the Arrians: Ye may blot out the Letters, but the Faith you can never abolish; Those blurs bewray you more; those blots condemn you more than the Writing. But some perhaps may think this a mere strife of words, and not hard to be reconciled: For, that which to the Papists is inherent justice, is no other to the Protestants, than Sanctification; both sides hold this equally necessary, both call for it equally: True; but do both require it in the same manner? do both to the same end? I think not; yea, what can be more contrary than these opinions, to each other? the Papists make this inherent righteousness the cause of our justification; the Protestants, the effect thereof: The Protestants require it as the companion or Page, the Papists as the Usher, yea, rather as the Parent of justification. But what matters it (say they) so both ascribe this whole work to God? As though it comes not all to one, to pay a sum for me, and to give it me to pay for myself. I know not how these things seem so little dissonant to these men's ears, which the Spirit of God hath made utterly incompatible; To him that worketh, the wages is not imputed of grace, but of debt; If by grace, now not of works, or else grace should be no more grace; for neither is it grace any way, if it be not free every way, saith Augustine: But these men say, Therefore of grace, because of works. Not of works, lest any man should boast, (saith the Spirit:) But of works, and yet a man shall boast in the Lord, saith BELLARMINE. And wherefore shall he boast? because he is just, because void of sin; perhaps some ISIODORE may say thus of himself, which voluntarily protested that for forty year's space he found not in himself any sin, not so much as in his thought, not so much as any consent to anger or inordinate desire: Or perhaps some BARONIUS or BELLARMINE may report this of their late Saint, Gonzaga; or the offal of the Schools may say so of BONAVENTURE; in whom, (if we believe them) ADAM sinned not, or Manicheus may say it of his elect Masters; or perhaps Priscilian, Euagrius, jovinian, the Messalians, may brag thus of themselves; But fare otherwise is that speech of Ambrose, I will not boast because I am just, but because I am redeemed; I will boast, not because I am void of sin, but because my sins are forgiven me: Otherwise, we shall come to that point which INNOCENTIUS condemned in the Pelagians, What need have we now of God? But thou sayest, GOD hath given me this whereby I am just: Indeed this seems at the first a great and glorious praise of the grace of God; and at the first hearing sounds well to an ignorant ear; and yet, (when it is better considered) under a pretence of piety, spoils Christ of his glory: Why dost thou not as well say, He hath given me wherewith I may redeem myself? Rom. 5.9. for by the same wherewith we are justified, we are redeemed, (Being justified by his Blood;) Behold, the blood of him that is God and man, justifies us, and the same redeems us: But go on a little: God hath given thee this; But hath he given it thee without thyself? Is this done without the intervention, without the operation of our ? Abiurat. Artoc. 45. Let the Monks of Bordeaux speak, in their Abiurations: let ANDRADIUS, Let BELLARMINE (the ●●ower of the Popish School) let any Papist deny this, if he dare; It is only Christ's therefore which is imputed: that which is inherent, is ours; for all (saith Austen) which are justified by Christ, are just not in themselves, but in him: That which is Christ's, because it is his, is most perfect▪ that which is ours, Hier. adverse. Pelag. lib. 3. because ours, is weak and imperfect. GOD hath made us men, not Gods: Our perfection is seasonable in Heaven▪ justly doth HIEROME deride CTESIPHON; we the Papists: O blessed, O happy men, if that justice which is not thought to be any where but in Heaven, may be found with you only upon earth; In the mean time, it is sufficient for us, to mourn for our wants, to hate injustice: It is the very speech of Donatists, Optat. l. 2. Cont. Don. Non habeo quod ignoscas. Ser. in Cant. & Ser. 4. de verbis Esa. Rectam sortitam iusticiam, etc. I have nothing for thee to pardon. Let Bernard now (to conclude) shut up this Stage; Not to sin, (saith he) is God's justice, but the justice of man is the pardon of God. To be imputed therefore, and to be inherent, differ no less than God and man, Trent and Heaven: Wherefore let our Romanists confess that, which both Scriptures, and Fathers, and all their modester Doctors have both thought and reported to be the common voice of the former Church in all times; and we are agreed: Otherwise, What fellowship hath God with Belial, light with darkness? SECTION VIII. Concerning . BOrdering upon this is the point of . To let pass all lighter quarrels of the nature of our will; let us inquire of the power of it; and that, not in natural, humane, or moral things, (Hear is all peace, and silence, save that the words jangle with themselves: and when the matter is agreed upon, who would not contemn words, as Augustine saith well?) but in spiritual and divine matters, we do will indeed; Aug. de ordine 2. we will freely, neither can we otherwise will any thing: who denies it? Aliud est velle, aliud velle bonum. Bern. Hear is no Physical determination, no violence; but to will that which is good, or to will well, we cannot. We do freely believe; (for faith is an act of the will) yea, and we do cooperate with grace; neither are we herein like to senseless stone, as Austen truly speaks: But whence is all this? Is it of ourselves, or of God? Is it of grace, or (which the Council of Arausica condemned) by the power of nature? This must be our question. Both sides like well that speech of Saint Augustine: To will freely, is the work of nature; to will well, of grace; to will ill of corruption: but when we come to the point, the Doctors of Trent are not more subtle, than the jesuits inconstant: It is yet good and safe which Bellarmine cities from his Ruardus; A good work, as it is a work, Bell. l. 6. de Grat. c. 15. p. 10. is from ; as it is good, from grace; as both a work and good, both from and grace: But that is exceeding ingenuous and truly Evangelicall, which the same Bellarmine affirms against some Semipelagian Catholics. Lib. 6. de gratia, c. 4. in titulo. In those things which pertain to piety and salvation, that man's will can do nothing, without the help of God's grace; It is the voice of jacob, if the Cardinal would hold him there, cursed be he that should oppose him. I go on to hope, and read; and see what stuff I meet with, Lib. 6. c. 15. resp. ad Secund. soon after in the same Book; That our conversation is in the power of , because it may be always converted, when it will; and yet further: That before all grace we have even in the works of piety, and supernatural things. Before all grace? L. sexto. de Grat. c. vlt. sent. prima. better recognitions. Now, then God doth not prevent us, Aug. de cor. & Grat. nolentem praevenit ut velit, volentem subsequitur, ne frustra velit. (as Austin saith of old) that we might will; but we prevent God, because we will: But left this should seem too gross, this liberty is tied up; and is altogether in the same state as the faculty of seeing, when a sensible species is absent; we can freely see, while the object is absent: we can freely will, in the absence of grace. Let Bellarmine now tell me: are we any whit more free to evil than he feigns us to good? Did ever Pelagius dote thus much? We can will evil; but yet unless it be determined (under some false semblance) by the verdict of our practiall judgement, we will it not: But if we should yield him thus much; What help is this, that God gives us? To prevent, inspire, excite, and help, is of God; to incline the will, is of ourselves: How are we not now more beholden to our selves, than to God? What is this but that Pelagian conceit, so oft condemned by Augustine, so to separate from grace, as if without it we could do, Aug. Epist. 46. & 47. Petr. Chrysom. ser. 114 Christus quicquid su●rum virtutum est, resert ad gloriam patris, & homo cu●us suum nihil est sibi vendicare quod per Christum resurrexit elaborat. Leviores quasque titillationes superare. Bellarm. Scot 2. d. 28. Dur. ibid. qu. 4. Sessio. 6. c. 5. & Can. 4. Citat. Bell. ibid. Xiphilin. Tiber. De great. & lib. ar. c. 16. Hier. ad Ctesiphoni. Ephes. 2. Coloss. 3. Psal. 51. or think any thing answerable to the will of God? That we are able by the power of our will to avoid sins; that we can overcome the slighter motions of temptation, as Bellarm. speaks; that we can keep God's Commandments, as Scotus and Durandus; that we can reject or receive the inspiration of the Spirit, as the Tridentine Fathers; that we can dispose ourselves to the receiving of grace, as Thomas and Suarez; that we do naturally cooperate with grace, and make our conversion effectual, as Tapperus; what is it else, but to steal glory from God, that we may prank up this carrion nature of ours? Yet it was modestly done of Tiberius, who of those many buildings which he repaired and perfected, challenged not one to himself, but gave them still the names of those men, by whom they were begun to be built: But these men challenge the whole house, when as they have not laid, so much as one Tile upon the roof. Fare be this shameful sacrilege from us, when that truly jealous God challenges to himself, to work in us both the will and the deed; yea, that we can will to believe is his work, as Austen rightly speaks: See then, he doth not excite but work in us; (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) He works in us, both that which is first, to will; and that which is last, to work. Hierome says worthily, To will and to run is mine: but without God's continual help, it will not be mine: Without me you can do nothing, saith Christ; no, not think any thing, saith Paul: Alas, what can we do, who are not lame, but dead in sins? By the influence of God's Spirit therefore a new life must be created in us, that was not; and not the former life excited which was; according to that of the Psalmist, Create in me a clean heart, and not stir up that clean one I have; Neither indeed is there as yet any place for this: Ezek 11.36. The first heart must be taken out, another must be put in. I will take away their stony heart, and give them a heart of flesh, saith God by the mouth of Ezechiel; He will give it, but (thou sayest perhaps) into their breasts, which have predisposed and prepared themselves for the gift. Yea contrarily, to those that do not a little resist him; The wisdom of the flesh is enmity. But there are some enmities more secret, and which do not outwardly bewray themselves: but behold, here is public resistance, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) It is not subject; But, perhaps it will once yield of itself (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) It cannot, Xiphil. Epist. Dionis. saith the Spirit of God. See in how rebellious an estate we are to God: What proneness is here to will good, what ability to perform it? Let the Papists, (if they will) sacrifice to themselves, as Sejanus had wont of old; or to their nets, as the Prophet speaketh: As for us, come what can come upon our opposition, we neither can nor dare arrogate unto ourselves those things, which by an holy reservation, & incommunicablenesse, are proper only unto the Highest. It is safe indeed for the Papists when they will to come up to us: but we cannot go down to them without a fearful precipitation of our souls: Consult. Cass. cit. Bonauent. in haec verba; hoc piarum mentium est ut nil sibi tribuunt, etc. Let Cassander witness this for us: Let Bonaventure himself witness it for him; This is the property of holy minds, to attribute nothing to themselves, but all to the grace of God: So that how much soever a man ascribe to the grace of God, he swerveth not from true piety, though by giving much to grace, he withdraw something from the power of nature, or : but when any thing is withdrawn from the grace of God, and aught attributed to nature, which is due to grace, there may be great danger to the soul; Thus fare those two ingenuous Papists: But (to infer) we give all to grace, the Papists something to nature; and what they give to nature, we give to God; Therefore we do and say that which is fit for holy minds; they (if Bonaventure may be witness) that which swerves from piety, and is joined with much danger of their soul. SECTION IX. Concerning Merits. THe foundation of Popish justification is the freedom of our will; and upon the walls of justification is merit raised; we will have no quarrel about the word. Bucer. cit. à Cass. Cypr. l. 3. ep. 20. Pr●●. jud. The holy Fathers of old (as we all grant) took the word in a good sense, which the later Divines have miserably corrupted; About the thing itself, we must strive eternally; we promise a reward to good works, yea an everlasting one; It is a true word of the jews, He that labours in the Even, shall eat on the Sabbath: Qui laboravit in vespera, comedet in Sabbatho. Conc. Trident. Orthod. expl. l. 6. Caiet. in Galat. for God hath promised it, and will perform; who yet crowneth us in mercy and compassion, as the Psalmist speaks, not (as the Papists) in the rigour of justice, not (as Andradius) according to the due desert of our work; By the free gift of God, and not our merits, as Caietan wisely and worthily; Or (if any man like that word better) God doth it in justice, but in respect of his own promise; not the very dignity of our works. That a just man's work in the truth of the thing itself, is of a value worthy of the reward of heaven (which industrious and learned Morton cities out of the English Professor of Dow●y) and hath a meet proportion, both of equality, and dignity, Weston. de Tripl. hom. off. l. 2. Vid. protest Appeal. lib. 2. c. 11. Tom. 1. in Th. 3. d. 11. to the recompense of eternal life, as Pererius, and that in itself without any respect of the merits, and death of Christ, which Suarez, and Bajus, shamed not to write, seems justly to us little less than blasphemy. But (say our moderate Papists) CHRIST hath merited this merit of ours; neither can any other works challenge this to themselves, but those, which are done in GOD, as Andradius speaks; but those, which are dipped and died in the blood of CHRIST, as our later Papists elegantly and emphatically speak. But what is this but to cousin the world, and to cast a mist before the eyes of the unskilful? Our sins are died in the blood of CHRIST, not our merits: Or, if they also; Hath CHRIST then deserved that our works should be perfect? How comes it about that the works of the best men are so lame, and defective? Hath he deserved that though they be imperfect, yet they might merit? What injury is this to God, what contradiction of terms? Behold now, so many Saviour's, as good men: what I do, is mine, what I merit, is mine, whosoever gives me either to do or to merit: Whosoever rides on a lame horse, cannot but move un-evenly, uneasily, uncertainly: what insolent over-weeners of their own works are these Papists, which proclaim the actions which proceed from themselves, worthy of no less than heaven? To whom we may justly say, as Constantine said to Acesius, the Novatian, Set up ladders, O ye Papists, and climb up to heaven alone. Socr. l. 1. c. 7. Eright vobis scalus, etc. Homo iustus 〈◊〉 etc. Who can abide that noted speech of Bellarmine, A just man hath by a double title, right to the same glory; one, by the merits of CHRIST imparted to him by grace, another, by his own merits; contrary to that of the Spirit of God; The wages of sin is death, but, The gift of God is eternal life: upon which words another Cardinal, Caietan, speaks in a holier fashion, thus; He doth not say that the wages of our righteousness is eternal life: but, The gift of God is eternal life, that we may understand, and learn, that we attain eternal life, not by our own merits, but by the free gift of God; for which cause also he adds, By jesus Christ our Lord: Rom. 6. fin. Behold the merit, behold the righteousness, whose wages is eternal life; but to us in respect of JESUS CHRIST, it is a free gift: Thus Caietan: Caiet. C●●. in. Rom. 6. What could either Luther or Caluin, or any Protestant say more plainly? How imperfect doth the Scripture every where proclaim both God's graces in us, and our works to him? and though the graces of God were absolutely perfect, yet they are not ours; if our works were so; yet they are formerly due: And if they be due to God, what recompense of transcendent glory is due to us? Behold, we are both servants and unprofitable; Not worthy saith God; worthy and more, say the Papists: Ephess. 2. By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, saith God: By grace indeed, but yet of ourselves, say the Papists: What insolency is this? Let our Monks now, go, and profess wilful poverty, whiles Ezekiah did never so boast of his heaps of treasure, as these of their spiritual wealth. Hier. Epitaph. Fabiolae. Hierome said truly; It is more hard to be stripped of our pride, than of our Gold and jewels; for even when those outward ornaments are gone, many times these inward rags swell up the soul. Gregory Ariminensis, their old Schoolman, was ashamed of this wicked arrogance, and so was Durandus and Pighius, and other their Divines of a more modest temper: I would the jesuites could have had the grace to have been no less ashamed, and the Tridentine Doctors; together with their executioners, the Inquisitors: Ind. expurg Madriticus p. 149. But, what other men have holily, and truly spoken, that they have perfidiously wiped out: witness their Index of Madrill, in these words: Out of the book which is entitled, The Order of Baptising, together with the manner of visiting the sick, Printed at Venice, in the year 1575. Let these words be blotted out; Dost thou believe that not by thine own merits, but by the virtue and merit of the passion of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Ex eod. litro fol. 34. ad Med. thou shalt come to glory? and soon after, Dost thou believe that our Lord JESUS CHRIST died for our salvation, and that no man can be saved by his own merits, or any other means, but only by the merit of his passion? Iwis, Hier. l. de libris Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the Scorpions and Snakes of the ancient Divines (as Jerome termed the errors of Origen) amongst which the Reader must needs have walked, had not the grave Senate of the Inquisition wisely provided for our safety. What hope is there now of peace? unless they could be content (which Bellarmine grants to be the safest way) renouncing the merits of their works, not so much for their uncertainty, as the imperfection of their justice, and danger of vainglory, both to resolve and teach men to repose their whole confidence in the mercy, and bounty of God: which we can at once both wish, and not hope for. SECTION X. Concerning Satisfaction. SATISFACTION hath near affinity with merit; and indeed, is but as another twig arising from the same root: Than which, no opinion could be devised more injurious, and reproachful to the merits of CHRIST. The word was not displeasing to the ancient Fathers, nor in their sense, to us; Only this let me touch in passing by; Tert. de praescrip. Fides ●●●inum salus proprietatum. Consult. c. de satisfact. that the heedless abuse of words, to the great wrong of the Church, hath bred confusion of things; as contrarily, that of Tertullian is approved, The assured sense of words is the safety of proprieties: We have nothing to do here with civil Satisfaction, nothing with Ecclesiastical; whereof Luther not unfitly said, (even in Cassander's own judgement) Our mother the Church, out of her good affection desiring to prevent the hand of GOD, Satisfactio penitentialis nihil aliud est quàm conatus infectum reddendiquod factum est, Alphons. Viruesius' adverse. Luth. chastises her children with certain Satisfactions, lest they should fall under the scourges of GOD. This Canonical Satisfaction, as many call it, hath been too long out of use, on both sides: Yea, more than this, in all our Sermons to our people, we beat importunately upon the necessity of penitence, & all the wholesome exercises thereof, as fruits worthy of Repentance. Not (as Cassander well interprets it) as if we desired they should offer unto God a ransom worthy, & sufficient for the clearing of the score of their sins; but that we teach them, those offices must be performed by them, which God requires of those sinners, on whom he will bestow the satisfaction of his Son: Let them call these satisfactions, if they will, we give them leave: But that after the most absolute passion of Christ, there should be yet behind, certain remainders of punishment to be discharged by us, either here, or in Purgatory, with a purpose thereby to satisfy the divine justice, whether they be imposed by God or by the Priest, or by ourselves (as the Tridentine distinction runs) we neither may, nor can endure. For (how nicely soever these men distinguish) it cannot be, but this sacrilegious opinion must needs accuse the truly propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, of some imperfection. I know, they say, that both satisfactions may well stand together; that of the Mediator; and this, of man: whereof Bonaventure calls the one Perfect, Cit Cass. ibid. the other Semiperfect. But these are words. Let the Sophisters tell me, Doth not the ful●●essell contain in itself the half? or what need the one half a part, when we have the whole? And lastly, can any thing be added to that which is perfect? But some of their heed fuller. Divines will neither have these two opposite, nor subordinate to each other: For it is a shame to speak, what Suarez, what Durand, and other grosser Papists have discoursed of this point: Let them rather if they will, hold (which opinion yet hath been controlled, not by the Cardinal only, but by three Popes before him) that men's satisfactions serve only to apply unto us, that which the satisfactions of Christ have promerited for us. Yet, even this shift will not serve: Bellermine de Indulg. l. 1. c. 4. Pi●● 5. Greg. l. 3. clem. 6. For Christ's satisfaction (as they teach) respects eternal punishment, and not temporal; How then can it once be imagined, that we by our satisfaction should procure that his suffering, which was destinated to the expiation of an eternal punishment, should serve to the discharge of a temporal? And why should we do this, rather than Christ himself? Besides, how absurdly doth this sound, That he whose bounty hath paid our pounds for us, hath yet left us, out of our poor stock, to pay some few farthings for ourselves? Let me demand then; whether could not Christ undertake these temporal punishments for us, or would he not? That he could not, is impious; that he would not, is bold to say, and illiberal to do: For where is there any restraint? or what are the limits of his mercy? The fault is remitted (saith the conventicle of Trent) the punishment is not pardoned: The Eastern Church would never have said so, which always stoutly opposed herself to this error: And indeed, what a shameful reproach is this to the infinite mercy of the forgiver? what a wrong to his justice? whereto is the punishment due but to the fault? Did ever God inflict punishments that were not due? Many a time hath he forgiven to sinners those plagues which both they had deserved, and he threatened; but never did he call back for those arrearages which he had forgiven: God punishes us indeed, (or chastens us rather) and that sometimes well and sharply after the remission of our offence. Not that he may give himself satisfaction of us (for how can it be so pleasing to him that it should be ill with us?) but that he may confirm us to himself that he may amend us: He lays no stroke upon us with a revenging hand, but with a fatherly. We suffer therefore now, but we satisfy not; This is proper only to that eternal Priest, and to his eternal Priesthood, and is no more communicable to Saints and Angels, than his own person; And certainly that which was his part, he hath performed; he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law; and part of the Legal punishment, is this temporal revenge: For us therefore, to give hands to them in this, it were no better than perfidious and shamefully traitorous. And if it be more than manifest, that this cannot be done, either by our own torments inflicted, or good works performed (how penal soever) how much less shall it be effected by others? There is none of the Saints which will not justly take up that answer of the wiser Virgins, There will not be enough for you, and for us. Matth. 25.9. H●aer. aduer. Cesiphon●. Non necesse habet convinci quod sua statim profession blasphemum est. But as Hierome said well. There is no need of any great conviction, where the opinion carries blasphemy in the face. SECTION XI. Concerning Purgatory. Upon this conceit of Satisfactions, depend those other fables of Purgatory, and Indulgences; pleasant ones both, and not unworthy of a Satire: whereof, so oft as I think, I cannot but remember the scornful frump of Luther, alluding to that of the Prophet, Domine non possum vesci stercore humano: yet if they had only doubtfully and problematically commended their Purgatory to the Church, we might easily have favoured them with a connivance; although you cannot say, whether it would have been more worthy to set the spleen on work for laughter, or the bowels for commiseration: But now when Bellarmine teaches us, that it pertains to the Catholic faith, and our Fisher of Rochester will have it altogether necessary to be known and believed; we cannot entertain this presumptuous folly, without indignation. How miserably the Scriptures are wrested to this purpose, if any Schoolboy could not easily see, Hier. Paulin. Plato in Phaedone. Itaque quicunque in vita quodammodo medium tenuisseiter co●●periuntur, ad Acherontem profecti vehiculit, quae unicuique adsunt, in paludem per●eniunt Acherusiam; ibique habitant, purganturque poenas dantes iniuriarum, & cum purificati, etc. Euseb. de praepar. Euang. l. 1. c. vlt. Aug. de Civit. Dei, l. 21. c. 13. qui & Virgil. ibid. citat. 2 Cor. 5.1. Apoc. 14.13. Wisd. 3.1. he were worthy of whipping. As Hierome said of the Heretics of his time, They frame some unfitting testimonies to their own sense; as if it were a worthy, and not rather an abominable kind of teaching, to deprave sentences, and to drag the Scriptures perforce, to their own bent: Neither are the ancient Father's better used in their citation; of which, Origen, Ambrose, Hilary, Lactantius, Nissen, Jerome, gave intimation of a quite other Purgatory, from the Romish. Augustine speaks of it, at peradventure, waveringly, uncertainly; The rest never dreamt of any at all: But yet, I mistake it; Now I remember S. Plato is cited by Austen and Eusebius, for the Patron of this opinion: and who knows not, that S. Homer and S. Virgil are flat for it: yet this fire never began to burn out, but in Gregory's time and since that, the authority of the Altoran hath not a little mended it: this is it that their Rochester ingenuously confessed of old, that this Purgatory flame came but lately to the knowledge of the Church: but for us, that of S. Paul shall never be wrung from our hands: (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,) If, or when this earthly house shall be dissolved, we have a building, not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens: And when is this Saint Paul's (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉)? Saint john shall interpret it; (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Those that die Amodo, from henceforth: and when is this Amodo? To day thou shalt be with me, saith Christ; even instantly upon the egress of the soul. Let them commend their souls to God, saith S. Peter: But what of that? That which doth utterly quench out this fabulous fire, the counterfeit Solomon, (though true to the Papists) adds, The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them: Behold then, either the souls without a Purgatory or, a Purgatory without pain: But what stick we at this? Let the Popish Doctors together agree among themselves, of the fire of their Purgatory, of the torments of the Subject, of the duration, of the executioners, of the condition of the souls there detained; and then afterwards let them look for our assent: In the mean time, why is it not as free for us as for Suarez, Tam. 4. in Th. d. 46. not to believe the walking Ghosts of the dead, but metaphorically? or why may not we as well deny the ordinary common Purgatory, as Bellarmine may device a new one, more noble and easeful than the first. SECTION XII. Concerning Indulgences or Pardons. PURGATORY is guilty of Indulgences, as their ROCHESTER confesses: Both of them were bred by superstition, and nursed by covetousness; I touch these with a light hand only; It is long since all ingenious Clients of Rome were ashamed of this holy fraud; I cannot but commend Cassander, which writes thus modestly and truly: The abatement or relaxation of Canonical punishments, Cap. de Indulg. was of old called Indulgence; which at this day is drawn to all private satisfactions, and the full right of bestowing them withdrawn from all other Bishops, to the Bishop of Rome alone. About the use and practise whereof, all good men have desired a correction and moderation; as of things, which being hitherto ill handled, have given the chief occasion of this breach in the Church: Here therefore it were to be wished, that the Popes would yield something to the Public peace. Thus fare Cassander: De Indulg. l. 4. c. 4. With whom agrees Polydore Virgil; both of them more worthy of a black coal, than their honest Rochester, whom Gregory of Valence hath so foully branded. Neither hath there wanted some of their own (as Bellarmine witnesseth) which have called both the treasure of the Church, and Pardons into question; neither have there wanted those which have boldly and flatly denied them either to be of use, or to be at all: And indeed who, that is not too much intoxicate with the potions of that Harlot, can endure, that whilst the imputation of Christ's merits to the justifying of a sinner, applied by God to us, is every where a common scoffing-stocke to these men, yet that the merits and sufferings of holy men, out of a certain common treasure, should by a man be imputed to men, for the deliverance of their souls from torment? Horae B. virg. stations of Rome. Rithinic. Horae B. Mar. virg. ad usum sacium. Who can abide that any mortal man should over-satisfie God for his sins? Who can abide the prodigal grants, and shameful Marts of their Pardons? Who can endure to hear, that to the careless mumbling over of some short prayers (for if we believe their Casuists, there is no great need of any intention of mind, of any special devotion) there should be granted by john 22. a Pardon for no less than a million of years? Who can endure (since by their own confession, this fire must last but till the conflagration of the world) that yet in one little Book there should be tendered unto credulous poor souls, Pardons of but eleven thousand thousands of years? What should we make many words of this? There is now lying by me a worm-eaten Manu-script, with fair Rubrickes, in which, besides other absurd and blasphemous promises, there is power given to one little prayer to change the pains of hell (due perhaps to him that says it) into Purgatory; and after that again, the pains of Purgatory into the joys of Heaven: Lib. de Indulg. Bellarmine had wisely respected his own reputation, if he had given his voice according to that which he confesseth to have been the judgement of some others; That these like Bills were not given by the Popes, but lewdly devised by some of his base Questuaries for an advantage: But that which he should excuse, he defends. What ingenuity of shame is to be expected of jesuites? and how clean hath an old Parrot (as he said of old) forgotten the wand? Who may abide this unjust and inhuman acceptation of persons? that the wealthier sort, may by their purses redeem this holy treasure of the Church, and by money deliver the souls of themselves and their friends from this horrible Prison, while the needy Soul must be stall frying in this flame, without all hope of pardon, or mature relaxation, until the very last judgement day? Lastly, who can endure, that whiles it is in the power of Christ's Vicar to call miserable souls out of this tormenting fire (which hell itself is said to exceed only in the continuance) yet that he should suffer them to lie howling there, and most cruelly broiling still, and not mercifully bestow on them all the heaps of his treasure, as the spiritual ransom of so many distressed spirits? Ambr. de Nab●th. A wretched man is he (as Ambrose said of the rich man) which hath the power to deliver so many souls from death, and wants the will: Why hath God given him this faculty of Indulgences, if he would not have it beneficial to Mankind? Auth. operis imperfect. and where the Owner of the house will be bountiful, it is not for the Steward to be niggardly; Let that Circè of Rome keep these husks for her hogs. SECTION XIII. Concerning the distinction of Venial and Mortal sins. Pardon's do both imply and presuppose that known distinction of Mortal and Venial sin, which neither hath God ever allowed, neither (whiles he gainesayes it) will ever the Protestants: That there are certain degrees of evil we both acknowledge and teach; so as we may here justly tax the dishonesty and shamelessness of Campion, Durcus, Coccius, and the Monks of Bordeaux, who have upbraided us with the opinion of a certain Stoical and jovinianish parity of sins: yea, Bellarmine himself hath already done this kind office for us. Some offences are more heinous than other; yet all in the malignity of their nature, deadly: As of poisons, some kill more gently, and lingeringly, others more violently and speedily, yet both kill. Moreover, if we have respect unto the infinite mercy of God, and to the object of this mercy, the penitent and faithful heart, there is no sin, which (to borrow the word of Prudentius) is not venial; but in respect of the Anomy or disorder, there is no sin which is not worthy of eternal death. Every sin is a Viper; there is no Viper (if we regard the nature of the best) but kills whom she bites; but if one of them shall haply light upon the hand of Paul, she is shaked into the fire, without harm done: Let no man fear that harmful creature ever the less, because he sees the Apostle safe from that poison. So is sin to a faithful man; Saint john's word is, All sin is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Transgression of the Law; 1 joh. 3.4. Rom. 6. Saint Paul's word is, The wages of sin is death; Put these two together, and this conceit of the natural pardon ableness of sin, vanishes alone. Our Rhemists (subtle men) can no more abide this proposition converted, than themselves: All sin indeed (say they) is anomia, a transgression of the Law; but every transgression of the Law is not sin: The Apostle therefore himself turns it for us: All unrighteousness (saith he) is sin: But every (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) is unrighteousness, saith Austen upon the place. For the Law is the rule of righteousness; therefore the prevarication of the Law is unrighteousness: Yea, their very own word shall stop their own mouth; for how is sin univocally distinguished into Venial and Mortal, if the Venial be no sin? and the wages of every sin is death. That therefore which the Papists presume to say, that this kind of sin deserves pardon, in itself (unless they will take the word merit, catachrestically, with Stapleton:) And that which Bellarmine and Navarus add, that Venial sins are not against, but beside the Law: and lastly, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Fr. à Vict. summa sacr. Poenitentiae nu. 100 p. 63. That which Franciscus à Victoria writes, that a Bishop's blessing, or a Lord's Prayer, or a knock on the breast, or a little holy water, or any such like slight receipt, without any other good motion of the heart, is sufficient to remit Venial sin, is so shamefully abhorring from all piety, and justice, that these open bands, both of nature and sin, must be eternally defied of us. It is an old, and as true a ride, Decr. 23.4.4. est iniusta, etc. Petr. Alag●●nae Comp. Manual. Navarri, p. 91. p. 267. p. 140. p. 191. p. 352. p. 100 Socr. l. 5.21. ●asinesse of pardon gives encouragement to sin: And beside, what manner of sins do they put in the rank of Venials? Drunkenness, adultery, angry curses, or blasphemies; covetousness yea, stealing, lying, cursing of parents, (horrible offences) shroud themselves (with them) under this plausible title of venial; He must needs be shamelessly wicked that abhors not this licentiousness. Surely Socrates the Historian prophesied (I think) of these men: There are some (saith he) that let go whoredom as an indifferent matter, which yet strive for an holiday, as for their life. The ordinary, and not slight Controversy (as Cassander thinketh) of the name, nature condition, punishment of the first sin, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Original. as chrysostom calls it, I willingly omit; Neither do I meddle with their Evangelicall perfection of vows, nor the dangerous servitude of their rash and impotent Votaries, nor the incoveniences of their Monkery: which yet are so great and many, that the elect Cardinals of Paul the third, doubted not with joint consent to affirm, All the Orders of Covents we think fit to be abolished; but, for the condition of that single and solitary life, let that be done; which Cassander, and Clingius the Franciscan advice, in this case; that is, Let all false conceit, and preposterous confidence be removed from it, that the trust, which should only be put in the merit of Christ, be not placed upon these courses: and let no man think, that hereby he deserves righteousness, remission, grace; and lastly, (which I add) remove but idleness, superstition, necessity, from this kind of life, and we do not, we will not disallow it: Neither do we take our Colleges for any other than certain sacred (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) monastical Academies, wherein according to the precept of Pelagius the Pope, we may be maturely fitted for these holy services of God, and his Church: such were the Monasteries of the Ancient; insomuch as Possidonius can witness, that Saint Austen, out of one little house, Possid. in vita Aug. sent forth ten labourers into the harvest of the Church. SECTION XIIII. Concerning the Canon of the Scripture. NOw, (lest I be too tedious) it is time for me, from these points, which do directly concern ourselves, to hasten unto those, which do more closely touch the Majesty of God, and do, as it were, send plain challenges into heaven. And those do, either respect the Scripture which is his expressed word, or Christ which is his natural and substantial Word, or lastly, the worship due unto his Name. And first, the Scripture complains justly of three main wrongs offered to it: The first, of addition to the Canon; The second, of detraction from the sufficiency of it; The third, of hanging all the authority thereof upon the sleeve of the Church; For of that corrupt Translation of Scripture, which the Trent Divines have made only, and fully authentical, I forbear purposely to speak; although it were, easy to show (that which Reuchline, following the steps of Hierom, hath averred) That the Hebrews drink of the Well head; the Greeks' of the stream, Hier. adverse. ●eluidium. and the Latins of the puddle: neither will I so much as touch the injurious inhibition of those holy books, to the Laity. Who can endure a piece of new cloth to be patched unto an old garment? Or what can follow whence, but that the rent should be worse? I refer the reader for the citation of these to my dissuasive from Popery. Who can abide, that against the faithful information of the Hebrews, against the clear Testimonies of Melito, Cyril, Athanasius, Origen, Hilary, Hierom, Ruffinus, Nazianzen, against their own Doctors both of the middle, and latest age, six whole books, should, by their fatherhoods of Trent, be under pain of a curse imperiously obtruded upon God & his Church? Whereof yet, some propose to their Readers, no better than magical jugglings, others bloody self murders, other lying fables, and others heathenish 〈◊〉, not without a public applause in the relation: These indeed, Ca●●●●, ingennously, as his fashion is, (according to that he had learned of Hierome) would persuade us to have been admitted only by the Ancients, into the Canon of Manners, not of Faith. And surely there be many precepts in Syracider, the counterfeit Solomon, and Esdra●, which savour of excellent wisdom; but I wonder what kind of good manners can be learned from such like histories, Catech●●●eni. even by those Novices, to whom Athanasius bequeathes these books? Well may I say of these, as that Chian servant of his Master, (which sold his wine, Epith. l. 1. sect. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Si quis l. Hester, Dan, Baeruc, Eccl. judith, Tob. Macca. pro Canonicis non recip●rit, Anathema fit, sect, 4. Apoc. vlt. and drank his lees) while they have good, they seek for naught: But let these books (how questionable soever to Ephiphanius) be all sacred, let them be (according to the meaning of the council of Carthage, and of Austen so oft cited, to this purpose) after Canonical; yet what man or Angel dare presume to undertake to make them divine? We know full well, how great impiety it is to father upon the God of heaven the weak conceptions of an humane wit; neither can we be any whit moved with the idle crack of the Tridentine curse, whiles we hear God thundering in our ears, If any man add unto these words, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. SECTION XV. Of the Insufficiency of Scripture. NEither know I, whether it be more wickedly audacious, to fasten on God those things which be never wrote, or to weaken the authority, and deny the sufficiency of what he hath written: The Papists do both. We affirm (saith Bellarmine) that there is not expressly contained in Scriptures, all necessary doctrine, either concerning faith, Lib. 4. de verbo non scripto, c. 30. sect. 1. Pari venerati●●e, pari pietatis affectu. or manners: And the Tridentine Fathers give charge, that Traditions be received with no less Piety and Veneration, than the Books of Scripture. Unwritten Truths (saith our witty Chancellor, More) are equivalent to the Word of God: What place is there for peace? There are, we confess, certain things of a middle nature, indifferent rites, wherein much must be yielded to the Church, much to Traditions: but that those things which are simply necessary to salvation (whetherto be known, or to be done) should not be found in the holy Scriptures, either in their words, Per verba, per sensum. or in their sense, as Aquinas distinguishes, we justly hold absurd, and with Erasmus, contrary to all true divinity: Some Constitutions for public order, are from the Church; but all necessary determinations of faith, are to be fetched from the voice of God; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In Can. Nic. Graec. con. Pisan. ●innius Conc. Tom. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This is as Nissen truly commends it, the right and even rule of life: The law of God is perfect, saith David; yea, and makes perfect, saith Paul: And what can be added to that which is already perfect? or what perfection can there be, where some necessary points are wanting; yea, (if we may believe Hosius) the greatest part? How much is the Spirit of God mistaken? He wrote these things that we might believe, and in believing be saved; But now (if Trent may be judge) although we believe what he hath written, yet we cannot be saved, unless we do also receive, and believe what he hath not written▪ How ill was Constantine taught of old? how ill advised, in that public speech; for which yet we do not find that any of those Worthies of ●ice, Theod. l. 1. c. ●. Tert. de praeser. & l. ●●●er. Her. Origin c. 16. 〈◊〉 Rom. Achae. in synops. Ambr. lib. 3. Hex. c. 3. did so much as jog him on the elbow, in a mild reproof, whiles he said, The books of the Evangelists & Apostles, as also the Oracles of the Ancient Prophets do plainly instruct us in the message and meaning of God? How miserably were every one of the learned Fathers of the Church blinded, that they could never, either see or acknowledge any other rule of faith? And what shall we say? Did God envy unto mankind the full revelation of his will, in the perpetual monuments of his written word? Or did he not think it expedient to lay up all necessary doctrines in this common store-house of Truths, (as Rochester calls it?) Or, is that perhaps more uncertain, Aug. Ego solis Scriptures, etc. De nat. & gr. c. 61. Opt. Mileu. l 5. The. in Mag. l. 3. d. 3. 4. 1. art. 1 Citatex Hier. Non mihicreda● si quid tibi dixer●, quod ex nou● Testamento vel veteri haberi ●●●●possit. Iren. 1. 2. c. 1. which is faithfully committed to writing, than that which is carried about by the flying rumours of men, and by this airy conveyance derived unto posterity? What a thing is it (as Irenaeus wisely said) that we should leave the voice of the Lord, and his Apostles, and attend to these tatlers, that talk never a true word? Or if this be fitting, how vainly have you spent your labours, O all ye Registers of God, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists? and as he said of the ointment, To what purpose was all this waste? These Paradoxes are pernicious to the Church, and shamefully derogatory from the glory, both of the wisdom and goodness of God: Hold these, who dare. Surely, we can never abide that those two marks of Heretics which Irenaeus long since set down (namely, not to rest in the bare authority of Scripture, and to vaunt of other Traditions) should both of them be justly branded on our sides. SECTION XVI. Of the Authority of Scripture. But this is yet most shamefully injurious, to deny unto the Word of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. credit of itself; and so to hang the Scriptures upon the Church, that they must needs beg all their authority from the voices of men. Honest Eckius in his revised, and corrected Euchiridi●●: The Scripture (saith he) is not authentical without the authority of the Church: To which as some golden and oracular sentence, Euchir. Eccij 7. recog●a●●. 1586. fol. 8. there is added in the margin, a glorious and insulting applause, An Achilles for the Catholics. I let pass the blasphemies of Hermannus, and Hosius, perhaps (as junius construes it) in the name of Swinkfeldius: I pass over the horrible impiety of that shameless gloss, Achilles' pro Catholicis. Animaduers. in Bellar. Gloss in decretal. l. 2. Tit. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Bell. de 〈◊〉. sacr. & effect. l. 2 c. 25 p. 300. which teaches, that salomon's Text borrows his credit from the Pope's canonisation: Bellarmine alone shall speak for all; who going about to support the number of seven Sacraments, by the authority of the Tridentine Council (for this is ever their last hold:) The strength (saith he) of all the Ancient Counsels, and of all opinions, depends upon the authority of the present Church; And a little before; If we take away the authority of the present Church, and of the present Council (of Trent,) the decrees of all other Counsels, and the whole Christian faith may be called into doubt, and question. O miserable, and miserably staggering souls of the Papists! How many, not persons only, but whole kingdoms, and those (as the Romanists themselves confess, and bewail) mighty and flourishing, amongst themselves, do yet still resolutely reject all the authority of that Tridentine Council? The whole Christian faith? All doctrines and opinions? What, even those which are written by the finger of God? those that are indicted by the holy Ghost? What is this else, but to make God a slave to men; and to arraign the Maker of heaven and earth, at the bar of humane judgement? God will be God, the Scripture of God will be itself, in spite of Rome, Trent, Hell: And unless we hold this, we can have no peace with God; unless we deny it, no peace with the Romanists. SECTION XVII. Concerning Transubstantiation. Genebr. l. 1. de Trin. Li. d●n. 2. dial. Canisius in praef. lib. de Io. Bapt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Bell. l. 2. de Chro. c. 19 Caluinus fine dubio in mode loquendi erravit, sed dum rem ipsam discutio, non facilè audeo pronunciare illum in errore fuisse. THese errors concern the Scriptures; those which follow, concern either Christ's person, or his offices: I let pass that idle brabble, (as Bellarmine himself judge's it) which the Popish Censors have unjustly raised about the Son's Godhead of himself; and insist upon weightier quarrels; I would that exploded opinion of Transubstantiation, and (which is the root of it) the Multi-presence of Christ's body, did not utterly overthrew the truth of his Humanity. Good God Is it possible (as Auerrves jested of old) that Christians should make themselves a God of bread? That any reasonable man can believe, that Christ carried his own body in one of his hands, that he reached it forth to be eaten by those holy guests of his, which saw him present with them, and heard him speaking to them, both whiles they were eating him, and when they had eaten the sacred morsel? That the self same Son of man should at once both devour his whole self, and yet should sit whole and entire at the Table with them? That the glorious body of Christ should be carried through the unclean passages of our maws; and either be there turned into the substance of our body, or (contrary to that the Spirit said of old, Psal. 16.10. Thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corrup●●●●) should be subject to putrefaction, or vanish to nothing, or return into that heaven, wherein it was, ere it returned, while it returned: or lastly, should be eaten with Mice (devout and holy Vermin) or perhaps mixed with poison, to the Receiver? What Monsters of follies are these? How mad, yea, how impious is this obstinacy of foolish men, that they will overturn the very principles of nature, the order of things, the Humanity of their Saviour, the truth of the Sacrament, the constant judgement of Scripture, and lastly, the very foundations of all Divinity; and confusedly iumbell Heaven & Earth together, rather than they will (where necessity requires it) admit but of a tropical kind of speech, in our Saviour's consecration, whiles in the mean time, the whole Reverend Senate of the Father's cries out, Tert. contra. Marc. l. 4. B●●tus Rhenanus confesses, this error of Tertullian was confuted in Berengarius. Aug. Psal. 3. & Epist. 162. De doct. Christ. 3. 16. Chrys. Hom. 46. in joh. etc. Bel. l. 1. de Euch. cap. 1. De doct. Chri. l. 3. & redoubles the names of Symbols, Types, Signs, Representation, Similitude, Figures, and whatever word may import a borrowed sense; notwithstanding all the indignation of Heaven, all the scorn of Pagans, all the Reluctation of the Church? This Letter killeth, as Origen truly speaks: Now what likelihood is there, here, of agreement? That the true body of Christ is truly offered, and truly received in the Sacrament, which of us hath not ever constantly taught, and defended? But how is this? not by any bodily touch, as cyril and Ambrose say well, but by our faith. That it should be Corporally, Carnally, Orally present, and torn in pieces with our teeth (as good Pope Nicholas caused Berenganius to say, and our Allen had followed him unbidden) hath even seemed impious to us, and (as Austen judges it) no less 〈◊〉 ●agitious. We 〈◊〉 well yet the ingenuity of Arius Montanus, in this point; who upon Luk. 22. This is my body (saith he) that is, My Body is Sacramentally contained in this Sacrament of Bread; and strait he adds (like another Nicodemus, Christ's nightly Disciple) The secret and most mystical manner whereof, God will once vouchsafe, more clearly to unfold to his Christian Church: Thus he: In the mean time, for us; this prodigious conceit of Transubstantiation, which alone contains in it as many absurd errors, as there have been minutes of time, from the first forming of it (that is, from the Council of Lateran) until this hour, can look to be entertained no otherwise at our hand, than as such a Devilish fancy deserveth, with hatred, and execration. SECTION XVIII. Concerning the Multi-presence of Christ's body. But this sleeveless tale of Transubstantiation, was surely brought both into the world, and upon the Stage, by that other Fable of the Multi-presence of Christ's body: neither know I, whether I should prefer for madness, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. and sophistical cozenage. That the same body of Christ should be in a thousand places at once of this sublunary World, whiles yet it is in the mean time entire in Heaven; That the whole body of Christ should lie hid in a little thin Wafer, yet so, that the parts and members thereof should not one run into another, but continue distinct, and severally disposed among themselves, and have a shape and order agreeable to a man's body (which are Bellarmine's own words) it doth not only exceed reason, but faith: Neither do they say now (as of old) Behold, here in Christ, or there; but (which is much worse) Behold, Christ is both here, and there; jul. Scal. exercit. in Card. That received Axiom of the Schools is of an eternal Truth; The numerical unity of a finite thing cannot stand without continuity. Who can choose but be ashamed of the jesuites here? The very places in which Christ's body is, (saith Bellarmine) are discontinued; yea, and the body of Christ itself is divided from itself, in respect of place, but not in respect of his proper substance, or quantity; As if there could be any division of a material substance, but by bounds of place? As if quantity were not both bounded, and measured by place alone? Aug. Epist. 57 Spatia locarum tolle corparibus, & nusquam erioti. Cited also by D. Sutcliffe, count. Bell. de Euchar. Plau. Amphi. Tun dicere audes verbero, quod nemo unquam homo vidit, nec potest ficri● Tempore uno, homo idem duobus ut locis simul sit. Tho. in Mag. l. 1. d. 32. q. 1. art. 1. Bell. de Euchar. l. 3. c. 4. p. 297. in 8. As if there were not an undoubted relation of the place to the thing placed: But now, this doth not belong to Christ only. S. Xavier, in our Age (one of Loyalaes' brood) was seen at once, both in the Ship, and in the Boat: Tursellian reports it; unto this fabulous Saint, and his Fellow-fabuler, the Reporter, I cannot device to set a better match, than that Plantine Amphitryo: Darest thou say, thou fond Slave, that which never man yet saw (nor indeed can be done) that one man should at the same time, be in two places at once? How fare wide is Aquinas (the honour of the Schools) which saith, By the same ground or reason that an Angel might be in two places, he might be in as many as you will? See now either Xavier is every where, or else the carcase of a Friar is more subtle than the nature of an Angel. To conclude, either Aquinas is false, or the Papists Ubiquitaries. How overbold are the jesuites, the Patroness of this Multi-presence? Bellarmine, scorning the modesty of Thomas, Egidius, Carthosian, Capetolus; Because (saith he) we think that the body of Christ may be in many places at once, locally, and visibly, therefore we say, and hold, that the same body may be circumscriptively and definitively in more places at once: For; that a body may be circumscriptively in any place, nothing is required, but that it be fitly mesured unto that place: So as the bounds of the place and the thing placed, be both together; but, it is not required, that it should not be elsewhere, as in another place: Thus he: What an absurd opposition is this? To be circumscribed in one place, and yet to be otherwhere; That the bounds of the place, and the thing placed a would 〈…〉 he, and the places a thousand; that a thing should be fitly 〈◊〉 measuredly 〈◊〉 placed; and yet be in almost infinite; That another remo●e place should 〈◊〉 hinder circumscription, than a part of the next place; Sapientem stultitiam, Iraen. li. 1. cap. 9 What is to be 〈◊〉, if this 〈…〉 be wise who 〈…〉 at the wisefolly of these men, as Iraeneus said of the Valentinians. But I willingly 〈◊〉 that of chrysostom; To conceive of divine things by Philosophy, is another, than to take our bred-hot Iron with our fingers, and not with tongs. And, that of Augustine, Yield God able to do something, which thou art not able to understand; Socrat. l. 2. 28. Tert. l. de Praes. It is reported that Aristotle misled Aetius the Heretic, into that filthy error of Arrius; and Tertullian hath taught us, that all Heresies are suborned by Philosophy. What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem: the Academy with the Church? Away with Arguments where faith is in question, as Thomas ingenuously says out of Ambrose; But what is all this to us? It is well yet, and I do hearty congratulate it to our men, that the idle Tale of Surius concerning Melancton, and Carolostadius and other Protestants, Binius in vita Adrian. 6. abandoning of all Philosophy (wherewith yet Binius pleased himself of late) is thus hissed out of countenance, and vanished; Be like now, the reformed Doctors are Philosophers, but too much: For us, we do easily grant that many things are done, which we cannot understand; but these things we grant not, because we understand they cannot be done: Petr. Mart. dial. de Omni praes. God hath absolute power (as Thomas speaks truly) over the whole nature of the creature; but not so, as that he should cause it to be, and not to be, at once: This (as Sadeel says wittily) Deus potenter non potest: The object of God's power (as the jesuites School willingly confesses) is whatsoever implies not a contradiction in itself; Now, that the self same body should sit down, and not sit down; should be visible and invisible; divisible and continued, and yet discontinued and indivisible; To be all here, to be all elsewhere; to be here greater, there less: To be one, and many; the same, and diverse; to departed, and not to departed; to be contained in Heaven, and not to be contained; to be a quantity without space, to be measured by, and fitted to a place, and not to take up any place; To be accidents, and yet not to be inherent; To be formerly, yet to be made; To be made, and not to be made; To be otherwise in places, than in a place; To be a true body, and yet to be spiritually; That Boy were well worthy of whipping, that cannot discern and confess manifest contradictions. But what do I spend time in this thorny Discourse? This one word shall shut, and sum up all; That this wicked pair of opinions offers plain violence to the true humanity of Christ; neither can ever, Saluâ fide, be reconciled with the Evangelicall Truth. SECTION XIX. Concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass. THe Priestly Office of Christ is not a little impeached by the daily Oblation of the Missal Sacrifice, and the number of Mediators. For the first: That in this Sacred Supper there is a Sacrifice (in the sense wherein the Fathers spoke) none of us ever doubted: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. but that is then, either Latreuticall (as Bellarmine distinguishes it not ill) or Eucharistical: That is here (as chrysostom speaks) a remembrance of a Sacrifice, that is, as Augustine interprets it, a memorial of Christ's Passion, celebrated in the Church; and from this sweet commemoration of our Redemption, there arises another Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of praise; and from thence a true Peace-offering of the Christian soul; These three Sacrifices offer themselves to us here; but for any propitiatory Sacrifice, unless it be (as the Gloss interprets it) representatively, I find none, Trid. Con. Sess. 22. none Essential; none (as the Tridentines labour to persuade) true and proper; neither indeed can there be. For, what? Doth the Priest offer the same that Christ hath offered, or another? If another; than not propitiatory; for only Christ's is our Propitiation: If the same; than not an unbloody Sacrifice; for Christ's Sacrifice was a bloody one; Then, the natural Being of Christ should again be destroyed; Then, the blood of the Mediator (which I abhor to imagine) must be of a finite value and power: yea, Christ himself did not sacrifice on the Table; out on the Cross; For if the Sacrifice, which he offered in his Supper, were perfect, and fully propitiatory, what needed he to die afterward? wherefore was his blood shed upon the Cross, which by his Transubstantiated blood (not yet shed) had formerly redeemed the World? But if it be unbloudly, than it is not propitiatory: for without shedding of blood (saith the Apostle) is no remission. Or what opposition is there betwixt the order of Melchisedec, and Aaron, betwixt Christ and the Priests of the old Law; Heb. 9.11. if this Office do equally pass, and descend in a long Pedigree of mortal Successors? Or why were the legal Sacrifices of the jewish Synagogue so oft repeated, but because they were not perfect? and how can, or why should that which is most absolutey perfect, be reiterated? To conclude, what can either be spoken or conceived more plain, Heb. 9.28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Heb. 10.12. Quam oblationem tu Deus in omnibus quaesumus benedictam, ●scriptam, ratam ac rationabilem facere digneris. Munera quaesumus, Domine, oblata sanctifica, etc. Canon. Miss. than those words of God, Once Offered, One Sacrifice, One Oblation? And yet these Popish Shavelings (Devout men) take upon them to crucify, and sacrifice Christ again; and whiles they solemnly offer the Son of God up unto his Father, they humbly beseech him, (in a religious blasphemy) that he would be pleased to bless, and accept that Oblation. It is not for us, I confess, to be so devout: We will remember this holy Sacrifice of Christ (as Cassander well advices) and celebrate it with a thankful heart, we will not repeat it; we will gladly receive our Saviour, offered by himself, to his Father, and offered to us by his Father, we will not offer him to his Father: which one point whiles we stick at (as we needs must) we are strait stricken with the Thunderbolt of the Anathema of Trent: Here can be therefore no possibility of peace. SECTION XX. Of the Number of Mediators, and the Invocation of Saints. IT doth not more belong to the Priesthood of Christ, that he offered himself once for us (a spotless Sacrifice) upon the Altar of his Cross, than that he daily offers to his Father, the incense of our Prayers, on the Altar of Heaven. As therefore many Sacrifices; so many Mediators, plainly seem to put Christ out of Office. Neither indeed hath the number of Intercessors more increased in this old Age of the World, than the impiety of imploring them: For the modester judgement of the former Schools, so framed to itself a distinction of Mediation; that it challenged one kind thereof as proper only to Christ, thinking the other might be imparted unto Saints; but our late Doctors (wilfully breaking the bars both of Logic and Divinity) have rashly encroached upon all the Offices of a Mediator; and whatsoever might by any right belong to an Agent for peace; all that (if not more) have they attributed to the Saints. Hereupon one says to the blessed Virgin, O Savioresse, save me: Another, Obtain thou pardon, apply grace, prepare glory for me. Others (if we may believe Cassander) famous Divines have said, That God hath translated one half of his Kingdom, which consists of Mercy, to the blessed Virgin Marie; reserving the other half of justice, to himself: Others, that we may appeal from the Bar of God's justice, to Mary's Court of Mercy; Others have so compared their Francis with Christ, that (I tremble to speak it) whether of these was the typically jesus, might seem questionable to the Reader: Hear the holy Muse of Tursellius; FRANCIS that was, shall now be CHRIST to thee, Qui Franciscus erat, iam tibe Christus erit. And soon after; And CHRIST that was, Saint FRANCIS now shall ●e. jam Franciscus erit, qui modo Christus erat. O Tongue worthy to be cut out of that blasphemous mouth (as Hierome said of his Vigilantius) and made into gobbers! Neither hath this impious Parasite, or his Sedalius done more for their Stigmatical Francis, than the holy Archbishop Antoninus hath done for his Dominick; Hen, Steph. Apol. Herod. Fox, in Martyr. in an emulation of blasphemy: There wants nothing (that I can see) but that everlasting Gospel of the Friars: and it wanted not much (if Histories say true) of prevailing; Oh, what mad Gowns have swayed the Roman State! Martial. as their Poet said of old: Others have sacrilegiously turned Litanies, Creeds, Psalters, and whatever God meant to honour himself by, unto the name of the holy Virgin: And I would to God this were only the private mis-devotion of some superstitious old wife, or some idle and silly cloisterer: Feign would out charity conceive so; which is still credulous, and (as the Apostle commands) thinks not evil; if Cassander did not directly tell us, that they publicly sing in their very Churches this devout Anthem, O foel●x 〈◊〉 per a Nostrapians scelcra, Iu●e matris impera Redemptori. O happy Mother of that Son Which hast all our sins for done; Out of a Mother's right, we pray thee Bid our Redeemer to obey thee. If all these were not openly approved by the holy Censors of the Roman Church (severe Controulers of manners) yea, by the voices of their own Popes; If at this day (witness the Muses of Bencius, and Bonarcius) the jesuites did not both speak, and write thus: But let us leave these bold impieties (if you will) to their Bernardines, Antonines, Bartlemewes' of Pisa; Turtellines; being us forth their more sober Divines, Polydores, Cassander's, Viues: Even their opinions will not down with us, which teach that the Saints are in any wise to be prayed unto. Indeed, Lib. de Beatit. Sanct c. 15. Cass. in Cons. Ca de Inuocat. Sanct. The same is confessed by Luth. Oecol. Melanct. Brent. see Mort. Apocal. 1.2.12. s. 1. the Protestants say (as Bellarmine grants) that the Saints pray for us; but, only in a generality: Bucer said truly, that the Saints have great love to their militant brethren; great desire of their salvation; and so doubtless have the Angels: But must we therefore single out any one of those blessed Spirits to aid us, to sue for us in the Court of Heaven? God forbidden. For, upon what faith must these prayers of ours be grounded? unless perhaps (as Hosius saith) we must believe in the Saints also? yea, how sure are we, that none of the Saints can either search the heart, the fountain of our Prayers, or at once hear ten thousand of their Suppliants, distant in place from each other; yea further, if (as there should be no limits set to Religion) all the world over, devout Clients should at once jointly commend, and prostrate themselves humbly to some one Saint; It is 〈◊〉 a swiftness of nature (as Hierom contends) that would serve the turn; a true ubiquity (as Bellarmine confesses) must be required to the hearing of all those prayers: What hinders now, but that they, which of sinful men have made Saints, should of their Saints make Gods also? Besides, which of the Prophets, which of the Apostles ever commanded this? which of the Saints of the former world hath ever done it? Or what other (if credit may be given to Theodore●) did Saint Paul forbidden, under the worship of Angels to his Colossians? Or what was the Heresy of the Collyridicus, if this must go for piety? That rule of Epiphanius shall be ever a safe course for us: Epiph●her 79. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Let Mary be honoured; but the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost worshipped; Hear is no fear of danger, but that we may go safely to that God, which calls us to him; and prostrate ourselves to his Christ, our Gracious Saviour; None of the Saints can envy God this Honour: none of them ever did either arrogate it to himself, or suffer it to be given him: Neither is there any of them whom God ever allowed either to take it to himself, or to impart it to others, or to accept it quietly, being imparted to him by others: The Papists therefore may come to us, when they will, with safety and advantage; we may not yield to them, without manifest danger of Idolatrous dotage. SECT. XXI. Of the Superstitious, Heathenish, and ridiculous worship of the Papists. BUT if any good natured Reconciler shall be so indifferent, as to think these weighty points of difference not to be so heinous, Socrat. l. 1. cap. 4. but that every one might secretly maintain what opinion he list, yet so, that (as Constantine said to Alexander, and Arrius) whiles the minds differ, the outward peace may be preserved; Let him further understand; that the continual practice of the religious worship, and service of God, will ever both raise, and proclaim no less hostility, than matter of judgement. In our devotions and public exercises of Piety, and places consecrated to this use, there is nothing that can offend either the eye, or the mind of a Papist; except the bareness of our walls, and the Apostolical simplicity of Ceremonies: An easy fault; and such, as it is no praise of their ingenuity to wink at; For, long since have those clauses of our public Liturgy been purposely blotted out, which in our Grandfather's days did but lightly touch this galled fore of Popery. But contrariwise, in the Popish Churches, there is scarce any thing either said, or done, whereof we can with a clear and unwounded conscience, be either partakers or witnesses: Their very walls kill us dead; but their ridiculous or demonicall service, who can endure? We honour (as we ought) the dear and happy memory of the Saints; and chief, the Leader of that heavenly Choir, the blessed Virgin, the Mother of God; and whatsoever she can think, not to be dishonourable to herself, and her Lord, and Saviour, we will most gladly give it her to the full: Neither will we only glorify God in his Saints (as Augustine hath taught Durand to speak) but we will magnify the Saints (as opportunity serves) for their excellent graces, and worthy acts both in God and in themselves; we will admire, extol, and (what we may) imitate their singular constancy, faith, sanctity; as Sidonius said of his Claudian, No Tomb can either Soul or glory shroud. Sidon. in Epita. Claud. Mamert. But, to dig up their holy bones (that I may borrow Luther's word) out of their quiet graves, and to fall down before these wormeaten Monuments of the Saints; to expect from them a divine power, whether of cure, or of sanctification; equally to respect Francis his Cowl, 〈◊〉 Comb; josephs' Breeches, Thomases Shoe (as Erasmus complains) with the Son of God himself, can seem no better to us, than an horrible impiety: Neither can we abide, either to deify men, or to canonize beasts; It seems, that Cardinal could abide it well, in whose Garden is yet to be seen this Epitaph, which he wrote upon his too dearly-beloved Bitch; This Tomb for then (dear Bitch) I builded have, Poem. Illustr. Port. Italor. in. That worthier wert of Heaven, than a Grave. We (profane Huguenots) cannot skill of worshipping Martin's Boots; or George's Scabbard, or Crispi●s Paring knife; or (which they say is kept in a certain Town of Liguria) the Tail of that Ass, which Christ rod upon: Moor's in Scot Orig. Pap. or ROCHES Dog, or Antony's Swine; and surely, he had need of a very thick Hide, that can do this. But, in earnest, say we should yield these adorations to be lawful, and godly: What, Macurius (amongst so many woods of counterfeit trees) can show us the true Cross? or what Heleus amongst such heaps, yea, Hills of Iron, can show us the true nails? Assuredly, both these jugglers smile one upon another, while they show these Relics to their people; and now, even the silly vulgar gins (not without indignation) to descry this cozenage. To omit therefore these ridiculous tricks, and knavish conveyances of their shavelings; Cass. Consult. de Reliq. Sanct. let us in this case, appeal even to Cassander's own moderation; who (having first honestly acknowledged the ancient complaints of Basil, Ambrose, Augustine, about the business of these abuses) goes on thus. It appears (saith he) that in the latter times there hath been too much given to the Relics and Monuments of the Saints: So as even good men, and those which were zealously devout, were grown to that pass, that they placed the sum of all Religion, in gathering together the Relics of the Saints, and in garnishing them richly with Gold and Pearls, and building sumptuous Chapels and Temples to them: And again, those that were lewd and godless, put all their confidence (though vain and false) in the foolish and superfluous worship of Relics: wherefore in the Council of Cabil●n, those are reproved, who in a pretence of devotion, go on Pilgrimage to Rome, or Turon, or any other like places, as if they thought, that the frequenting of these holy Shrines, could both purge them from sin, and licence them to sin with impunity. And unto this, yet another mischief hath been added, that for covetousness sake to entice the simple people, false Relics have been devised, and feigned Miracles reported; and by those Miracles, the Superstition of the multitude was so fed, that they were rather taken up with an admiration of the Wonders, then drawn to an holy imitation of the Saints: and many times by the subtlety, and illusion of the Devil, (abusing the superstition of men) new Relics were, by Dreams and Visions, revealed to the World; and by the operation of the same Devil, Miracles seemed to be wrought, for the confirmation thereof: Thus saith Cassander, like a true Germane, shall I say? or like a true Israelite? But we, that have been better caught, dare freely, and confidently say of ourselves, Hier. ad Riparili adversely. Vigil. as Hierom professed of old, in the name of all Christians: So fare are we from adoring the Relics of Martyrs, that we worship neither Sun, nor Moon, nor Angels, nor Archangels, nor Cherubin, nor Seraphin, nor any name that is named either in the present World, or the future; lest we should serve the creature, rather than the Creator which is blessed for ever. Then, that from Relics we may descend to Images: Is it possible that we should not be ever displeased with that frantic superstition of the Romish Church? That against the Tables of God's Law, against the Institutions of the Apostles, against the practice of the ancient Church, against the manifest Decrees of Counsels, against the clear Testimonies of Fathers, in defiance of God, and men, the Churches of Christians should be no less pestered with Idols, than the Temples of the Heathen? That (as Jerome complained of old) the native beauty of the Church should be polluted with the filth of Paganism? Hier. Magno Oratori. Rom. That (which Eusebius justly taxeth of madness) there should be a visible and bodily Image or representation made of the Invisible and Spiritual God? Lib. Sacr. Cerem. That we should put our confidence in Agnis Dei, Grains, Tapers, Roses, Swords, Ensigns, Bells, ridiculously (after their manner) enchanted? That by certain Magical Exorcisms, the Devil should be driven out of those Creatures, wherein he never was? Nay: let us even enter into league with Satan himself, if we shall give either allowance, or connivance to such Diabolical practices of will-worship. I do purposely forbear to speak of that profane paradox of the sufficiency of the outward worke-done, without good inward dispositions; the idle mumbling up of Prayers; in a foreign tongue; the number and virtue of Sacraments, the Sacrilegious mutilation of the Eucharist, and a thousand other Monsters both of Opinions, and ceremonies: These that I have reckoned, are errors more than enough: And I would to God, those which we have here particularised, were not such, that there is no remedy, but that we must needs eternally fall out either with God, or with Rome. Since therefore neither Truth can ever yield, nor Obstinacy will yield; let us serve cheerfully under the colours of our Heavenly Leader, and both proclaim and maintain an unreconcilable war with these Romish Heresies. SECTION XXII. Of the Impossibility of the Means of Reconciliation. AND now, since no wise man can suspect of us, that we will ever grow to that height of madness, as to run perfidiously from the Standard of God, to the Tents of that Roman Antichrist; Is there any hope, that the Papists will ever be drawn back to the sound and pure judgement of the Primitive Antiquity? Oh, that God would vouchsafe this grace to the Christian World, that we could but comfort ourselves with the hope of so great happiness! What a sight were this, how pleasant, how worthy of God and his Angels, that (as it is said of the Novatian Faction, and the Orthodox of old) men, women, Socr. l. 2. c. 30. children of both parts, without all guile, and close harbours of discontentment, should mutually bring stones and matter to the building up of this Temple of another (yet true) Resurrection! We will gladly speak unto them, and (if need be) upon our knees in Cyprians words; Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 2. Since we may not come forth of the sound and true Church of God, and come unto you; Let us beseech and entreat you, by whatsoever should be most dear unto you, that you would return to our fraternity, and into the bosom of that Mother-Church, Theocr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. whence ye are revolted; and as he said in Theocritus, yet at last be persuaded: we are both brothers of one blood; why will you needs fight more against yourselves, than your brethren? But alas, sooner may God create a new Rome, than reform the old: Yea needs must that Church put off itself, and cease to be what it is, ere it can begin to be once again what it was: for (as the Comic Poet said in the like) both substance, credit, Plau. Mostellar. Simulenim res, fides, fama, virtus, decusque deseruerunt; atque ipsa in usu. Facta est nimio nequior, nec vidcor mihi, etc. fame, virtue, honour, have at once forsaken her; and by long dis-use have left her worse than nought; neither do I see how these houses can be repaired, but they must be pulled down to the very foundations, and then built from the ground. But if there be any likelihood of remedy, yet to be hoped for; surely, it must needs come either from herself, or from others. Can it be first from herself; which obstinately defends her errors, not only with tongue and pen, but with fire and sword too? which will not yield so much as that she can err? which refused to amend those notorious abuses, which by the moderate verdict of her Elect Cardinals, were condemned? and lastly, which by the palpable flatteries of her last and worst Parasites the jesuites, is grown not secure only, but prouder than ever she was? Can it be then from others? How oft hath this been endeavoured in vain? Rome may be sacked and battered (as it hath often been) by military forces; but purged by admonitions, convictions, Socr. l. 5. c. 10. censures, it will never be. I remember on this occasion, what Sininnius the Lector advised Bishop Nectarius in the like case; That he had ever found disputations so fare from reconciling of Schisms, that they are still wont to inflame the minds of heretics to suffer contention; What then? Can it be from herself and others? Alas, Potericatue vero pacem esse pati pacis dissolutores. how should it? unless either others had power, or herself had will to be redressed. Synod. Arimi●ens. For certainly if there be any one spark of good hope yet alive, it must be in the aid and determination of a general council; and such a Synod is no less impossible, Ad constan. Theod. l. 2. c. 19 than reconciliation itself. For who shall call it? who shall sit Precedent in it? who shall be present, and give their voices? What shall be the rule of the decisions? what the order of execution? Let them bring forth (if they will) the sister, or the daughter of that their Tridentine assembly, who can hold from smiles and scorn? Forsooth they would deal with us (as Luther wittily jested of the summoning of this Council by Paul the third) much like unto them that mock an hungry dog with a crust and a knife; who in stead of giving him the bread, let him feel the haft: well may we resolve with Nazianzen, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. In Praefat. Concil. Binij. to avoid all such meetings of Bishops, for that no such Synod ever did good; but tended rather to the decay than advantage of the Church: I remember Isidore derives the Latin word Concilium, à cilijs oculorum; for that all direct the sight of their minds into one centre. There can therefore be no Council held by those which profess a general and public disagreement of judgement: In vain should we endeavour any such course, unless every one of them would resolve to think of peace at home, and would persuade his heart, laying aside all prejudice, and wilful respects of faction, Optat. Mileu. l. 7. Decr. 2. q. multi. ingenuously to submit himself to the truth when it once appears, and more to regard their souls, than their estates: For can we think it equal (as things now stand) that the same parties should be allowed, witnesses, plaintiffs, defendants, judges in their own cause? Or shall we perhaps hope, that those privileges which have hitherto been treacherously and tyrannically usurped by Papists, will now, upon better advisement, be ingenuously given up by them, and renounced? or that they will, now at last, thunder and lighten Anathemaes against their own heads? Some fools may hope for this, which are unacquainted with that old verse so common in the mouth and pen of Lipsius, Moribus antiquis Res stat Romana, virisque. But for us (unless He that doth wonders alone, by his stretched out arm from heaven, should mightily beyond all hope, effect this) we know too well that it cannot be done; Only this one thing (which God hath promised) we do verily expect; to see the day, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. when the LORD JESUS shall with the breath of his mouth destroy this lawlesse-man, long since revealed to his Church; and by the brightness of his glorious coming, fully discover, and dispatch him. Not only in the means, and way, but in the end also, Hier. in Mat. 24. Theocr. e●diss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. is Rome opposite to heaven: The heaven shall pass away, by a change of quality, not an utter destruction of substance; Rome, by destruction, not by change: Of us therefore and them shall that old Bucolicke Verse be verified; Out of each others breast their swords they drew: Nor would they rest, till one the other slew. Glory to God, Victory to the Truth, War with Heresy, Peace to the Church. AMEN. FINIS. Quo vadis? A JUST CENSURE OF TRAVEL, AS IT IS COMMONLY Undertaken by the Gentlemen of our NATION. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, EDWARD Lord DENNY, Baron of Waltham. RIght Honourable: IF ever any men had reason to be in love with the face of a foreign entertainment, those are they, which were admitted to the attendance of the truly Generous and Honourable, Lord HAY, your most noble Son, in his late Embassage to France; in which number my unworthiness was allowed to make one; who can therefore well witness, that no man could either receive more honour from a strange Country, or do more honour to his own. What wanted there that might make men confess themselves more welcome than strangers? Neither doubt I, but that after many ages, France itself will wonder at the bountiful expressions of her own favours. But whiles others were enjoying the noble courtesies of the time, my thoughts entertained themselves with searching into the proof of that ordinary Travel, wherewith I saw men commonly affected; which I must needs confess, the more I saw, the less I liked. Neither is it in the power of any foreign munificence, to make me think ours any where so well as at home. Earthly commodities are no part of my thought: I looked (as I ought) at the soul; which I well saw, uses not only to gather no moss in this rolling, but suffers the best graces it hath to moulder away insensibly in such unnecessary agitation. I have now been twice abroad: both times (as thinking myself worthy of nothing but neglect) I bent my eyes upon others, to see what they did, what they got: my inquiry found our spiritual loss so palpable, that now at last my heart could not choose but break forth at my hand, and tell my Countrymen of the dangerous issue of their curiosity. I meddle not with the common journeys to the mineral waters of the Spa; to which many sick souls are beholden for a good excuse: who whiles they pretend the medicinal use of that spring, can freely quaff of the puddle of popish superstition; poisoning the better part, in stead of helping the worse. These I leave to the best Physician, Authority; which, if it may please to undertake the cure, may perhaps save as many English souls from infection, as that water cures bodies of diseases. I deal only with those, that profess to seek the glory of a perfect breeding, and the perfection of that, which we call Civility, in Travel: of which sort I have (not without indignation) seen too many lose their hopes and themselves in the way; returning as empty of grace, and other virtues, as full of words, vanity, mis-dispositions. I dedicate this poor discourse to your Lo: as (besides my daily renewed obligations) congratulating to you the sweet liberty and happy use of your home; who like a fixed star may well overlook these planets, and by your constant settledness, give that aim to inferior eyes, which shall be in vain expected from a wand'ring light. The God of heaven, to whose glory I have intended this weak labour, give it favour in the sight of his Church, and return it back, but with this good news, that any one of the sons of japhet is hereby persuaded to dwell ever in the tents of Sem. Unto that divine protection, I humbly betake your Lo: justly vowing myself Your Lo: humbly devoted in all faithful and Christian observance, IOS: HALL.. QVO VADIS? SECT. I. IT is an overrigorous construction of the works of God, that in moting our ISLAND with the Ocean he meant to shut us up from other Regions; For God himself that made the Sea, was the Author of Navigation, and hath therein taught us to set up a wooden bridge, that may reach to the very Antipodes themselves: This were to seek discontentment in the bounty of God, who hath placed us apart, for the singularity of our happiness, not for restraint. There are two occasions wherein Travel may pass, Matter of traffic, and Matter of State. Some commodities God hath confined to some Countries, upon others he hath with a full hand poured those benefits, which he hath but sprinkled upon some. His wise providence hath made one Country the Granary, another the Cellar, another the Orchard, another the Arsenal of their neighbours, yea of the remotest parts. The earth is the Lords, which he meant not to keep in his hands, but to give; and he which hath given no man his faculties and graces for himself, nor put light into the Sun, Moon, Stars for their own use, hath stored no parcel of earth with a purpose of private reservation. Solomon would never have sent his Navy for Apes and Peacocks, but yet held gold and timber for the building of God's house, and his own, worthy of a whole three years voyage: The Sea and Earth are the great Coffers of God; the discoveries of Navigation are the keys, which whosoever hath received, may know that he is freely allowed to unlock these chests of Nature without any need to pick the wards. Wise salomon's comparison is reciprocal: A ship of Merchants that fetches her wares from fare is the good Huswife of the Commonwealth; and if she were so in those blind Voyages of antiquity, which never saw Needle nor Card, how much more thrifty must she needs be in so many helps both of Nature and Art? Either Indies may be searched for those treasures, which God hath laid up in them for their farre-distant owners; Only let our Merchants take heed, lest they go so far, that they leave God behind them; that whiles thy buy all other things good cheap, they make not an ill match for their souls, lest they end their prosperous adventures in the shipwreck of a good conscience. SECT. II. AND for matter of policy, nothing can be more plain than that our correspondence with other Nations cannot possibly be held up, without intelligence of their estate, of their proceed; The neglect whereof were no other than to prostrate ourselves to the mercy of an hollow friendship, and to stand still, and willingly lie open whiles we are played upon by the wit of untrusty neighbourhood. These eyes and ears of State are necessary to the well-being of the head; In which number I do not include those private Interlopers intelligence, that lie abroad only to feed some vain Cameleons at home with the air of News, for no other purpose save idle discourse; but only those profitable Agents, whose industry either fitteth them abroad for public employment, or employeth them after due maturity, in the fit services of the Commonwealth: neither my censure nor my direction reaches to either of these occasions. It is the Travel of curiosity wherewith my quarrel shall be maintained; the inconveniences whereof my own Senses have so sufficiently witnessed, that if the wise Parents of our Gentry could have borrowed mine eyes for the time, they would ever learn to keep their sons at home, and not wilfully beat themselves with the staff of their age: upon them let my pen turn a little, as those that are more than accessaries to this both private and public mischief. SECT. III. IT is the affectation of too early ripeness that makes them prodigal of their children's safety and hopes; for, that they may be wise betimes, they send them forth to the world in the minority both of age and judgement, like as fond mothers use to send forth their daughters on frosting, early in cold mornings (though into the midst of a vaporous and foggy air) and whiles they strive for a colour, lose their health. If they were not blinded with overweening and desire, they could not but see that their unsettledness carries in it a manifest peril of miscarriage; grant that no danger were threatened by the place, experience gives us, that a weak limbde child, if he be suffered to use his legs too soon, too much, Iames himself for ever; but if he walk in uneven ground, he is no less subject to maims, than crookedness. Do they not see how easily a young twig is bowed any way? Do they not see that the Midwife and Nurse are wont to frame the gristly head of the Infant to any fashion? May not any thing be written upon a blank? And if they make choice of this age, because it is most docible, and for that they would take the day before them, why do they not consider, that it is therefore more docible of evil, since wickedness is both more insinuative and more plausible than virtue, especially when it meets with an untutored judge; and seeing there is so much inequality of the number of both, that it is not more hard to find virtue, than to miss vice: Hear this then, ye careless Ostriches, that leave your eggs in the open sand for the Sun to hatch, without the fear of any hoof that may crush them in pieces, have your stomaches resolved to digest the hard news of the ruin of your children? Do ye profess enmity to your own loins? then turn them (as you do) lose to these dangers, ere they can resist, ere they can discern; but if ye had rather they should live and grow, bestow upon them the kindly heat of your best plumes, and shelter them with your own breast and wings, till nature have opened a seasonable way to their own abilities. SECT. FOUR YEA, let it be my just complaint in this place, that in the very transplantation of our Sons to the safer soil of our own Universities, and Inns of Court, nothing is more prejudicial than speed. Perfection is the child of Time; neither was there ever any thing excellent, that required not meet leisure: but beside, how commonly it is seen, that those which had wont to swim only with bladders, sink when they come first to trust to their own arms? These Lapwings that go from under the wing of their dam with the shell on their heads, run wild. If Tutors be never so careful of their early charge, much must be left to their own disposition; which if it lead them not to good, not only the hopes of their youth, but the proof of their age lies bleeding. It is true, that as the French Lawyers say merrily of the Normans, which by a special privilege are reputed of full age at 21. years, whereas the other French stay for their five and twentieth, that Malitia supplet atatem; so may I say of the younglings of our time, that Precocitie of understanding supplieth age & statute: but as it is commonly seen, that those blossoms which overrun the spring, and will be looking forth upon a February-Sunne, are nipped soon after with an April frost when they should come to the knitting: so is it no less ordinary that these rathe-ripe wits prevent their own perfection, and after a vain wonder of their haste, end either in shame, or obscurity. And as it thus falls out even in our Universities (the most absolute & famous Seminaries of the world) where the Tutor's eye supplies the Parents; so must it needs much more, in those free and honourable Inns (as they are called, for their liberty, Colleges for their use) of our English Gentry, wherein each one is his own master in respect of his private study and government. Where there are many pots boiling, there cannot but be much scum, the concourse of a populous city affords many brokers of villainy, which live upon the spoils of young hopes, whose very acquaintance is destruction. How can these novices, that are turned lose into the main, ere they know either coast, or compass, avoid these rocks and shelves, upon which both their estates and souls are miserably wracked? How commonly do they learn to roar in stead of pleading, and in stead of knowing the laws, learn how to contemn them? We see and rue this mischief, and yet I know not how careless we are in preventing it. How much more desperate must it then needs be to send forth our children into those places which are professedly infectious, whose very goodness is either impiety, or superstition? If we desired to have sons poisoned, with misbelief, what could we do otherwise? Or what else do those Parents, which have bequeathed their children to Antichristianisme? Our late journey into France informed me of some ordinary factors of Rome, whose trade is the transporting and placing of our popish novices beyond the seas; one whereof (whose name I noted) hath been observed to carry over six several charges in one year. Are we so foolish to go their way, whiles we intent a contrary period? Do we send our sons to learn to be chaste in the midst of Sodom? The world is wide and open, but our ordinary travel is southward, into the jaws of danger: for so far hath Satan's policy prevailed, that those parts which are only thought worth our viewing, are most contagious; and will not part with either pleasure, or information, without some tang of wickedness. What can we plead for our confidence, but that there is an boushold of righteous Lot in the midst of that impure City; that there are houses in this jericho, which have scarlet threads shining in their windows, that in the most corrupted air of Popery, some well reformed Christians draw their breath, and sweeten it with their respiration? Blessed be God, that hath reared up the towers of his Zion in the midst of Babylon. We must acknowledge, not without much gratulation to the Gospel of Christ, that in the very hottest climates of opposition, it finds many clients, but more friends; and in those places, where authority hath pleased to give more air to the truth, world have had many more, if the Reformed part had happily continued that correspondence in some circumstances with the Roman Church, which the Church of England bath hitherto maintained. God is my record how free my heart is both from partiality and prejudice. Mine eyes and ears can witness with what approof and applause diverse of the Catholics Royal (as they are termed) entertained the new-translated Liturgy of our Church, as marvelling to see such order and regular devotion in them, whom they were taught to condemn for heretical▪ Whose allowances I well saw, might with a little help, have been raised higher, from the practice of our Church, to some points of our judgement. But if true religion were in those parts yet better attended, and our young Traveller could find more abetters, and examples, of piety, on whom we might rely, yet how safe can it be to trust young eyes with the view and censure of truth or falsehood in religion? especially when truth brings nothing to this bar, but extreme simplicity; and contrarily, falsehood, a gaudy magnificence, and proud majesty of pompous ceremonies, wherewith the hearts of children and foolts are easily taken. That Courtesan of Rome (according to the manner of that profession) sets out herself to sale in the most tempting fashion; here want no colours, no perfumes, no wanton dresses; whereas the poor Spouse of Christ can only say of herself I am black, but comely. When on the one side they shall see such rich shrines, garish Altars, stately Processions, when they shall see a Pope adored of Emperors, Cardinals preferred to Kings, Confessors made Saints, little children made Angels, in a word nothing not outwardly glorious: on the other side, a service without welt or guard, whose majesty is all in the heart, none in the face, how easily may they incline to the conceit of that Parisian dame, who seeing the procession of S. Genoveisue go by the streets, could say, (O que belle, etc.) How fine a religion is ours in comparison of the Hugenoes'? Whereto must be added, that (supposing they do not carry with them, but rather go to fetch the language of the place) some long time needs be spent, ere they can receive any help to their devotion; whiles in the mean season, their unthriving intermission is assailed with a thousand suggestions: And who sees not that this lucrumcessans (as the Civilians term it) offers an open advantage to a busy adversary? SECT. VI IN a word, it hath been the old praise of early rising, that it makes a man healthful, holy, and rich; whereof the first respects the body, the second the soul, the third the estate: all falls out contrary in an early travel. For health: The wise providence of God hath so contrived his earth, and us, that he hath fitted our bodies to our clime, and the native sustenance of the place unto our bodies. The apparent difference of diet (and of drinks especially) falling into so tender age, must needs cause a fare in the constitution; which cannot in all likelihood, but send forth distemper into the whole course of the ensuing life. The stream runs like the fountain, and speeds well, if at last, by many changes of soil it can leave an ill quality behind it: besides that the mis-governance of diet, whereto their liberty lays them open in the weakness of their pupillage, cannot but be extremely prejudicial. In this point let experience be consulted with; her unpartial sentence shall easily tell us, how few young Travellers have brought home, sound and strong, and (in a word) English bodies. As for holiness, we lose our labour, if this discourse prove not that it hath none so great enemy as timely travel; at once do we hazard to abandon God and our home: set an empty pitcher to the fire, it cracks presently, whereas the full will abide boiling. It was the younger son in the Gospel, who therefore turns unthrift, because he got his portion too soon into his hands, and wandered into a fare country. The eye of the Parent, and the ferule of the master, is ●ll too little to bring our sons to good. Where then there is neither restraint of evil, nor helps to grace, how should their condition be other than hopeless? The soil doth much in many plants: the Persian Hyoscyamus if it be translated to Egypt, proves deadly; if to jerusalem, safe and wholesome: neither is it otherwise with some dispositions, which may justly curse the place, as accessory to their undoing. Lastly, for riches, not of the purse, (which is not here thought of) but of the mind, what can be expected from that age, which is not capable of observation, careless of reposition? whereof the one gets, the other keeps the treasure of our understanding. What is this age fit to look after but Butterflies? or bird's nests, or perhaps the gay coat of a Courtier? And if remarkable considerations be put into it by others, they are as some lose pearls, which for want of filing upon a string, shake out of our pockets; so as all the wealth of a young Traveller is only in his tongue, wherein he exceeds his mother's Parrot at home, both for that he can speak more, and knows that he speaketh. SECT. VII. AND in truth, it is not only in Travel, wherein we may justly complain of the inconueniency of haste, but (that we may look a little aside) in all the important businesses of our life, especially in marriages and professions: The ordinary haste in the one (before the face can descry the sex) fills the world full of beggary and impotence; and no less haste in the other, fills it as full of ignorance and imperfection. For on the one side, where the vigour of nature wants, what can be propagated but infirmity? or how can he skill to live that wants experience? On the other, what plenty of water can there be, where the lead of the cistern is put all into the pipes? where those that should be gathering knowledge for themselves, spend it (like unthrifty heirs) upon others, as fast as they get it. I am deceived, if I have not touched one of the main grounds of that universal decay of Arts and Men, wherewith the world is commonly checked: They must be mightier and wiser, that know how to redress it. SECT. VIII. BUT let us give our Traveller (that which parents seldom care to give) maturity of age; let him be as ripe as time can make him; what is the best advantage which his absence can promise us? Let us lay the benefits of Travel in the one scale, the inconveniences in the other; whethersoever over-weighs, shall sway down the beam of our judgement. The private contentment of a man's own heart in the view of foreign things, is but a better name of an humorous curiosity. If a man yield to run after his appetite and his eye, he shall never know where to rest; and after many idle excursions, shall lie down, weary, but unsatisfied. For, give me a man that hath seen judasses' Lantern at S. Dennises, the Ephesian Diana in the Lovure, the great vessel at Heydelberg, the Amphitheatre at Nismes, the ruins and halfe-lettred monuments of the seven hills, and a thousand such rarities; what peace hath his heart, above those that sit at home, and contemn these toys? And what if that man's fancy shall call him to the stables of the great , or to the solemnities of Mecha, or to the Library of the Mountain of the Moon, will he be so far the drudge or Lackey of his own imagination, as to undertake this pilgrimage? Or where will he stay at last, upon his return? If he have smelled the ill scented cities of France, or have seen fair Florence, rich Venice, proud Geneva, Luca the industrious: if then his thoughts shall tempt him to see the rich Gluttons house in jerusalem, or invite him to Asmere, or Bengala, must he go? And if be can deny and chide his own unprofitable desires, at the last, why began he no sooner? That could not be forborn too early, which at last we repent to have done: he therefore that travels only to please his fantasy, is like some woman with child, that longs for that piece which she sees upon another's trencher, and 'swounds if she miss it; or some Squire of Dames that dotes upon every beauty, and is every day lovesick anew: These humours are fit for controlment than observation. SECT. IX. IT is an higher faculty that Travel professeth to advance, the supreme power of our understanding, which if from hence it may be manifestly improved, he should not be worthy to tread upon the earth that would not emulate Drake and Candish, in compassing it: but set aside the study of civil Law, (which indeed finds better helps abroad) all Sciences (the word may seem proud, but it is true) may be more both fitly wooed, & more surely won, within our four seas: for what learning is that, which the seas, or Alps, or Pyrenees have engrossed from us? what profession either liberal, or manuary, wherein the greatest masters have not been at least equalled by our homebred Islanders? What hath this or the former age known, more eminent for learning, than some of ours, which have never trod on any but their own earth? And (as good market-men by one handful judge of all the whole sack) why may we not find cause to think so of the rest, if they would not be wanting to themselves? I am sure the Universities of our Island know no matches in all the world; unto whose perfection (that as they exceed others, so they may no less exceed themselves) nothing wanteth, but severe execution of the wise and careful laws of our Ancestors, and restraint of that liberty, which is the common disease of the time. And why should not the child thrive as well with the mother's milk, as with a strangers? Whether it be the envy, or the pusillanimity of us English, we are still ready to undervalue our own, and admire foreigners; whiles other Nations have applauded no professors more than those which they have borrowed from us; neither have we been so unwise, as to lend forth our best: our neighbours (which should be our corrivals in this praise) shall be our judges; if those few of our Writers, which could be drawn forth into the public light, have not set copies to the rest of the world, not without just admiration. And how many stars have we of no less magnitude, that will not be seen? Blessed be God (who hath made this Word as true, as it is great) no Nation under heaven so aboundeth with all variety of learning, as this Island. From the head of God's anointed doth this sweet perfume distil to the utmost skirts of this our region. Knowledge did never fit crowned in the Throne of Majesty, and wanted either respect, or attendance. The double praise which was of old given to two great Nations, That Italy could not be put down for arms, nor Greece for learning, is happily met in one Island. Those therefore that cross the Seas to fill their brain, do but travel Northward for heat, and seek that candle which they carry in their hand. SECT. X. YEA so fare is our ordinary Travel from perfecting the intellective powers of our Gentry, that it rather robs them of the very desire of perfection. For what discouragements shall they find from the love of studies, in those parts which are most sought to for civility? Who knows not that they are grown to that height of debauchment, as to hold learning a shame to Nobility; esteeming it as a fit guard for the long robe only, too base for their Tissues? An opinion so savouring of proud ignorance, and ignorant looseness; that I cannot honour it with a confutation. Who would think that the reasonable soul of men not professedly barbarous, should be capable of such a monster? What is learning, but reason improved? And can reason so fare degenerate, as to hate and contemn itself? Were these men made only for a sword, or a dog, or an horse? Only for sport or execution? I know not wherein Lewis the Eleventh shown himself unwitty, but in the charge which he gave to his Son, to learn no more Latin, but, Qui nescit dissimulare, nescit vivere: and would this alone teach him to rule well? Doth the Art of Arts (such is the government of men) require no grounds but dissimulation, or ignorance? Even to the feeding of hogs, or sheep, there is more or better skill necessary. How unlike is this to a successor of Charles the great, whose word it had wont to be, that he had rather abound in knowledge, than wealth? In the Court of our King Henry the Eighth, a certain great Peer (of this diet) could say, it was enough for Nobleman's sons to wind their horn, and carry their Hawk fair; that study was for the children of a meaner rank: To whom Pace justly replied, that then Noblemen must be content that their children may wind their horns, and carry their Hawks, while meaner men's sons do wield the affairs of State. Certainly, it is a blind and lame government that lacks learning; whose subjects, what are they else, but as limbs of a body whose head wanteth senses, which must needs therefore fail of either motion, or safety? From hence it is, that so few of the foreign Nobles are studious, in comparison of ours; (in which regard I am not ashamed to recant that which myun-experience hath (out of hearsay) written in praise of the French education) and those few that have stolen the turning over of books, hide their skill, lest they should be made to blush at their virtue. What brave Trophies and rich monuments hath the pen of our gracious Sovereign raised of himself unto all posterities? When ignorance and malice have shot their bolt, the glory of his great wisdom, and knowledge, shall more fill the mouths and affect the hearts of all succeeding ages, Edicto del Rey Don Phelippe a Espana contra e Tractado della Monarchia de Sicilia enxerido por Cesar Baronio Cardinal on el Tomo undecimo de sus Annals E●clesiasticos. than of his greatness. Paul the fift, and his greatest Chaplains, Bellarmine and Perron, have felt the weight of his hand; whereas the great King that styles himself Catholic, when he comes to pass his censorious edict upon Cardinal Baronius (who in the eleventh Tome of his History seemed too busy in fastening the Title of the Kingdom of Sicily upon the Pope) professeth to ground his intelligence of this wrong only upon others eyes; as if a book (though of a Cardinal) were too mean an object for the view of Majesty. And as all subordinate greatness flows from the head, so do commonly also the dispositions; Neither have the Doctors of the Romish Church (upon whom the implicit faith of the Laity is suspended) found it any ill policy, to cherish this dislike of bookishness in the great: for whiles the candle is out, it is safe for them to play their tricks in the dark: and if the Assyrians be once blinded, how easily may they be lead into the midst of any Samaria? If the light of knowledge might freely shine to the world, Popery would soon be ashamed of itself, and vanish amongst the works of darkness. Now how well these examples, and this conversation, shall whet the appetite unto good studies, it cannot be hard to judge. SECT. XI. BUT perhaps it is not the learning of the School, but of the State, wherein our Traveller hopes for perfection: The site and form of Cities, the fashion of government, the manners of people, the raising and rate of foreign revenues, the deportment of Courts, the menaging both of war and peace, is that wherein his own eye shall be his best intelligencer; the knowledge whereof shall well requite his labour, whether for discourse or for use. What if I say, that (save the soothing up of our fancy in all this) these lessons may be as well taken out at home? I have known some that have traveled no further than their own closet, which could both teach and correct the greatest Traveller, after all his tedious and costly pererrations: what do we but lose the benefit of so many journals, maps, historical descriptions, relations, if we cannot with these helps, travel by our own fireside? He that travels into foreign Countries, talks perhaps with a Peasant, or a Pilgrim, or a Citizen, or a Courtier; and must needs take such information as partial rumour, or weak conjecture can give him; but he that travels into learned and credible Authors, talks with them who have spent themselves in bolting out the truth of all passages; and who having made their labours public, would have been like to hear of it, if they had misreported. The ordinary Traveller propounds some prime Cities to himself, and thither he walks right forward; if he meet with aught that is memorable in the way, he takes it up; but how many thousand matters of note fall beside him, on either hand; of the knowledge whereof he is not guilty: Whereas some grave and painful Author hath collected into one view, whatsoever his Country affords worthy of mark; having measured many a foul step for that, which we may see dryshod; and worn out many years in the search of that, which one hour shall make no less ours, than it was his own. To which must be added, that our unperfect acquaintance may not hope to find so perfect information on the sudden, as a natural inhabitant may get, by the disquisition of his whole life. Let an Italian or French passenger walk thorough this our Island, what can his Table-books carry home, in comparison of the learned Britain of our Camden, or the accurate Tables of Speed? Or if one of ours should (as too many do) pass the Alps, what pittances can his wild journey observe, in comparison of the itinerary of Fr. Schottus, and Capugnanus? Or he that would discourse of the Royalties of the French Lilies, how can he be so furnished by flying report, as by the elaborate gatherings of Cassaneus or of Degrassalius? What should I be infinite? This age is so full of light, that there is no one country of the habitable world, whose beams are not crossed and interchanged with other; Knowledge of all affairs, is like music in the streets, whereof those may partake, which pay nothing. We do not lie more open to one common sin, than to the eyes and pens of our neighbours; Even China itself, and japonia, and those other remotest Isles, and Continents (which have taken the strictest order for closeness) have received such discoveries, as would rather satisfy a Reader, than provoke him to amend them. A good book is at once the best companion, and guide, and way, and end of our journey. Necessity driven our forefathers out of doors, which else in those misty times had seen no light: we may with more ease, and no less profit, sit still, and inherit, and enjoy the labours of them, and our elder brethren, who have purchased our knowledge with much hazard, time, toil, expense, and have been liberal of their blood (some of them) to leave us rich. SECT. XII. AS for that verbal discourse, wherein I see some place the felicity of their Travel (thinking it the only grace, to tell wonders to a ring of admiring ignorants) it is easy to answer; that tabletalk is the least care of a wise man; who like a deep stream desires rather to run silent; and as himself is seldom transported with wonder, so doth he not affect it in others; reducing all to use, rather than admiration, and more desiring to benefit, than astonish the hearer; withal, that the same means which enable us to know, do at once furnish us with matter of discourse, and for the form of our expression, if it proceed not from that natural dexterity which we carry with us, in vain shall we hope to bring it home; the change of language is rather an hindrance to our former readiness; and if some have fetched new noses, and lips, and ears from Italy (by the help of Tagliacotius, and his scholars) never any brought a new tongue from thence. To conclude, if a man would give himself leave to be thus vain and free, like a mill without a scluse, let him but travel thorough the world of books, and he shall easily be able to out-talk that tongue, whose feet have walked the furthest; what hath any eye seen, or imagination devised, which the pen hath not dared to write? Out of our books we can tell the stories of the Monocelli, who lying upon their backs, shelter themselves from the Sun with the shadow of their one only foot. We can tell of those cheape-dieted men, that live about the head of Ganges, without meat, without mouths, feeding only upon air at their nostrils: Or of those headless Eastern people, that have their eyes in their breasts (a misconceit arising from their fashion of attire, which I have sometimes seen): Or of those Coromandae, of whom Pliny speaks, that cover their whole body with their ears: Or of the persecutors of S. Thomas of Canterbury, whose posterity (if we believe the confident writings of Degrassalius) are borne with long and hairy tails, souping after them; which (I imagine) gave occasion to that proverbial jest, wherewith our mirth uses to upbraid the Kentish: Or of Amazons, or Pigmees, or Satyrs, or the Samarcandean Lamb, which growing out of the earth by the navel, grazeth so fare as that natural tether will reach: Or of the Bird Ruc, or ten thousand such miracles whether of nature, or event. Little need we to stir our feet to learn to tell either loud lies, or large truths. We have heard a bird in a cage sing more change of notes, than others have done in the wild liberty of the wood. And as for the present occurrences of the time, the world about us is so full of Presses, that it may, and is grown so good a fellow, that it will impart what it knows to all the neighbours: whose relations, if sometimes they swerve from truth, we may well consider, what variety of report every accident will yield; and that therefore our ears abroad are no whit more credible, than our eyes at home. Yea rather, as Tully could say, that at Antium he could hear the news of Rome, better than at Rome, so may we ofttimes better hear and see the news of France, or Spain, upon our Exchange, than in their Paris, or Madrill: Since (what liberty soever tongues may take to themselves) a discreet man will be ashamed to subscribe his name to that, whereof he may be afterwards convinced. SECT. XIII. SINCE therefore Travel cannot outbid us in these highest commodities, which concern the wealth of the mind; all the advantage it can afford us, must be in those mixed abilities, wherein our bodies are the greatest partners, as dancing, fencing, music, vaulting, horsemanship; the only professions of the misnamed Academies of other Nations. Who can deny that such like exercises are fit for young Gentlemen, not only for their present recreation, but much more for the preparing of them to more serious action? Yet must these learn to know their places: what are they else but the varnish of that picture of Gentry, whose substance consists in the lines and colours of true virtue? but the lace or facing of a rich garment? but the hangs-by of that royal court which the soul keeps in a generous heart? He that holds Gentility accomplished with these (though laudable) qualities, partakes more of his horse, than his horse can possibly of him. This skill than is worthy of our purchase, yet may not be bought too dear and perhaps need not to be fetched so far. Neither my profession, nor my experience will allow me to hold comparisons in this kind; but I have been heartened by no mean masters of these Arts, to say that our Nation have yielded some in all these faculties, which need not stoop unto the proudest fortainer: ours have no fault but one, that they are our own; and what hath their Country offended, if their Art offend not? It is an humorous giddiness to measure the goodness of any thing by the distance of miles, and where there is equality of worth, to neglect the nearest. I flander our Nation if it be not sick of this disease, in the course of all Sciences. And if nearness and presence be the cause of our dislike, why do we not hate ourselves, which are ever in our own bosom? Why lo we not hate this fastidious curiosity, which is too close to us? Perhaps perfection in these qualities is thinner swoon amongst us, than some otherwhere; so as our Island for want of work, and encouragement, affords no such multitude of masters: but how can we complain of rareness, since if our age yield us but one excellent in each kind, it is more than we are willing to use; and if the fault were not in ourselves, one candle might light a thousand. To instance in the best: The Horse is a noble creature, which as it is the strength and pride of France, so wins the hearts and heels of that Nation. The generality of their skill is nothing to a stranger; each private man's cunning rests in himself; it is only the Teacher, whose ability may concern us. And whereas there is a double kind of menage (as I have heard) one for service, the other for pleasure; in the first, our Masters think they cannot yield unto the best; in the latter, if they grant themselves exceeded, how many men have taught their dog the same tricks, with no less contentment? In both, we have the written directions of their greatest Artists; who (for the perpetuity of their own honour) failed not to say their best. And if these dead Masters suffice not, we have had, we may have the best of their living: The conscience of a man's excellency will abide no limits, but spurs him forth to win admiration abroad; and if therewithal he can find advancement of profit, how willingly doth he change his home? We have had experience of this in higher professions, much more of these under foot. One obscure town of Holland in our memory, had by this means drawn together at once the greatest lights of Europe, and made itself then no less renowned for Professors, than it is now infamous for Schism. Fear of envy forbids me to name those amongst us, which have honoured this Island in the choice of their abode. Where Art is encouraged, it will soon rise high, and go fare, and not suffer a channel of the Sea to stay it from the presence of a more bountiful patronage. SECT. XIV. BUT let us grant these faculties so fixed upon any Nation, that all our water must necessarily be fetched at their Well; and add unto these a few waste compliments, and mimical courtesies, which must needs be put into the match of our ordinary travel: and now let us set down, and see what we paid for this stock, & count our win: What must our complete Traveller stake down for this goodly furniture of his Gentry? If not loss, danger; danger of the best part, if not all: a double danger; of corruption; of religion, and depravation of manners; both capital: And can we think these endowments so precious, that they should be worth fetching upon such an hazard? Will any man (not desperate) run into an infected house, to rifle for a rich suit? Will any man put his finger into a fiery crucible, to pull out gold? It is wittily taken of chrysostom, when our Saviour said, Ne exeatis in eremum; that he says not, Go forth into the desert and see, but believe not; but gives an absolute prohibition of going forth at all, that they might be out of the danger of misbelief. Tush, idle and melancholic fears, say some of our Gallants; wherefore serves discretion, but to sever good from ill? How easily may a wise man pull a Rose, and not prick his hand? How freely may he dip in this stream, and not be drowned? Little do these peremptory resoluers know, either the insinuative power of evil, or the treachery of their own heart in receiving it, or the importunity of deceivers in obtruding it. They are the worse for their travel, and perceive it not. An egg covered with salt, as our Philosophers teach us, hath the meat of it consumed, whiles the shell is whole: many a one receives poison, and knows not when he took it. No man proves extremely evil on the sudden. Through many insensible declinations do we fall from virtue; and at the first are so gently seized by vice, that we cannot believe our accusers. It is mischief enough, if they can be drawn to a less dislike of ill; which now by long acquaintance is grown so familiar to their eyes, that they cannot think it so loathsome, as at the first view. The society of wilful Idolaters will now down with them, not without case; and good meanings begin to be allowed for the cloaks of gross superstition. From thence they grow to a favourable construction of the mis-opinions of the adverse part, and can complain of the wrongful aggravations of some contentious spirits: and from thence (yet lower) to an indifferent conceit of some more politic positions, and practices of the Romanists. Neither is there their rest. Hereupon ensues an allowance of some of their doctrines, that are more plausible, and less important, and withal a censure of us that are gone too far from Rome. Now the marriage of Ecclesiastical persons gins to mislike them: the daily and frequent consignation with the cross is not to no purpose: The retired life of the religious (abandoning the world forsooth) savours of much mortification; and Confession gives no small ease and contentment to the soul. And now by degrees, Popery gins to be no ill religion: If there cannot be a false fire of mis-devotion kindled in them, it is enough, if they can be cooled in their love of truth; which how commonly it falls out amongst us, I had rather experience should speak, than myself. Some there are that by a spiritual Antiperistasis have grown hotter in their zeal, by being encompassed with the outward cold of irreligion, and error, who as they own not this grace to themselves, so are they more for wonder than imitation. If Daniel found a guard in the Lion's den, shall another put himself thither for shelter? And if Peter walked upon the pavement of the water, did the rest of the Disciples step forth and follow him? That valiant Champion of Christ (since we are fallen upon his name) who durst draw his sword upon a whole troop, after all his protestations of his inseparablenesse from his Master, was yet infected with the air of the High Priests Hall: and whiles he but warmed himself at that fire, cooled in his respect to his Saviour. Although perhaps this cogitation working (as it commonly doth) remissely, causeth not any sudden alteration in our Traveller, but (as we say of Comets and Eclipses) hath his effect when the cause is forgotten. Neither is there any one more apparent ground of that lukewarm indifferency, which is fallen upon our times, than the ill use of our wanderings: for our Travellers being the middle rank of men, and therefore either followers of the great, or commanders of the meaner sort, cannot want convenience of diffusing this temper of ease, unto both. SECT. XV. ALl this mischief is yet hid with a formal profession, so as every eye cannot find it: in others it dares boldly break forth to an open revolt. How many in our memory, whiles with Dinah they have gone forth to gaze, have lost their spiritual chastity, and therewith both the Church, and themselves? How many (like unto the brook Cedron) run from Jerusalem thorough the vale of jehosaphat, and end their course in the dead sea? Robert Pointz in his preface to the testimonies for the real presence. 2 Chron. 24. A popish writer of our Nation (as himself thought) not unlearned, complaining of the obstinacy of us heretics, despairs of prevailing, because he finds it to be long ago foreprohesied of us in the Book of the Chronicles, At illi Protestantes audire noluerunt. It is well that Protestants were yet heard of in the old Testament, as well as jesuites; whose name, one of their own by good hap hath found, Num. 26.24. Like as Erasmus found Friars in S. Paul's time, inter falsos Fratres. Socrat. in josuam l. 1. c. 2. q. 19 Gretser contra Lerneum, c. 1. & 2. Vere aiquidam haereticus jesuitas in sacris literis repertri. But it were better, if this man's word were as true, as it is idle. Some of ours have heard to their cost, whose loss joined with the grief of the Church, and dishonour of the Gospel, we have sufficiently lamented. How many have we known strooken with these Asps, which have died sleeping? And in truth, whosoever shall consider this open freedom of the means of seducement, must needs wonder that we have lost no more; especially if he be acquainted with those two main helps of our Adversaries, importunity and plausibility. Never any Pharisee was so eager to make a Proselyte, as our late factors of Rome: and if they be so hot set upon this service, as to compass sea and land to win one of us, shall we be so mad as to pass both their sea and land, to cast ourselves into the mouth of danger? No man setteth foot upon their coast, which may not presently sing with the Psalmist, They come about me like Bees. It fares with them as with those which are infected with the pestilence, who (they say) are carried with an itching desire of tainting others. When they have all done, this they have gained, that if Satan were not more busy and vehement than they, they could gain nothing. But in the mean time, there is nothing wherein I wish we would emulate them; but in this heat of diligence, and violent ambition of winning. Pyrrhus did not more envy the valour of those old Roman soldiers, which he read in their wounds, and dead faces, than we do the busy audacity of these new. The world could not stand before us, if our Truth might be but as hotly followed, as their falsehood. Oh that our God, whose cause we maintain, would enkindle our hearts with the fire of holy zeal, but so much as Satan hath inflamed theirs with the fire of fury and faction. Oh that he would shake us out of this dull ease, and quicken ourslacke spirits unto his own work. Arise, O North, and come, O South, and blow upon our garden, that the spices thereof may flow forth. These suitors will take no denial, but are ready (as the fashion was to do with rich matches) to carry away men's souls whether they will or no. We see the proof of their importunity at home: No bulwark of laws, no bars of justice (though made of three trees) can keep our rebanished fugitives from returning, from intermeddling. How have their actions said in the hearing of the world, that since heaven will not hear them, they will try what hell can do? And if they dare be so busy in our own homes, where they would seem somewhat awed with the danger of justice; what (think we) will they not dare to do in their own territories, where they have not free scope only, but assistance, but encouragement? Never generation was so forward as the jesuitical, for captation of wills amongst their own, or of souls amongst strangers. What state is not haunted with these ill spirits? yea what house? yea what soul? Not a Prince's Council-table, not a Lady's chamber can be free from their shameless insinuations. It was not for nothing, that their great Patron Philip the second King of Spain, called them Clerices negotiadores; and that Marcus Antonius Columna, General of the Navy to Pius Quintu● in the battle of Lepanto, and Viceroy of Sicily, could say to Father Don Alonso, a famous jesuite, affecting to be of the counsel of his conscience, Voi altri padri di Ihesu havete la ment al ciclo, le many all mondo, l'anima all diavolo. SECT. XVI. YEt were there the less peril of their vehemence, if it were only rude and boisterous (as in some other sects) that so (as it is in Canon shot) it might be more easily shunned, than resisted: but here, the skill of doing mischief contends with the power; their mis-zealous passions hide themselves in a pleasing sweetness; and they are more beholden to policy, than strength. What Gentleman of any note can cross our Seas, whose name is not landed in their books before hand, in prevention of his person, whom now arrived, if they find untractable through too much prejudice, they labour first to temper with the plausible conversation of some smooth Catholic of his own Nation: the name of his Country is warrant enough for his insinuation. Not a word yet may be spoken of Religion; as if that were no part of the errand. So have we seen an Hawk cast off at an Heronshaw, to look and fly a quite other way, & after many careless, and overly fetches, to tower up unto the prey intended. There is nothing wherein this fair companion shall not apply himself to his welcome Countryman. At last, when he hath possessed himself of the heart of his new acquaintance, & got himself the reputation of a sweet ingenuity, and delightful sociableness; he finds opportunities to bestow some witty scoffs upon those parts of our religion, which lie most open to advantage. And now it is time to invite him (after other rarities) to see the Monastery of our English Benedictines, or (if elsewhere) those English Colleges, which the devout beneficence of our well-meaning neighbours (with no other intention than some covetous Farmers lay saltcats in their dovecoats) have bountifully erected. There, it is a wondes if our Traveller meet not with some one, that shall claim kindred or Country of him in a more entire fashion. The Society welcomes him with more than ordinary courtesy: neither can he refuse (except he will be uncivil) to be their guest. He cannot mislike the love of his Country men, he cannot fault their carriage. And now that they have mollified the stiffness of his prejudice, and with much tempting fitted him for their mould, he is a tas●e meet for one of their best workmen; who willingly undertaking it, hath learned to handle him so sweetly, as if he would have him think it a pleasure to be seduced. Do we think this Doctor will begin first with the infallibility of their great Master, and persuade him that a Necromancer, an Heretic, an Atheist, cannot err in Peter's Chair? or tell him that he may buy off his sins as familiarly as he may buy wares in the market? or teach him that a man may and must both make and eat his God to his breakfast? This hard meat is for stronger maws. He knows how first to begin with the spoon, and to offer nothing to a weak stomach, but discourse of easy digestion: As first, that a Catholic so living and dying (by our confession) may be saved: That there is but one Church, as but one Christ; and that out of this Ark, there is no way but drowning: That this one Church is more likely to be found in all the world, than in a corner; in all ages, than in the last Century of years; in unity, than in division. And now comes in the glorious brag of the Roman Universality, their inviolate Antiquity, their recorded successions, their harmonious unity, their confessed magnificence: That there is the mother Church, as to the rest of Christendom, so especially to the English: How well a Monarchy (the best form of government) beseems the Church: How unlikely it is that Christ would leave his Spouse in the confusion of many heads, or of none. And now that we are but a rag torn from their coat; and where was our religion before Luther lay with Bora? And what miserable subdivisions are there in our protestancy? and what a gleaning are we to the harvest of Christendom? with infinite suggestions of this nature; able (as they are plausibly urged) to shake an ungrounded judgement: which if they have so fare prevailed, as that the hearer will abide himself hoodwinked with this veil of the Church, how easily shall time lead him into those hatefuller absurdities? SECT. XVII. IN all which proceeding, these impostors have a double advantage: First, that they deliver the opinion of their Church with such mitigation and favour, as those that care to please, not to inform: forming the voice of the Church to the liking of the hearer, not the judgement of the hearer to the voice of the Church: wherein it is not hard to observe, that Popery spoken and written are two things; In discourse, nothing is more ordinary than to disclaim some of their received positions, to blanche others. It is the malice of an adversary that misreports them; they do not hold that images should be adored; that the wood of the Cross should be worshipped with the very same devotion that is due to Christ himself; that the Church is the judge of God's writings; that Paul the fift cannot err; that a man may merit of his maker, much less supererogate; that a mouse may run away with that which either is, or was God Almighty; that it is lawful to kill an heretical King, and all other those monsters of opinion, which their most classicke Authors have both hatched and shamelessly thrust into the light of the world. They defy those ridiculous Legends which we father upon their Church; & how much do they scorn S. Francis his Bird, or his Wolf, or his wounds, or his Apostles of Assize. Pope joane was but a fancy: Never Pope was an heretic. If now we cry out of impudence, and call their allowed Writers to witness; Lo, even they also are forged by us, and are taught to play booty on our side. Thus resolved to outface all evidence, they make fair weather of their foulest opinions, and inveigh against nothing so much as the spightfulness of our slanders. It is not possible that any wise stranger should be in love with the face of their Church, if he might see her in her own likeness, and therefore they have cunningly masked one part of it, and painted another, so as those features of hers, which are ugly and offensive, shall not appear to any but her own eyes. And because books are dangerous blabs, and will be telling the generations to come, how strangely that face is altered with Age and Art, therefore their tongues are clipped also, and made to speak none but her own words. Out of this licence, Exemplar. Esist. scriptae ad Dominum Paulinum quondam datarium sub Clementis 8. beatae memorie Pontificatu. Ibid. Ibid. and hope to win, they can fit their dishes to every palate, and are so saucy, as to make the Church belie itself. Hence it was that a Spanish Father could teach, that it is not of the necessity of faith, to believe that the present Pope is the Vicar of Christ, and the successor of Peter. That Hostius the jesuite could say, that the Pope abused his keys, and the authority of the Church, in receiving Henry the fourth. That another of his fellows in a discourse with a French Bishop, could disparage the decision of his Holiness in comparison of a General Council. That Menas the Reader of Divinity at Valledolid, following Salas the jesuite, could affirm the lawfulness of the marriage of religious persons upon a doubtful revelation. That more than one of that Order, have dared to broach Confession by letters, against the Bull of Clement the 8. And if these men be not sparing of their contradictions to that Vice-God of theirs, whose vassals they are by peculiar profession, how much more boldly will they swim against the stream of any common opinion, that may concern the body of that head? SECT. XVIII. THeir second advantage is, that they regard not with what untruths they make good their own assertions: It is all one with what mortar or rubbish they build up a side. From hence flow the confident reports, both of their miracles to convince us, and their slanders to disgrace us. Father Hayndius, a jesuite of 33. years standing, amongst 52. complaints, which (out of an honest remorse) he put up against his own Society, to their General Aquaviva, finds this not the least, that his fellows shamed not to seek the honour of their Order, by cogging of miracles. What packets fly about daily of their Indian wonders? Even Cardinal Bellarmine can abide to come in as an avoucher of these couzenages; who dares aver that his fellow Xavier had not only healed the deaf, dumb, and blind, but raised the dead, whiles his brother Acosta, after many years spent in those parts, can pull him by the sleeve, and tell him in his ear, so loud that all the world may hear him, Lib. 4. de saiut. Ind. c. 12. etc. Prodigia nulla producimus, neque vero est opus. Of the same stamp are the daily-renewed miracles, revelations, visions, wherewith any man's ears must needs be beaten amongst them. Africa was at the best but barren of novelties, in comparison of Rome; and yet the world is incredulous, if it will not suffer itself gulled with these holy frauds. And no fewer are those lewd calumniations (the stuff of all their invectives) whereby they labour to make us loathsome to the world: our persons, our doctrines are loaded with reproaches; neither matters it how just they are, but how spiteful. What other measure can be expected of us, when their best friends have thus (upon some private dislikes) smarted from them? Their own holy Fathers, Clement the eighth, and Sixtus Quintus, and with them (the honour of the jesuitical Order) Cardinal Tollet, can all show bloody wales in their backs, from their lashes. Their late Patron of famous memory, whose heart they well merited, and keep it (as their dear relic) enshrined in their La-Flesche, was after his death in their Pulpits proclaimed Tyrant and worse: Exemplar. Epist. sup. cit. no marvel then if after the virulent declamations of our Gifford (their Gabriel) and the malicious suggestions of others of that viperous brood, we have much ado to persuade our neighbours, that we have any Churches, Baptism, Liturgy, Religion. I appeal then to all eyes and ears, how easy it is for a man that will take leave to himself, of making what truth he lists, and defending them by what untruths he pleaseth, to lead a credulous heart whither he pleaseth. SECT. XIX. But if the power of falsified reason prevail not, these desperate factors of Rome (as I have been informed) have learned out of their acquaintance in the Court of the Prince of darkness, to employ stronger aid. On some of their hands, I fear, Magical delusions, and devilish incantations shall not want, rather than they will want a client. Neither can this seem strange to any that knows how familiarly the Roman Church professes the solemn practice of conjuration; in such a fashion, as it doth more than trouble the best Casuists, to set down a perfect difference betwixt their sacred Magic, & the Diabolical. From hence perhaps have proceeded those miraculous apparitions (if at least they were any other but fancy, or fraud) wherewith some of our death-sicke Gentlemen amongst them have been frighted into Catholics. A famous Divine of France, second to none for learning, or fidelity, told me this one amongst other instances, of his own experience, which he yet life's to justify: A Gentleman of the Religion, whose wife was popishly devoted, lying upon the bed of his sickness, in expectation of death, sends for this Divine, his Pastor; the sick man's wife sends for a jesuite; both meet at the bed's side; each persuades him to his own part; both plead for their religion at this bar, before these judges: after two hours' disputation, not only the Gentleman was cheerfully confirmed in that judgement which he had embraced, but his wife also, out of the evidence of truth, began to incline to him, and it. The jesuite departed discontent; yet within some few hours after, returning (when the coast was clearer) entreats some private conference with the Gentlewoman; with whom walking in her garden, he did vehemently expostulate, mixing therewithal his strongest persuasions; at last, to shut up his discourse, he importuned her with many obsecrations, that she would vouchsafe to receive from his hands a little box which he there offered her, and for his sake wear about her continually: she condescended. No sooner had she taken it, than she fell to so great a detestation of her husband, that she could by no means be drawn into his presence, and within two days after in this estate she died. An act more worthy the sword of justice, than the pen of an Adversary. These courses are as secret as wicked. Not daring therefore peremptorily to accuse, I had rather leave these practices to further inquiry. Sure I am, that by their tongues, Satan labours to inchant the world, and hath strongly deluded too many souls. And are we weary of ours, that we dare tempt God, and offer ourselves as challengers to this spiritual danger? The jesuites, amongst much change of houses, have two famous for the accordance of their names; one called The Bow, at Nola; the other, The Arrow, (Lafoy Flesche) in France: though this latter were more worthy of the name of a whole Quiver, containing not fewer than eight hundred shafts of all sizes. Their Apostate Friar (if I shall not honour him too much) played upon them in his Distich: Arcum Nola dedit, dedit illis alma Sagittam Gallia; quis funem, quem meruere, dabit? Nola the bow, and France the shaft did bring? But who shall help them to an hempen string? This provision is for the care of Christian Princes: but in the mean time, what madness is it in us, not only to give aim to these roving Flights, but to offer ourselves to be their standing Butt, that they may take their full aim and hit us level at pleasure? Do we not hear some of their own fellow Catholics in the midst of their awfullest Senate, the Parliament of Paris, pleading vehemently against those factious spirits, and crying out passionately of that danger (which will follow upon their admission) both of lewd manners, and false doctrine; and do we in greater opposition fear neither? and especially from English jesuites? Some Countries yield more venomous vipers than others; ours the worst. I would it were not too easy to observe, that as our English Papists are commonly most jesuitish, so our English jesuites are more furious than their fellows. Even those of the hottest Climates cannot match them in fiery dispositions. And do we put ourselves out of our comfortable Sunshine, into the midst of the flame of these noted Incendiaries? Do we take pleasure to make them rich with the spoil of our souls? and because they will not come fast enough to fetch these booties, do we go to carry them unto their pillage? SECT. XX. THe danger is in the men more than in their cause; and if this great Courtesan of the world had not so cunning Panders, I should wonder how she should get any but foolish customers. The Searcher of all hearts (before whose Tribunal I shall once come to give an account of this Censure) knows I speak it not maliciously; Him I call to witness, that I could not find any true life of Religion amongst those that would be Catholics: I meddle not with the errors of Speculations, or School-points; wherein their judgement palpably offendeth: I speak of the lively practice of Piety. What have they amongst them but a very outside of Christianity, a mere formality of devotion? Look into their Churches, there their poor ignorant Laity hope to present their best services to God; and yet alas, they say they know not what, they hear they know not what, they do they know not what; returning empty of all hearty edification, and only full of confused intentions; and are taught to think this sacrifice of fools meritorious. Look their Chemarims upon the sacred actors in this religious Scene; what shall you see but idle Apishness in their solemnest work, and either mockery or slumbering? Look into their religious houses; what shall you see but a trade of careless and lazy holiness? hours' observed, because they must, not because they would. What do they but lull piety asleep with their heartless and sleepy Vespers? Look into the private closerts of their devout Ignorants; what difference shall you see betwixt the Image and the Suppliant? If they can hear their beads knack upon each other, they are not bid to care for hearing their prayers reflect upon heaven: Shortly, in all that belongs to God, the work done sufficeth, yea meriteth; and what need the heart be wrought upon for a task of the hand? Look into the melancholic Cells of some austere Recluses; there you may find perhaps an haircloth, or a whip, or an heardle; but show me true mortification, the power of spiritual renovation of the soul. How should that be found there, when as that saving faith (which is the only purger of the heart) is barred out as presumptuous? and no guest of that kind allowed, but the same which is common to Devils? what Papist in all Christendom hath ever been heard to pray daily with his family; or to sing but a Psalm at home? Look into the universal course of the Catholic life; there shall you find the Decalogue professedly broken, besides the ordinary practice of Idolatry, and frequency of oaths. Who ever saw ●●d● day duly kept in any city, village, household under the jurisdiction of Rome? Eu●● obscure holiday takes the wall of it, and thrusts it into the channel. Who sees not obedience to authority so slighted, that it stands only to the mercy of humane dispensation? and in the rest of God's Laws, who sees not how foul sins pass for venial? and how easily venial sins pass their satisfaction: for which a cross, or a drop of holy-water is sufficient amends? Who sees not how no place can be left for truth, where there is full room given to equivocation? All this, though it be harsh to the conscionable man, yet is no less pleasing to the carnal. The way of outward fashionableness in religion, and inward liberty of heart, cannot but seem fair to nature; and especially when it hath so powerful angariation. It is a wonder if but one half of Christendom be thus won to walk in it. Those which are either ungrounded in the principles of Religion, or the unconscionable in the practice, are fit to travel into these miserable errors: But though Israel play the harlot, yet let not judah sin. Come ye not to Gilgal; neither go ye up to Bethanen. SECT. XXI. FRom the danger of corruption in judgement, let us turn our eyes to the depravation of manners; which not seldom goes before: Apples therefore fall from the tree, because they be worm-eaten; they are not wormeaten because they fall; and, as usually follows, Satan like the Raven first seizes upon the eye of understanding, and then preys freely upon the other carcase. We may be bad enough at home, certainly we are the worse for our neighbours. Old Rome was not more jealous of the Grecian and African manners, than we have reason to be of the Roman. It were well if we knew our own fashions, better if we could keep them. What mischief have we amongst us that we have not borrowed? To begin at our skin; who knows not whence we had the variety of our vain disguises? As if we had not wit enough to be foolish, unless we were taught it. These dresses being constant in their mutability, show us our masters. What is it that we have not learned of our neighbours, save only to be proud good cheap? whom would it not vex to see how that other sex hath learned to make Antics and monsters of themselves? Whence came their hips to the shoulders, and their breasts to the navel; but the one from some ill-shaped Dames of France, and the other from the worse minded Courtesans of Italy? Whence else learned they to daub these mud-wals with Apothecary's mortar; and those high washeses, which are so cunningly licked on, that the wet napkin of Phryne should be deceived? Whence the frizzled and powdered bushes of their borrowed excrement? as if they were ashamed of the head of Gods making, and proud of the Tire-womans'? Where learned we that devilish Art and practice of Duel, wherein men seek honour in blood, and are taught the ambition of being glorious butchers of men? Where had we that luxurious delicacy in our feasts, in which the nose is no less pleased, than the palate; and the eye no less than either? wherein the piles of dishes make barricadoes against the appetite, and with a pleasing encumbrance trouble an hungry guest? Where those forms of ceremonious quaffing, in which men have learned to make Gods of others, and beasts of themselves: and lose their reason, whiles they pretend to do reason? where the lawlessness (miscalled freedom) of a wild tongue, that runs with reines in the neck, thorough the bedchamber of Princes, their Closets, their Counsell-Tables, and spares not the very Cabinet of their breasts, much less can be barred out of the most retired secrecy of inferior greatness? Where the change of noble attendance, and hospitality, into four wheels, and some few butterflies? Where the Art of dishonesty in practical Machiavelisme, in false equivocations? Where the slight account of that filthiness, which is but condemned as venial, and tolerated as not unnecessary? Where the skill of civil and honourable hypocrisy, in those formal compliments, which do neither expect belief from others, nor carry any from ourselves? Where that unnatural villainy, which though it were burnt with fire and brimstone from heaven, and the ashes of it drowned in the dead sea, yet hath made shift to revive, and calls for new vengeance upon the actors? Where that close Atheism, which secretly laughs God in the face, and thinks it weakness to believe, wisdom to profess any religion? Where the bloody and tragical science of King killing; the new divinity of disobedience and rebellion; with too many other evils, wherewith foreign conversation hath endangered the infection of our peace? Lo here, dear Countrymen, the fruit of your idle gaddings: Better perhaps might be had; but he was never acquainted at home, that knows not our nature to be like unto fire, which if there be any infection in the room, draws it strait to itself: Or like unto jet, which omitting all precious objects, gathers up straws and dust. Islanders have been ever in an ill name. Wherefore? save only for the confluence of forainers, which never come without the freight of their national wickedness. The experience whereof hath moved some witty Nations, both ancient and present, to shut themselves up within their own bounds, and to bar the intercourse of strangers, as those that thought best to content themselves with their own faults. A corrupt disposition, out of a natural fertility, can both beget and conceive evil alone; but if it be seconded by examples, by precepts, by encouragements, the Ocean itself hath not so much spawn, as it: in all which regards, he hath escaped well, that returns but what he carried; but he is worthy of memory, that returns either more good, or less evil. Some have come home perhaps more sparing, others more subtle, others more outwardly courteous, others more capricious, some more tongue-free, few ever better. And if themselves be not sensible of their alterations, yet their Country and the Church of God feels and rues them. SECT. XXII. LEt me therefore have leave to shut up this discourse with a double suit, one to our Gentry, the other to supreme authority; both which shall come from the bottom of an heart unfeignedly sacrificed to the common good: neither speak I words, but my very soul unto both. To the former my suit is, that they would be happy at home: God hath given us a world of our own, wherein there is nothing wanting to earthly contentment, Whither go ye then, worthy Countrymen, or what seek ye? Here grows that wealth, which ye go but to spend abroad: Here is that sweet peace which the rest of the world admires and envies: Here is that gracious and well-tempered government, which no Nation under heaven may dare once offer to parallel: Here all liberal Arts reign and triumph: And for pleasure, either our earth, or our sea yields us all those dainties, which their native Regions enjoy but single, Lastly, here Heaven stands open, which to many other parts is barred on the outside with ignorance or misbelief. And shall our wantonness contemn all this bounty of God, and carry us to seek that, which we shall find no where but behind us, but within us? Shall the affectation of some frivolous toys draw us away from the fruition of those solid comforts, which are offered us within our own doors? How many of ours, whom their just offence hath cast out of the bosom of their Country, compare their exile with death, and can scarce abide to bid that breath welcome, which they are forced to draw in a foreign air; and though freedom of conscience entertain them never so liberally abroad, yet resolve either to live or die at home; and do we suffer our folly to banish us from those contentments, which they are glad to redeem with the hazard of their blood? are we so little in our own books, that we can be content to purchase outlandish superfluities, with the miscarriage of our fowls, with the danger of miscarriage, with the likelihood of danger? Are we so foolish, that whiles we may sweetly enjoy the settled estate of our Primogeniture, we will needs bring upon ourselves the curse of Reuben, to run abroad like water; whose quality it is, not easily to be kept within the proper bounds; yea the curse of Cain, to put ourselves from the side of Eden, into the land of Nod, that is, of demigration? None of the least imprecations, which David, makes against God's enemies, is, Make them like unto a wheel, O Lord. Motion is ever accompanied with unquietness; and both argues, and causes imperfection, whereas the happy estate of heaven is described by rest; whose glorious spheres in the mean time, do so perpetually move, that they are never removed from their places. It is not the least part either of wisdom, or happiness, to know when we are well. Shall we not be shamelessly unthankful, if we cannot sing the note of that great Choriester of God, My lot is fall'n to me in a good ground? Hath not the munificence of God made this Island as it were an abridgement of his whole earth, in which he hath contrived (though in a less letter) all the main and material commodities of the greater world; and do we make a prison where God meant a Paradise? Enjoy therefore (happy Countrymen) enjoy freely God and yourselves; every yourselves with your own mines, improve those blessed opportunities which God hath given you, to your mutual advantage; and care not to be like any but yourselves. SECT. XXIII. ANd if at any time these unworthy papers may fall betwixt the hands of my Sovereign Master, or any of his grave and honourable Ministers of State, let the meanness of so weak and obscure solicitors presume to commend this matter to their deepest consideration; and out of an honest zeal of the common safety, sue to them for a more strict restraint of that dangerous liberty, whereof too many are bold to carve themselves. Who can be ignorant of those wise and wholesome laws, which are enacted already to this purpose? or of those careful and just cautions, wherewith the licences of Travel are ever limited? But what are we the better for Gods own laws, without execution? Or what are limits unto the lawless? Good laws are the hedges of the Commonwealth: just dispensations are as gates, or styles in the hedge. If every straggler may at pleasure cast open a gap in this fence of the State, what are we the better for this quick set, then if we lay open to the common? Who sees not how familiarly our young Recusants immediately upon their disclosing, are sent over for their full hatching & making? Italy, Spain, Artois, and now of late France itself provides nests, and perches, and mews for these birds, with the same confidence, wherewith we breed our own at home; which when they are once well acquainted with the Roman lure, are sent back again fit for the prey. And as for those of our own feather: whereas the liberty of their travel is bounded chief with this double charge; one, that they have no conversation or conference with jesuites, or other dangerous persons; the other, that they pass not into the dominions of the King's enemies; both these are so commonly neglected, as if they were intended only for a verbal formality, yea, as if the Prohibition meant to teach men what they should do. Every of our Novices hath learned to make no difference of men; and dare breathe in the poisonous air of Italy itself, and touch the very pommel of the chair of pestilence. It is this licentious freedom (which we miscall Open-hearted ingenuity) that undoes us. Do we not see the wary closeness of our Adversaries, which will not so much as abide one of our books (a mute solicitor) to harbour in any of their coasts? How many of the Italian or Spanish Noblesse have we known allowed to venture their education in our Courts or Universities? Do they lie thus at the lock, and do we open our breast, and display our arms, and bid an enemy strike where he list? Since than we have no more wit, or care, then to be willingly guilty of our own shame; oh that the hands of supreme authority would be pleased to lock us within our own doors, and to keep the keys at their own girdle! And (to speak truth) to what purpose are those straight and capital inhibitions of the return of our factious fugitives into this Kingdom, if whiles the wicket is shut upon them, that they should not come to us, the Postern be open to us, that we may go to them? As all intercourse is perilous, so that is most, which is by our own provocation. Here yet they dare but lurk in secret, and take only some sudden snatches at a weak prey, like unto evening-wolues, that never walk forth but under the cloak of the night; but in their own territories, they can show the Sun their spoils, and think this act worthy of garlands and trophies. Here we have mastiffs to secure our flocks: there the prey goes straggling alone to the mouth of their dens, without protection, without assistance, and offers to be devoured. Ye whom the choice of God hath made the great Shepherds of his people, whose charge it is to feed them by government, suffer not their simplicity to betray their lives unto the fangs of these cruel beasts; but chase them home rather, from the wilful search of their own perdition, and shut them up together in your strong and spacious folds, that they may be at once safe, and ye glorious. SECT. XXIV. LAstly, for those, whom necessary occasions draw forth of their own coasts (that we may have done with those, which like foolish Papists go on pilgrimage to see another block better dressed then at home) let me say to them, as Simeon that prophetical Monk said to the pillars which he whipped before the earthquake, Stand fast, for ye shall be shaken. And therefore, as the Crane, when she is to fly against an high wind, doth ballast herself with stones in her bill, that she may cut the air with more steadiness; so let them carefully foreinstruct, and poise themselves with the sound knowledge of the Principles of Religion, that they may not be carried about with every wind of doctrine: Whereto if they add but those lessons, which they are taught by the State, in their letters of passage, there may be hope, they shall bring back the same souls they carried. It was at least an inclination to a fall, that Eve took boldness to hold chat with the Serpent. And as subtle Lawyers desire no more advantage in the quarrel, which they would pick at conveyances, than many words: so neither do our Adversaries. Whiles our ears are open, and our tongues free, they will hope well of our very denials. Error is crafty, and out of the power of his Rhetorical insinuations, ofttimes caries away probability from truth. I remember in that famous Embassy of of three Philosophers, which Athens sent to Rome, Critolaus, Diogenes, and Carneades, there falling out many occasions of discourse, wise Cato persuaded the Senate to a speedy dismission of those (otherwise welcome) guests; Because (said he) whiles Carneades disputes, scarce any man can discern which is the truth. There is more danger of these spiritual Sophisters, by how much the business is more important, and their subtlety greater. Let our passenger therefore (as that wise Grecian served his fellows) stop up his ears with wax against these Sirens. Our Saviour would not give Satan audience even whiles he spoke true; because he knew that truth was but to countenance error. There is ever true corn strewed under a pitfall: those ears are full and weighty, which we dress with Lime to deceive the poor birds in a snow. No fisher lets down an empty hook, but clothed with a proper and pleasing bait. These Impostors have no other errand, but deceit. If he love himself, let him be afraid of their favours, and think their frowns safer than their smiles. And if at any time (as no fly is more importunate) they thrust themselves into his conversation, let him (as those which must necessarily pass by a carrion in the way) hold his breath, and hasten to be out of their air. And if they yet follow him in his flight, let him turn back to them with the Angels farewell, Increpet te Dominus. FINIS. THE RIGHTEOUS MAMMON. AN HOSPITAL SERMON PREACHED IN THE SOLEMN ASSEMBLY OF THE CITY ON Monday in Easter week. 1618. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO MY MUCH HONOURED FRIEND, Sr HENRY BAKER, Knight and Baronet. SIR, AMongst many, to whom my poor labours own much for their acceptation, I know none that can challenge so deep a debt as yourself. If others have tasted of my well-meant papers, you have fed hearty on them; and so made them your own, that your memory may compare with others eyes, and your practice with the speculation of others: Neither have your hand or tongue been niggardly dissemblers of your spiritual gain. Unto you therefore (to whose name I had long since in my desires devoted my next) do I send this mean present: A Sermon importunately desired of many: That which the present Auditors found useful, the Press shall communicate to posterity; The gain of either, or both, is no less mine: I doubt not, but you have already so acted that part of this discourse which concerneth you, that the direction I give to others, is but an history of what you have done. And go on happily (worthy Sir) in those your holy courses which shall lead you to immortality; and so use your riches, that they may be made up into a Crown for your head in a better world: My hearty well-wishes shall not be wanting to you and your virtuous Lady, as whom you have obliged to be justly Worcester, April 14. Yours, IOS. HALL.. THE RIGHTEOUS MAMMON. 1. TIM. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, etc. THose things which are excellent, & beneficial in their use, are dangerous in their miscarriage: It were lost labour for me to persuade you how good riches are: your pains and your cares are sufficient proofs of your estimation; and how deadly the abuse of them is, many a soul feels that cannot return to complain; There is nothing more necessary therefore for a Christian heart, then to be rectified in the menaging of a prosperous estate; and to learn so to be happy here, that it may be more happy hereafter; a task which this Text of ours undertakes, and (if ye be not wanting to it and yourselves) will be sure to perform: What should I need to entreat your attention (Right Honourable, right Worshipful, and beloved) to a business so nearly concerning you? The errand is Gods; the use of it yours. I never held it safe to pull Scripture in pieces: these words fall alone into their parts. Timothy is set upon the spiritual Bench, and must give the charge. A charge, to whom? Of what? To whom? To the rich: Of what? what they must avoid, what they must endeavour: What must they avoid? high-mindedness, and trust in wealth: what are the duties they must labour unto? Confidence in God; Beneficence to men: And every one of these is backed with a reason to enforce it: Why should they not be high minded? Their wealth is but in this world; Why should they not trust in riches? They are uncertain. Why should they trust in God? He is a living God, and a liberal God: why should they extend their beneficence to men? By this they lay up to themselves a sure foundation: Here is work enough, you see, for my discourse, and your practice: The God of Heaven bless it in both our hands. Charge hath (janus-like) a double aspect; one that looks up to S. Paul, Charge. the other that looks down to Timothy, and from him to the rich: In the first there is Apostolical superiority; for (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Charge thou, refers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 13. I charge thee; so Paul charges Timothy to charge the rich; He that gives the Charge, if he be not the chief of the Bench, yet he is greater than the jury. The first foundation of the Church is laid in an inequality; and hath ever since so continued; There can be no harmony, where all the strings or voices are of one tenor; In the latter, as it looks on Timothy, it caries in it Episcopal power, Evangelicall sufficiency. Episcopal power; for this Charge is by the vulgar turned, and the Translation of the Syriac, Praecipe, command; and so do we translate it in the first of this Epistle, and the third verse; Timothy was left at Ephesus (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) to command. The rich are commonly great; Nobility in the account of God is joined with wealth; Curse not the King in thy thought, nor the rich in thy Bedchamber, saith Solomon; so Dives at whose gates Lazarus lay, is by some no mean ones guessed to be Herod, or some other King; Maldonat could incline to that: in locum. and so are jobs friends termed by the seventy: Yea, the rich is not only a little King among his neighbours, but Dives, quasi Diws; as a petty god to his underlings: and yet even the rich man that (as Solomon notes) speaks with command unto others, he must be spoken to with command. Command the rich. That foolish shaveling soared too high a pitch, when in his imperious Bull he commands the Angels Francis of Assize and he were both of a Diet; But we may safely say, that all powers below the Angels, are liable to our spiritual Charge; and this Command implies obedience; Else, to what purpose do we command and go without? Christ gave us the keys; (for that which the Romanists would plead out of Origen, of Claves coeli, The keys of heaven to the rest, and Claves coelorum, The keys of the heavens to Peter, is a distinction without a difference;) What becomes of them? That I may not say, on some of our hands they are suffered to rust for want of use; on others, (as the Pontificians) the wards are altered, so as they can neither open nor shut: sure I am, that (if they be not lost on our behalf, whether in dis-vse, or abuse) the power of them is lost in the hearts of many: They have secret picklocks of their own making, Presumption and Security, whereby they can open heaven-gates, though double-locked by our censures, and shut the gates of hell at pleasure, which their own sins have opened wide to receive them. What use is there of us, but in our chair? and there, but to be heard, and seen? Even in this sense spectaculo facti sumus; we are to gaze on, not to employ. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye reign as Kings without us; we are weak, ye are strong; ye are Honourable, but we are despised. It was well noted by one, that the good father of the prodigal, though he might himself have brought forth the prime robe, or have led his son into his wardrobe to take it, yet he commands his servants to bring it forth (Proferte stolam) because he would bring means into credit; because he would have his son beholden to his servants for their glory. It is a bold word, but a true one, Ye shall never wear the long white robe, unless his servants your Ministers bring it, and put it on. He that can save you without us, will not save you, but by us: He hath not tied himself to means, man he hath; He could create you immediately to himself: but he will have you begotten by the immortal seed of your spiritual Fathers. Woe be to you therefore, if our word have lost the power of it in you: you have lost your right in heaven: Let us never come there, if you can come thither ordinarily without us. The words of the wise (saith Solomon) are like goads, like nails; But if these goads light upon the skin of a Leviathan, who esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood; If these nails meet with iron, or marble in their driving, that they turn again; What shall we say, but our Gospel is hid to them that perish; and woe unto your souls, for ye have rewarded evil to yourselves. Hitherto the power employed in this charge; the sufficiency followeth: This Euangelicus must be parangelicus; like as the forerunner of Christ had a charge for all sorts, so must his followers; So hath Timothy in this Epistle. A charge for wives, for Bishops, for Deacons, for widows, for servants, and here for the rich. He must charge; and how shall he charge, if he have neither shot nor powder. It is no brag to say that no Nation under Heaven since the Gospel looked forth into the world, ever had so many, so learned Teachers as this Island hath at this day. Hierome said of old to his Paulinus, De Hieros olymis & de Britannia, aequaliter patet aula c●●lestis; Heaven is open in Britain as in Jerusalem. It holds well, if you take it for a prophetical comparison betwixt jerusalem as it had been, and Britain as it should be. jerusalem the type of God's Church upon earth, in the glory of all her legal magnificence, was never more blessed than this Church of ours: For the Northern part of it beyond the tweed, we saw not, we heard not of a Congregation (whereof indeed there is not so great frequency) without a preaching Minister; and though their maintenance hath been generally but small, Somewhat above eight hundred. yet their pains have been great, and their success suitable: And now lately, his Sacred Majesty in his last year's journey (as if the Sun did out of compassion go beyond his Tropic Line, to give heat unto the Northern Climate) hath so ordered it, that their means shall be answerable to their labours; so as both Pastors and People profess themselves mutually blessed in each other; and bless God and their King for this blessedness. As for the learning and sufficiency of those Teachers (whether Prelates or Presbyters) our ears were for some of them sufficient witnesses; and we are not worthy of our ears, if our tongues do nor thankfully proclaim it to the world. As for this Southern part, when I consider the face of our Church in an universalltie, me thinks I see the firmament in a clear night, bespangled with goodly stars of all magnitudes, that yield a pleasing diversity of light unto the earth; But withal, through the incomparable multitude of Cures, and the incompetent provision of some, we cannot but see some of our people (especially in the utmost skirts) like to those that live under the Southern Pole, where the stars are thinner set; and some stars there are in our Hemisphere, like those little sparkles in the Galaxy, or Milky circle, wherein ye can scarce discern any light: The desire of our hearts must be, that every Congregation, every soul might have a Timothy to deliver the charge of God powerfully unto it, even with Saint Paul's change of note; That every one which hath a charge, were (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) able to give the charge; and every hearer (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) ready to take it: Wherein I cannot but thankfully congratulate the happiness of this famous City, which if in other riches it equalise the best, I am sure in this it exceeds all. There is not a City under the cope of heaven so wealthy in the spiritual provision; yea, there are whole countries in Christendom, that have not so many learned Preachers, as are within these walls and liberties. Hear this, ye Citizens, and be not proud, but thankful; Others may exceed you in the glory of outward structure, in the largeness of extent, in the uniform proportion of streets, or ornaments of Temples, but your pulpits do surpass theirs; and if preaching can lift up Cities unto heaven, ye are not upon earth; Happy is it for you, if ye be well fed and taught; and woe be unto you, if you do not think yourselves happy. Charge them, but whom? The rich. The rich. Man that came naked out of the womb of the earth, was even then so rich, that all things were his; Heaven was his roof or Canopy, earth his floor, the sea his pond, the Sun and Moon his Torches, all creatures his vassals: And if he lost the fullness of this Lordship, by being a slave to sin, yet we have still Dominium gratificum, as Gerson terms it; Rom. 4.13. Every son of Abraham is heir of the world. But to make up the true reputation of wealth (for thus we may be as having all things, and possessing nothing) another right is required beside spiritual, which is a civil and humane right; wherein I doubt not but our learned Wiclef, and the famous Archbishop of Armach, and the more famous Chancellor of Paris (three renowned Divines of England, France, and Ireland) have had much wrong, while they are accused to teach, that men in these earthly things have no tenure but grace, no title but Charity: which questionless they intended in foro interiori, Titulum Ch●ritatis Do●●à Soto de justitia & jure. in the Consistory of God; not in the Common-pleas of men; in the Courts, not of Law, but of Conscience; in which only it may fall out, that the Civil owner may be a spiritual usurper, and the spiritual owner may be a civil beggar. God frames his language to ours, and speaking according to that I●s Gentium, whereon the division of these earthly possessions are grounded, he calls some rich, others poor. Those heretics which called themselves Apostolic (as somebody doth now at Rome) before the time of Epiphanius and Augustine, which taught the unlawfulness of all earthly proprieties; seconded in Austin's time, by our countryman Pelagius, and in our times by some of the illuminate Elders of Munster, are not worth confutation; or if they were, our Apostle hath done it to our hands, in this one word, Rich; for there can be neither rich nor poor in a community; Neither doth he say, Charge men that they be not rich, but, Charge the rich that they be not highminded. With these, let us couple our ignorant Votaries, that place holiness in want; with whom, their very crosses cannot deliver their coin from sin; which, to make good the old rule, that it is better to give then to receive, give all they have away at once, for but a licence to beg for ever. Did these men ever bear that the blessing of God maketh rich? That the wings of riches carry them up to heaven? That the crown of the wise is their wealth? Do they not know, that if Lazarus were poor, yet Abraham was rich, and Pium pauperem suscepit sinus divitis; It was the happiness of poor Lazarus, that he was lodged in the bosom of rich Abraham. I am no whit afraid, (O ye rich Citizens) lest this paradox of our holy Mendicants shall make you out of love with your wealth; I fear, some of you would be rich, though ye might not; Now we tell you from him, whose title is Rich in mercy, that ye may be at once Rich and holy; In divitiis cupiditatem reprehendit, non facultatem, saith Austen: It is a true word of the son of Sirach, which I would have you carry home with you, and write it as a fit Motto, in your Countinghouse; Bona est substantia, si non fit peccatum in conscientia; Substance doth well in the hand, if there be not evil in the heart, Ecclesiasticus 13.25. Charge the Rich. Who are they? There is nothing wherein is greater misprision. One man in a Laodicean conceitedness thinks himself rich, when he hath nothing; Another, in a covetous humour thinks he hath nothing, when he is rich; and how easy is it for another man to mistake us, if we may thus easily mistake ourselves? I fear, some of you are like the Pageants of your great solemnities, wherein there is the show of a solid body, whether of a Lion, or Elephant, or Unicorn: but if they be curiously looked into, there is nothing but cloth, and sticks, and air. Others of you contrarily, are like a dissembling Covent, that professes poverty, and purchases Lordships. The very same did Solomon observe in his time, in the great Burgomasters of jerusalem, Pro. 13.7. For the avoiding of both extremes, let us inquire who is rich. And though greatness and riches be in the rank of those things, which are held to have no absolute determination, but confit rather in respect and comparion: (for a rich Farmer is yet poor to a rich Merchant, and a rich Merchant is but poor to a Prince, and he to some great Emperor; That great Mammonist would say, he is rich, that can maintain an Army: A poor man would say, according to that Italian inscription, He is rich that wants not bread;) Yet certainly there are certain general stakes and bounds, which divide betwixt poverty and competence, betwixt competency and wealth; As there were variety of shekels among the jews, yet there was one shekel of the Sanctuary that varied not; Who then is rich? I must give you a double answer, One will not serve. The one, according to true morality; the other, according to vulgar use: In the first, he is rich that hath enough, whether the world think so or not; Even Esau, though he were poor in grace, yet in estate he was rich: I have enough, my brother. And he that said, Soul, thou hast goods enough for many years, was almost so; It was not his fault that he thought he had enough, but that he meant to lie down, and wallow in it. A man's wealth or poverty is most-what in himself; And though nature have professed to read unto heathen men this lesson of wise moderation, yet it hath been seldom seen, that any thing but true piety, hath taught them to take it out; Godliness is great gain with contentment: Victus & vestitus divitiae Christianorum, saith Hierom: Food and raiment are the Christians wealth; Those men therefore, which are still in the horseleeches note, sucking and craving; which, like Pharaohs lean kine, are ever feeding, and never the fatter, are as fare from true wealth, as they would be from poverty; and further I am sure they cannot be; and not further from wealth then godliness. Having, is the measure of outward wealth: but it is thinking that must measure the inward thoughts, I say of contentment, cheerfulness, and thankfulness, which if ye want, it is not either or both the Indies that can make you rich. In the latter, he is rich, that hath more than enough, whether he think so or no●: He that hath the possession (whether civil, or natural) of more than necessary. Now if necessary and superfluous seem as hard to define as rich; know, there are just limits for both these: Superfluous is defined by necessary; for what is above necessary, is superfluous; There is then a double necessary; One, of nature, the other, of estate: That is necessary to nature, without which we cannot live; that to estate, without which we cannot live well: That is necessary to estate, which were superfluous to nature; and that which were superfluous to nature, is not so much as necessary to estate; Nature goes single, and bears little breadth; Estate goes ever with a train; The necessity of nature admits little difference, especially for quantities; the necessity of estate requires as many diversities, as there are several degrees of humane conditions, and several circumstances in those degrees. justly therefore do the Schoolmen and Casuists teach, that this necessary to the decency of estate, doth not consist in pancto individuo, but hath much latitude; That is necessary to scarlet, which to russet were superfluous; that is but necessary to a Nobleman, which to an Esquire were superfluous; That were superfluous to a Peer, which to a Prince is but necessary: That is necessary to the father of a family, which to a single man were superfluous: Neither doth this necessity look only to the present, but to the future; not to what may be (which were an endless prospect) but to what must be, the marriage of a daughter, the education of a son, the honest provision for posterity: He that in a just estimate can go beyond the bounds of this necessary, enters into the superfluous estate, and may well pass with the world for rich. Such a one is rich; let him look how he became so: That God which can allow you to be rich, will not allow you always to your wealth: He hath set up a golden Goal, to which he allows you all to run, but ye must keep the beaten road of honesty, justice, charity, and truth; if ye will leave this path, and will be crossing over a shorter cut thorough byways of your own, ye may be rich with a vengeance. The heathen Poet (one of them whom S Paul cited) could observe (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Menander. Prou. 28.20. ) which Solomon translates to us, He that makes haste to be rich, shall not be innocent. If you have filled your bags with fraud, usury, extortion, this gain may be honey in your mouth, but it will be gravel in your throat, and poison in your soul. There are some means of wealth in an ill name, as those two trusty servants of Mammon, Use and Brocage; there are others as bad as they, little said to. Since I speak to Citizens, let me be bold to say, There is not so arrant usury in letting of money, as in sale of wares. This oppression is both more, and more universal. There are two maxims that do usually misled men of Traffic, all the world over: The one is, Res valet quanti vendi potest, A thing is worth what it may be sold for; The other, Caveat empter, At the buyers peril: The one is in regard of the price; the other, in regard of the quality of the wares. In the first, whereas our Casuists have set three prices, low, mean, rigorous, they superadd a fourth, excessive, and think they may lawfully get what they can: Whereas they shall once find, that as the rigorous price is a strain of charity, so the excessive is a violation of justice; neither doth this gain differ aught from theft, but that it is honested by a fair cozenage. In the second; It matters not how defective the measure be, how vicious the substance, how false the kind, let this be the buyers care; No man is bound to buy, no man can do wrong to himself; Such wares must be put off, (perhaps not to customers) with concealment of faults, if not with protestations of faultlessenesse. In salomon's time, It is naught, it is naught, said the buyer, and when he was gone apart, he boasted; But now, It is good, it is good, saith the seller, and when the buyer is gone, he boasteth of his deceit. Let me appeal to your bosoms, if these two, Excess of price, and deficiency of worth have not been the most serviceable factors to bring in some of your wealth; And let me tell you, if these be guilty of your gains, you may mis-name your trades, Mysteries: but sure these tricks are mysteries of iniquity. It were envious and infinite to arraign the several sciences of their adulteration and fraud; let me rather shut them all up together in that fearful sentence of wise Solomon, The gathering of treasures by a deceitful tongue, Prou. 21.6. is a vanity tossed too and fro of them that seek death: and (if you please) read on the next verse, The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them. Search your chests, search you hearts (O all ye that hear me this day) and if any of you find any of this adulterine gold amongst your heaps, away with it, as ye love yourselves, away with it: Else know, (that as chrysostom wittily) ye have locked up a thief in your Counting house, which will carry away all, and if ye look not to it the sooner, your souls with it. In this world. Rich in this world, not Of it. As S. john distinguisheth of being in the Church, and being of it, so doth S. Paul of the world; Those are the rich of the world, which are worldlings in heart, as well as in estate; Those are rich in the world, whose estate is below, whose hearts are above: The rich of the world are in it, but the rich in the world are not of it: Marvel not there should be so much difference in little particles; The time was when this very difference of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, set the world together by the ears in the controversy of Eutyches, and Dioscorus; and here, you see there is no less distance between them, then betwixt heaven and earth: If Timothy or S. Paul either should have charged the rich of the world, he had charmed a deaf Adder; yea perhaps even with this charge (like a rusty or ill wrought Piece) they had recoiled in his face with those Athenians, What will this babbler say? The Prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, as they say in the Prophet: There is no good to be done on a worldly heart, it is both hard and cold; Let the Smith strike a bar new-come out of the fire (though it be iron) it bows; let him strike on his anvil never so long, there is no impression, but rather a rebound of the stroke. The Maker of all hearts tells us, that the unregenerate man hath Cor lapideum, an heart of stone: and to what purpose do we with our venerable Countryman preach to an heap of stones? Will ye have the reason why we preach ourselves hoarse and dead, and prevail not? The world is in men's ears, the world is in their hearts; and they are not in the world, but of it; and there can be nothing in them that are of the world, but that which is enmity to God, and that which repays with enmity; so as there is no way for them but perishing with the world: It is for those only whose hearts are not in their bags, to receive the charge from God for their wealth, and to return glory to him by it: To these (whereof I hope here are many before me) must Timothy's charge, and my speech be directed: Let these hear their condition first, and then their duty: Their condition, They are rich, but In this world; For distinction, for limitation; one implies the estate of their riches, the other the time. Their estate, as learned Beza, that they are but worldly riches. The very word imports that there are other riches, not of the world; as Austen distinguishes of Pauper in animo, and in sacculo; poor in mind, and in purse; so may we of the rich: There is a spiritual wealth, as well as a secular; and so true and precious is the spiritual, that the secular wealth is but stark beggary to it: This outward wealth is in acres of earth, in the bowels of the earth, the fruits of the earth, beasts of the earth; and all of it is valued by pieces of earth, and one mouthful of earth makes an end of all. Who knows not that earth is the basest piece of the world, and yet earth is at the end of all these riches, and all of them end in the earth? See what it is that the world dotes and dreams of; (for these earthly hopes, as the divine Philosopher said, are but dreams of the waking) even Nebuchadnezars image, a composition of metals, and the foot of all is clay. Earthly men tread upon their felicity, and yet have not the wit to contemn it, and to seek a better, which is the spiritual wealth; the cabinet whereof is the soul, and the treasure in it, Austen. God himself. O happy resolution of that blessed Father, Omnis mihi copia, quae Deus meus non est, egestas est: All wealth besides my God, is penury. Ambiant terrena, saith another: Let the Gentiles seek after earthly things, which have no right to heavenly; let them desire the present, which believe not the future; The Christians wealth is his Saviour: and how can he complain of measure, that hath the author of all? What should I need to say more of the Christian heart? He is rich is God: and therefore well may he sing that contented ditty of the Psalmist, Funes ceciderunt mihi in praeclaris: My lot is fall'n in a good ground, and I have goodly heritage. Oh that it could be our ambition, that Nazianzen reports of his Philagrius, lutum contemnere, to scorn this base and (pardon an homely word) dirty god of the world, and to aspire unto the true riches! And when Satan shall offer to grease us in the fist, to remit but a little of the rigour of a good conscience, we could cast it in his face with S. Peter's indignation, Thy gold and thy silver perish with thee! The estate of wealth is not more described by this world, than the time; For ( a World. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) when it is absolutely spoken, be, as the Philosopher ( b Euerbeing. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,) when it is restrained with a ( c Now. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) it is scarce a time; and at the most, is turned justly seculum à sequendo, as Isidore. Like as the same word in the Hebrew, that signifies eternity, at other times signifies but fifty years, the compass of a jubilee; So as (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) is but the space of humane life, which how short soever, is the utmost extent of the use of worldly riches. Wealth is like unto words, by imposition, not natural; for commodities are as they are commonly valued; we know, bracelets of glass, and copper chains, and little bells, and such like trifles, are good merchandise somewhere, though contemptible with us; and those things which the Indians regard not, Europe holds precious. What are coins where their use and valuation ceases? The Patars, and Souses, and Deniers, and Quart-d'escus, that are currant beyond the water, serve but for counters to us: Thus it is with all our wealth: Consider, I beseech you, that all our Crowns, and Soveraynes, and Pieces, and halfe-pieces, and Ducats, and double Ducats, are currant but to the brim of the grave, there they cease; and we justly laugh at the folly of those Eastern Pagans, which put coin into the dead man's hand for his provision in another world: What should we do therefore, if we will be provident Travellers, but make over our money here, to receive it by exchange in the world to come? It is our Saviour's counsel, Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that they may receive you into everlasting habitations. And as a father says sweetly, If ye will be wise Merchants, thrifty and happy usurers, part with that which you cannot keep, that you may gain that which ye cannot lose; Which that ye may do, both in preparation of mind, and (when need is) in a charitable abdication, harken to the Duties which God lays upon you. The remoueall of evil must make room for good; First therefore our Apostle would have our hearts cleared of evil dispositions, then settled in good: The evil dispositions that do commonly attend wealth, are Pride and Misconfidence: Against these our Apostle bendeth his charge; That they be not hye-minded; That they trust not in uncertain riches. For the first; It is strange to see how this earthly dross, which is of itself heavy, That they be not hie minded. and therefore naturally sinks downward, should raise up the heart of man; and yet it commonly caries a man up, even to a double pitch of pride, one above others, the other above himself: Above others in contempt, above himself in overweening; The poor and proud is the Wiseman's monster, but the proud and rich are no news: It is against all reason, that metals should make difference of reasonable men, of Christians; for as that wise Lawgiver said, A freeman can be valued at no price: Yet Solomon noted in his time, The rich rules the poor; not the wise: and Siracides in his, The rich speaks proudly, and what fellow is this? and Saint james in his, The man with the gold ring looks to fit highest. And not to cast back our eyes, do ye not see it thus in our times? If a man be but worth a foot-cloth, how big he looks on the inferior passengers? and if he have purchased a little more land, or title than his neighbours, you shall see it in his garb; If he command, it is imperiously, with sirrah, and fellow; If he salute, it is overly, with a surly and silent nod; if he speak, it is oracles; if he walk, it is with a grace; if he control, it is in the kill accent; if he entertain, it is with insolence; and whatsoever he doth, he is not as he was, not as the Pharise says, like other men. He looks upon vulgar men, as if they were made to serve him, and should think themselves happy to be commanded: and if he be crossed a little, he swells like the sea in a storm; Let it be by his equal, he cares more for an affront, then for death, or hell; Let it be by his inferior, (although in a just cause) that man shall be sure to be crushed to death for his presumption: And ala●, when all is done, after these hie terms, all this is but a man, and (God knows) a foolish one too, whom a little earthly trash can affect so deeply. Neither doth this pride raise a man more above others, then above himself; And what wonder is it if he will not know his poor neighbours, which hath forgotten himself? As Saul was changed to another man presently upon his anointing, so are men upon their advancement; and according to our ordinary Proverb, Their good and their blood rises together; Now it may not be taken as it hath been; Other carriage, other fashions are fit for them; Their attire; far, retinue, houses, furniture displease them, new must be had; together with coaches, and lackeys, and all the equipage of greatness: These things (that no man mistake me) I mislike not; they are fit for those that are fit for them. Charity is not straitlaced, but yields much latitude to the lawful use of indifferent things; (although it is one of salomon's vanities, that servants should ride on horseback; and he tells us it becomes not a swine to be ringed with gold) but it is the heart that makes all these evil; when that is puffed up with these windy vanities, & hath learned to borrow that part of the devil's speech, All these things are mine; and can say with him that was turned into a beast, Is not this great Babel that I have built? or with that other pattern of pride, I sit as a Queen, I am, and there is none beside me. Now all these turn into sin. The bush that hangs out, shows what we may look for within; Whither doth the conceit of a little inheritance transport the Gallants of our time? O God, what a world of vanity hast thou reserved us to? I am ashamed to think that the Gospel of Christ should be disgraced with such disguised clients. Are they Christians, or Antics in some Carnevale, or children's puppets that are thus dressed? Pardon, I beseech you, men, brethren, and fathers, this my just and holy impatience, that could never express itself in a more solemn assembly (although I perceive, those whom it most concerns, are not so devout as to be present.) Who can without indignation look upon the prodigies which this mis-imagination produces in that other sex, to the shame of their husbands, the scorn of Religion, the damnation of their own souls? Imagine, one of our forefathers were alive again, and should see one of these his g●y daughters walk in Cheapside before him; what do you think he would think it were? Here is nothing to be seen but a verdingale, a yellow ruff, and a periwig, with perhaps some feather waving in the top; three things for which he could not tell how to find a name: Sure, he could not but stand amazed, to think what new creature the times had yielded since he was a man: & if then he should run before her, to see if by the fore-side he might guess what it were, when his eyes should meet with a powdered frizle, a painted hide shadowed with a fan not more painted, breasts displayed, and a lose lock erring wantonly over her shoulders, betwixt a painted cloth and skin; how would he yet more bless himself to think, what mixture in nature could be guilty of such a monster? Is this (thinks he) the flesh and blood? is this the hair? is this the shape of a woman? or hath nature repent of her work since my days, and begun a new frame? It is no marvel if their forefathers could not know them; God himself that made them, will never acknowledge that face he never made, the hair that he never made theirs, the body that is ashamed of the Maker, the soul that thus disguises the body. Let me therefore say to these dames, as Benet said to Totilaes' servant, Depone, filia, quod portas, quia non est tuum; Lay down that ye wear, it is none of your own. Let me persuade them (for that can work most) that they do all this in their own wrong. All the world knows that no man will rough-cast a marble wall, but mud, or unpolisht rag: That beauty is like truth, never so glorious, as when it goes plainest; that false art, in stead of mending nature, mars it. But if none of our persuasions can prevail. Hear this, ye garish popinjays of our time, if you will not be ashamed to yourselves in this shameless fashion, God shall you with shame and confusion: hear this ye plaister-faced Iezabels, if you will not leave your daubing, and your high washeses, GOD will one day wash them off with fire and brimstone. I grant, it is not wealth alone that is accessary to this pride; there are some that (with the Cynic, or that worse dog, the patched Cistertian) are proud of rags; there are others, that are rich of nothing but , somewhat like to Naziav●cus country of Ozizala, that abounded in flowers, but was barren of come; their are more worth than all the rest; as we use to say of the Elder, that the flower of it is more worth than all the tree beside; but if there be any other causes of our hye-mindednesse, wealth is one, which doth ordinarily lift up our heads above ourselves, above others; and if there be here any of these empty bladders, that are puffed up with the wind of conceit, give me leave to prick them a little; and first, let me tell them they may have much, and be never the better: The chimney over looks all the rest of the house, is it not (for all that) the very basest piece of the building? The very heathen man could observe (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, &c Arist. ) That God gives many a man wealth for their greater mischief: As the Israelites were rich in Quails, but their fawce was such; that famine had been better; little cause had they to be proud that they were fed with meat of Princes, with the bread of Angels, whiles that which they put into their mouths, God fetched out of their nostrils. Haman was proud that he alone was called to the honour of ester's feast: this advancement raised him fifty cubits higher, to a stately gibbet. If your wealth be to any of you an occasion of falling▪ if your gold be turned into fetters, it had been better for you to have lived beggars. Let me tell them next, of the folly of this pride; They are proud of that which is none of theirs. That which law and case-divinity speaks of life, that man is not dominus vitae suae, sed custos, is as true of wealth: Senec. Nature can tell him in the Philosopher, that he is not Dominus, but Colonus, not the Lord, but the Farmer. It is a just observation of Philo, that God only by a propriety is styled the possessor of heaven and earth, by Melchisedech, in his speech to Abraham, Gen. 24. we are only the tenants, and that at the will of the Lord; At the most (if we will as Divines) we have jus adrem, not dominium in rem, right to these earthly things, not Lordship over them; but right of favour from their proprietary, and Lord in heaven, and that liable to an account. Do we not laugh at the groom that is proud of his master's horse, or some vain whiffler, that is proud of a borrowed chain? So ridiculous are we to be puffed up with that, whereof we must needs say, with the poor man, of the hatchet Alas master, it is but borrowed; and whereof our account shall be so much more great, and difficult, as our receipt is more. Hath God therefore laded you with these earthly riches? be ye like unto the full ear of corn, hang down your heads in true humility towards that earth from which you came: And it your stalk be so stiff, that it bears up above the rest of your ridge, look up to heaveh, not in the thoughts of pride, but in the humble vows of thankfulness, and be not hie-minded, but fear. Hitherto of the hye-mindednesse that follows wealth; Now where our pride is, And that they trust not. there will be our confidence: As the wealthy therefore may not be proud of their riches, so they may not trust in them: What is this trust, but the setting of our hearts upon them, the placing of our joy and contentment in them; in a word, the making of them our best friend, our patron, our idol, our god? This the true and jealous God cannot abide; and yet nothing is more ordinary; The rich man's wealth is his strong City, saith Salomon● & where should a man think himself safe, but in his sort? He sees Mammon can do so much, and hears him talk of doing so much more, it is no marvel if he yield to trust him: Mammon is so proud a boaster, that his clients which believe in him cannot choose but be confident of him; For what doth he not brag to do? Silver answers to all, saith Solomon. That we grant; although we would be loath it could answer to truth, to justice, to judgement: But yet more, he vaunts to procure all, to pacify all, to conquer all; He says, he can procure all, secular offices, titles, dignities; yea (I would I might not ●ay in some sacrilegious and perjured wretches) the sacred promotions of the Church: and ye know that old song of the Pope, and his Roman traffic, Claves, Altari●, Christum: Yea foolish Magus makes full account, Keys, Altars, Christ. the Holy Ghost himself may be had for money. He says he can pacify all; A gift in the bosom appeases wrath; yea, he says (look to it ye that sit in the seats of judicature) he can sometimes bribe off sins, and pervert judgement: He says he can overcome all; according to the old Greek verse, Fight with silver lances, and you cannot fail of victory; yea, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. he would make us believe he thought this a bait to catch the Son of God himself withal (All these will I give thee.) briefly he says according to the French Proverb, Silver does all. And let me tell you indeed, what Mammon can do; He can bar the gates of hell to the unconscionable soul, and help his followers to damnation: This he can do; but for other things, howsoever with us men, the foolish Silversmiths may shout out, Great is Mammon of the worldlings: yet if we weigh his power aright, we shall conclude of Mammon (as Paracelsus doth of the Devil) that he is a base and beggarly spirit: For what, I beseech you can he do? Can he make a man honest? can he make him wise? can he make him healthful? Can he give a man to live more merrily, to feed more hearty, to sleep more quietly? Can we buy off the gout, cares, death, much less the pains of another world? nay, doth he not bring all these? Go to then, thou rich man; God is offended with thee, and means to plague thee with disease & death; Now try what thy bags can do; Begin first with God, and see whether thou canst bribe him with thy gifts, Micah. 6. and buy off his displeasure; Wherewith shalt thou come before the Lord, and bow thyself before the high God? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts, Haggai 2. If that speed not, go to the fergeant of God, death; see if thou canst fee him, not to arrest thee; He looks thee sternly in the face, and tells thee with Ehud, he hath a message to thee from God; and bids thee with the Prophet, Set thine house in order, for thou must dye; Yet, if he hear thee not, go to the under-bayliffe of Death, disease, see if he can be wrought to forbear thee; he answers thee with Laban, This thing is proceeded of the Lord, I cannot therefore say to thee evil or good. In sum, Disease will summon thee unto death; death will arrest thee to the judgement seat of God, God will pass his doom upon thee; and in all these, Riches avail not in the day of wrath: And who would be so mad as to trust a friend that he knows will be sure never to fail him, but when he hath most need? Take heed therefore, as ye love your souls, how ye bestow your Trust upon riches; Ye may use them, and serve yourselves of them; yea, ye may enjoy them in a Christian moderation; God will allow it you: That praise which the jesuites College at Granado gives of their SancheZ, Collegium Granatense Praef ad lectorem contin. vitam R.P. Tho. Sanchez. praefix. Operi Morali in praecepta Decal. that (though he lived where they had a very sweet garden) yet he was never seen to touch a flower, and that he would rather dye then eat Salt, or Pepper, or aught that might give relish to his meat; like as that of some other Monks, that they would not see the Sun, not shift their , nor cleanse their teeth, caries in it more superstition and austerity and slovenry, than wit or grace: Wherefore hath God made his creatures but for use? This niggardliness is injurious to the bounty of their Maker; we may use them, we may not trust to them; we may serve ourselves of them, we may not serve them; we may enjoy them, we may not over-ioy in them; so must we be affected to our goods, C. Sol. Apollin. Sidon. Epist. de Theoder. as Theoderic the good King of Aquitaine was with his play, In bonis iactibus tacet, in malis ridet, in neutris irascitur, in utrisque Philosophatur; In good casts he was silent; in ill, merry; in neither angry, a Philosopher in both. But if we will be making our wealth a rival unto God, now the jealousy of God shall burn like fire: this is the way to bring a curse upon our riches, and us; if we lean upon this reed, it shall break, and run into our hand; and he that trusteth in riches, shall fall, Prou. 11.28. Now as the disdainful rival will be sure to cast reproaches upon his base competitor; In uncertain riches. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. so doth God, that we may see how unworthy riches are of our trust, he tells us, they are uncertain, yea uncertainty itself. Were our wealth tied to our life, it were uncertain enough; what is that but a flower, a vapour, a tale, a dream, a shadow, a dream of a shadow, a thought, as nothing? What are great men but like Hailstones, that leap up on the Tiles, and strait fall down again, and lie still, and melt away? But now, as we are certain that our riches determine with our uncertain life (for goods and life are both in a bottom, both are cast away at once;) so we cannot be certain they will hold so long; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Basil in Psal. 61. Our life flies hastily away, but many times our riches have longer wings, and outfly it. It was a witty observation of Basil, that wealth rolls along by a man, like as an heady stream glides by the banks; Time will molder away the very bank it washeth, but the current stays not for that, but speeds forward from one elbow of earth unto another; so doth our wealth, even while we stay, it is gone. In our penal laws, there are more ways to forfeit our goods, than our lives; On our high ways, how many favourable thiefs take the purse, and save life? And generally, our life is the tree, our wealth is the leaves, or fruit; the tree stands still, when the leaves are fall'n, the fruit beaten down; Yea many a one is like the Pinetree, which (they say) if his bark be pulled off, lasts long, else it rots: so doth many a man live the longer for his losses: if therefore life and wealth strive whether is more uncertain, wealth will sure carry it away. job was yesterday the richest man in the East; to day he is so needy, that he is gone into a proverb, As poor as job: Belisarius the great and famous Commander, to whom Rome owed her life twice at least, came to Date obolum Belisario; one halfpenny to Belisarius. What do I instance? This is a point, wherein many of you Citizens that are my Auditors this day, might rather read a lecture unto me; You could tell me how many you have known, reputed in your phrase, good men, which all on the sudden have shut up the shop windows, and broken for thousands; You could reckon up to me a Catalogue of them, whom either casualty of fire, or inundation of waters, or robbery of thiefs, or negligence of servants, or suretyship for friends, or oversight of reckonings, or trusting of customers, or unfaithfulness of Factors, or inexpected falls of markets, or Piracy by Sea, or unskilfulness of a Pilot, or violence of tempests have brought to an hasty poverty; and could tell me that it is in the power of one gale of wind, to make many of you either rich Merchants or beggars. Oh miserable uncertainty of this earthly pelse, that stands upon so many hazards, yea that falls under them! who would trust it? who can dote upon it? what madness is it in those men, which (as Menot says) like unto hunters, that kill an horse of price, in the pursuit of an Hare worth nothing: endanger, yea cast away their souls upon this worthless and sickle trash? Glasses are pleasing vessels, yet because of their brittleness, who esteems them precious? All Salomons state was not comparable to one Tulip: his royal Crown was not like the Crown Imperial of our Gardens; and yet because these are but flowers, whose destiny is fading and burning, we regard them thereafter; No wise man bestows much cost in painting mud-wals. What mean we (my beloved) to spend our lives and hearts upon these perishing treasures? It was a wise meditation of Nazianzen to his Asterius; that good is to no purpose, if it continue not; yea there is no pleasant thing in the world, saith he, that hath so much joy in the welcome, as it hath sorrow in the farewell: Look therefore upon these heaps, O ye Citizens, with careless eyes, as those things whose parting is certain, whose stay is uncertain, and say with that worthy Father, By all my wealth, and glory, and greatness, this alone have I gained, that I had something to which I might prefer my Saviour. And know, that as Abraham, whiles he was in his own country (it is Cyrils note) had never God appearing to him, save only to bid him go forth: but after, when he was gone forth, had frequent visions of his Maker; So whiles in our affections we remain here below in our Coffers, we cannot have the comfortable assurances of the presence of God, but if we can abandon the love and trust of these earthly things, in the conscience of our obedience, now God shall appear to us, and speak peace to our souls, and never shall we find cause to repent us of the change. Let me therefore conclude this point with that divine charge of our Saviour, Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doc corrupt, and thiefs break thorough and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven. Thus much of the Negative part of our charge; Wherein we have dwelled so long, that we may scarce sojourn in the other. But (trust) in God. Trust not, but Trust; The heart of man is so conscious of his own weakness, that it will not go without a prop; and better a weak stay than none at all; Like as in matter of policy, the very state of Tyranny is preferred to the want of a King; The same breath therefore that withdraws one refuge from us, substitutes a better; and in stead of Riches, which is the false god of the world, commends to us the true and living God of heaven and earth; Even as some good Carpenter raises up the studs, and in stead of a rotten groundsel, lays a sound; The same trust than must we give to God, which we may not give to riches: The object only is changed, the act is not changed. Him must we esteem above all things, to him must we look up in all, on him must we depend for all both protection; and provision; from his goodness and mercy must we acknowledge all, and in him must we delight with contempt of all; and this is to Trust in God. It was a sweet dirty of the Psalmist, which we must all learn to sing, Bonum est confidere in Domino, It is good to trust in the Lord: Good, in respect of him, and good for us. For him, It is one of the best pieces of glory to be trusted to as, with us, joseph holds, Potiphar cannot do him a greater honour, then in trusting him with all; And his glory is so precious, that he cannot part with that to any creature; all other things he imparts willingly, and reserves nothing to himself but this: Being, life, knowledge, happiness, are such blessings, as are eminently, originally essentially in God, and yet, Being he gives to all things, Life to many Knowledge to some kinds of creatures, Happiness to some of these kinds: as for Riches, he so gives them to his creature, that he keeps them not at all to himself; but as for his Glory (whereof our trust is a part) he will not endure it communicated to Angel, or man; not to the best ghost in heaven, much less to the dross of the earth; Whence is that curse not without an indignation, Cursed be the man that trusts in man; that maketh flesh his arm, yea or spirit either, besides the God of Spirits; Whom have I in heaven but thee? Herein therefore do we justice to God, when we give him his own, that is, his glory, our confidence. But the greatest good is our own; & God shows much more mercy to us in allowing and enabling us to trust him, than we can do justice in trusting him; For alas, he could in his just judgement glorify himself in our not trusting him, in taking vengeance of us for not glorifying him: Our goodness reaches not to him; but his goodness reaches down to us, in that our hearts are raised up to confidence in him. For, what safety, what unspeakable comfort is there in trusting to God? When our Saviour, in the last words of his Divine Farewell Sermon to his Disciples, would persuade them to confidence, job 16. vlt. he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: and so doth the Angel to Paul in prison; a a word that signifies boldness; implying that our confidence in God, causeth boldness and courage; and what is there in all he world that can work the heart to so comfortable and unconquerable resolution as our reposall upon God? The Lord is my trust, whom then can I fear? In the Lord put I m● trust how say ye then to my soul, Flee hence as a bird to the hills? Yea how oft doth David infer upon this trust a non confundar, I shall not be ashamed? And this case is general, That they that but their trust in the Lord, are as mount Zion that cannot be moved. Faith can remove mountains, but the mountains that are raised on faith are unremovable. Here is a stay for you O ye wealthy & great) worthy of your trust; If ye were Monarches on earth or Angels in heaven, ye could be no way safe but in this trust. How easy is it for him to enrich, or impoverish you, to hoist you unto the seats of honour, or to spurn you down? What mines, what Princes can raise you ●● to wealth, against him, without him? He can bid the winds and Seas favour your vessels, he can bid them sink in a calm. The rich and the poor meet together, God is the maker of both. Pro. 22. Ye may trade, and toil, and cark, and spare, and put up, and cast about and at last sit you down with a sigh of late repentance, and say, Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it; It is in vain to rise early, and lie down late and eat the bread of sorrow. Unto how many of you may I say with the Prophet Haggai, Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, and have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled ye clo●th you, but ye ●e not warm and he that earneth much, puts his gains into a broken 〈◊〉? And whence is all this? Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little when ye brought it home. I did blow upon it, saith the Lord of Hosts. Behold how easy a thing it is for the God of hea● onto blast all your substance; yea not only to diminish but to curse it 〈…〉 and to make you weary of it, and of yourselves. Oh cast your sel●e● 〈…〉 those Almighty hands; Seek him in whom only you shall fi●d 〈…〉 happiness; Honour him with your substance, that hath honoured you with it▪ Tru●● in riches, but trust in God. It is motive enough to your trust, that he is a God; all arguments are in folded in that one; yet this Text gives you certain explicit enforcements of this confidence; Every one of these reasons (implying a secret kind of disdainful comparison betwixt the true God and the false) persuade you to trust in God; Riches are but for this world, the true God is Lord of the other; and begins his glory, where the glory of the world ends: therefore trust in him. Riches are uncertain, the true God is Amen, the first and the last, ever like himself; therefore trust in him. Riches are but a liveless and senseless metal, the true God is a living God, therefore trust in him. Riches are but passives in gift, they cannot bestow so much as themselves, much less ought besides themselves: the true God gives you all things to enjoy, therefore Trust in him: the two latter, because they are more directly stood upon, and now fall into our way, require a further discourse. (Elchai) The living God, is an ancient and usual title to the Almighty; The living. especially when he would disgrace an unworthy rival: As S. Paul in his speech to the Lystrians, opposes to their vain Idols, the living God. Vivo ego, As I live, is the oath of God for this purpose, as Hierom noteth, neither do I remember any thing besides his holiness, and his life that he swears by. When Moses asked God's name, he described himself by I AM. He is, he life's: and nothing is, nothing life's absolutely, but he; all other things by participation from him. In all other things, their life and they are two; but God is his own life, and the life of God is no other than the living God: and because he is his own life, he is eternal; for (as Thomas argues truly against the Gentiles) Nothing ceases to be, but by a separation of life; and nothing can be separated from itself; for every separation is a division of one thing from another; Most justly therefore is he which is absolute, simple, eternal in his being, called the living God: Although, not only the life that he hath in himself, but the life that he gives to his creatures, challengeth a part in this title; A glimpse whereof perhaps the Heathen saw, when they called him jupiter, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) from (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) which signifies to live: In him we live, (saith S. Paul to his Athenians.) As light is from the Sun, so is life from God, (which is the true soul of the world, & more; for without him it could not be so much as a carcase;) and spreads itself into all the animate creatures. Life (we say) is sweet; and so it is indeed; the most excellent and precious thing that is derived from the common influence of God. There is nothing before life, but Being; and Being makes no distinction of things; for that can be nothing that hath no Being: Life makes the first and greatest division: Those creatures therefore which have life, we esteem far beyond those, that have it not, how noble soever otherwise: Those things therefore which have the perfitest life, must needs be the best; Needs than must it follow, that he which is life itself, who is absolute, simple, eternal, the fountain of all that life which is in the world, is most worthy of all the adoration, joy, love, and confidence of our hearts, and of the best improvement of that life which he hath given us. Trust therefore in the living God. Covetousness (the Spirit of God tells us) is Idolatry, or (as our old Translation turns it) worshipping of images. Every stamp or impression in his coin is to the covetous man a very idol: And what madness is there in this idolatry, to dote upon a base creature, and to bestow that life which we have from God, upon a creature that hath no life in itself, and no price but from men? Let me then persuade every soul that hears me this day, as jacob did his household, Gen. 35.2. Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean; and as S. Paul did his Lystrians; Oh turn away from these vanities unto the living God. The last attractive of our trust to God, is his mercy, and liberality; Who gives us 〈◊〉 all things to enjoy. Who gives us richly all things to enjoy. A theme, wherein ye will grant it easy to lose ourselves. First, God not only hath all in himself, but he gives to us. He gives, not somewhat, (though a crust is more than we are worthy of) but all things. And not a little of all, but richly; and all this, not to look on, but to enjoy. Every word would require not a several hour, but a life to meditate of it; and the tongue not of men, but of Angels to express it. It is here with us, as in a throng; we can get neither in nor out; But as we use to say of Cares, so it shall be with our discourse, that the greatness of it shall procure silence; and the more we may say of this head, the less we will say: It shall content us only to top these sheaves, since we cannot stand to thresh them out. Whither can ye turn your eyes to look beside the bounty of God? If ye look upward; His mercy reacheth to the heavens. If downward; The earth is full of his goodness, and so is the broad sea. If ye look about you; What is it that he hath not given us? Air to breathe in, fire to warm us, water to cool us, clothes to cover us, food to nourish us, fruits to refresh us, yea delicates to please us; beasts to serve us, Angels to attend us, heaven to receive us, and which is above all, his own Son to redeem us. Lastly, if ye look into yourselves; Hath he not given us a soul to inform us, senses to inform our soul, faculties to furnish that soul? Understanding, the great surveyor of the secrets of Nature, and Grace; Fantasy and Invention, the master of the works; Memory the great keeper or Master of the rolls of the soul; a power that can make amends for the speed of Time, in causing him to leave behind him those things, which else he would so carry away, as if they had not been: Will, which is the Lord Paramount in the state of the soul, the commander of our actions, the elector of our resolutions: judgement, which is the great Councillor of the will: Affections, which are the servants of them both: a body fit to execute the charge of the soul, so wondrously disposed, as that every part hath best opportunity to his own functions; so qualified with health arising from proportion of humours, that like a watch kept in good tune, it goes right, and is fit to serve the soul, and maintain itself: an estate that yields all due conveniences for both soul, and body; seasonable times, rain, and sunshine; peace in our borders; competency, if not plenty of all commodities, good laws, religious, wise, just Governors, happy and flourishing days; and above all, the liberty of the Gospel. Cast up your books, O ye Citizens, and sum up your receipts, I am deceived, if he that hath least, shall not confess his obligations infinite. There are three things especially wherein ye are beyond others, and must acknowledge yourselves deeper in the Books of God, than the rest of the world; Let the first be the clear deliverance from that woeful judgement of the pestilence. Oh remember those sorrowful times, Above 30000. in one year. when ever month swept away thousands from among you; When a man could not set forth his foot, but into the jaws of death; when piles of carcases were carried to their pits, as dung to the fields; when it was cruelty in the sick to admit visitation, and love was little better than murderous; And by how much more sad and horrible the face of those evil times looked, so much greater proclaim you the mercy of God, in this happy freedom which you now enjoy; that you now throng together into God's House without fear, and breathe in one another's face without danger. The second is, the wonderful plenty of all provisions both spiritual and bodily; You are the Sea, all the Rivers of the land run into you: Of the land? Yea of the whole world; Sea and land conspire to enrich you. The third is, the privilege of careful government; Your Charters as they are large and strong, wherein the favour of Princes hath made exceptions from the general rules of their municipal laws: so your form of administration is excellent, and the execution of justice exemplary, and such as might become the mother City of the whole earth. For all these you have reason to ask, Quid retribuam, with David; What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? and to excite one another unto thankfulness, with that sweet Singer of Israel, O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness! And (as beneficence is a binder) these favours of God call for your confidence: What should you do but ever trust that God, whom you have found so gracious? Let him be your God, be ye his people for ever; and let him make this free and open challenge to you all; If there be any power in heaven, or in earth, that can do more for you then he hath done, let him have your hearts and yourselves. That they do good, and be rich in good works. And thus from that duty we own to God in our confidence, and his beneficence to us, we descend to that beneficence which we own to men, expressed in the variety of four Epithets, Doing good, being rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; all to one sense; all is but beneficence. The Scriptures of God (lest any Atheist should quarrel at this waste, have not one word superfluous; Here is a redoubling of the same words without fault of Tautology; a redoubling of the same sense in diverse words, without idleness. There is fervour in these repetitions, not looseness; as it was wont for this cause to be observed both in Counsels, and acclamations to Princes, how oft the same word was reiterated, that by the frequency they might judge of the vehemence of affection. It were easy to instance in many of this kind, as especially Exodus 25.35. Psalm 89.30. john 1.20. and so many more, as that their mention could not be void of that superfluity which we disclaim. This heap of words therefore shows the vehement intention of his desire of good works, and the important necessity of their performance; and the manner of this expression enforces no less, Charge the rich, that the do good, and be rich in doing good. Hearken then, ye rich men of the world; it is not left arbitrary to you, that you may do good if you will, but it is laid upon you as your charge and duty; You must do good works, and woe be to you if you do not. This is not a counsel, but a precept; Although I might say of God, as we use to say of Princes, his will is his command; The same necessity that there is of Trusting in God, the same is in Doing good to men. Let me sling this stone into the brazen foreheads of our adversaries, which in their shameless challenges of our Religion dare tell the world, we are all for faith, nothing for works, and that we hold works to salvation, as a Parenthesis to a clause, that it may be perfect without them: Heaven and earth shall witness the injustice of this calumniation; and your consciences shall be our compurgators this day, which shall testify to you, both now, and on your deathbeds, that we have taught you there is no less necessity of good works, then if you should be saved by them; and that though you cannot be saved by them, as the meritorious causes of your glory, yet that you cannot be saved without them, as the necessary effects of that grace which brings glory. It is an hard sentence of some Casuists (concerning their fellows) that but a few rich men's Confessors shall be saved; I imagine, for that they daub up their consciences with vntempered mortar, and soothe them up in their sins. Let this be the care of them whom it concerneth; For us, we desire to be faithful to God and you; and tell you roundly what you must trust to; Do good therefore, ye rich, if ever ye look to receive good; if ever ye look to be rich in heaven, be rich in good works upon earth: It is a shame to hear of a rich man that dies, and makes his will of thousands, and bequeathes nothing to pious and charitable uses: God and the poor are no part of his heir; We do not hover over your expiring souls on your deathbeds, as Ravens over a carcase; we do not beg for a Covent, nor fright you with Purgatory, nor chaffer with you, for that invisible treasure of the Church, whereof there is but one Key-keeper at Rome; but we tell you, that the making of friends with this Mammon of unrighteousness, is the way to eternal habitations. They say of Cyrus, that he was wont to say he laid up treasures for himself, whiles he made his friends rich: but we say to you, that you lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, whiles you make the poor your friends upon earth: We tell you there must be a Date, ere there can be a Dabitur; that he which gives to the poor, lends upon use to the Lord; which pays large increase for all he borrows; and how shall he give you the Interest of glory, where he hath not received the Principal of beneficence? How can that man ever look to be God's heir, in the Kingdom of heaven, that gives all away to his earthly heirs, and lends nothing to the God of heaven? As that witty Grecian said of extreme tall men, that they were Cypresse-trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. fair and tall, but fruitless: so may I say of a straithanded rich man; And these Cypresses are not for the Garden of Paradise; none shall ever be planted there but the fruitful: And if the first Paradise had any trees in it only for pleasure, I am sure the second, which is in the midst of the new jerusalem, shall have no tree that bears not twelve fruits, Reu. 22.2. yea whose very leaves are not beneficial. Do good therefore, O ye rich, and show your wealth to be, not in having, but in doing good. And if God have put this holy resolution into any of your hearts, take this with you also, from him; Do not talk, and purpose, and project, but execute; Do not so do good, that we may thank your deathbed for it, and not you: Late beneficence is better than none, but so much as early beneficence is better than late; He that gives not till he dies, shows that he would not give, if he could keep it; And God love's a cheerful giver; That which you give thus, you give it by your Testament, I can scarce say you give it by your will: The good man's praise is Dispersit, dedit: he disperses his goods, not, he left them behind him; and his distribution is seconded with the retribution of God, His righteousness endureth for ever, Psalm, 112.9. Our Saviour tells us that our good works are our light, Let your light so shine, that men may see your good works; which of you lets his light go behind him, and hath it not rather carried before him, that he may see which way it goes, and which way himself goes by it? Do good therefore in your life, that you may have comfort in your death, and a Crown of life after death. Now all this have I spoken, not for that I have aught (as S. Paul says) whereof to accuse my Nation; Blessed be God, as good works have abounded in this age, so this place hath superabounded in good works. Be it spoken to the glory of that God, whose all our good works are, to the honour of the Gospel, to the conviction of that lewd slander of Solifidianisme; London shall vie good works with any City upon earth; This day and your ears are abundant witnesses; As those therefore that by an handful guess at the whole sack, it may please you by this years Brief to judge of the rest; Wherein I do not fear lest Envy itself shall accuse us of a vainglorious ostentation; Those obstreperous benefactors, that (like to Hens which cannot lay an egg, but they must cackle strait) give no alms but with trumpets, lose their thankes with God; Alms should be like oil, which though it swim aloft when it is fall'n, yet makes no noise in the falling; not like water, that still sounds where it lights: But howsoever private beneficence should not be acquainted with both the hands of the giver, but silently expect the reward of him that seethe in secret, yet God should be a great loser, if the public fruits of charity should be smothered in a modest secrecy: To the praise therefore of that good God, which gives us to give, and rewards us for giving, to the example of posterity, to the honour of our Profession, to the encouragement of the well-deserving, and to the shame of our malicious adversaries, hear what this year hath brought forth. Here followeth a brief memorial of the charitable acts of the City this year last passed, etc. And if the season had not hindered, your eyes should have seconded your ears in the comfortable testimony of this beneficence, Euge, etc. Well done, good and faithful servants; Thus should your Profession be graced; thus should the incense of your alms ascend in pillars of holy smoke into the nostrils of God; thus should your talents be turned into Cities: This colour is no other than celestial, and so shall your reward be; Thus should the foundation be laid of that building, whose walls reach up unto heaven, whose roof is finished and laid on, in the heaven of heavens, in that immortality of glory, which the God of all glory, peace, and comfort hath provided for all that love him; Unto the participation whereof, the same God of ours mercifully bring us through the Son of his love, jesus Christ the righteous: to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, one infinite and incomprehensible God, be given all praise, honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. FINIS. THE HONOUR OF THE MARRIED CLERGY, MAINTAINED AGAINST THE MALICIOUS CHALLENGES of C.E. Masse-Priest. OR, THE APOLOGY WRITTEN SOME years since for the Marriage of persons Ecclesiastical, made good against the Cavils of C. E. Pseudo-Catholike Priest. In three Books. BY IOS. HALL.. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, AND MY MOST HONOURED Lord, GEORGE, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan, one of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council. MOST REVEREND FATHER, and no less honoured Lord, IT was my desire and hope, to spend the residue of my Time and thoughts in sweet and sacred Contemplation. Satan envying me this happiness, interrupts me by the malice of an importunate Adversary. Twelve years ago I wrote a little Apologetical Letter for the Marriage of persons Ecclesiastical; and now thus late, when I had almost forgot that I had written it, a moody Mass-priest drops out a tedious and virulent Refutation; thorough my sides striking at the most Honourable, and flourishing Clergy of the whole Christian world; labouring not so much for my disgrace (what would that avail him?) as the dishonour and scorn of our holy Profession, in the eyes of our people. I could contemn it in silence, if the Quarrel were only mine; Now my wrong cannot be distinguished from thousands: God and his Church are engaged in this cause, which in my foil could not but sustain loss; neither may I be now silent with safety, without misconstruction. Let this hand and Tongue be no longer mine, than they may serve my Master in Heaven, and his Spouse on Earth. That which I wrote in some three hours, he hath answered in three quaternions of years; and what I written in three leaves, he hath answered in no fewer Pages than 380. Should I follow him in this proportion; he might after some Centuries of years expect an answer in Tostatus-hydes; whose first word should be, Quis legit haec? Or if my patience would delay my Reply to the just paces of his Answer, this Volume of his would perhaps be vanished into Grocer's shops for waste Paper in thuris piperisue cucullos; and would no more need answer then now it deserveth one. But hearing of the insultation of some Popishly affected, who gloried and triumphed in this ACHILLES pro Catholicis, I addressed myself to the Work, with no little indignation, and no less speed: That my self-conceited Adversary, and his seduced abettors may see how little a well-ordered Marriage is guilty of deadding our spirits, or slacking our hands. At the beginning of this Summer's Progress, when it pleased his sacred Majesty to take notice of this sorry Libel, and to question with me concerning it, I had not so much as read it over, so newly was it come to my hands; ere his happy return, (be it spoken to the only glory of him that enabled me) I had not only finished this Answer, but twice written it over with my own hand; and yet made this but the recreation of the weightier business of my Calling, which now did more than ordinarily urgeme. It was my purpose to have answered (as beseemeth the person à quo, not ad quem) mildly, according to my known disposition: but upon better deliberation, I found the insolency of my Refuter such, that I could not favour him, and not be cruel to my cause. If therefore for many (it is his own art and word) railative Pages, he receive from my unwilling and enforced Pen now and then, though not a Relative to such an Antecedent, yet perhaps some drop of sharper Vinegar, than my Ink useth to be tempered withal, he may forgive me, and must thank himself: What needed this cause so furious an Inuective? As if the Kingdom of Heaven, and all Religion consisted in nothing but Maidenhead, or Marriage? Cardinal Bellarmine, when he speaks of the Greek Church, wherein a married Clergy is both allowed and required, Si errerem alium non haberent, ●●cise pax conceleretur, Bell de Cleric. lib. 1. c. 21. shuts up moderately; That if this were all the difference betwixt them, and the Roman Church, they should soon be at peace. If my Refuter had so thought, this had not been his first Controversy: Both estates meet in Heaven. John the Virgin rests in the bosom of married Abraham; This inordinate heat therefore of prosecution rises from faction, not from holy Zeal: Hence it was that my Adversary cunningly singled out this point from many others, ranged in my poor Discourses, as that wherein (Bishop Jewels confession) he might promise to himself the likeliest advantage of Antiquity; and how gloriously doth he vaunt himself in the ostentation of Fathers & Counsels! Which vain flourish how little it avails him, the process shall show; where it shall appear upon what grounds no small piece of Antiquity was partial to Virginity, and overharsh to Marriage, as Beatus Rhenanus, B. Rhenan. Arg. lib. de exhort. Castit. Tertull. a learned and ingenuous Papist confesseth. But this we may boldly say, that if those holy men had outlived the bloody Times, and seen the fearful inconveniences which would (after a settled peace) ensue upon the ambition, or constraint of a denied Continency, they had doubtless changed their note; and with the moderate and wisest spirits of the later times, Aeneas' Silvius. Panormitan. Durandus. Peresius. Montuanu●. Erasmus, etc. Che Coll introductione del matrimonio ac Preti si farelle, i tutti volt assetto l● affetto & amor lor● all moglie, a figli, & per consequenza a●●●casa, & alla patria; onde ces●erebbe la dependenza f●retta ch●l Ordine Clericale ha' con●● sede Apostolica, & tanto sarelbe. Conceder ill matrimonio a Pr●ti, quanto distrug●● la Hietarchia Ecclesiastico, & ridur it Pont. che non fo●se p●u the Vesc●uo ci Roma. Histor. Concil. Trid. pag. 662. Troppo f●ste, troppo teste, troppo tempeste. Vid. Dall●ngt. obseru. upon Guicciard. Doctor Mart. against Pr. Marr. pleaded for that liberty which the Reformed Church now enjoyeth. The universal concession whereof (after the private Suffrages of worthy Authors) came to a public treaty in the Roman Church, amidst the throng of their late Tridentine Council, and it is worth the while to observe on what grounds it received a repulse. If Priests should be allowed Marriage (say those wily Jtalians) it would follow that they would cast their affections on their Wives and Children, and consequently on their Families, and Countries, whereupon would cease that straight dependence, which the Clergy hath upon the See Apostolic; In so much as to grant their Marriages, were as much as to destroy the Hierarchy of the Church, and to reduce the Pope within the mere bounds of the Roman Bishopric. This was the plea of the Clergy; their thrifty Laity, (together with them) enemies to the blessing, (or, as they construe it, the curse) of fruitfulness, are wont to plead, Troppo teste: our Gregory Martin of old computes the prejudicial increase that might arise from these Marriages to the Commonwealth. It is not Religion, but wit that now lies in our way. Fond men that dare offer thus to control the wisdom of their Maker, and will be tying the God of Heaven to their rules of state. As it is, no Church in the whole World (except the Roman) stands upon this restraint, whereof the consequences have been so notoriously shameful, that we might well hope, experience would have wrought, if not redress of their courses, yet silence of ours. And surely, if this man had not presumed that (by reason of the long discontinuance of Popery) time had worn out of men's minds the memory of their odious filthiness, he durst not thus boldly have pleaded for their abominable Celibate; The question whereof, after all busy discussions, and pretences of age, must be resolved into no other than this, How fare the Tradition of a particular Church is worthy to prevail against Scripture: yea, and against other Churches. A point, which a very weak judgement will be able to determine. In this return of my Defence, I do neither answer every idle clause, nor omit any essential: this length of mine is no less forced than mine Adversary's Continency: wherein yet my Reader shall not sigh under an irksome loquacity: I presume to dedicate this unworthy labour to your Grace, whom this famous Church daily blesseth, as her wise, faithful, and vigilant Overseer, as a renowned Pattern of holy Virginity, and Patron of holy Marriage. The God of Heaven (whose watch you carefully keep) preserve you long to his Church; and make us long happy in your Grace, and you ever happy in his plentiful blessings. Such shall ever be the Prayers of Your Grace's most humbly devoted, IOS. HALL.. THE ANSWER TO THE ADVERTISEMENT. THE man gins with a threat; I may not but tremble; He frights me with an universal Detection of my errors. It is almost as easy to find faults, as to make them. Perhaps the Time had been as well spent in tossing of his Beads: How happy a man am I that shall see all my oversights? My comfort is, that if my Tree were fruitless, there would be no stone thrown at it. In the mean while, how well doth the title of a Detector become him that hides himself? If he be not afraid or ashamed of his cause, let his name be known, that his victories may be recorded. It is an injurious and base advantage to strike and hide; and after a pitched Duel to gall a fixed Adversary out of loopholes. If his person be upon some treasonable act obnoxious, it is hard if some of his names be not free: But if I must needs be matched with the shadow of a Libeler, I will so take him, as he deciphers himself: C. E. Cavillator Egregius; and under this true style of his, am ready to encounter him, and do here bid Defiance to an insolent, and unjust adversary: And first, let me tell my Caviller, this order is preposterous. If all my errors be at the mouth of the Press, how is it that two or three of them are thus suffered to outrun their fellows? Was his malice so big with these, that it could not stay the time of the common delivery? Needs must they be notorious falsehoods, that are thus singled out from the rest. Let them appear in their own shapes, ugly, (doubtless) and prodigious. The first is, Ex Decad. Ep. 3. Epist 5. Reckoned out of Pappus his Enumeration; My peace of Rome makes up 103. That most shameless assertion that Bellarmine under his own hand acknowledges, 237. Contrarieties of Doctrine amongst his Catholics. Can the man but have patience, he should find above three hundred: What says my Detector to this? He hath not seen the severals, yet (like a brave man at Arms) he professes to kill his enemy ere he can appear; and tells us those 237 Contrarieties, are nothing but 237 lies in one assertion. That there are in them so many untruths I easily grant; for in Contradictions one part must needs be false; And Truth is but single: They are untruths then, (lies are too broad a word) but their own. My assertion shall only justify that they are told; let him take care for the rest: Object. But they are not in points belonging to Faith and Religion, only in matters undecided, and disputable: The sequel shall try that shift; Why do we forestall our Reader? Sol. Who knows not that there cannot be so many points fundamental? Let him take them as they are, I aggravate nothing; It is but only in such light chaff, as this; In the number and extent of Books Canonical, wherein Driedo, Erasmus, Genebrard, Caietan, Sixtus Senensis, are acknowledged to oppose the rest; In the Pope's infallibility of judgement, wherein Gerson, Almaigne, Pope Adrian, Eckius, Hosius, Pichius, Waldensis, are at quarrel; In the reach and original of spiritual jurisdiction, wherein Abulensis, Turrecremata, Fran. à Victoria, Alphonsus de Castro, etc. proclaim to differ: what should I instance in more? It is but in the Pope's power in Temporalities, in the inerrablenesse of Counsels, whether particular, confirmed by the Pope, or General; in the authority of Counsels above Popes, in the force of Vows, in the worship due to Images, and the like. These and such other are the slight Trifles (since all cannot be weighty) impertinent to faith, wherein the Romish Doctors . Neither doth my assertion of their discord gall him more, then of our Unity: O the forehead of Heretics! I said that we in our Church differ only in Ceremonies, they in substance. Let him give leave to the contra-division of these two, and I will take leave to maintain the indivision of the Church of England, in the dogmatic points of Faith. This boldness, together with my eminent ignorance, makes him admire the scarcity of learned men in our Country, that could find no better Doctors to send to Dort-Conference then Master HALL.. To your grief, Sir, it was a Synod, and that noble and celebrious; Neither was it out of want that your silly Adversary was sent thither. This happy Island (which hath no blemish but that it yields such Vipers as yourself) abounds (as you too well know) with store of incomparable Divines; such as may set your Rome to school. So as the Messenger of Pyrrhus long since called your Italy, a Country of Kings, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. and Egypt was wont to be called the Country of Physicians: so may this blessed Island of ours justly merit the title of The Region of DIVINES. For me, I can be content to be base enough in mine own eyes, but if my disparagement shall redound to my betters, I dare tell him it is my comfort, that I was sent thither by a judgement no less infallible, then of Paul the Fift. Let himself or any of his Eaves-dropping companions (to whom that place stood open) say wherein I shamed those that sent me. It was my just grief that the necessity of my health, Necessitate propellente proditie est ea tacere quae quis flu●●●e perfecerit. Chrysost. in ill.: utinam toter assetis, etc. yea of my life, called me off immaturely: but since either death or departure must be yielded to, others shall judge whether I went away more laden with infirmity, than (however unworthy) with approbation. But that second lie of mine is so loud, that all my Brethren of Dort must hear it, and they which were lately the Witnesses of my sincerity (gracing me with the dear Testimony of their approof) are now made the judges of my impudency. What monster of falsehood will come forth? In my censure of Travel, glancing at the jesuitical brag of their Indian Miracles (whereat their very friends make sport) I charge Cardinal Bellarmine for an avoucher of these Cozenages, who dares aver that his fellow Xavier, not only healed the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind, but raised the Dead, to which I add (whiles his Brother Acosta, after many years spent in those parts, can pull him by the sleeve, and tell him in his ear, so loud that all the World may hear, Prodigia nulla producimus.) This is my Indictment; Let me come to my Trial: Cast me, if ye can, ye reverend heads; I crave no favour. Where lies this so lewd lie, and malicious abuse? That Bellarmine says thus of the jesuite Xavier, is not denied; That Acosta says thus of himself, and his fellow jesuites, is granted; The first lie yet is, Acosta was never in the East-Indies at all, nor Xavier in the West; and how then could Acosta spend many years in those parts? A perilous Plea! Who ever, I beseech you, mentioned either East or West? I spoke of the Indies in common; Bell de notis Eccles. l. 4. c. 14. so did his Bellarmine, from whom I cited this, Claruit etiam in Indiis omni genere miraculorum, etc. Here is not one of the Indies mentioned, but both or either; If both lived in the Indies, though not in one Town, in one Country, in one Indie; wherein have I offended; whiles speaking of the Indies in general, I said that Xavier and Acosta lived there? Yet this is one lie (he saith) and that so long a one, as that it reacheth as fare as it is from the East to the West, from the Arctic to the Antarctick Pole; wherein I doubt not but your reverences will easily mark the skill of this learned Cosmographer. Some parts of those instanced Indieses differ not so fare; not to speak of the small strait of Anian; the mentioned Region of Mexico is not above fourscore degrees from japan: Either your construction must favour him, or else this must go into the Book of oversights. The second lie is, that Acosta pulled Bellarmine by the sleeve in this assertion, as if he denied those Eastern Miracles, which he elsewhere confesseth. Indeed, this sauciness were dangerous: The red Hat (you say) is fellow to a Crown. But shall I confess where I erred? My dull head could not conceive that God should be the God of the Mountains, and not of the Valleys; Of the East Indies, not of the West; and yet be the jesuits' God in both: Especially, since the reason that joseph Acosta fetches from the persons (which should be the subject of those Wonders) holds as equally for both Indies, Ios. Acosta l 2. de s●l. Ind. c. 9 as an Almanac made for the Meridian of one City, serveth the Neighbours. Hitherto than the Prologue of my infamous falsehoods, such, as if all my Writings could have afforded any equally heinous, these had never been chosen out to grace the front of his Detection; There must needs be much terror in the sequel. The rest of this storm falls upon our learned Professor, D. Collins; one of the prime ornaments of our Cambridge; the partnership of whose unjust disgrace doth not a little hearten my unworthiness. The world knows the eminency of that man's Learning, Wit, judgement, Eloquence; His works praise him enough in the Gate; Yet this Malapert Corner-creeper doth so basely vilify him, for ignorance, silliness, prattling, rusticity, lying, as if in these only he were matchless. Indeed whom doth the aspersion of that foul hand forbear? Vilium est hominum alios viles facere? I appeal to all the Tribunals of Learning thorough the World, whether all Douai have yielded aught comparable to that man's Pen: whether he have not so * This Book of Doctor Coll. C. E falsely insinuateth to have been suppressed. All Stationer's shops can convince him of a lie: Nothing ever fell from that learned hand, without applause. conjured down his Caco-Daemon joannes, that he never dares to look back into the light again; whether his Ephatha be not so powerful, that if his Adversary were any otherwise deaf then the block which he worships, it might open his ear to the Truth. It anger's C.E. to hear that Kings should not dye, or perhaps, that they whose heads are anointed, should dye by any other then anointed fingers; The sentence of his Cardinal and jesuites both de facto, and de jure, of deposing and murdering Kings, is now beside our way; Only we may read afar off in capital Letters, Arise, Peter, kill and eat: He knows the word, with shame enough. I will not so much wrong that worthy Provost, as to anticipate his quarrel; rather I leave the superfluity of this malice to the scourge of that abler hand; from whom I doubt not but C. E. shall smart and bleed so well, that he may spare the labour of making himself his own Whipping-stocke on Good-Friday. THE HONOUR OF THE MARRIED CLERGY maintained, etc. The first Book. SECT. I. NEither my Charity, nor my Leisure, nor my Readers Patience, will allow me to follow my Detector in all his Extravagancies, nor to change idle words of Contumely with a Babbler. Declarationes ambitiosorum o era, ot●●orum cihi sunt Scal. Exer. His twelve first Pages, are but the light froth of an impotent Anger; wherein he accuseth my bitterness, and professeth his own. For me I appeal unto all eyes; if my Pen have been sometimes zealous, it was never intemperate: Neither can he make me believe, that my Passions need to appear to my shame, in calling Rome Prostitute, or himself shameless; Prostituta illa Civitas. or in citing from the Quodlibet of his own Catholic Priests, the Art of his jesuites, in a ●he particulars of this history he shall receive in due place. Drurying of young Heirs. There is neither Slander, nor Shame in Truth. For himself, he confesseth to have sharpened his Pen, and to have dipped it (perhaps too deep) in Gall: But where his Ink is too thick, he shall give me leave to put a little Vinegar to it, that it may flow the better. In the mean time he shall go away with this glory, That a fouler Mouth hath seldom ever wiped itself upon clean Paper. After those waste flourishes, his thirteenth page gins to strike; Refut. p. 13. wherein he chargeth me with odious baseness, and insufficiency, in borrowing all my proofs from Bellarmine's Objections, dissembling their Solutions. The Man were hard driven, that would go to borrow of an Enemy. If all my proofs be fore-alledged and fore-answered by his Bellarmine; to what purpose hath this Trifler blurred so much Paper? There (he saith) shall the Reader see all my Scriptures answered, the Doctrine of Devils explicated; there, that other, Let him be the Husband of one Wife, and, Marriage is honourable: Answered indeed; but as he said (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) answerlessely. Such clear Beams of Truth shine in the face of these Scriptures, that all the Cobweb Vayles of a jesuites subtlety cannot obscure them. Their very Citation confutes their Answer. And where had we this Law, That if a jesuite have once meddled with a Scripture, all Pens, all Tongues are barred from ever alleging it? If Satan have mis-cited the Psalm (He shall give his Angels charge over thee) for Temptation, may not we make use of it, for the comfort of Protection? Briefly, let my Caviller know, that it is not the frivolous illusion of any shuffling jesuite, that can drive us from the firm Bulwark of the holy Scriptures. In this, they are clearly ours, after all pretences of Solution (as he shall well feel in the Sequel) and shall secure us against all humane Opposition. Before the disquisition whereof, somewhat of must force be premised, concerning the state of our Question. SECT. II. WHere, that all Readers may see, how learnedly my wise Adversary hath mistaken me, and himself; I must tell my Detector, That all his tedious Discourse sits beside the Cushion: Refut. p. 12. For thus he writes of my Epistle (so as his whole Scope is to disprove the single life of Catholic Priests, and thereby to oppugn our Doctrine in that behalf) upon which conceit, he runs into a large proof of the strong Obligation of Vows, the necessity of their Observation, the penalty and danger of their Violation, the praise of Virginity, the possibility of keeping it; and upon this very ground builds he the tottering wall of his whole ensuing Confutation: insomuch, as (pag. 130) he says, That Marriage all times, without contrary Injunction, was lawful, is not denied; nor will it be proved in haste, That Priests, or such as had vowed the contrary, might use that liberty: and we say not, that Virginity is violently to be opposed on any, for it cometh by free election; but where the Vow is free, the Transgression is damnable. Thus he. Now let all indifferent eyes see, whether the only drift of mine Epistle be not to justify our Marriages, not to improve their Singleness; to defend the lawfulness of the Marriage of our Clergy, not to justify the Marriages of the Romish; to plead for the marriage of our ecclesiastics, not of Popish Votaries. In express terms, I dis-avowed it. The intervention of a Vow makes a new state. Let Baal plead for himself. What is it to me, if the Romish Clergy may not be Husbands? or if, according to the French Proverb, they have a Law not to marry, and a Custom not to live chaste? Let it be their care whom it concerns; only I will have leave to speak for our own. Neither did I ever derogate aught from sacred Virginity, or lay it level (whether absolutely, or in all circumstances) with holy Matrimony; neither did I ever conceive of an impossibility of Continence in some persons: Take away these three Grounds, (which I utterly disclaim before God and Men) together with his petulant Rail, and idle Excursions; and what is become of the Volume of my great Adversaries? Those three vast Paragraphes are shrunk into so few sheets of Paper, that a Mouse may as soon run away with his Book, as with his god. My Masters of Douai, if ye be the Superiors, under whose permission this worthy Work sees the light; for shame keep up your lavish Unthrifts of good time, and send us such Antagonists, as may not fain Occasions to empty their Note-Bookes. One dash of a Pen might thus justly answer the most part of his bloughtie Volume; wherein, like a drunken Man, he makes a fray with his own shadow, and like an idle Whelp, runs about after his own Stern. But, that he may not complain to be cast off too contemptuously, he shall receive a fair account of Particulars. SECT. III. THe Theme of my Epistle is plainly no other, than our Marriage censured, he answers, of Theirs. I would there were such cause of familiarity and entireness, that what is said of one, might agree to both: But the world knows we are two. If I say our Clergy is hearty loyal to their King; will he strait take it of theirs? If, that our Clergy is willingly subject to more than the directive Power of their Sovereign, will he challenge this to theirs? The very Point which I purposely declined, he follows in hot chase. Even moderate Papists (they are the words of my Epistle) will grant us free, because not bound by Vow, not so fare as those old Germans proposse & nosse: And yet all my Detectors' refutation still drives at the supposition of a Vow. What have we to do with Votaries? Our Clergy is free, whether as Clergy, or as ours: First, as persons Ecclesiastical (quà tales:) For holy Orders, whether as orders, or as holy, are no hindrances of Matrimony, as Cardinal Cajetan truly, and with him, the whole School. That which may be pretended for Impediment, is either a Vow annexed, or an Ecclesiastical Statute. b Ordinasacro debitum Continentiae non est essentialiter annexum. l. om. So●o l. 7. q. 4. de jure & Instit. As for the Vow, it is so fare from being essential to holy Orders, as that it is made by c Vide Caietan. Opus de Castit. Act. Conc. Trid. Alia est c. ●sa Monac●i, alia Cleric. Extr. de Vo●, &c Plu●a●●fi●endo promittit M●nachus, quàm ●e●pie●cto sa●●m ordinem ●●c●cus. some learned Papists a difference betwixt the Obligation of their Religious, and their Priests, That their Religious are bound by a solemn Vow to single life in the very intrinsical nature of their Profession; their Priests only by a Church Constitution, without Vow. And those that go further with their famous Cardinal, and teach, That it is expressly forbidden to Bishops, to ordain any, without the promise of single life, ground this but upon an Epistle of Pope Gregory d Dist. 28. Greg. Petr. Diaco. l. 1. ep. 42. Caiet. ubi. s●pra Polyd. Virg. etc. , a late and weak foundation; and besides hold, that their Vow is but semi-solemne, and accidentally incident into this Profession: for so much as here is neither a direct Exhibition of the Body to this purpose in the Offerer, nor a direct Consecration to this end in the Admitter, both which make up the solemnity of the vow: upon which reason, according to them, a Religious Order, because it yields over the Body unto an estate repugnant to Matrimony, doth of itself, in it own nature, both hinder Marriage, and nullify it; not so the Ecclesiastical. To which we may add, That according to their own e Meldena●. sum q. 15. art. 27. Item Voti sciennitas ex soli const●●tione Ecclesiae est inventa, Matrimonij vero vinculum ab ipso Ecclesiae capite rerum omnium conditore, etc. Extra. Item, vinculum voti solennis, & solutio eius est ex statuto Ecclesiae. Antonin. Simplex votum apud Deum non mirtùs obligat quâm solemn. Celestina. extr. qui Clereci, etc. Doctors, Solemnity and Simplicity make no difference of the Vow before God, though before the Church. A distinction too slight, too newly upstart, to overturn an ancient and well grounded Institution. Neither need we any better, or other proof of the inconnexion of this Vow with holy Orders, then that of their own Dominicus à Soto, f Non est de essentia Sacerdotis seruare castitatem quandoquidem. Graeci etiam ab Ecclesia Latin● permittuntur in coniugij foedere perma●ere. Dom. Sot. l. 7. de jure. q. 4. P. Venetus. Brocard. Lud. Vertomannus jos. Indus, of the Christians in India and Cathaia, etc. Non si quid Turbida Roma elevet, accedas. Pers. Non est de essentia Sacerdotis, etc. It is not of the essence of a Priest (saith he) to keep single; for that the Grecian Clergy are permitted even by the Roman Church to continue in the estate of Marriage. What can be more clear? If there were a necessary and inseparable connexion of a vowed Continency, with holy Orders, than would not, neither could the Roman Church acknowledge a true Priesthood, where it finds conjugal Society. Their act of allowance to the Greek Church, implies a fair independency of these two, which some of their clamorous Clients plead to have indivisibly coupled. So as now all the strength of this necessary Celibate is resolved into the power of a Church statute; and of what Church, but the Roman? All other Churches in the World, as of Armenia, Grecia, Syria, Ethiopia, Russia, the Georgians, etc. allow the conjunction of Ministry, and Marriage; and are so fare from requiring a Vow of necessary Continency, that they rather erroneously prerequire a necessity of Marriage in the persons to be ordained. It is only the Church of g Ecclesiae statuto, nec universalis, sed Latinae. Espenc. l. 1. de Cont. c. 13. Id circo cum summus Pontifex possit at libitum. etc. Caiet. Opus. de Castitate. Dubia causae. Rome, the great and imperious Mistress of the World, that imposes the yoke of this vow upon her Vassals. Imposes it, but ad libitum; so as her great Paramour (in whose vast Bosom that whole Church lies) may dispense with it as he lists. Hear that irrefutable discourse of Cardinal Caietan: His words bear weight, and are not unworthy the eyes of my Reader. Therefore (saith he) since the Pope may at his pleasure lose the Bond of that Statute, it follows necessarily, that if a Priest of the Western Church shall marry by the Pope's leave, without any reasonable cause, that such Marriage of his is a true Marriage, and the parties married are true Husband and Wife, and their Issue truly legitimate; although in so marrying, both the parties should sinne mortally, in doing this act against the Vow of Chastity, without a reasonable, or at least a probable cause of their so licensing; and consequently, neither should the Pope himself be excused from mortal sin: But if there be any reasonable cause of dispensing with this vow of Chastity; then the party thus marrying, and dispensed with, may both safely marry, and live in Marriage. And hereupon it appears, That since a reasonable cause of dispensing with this Vow of Chastity, may be not only the public Utility, whether Civil or Ecclesiastical, but any other greater good than the observing of that Chastity; it justly follows, that the Pope not only may, but with a safe Conscience may dispense with a Priest of the Western (or Roman) Church, that he may marry; even besides the cause of a public benefit. And therefore the determination of some hath been too presumptuous in affirming, That absolutely and without such cause the Pope cannot dispense: whereas (as we have showed) the Pope may do it without any cause, though in so doing he should sinne; and with any reasonable cause, without sin: and in both, the Matrimony stands firm. Thus he. Words that need neither Paraphrase, nor Enforcement. And how h Sedes clementissima quae nulli deesse cons●euit, dummodo albi aliquid vel rubei intercedat. Matth. Paris. Alius abusus est in dispensationibus cum Constitutis in Sacr. Ord. etc. usual the practice of this Dispensation hath been (that we may not rest only in Speculation) appears enough by the ingenious complaint of their i Concil. Select. Card. Si Sacerdotes non maturâ deliberatione se astrinxerunt, videat Rom. Pont. qui circa haec solet dispensare quid sit agendum in particularibus: Mart. Perefius, etc. selected Cardinals, to Paul the third. Who cry down the abuse of these over-frequent Grants, which they would not have yielded, but upon public and weighty Causes; especially (say they) in these Times, wherein the Lutherans urge this matter with so much vehemence. Neither is it long since our kind Apostate M. Carier gave us here in England, (from bigger Men than himself) an overture of the likelihood of this liberal Dispensation, from his holy Father of Rome, upon the conditions of our re-subiection. Would we therefore but stoop to kiss the Carbuncle of that sacred Toe, our Clergy might as well consist with holy Wedlock, as the Grecian. Oh, the gross mockery of Souls, not more ignorant, then credulous! Will his Holiness dispense with us for our sin? We can be dispensed with at home for his dispensation. It is their Sorrow, that the World is grown wiser, and finds Heaven no less near to Dover-cliffe, then to the Seven-hills. And ere we leave this point, it is very considerable, what may be a reasonable cause of this Dispensation: For those very k His votis afirictus, non potest Matrimonium absque Dispensatine i●ire, quamuis vebementissimis carnis stimulis urgeatur, etc. Sanch. l. 7. de Matr. Imped. Disp. 11. Authoritas superioris dispensantis expectanda est. Communis illa regula Doctorum & nominatim Caietani, nimirum quando ei qui vovit, conflat aliquid esse melius praeteritá voti materia, posse propriâ authoritate recedere. Sanch. de Matr. l. 7. de Impedim. Disp. jesuites, which hold the power of this Vow such, That the vehementest tentations and foils of the flesh may not be relieved with an arbitrary Matrimony, since the matter of this Vow is so important, and caries so much danger in the violation, as that it is not to be left to the power of a private judgement (though morally certain) whether Matrimony (all things considered) be in this particular expedient (for that may be fit for a man as a singular person, which is not fit for him as part of the community) yet they grant, that this extreme perplexedness and violence of carnal motions, is a just cause of dispensation. What need we more? Though some l Angel. Matr. 3. Jmped. 5. in fine vera cruz. 1. part. spec. art. 15. Casuists be more favourable, and grant that in such cases, we may not only allow, but persuade Matrimony to the perplexed Votary: As Cardinal m Aen. Syl. Epist. 307. So Benedict. 12. gave Dispensation to Petrarch. Archdeacon of Parma, to marry his Laura (too near him in blood, as it is thought) and ex uberiore gratiae, that he should keep all his Promotions, and receive yet more, on co●dion, that the said Benedict might have the use of Petrarches sister, Matth. Parker Defence. of Pr. Marr. ex Fasciculo Temp. & Platina, & vita Petrarchae, etc. Aeneas Silvius (who was never less Pius, then when he was Pius) gives this hearty advice to his friend john Freünd, a Roman Priest, that he should (notwithstanding his Orders) help himself by Marriage; yet the former will serve our turn. If therefore those superiors, which have all lawful and spiritual authority over us, shall have thought good, upon this reasonable cause, to give a generality of dispensation to all such of our Clergy, as shall not, after all careful and serious endeavours, find themselves able to contain; allowing them by these lawful remedies to quench those impure flames: What can any jesuit or Devil except against this? This is simply the clear case of them whose cause I maintain. And yet further. Put the case this had not been; if without the thought of any Romish Dispensation, the n Occidentalis (non Orientalis) Ecclesia castitatis obtulit votum. in Dist. 31. Eastern Church never held it needful to require the Vow of single life in the Ministers of the Altar, (they know the words of their own Gloss) why should not our Church challenge the same immunity; for (that from the general consideration of ecclesiastics, as such, we may turn our eyes to our Ecclesiastiques in special) no Church under heaven kept itself more free from the bondage of those tyrannous Impositions? The o Vid. postea Epist. Girard. Eboracens. Arch. ad Anselm. Huntingd. Fabian. Polidor. Virgil. vid. post. lib. 3. Clergy of this Island, from the beginning; never offered any such vow, the Bishops never required it, for more (if any credit be due to Histories) than a thousand years after Christ. The great Champion of Rome, Master Harding, was driven to say, They did it by a beck, if not by a Dieu-gard, but could never prove it done by either. Neither is it more worth my Readers note, than my Adversary's indignation, that the wise Providence of God so pleased to contrive it of old, as that from the beginning of the first conversion of this happy Island, it rather conspired with the Greek Church, then with the Roman; After the Grecian account we kept our Easter, insomuch, as Beda tells us, that Pope john the fourth (about the year 637.) was fain to require of the English, that they would keep their Pasch after the Roman fashion; a difference (as it was then taken) of no small importance. The story of S. Aidanus and Colmannus, may be herein an abundant witness: And for the Britan's, Beda left them in the Close, both of his Life and History; fast to Greece, lose from Rome. After the Grecian form we celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism. After the Grecian Liberty we continued the Marriages of persons Ecclesiastical (through so many Centuries of years) without the scandal, without the contradiction of the Christian World; so as now we are but repossessed of the ancient right of our Forefathers, which the interposition of the Romish tyranny, for a while, injuriously debarred. Our Adversaries have wont to brand us for the uncharitable censures of our Forefathers, and can they think the successions of many Generations so faithless, that they made solemn Vows, for no other purpose, but only to break them? It was the question of the rich and precious jewel of England, to which his Hardy Adversary had never the face to reply. My Refuters' forehead is stronger, with a weaker wit; Let him try here the power of his audacity. And if the Church of this Island, in the days of her forced servitude to the Roman See, maintained this liberty (as we prove in the sequel) and derived it to Posterity, how much more free shall it be for us to renew and enjoy it, after the just excussion of that servile yoke? Let now C. E. go waste good hours, and mar clean Paper in disproving the Marriage of Romish Votaries; and in the mean time come as near my Question, as Thames is to Tiber: What is this but to mock the Reader, and abuse himself? How much wiser is he grown in the process of his discourse, where he grants our Marriage, and denies our Clergy? from which weak and witless Hold, if we beat him not in the due place, we suffer not enough from that rude Hand. SECT. FOUR Having then hitherto detected no error, no ignorance but his own; Refut. p. 17. he now descends to untruths, and finds here so many mistake, lies, falsifications, that a Reader would wonder by what Art I could couch so many of them in so small a room; and might verily think that I could out-ly the Legends, and out-iuggle a jesuit. But ere I have done, these shall appear to be but the fictions of a passionate fugitive, the Man shall be cooler, I shall be innocent, and my Reader shall say, that if that forehead had not been so oft crossed it could not have had so little shame. My first untruth is, that I avouch Saint Paul to call the single life of Priests, A Doctrine of Devils. Reader, Is my Detector awake? I said, That to maintain the unlawfulness of the Marriage of the Minister of God, is, according to Saint Paul, A Doctrine of Devils; and now he would persuade the World, I said thus of the single life of his Priests. What can we make of this? That single life is a Doctrine? If not truth, yet let him learn to speak sense. But that he may not always refute what I never affirmed; I must guess at what he meant: He would elude this charge, with that stolen shift, worn out with the Pens of his Predecessors, that Saint Paul is to be understood according to Theodoret, of those which call Marriage execrable: Nuptias execrabile. according to Saint Austin, that say, Marriage is evil, and of the Devils making: according to Clemens Alexandrinus, Of those that abhor Marriage: Of Manichees, and other Heretics, as Ambrose and Epiphanius, from which Catholics are so fare that they approve it for a Sacrament. First, the words of Saint Paul, are (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) forbidding to marry, not condemning Marriage. Then, we know well, what the Tacians, Ebionites, Encratites, Montanists, Marcionites, Manichees, Adamites, and apostolics held of Matrimony. The Apostle brands them here: But what? Them only? Whiles he condemns them, doth he free those that partake with them? The Act is one, Forbiddance of Marriage; whether to some, or to more, or to all, S. Paul expresses not: The number doth not the quality. And if one be a part of all, then to condemn Marriage in some one kind of Men, can it be other than the partaking of an universal condemnation of it? This then only he hath gained, that some others have been deeper in this evil, than themselves. Object. But our Apostle speaks of them which condemn Marriage as evil in itself. Answ. Be ye Holy. All things are clean to the clean. We take what he gives: No man's mouth shall condemn my Refuter, but his own. What was he that accused Marriage of Unholiness, out of Sancti estote; of uncleanness, out of Omnia munda mundis; of Contamination with carnal concupiscence? Was it not his own Pope p Innoc. Exuperio Tolos. Epis. Epist. 3. c. 1. Dist. 82. Proposuisti. Innocentius? Who was he that interpreteth of Marriage, the Text Rom. 8.8. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God, that called the married Man, no less than the Whoremonger, Sectatorem libidinum, Praeceptorem vitiorum; A follower of Lust, a teacher of Vice; that said, Marriage was a losing the reynes to Luxury, an inhiation after obscene lusts? was it not his Pope, q Ead. Dist. c. Plurimos ad. Himerium Tarraca, Epist. ●. Semo●e namque differentiam perversi nominis Connubij, unam eandemque rem effecisti Adulterij & coniugij, Laur. Valla, Canon. Eccl. Later. l. 1. de Volupt. Siricius, the first Founder (if we may believe their now-defaced Gloss) or forced Continency? Who was it that called Marriage a defiling with unclean society, and execrable contagion? Was it not his Council of r Vxorum aut quarumcunque foeminarum immundae societate, & execrabili contagione turpari, Conc. Tol. 8. c. 5. cit. à C.E. p. 231. Toledo? Who was it that called Marriage (Spurcitias immundas) filthy beastliness? Was it not his s Vide Regist. Eccl. Wigorniensis, postea. l 3. Saint Dunstan and Oswald? Let him construe this, and then tell me, what it is (if this be not) to condemn Marriage as t Essendo il matrimonio un stato Carnale: Pleaded in the Council of Trent, Hist. Concil. p. 662. evil. Yet more, his own example shall convince him: He pleads out of Saint Austin, that this text, amongst others, intends to strike at the Manichees; now, the Manichees allowed Marriage to their Auditors, that is (Analogically) their Laity; forbade it to their Electi, that is, their Clergy; So fare approving it in their layick-Clients, that no modest Pen may write u August. de Haeres ad Quod-vult-Deum. whence they fetched their Sacramental Bread: Either then the Manichees must be excluded, or Papists must be taken in for company into this doctrine of Devils. It is true, they miscall Marriage a Sacrament; So as we may well wonder at these two extremes in one doctrine: and study in vain how the same thing should be Sacred in a Ceremonious inchoation, and in the real consummation morally impure; how a Sacrament should be incompatible with a sacred Person: These Sphyngian Riddles are for better Heads: With what Brow then can my Detector add, * Refut. p. 19 That with Saint chrysostom and Saint Austin, they do but compare marriage, they do not condemn it; Only teaching Marriage to be good, Virginity better; with Fulgentius not so comparing Virginity to Corn, that they count Marriage Cockle? In this where should they find an adversary? But if Luxury, Filthiness, Uncleanness, Contagion, Beastliness, Vice, Obscenity, be the styles of good, we can well allow them to the honour of C. Es. Virginity, and are content our Marriages should pass for evil. SECT. V MY second untruth (he saith) is, That I make the single Life of Priests the brand of Antichristianisme. Shameless mouth! Where did I ever say so? My words are; Were it not for this opinion, the Church of Rome would want one evident brand of her Antichristianisme. Refut. p. 19.20. The life is one thing, the opinion another. Single life is good; the opinion of the necessity of single life, and the unlawfulness of the Married, is Antichristian. What can be more plain? yet this wilful slanderer tells the World, that I make the profession of Continence, Antichristian: Whereas we do willingly profess, that true profession of true Continency is truly laudable; that the forceable imposition of it, as necessary to some state of men, savours strongly of that Man of sin: Now, let my Reader judge, whose untruths my Adversary hath hitherto detected. Neither can I ●ate that word of mine, unless I would renounce the Apostle; who seems purposely to decipher our Romanists by these lines: For, having immediately before described the condition of Bishops, and Deacons, with their Wives and Children (allowing them indifferently with others a married estate) he presently (as foreseeing that Point which would be most subject to contradiction) foretells, that the seducing spirits of Antichristianisme would forbid marriage; and this he fore-prophesies shall be done in the latter, or (as their Vulgar and Rhemists turn it) in the last Times; and that by them, which shall speak lies in hypocrisy. Neither of which can so exactly agree to those first Heretics; who, as they were early in time, And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may agree to all the Ages of the Church after Christ, yet most to the last, and that other addition seems to strengthen this sense. so also gross in their Doctrine; wherein there was more open impiety, then secret dissimulation. SECT. VI IN vain therefore doth my Refuter bring in S. Paul, as an a better of his forced Continence; whiles he saith of younger Widows, Refut. p. 21. that When they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry, having damnation, because they have forsaken their first faith. In which place (bolted before to the Bran by many Controversers) mine Adversary hath learned of his Bellarmine, to triumph above measure. This first faith (saith he) all the Fathers, without exception, understand to be a Vow, or Promise, made to God of Continence, in the state of Widowhood. It is a wide word, (All the Fathers) I had thought I had read in holy x L. C. de Trinitate de Beat. t●t. Dei 〈◊〉 Ti●●oph●lum. Et instrumenta libertatu semel concessa per iterationem infirmat●●. Athanasius, Vae vobis qui primam fidem baptismi coelitus institutam irritam facitis; Woe to you that make void the first faith of Baptism ordained from heaven. I had thought y Non sunt digni fide, qui primam fidem Baptismi irritam secerunt. Marcionem loquor & Basilidem. Hier. Prooem. in Epist. ad Tit. Hierome had somewhere said, They are not worthy of belief, which have voided their first belief, Martion I mean and B●silides; whom yet I never found condemned for the breach of any Vow of Continence. I had thought, the Author of the Interlinear Gloss, would not have crossed all the Fathers, in expounding it, Fidem baptismi; The faith of Baptism, which is indeed the first Faith; and the Apostle saith (the first) not (the former;) as for that other, which he imagines, a Vow of continued Viduity, it was neither Faith nor First; let him instance (if he can) where our Apostle takes Faith for a Vow. Rather, as if he meant to expound his own word in this very Scripture, and this occasion, he clears this doubt, whiles he speaks of the wilfully improvident Man, that he hath denied the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel; and now in the same Context, he speaks of these perverted Widows that they have forsaken the Faith. Much less is it the First, whether in Time, or Dignity: For, they could not have been Church-Widowes, if not Christians; and they could not be Christians if they should have valued the Vow of their Widowhood above the vow of their Christendom; yea, so fare was this from the first Vow, (if it had been one) as that it was the last of all; for according to them, their first Faith must be to their Husband, their second to Christ, in their initiation to Religion; their last in the Vow of Widowhood; So as here is a feigned vow made Faith, and last made first; and all to uphold a crazy conceit of our Romanists, which hath no other ground but this one ambiguity. chrysostom indeed calls it (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) ad Pactum; a covenant; but what covenant, Refut. p. 20. or with whom, he expresses nor; whether of Christianity, or of Widowhood, or of Ministration; Some of the others that followed him, spoke according to the Gloss which the corrupt conceit of the Times had set upon him. But what need my Refuter stand upon particular Authors (he says) when he may bring 214 Bishops, all sitting in Council at Carthage, all agreeing in this exposition, Refut. p. 21. pointing us to the fourth Council of Carthage? (Canone vlt.) His Gratian had wont to tell us, (for the more Grace) that it was in the third Council of Carthage, Can. 4. Now he is taught to change this note; So doth C. E. with his Binius, tell us it was the 4. Council and the last Canon. We have reason to suspect it was in neither; The very style and manner of discourse so different from the rest of those brief Canons, and the fashion of those Times, carry in it open likelihood of Bastardy: It was an easy fraud to patch it to the end of tho●e Canons; neither (which learned junius taught me first to observe) is it found among the Greek; than which there cannot be a worse sign. But that I may at once answer this vaunt of Antiquity, and stop the mouth of this Caviller: Let me ask him whether those Fathers, whom he cities for this sense, do not take those young Widows for Votaries? If they do (as he cannot deny) how can these two stand together, That they should have damnation, because against their vow, they would marry; and yet that the Apostle should wish them to marry? Can he imagine that Saint Paul would advice them to incur wilful damnation? And if in this I should have dissented from the interpretation of much Antiquity, I should but take to myself the liberty of his Masters the jesuits, with whom this is no novelty; for instance, his not unlearned, and bold z Maldonate in Math. 19.11. Maldonate: (as we shall see afterwards) upon a Text of this very question, confessing the current of the stream of Antiquity, can come in, at last, with a Doctorly wipe of Adduci non possum ut sequar; I cannot go with them: This privilege is for none but the Fathers of the Society, to control the Fathers of the Church. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The state then of these Widows was shortly this: They being for their poverty sustained by Church-almes, upon * De bis aegit quae ad Ecclesia stipem, vel ministerum recipiebantur eius sumptibus ●le●dae, Espenc. de Cant. l. 4. c. 1. condition of attendance on the Saints, whether sick or travelling, were to dedicate themselves to this service; but, some of the younger sort being inveigled by Infidell-lovers, were drawn to leave, not their Station only of their ministration, but their profession of Christianity: These had damnation most justly, for casting off their first Faith. Their marriage was accidentally faulty, because it forced them from their holy employment; Their Apostasy was absolutely and damnably sinful, in that they left Christ, and followed after Satan. Refut. p. 21. 22. The inextricable Dilemma then of my Detector is easily answered; (I demand now of Master Hall, whether these young Widows, in breaking their Vows, did sin, or not? If they did not; why shall they have damnation? If they did sin (as indeed they did) then how is the Vow unlawful? how the brand of Antichristianisme?) Nothing can be more base then to beg the Question; What do we dispute, but whether any Vow were made? and if any, whether of Continence, or of Service? But why then shall they have damnation? For waxing wanton against Christ, not merely for marrying. If to marry, were to wax wanton against Christ, why should the Apostle have advised it them? In a word, for abandoning both their Office and Religion. Lastly, who can but wonder at the face of our Adversaries, that dare bring forth so plain a witness against themselves, For, if the Vow of Continence be the first faith here spoken of, then may not any woman by the Apostles charge make this Vow, till she be threescore years old; which, how is it at this day practised in the Romish Church? Bellar. de Monachis. l. 2 c. 36. Can. 13. Greg. l. 1. Epist. 48. Sess. 25. c. 15. since, and as the Caesar-Augustaine Council, and the Agathense abated it to forty years, and the third Council of Carthage yet lower, to five and twenty; so Pope Gregory fell yet lower to eighteen; and some other Counsels yet lower to twelve; Although the Trent-Conference very liberally rise up to whole sixteen: Either therefore let them grant that our Apostle speaks not of Votaries, or else let them follow his rule of the age of Votaries, that the World may think they have honest Nunneries; and let them confess their change presumptuous. Thus, I hope, This Gordian knot, that requires more strength than Master Hall's learning, and a sharper edge than Alexander's sword to dissolve, or cut, is proved more easy than the knot of a Friar's girdle, which a very dull Whittle may cut sunder; and C. Es. appeal to all Scholars, proclaims him ignorantly confident. SECT. VII. Impossible. Vnlawlull. Refut. p. 23, 24. IF it had not been for two poor words of mine (both yet misse-understood) I wonder how C.E. could have discovered to the world his dexterity, in serving out his oft sodden Coleworts; the refuse of his Bellarmine, and Coccius. a From pag. 26. usque ad 90. Threescore and four Pages, or more, hath he bravely spent in the Vindication of Virginity, which never honest and wise man opposed. Let their shavelings (I said) speak for themselves, upon whom their unlawful Vow hath forced a wilful and impossible necessity. The man is angry that I meddled with his crown; but if his hair had not been longer than his wit, this deep offence had never been; For, if he had taken my words, Cum grano salis, in the sense which they will only well bear: (Let such of their shavelings, as upon whom an unlawful Vow hath forced an impossibile necessity, speak for themselves) (none other need speaking for) he had found the sentence so particular, that it might have spared him both much spleen and work; since, neither was it in my heart ever to affirm the observation of this Vow impossible to any man, neither will he (I hope) hold that it is kept by all: It is not in the power of the Razor, together with the hairs, to cut off inordinate affections; some vow, which cannot contain: Upon this supposition only, I called this necessity impossible, and this Vow unlawful; I cannot therefore but pity my passionate Detector, that he hath set himself all on a froth, in running this Wild-Goose chase alone, following nothing but his own fancy, whiles he pursues a certain chimerical Monster, that holds Continence utterly and universally impossible. And that he may the better repent him of this witless waste, and prevent the spoil of good Paper hereafter, let him know at once (which perhaps hath not hitherto been allowed him) what we hold concerning this Point. We do therefore from our hearts honour true Virginity, as the most excellent estate of life, which is incident to frail Humanity; Gerson hath taught us not to call it a Virtue, but it is Cousin German to a Virtue; Neither do we think that the Earth affords any thing more glorious, than Eunuchisme for the Kingdom of Heaven; which is therefore commended by our Saviour, not as a thing merely arbitrary, by way of advice, but of charge to the able. Qui potest capere, capiat; In this we can gladly subscribe to Saint chrysostom, Bonum est Virginitas, etc. Virginity is good, I yield it; and better than Marriage, I confess it. Secondly, every man therefore (not ecclesiastics only) should labour, and strive to aspire unto this estate, as the better, using all holy means both to attain, and to continue it: Neither do we think it any other then , that young Persons (not so much as advising with their own abilities) without all endeavour and ambition of so worthy a condition, leap rashly into the bands of Wedlock. Thirdly, though every man must reach for it, yet every man cannot catch it; since it hath pleased God to reserve this as a peculiar gift for some persons, not intending it as a common favour to all Suitors. Fourthly, those then, which are upon good trial conscious to themselves of Gods call to this estate, and his gift enabling them unto it, may lawfully make profession thereof to the glory of the Giver, and (if need be) may vow (God continuing the same grace unto them) an holy perpetuation thereof to their end; the observation whereof, if they through their own neglect shall let fall, they cannot be excused from b Qui statuit fi●mus in cora● suo non habens necessitatem, potestatem ●abe●ss●ae vo●un tota, & voverit continentiam Deo, deb team usque ad finem totâ mentu ●o●icitudine custodire, Aug. de fid. ad Petr. Solutio voti mala, Coniugium iamen bonum. sin, or freed from censure: But those, which after all serious endeavours, find nothing but weakness and uncertainties in this behalf, shall sin, if they absolutely vow; shall not sin, if they marry, in what condition of life soever; nor sin in marrying, however their marriage may have faulty circumstances. Now my Detector by this time in our assertions sees his own folly; if against this he can except aught, he knows where to find an adversary: In the mean time, he needed not to take it so highly, that in the Romish use of vows, I made mention of unlawfulness, of impossibility; unlawfulness in the making, impossibility in keeping; I am ready to maintain both, in respect of the indisposition, yea incapacity of the Votaries. SECT. VIII. But in speaking of the impossibility of some men's continency, it was not possible for my Refuter to contain himself from a scurill invective against Luther, Refut. p. 25, 26, 27. Pelican, Bucer; and it becomes him well. His Fathers, like sepulchral dogs, tore up the graves of God's Saints, and gnawed upon their dead bones; and now this whelp of theirs coming it cineroes, Bedribbles their ashes. The heroical Spirit of Luther (for I cannot be flouted out of that word) hated the brothelry of their Cloisters; and chose rather (which galls them to the heart) to be an honest Husband, than an fornicating Friar. What did he other in this, than the holy Fathers have advised him, yea, than he learned in their own School? for casting, perhaps, his eye upon the Index of their Aquinas, V●tum Vergens in periculum personae, d●bet frangi securè, si dispensatio non p●ssit haberi. Ind. 3. in Ag. voce votum. Plus habet hic luxuria quam castitas. Gloss. extrau. de Bigam. C. Hieron. ad Ocean. Et Lupa naria th●lamis praeferentur. Beatus vir, cui non imputavit Dominus uxorem. Refut. p. 28, 29. Cochleus. he found there, Votum Vergens, etc. A Vow tending to the danger of the person, may be securely broken, if a dispensation cannot be had: What other than all their more ingenuous Casuists would think fit to give way unto? If Luther would have still kept on his Cowle, and but have paid the fees of a Concubine, he had lived and died an holy Augustinian: but now all his crimes sink down out of fight, una uxor supernatat, (as that Father said) his wife only floateth: and poor honest Katherine Bora hath made more noise in their Papers, than ten thousand of their Courtesans. Neither needs this man any other inscription on his grave to make him odious, than this, Here lies the man that held marriage better than fornication. If now Doctor Luther in a vehement detestation of the impurity of their holy Stews, after the homely plainness of a blunt Germane liberty, used some over-broad speeches to express his own freedom, and their abominations; what is this to us? If we honour the man, must we hold his pen impeccable? This is enough to maintain in their Vicegod of the seven hills. For us, we have sworn unto the words of no Master, but that One in Heaven, the eternal Word of his Father. But this we dare say, that this Adversary's Truth is no more in fathering all these reports upon Luther, then in fathering Luther upon an jucubus. One of them tells us, that a Devil begot him: Another tells us, that (by his own confession) a conference with the Devil begot his opposition to the Mass: Another, d Peter Frarin. Lovan. out of Stoltius in Somn. Luth. that he was in league and favour with Solyman the great Turk, who by his instigation was drawn to was upon Christendom: Another, e Io. Fowler in the ●ranslat. of Frarines' Inuective. Marg. that Luther would have been a King alone, and that from him sprang the rebellion of Muntzer: Another, f Vide Ful●. ag. Frar. 16. that Leonard Knoppen was his Bawd, and that his Katherine, for two years together after her stealing away, was debauched by the Scholars of Wittenberg: And now last comes in that malicious g Justus B●ronius formerly called Caluinus. Apostate (which should rath●r have changed the false name of justus, than the over-worthy name of Caluinus) and ●uouches, forsooth, that Luther was yesterday a Monk, to day contracted, to morrow an Husband, the next day a Father. Go on, ye brazenfaced Parasites of Rome, Lies and Blood may bring you into the Calendar. But this last, my Detector countenances by the testimony of Erasmus, who, in a Letter of his to his friend Daniel Mauchius of ulme's, delivers the same Story in more words. Reader, be entreated to look over that large Volume of Erasmus his Epistles, and if there be no such man found there (as there is not) no such Letter, Tom. 2. Lat. Colloq. Tit. de morbu Lutheri. judge what to think of these men's fidelity. Yea to the plain contrary, my Detector (having not memory enough for a true Liar) in the Page 173. upon another occasion contemptuously citing Luther's brood out of his own Works, confutes this spiteful Fiction Anno 1525. junij 12. uxorem duxi, etc. In the year saith he, 1525, on the 12. of june, I married; In the year 1526. my eldest Son JOHN was borne: Refut. p. 28. 29. Lib. 3. Contr. Gent. c. 126. Omnibus animalibus perfect●s i●est naturalis inclinatio ad coniunctionem carnalem. Item, Cum muliere semper esse, & illam non cognoscere, maius est quàm mortuum sus itare. joan. de sanct. Geminiano's. Simil. l. 2. 10. 27. In the year 27. my Daughter ELIZABETH, and so the rest. Either then my man hath a new Calendar of his own, which contrary in the Gregorian begins the year on june the 13. or else Luther was not a Father the next day after he was an Husband. But what do I trouble my Reader with this Idle Scoganisme? Scolds or Jesters are only fit for this combat. As for those excessive speeches of comparison, whereby Luther points forth the necessity of carnal actions, they are spoken only of such persons, as have not the gift of continency; whom natural inclination (by which they are led) caries (without an higher restraint) importunately unto these desires: wherein he says not much other than their own Saint, AQAINAS, Omnibus animalibus, etc. In all perfect living creatures there is a natural inclination to carnal conjunction. But when Luther speaks of men blessed from above with this gift, C. E. might have heard him in another strain; pleading both the possibility and worthiness of this condition. As in his Commentary upon the h Luth. in Psal. 128. verse 3. Vnus idemque spir. etc. Psalm 128. verse 3. (to give one for all) thus he saith, For one and the same spirit hath distributed his gifts to some after one manner, and to some after another, etc. Let them therefore, to whom it is given to receive this, abide in their single life, and let them glory in the Lord: On the other side, let them that are not so strong, but know and feel their infirmity, that they cannot live both chaste, and out of Matrimony: Let these, I say, consider more their own infirmity, than the discommodities and troubles that belong unto matrimony. Thus he gravely and holily. SECT. IX. NOw to follow my Adversary in particulars: Whereas all the world sees, that the unlawfulness of their vow depends upon the inability of performance, he, like a true Artist, gins first with the unlawfulness. It is well, Refut. p. 29. that all these sheets of Paper which he hath spent in this point, may serve for some necessary use; this which he hath put them to, is foolishly superfluous. If the vow of Chastity be unlawful (he saith) it must be either in respect of the vow, Refut. p. 30. or the matter vowed; Not the first, because vows in general are lawful; which he will prove out of Scriptures and Fathers. Idle head! Who ever denied it, but the exploded Lampetians? His own Cardinal could have taught him, Bell. l. 2. de Monachis c. 15. Ad negotia huius vitae expeditiu● peragenda, aut ad vitanda peccata, aut ad alios bonos sins. Refut. p. 32, 33, 34. usque ad 42. Refut. p. 43. usque ad 48. & pag. 34. usque ad finem Parag. 1. Refut. p. 45. that Luther and Caluin approve the vowing of things commanded, first; and then of things not commanded too, to the avoiding of Sin, or other good purposes. Not the second, which he will prove by many arguments; some of them from the Fathers, extolling virginity, and comparing it with the state of Angels, and preferring it before marriage. And who ever thought otherwise, except jovinian? and perhaps not he. And at last, after some severe examples of penance enjoined to fornicating vow-breakers, by chrysostom and Basil; to incontinency and rape, by the civil Laws (as if these concerned us so much as themselves) he descends to this challenge; Let Mr. Hall (if he be able) produce us some proof, although but one classical authority of any one ancient writer, where he hath ever persuaded such as have solemnly vowed chastity, to use Marriage as a means to overcome temptations, and he shall have some excuse for calling it a filthy vow; and his heroical Luther for terming it a diabolical thing: So he I take him at his word; only let him not fly forth upon the shift of solemnity, which their Scholar lately hatched; That were to seek grey hairs in infancy; First, I bring forth that famous place of Saint Cyprian, in his Epistle written both in his own name, and his fellow-Bishops, to Pomponius, concerning some vowed Virgins which were found in bed with men, whereof one was a Deacon; of which Virgins he with his Brethren pass this sentence, k Epist. l. 1. Epist. 11. Pudicè & castè sine ulla fabula perseverent. Melius est ut nubant, quàm in ignem delicijs fuis cadunt. Quod si se ex fide Christo dicaverunt, etc. If they (saith he) have faithfully dedicated themselves unto Christ, let them without all deceit persevere in the course of Chastity, and so courageously and constantly expect the reward of their Virginity; Si autem perseverare nolunt, vel non possunt, etc. But if either they will not, or cannot persevere, it is better that they marry, then by their wantonness fall into the fire; Let them give no scandal to their Brethren and Sisters. What could Luther or Caluin write more directly? So that Erasmus notes in the Margin, Etiam virginibus sacris permittit nubere; Here Cyprian permits even holy Virgins to marry. l Lib. 2. de Monach. c. 34. Bellarmine's shift hereof is ridiculous, That Cyprian, by occasion of some virgins, which after their vow behaved themselves dishonestly, advised others, that if they had not a firm purpose of persevering, they should not vow, but marry; whom we remit to the check of his own Pamelius, yea, of his conscience; Indeed, what is this but to mock both the Author, and the Reader? For doth Cyprian at all the persons of whom he speaks? Doth he not speak plainly of Virgin's devoted to Christ? And what persevering could there be, but in that which they had undertaken? And what had they undertaken, but a dedication of themselves to Christ? What is this, Reader, but willingly to try his Oars against the stream of truth? To the same purpose is that noted sentence of Hierome, m Hieronimus impendio semper virginitati favens, & obid nuptijs, iniquior Erasmus. though otherwise none of the best friends to marriage) who speaking of Virgins, ascribed by their vow into the celestial Family, adds, Quibus apertè dicendum, etc. Whom we must openly charge that either they would marry, if they cannot contain, or, that they would contain, if they will not marry. See the Scholia of Erasmus upon the place. We know the elusion of this place also; That Hierome speaks of virgins in purpose, not in vow; But whose name, I beseech you, was defamed by their lewdness? or, what was the heavenly and Angelical Family, whose glory was blemished herewith? Was it of any other then professed Virgins? Or could the act of a purposed Virgin only, shame Virgins professed? To the same purpose is the advice of n Basil. l. de virg. Basil, and o Epiphan. Heres. 61. Melius est unum peccatum habere quam plura. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. ibid. Epiphan. I would have the younger Widows to marry. Refut. p. 51. He married his daughter, being a Virgin dedicated to Christ Epiphanius. Add to these an elder than they all, Tertullian, and with him all those Fathers, which interpret Saint Paul's [volo iuniores nubere] of vowed widows; All which must needs hold, that our Apostle allows marriage for the lawful remedy of unable Votaries. Let not this malicious Masse-Priest then turn us over to his Tyberianus, or jovinian, for the first founders of our opinion, and practice, which we received from no other than that divine Arch-hereticke, that sat at the feet of Gamaliel; from no other, than the holily-hereticall Fathers and Martyrs of the Church: As for those two misalleged Authors, to whom he ascribes us, his skill doth palpably fail him in both; For Tyberianus, he being suspected of Priscillianisme, wrote affectly against that heresy, at last foully fell to that, which he disclaimed; whereon it was that Hierome says, Canis ad vomitum, not upon the marriage of his daughter. And for that particular fact, it is no less mistaken. Hierome says only, Filiam virginem Christo devotam, matrimonio copulavit; but Sophronius (who it seems well knew the story) turns it p Coegit ut nuberet. Vide Erasm. Scholar in Hier. Catalogue. Scriptor. Eccle. So Syagria in Greg. Epist. marito violenter sociata. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;) compelled his daughter (a consecrated Virgin) to marry. A foul fact, which we detest no less, than the contrary practice of those Romanists, who compel their daughters (which would marry) to be consecrated Virgins. It is then no less false that Tyberian gave beginning to us, than it is true that Tyburn hath given a just end to some of them. For jovinian, what is he to us? when neither our practice was his, nor his opinion ours. Not our practice; for he lived and died a single Monk. Not his opinion; How can we be said to admit marriage to an equal share of merit with virginity, when we deny merit in either? Again, that Eunuchisme (not in itself, but) for the Kingdom of Heaven, is better than it we doubt not; But when q Quamuis universaliter dicatur homini melius esse continentiam seruare quàm matrimonio uti, tamen alicui hoc melius est. Tho. l. 4. Contr. Gent. these two are reduced to their subjects; their value is according to their use. chrysostom could say r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. ad Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Use marriage with meet moderation, and thou shalt be the first in the Kingdom; And Gregory Nazianzen (besides that he saith of his Sister Gorgonia) when he commends the children of Basil the elder, s Greg. Naz Orat. In laudem Basilij Or. 22. Hier. l. 2. in jovin. Refut. p. 52. tells us, some of them so used their marriage, that it was no hindrance to them, quo minus ad pacem virtutis gloriam aspirarent; that they might not aspire to an equal glory of virtue with the Virgins; and made these two rather different kinds of life, than manners of living. Saint chrysostom then, and Nazianzen, shall usher us into the School of jovinian. And if jovinian were Formosus Monachus, crassus, nitidus, etc. A fair, fat, spruce Monk (as he saith;) Me thinks he should rather have hoped to match him in their Sybariticall Cloisters, where they abound with meat, and drink, and ease, then in our laborious Clergy. It is happy for us, and for that reverend Archbishop Marcus Ant. de Dominis, that this railer can object nothing to him but an harmless load of corpulency. It moves their spleen enough, that this learned Prelate hath honoured our Island with a Dalmatian Pall; Their cause feels that he can (notwithstanding) pass into the Pulpit: What speak they of this? when, The residue of this Paragraph is spent in the Canon and Civil Laws against vow-breakers. Quid ad Rhombum? Refut. p. 54, 55, 56. to their sorrow, they see he could pass over the Alps to leave Rome. This Beagle, and his bawling Beyerlinck, and the kennel of Sorbon, may bay at him, but not one of their Bandogs dare fasten. But why do I suffer this babbler to lead me out of my way? What is all this sleeveless discourse to a man that never said, never thought every vow of this kind unlawful, nor every breach of such vow sinless? When he takes me with this Tenet, let him load me with authorities; Till then, his now-frivolous papers my serve for an honest use. SECT. X. Ref. p. 57, 58, 59 NO less wise and proper is that other discourse of Impossibility: For, to make short work; That no man can contain (though it be given him) I never said; That any man may contain (though it be not given him) either he will not say, or if he do, he hath Christ for his Adversary. Why do we blot Paper? How the performance of this Vow is not possible only for all, but p Maius miraculum est de propria carne fomitem eradicare luxuriae, quàm expellere immundos spiritus de corporibus alienis, joan. Brow. sum. Praed. c. Cast. facile also, (which he contendeth) the issue proves too well, and the World blushes to see it. Let it not be too much burden to his patience, that I said, Some of their shavelings cannot hold; He knows what their Gloss upon Gratian said of old (though now they have pulled out the tongue for blabbing) q Distinct. 81. Maximianus. Communiter dicitur, etc. It is commonly said, that a Clerk ought not to be deposed for simple fornication, Cùm pauci sine illo vitio inveniantur; Since there are but a few found without that vice. This they have wiped out of the Book, but the Margarita Decreti (as happy is) holds it still: And their honest r Consult. Art. 23 And Bellarm. Qui continent quos notum est non esse multos, de Mona. l. 2. c. 3 Cassander, yet more plainly, Vix centesimum invenias, you shall scarce find one of an hundred free: And, if need were, I could tell him out of old s Bro. sum. praed. voce Luxuria. Z●lantissimus Praedicator. Tit. Contion. Cauda salax sacrificulorum in pro nerbium abijt. Refut. p. 61. Bromiard, what the voice of a Ghost said to a Priest of theirs, but I will not; only thus he shut up; That there came daily such store of Priests to Hell for their Luxury, in plain English, Lechery, that he had not thought there had been any left upon earth. And to these I could add the jerks of their zealous Preacher, Friar Menot, who fetches the threefold shame of their Clergy out of the Aue Mary; The second whereof (though the first in mischief) is, In Mulieribus. But what should I fill Carts with such stuff, as I easily might, when the salacity of the Romish Clergy, is grown to be the Proverb, and scorn of the World? Let not my Refuter scare us with the threat of recriminations, we know that in all Professions, there may be found lewdness enough. But, when all is done, we shall justify that which worthy B. jewel said long ago, Scortum apud nos modestiùs vivit, quàm apud vos Penelope; Our Strumpet is their Penelope. What needed he therefore to upbraid us with that frump of Erasmus (Quae malùm est ista tanta salacitas, etc.) when he knows how easily we can over-pay him in this Coin? Was it not Erasmus, whose word it was (which Master Doctor Collet Deane of Paul's, was wont to have familiarly in his mouth) t Erasm. Apolog. pro declam. Matri. Ibid Eras. Englished thus. And I would they were gelded indeed, which hide their vicious courses with the glorius name of Eunuchisme; more freely following their filthy lusts, under the shadow of chastity. Neither will my modesty suffer me to report, into what shameful courses they fall many times, which resist nature, &c Ex vita Sacerdotum palam dedecorosa, palàm contemnitur eorum doctrina, & inde perit fructus verbi Dei. Quod si ijs qui non continent concederetur matrimonium, & ipsi viverent quietius, & populo cum authoritate praedicarent verbum Dei, ad Christ. Epis. Basil. Refut. p. 60. Refut. p. 74. Nunc is est rerum ac temporum status, ut nusquam reperias minus inquinatam morum integritatem, quàm inter coniugatos? Now such is the state of the times, that you shall never find less corruption of manners and life, then amongst the married. Was it not Erasmus that said, Atque utinam verè castrati sint, quicunque suis vitijs magnificum castrationis praetexunt titulum, sub umbra castitatis turpiùs libidinantes, etc. Neque enim mei pudoris esse puto commemorare, in quae dedecora saepe prolabantur qui naturae repugnant, etc. This is enough to let my Detector see, we need not die in his debt for Erasmus. SECT. XI. But it is no arguing from the Act to the possibilty. These did not contain, but they might. What? whether it were given them or no? So seems mine Adversary to hold, whiles he censures Luther, for saying, that this is God's gift; and that here we can only take, and not give. Yea, but if they had asked, it would have been given them. Ask, and it shall be given: so says my Refuter, out of Origen, none of the best Interpreters; so his Masters the jesuits; Sufficit promissio generalis, saith * Bell. l. 2. de Mon. c. 31. Bellar. By this Rule, if the Cardinal should but pray for the Popedom, the three Crowns must come tumbling upon his Head; and if C. E. should but pray for a red Hat, it would have Mercurial wings, and come flying to Douai; I would he had but prayed for Wit, he had then perhaps been silent: Not considering, that Virginity, and Honour, and degrees of Wit (though excellent in their kinds) yet are such things, as without which we may enjoy God, and go to Heaven, and therefore that perhaps God sees it best for us to ask them, and go without. What can be more plain than that of * Hiero adverse. jovin. l. 1. Hierome, If all might be Virgins, Christ would never have said, Qui potest capere, capiat; Neither would the Apostle so timorously have persuaded to Virginity; Can he ever suppose that Virginity might be had without prayers? and yet he says, If all might be Virgins, etc. Who would not have thought, that this one Text of our Saviour, should have stopped all mouths? His Disciples had said; If thus, it is good not to marry: He replies; All men cannot receive this Word, save they to whom it is given; and concludes, He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. Yet here, see the forehead of a jesuite: Maldonate upon the place dares say thus: * Mald. in Mat. 19.11. Omnes ferens, etc. That he saith, all men do not receive this Word, all Interpreters (almost) do so expound it, as if the sense were; All men cannot perform this which you say, that is, Want a wife, because all have not the gift of Chastity, but only those to whom it is given; for which he cities only Origen, Gregory, Nazianzene, Ambrose, concealing the rest of his, Almost all; yet after in the same Page (forgetting himself) solus D. Augustinus, etc. Only Saint Austin uses (saith he) to teach, that this gift of Continency is not given to all, I cannot be persuaded to follow them. but to some only. It is happy yet that herein we are granted to err with Saint Austin; and yet ere long, we take in Origen, Nazianzene, Ambrose, Hierome, and at last; overtake, Ferè omnes; so as we need not fear solitariness in this error. But what says the jesuite to this good company? Adduci non possum, ut sequar; No marvel. Mark, how well the jesuites follow jesus himself: jesus says, All men cannot receive this. The jesuits say, * Omnes continere posse si veli●●, Bellar. l. 2. de Mont. c. 31. All men may receive it. jesus says, It must be given from God. The jesuits say, a Et Donum Dei esse, & tamen in potestate, & arbitrio hominis positum. ibid. Qui potest habeat secum aurum hoc Virginitatis; Qui minus nuptiarum argentum excipiat, Chrysost. in 1. Tim. 4. It is so the gift of God, that it is in the power of Man. How can we look to escape their Opposition, when they dare thus contradict our Saviour? For me, I shall be still in this Heresy, That all their Priests, and Monks, and Nuns cannot contain: And his b ●●nauen. in Opus. de processu Relig. p. 120. Sumptuosa Turris est, & verbum grande quod non omnes capere possunt, Bern. de Contempt. Mun. Nam si generale esset, quod potest unus & omnes possunt, Primas. Refut. p. 60, 61. Bonaventure shall bear me out, who teaches me, that to the third degree of Chastity (requiri privilegium singular) there is a singular privilege required; for that it seems to be above the pitch of natural possibility, to live in the Flesh, and not to feel the faults of Flesh. SECT. XII. AS for his holy Sisters at Brussels, the touch of whom hath so much enfired his ghostly zeal; I intended no quarrel to them in particular; They may be as honest, as their Champion is malicious. What I said, was out of the supposition of the common frailty; And if he have been so much in their bosom, as to know they never repent them, it is well known that others have; whose Song hath been in the hearing of those I know: What shall I do, shall I die, and never married be? Like unto those Vestals, Foelices nuptae, moriar nisi nubere dulce est. As for the mischief following hence, the visible monuments of so many murdered Infants (if not in Gregory's Ponds) in the very place where I now live, and c Vid. Histor. Radulphi Bourn Augustadensis Eccle. Abbatis, qui testatur se vidisse, in quada● piscina in Monialium Abbatia, qua Prouixes dicebatur, multa paru●lorum ossa, ipsaque corpora integra ibi reperiebantur Antiq. Brit. Reue●. Clem. 5. Pa●●, ex Adam. Marim. elsewhere, convinces it too much. But d Refut. p. 61. my example (iwis) shall clear his Vestals of Brussels, and all other Votaries. Master Hall was absent (some three Months) in France; Flesh is frail, Temptations frequent (add to these his body sickly, and well near to death) yet both then, and before his marriage, he would take it in great scorn (as well he might) to be suspected for dishonest. True, and might defy Men and Devils in that Challenge. What of this? It follows then: If Master Hall could for so long together live a chaste life, why no more? Why not always? Demonstratively concluded: As if a man should say, C. E. doth speak some wise words, how can he at any time writ thus foolishly? A Christian hath sometime grace to avoid a Temptation, why not always? Why doth he not keep himself ever from sinning? A good Swimmer may hold his breath under the water for some portion of a Minute, why not for an hour? why not for more? A devour Papist may fast after his Breakfast, till his Dinner in the afternoon, therefore why not a Week? why not a Month? why not so long as Eve the Maid of Meurs? The Spirit of God (if at least he may be allowed for the Author of Continency) breatheth where and when he listeth, and that God which makes Marriages in Heaven, either averts the heart from these thoughts, or inclines it at his pleasure. Shortly, The great Doctor of the Gentiles had never learned this Divinity of Douai, whose charge is, e 1. Cor. 7.5. Defraud not one another, except with consent for a season, that ye may give yourselves to Fasting and Prayer: And again, Come together, that Satan tempt you not through your incontinency. He only wanted my Monitor, to jog him on the Elbow, as here: What needs all this fleshliness (if they can safely contain) whiles they give themselves to extraordinary devotion, Why not more? Why not always? It is pity, Refut. p 65. that no man would advice the Apostle, how great a gap this Doctrine of his opens to all lasciviousness. Let me but have leave to put Saint Paul's Name in stead of mine, into this challenge of my Refuter, and thus he argues. If S. Paul say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for awhile they are able to live chaste, but not for any long while; I ask again, How long that while shall endure? Refut. p. 65. and what warrant they have therein for not falling? seeing it may so fall out, that in the while appointed, they may be more tempted than they shall be again in all their lives after: How saucy would this Sophistry be? how shameless? The words are his; only the Name is changed; what the elect Vessel would answer in such a case for himself, let C. E. suppose returned by me. SECT. XIII. THe Refuter hath borrowed some Weapons of his Master Bellarmine, and knows not how to wear them. It would move any man's disdain, to see, how absurdly those poor Arguments are blundred together; We must distinguish them as we may. First, Saint Paul condemns the young Widows mentioned; Refut. p. 63. therefore he overthrows this impossibility of containing. I answer: Saint Paul advices the young. Widow's to marry, and admits none into the Church-book, under threescore years: therefore he establishes in some, this impossibility. Secondly, Saint Paul advices Timothy to live chaste. Reader, Refut. p. 63. 46. tell him the word is (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) which their own vulgar, 1. Tit. 8. turns, Sober; and in 2. Tit. 5. Prudent; But, to grant him his own Phrase: Can my Detector descry no difference betwixt Chaste and Single? Did he and his Fellows never hear of a conjugal Chastity? So they have still wont to speak, as if Chastity were only opposite to Marriage, as if no single life could be unchaste. His Espencaeus might have taught him that Verse in Virgil, Casta pudicitiam seruat domus: and he might have heard of that Roman law of Vestals, Castae ex castis, purae ex puris sunto; yea his Erasmus might have taught him yet further, f Eras. Apol. pro declam. Matr. Secundus gradus Virginitatis est Matrimonii casta dilectio. Opus Imperf. in Matth. Refut. p. 64. Ab his duabus Columnis crede mihi difficile duellor. Ibid. ex Bernardo. C. E. Refut. p. 64. E diverso nihil prohibet in coniugio Virginitati locum esse; that even in Marriage there may be Virginity. Thirdly, the Fathers exhort to Virginity; especially S. Ambrose and Saint Austin. Let him tell this to them that know it not, to them that dislike true chastity in Virgins, not to them that condemn unchasteness in a pretended Virginity. To what Virtue do not the Fathers exhort? yet never supposing them to be within our lure. Lastly, where is the shame of my Refuter, that cities Austin as the Man on whom he depends for his universal possibility of Continency: when his own Maldonate professes, that S. Austin is the only enemy to this Doctrine? Fourthly, Where there is impossibility or necessity, there is no sin, no counsel; as no man sins in not making new Stars, in not doing Miracles. A stolen shift, that oft sounded in the ears of Austin and Prosper from their Pelagians; The natural man in this depravedness of estate cannot but offend God, therefore he sins not in sinning: Counsel given shows what we should do, not what we can. g Aug. l de Nat. & Grat c. 43. jubendo admonet, etc. saith Austin; In commanding, he admonisheth us both to do what we can, and to ask that which we cannot do. In Continency then our endeavour is required for the attaining of that which God will give us; God never employed us in making of Stars; Though my Refuter is every day set on greater Work, then making of him that made Stars. Lastly, it is true, there is no sin in marrying, there may be sin (after a vow) in not using all lawful means of Chastity: The Fathers therefore supposing a h Post multam deliberationem & considerationem, etc. Basil. Refut. p. 65. pre-required assurance of the gift, and calling of God in those, whom mature deliberation, and long proof had covered with the veil of Virginity, do justly both call for their continuance, and censure their lapses. Fiftly, upon this ground the Father cannot blame his Child for incontinence; To contain, implies impossibility. Ask him wherefore serves Marriage? Yea, but to provide an Husband or a Wife, is not a work of an hour's warning; in the mean time what shall they do? Sure, the man thinks of those hot Regions of his Religion, where they are so sharp set, that they must have Stews allowed of one Sex at least; Else what strange violence is this that he conceives? As our junius answered his Bellarmine, in the like, Hic homo sibi videtur agere de equis admissarijs ruentibus in venerem, & de hippomanc, non de hominibus ratione praeditis; he speaks as if he had to do with Stallions, not with Men, not with Christians, amongst whom is to be supposed a decent order, and due regard of seasonableness, and expediency: A doughty Argument, Marg. of the Refut. p. 65. wherewith Master Hall is sore pressed. (They may contain till they marry, and therefore they may ever contain and not marry.) How easy is it for me to take up this load, and lay it upon my Saviour, which said, All men cannot receive it; and upon his great Apostle of the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 7.7. who hath taught us an (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a proper gift, which God hath bestowed on some, not on others, and supposes a necessity, that may be of giving a Virgin in Marriage? Refut. p. 65. Sixtly, The Husband and Wife are separated upon discord, or disease: What shall they do? To live continent, with this man is impossible. I answer; If only their will sunders them, that must yield to necessity; Dissension may not abridge them of the necessary remedy of sin. If necessity; that finds relief in their prayers; If they call on him, who calls them to continency by this Hand of his, he will hear them, and enable them to persist. And why not then in the necessity of our Vows? This is a necessity of our own making; that is of his; He hath bound himself to keep his own promises, not ours. SECT. XIV. Refut p. 66. WHiles his Fellow, or Master, Maldonate, talks of confuting Austin in this very point, by Austin himself, this man will confute us by him; whom he no otherwise cities for himself, than his Ancestor Pelagius cities Lactantius, Hilary, Ambrose, Hierome, and Austin in this case. The thing (saith he) is in our power, and though it require the assistance of God's grace, which still preventeth our will, yet that hinders not, but that we may (if we list) live chaste all the days of our life, as we may upon the same terms believe in God, and love him. What impudence is this, to make him the Patron of the power of our to God, whom all the World knows to have been Malleus Pelagianorum? and who in so many Volumes damns this conceit to the Pit of Hell; evermore so establishing the natural faculty and use of the will against Stoical necessity, as that he abandons any power of the act, or exercise of it unto good (without grace) against humane presumption. When he speaks of this, here is not a cold and feeble prevention, but an effectual in operation, yea a powerful creation. Since my Refuter then will needs be paralleling our ability of containing, and of believing, let him hear that holy Father say, i Aug. de Nat. & Grat. 25. Non solum Deus posse nostrum, etc. God doth not only give, and help our power to good, but works in us both our will and working of good. And elsewhere; k Cont. du●s Epist. Pelag. He is drawn to Christ, to whom it is given to believe in Christ: Power is therefore given unto them to be made the sons of God, which believe in him, when this is given them to believe in him. And so fare is he from saying with my Detector and his Bellarmine, that who lists may believe when he lists, that he reasons thus: Quid mihi ostendis, & c? l Aug. l. 4. cont. Iul c 6. Qui igitur faciou●s hom●nes, ipse ad obedientiam pietatis humanas liberat voluntates: sed quare istos homines o●es facit, & istos non facit, apud quèm non est acceptio personarum? Respondet Apost. O homo! what dost thou tell me of thy ; which can never be free to do good, except thou be a Sheep of God? He therefore that makes men to be his sheep, frees the wills of men to the obedience of Piety: But why doth he make these men sheep, and those not, since with him is no respect of persons? The Apostle answers, O homo! etc. Thus he. Either therefore let him never cite S. Austin against us in this point, or else we must be forced to countercite him once more than we meant. m Ibid. Refut. p. 69. Planè possumus dicere frontem haereticorum non esse frontem: And if there could be any more on that holy Father's score, Father Maldonate hath paid it for us. To conclude therefore for him; Arbitrium humanae voluntatis nequaquam destruimus: We know no man doth well against his will; God was not to make Virgins by force; and the same goodness that gives Chastity to the married, continues Virginity to the single: What of all this? Therefore (saith he) it is as well in the power of all single persons to be always continent, as of the married to keep conjugal Chastity: An illation and conclusion worthy of my Refuters Logic and Divinity; As if he argued thus for himself; The same God that disposes of Orders, disposes of the Popedom: therefore I may as well look to wear three Crowns, as one shaved. Or the same God gives both Life, and Grace, and Glory. Therefore all those that live the natural life, may also live the spiritual, and glorious. Who sees not the reason of these unlike? Conjugal honesty is absolutely commanded of God to all married persons; perpetuation of Virginity (he grants) was never commanded: the breach of conjugal honesty, is of itself a sin to all; Marriage is not so. Against the one therefore, we may absolutely pray in n Christi erit si fides aderit, quae impetrat à iwente quod iusserit, Aug. de adult. con. l. 2. c. 19 Refut. p. 71. 72, 73. faith, against the other but with condition; God hath promised to deliver us from our sins, not from our Marriage. As for Saint Ambrose, we easily grant him large in the praise of Virginity: But no one word of all his cited authorities toucheth our Assertion: The helps of the Church, the service of Angels, the merit of the Prayers of our Saviour, we yield to be good means of continence, where it is intended; but that it is meant to all comers, we deny; Let the success speak. Neither do we tax the Vow for any improbity in itself, but for the incapacity of the persons: The Vow were good, if the men were not either evil, or unfit. And here o Refut. p. 71. by the way; whereas C. E. like a masterly Monitor wishes Master Hall to read the divine works of Ambrose, concerning this subject; Master Hall is bold (in requirall) to tell C. E. that he knows not Ambrose; and to teach him (since he hath not learned it of other Masters) that the Book which he so oft, and so solemnly cities for Ambroses, p Cited four times by C. E. upon weighty occasions. Refut. p. 34. 43. 48. 50. Ad Virginem lapsam, is a noted Counterfeit, a true Novation; which his grave ignorance might have heard from his Bellarmine and Possevine. And how much better is that other Tract which he q P. 41. Refut. Vide Censur. Rob. Coci. p. 129. cities from Ambrose, Epist. 82. wherein mention is made of * Venice; which was not extant till Ambrose was not? And the Commentary of Ambrose, upon 1. Tim. 3. whence he fetches his forceablest r P. 94. Refut. Testimony for forced Continency; slit in the Nose, and bored in the Ear long-since by s Censur. Coci. p 133. Salmeron, Baronius, Bellarmine, and Francis Lucas. Of the same stamp (that the Reader may here see once for all how he is gulled by this false Priest with foisted authorities) is his Augustine, De bono Viduatis, t Refut. p. 20. 49. 68 thrice by him here quoted, not without great triumph; branded by Erasmus, Hosius, Lindanus: as likewise u Refut. p. 40. his Augustine, de Eccles. dogmat. confessed counterfeit by Bellarmine, & his friends of Louvain: and x Refut. p. 80. the Sermons de Tempore; cashiered by Erasmus, Mart. Lypsius, the Lovanians: Whereto let us add the book of great Athanasius, de Virginitate, y Refut. p. 35. produced in great state by C. E. not without great wrong and shame fathered upon that Saint, as (if Erasmus and Nannius did not show) the ridiculous precepts therein contained would speak enough. To follow all were endless: Of this kind, lastly, is his Cyprian de Discipline. & bono Pudicitiae, not more magnificently z Refut. p. 36. brought forth by C. E. then fairly ejected by Erasmus, & Espencaeus. These are the glorious Testimonies which grace the swelling Pages of mine Adversary; These are the pious frauds wherewith honest Readers are shamefully cozened. It shall suffice thus in a word to have thanked my Reverend Monitor for his sage advice, and to advice my Reader to know whom he trusts. Vid. supra. Refut. p. 74, 75. Refut p. 78. Pag. 79. For Origen, we have already answered; My Detector could not have chosen a better man for the proof of the facility of this Work, then him, who (according to the broad Tralation of his rude Rhemists) gelded himself, and made himself no man for it. That all graces are derived to us from the Fountain, or rather the full Ocean of Christ's Merits and Mercies (which he shows from S. Hierome) we willingly teach against them; so fare are we from being injurious to the Passion of our Dear Redeemer; But if he will therefore infer, that every man may be a perpetual Virgin, he may as well hope that therefore every Scribbler may write all true. Our Saviour himself, which said, I will draw all men unto me, yet said, All men cannot receive this; not I cannot give it, but they cannot take it. As for that practice which he cities from S. Austin, of forcing men both into Orders, and Continency, it shows rather the Fact than the Equity; what was done in a particular Church, rather than what should be; The Refuter himself renounceth it in the precedent Page; (For the Church forceth none thereunto) neither is it any other than a direct restraint of that, which the Council of Nice determined to be left free. Lastly, that there may appear to be no less impossibility of honest Truth in some men, then true Chastity, he cities one place for all, out of S. Austin, * Lib. 2. c. 19 de Adulter. Coniug. vid. sup. Let not the burden of Continency affright us, it will be light if it be of Christ, it will be of Christ if there be Faith, that obtains of him which commands, the thing which he doth command. See Reader, with what fidelity; and by this esteem the rest; S. Austin speaks there of persons divorced each from other, whom necessity (as he supposes the case) calls to Continency; the Detector cities him for the power of voluntary votaries; The very place confutes him. It will be Christ's yoke (saith Austin) if there be faith that obtains of him which commands, the thing which he doth command: There can be no Faith where is no command. Now C. E. will grant there is no o Neque enim sicut non ma●haueris, non occides, ita dici potest, non n●bes Aug. de Virg. Sanct. l. sing. c. 30. Refut. p. 80. usque ad 87. command of single life to all; Therefore all cannot ask it in Faith, therefore all cannot think it the Yoke of Christ, all cannot bear it. SECT. XV. NOw at last (like some sorry Squip, that after a little hissing and sparkling, ends in an unsavoury crack) my Refuter, after all these Flourishes of their possibility, shuts up in a scurrilous Declamation against our Ministry; granting it indeed impossible, amongst us, to live chaste; and telling his Reader that we blush not to blaze in Pulpits, and printed Books, this brutish Paradox, that Chastity is a virtue impossible to all, because so it is to such lascivious p Illud dixerim tantum abfuisse, ut ista coacta castitas illam coniugalem vicerit, etc. (saith Polydor. Virg.) This I may say, that it is so fare off, that this compelled Chastity excelled the Conjugal Chastity, that no crime of any offence could bring more hatred to the state of Priesthood, or more disgrace to Religion, or more sorrow to all good men, than the blemish of the unchaste life of Priests, etc. Polyd. l. 5. c. 4. Libertines, sensual and sinful people, as Heretics are: and here are sordes, dedecora scabies libidinum: the brutish spirit of Heresy, fleshly and sensual. Impure mouth! How well doth it become the son of that Babylonian Strumpet, to call the Spouse of Christ Harlot! How well doth it become lips drenched in the Cup of those Fornications, to utter blasphemous Slanders (Spumam Cerberi) against Innocence? By how much more brutish that paradox is, so much more devilish is the unjust imputation of it to us; Which of us ever blazed it? Which of us doth hate it less, than the lie that charges it upon us? How many Reverend Fathers have we in the highest Chairs of our Church; how many aged Divines in our Universities, how many grave Prebendaries in our Cathedral Churches, how many worthy Ministers in their rural stations, that shine with this virtue in the eyes of the World? If therefore the proper place of Chastity be the Church of God, (as this Caviller pleads) it is ours in right, q Hier. l. 2. in Ose. Quicunque amare pudicitiam se simulant, ut Manichaeus, Martion, Arrius, Tatianus, & inflauratores veteris haereseos, venenato ore mella promittunt, caeterùm iuxta Apostolum quae secretò agunt, turpe est dicere. Minut. Fal. Octau. theirs in pretence: And so much more noble is this in ours, for that in ours it is r Inuiolati corporis virginitate fruuntuur potius, quàm gloriantur. free; in them, s Talis castitas quia non est spontanea, non habet magnam retributionem. Bran. Carthus. O mysteria, O mores, ubi necessitas imponitur castitati, authoritas datur libidi●i! Itaque nec casta est qua metu cogitur, nec, etc. Illa pudica qua these tenetur. Ambros. l. 1. de Virg. forced; Infida custos castitatis necessitas, as that Father said; Neque opus passeri fugere ad montem: In them, as chrysostom said long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; The grace of Virginity is lost: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: The world make sport with such Maidenhead. For the rest; The God of Heaven judge betwixt us and our enemies; To him we appeal how we desire to serve him in chaste Wedlock, whom they dishonour with unclean and false Virginity. Not to put my Detector in mind how honourably he now speaks of marriage, how dares he talk of our fleshliness, and their chastity? as if he had to do with a world, that were both deaf and blind. Do not their own Records fly in their faces: and tell him there are but a few of them honest? Did not their own t Concil. Delect. Cardin. Paul. 3. Exhib. Alius. busi●● turbat populum Christianum in Monialibus, etc. Vbi in plarisque monasteriis fiunt publica sacrilegia cum maximo omnium scandalo. select Cardinals complain, that the most of their Nunneries were justly scandalised with sacrilegious incontinencies? Do not our u Mat. Paris Hist. Angl. Hen 3. p. ●085. Et qu●d indignum est scribi, ad dom●s religiosarum veniens facit exprimi mammillas earundem, ut sic physice, etc. Histories tell us, that in the reign of Henry the third, Robert Grosthead the famous Bishop of Lincoln, in his Visitation, was fain to explore the virginity of their Nuns, by nipping off their dugs, indignum scribi, as Matth. Paris? Do not the x In ha● etiam urbe meretrices, etc. Concil. del. Card. Prius est quàm mechari continentiam, ducere criminosam, de singul. cler. Refut. 88 forenamed Cardinals find it a common grievance, that their Courtesans road in state thorough Rome itself, attended even at noon day with the retinue of their Cardinals, and with their Clergymen? Doth he find the Church of England to maintain Stews? and to raise rents from professed filthiness? Can he deny the unnatural beastliness that reigns in his Italy? But what do I stir this puddle? Let me hear no more brags of their chastity, no more exprobrations of our lasciviousness. SECT. XVI. AS if my Refuter had vowed to write no true word, he challenges me for translating Isidores Turpe votum, a filthy Vow: I turn to my Epistle, and find it not englished by me at all. His own conscience, belike, so construes it; or if some former Impression of mine (which I believe not) had so turned it, here is neither ignorance, nor unfaithfulness. Wheresoever is sin, there is filthiness: And if a lawful vow be properly de meliore bono, can there not therefore be an unlawful vow? What was that of jepthaes', or that of S. Paul's forty Conspirators? But the word there (saith he) signifies a promise; As if every vow were not a promise; and if Isidore takes votum, for promissum, y Dist. 28. Greg. Petro. Diac. l. 1. Ep. 42. Gregory takes (by his construction) promissum, for votum, in this very case we have in hand. This vow of theirs therefore is metonymically filthy, because it makes them such. In one word, (that he may rave no more of Epicures, Turks, Pagans,) Their vow is in profession glorious, filthy in effect. And now for a conclusion of this point, I must out of all these gross and ignorant passages of his (though unproperly, yet) truly vow to the world, that a truer Bayard did never stumble forth in the Press. SECT. XVII. He hath done with their own vows, and now descends to us, whom he confesses vowlesse; His scorn cannot strip us of the benefit of that Truth, which he confesseth; Thus than he writes; I freely with other Catholics grant, Refut. p. 89. that our English Ministers, according to their calling, make no vows; I grant their marriage to be lawful; I grant that every one of them may be the Husband of one Wife, etc. And why did not this liberality of my wise Detector tie up his Tongue in his purse all this while? No more was required, no less is yielded; whereto is all this jangling? But, that his grant may prove worse than a denial, thus he proceeds: But we deny them to be truly Clergymen, or to have any more authority in the Church, than their wives or daughters have: and this, because they want all true calling and Ordination; For, they entered not in at the door, like true Pastors, but stole in at the window like thiefs; We deny their ministry (I say) to be lawful because they did run before they were sent, took their places by intrusion, etc. Let Master Hall disprove this, and I will say, Tu Phyllidasolus habeto. Thus he. A deep crimination, and such, as if it could be proved, would rob our question of the State, and us of our duly challenged honour. Reader, this vehemency shows thee where his wrings him: It is the gall of Romish hearts that we prosper, and are not theirs; Where they have presumed upon credulity, they have not stuck to say, we are not men like others, but more frequently and boldly, that we are no Christian men; and here most peremptorily, that we are no Clergymen: There is no Church, no Christianity, no Clergy not theirs; Neither can we be in Orders, whiles we are out of Babylon. The man dreams of the Nagshead in Cheapside, where his lying Oracle Tradition hath not shamed to report, jewel, Sands, Horn, Scory, Grindall, and others in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's time (being disappointed of the Catholic Bishop of Landaffe) to have laid hands mutually on each other; and that from hence have flowed our pretended Orders. This our shameless * Alias Halywell the jesuite. Sacrobosco heard of some good old folks, & they had it of one Neale, Professor Ebrius in Oxford; Kellison took it of Sacrobosco, and C. E. of him. Concordat cum Originali; Diabolus est mendax & pater eius. And is not this a worthy engine to batter down the walls of a whole Church, to blow up all our ordination? Is it possible that any Christian face should be so graceless, as to bear out such an apparent and ridiculous falsehood, against so many thousands of witnesses, against the evidence of authentical Records, against reason, and sense itself? For can they hope to persuade any living man, that these having at that time a lawful Archbishop of their own religion, legally established in the Metropolitical chair, by an acknowledged authority, the sway of the times openly favouring them, when all Churches, all Chapels gladly opened to them, that they would be so mad as to go and ordain themselves in a Tavern? He that would believe this, may be persuaded that their adored blocks can weep, and speak, and move; that their Cake is God; Never truth could be cleared, if not this; No less than the whole Kingdom knew, that Q. Mary died in the year 1558, November 17; and her Cardinal (than Archb. of Canterbury) accompanied her soul in death the same day. The same day was Q. Elizabeth's Initium Regni; her Coronation, january 15 following. That leisure enough might be taken in these great affairs, the See of Canterbury continued void above a year. At last, in the second year of Q. Elizabeth 1559, December 17, was Matthew Parker legally consecrated Archb. of Canterbury, by four Bishops: William Barlow formerly Bishop of , then elect of Chichester. john Scory before of Chichester, now elect of Hereford. Miles Coverdale Bishop of Exeter. john Hodgeskins Suffragan of Bedford. Matthew Parker thus irrefragably settled in the archiepiscopal See, with three other Bishops, in the same Month of December, solemnly consecrated Edmund Grindall, and Edwin Sands; The public Records are evident and particular, relating the Time, Sunday morning after Prayers; The place, Lambeth-Chappell; The manner, Imposition of hands; The consecrators; Matthew Cant. William Chichester, john Hereford, john Bedford, The Preacher at the Consecration, Alexander Nowell, afterwards the worthy Dean of Paul's; The Text, Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, etc. The Communion, lastly administered by the Archbishop. For Bishop jewel, he was consecrated the Month following in the same form by Matthew Cant. Edmund London, Richard Ely, john Bedford. Lastly, for Bishop Horn, he was consecrated a whole year after this, by Matthew Cant. Thomas S. David's, Edmund London, Thomas Coventry and Lichfield; The circumstances, Time, Place, Form, Preacher, Text, severally recorded. The particulars whereof, I refer to the faithful and clear relation of Master Francis Mason; whose learned and full discourse of this subject, might have satisfied all eyes, and stopped all mouths. What incredible impudence is this then, for those which pretend not Christianity only, but the Consecration of God, wilfully to raise such shameful slanders from the pit of Hell, to the disgrace of Truth, to the disparagement of our holy calling? Let me therefore challenge my Detector in this so important a point, wherein his zeal hath so fare outrun his wit, and with him all the Brats of that proud Harlot, that no Church under Heaven can show a more clear, eeuen, uncontrollable, untroubled line of the just succession of her Sacred Orders, than this of ours; if his Rome, for her tyrannous Primacy, could bring forth but such Cards, the world would be too strait for her. He shall (maugre) be forced to confess, that either there were never true Orders in the Church of England (which he dares not say) or else that they are still Ours. The Bishops in the time of King Henry the eight, were undoubted; If they left Rome in some corrected opinions, their Character was yet, by confession, a Quis ignorat Cathol. etc. & similiter Ordinatos verè esse Ordinatos, quando Ordinator verè Episcopus fuerat & adhuc erat, saltem quantum ad characterem, Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 10. indelible. They laid their hands according to Ecclesiastical constitution, upon the Bishops in King Edward's days; And they both, upon the Bishops in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's; They again, upon the succeeding Inheritors of their holy Sees, and they lastly upon us; so as never man could show a more certain and exquisite Pedigree from his great Grandfather, than we can from the acknowledged Bishops of King Henry's time, and thence upwards to hundreds of Generations. I confess indeed, our Archbishops and Bishops have wanted some aaronical accoutrements, Gloves, Rings, Sandals, Mitres, and Pall, and such other trash; and our inferiors Orders have wanted Greasing and Shaving, and some other pelting Ceremonies. But let C. E. prove these essential which we want, or those Acts and Forms not essential, which we have, Et Phyllida solus habeto. In the mean time, the Church of England is blessed with a true Clergy, and glorious; and such a one, as his Italian generation may impotently envy, and snarl at, shall never presume to compete with, in worthiness and honour; And (as Doctor Taylor, that courageous Martyr, said at his parting) Blessed be God for holy Matrimony. SECT. XVIII. MY Caviller purposely mistakes my rule of Basil the Great, Refut. p. 90. 91. and my Text of the Great Apostle, whiles from both I resolve thus. I pass not what I hear Men or Angels say, while I hear God say, Let him be the Husband of one Wife; he will needs so construe it, as if I took this of S. Paul's for a command, not for an allowance; As if I meant to imply from hence, that every Bishop is bound to have a Wife. Who is so blind as the wilful? Their Leo b Leo ep. 87. aba● 85. Tam sacra semper est habita ista Praeceptio. calls these words a Preception, I did not: If he knew any thing, he could not be ignorant that this sense is against the stream of our Church, and no less than a Grecian error. Who knows not the extremes of Greece and Rome; and the Track of Truth betwixt them both? The Greek Church saith, He cannot be in holy Orders, that is not married: The Romish Church saith, He cannot be in holy Orders, that is married: The Church Reform says, He may be in holy Orders that is married, and convertibly. Some good friends would needs fetch us into this idle Grecisme, and to the society of the old Frisons c Espenc. lib. 1. de Contin. c. 1. and (if Saint Jerome take it aright) of Vigilantius, Espencaeus, and Bellarmine and our Rhemists free us. There is no less difference betwixt them and us, then betwixt May and Must; Liberty and Necessity. If then (Let him be the Husband of one Wife) argue that a Bishop may be a married man, I have what I would, and pass not for the contrary from Men and Angels. We willingly grant with Luther, that this charge is negative: Refut. p. 91, 92. Non velut sanciens dicit, saith chrysostom; But this negative charge implies an affirmative allowance; we seek for no more: As for the authorities which my Detector hath borrowed of his Uncles of Rheims, they might have been well spared; He tells us, Saint jerom says, Qui v●am habuerit, non habeat; He who hath had one Wife, not he that hath one; I tell him Saint Paul saith d Tit. 1.6. (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉)▪ If any man be the Husband of one Wife, not, If he have been: Let e Chrysost. in 1. Tit. homil. 2. Saint chrysostom therein answer Hierome, and Epiphanius, and all other pretended opposites: Obstruere prorsus intendit haereticorum era, qui nuptias damna●t, etc. He purposed in this to stop the mouths of Heretics, that condemned marriage, showing that that estate is faultless, yea, so precious, that with it a man might be advanced to the holy Episcopal Chair. Thus he; whom their learned f Esp. ubi supra Bishop Espencaeus seconds; and by the true force of the Text cleareth this sense against all contradiction. Nec enim Paulini de Episcopis, etc. For (saith he) those places of S. Paul concerning Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, cannot be so eluded, as that they do only belong to men that have been sometimes married, and are now Widowers and single; but the Text doth plainly note out Husbands; and those that are now found in the present estate of marriage; which is employed, both by the word esse, and by unius uxoris vir; that is, having one Wife, not (as some have understood it) which hath had one; for (as chrysostom hath noted) the Apostle would by the society of Marriage and Priesthood, stop the mouths of Heretics that condemned marriage; whereto add, That the Apostle amongst the virtues of a Bishop reckons up this, That he doth govern his own house well, not, that he did govern it. Thus he. Unto which let me yet adjoin this other consideration, that the Apostle describes what manner of Wife a Bishop should have; which as in other professions he hath not done, so in this would have been useless, if he had only aimed at an estate past, and not present. Where it is a cunning trick of the Rhemists, and their Vulgar, in stead of Their Wives, to read, The Women, quite beside the Scope and Context of the Apostle: As to the same purpose; Whereas their Leo in the forecited Epistle says, that this Precept of a Bishop, to the Husband of one Wife, was always so sacred, * That the same condition is to be understood of her that is to be chosen for the wife of the Priest. Refut. p. 92, 93. ut etiam de muliere Sacerdotis eligenda, eadem intelligatur seruanda conditio; Bellarmine, and his Mates would needs face us out, that the Copies are corrupted, and contends to have it read Sacerdotis Eligendi; of the Priest to be chosen, not, of the Wife; Whom our industrious and worthy Doctor james hath refelled both by the Press, and the Pen; by the Coleine Edition and Manuscript authority. As for that he cities from Hierome against Vigilantius, he might have found the Salve together with the Wound; Our Rhemists dare us from the imputation of his opinion. For the rest. Nothing is more plain, then that our Apostle (according to the just interpretation of Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and others) alludes to the lose fashion, as of the Greeks', so especially of the jews, with whom Polygamy and remariages, after unjust divorces, were in ordinary use; These the Apostolical Spirit finds unfit for the Man of God, whom he therefore charges to be only, The Husband of one Wife. Refut. p. 94. 95. Neither doth it argue too much wit in my Refuter, to bring two Fathers upon the Stage for his purpose, and then to set them together by the ears with each other, Ambrose (I mean) and Hierome; who in this which he cities them for, confute one another; Hierome (though otherwise a back friend to Wedlock) censuring the opinion of Ambrose, as savouring too strongly of Cainisme, and superstition: However, even the more vehement of the two, out of this place doth hold Marriage, compatible with holy Orders, Refut. p. 95. which is the only thing I required: So as still, This one word shall confirm me against all impure mouths: Impure, Not for preferring Continency, as my Caviller will take it, but for depraving of Marriage, by the foul titles of Fleshliness, and Sensuality; such as his own; Ibid. a worse we need not: Neither doth S. Ambrose at all control me herein, whiles he teacheth that the Apostle doth not here invite us to beget children in the Priesthood; Habentem enim dixit filios, non facientem; we did not challenge hence any command, we challenge an allowance, which we have and proclaim: That I may not say, some Copies of Ambrose run (according as I have learned of our eminent Doctor Fulke) Habentem filios, Espenc. l. Praecit. aut facientem; Having children, or begetting them: The difference is not worth standing for; Let it pass after his own reading. I could stop his mouth with the ingenuous answer of his Espencaeus: Habentem enim, etc. For he said, Having children, not begetting them; Debellatum hicesset, etc. This Field were won, if either this were the Text, and not the Gloss, or they that thus interpret it, were Apostles; as they are not. Thus their own Bishop. But I need not call for any aid. The words of Ambrose do plainly drive against an invitation, or command, which we do willingly disclaim. SECT. XIX. NOw unhappy is this man that still shoots his Arrows quite besides the Butt? Refut. p. 96. He proves, forsooth, with great zeal, that the Fathers never understood a positive command in our Apostles words, which I never thought so much as in dream: and then he bends his Forces against Byganie, which I no where avouched. The Man of valour love's to play his prizes alone. Here is no command then (saith he) but a permission; How much are we bound to him for his favour? Permission? Thus much he, with his holy Father, yields to their Stews. No, here is a direct allowance. Let him be the Husband of one Wife; Not, He may be so: But this was only for a time, he saith, because of the paucity of single Clergymen: Let him show me the Apostles limitation, and I am satisfied; otherwise, this misse-grounded conceit (what countenance so ever it may find in a private humane authority) shall pass with us as a Gloss of Bordeaux, that mars the Text. But how shamelessly, how fraudulently, how like himself, Refut. p. 96. Chrysost. in Tit. Hom. 2. doth my Refuter cite Chrysostom's Castigat impudicos, & c? He checketh the incontinent (saith the Father) whiles he permitteth them not after their second marriages, to be preferred to the government of the Church, and dignity of Pastors; and there my Refuter stops, with, So he; whereas, if he had gone forward, the place had answered him, and itself: For (saith chrysostom) he which is found not to have kept his benevolence towards his wife, which is c The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by them translated falsely, Defunctum. gone from him, how should he be a good Teacher to the Church? Plainly showing us, that he intends this to those unchaste Husbands, which after an unjust divorce of their former wives, have married also a second; not after the death of the first. The like Priestly fidelity he useth in the place of chrysostom, Hom. 2. upon job; the poor man had taken up some scraps of quotations upon trust, having never seen the Authors; For, chrysostom never wrote any Homilies upon the Book of job; only he hath five Homilies of the Patience of job; whereof this cited, is the second; wherein his errori ignoscebat, hath reference rather to, sine crimine, which he opposeth to irreprehensibiles, then, to vir unius uxoris, as the sequel plainly shows. As for Bigamy, Refut. p. 97. it is out of our way; but since his loquacity will needs rove thither, let him show that before Montanus infected the World with a prejudice against second Marriages after decease, they were held unlawful for any calling, or person, Refut. p. 98. and we will grant him clamorous to some purpose. To prove this opinion and practice of the Church, like a wise Master, he brings in * Tert Exhort. ad castit. c 7. Tertullia's authority, in his Book which he wrote in the time of his Heresy; whiles he was over the ears in Montanisme; where he tells us he hath known some ejected for second Marriages. But if he had ever read the Book following, of monogamy, he might have found his Tertullian (then Montanizing) to upbraid the true and Catholic Church, which he calls Psychicos, with the usual practice and allowance of the second Marriages of their Bishops. * Tert. d● Monog mia, c. 12. Quot enim & aigami praesident apud vos, insultantes utique Apostolo, & c? Miror te unum protraxisse in medium, cum omnis mundu● his ordinationibus plenus sit, non dico de presbyteris: ad Episcopos venio quo● si figillatim voluero exu●erare, tantus numerus congregabitur, ut Ariminensis Synodi multitudo superetur. Her. ad Ocean de Cart ●io Hisp. Ep. digamo, etc. Refut. p. 99 Quot enim & digami, etc. For how many Bishops are there amongst you twice married? But whoever was matched with so vain a Babbler? I proved from Saint Paul, that a Bishop might have one Wife: he proves by Counsels and Fathers, that he may not have two. It is pity that his Masters the jesuites have no more Trees for him to set with the roots upward: Any thing rather than to weary the World with his foolish clacking. Out of this indiscreet and odious verbosity (lest he should want noise) he stumbles upon the Council of Constantinople, before it come in his way, and spends a whole leaf only to tell us, that he will talk of it hereafter. Hereafter he shall receive answer enough; What needs this disorderly anticipation? To conclude then, this place of our Apostle stands for us vnshaken, by any the impotent blasts of his frivolous Elusions, and shall warrant us against Earth and Hell, that a Bishop may be the Husband of one wife. SECT. XX. Refut. p. 100 101. MY next place, of the honourableness of Marriage amongst all, he smooths over with a pretended concession; professing with Fulgentius, and Hierom, to give all high Titles to that state, only preferring the rule of a better life; praising Marriage, but more extolling Virginity: But who ever made the comparison? These are fair Nets to catch Fools; Whiles he heaps up all the reproachful terms that spite can device, against the very state of Marriage, in some callings, not so much as prejudiced by Vow; how doth he grant Marriage honourable amongst all? If the comparison be the matter he stands upon, let him say, Marriage is good, and lawful for all conditions; Virginity is better; he shall have no adversary. And whereas (to call him to reckoning for arrearages) he turned off this place (when it was) with a scoff out of Bellarmine, That Marriage is honourable amongst all, Refut. p. 13. yet not between Father and Daughter, etc. the Man alluded sure to their great & good Alexander the sixth, and the chaste Lucrece, of whom he knows the Riddle, d Here lies Lucrece in name, Thais in li●e. The same Pope's Daughter, Lemmon, and his own son. Wife. Filia, Sponsa, Nurus. For us, that it is honourable in all estates of men by Apostolical warrant, is sufficient assurance, that to no calling, or estate, it can be dishonourable and unlawful. But to untie Bellarmine's trifling knot: I say, Marriage is honourable, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: in all, but not between all: That is, every man may marry with a woman, but not with any woman whatsoever, as with his Mother, or Sister. So Father and Daughter may marry, but not one the other. See now what a worthy Mess of Sophistry is laid in S. Paul's dish by these Carvers, and how easily over-turned: So as I might very well proclaim to all the world (which I do now confidently second) that if God might be judge of this Controversy, Refut. p. 102. it were soon at an end. If my Refuter make faces at this, their whole School shall bear me out in it. Et e Espenc. l. 1. de Cont. c. 3. Caiet. Opus. de Castle. sanè communis est scholae resolutio, etc. And in truth it is (saith their Espencaeus) the common resolution of the school that if we insist only in those things which were spoken by Christ, and written by the Apostles in the Canon of the New Testament (secluding the Laws of the Church) holy Orders, neither as Orders, nor as holy, are any hindrances of Matrimony. Thus he. And said I any more? any other? Ibid. p. 102. 103. By their confession then, God never imposed this Law. My proof was, that even in the time of that legal strictness, he allowed Wedlock to the Ministers of his Sanctuary. Herein, how am I refuted? If he mean (saith my Detector) that for purity and perfection of life, the Law of Moses was more strict than the Gospel, the untruth is notorious; To which he adds out of Hierome, that the greater perfection of the Evangelicall Sacrifice exacteth greater Holiness; and concludes, that the permission of Wives in the aaronical Priesthood, argues evidently the imperfection of that Law. So he. Surely, God wanted this Counsellor upon Mount Sinai; he could have advised him better Rules of his miscontrived Priesthood. Would my Refuter make himself so ignorant, as not to know; that notwithstanding the rather greater perfection of Morality required under the Gospel, yet that Leviticall Law placed impurity in many of those creatures and actions, wherein the Evangelicall findeth none? Did not the touch of some Vessels or Garments make a man legally unclean? Did not the lawful act of Conjugal Benevolence; Did not the accidents of the holiest Childbed carry in them an expiable impurity? If he be not a jew, he will not say it is still thus under the Gospel. How justly therefore might I infer, that if our holy God, unto whose Wisdom it seemed good to stand of old upon such points of outward uncleannesses, did notwithstanding allow Wedlock to his Priesthood, much more (at lest no less) under the Gospel, doth he allow it, when as all those imputations of impurity are vanished. SECT. XXI. I Produced the Testimony of their Pope, their Cardinal, their Doctor. Refut. p. 103. 104 Basils' Rule is a sure one, that the Witnesses of Enemies are most convictive. Their Cardinal was Panormitan, Their Pope, Pius the second. Their Doctor, Gratian. For Panormitan; My Refuter likes his words so well, that like a saucy Fellow he dare pull off his red Hat, and trample it in the Floor; denying his Cardinalship, and charging him With participation of the Schism. But first, he cannot (I hope) deny him to have been their Abbot, than their Archbishop; As for his red Hat, it never came from Wittenberg nor Geneva; it was of their own dying; Felix the false Pope (he says) gave it him. Reader, the famous Council of Basil, consisting of no less than four hundred reverend Persons, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Doctors, gathered and allowed at first, by Pope Martin, then by his Successor Eugenius the fourth, afterwards was upon some Politic considerations called off by Eugenius; The Fathers of the Council finding their own strength, stood upon the right of their Superiority, and (as they well might) censured the Pope; he proceeded to obstinacy; those brave spirits (upon ripe consideration) justly deposed him. In the room of this Eugenius, (otherwise called Gabriel Condulmarius) was by just number of voices elected Amadeus the devout Duke of Savoy, and named Felix the Fifth; a man too good for that See; neither had he ever any so great blemish in all his life, as the name of a Pope: Volateran can tell us, what a Kennel of Hounds he shoved to the Ambassadors, namely, whole Tables of poor souls daily fed by him; All Histories speak of his Devotion, and Piety; This man called from his intended retiredness, must carry the Keys. He makes choice of Archbishop Panormitan for one of his Cardinals: What offence is here? But he was a false Pope. If the Council of Basil were a true Council, than was Felix a true Pope. It is in my Readers choice whether he will believe four hundred Divines representing the whole Church, or a Pope's Parasite. But Panormitan died in the Schism against Eugenius. The World knows that the greatest blot Panormitan ever had, was his violent plea for Eugenius; against the Bishop of Argens, against eloquent Segovius, against the whole stream of that Council; This is the thank he now caries away, Felix scelus virtus vocatur; If Eugenius had not dealt under hand with the Dolphin of France, and Frederick of Austria, (than ambitious of the Empire) and tried all his wits, both to make new Cardinals and to divert the Neutrals, Eugenius had not been foelix; and Felix had been still Eugenius, the true and undoubted Successor of Peter: However, if these points should be strictly stood upon, Rome would be at a loss, which many a time hath been to seek for her head. But what though it were granted that Panormitan was Cardinalated by an intruding Pope? Can this call down the authority of his judgement and Writings? especially those which he wrote before he was Cardinal or Archbishop, being only Abbot: And yet may be cited by us under the name of Cardinal: as Bellarmine's Dictates and Composures elder than his red Hat, yet are fathered upon that Title. Once, this I am sure of, that f Bell. de Cleric. lib. 1. c. 19 Catholicum alio avin & doctum anthorem. Cardinal Bellarmine doubts not to style Panormitan a Catholic and learned Doctor. This is the man that stands with his Hat off to this worshipful Clerk of Douai, and tells him that Continency is not of the substance of order, nor by Divine Law annexed to it; whereto, he shuffles out a miserable and desperate answer, as we shall see in the sequel. But in the mean time, see the cunning of my Catholic Caviller; This is not the sentence I stood upon, 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 hear, and see, and smell, that the sacred Celibate of Priests did stink an hundreth years before Luther's time. I will therefore here supply for him, and, hoping he will in his next take notice of the sentence, will represent it here again. Abb. Panorm. de Cleric. coniugat. Cap. Cùm olim. The words are these: Melius foret, et pro bono & salute animarum salubrius, si & uniuscuiusque voluntati relinqueretur, ita ut non valentes aut non volentes continere, possint contrahere; Quia experientia docente experimus contrarium effectum sequi ex illa lege continentiae, cùm hodie plerique non vivant spiritualiter, nec sint mundi, sed emaculenter illicito coitu cum ipsorum gravissimo peccato, ubi cum propria uxore esset castitas. That is, It were better, and more wholesome for the good and salvation of souls, if it were left to every man's will; so as they which either cannot, or will not contain, might marry. For we find by experience a contrary effect to follow upon that Law of Continency; since the greatest part (of our Priests) at this day live not spiritually, neither are chaste, but are defiled with unlawful copulations, not without their most heinous sin; whereas, with their own Wives it should be Chastity. Thus he. A sentence worthy of that Epiphonema of mine. (Is this a Cardinal think you or an Huguenot?) With this, my Detector deals, as their Inquisition doth with a misnamed Heretic; he chokes it up in secret, or, if he bring it forth, Refut. p. 107. it is not without a gag in the mouth: All his answer is, We tie not ourselves to every man's opinion; and, This sentence is censured by Bellarmine as erroneous; As if Panormitan were every body, and Bellarmine an Oracle. It is enough for us, that one of their own greatest, learnedst, zealousest Prelates justifieth our Marriages, and wisheth them in use rather than their Continency. To that other Testimony of Panormitan, he answers by a grant, yielding us freely, That if we take divine Law for that which is expressly determined in Scripture, Refut. p. 105. it must needs be said, that there is no evident proof set down of continency in Ecclesiastical men by the Apostles; yet, that it is so insinuated, and the observation of it hath been so ancient, as Bellarmine noteth, that it may be truly termed Apostolical; Thus he. And even for this are we beholden to him; All his friends would not have been so liberal. His joannes Maior, his Clictovaeus, his Torrensis, and all their rigorous Clients would not have said so: As, on the other side, the old Gloss was not so wise, that could only say (which is now expunged) Apostoli docuerunt exemplo, The Apostles taught this by their example. But what are these so pregnant insinuations? Good wits have found them out; One was, that of 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, serve for chambering and wantonness. Iwis, no Laymen 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 surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life: Whereof Bishop h Es●enc. de cont. l. 2. Espencaeus is so ashamed, that he answers it with an Absit; God forbidden (saith he) that we should think that the Lord, which is the Author and sanctifier of Marriage, should hold it in the same rank with surfeiting & drunkenness. Another was of the same Author ( i Tit. 2. Si quis legitimam commixtionem & filiorum recreationem, corruptionem & coinquinationem vocat, ille habet cohabito torem daemonem Apostatam. Ignat. Epist. ad Philadelph. teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts:) us, of the Clergy; belike the rest need not; And who knows not the witty and learned insinuations of their good Siritius, Those that are in the flesh cannot please God? These, and such like are the forceable insinuations of this imposed continency, which even very boys and Idiots can hisse out of the Schools. SECT. XXII. FRom Panormitan, he descends to my alleged Gratian, who because he speaks these words (by way of explication) in a continued tenor with a sentence of Austin, is (to my mortal sin) cited by me as speaking from Austin. The position and the inference of the words is such, as might deceive any eye that would trust a Gratian; What might the price be (trow we) of such a crime in the Apostolic chamber? In my next Shrift, Refut. p. 105. he shall hear, meâ culpâ; The words are Gratians, that Copula Sacerdotalis vel consanguineorum, The marriage or (as this Clerkly Grammarian translates it) the carnal copulation of Priests, or kinsfolk, is not forbidden by any Legal, Evangelicall, or Apostolical authority, but by Ecclesiastical Law it is forbidden. We could not hire a Proctor to say more. But herein C. E. hath detected two foul faults of the citation; The one, that I trusted his Gratian so far, as to make him speak out of Austin, which (I trust) a little Holywater may wash off. The other; Refut p. 106. That I concealed the marriage of kinsfolk, within the prohibited degrees: which (saith he) although only forbidden by Ecclesiastical Law, yet dares not M. Hall. (I think) transgress it; so as this Law hath greater for●e than he supposeth it to have. So he. Plainly, my Refuter knows not what he faith, else he would never thus palpably plead against himself? For, whatever thing was there in all the constitutions of his Church, more subject to variation, than the legal supputation of the forbidden degrees? which was a long time confined to the third degree inclusively; another while extended to the fourth; and sometime to the seventh. Let him herein reconcile his Pope Nicholas and Gregory, with Pope Innocent, Whereof the one left all free that were without the pale of the fourth degree, the other restrained all to the seventh; And when he finds an unalterablenesse in the determination of these degrees, let him plead for an equally-fatall necessity of his Ecclesiastical continence; in the mean time, let him take it patiently to be beaten with his own Rod. No divine Law then (he grants) hath enjoined this Celebate, but an Ecclesiastical. What is this other than I said? God never imposed this Law of continence; Who then? k Espenc. ex Test. Abb. l 1. c. 3. Facerat igitur Ecclesia boni medici iusta medicinam quae obsit magis quam profit tallentis. The Church should therefore do like a good Physician in removing the medicine which he see● to do more harm then good. Refut. p. 107. The Church. And why may not I go on, to ask, Whether a good wife would gainsay what her husband willeth? Flourishing will not answer this. All the praises of beauty and fidelity which are given to the true Church, argue Rome to be the false. Whereas therefore the Priest shuts up thus bravely; And this Minister, who would make the one to gainsay the other, should bring some place or sentence to show the same (which he may chance to do the next morning after the Greek Calends) or else never avouch so a Paradox. He shall understand that his Greek Calends are past. The Spirit of God saith, A Bishop may be the Husband of one Wife. The Church of Rome says, A Bishop may not be the Husband of any wife at all: Whether is this a contradiction? The Spirit of God says, Marriage is honourable amongst all men: The Church of Rome says, Marriage is dishonourable to some. The Spirit of God says, To avoid Fornication, let every man have his wife: The Church of Rome, like a quick huswife, says, Some order of men shall not have a wife, though to avoid Fornication. Let my Masse-Priest show these to be no contradictions (which he may chance to do at the Greek Calends) or else grant this to be neither Paradox, nor . SECT. XXIII. FRom Cardinal Panormitan, I ascended to Pope Pius the Second, Refut. p. 108. whom I ushered in with this Preface, Let a Pope himself speak out of Peter's Chair, Pius the second, as learned as hath sit in that room this thousand years. Two things my Caviller snarls at in the Preface, two in the authority itself. My first manifest untruth is, that Pius the Second spoke this as out of the Chair. A witless misprision. I hope he sat in Peter's Chair that spoke it; if he spoke it not as from the Chair, I care for no more Is not this sufficient to win respect from a Catholic Priest? Otherwise, whether it were Stool, or Chair; or if a chair, whether the consistorial, or the Porphyry chair, wherein he sits before his first Triumph, l Lib. sacr. cerem. tanquam instercoraria, it is all one to me. Themselves must first agree what it is to speak as from the Chair, ere I can affirm that Pius the Second so spoke this. Id Populus curet, I referred the chair to the man, not to the speech: In the mean time C. E. is not so good a groom to the Chair, as Gregory of Valence, who attributes infallibility to a Pope's sentence, though it be m Vid. Rom. Irrecon. sine curâ & study. My second wrong is the superlative lashing (so he calls it) of other Pope's learning in comparison of this. I cry him mercy; I did not know what sin it was to commend a Pope's learning; That is not it (I confess) that caries away the Crowns and the Keys: But the comparison offended. Perhaps C.E. hath known that Chair more learnedly furnished: It may be he thinks of Boniface the Ninth, called before Peter de Thomacellis, a Neapolitan, n Theod. Niem. lib. 1. c. 6. who could neither write, nor sing; hardly understanding the propositions of the Advocates in the Consistory; insomuch as in his time, Inscitia ferè venalis facta fuit in ipsa curiâ; Ignorance was grown valuable. Or it may be he thinks of those ancient ferule-fingred Boy-popes'; one of the benedict's, a grave Father of ten years old; or john the Thirteenth an aged Stripling of nineteen. Or perhaps, he alludes to those learned times (within my compass) which were acknowledged in the Council of Rheims; where, when offer was made of requiring the Pope's judgement, it was publicly replied, that besides the exposednesse of the City to sale, Romaeiam nullum ferè esse qui literas didicerit, There was scarce a man at Rome, that could spell his Letters. Heu quàm perfatuae sunt tibi, Roma, togae! If I should here add out of Alphonsus de Castro, that some Popes were such great Clerks, o Alphons. contra heres. lib. 1. cap 4. Edit. Colon. anno 1543. ut Grammaticam penitùs ignorent, That they had no skill in Grammar, C. E. would tell me that my Book is not of a corrected edition, though it was printed at Coleine. Such bran hath been cast out in their latter sifting and shifting of Authors. SECT. XXIIII. IN the authority itself, his Cavils are childish; Where Pius said * Marriage upon good reason was forbidden to Priests, but upon greater reason seems fit to be restored. Refut. p. 109. Sacerdotibus magnâ ratione sublatas nuptias, maiore restituendas videri: My first fault is, that I turn Sacerdotes, The Clergy, in stead of Priests; which word is of a larger extent, including also Bishops: The silly man sees not that I translated it to his advantage, against my own; For, every Sacerdos is Clericus, not every Clericus, Sacerdos. Very frequently are Bishops comprehended under the name of Sacerdotes, as well as of Clerus; and no less usual under the name of Clerici, the superior Orders are not comprehended. He is not worthy to write himself Priest, that understands his Orders no better. My second error is, That I turned the last Clause of the Sentence, (Is to be restored) whereas the words are, Restituendas videri. Here could be no fraud, whiles I set the Latin words in the Margin. The Man thinks of his (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) or his, Videtur quod sic; probatur quod non; but if his Grammar had not been ill learned, he had known that (Videri) doth not always signify a doubtful probability, but sometimes a certain evidence, as, Visum est Spiritui Sancto & nobis; and Qui videbantur columna; Or (if his Logic had fully taught him the Distinctions of Sunt and Videntur) this quarrel had been spared. This Seeming was Being; Or, if this lawless Lurker had ever had any taste of the Civil or Canon Law, he might have been able to construe that Maxim, Quod quis per alium facit, per se facere videtur: and that judged Case, Qui nomen debitoris legatum vivens exegerit, legatum ademisse videtur. In this style spoke this learned Pope, which my unlearned Adversary cannot reach unto. For, if Pius, or Silvius, may have leave to comment upon himself, when the question was of suffecting Amadeus Duke of Savoy, a married man, in the room of Eugenius; Ex quo constat (saith he) etc. It is apparent that not only he, which hath been married, but he that is married, may be assumed to the Popedom: and a little after; Fortasse peius non esset, etc. And perhaps it were not worse, if more Priests had wives, for many would be saved in a married Priesthood, which now in a single Priesthood are damned; he saith directly, Damnantur, They are damned, not, They seem to be damned. And therefore to prevent this real damnation, Marriage is really to be restored to them, not that it should only seem to be restored. To conclude, take Videri, for bare seeming, surely, it must be construed, Videtur mihi; I Pope Pius think, or judge, that it were fit that Priests should have the liberty of marriage restored again to them; which together with sublatas implieth, that in former times Priests were married; and as the case now standeth, ought again so to be. Which is the very same state of this question, which we avouch. And in his Epistle to john Freünd, Credimus te non infalso v●● consilio, ● think it is no ill counsel for thee (since thou canst not contain) to seek for a Wife; although that should have been thought of, before thou didst enter into holy Orders; but we are not all Gods, that we can foresee future things; since it is com●● to this, that thou canst not resist the Law of thy Flesh, it is better for thee a marry then to burn. Thus he. For which advice, doubtless he found good cause in his own experience; who having been employed formerly in this Island of ours, left two Bastards behind him, the one, begotten of an English woman, the other, of a Scottish; The one whereof he commends to his Father's Sy●●ius, a Citizen of Syenna; the other he confesses to his friend P. de No●ceto: But this indeed was before his Priesthood; Afterwards, it is strange what he● confess●●● himself in his 92 Epistle; Mihi herelù parum meriti est in castitate; Whiles he was Cardinal, he had his Concubine to whom at last he gave threescore Florins for her Dowry, Epist. 361. I cannot beas● of any merit in my chastity, for to tell the truth (Magis me Venus fugitat, quam ego illam hotter) Venus doth rather fly from me, than I abhor it. It was not therefore out of speculation, but sense, not out of seeming, but certainty, that Silvius passes his Restituendas videri. So now to shut up this point, the blessed Apostle St. Paul, and (in his Attendance) Panormitan, Gratian, and Pius (in their clear suffrages for us) are fully acquitted from the vain cavils of my Detector; and God is on my side, the Church of Rome, on his Let Sincerity judge which Scale of the Balance is heavier. SECT. XXV. FRom the lawfulness of our Marriages, I descended to the Antiquity; Refut. p. 110. where my Refuter takes an ignorant exception. I said, Some things have nothing to plead for them but Time: Age hath been an old refuge for falsehood: Then I lay for my foundation Tertullia's Rule; * Rectum ●● quodcunque primum; adulterinum quodcu● posterius, Te●t. de Prasc. That which is first is truest; My Detector finds here a flat contradiction, and cries out, Do these men wake or sleep when they write? There are none of his wise friends which will not be ashamed of this gross stupidity; For whether of these two Sentences can he dislike? and if both be allowable, how can they be contradictory? neither am I his Adversary herein, but Tertullian. What surer way could there be, then to control the pretences of a secondary antiquity by the first? And what contradiction is in this? The first is true, all under the first is obnoxious to error, The puisne posthumous Antiquity hath been a refuge for falsehood, the Primigenious Antiquity (which proceeded from the ancient of Days) is certain. Let this Trifler go learn to spell English, ere he presume to Divinity. This Antiquity is the touch, whereby we desire all truth to be tried; which easily finds all the gilded Coins of Romish innovation, shamefully counterfeit. Not to go back so fare as Paradise (though I well might) where God made the first wedding in perfect Innocence. I began with Moses and his Leviticall Brotherhood; to which my Refuter replies; Refut. p. 111. That yet in eating their Paschall Lamb they had their loins girt. justly concluded! All the jews did eat the Paschall Lamb with their loins girt, for the expedition, or moment of their flight, therefore their Priests and Levites did not converse with their Wives. If his Superiors of Douai do not blush at this Logic, his wit and their shame are gone together. But, They abstained (he saith) from their Wives, whiles they did minister in the Sanctuary; What if we yield this? Their ministration was by courses, and had intermissions. There is an holy & decent modesty in all those which are worthy to serve at the Altar, which teacheth them to give God his due times, with respect even of outward purity; which is all that q Euseb de praep. Euang. l. 1. c. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, i. Sacra facientibus, they turn it, Sacratis, &c Refut. p. 112. Eusebius by them misse-translated, and misse-alleaged by him, requireth. But what will my Refuter say to the High Priest himself, which was bound every day to a morning and evening Sacrifice, who yet was not restrained from a conjugal society? That Bone hath troubled, blunted, and broken better Teeth than his. But (saith he) The figure of the eternal Priesthood of Christ (to wit) Melchisedeck, is not read to have had any wife at all; What of this? He, whom he prefigured, was only a spiritual Husband to his Church. If this man be not read to have had a Wife▪ no more is he read to have had Father or Mother. Nay, he is read to have had neither. Why do they not thence infer that Priests ought to have neither, but to be begotten and borne of Angels, not of humane kind? which is as good for an inference as that foppery is for a Legendary fable, that Luther was begotten by an Incubus. Yet had the Literal (not mystical) Melchisedec both Father and Mother: and if Sem were Melchisedec (as wiser men than mine Adversary have upon good probabilities thought) he may pass, I hope for a married man. As for the perfection of the new Law above the old, it only bars those institutions which had in them an imperfection, not those which God thought fit for Paradise itself. So as the practice of the jewish Church, founded by God himself, is an all-sufficient warrant for the marriage of his Evangelicall Ministers. SECT. XXVI. FRom Moses and the Prophets I descend to the Apostles. What did they? C. E. answers roundly: Refut. p. 112. They did not marry; and they who were married before, did lea●e their wives. I urge Saint Paul's report of the rest of the Apostles, and the Brethren of the Lord and Cephas, that they not only had Wives, but r 1. Cor. 9.5. carried them along in their Travels. He answers, They were not Wives, but other devout Women, which followed them to administer maintenance to them. A likely tale, if they could all agree in it; That the Apostles would cast off their own Wives, and carry about strange Women with them, upon whatever pretence. Credat judaeus apella, Non ego. Yet my shameless Refuter cries out of my pride and ignorance in not allowing this, which he dares proclaim for the received exposition of all the Fathers, and all that ever wrote in the Greek and Latin Church: When he knows that his s Cl●●. Recog. ul●. l. ●. Clement in his Recognitions, and his own Pope in their Canon Law, hath expounded it contrarily, of Wives, not of strange Women: t Dist. 31. Omnin●. Leo the ninth, against the Epistle of Nicetas the Abbot; where he directly affirms that the Apostles did carry about their Wives, de mercede praedicationis sustentarentur abijs; That they might be maintained by the reward of their preaching; making the force of the word to lie in circumducendi, non amplectendi: Either therefore his Pope errs in a deliberate exposition of Scripture, or else I have not erred; And either his Popes are no Fathers, or C. E. hath no forehead. Refut. pag. 113. Nothing can make the Rhemists (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Sister, a Woman) not ridiculous; not that Visor of Age, which my Refuter pleases to fasten upon it. There wants an Article (he saith.) Our Apostle should have comen to Cardinal Bellarmine and him to learn when, and where to use it. That our last accurate Translation of the English Bible, hath Woman in the margin, is a poor advantage, who seethe not, that it is the manner of that exquisite Edition, to set all the Idiotismes of either Language, and diverse readings in the Margin? Every Schoolboy knows that the word signifies both; but whether of them is fit to be received into the Text, our Text itself shows. How wittily is Saint Paul's, A Woman, a Sister, Men and Brethren. paralleled with Saint Peter, Viri Fratres? Ye Men which are Brethren, is a meet predication, but, Ye Sisters which are Women, is absurd; Neither doth St. Peter say (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Brethren men, as Saint Paul says, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A Sister Woman. As for the authority of Hierome, well may we appeal from his judgement as incompetent, whom his own Doctors accuse as partial, and censure as * A Title given to Gregory, also in Apolog. Tumultuaria. Refut. p. 115. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (if not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.) Yet even he against Heluidius translates it, Vxores circumducendi. For the rest, it is worth my Readers note, how the Plagiary Priest having stolen this whole passage (as most of the rest) verbatim out of Bellarmine, yet over-reaches his Master; for where Bellarmine says, Ita ferè omnes Graeci & Latini; So almost all the Greek and Latin; this Bayard dares say, All (saving Clemens) as well Greek, as Latin; and when he hath done, names some that say nothing of it at all, as Chrysostom; Another, that in Heresy speaks for him one where, another-where against him, as Tertullian; who being also himself a married Priest, could say in his exhortation, Licebat & Apostolis nubere, & uxores circumducere; Another that grounds upon an evident misreading, as Ambrose; and to make up the Bulk, puts in Saint Bede and St. Thomas, parties to the cause, and then sings, jopaean. It is well yet that he grants Clemens of Alexandria, and Saint Ignatius to be on our side, for this interpretation; and when he hath done, he must be forced to yield us his Pope Clement, Pope Leo seconded by his Gratian, and Laurentius Valla, and others cited by Erasmus; in so much as Espencaeus himself grants herein, x Espenc l. de Cont. To lead about. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veterum, a difference amongst the Ancient. And if these had never been, the Text clears itself, for, not to enforce the word (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) which implies a power over the party carried; The Apostle speaks of a matter of charge to the Church, by this circumduction; Now, that rich Matrons should follow the Apostles, and minister to them of their substance, was a matter of ease to the Church. Neither was this attendance for ministration, so much an act of Cephas, and the other Apostles, as a voluntary act of the women themselves. To conclude, in this, the Apostles practice should have crossed their doctrine. For if Saint Paul gave that charge (of being the Husband of one Wife) on purpose (as y Chrys. Hom. in Tit. praecitat. chrysostom saith) to stop the mouth of the Enemies to Marriage; how must this needs open them again, and breed a conceit of that impurity, which Saint Paul meant to oppose, that the Apostles themselves as ashamed of their wives, forsook them, and chose rather to be attended by Strangers? So as I must take leave to be ever in this Heresy, that the Apostles had wives, and carried them about. SECT. XXVII. But what Boyes-play is this, To give and take? Our doughty Champion hath granted us Clemens of Alexandria, and now he pulls him back again; Clemens (saith he) grants the Apostles to have had wives, Refut. p. 116. but he denies that they used them as wives; cunningly dissembling that which Clemens said in the beginning of the same period; For Peter and Philip (saith he) did beget children, etc. How did Peter beget them, if he were not Peter when he begot them? In the time of their painful Evangelicall peregrination they forbore perhaps: doth it therefore follow that they did always forget to be husbands? Whence, in all likelihood, had S. Peter his Petronella, if she ●ere not borne after he was Peter? Whence was that inscription on Pilagiaes' Tomb, (if we may believe z Cit ad Espen. loco citato. Here lies the Wife of Bishop Dionysius, Daughter to Thomas the Apostle. Perionius) Hic sita est sponsa Dionysij, Thomae Apostoli filia? There is not (I grant) necessity in this proof, there is probability. It is therefore too boldly affirmed by my Detector, that the Apostles, after that public calling undertaken, used not their Wives. Is that of Saint Ignatius, nothing against him? Open to Deo dignus, etc. I desire to be found worthy of God, as Peter and Paul, and the rest of the Apostles which were married men, and a Ignat. Ep. ad Philadelph. non libidinis causa, sed posteritatis surrogandae gratia coniuges habuerunt. not for lust's sake, but for propagation of posterity enjoyed their Wives. Thus he. So much against C. E. that C. E. is no less against him. The testimony of S. Ignatius (saith he) is a mere forgery, easily answered. If Ignatius had either denied or disliked these Marriages, no man's word had been more authentic; now, this clause hath made him falsified: He cannot (I hope) say, that the sentence came out of our Forge; we take him as we find him; neither doth B. Espencaeus, or any other ingenuous Writer, take such exception, but finds the authority weighty. That more unliked Epistle which Ignatius wrote to Saint john, and the blessed Virgin (though palpably rejected by their own) is classical enough, when it may serve a Coccius, or b Bell. T●m. 1. pag. 837. a Bellarmine, or a Pierre Cotton; But here the Epistle itself is not questioned, only this clause is bored in the Eare. And why so? Forsooth the ancient Greek Copies have it not. Doubtless the man hath vexed the old Greek Manuscripts; but when he hath done, his own Fellow shall give him the lie; who confesses it to be in all Copies both Greek and Latin, old and new, whiles he saith, that those words ( b Those words (And the other Apostles) are to be ●azed out o● the text. Margar. de la Bigne. Not. in Epist. ad Philadelph. Et alij Apostoli) ex textu abradenda. Or if that will not serve, there is yet to be seen in Balliol College in Oxford, an old Copy of the age of seven hundred or eight hundred years, wherein the words are found; Only the words (Saint Paul, and the other Apostles) blurred; yet so, as they are still to be well discerned: If the Greek should want the clause, what were this? The first Edition of Ignatius in Greek was (1558.) as the Centurists have noted; and how easy was it to leave out one sentence that seemed prejudicial? Let him never cast this upon the Grecians: they never so excelled in this Faculty of counterfeiting as the Romans: Greece in this must yield to Italy, however it pleases c Erat consuetudo Graecorum fere ordin ria corrumpendi libros. Bell. l. 4. de Pont. c. 11. Quoniam Romani sicut non acumina, ita nec imposturas habent, Gre. l. 5. Ep. 14. add Noorsen. Pope Gregory, and Cardinal Bellarmine herein only to give it superiority. Amongst the rest, this very place puts me in mind of a memorable juggling Trick of his Fellows. The old Platina printed at Paris by Francis Regnault, Anno 1500. (which I have seen) and all other old Copies, read thus of Saint Luke; Vixit annos 84. d Platin. in Cleto ad finem. Luke lived 84. years, having a Wi●e in Bythinia. Having not a Wife in Bithynia. Vxorem habens in Bythinia. Now comes the Onuphrian Edition set forth at Coleine, An. 1600. from the shop of Materuus Colinus, and reads, Vxorem non habens in Bythinia; with which authority Espencaeus himself was deceived, citing Hierom for it, as the Fountain, whence perhaps Platina might fetch it: but if my Reader please to turn to that e Her. Catol. script. Illustr. Catalogue of famous Writers, ascribed (not unjustly) to Hierome, there shall he find the very same cozenage; the words run so indeed, in the Latin printed Copies; but not acknowledged, not mentioned by Sophronius in the Greek Translation; and Erasmus, reading it either, Having, or not having, at last shuts up; Haec verba videntur adiecta; quandoquidem nec adduntur apud Sophronium, nec in exemplaribus emendatioribus. These words (saith Erasmus) seem patched to the rest; since they neither are added in Sophronius, nor in the better Copies. Thus he. It was fit my Reader should have a taste of the Roman integrity. I alleged the learned Cardinal Caietan for the likelihood of Saint Paul's Marriage; Can my Refuter deny this? The words are plain: f Caiet. Com. in Phil. c. 4. Quia omnes Apostosi, exceptis joanne & Paulo, uxores babuerunt. Amb. etc. Refut. p. 117. Locus cogere videtur; The place seems to enforce it, not by demonstrative reason, but in all reasonable sense, that Paul had a Wife. So he. Which is all I contended for. If now he shall think to choke me with a cross Testimony of the same Author, concerning Saint Paul's not conversing with his Wife after his Apostleship, he may understand, that I well remember Caietan to have been a Roman Cardinal; and therefore in some points necessarily unsound; whose ingenuity yet in this business I have formerly showed. SECT. XXVIII. Refut. p. 118. FRom the practice of the Apostles (which is yet clear for us) we descended to their Canons. It troubles my Refuter, that I say, the Romish Church fathers these upon the Apostles, and that their jesuit Turrian sweats to defend it (insinuating my contrary opinion) and yet that I cite them for myself; whereas his wisdom might have considered, that their force is no whit less strong against them, notwithstanding our doubt or denial. For example, The Trent Canons roar terribly to them: to us, or the French, they are but as the Potguns of Boys: we may cite these to them as Gospel, they may cite them to us as Koran. By this it appears how fare not only School-learning, but even Logic transcends this poor Refuters capacity, who could not distinguish between disputing ad rem, and ad hominem. What I said in my Epistle to my reverend and worthy friend Master Doctor james, the incomparably industrious and learned Bibliothecary of Oxford (a man whom their Possevine thought so well of, that he hath handsomely stolen a book of his, and clapped it out for his own, a man whom so base a Tongue as my Detectors cannot disgrace) I profess still, that I hold those Canons of the Apostles uncanonicall; And do I hold this alone? Doth not his Pope Gelasius so? Doth not Isidore, Bishop of Hispalis so? Doth not Leo the Ninth so? Are not some of them at pleasure rejected by Possevine, Baronius, Bellarmine? Or, in a word, if they be the true issue of the Apostles, Can. 65, 67, etc. are they accordingly respected, and observed of the Roman Church? Doth not his g Mic. Med. de sacr. hom. Contin l 5. Vix sex ●ut octo Lati● a Ecclesia nunc obseruat. Medina grant to their shame, that the Latin Church scarce observes six or eight of them? These Canons than I do not hold Apostolical; I do hold ancient, and not unworthy of respect; and such as I wonder they have escaped the Roman Purgations. As for those other nine or ten noted Counterfeits, which I joined herewith for company, in that Epistle, his shame would serve him to justify, if his leisure would, whereas there is scarce one of them whom his own Authors have not branded. My Refuter must have a fling; Ref. p. 120, 121. usque ad 125. In an idle excursion therefore he justly rails on the Protestant practice, in rejecting those Fathers for Bastardy one while, whom otherwhiles they cite for currant; when his own eminent impudence in the very passage next going before, and in the next following (to go no further) offends in the same kind. The truth is, The Protestants take liberty to refuse those Fathers, whom even ingenuous Papists have censured as base; The Papists take liberty, when they list, to reject the authority of those Fathers, whose truth they cannot deny. The instances hereof would be endless. But with what face can any Papist tax us for this, when all the World may see above three hundred and twenty of their Authors, whom after the first allowance they have either suppressed, or censured? To their eternal and open conviction, Doctor james, (whom they may revile, but shall never answer) hath collected and published the names and pages. SECT. XXIX. NOt to follow therefore this babbling vagary of my Adversary against Zuinglius, Refu. p. 126, 127. Apost. Can. 5. Luther, Musculus, Whitakers, (what Puppy cannot bark at a dead Lion?) we come close to the Canon: That no Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon shall forsake or cast off his Wife in pretence of Religion, or Piety, upon pain of deposition. Wherewith how much my Refuter is pressed, appears, in that he is fain with Baronius to avoid it, with, Apocryphorum non est tanta authoritas; There is no so great authority in Apocryphal Canons. Where is the man that even now vpbrayded us with the lawless rejection of ancient Records; and by name would undertake to justify those whom my Epistle taxed for adulterine, whereof these Canons of the Apostles were a part? now he is fain to change his note, Apocryphorum non est tanta authoritas. He hath cast off Ignatius already, anon you shall find him rejecting Socrates, Sozomen, Nicephorus, Gratian, Sigebert, H. Huntingdon, and whom not? upon every occasion shamelessly practising that which he censures. If Lalleage the sixth general Council, that of Constantinople, proclaiming this sense truly Apostolical, even the sixth general Council is rejected as neither sixth, nor general, nor Council; That this Apostolical Canon is bend against the denial of Matrimonial conversation, is apparently expressed in those Canons of Constantinople, however the extent of it in regard of some persons is restrained. There is no way therefore to untie this knot, but by cutting it; and my cavilling Priest with his jesuits may gnaw long enough upon this bone; ere they suck in any thing from hence, but the blood of their own jaws. Any of those words single might be avoided, but so set together, will abide no elusion, Let him not upon pretence of Religion eiect his Wife. The shift that C. E. borrows from Bellarmine, is gross, Refut. p. 128. and such as his own heart cannot trust (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith he) that is, * In pretence of headiness. praetextu cautionis. Look over all the Copies; all interpretations of these Canons; that of Dionysius Exiguus; that of Gentianus Heruetus; that of Caranza; that which Gratian, (whom my either graceless or ignorant adversary dares name against me) citeth from hence; all of them run praetextu religionis. How clear is that of their own h Dist. 28. Sub obtentu religionis propriam uxorem cortemnere. Law? Si quis docuit Sacerdotem, etc. If any man shall teach that a Priest, under pretence of Religion, may contemn his own Wife, let him be accursed. And Zonaras, whom both our junius, and their Espencaeus cite out of Quintinus his Exposition, is most clear; Hoc enim videtur in calumniam fieri nuptiarum, etc. For this eiection (saith he) would seem to be done in reproach of marriage, as if the Matrimonial knowledge of Man and Wife caused any uncleanness. Thus he. Where it is plain, that he takes it not of maintenance, but (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) of the Conjugal act. The necessity of which sense also is evicted by their own * Espenc. l. 1. de C●nt c. 4. Espencaeus out of Saint chrysostom, in his second Homily upon Titus. And i In Canon. Apost. in Phot. in no●o Can. Balsamon no less directly; Because (saith he) before that Law of justinian, it was lawful for a man upon any cause to divorce his Wife: therefore the present Canon gives charge, that it shall not be lawful for a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, upon pretence of Piety, to put away his Wife. Thus he. From all which it is not hard to see, that in those young days of the Church, the mystery of iniquity began in this point to work; so as Marriage, according to the Apostles prediction, began to be in an ill name, though the clear Light of that Primitive Truth would not endure the disgrace. So as in all this I have both by Moses, and the examples of that Leviticall Priesthood; by the Testimony of the Apostles, by their practice, by their anciently-reputed Canons, and by the testimony of the agedest Fathers, so made good the lawfulness and antiquity of the Marriages of persons Ecclesiastical, that I shall not need to fear a Divorce either from my Wife, or from the Truth, in that my Confident and just Assertion. THE HONOUR OF THE MARRIED CLERGY maintained, etc. The second Book. SECT. I. AND now, since in this point we have happily won the day; less labour needs in the other. Refut. p. 130. It is safe erring with Moses and the Prophets, with Christ and his Apostles; Soon after (according to Saint Paul's Prophecy) Spirits of Errors were abroad; and whether out of the necessary exigence of those prosecuted times, or out of an affectation to win favour and admiration in the eyes of Gentilism, Virginity began to raise up itself in some private conceits, upon the ruins of honest Wedlock; neither is it hard to discern by what degrees; yet, never with such absolute success, as to proceed to any Law of restraint. I do not therefore fain to myself (as mine idle Refuter) golden ages of mirth, and k Though Amram the Levite, father to Moses married in the heat of Pharaohs persesecution: and David did the like in saul's. Refut. p. 131. Refut. p. 131, 132, 133, marrying, under those tyrannous persecutions, but in those bloody ages, I do avouch to him, and the World, an immunity from the tyrannous yoke of forced continency. This if he could have disproved by any just instances, he had not given us words. If he be angry that I said, some of the pretended Epistles of his ancient Popes to this purpose are palpably foisted; Let him fasten where he lists, if he have not an answer, let me have the shame; in the mean time, it is enough to snarl where he dares not bite. That which I cited from Origen, advising the sons of Clergy men nor to be proud of their parentage, he cannot deny, he can cavil at. The same persuasion (saith he) might be made to Saint Peter's daughter (as many are of opinion that he had one) yet will it not follow that he knew his wife, after he was an Apostle. So he. But what needs this Parenthesis, if the man be true to his own Authors? Did we device the Story of Petronilla? Did we invent the passage of her Suitor Flaccus; Of her Fever, the cure whereof her father denied? Of her Epitaph engraven in Marble, by her fathers own hand; Aureae Petronillae, dilectissimae filiae, To my dear and precious Petronilla, l Esp. 1. c. 8. Volat. 1.18. Pet. Nat. l. 5. c. 69. Plat. vis. Paul. 1. Sigeb. 757. my most beloved daughter, found by Paul the First? Are not these things reported by their own Volateranus Petr. Natalis, Beda, Vssuradus, Sigebertus, Platina? Still where is the man that cries out of rejecting authorities in other cases allowed? either than let him give the lie to his Histories; or else let him compute the Time when Flaccus, the Roman Count, was a Suitor to her, and see if he be not forced to grant that she was begotten of S. Peter after his Apostleship: And so for aught he knows) might those sons be whom Origen thus dehoureth, This man was not their Midwife. The place of Origen which he m Orig. Homil. 13. in Numer. cities to the contrary, he took up somewhat on trust: let him go and inquire better of his Creditor; by the same token, that in the Homily of Origen, whither he sends us, he shall find nothing but Balaeams Ass, an object fit for his meditation. As for that parcel of the testimony, Refut. p. 133. which he saith my chi● cough c●used me to suppress sin ipsa Christianitate) it is as Herb john in the Pot; to the purpose of my allegation. Origen speaks of that Text, Many that are first, shall be last, etc. Which he applies as a calling-card to the children of Christian Parents, especially, Si fuerint ex patribus Sacerdotali sede dignificatis, If they be the sons of them which are dignified with Sacerdotal honour; The change of the Preprosition is remarkable, ex Patribus, arguing that he speaks not of their education, but their descent, and therefore implying no less than I affirmed, that their parentage gives them a supposed cause of exaltation. SECT. II. HOly n Athanas. Epist. ad Dracent. Many Bishops, etc. Refut. p. 134. Athanasius was brought by me in stead of a thousand Histories: Who tells us that it was no rare thing to find married Bishops in his time. My wise Refuter, after he hath idly gone about the bush a little, comes out with this dry verdict, What will Master Hall hence infer? That Bishops and Priests may lawfully marry? Saint Athanasius saith it not, but only recounteth the fact, that some married of both sorts, but whether they did well or ill, or whether himself did approve or condemn the same, there is no word in this sentence. Thus he. We take what he gives, and seek for no more; We cited Athanasius in stead of many Histories, not of many Arguments; Histories de facto, not discourses de iure; The lawfulness was discussed before; the practice and use is now inquired of. This Athanasius witnesses, and C. E. yields; Wherein yet I may not forget to put my Refuter in mind, how brittle his memory is; who in the same leaf contradicts himself; For when he had before confessed that Athanasius doth neither approve nor condemn the practice, Refut. p. 136. either as good or evil, now he plainly tells us, that the words were not spoken by way of simple narration, but of mislike and reprehension. He would be a good liar, if he could agree with himself. Why of dislike? For (saith he) it was never lawful for Monks or Bishops to beget children. Ipse dixit, we must believe him; Not to tell him that o Chrys. ad Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. chrysostom teaches us (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) it is possible with Marriage to do the acts of Monks: not to convince him with counter testimonies, let him tell me what fault it is, to do or not to do miracles. These in this sentence of * Athanas. ibid. We have known Bishops working miracles, and Monks working none; Many Bishops not to have married, etc. As likewise you may find Bishops to have been fathers of Children, and Monks not to have sought for marriage. Athanasius go in the same rank with Marriage. But, to clear Athanasius, he brings Hierom against Vigilantius, (impudently called by him, The father of the Protestant's, who would have all Clergy men to marry; when his very Rhemists have checked him for this slander) pleading against that necessity, from which we have oft washed our hands; when as the same Author against jovinian affirms de facto, the same with Athanasius, and us. To say then that Athanasius spoke this only of lewd licentious Monks or Bishops, is but the lewd liberty of a licentious tongue that hath overrun both Truth and itself. From hence this Orator, this parcel of wit, flies out into a pleasant frump, as he thinks, but indeed an ugly, inhuman, loathsome ribaudry, ill-beseeming the mouth of any that was borne of a woman, I will not say whether ill or well beseeming the pen of a Virgin-Priest, forsooth so pure and angelical, that marriage would un Saint him. His unmanly unnatural Style belcheth thus: Thus Luther, of Katherine Bore his Sow, had six Pigs. Pag. 137. Away nasty C. E. transformed by Circe! Hoy! back to her Sties, yea thine, where thou mayst freely Gruunire in septis cum foedo hoc agmine clausus. Then proceeds he, envying the matrimonial fruitfulness of Bucer: who surely, had he under the veil of maidenly Priesthood been fare more fruitful in a whole swarm of Bastards, should never have heard of it, unless perhaps he had denied to pay Taxam Camerae. As for Ochius, allowing Polygamy, and perhaps other worse obliquities in his opinions, what are they to us? For the marriage of P. Martyr Oecolampadius, Pelican, etc. Let him take for an acquittance that which hath been paid them thus, Nobis nostrae sunt junones, vobis vestrae Veneres. And then I ask, Vinat uter nostrum cruce dignior. If this will not serve for repayment, I must eke it out with a small, yet currant, commodity of two poor verses, which I learned of his Mantuan at the Grammar School: Sanctus ager scurris, venerabilis ara Cynaedis, Seruit, honorandae Diuûm Ganymedibus aedes. Let him take this spoonful of Holywater to digest his Hogs flesh. SECT. III. HItherto my Refuters' p job 41.27. Refut. p. 138, 139. Iron hath been as Straw, his Brass as rotten Wood, his Sling-stones as stubble, but now he hath found that will kill me dead; and says no less than Hoc habet. q Cypr. l. 4. Epist. 10. Cyprian is by me alleged for the History of Numidicus; whom I avouched a married Presbyter, by the same token that he saw his wife burning (besides him) with the flames of Martyrdom. And Lord, what outcries are here of fraud and corruption! and how could this Masse-Priest wish himself near me when I should be urged with this imposture, to see what face I would make thereon? Even such a one (good sir Shorne) as is framed by the confidence of honest innocency. God deal so with my soul, as it means nothing but ingenuous sincerity; neither hath my pen swerved one letter from the Text: My margin said, Numidicus Presbyter; so doth Cyprian himself, two or three lines before this report of his wife; Numidicus Priest. so (besides the Text) doth the margin of Erasmus. And what treachery could it be to add the word of Cyprians own explication? But Numidicus was not then Priest, when his wife was martyred; rather upon that constancy was honoured with holy Orders. How appears that, when Cyprian only says, Numidicus Presbyter ascribatur Presbyterorum Carthaginensium numero & nobiscum sedeat in clero. He was before a Priest, Let Numid. the Priest be received into the number of the Priests of Carthage, etc. for aught this Libeler, or any mortal man knows, and now was ascribed into the honoured Clergy of Carthage, soon after to be promoted to Episcopal dignity. Before the report therefore of his wife's martyrdom, he is named a Priest. What have I offended in seconding Saint Cyprian? Let this peremptory babbler prove this ordination to be after that noble proof of his faith; I shall confess myself mistaken in the time, never false in mine intentions. Till then, he shall give me leave to style the man as I find him, Numidicus Presbyter. If Cyprian had said, Numidicus Praesbyterorum numero ascribatur, the case had been clear; but now doubling the word, he implies him a Priest before; Numid. Presbyter Presbytererum Carth. numero aser. and how long before, and whether not before his Confession, it will trouble my learned Adversary to determine. How fain would this man crow, if he could but get the colour of an advantage? In the mean while, this impotent insultation betrays nothing but malice and ignorance. SECT. FOUR MY Refuter may transpose the History of Paphnutius, but he shall never answer it. After his old guise therefore he falls to his Hatchet, Refut. p. 140. and when he hath tried to bow it a little and finds it stiff, he cuts it up by the roots. What one word can he control in the relation of r Secretary l. 1. c. 8. Sozon. l. 1. c. 22. Socrates, or mine Illation? The Bishops went about to bring in a new law of Continency to be imposed upon their Clergy, saith Socrates and Sozomen, therefore before it was not. Paphnutius reclaimed and called that yoke heavy and unsupportable, the use of the Marriagebed, Chastity. The issue was, Potestas permissa cuique pro arbitratu; Every man left to his own liberty: the story is plain, there is no place for cavils. Refut. p. 143. The only comfort that my Detector and his Tutors find in the History, is, that Paphnutius is not all ours: He calls for the use of Marriage to the wedded Clergy, not for wedlock of the unmarried. True; therein I must retort the answer of Sotus, that the good Martyr gave way to the corruption of the Times; wherein the wicked mystery had begun with St. Paul's (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.) But in the mean time, let him know; that if Paphnutius plead but by halves for us, he pleads against them altogether; yea, this he knows already, else he would never be so audacious as to condemn the authors for unsincere, and fabulous, yea heretical; and to bring the clamours of his Bellarmine, to discredit Socrates in three gross untruths, and Sozomen with Multa mentitur. Refut. p. 146. O impudence without measure, without example! Cassiodorus, and Epiphanius, Socrates, Sozomen, Nicephorus, grave and approved Authors of our Ecclesiastical Story, for but reporting one piece of an History, in favour of clergymen's marriages, are spit upon, and discarded with disgrace. This is no new Song; my Refuter hath learned it of Copus, Torrensis, Bellarmine, Baronius, and others. All whose mouths together with his, in these particular exceptions, let me stop with that ingenuous answer of * Espen. l. 1. de Contin. B. Espencaeus, there needs no other Advocate, Excipit Torrensis, etc. But Torrensis excepts against Socrates and Sozomen, as though they had lewdly, and shamefully belied this story of Paphnutius; and says, the one was a friend of the Novatians, the other an abettor of Theodorus the Heretic; that both their Histories are in this void of credit, authority, probability. As if they could not at once be bad Men, and yet good Historians; or if they lie in any other place, they must needs lie in this; For Sozomen, Tritemius commends him for a worthy furtherer of secular learning, and well versed in the Scriptures, And for Socrates, he extols him for a learned and eloquent man, for a very excellent, and greatly experienced Historian. Thus he, and much more; to which (for brevity) I refer my peremptory Refuter; who shall there find satisfaction to his Objections of the silence of other Authors, Refut. p. 144, 145. That Wives cannot be comprehended under the name of Strange Women. and the Canon alleged against the sub-introduction of (Mulieres extrancae) strange women into the houses of Clergymen: His Clictovaeus telling him, uxores dici non posse extraneas, and the Law made afterwards by Honorius and Theodosius, plainly commenting upon this Constitution. SECT. V AS for his Testimony of Leo the Great, living in the time of Socrates, I answer it by the testimony of * Socra. l. 4. c. 22. Refut. p. 148. Socrates, living in the time of Leo the Great, Multi enim, etc. For many (saith he) in this Episcopal dignity, in their Episcopal houses, in the time of their being Bishops, do beget children of their Wives, whom they had before lawfully married. Thus he. A place that answers for itself, and many others. Wherein yet my Refuter finds some of my faulty concealments. First, that the more, and more famous Bishops and Priests did the contrary. True, they did so, but voluntarily, as with us some of the Heads of our Clergy, and others of the Body, do contain, not forced; c Socr. ubi supr. They contain of their own accord, and at their own choice. Continent sponte ac pro arbitrio; This I think is not the Roman fashion. Secondly, They conversed with the Wives which they married before their Ordination, they did not marry after. Let his wisdom show me upon what reason the act of marrying should be unlawful, where the act of Marriage is lawful, and we will yield him justly to stick at this difference. And when he hath done, let him bite upon their old d Dist. 84. c●m in praterno. They say that of old, before Siricius, Priests might contract Matrimony. Et quod Gregorius introduxit continentiam Subdiaconis, sed Presbyteris & Di●●conis, S●ricius, Dist. 82. Gloss (though now by them defaced.) Dicunt quod olim, ante Siricium sacerdotes poteram contrahere. SECT. VI IN the rest, he falls not upon me, but the received Historians, Socrates and Nicephorus, They have done him a spite, and he will revenge it. Refut. p. 150. These he will convince of a double lie. The one, that Heliodorus was the first Author of the Law of Continency in Thessalia; the other, that this Continency was arbitrary. His reason for the former is weighty; It is not likely (saith he) that Heliodorus which would rather lose his Bishopric then recall his lascivious Book, would be so eager above the rest for the Continency of his Clergy. As if ever any men had been more luxurious than the greatest enemies to marriage; as if it were impossible for Pope john the thirteenth (from whom Dunstan received his rigorous Commission) to be unnaturally incestuous; as if it were impossible for his great Prelate of Crema, when he came to oppose the Marriage of our English Clergy, to be e Vid. Pos. ●● found that night in bed with an Harlot? And here my childish Adversary will needs make sport for Boys; I cited in my Margin Heliodorus, the Author of the History; As if (saith he) Heliodorus had written some History of Aethiopia, whereas he only entitled his work, Aethiopia. Ridiculous head! What Schoolboy, what apprentice knows not Heliodorus? Nosque menum ferulae, etc. If this learned Critic had but ever opened the Book, he had found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; Neither doth any Englishman know it by any other name, then, as it is translated (ere I was borne) The Aethiopicke History; yea, if a man were not resolute to shut his eyes in the very place of Socrates, which he cities; the Book is called Aethiopica, whereto what construction can be given, but this of mine? Such folly is for the rod of Ferule; This is (I confess) a Trifle; yet such as may give my Reader a taste of the bold blindness of my impudent Detector. SECT. VII. THe other stings yet more, Refut. p. 151. that this Episcopal and Priestly Continency was upon no other terms, then f Socrat. l. 5, c. 21. If themselves will; Forced by no Law. The custom hath been. Modo ipsi voluerint, and, Nulla lege coacti; and consuetudo invaluit. And now all in a rage my Refuter will prove against Socrates that there was a Law for this; and to this purpose he brings in two Canons of the Constantinopolitan Council in Trullo: Mark, Reader, with what judgement. The Trullan Council was above two hundred years after: Socrates ended his History in the year g Histor. Socr. ad finum. 443. The Trullan Council was held (as their Binius computes it) in the year 692, and yet the Canon of the Trullan Council, in a matter of fact, disproves Socrates. The other Counsels of Ancyra, Caesarea, and Nice, are either Provincial, or against him. As for the plea of Synesius, that he might not be a Bishop, because he would not leave his wife, it is answered by the fact of Synesius, that he was made a Bishop, and left not his Wife. But what an idle and insolent boldness is this, for an obscure Libeler, to go about now almost 1200 years after, to control a grave approved Historian of the Church, in a matter of ordinary practice, which his own eyes and the Worlds did daily witness; As if he durst have published such a report of the common use of his time, wherein all the Age he lived in, could have convinced him? Refut. p. 153. The witlessely-malicious Prosopopey, wherein my Refuter brings in the Reverend and Peerless Bishop of London, pleading for his wife to his Metropolitan, becomes well the mouth of a scurrile Masse-Priest, and is worthy of nothing but a scorn. Those two incomparable Prelates are the chief objects of these evil eyes; whom God hath raised happily above the reach of their envy. It galls this Romish Rabble, that these two Ringleaders of the English Clergy (besides their busy employments in their careful, prudent, and zealous government) preach more Sermons in a year, then, perhaps, all the Bishops under the Papacy. Rumpantur & ilia. SECT. VIII. IT pleaseth his discretion to marshal my Epistle as he lists, and then to complain of disorder, and my leaping over hundreds of years from the Nicen Council to Gratian the Canonist; My Readers eyes can confute him, which cannot but witness that I name diverse in all ages recorded for married Bishops, and Presbyters. This Breadrole (he saith) is idle, because I show not that they then used their Wives when they were Bishops. An hard condition; Refut. 254. That I must bring witnesses from their Bedsides. Is it not enough that we show they had wives, that they had children? No (saith my Refuter) It must be proved that they had these children by these wives after Ordination. We were neither their Midwives nor their Gossips, to keep so strict an account. But what means, * They sleep with their wives, and in the time of being Bishops, beget children of their own wives, Socr. Vbi supr. Cum uxoribus dormiunt? and, Tempore Episcopatus filios gignunt ex propriis uxoribus. This we have showed out of Socrates. What was that which Dionysius, the ancient B. of Corinth, (before ever Paphnutius was) wrote to Pinytus, charging him, Ne grave seruanda castitatis onus necessariò fratribus imponat. x That he do not necessarily impose the heavy burden of continency upon his Brethren, Euseb. l. 4. hist. c. 22. What was that, for which Eustathius, B. of Sebastia, the unworthy son of Eulanius B. of Caesarea was censured? was not this one of the Articles, y Socrat. l. 2. c. 33. Refut. p. 155. Benedictionem, & c? That he taught men to decline the blessing and communion of married Priests? Away then with this either ignorant, or impudent facing of so evident a falsehood. The testimony of Hierom, the example of Vrbicus B. of Claramont, and of Genebaldus B. of Laudune, show what was the conceit & practice of those particular places wherein they lived. And yet Hierome in the same Book can say; z Hier. l. 1. adverse. Jovin. As if now adays many Priests also were not married. Quasi non hodie quoque plurimi sacerdotes habeant matrimonia. In that story of Vrbicus, related by Greg. Turonensis, I can but wonder how far men may be transported by superstition; so as to make the Apostles charge give way to an humane opinion. The wife of a Greg. Tur. l. 1. c. 44. Cur coniugem speruis, cur obturatis auribus Pauli praeceptae non audis? Scripsit enim, Revertimini ad alterutrum, etc. Ecce ego ad te revertor, nec ad extraneum, sed ad proprium vas recurro, etc. Why despisest thou thy Wife? why dost thou shut thine ears against the precept of S. Paul? For he hath written, Meet together again, lest, etc. Vrbicus comes to his door, and alleges S. Paul's charge; (Meet together again, lest Satan tempt you, etc.) Cur coniugem spernis, & c? he yields to do the duty of an Husband, and now in remorse inioynes himself a perpetual penance. What penance do we think S. Paul was worthy of, for giving this charge which she alleged? Let my Reader judge, whether of the two was t●e better Divine. How insolent is tradition, thus to trample upon Scripture? But since it pleased my Refuter to lend me this one example of Greg. Turonensis, I am ready to give him use for it. In the 2. book of Turonensis he shall find b Greg. Turon. l. 2 c. 21. Nat. Theodos. jun. & Valent. 3. Imperat. uxor Papianilla, cum qua concorditer vixit, liberosque ex ea suscepit v. triusque sexus, 4d Apoll. epist. 16. l. 5 Sidonius a married Bishop and his Wife, a Noble Matron, in all likelihood living with him, for (nesciente coniuge) without his wife's knowledge he gave silver plate to the Poor. c Turon. 4. c. 12. In the fourth Book he shall find Anastasius a married Presbyter, feoffed in some Temporalties which he would rather die then not leave to his issue. d Tur. l. 8 c. 39 In the eight Book he shall find Badegisilus, the cruel Bishop of the Cenomans, matched with an ill wife; who yet lived with him (as it seems) all his time, and had altercations with Bertram Archdeacon of Paris, for his goods, deceased. In these there is strength of legal presumption, though no necessity of inference. But what do I instance in these, or any other, when Balsamon tells us clearly that before the sixth Synod e After their Episcopal dignity, Balsam. in Can. Apost. 5. Are joined in Marriage. vid. supr. Use Marriage contracted. it was lawful for Bishops to have wives, Etiam post dignitatem Episcopalem? And his own Canon law can tell him, that in the East Church, their Priests, Matrimonio copulantur; which his wariest Masters expounding, would interpret by copulato utuntur. judge then, Reader, what to think of the metal of this man's forehead, who would bear us down, that no one Bishop or Priest was allowed, after Orders, to have any wife. Yea, even for the very contraction of marriage itself, after Orders, f Ispen l. 1. c. 11. honest Espencaeus can cite one g Io. Mayor, & comptuar. Concil. Refut. p. 159. joannes Marius, a Dutchman by birth, but a French Historian, to whom he allows the title of (non indiligeris) who writes, that he knows that in the times of Pope Formesus, & Ludonicus Balbus, Priests were married, Et iis licuisse sponsam legitimam ducere modò Virginem, non verò Viduam; and that it was lawful for them to marry a Wife, so she were a Virgin, not a Widow. As for that base slander wherewith this venomous Pen besprinkles the now glorious face of our renowned Archbishop and Martyr Doctor Cranmer, whom he most lewdly charges with lasciviousness and incontinent living with I know not what Fraw, it is worthy of no other answer then, Increpet te dominus. It is true that the holy man wisely declining the danger and malignity of the times, made not at the first any public profession of his Marriage; as, what needed to invite mischief? But that he ever had any dishonest conversation with her or any other, it is no other than the accent of the mouth of Blasphemy. And if any one of our Clergy, after a legal and just Divorce long since, have taken to himself that liberty which other Reformed Churches publicly allow (as granting in some case a full release, both à thoro and à ivinculo) what ground is this for an impure wretch to cast dirt in the eyes of our Clergy, and in the teeth of our Church? Malicious Masse-Priest, cast back those emissitious eyes to your own infamous Chair of Rome; and if even in that thou canst discern no spectacles of abominable uncleanness, spend thy spiteful censures upon ours. I reckoned diverse examples of married Bishops and Priests out of Eusebius, Refut. p. 160. Ruffinus, others; amongst the rest Domnus Bishop of Antioch, which succeeded Samosatenus, for which my Margin cited Eusebius, in his 7 Book, and 29. Chap. My Detector taxes me for citing Authors at random; as Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 29. when as there are (he saith) but 26. Chapters; and for things which are not found in him; As if the man had desperately sworn to write nothing but false. Trust not me, Reader; Trust thine ●●●e eyes; Thou shalt find that Book of h Vid. Et. sch. Eai●. Basil. Anno 1587. Eusebius, to have one and thirty Chapters; and in the cited place thou shalt duly find the History of Domnus. Whose patience would not this impudence move? If I reckoned not examples enough, or such as he likes not, (as unjustly seeming litigious, there is choice enough of more; Tertullian, Prosper, Hilary, Eupsychus, Polycrates, and his seven Ancestors; to which let him add 24 Dioceses at once in Germany, France, Spain, Anno 1057 of married Clergymen, recorded by their own i For Act. & Mon. in bu● quaest. Gebuilerus, and make up his mouth, with that honest confession of Aventine, k Auent. hist. Boior. l. 5. Their Wives called, praesbyterissa, ibid. etc. honesto vocabulo, as he there speaks. Sacerdotes illa tempestate publicè uxores, sicut caeteri Christiani habebant, filios procreabant; Priests in those days publicly had wives as other Christians had, and begat children; which the old Verse (if he had rather) expresses in almost the same terms. Quodam Praesbyteri poterant uxoribus uti: which his Mantuan hath yet spun in a finer thread, as we shall show in this Section. What l Hodie apud Graecos Sacerdotes post susceptum ordinem ducere uxorem, sed unicam ac virginem, à Graecis didici. Proposit. Er asmicorum, censur cum declaratione c. de ca●●ibaetu. danger is there now therefore either of the breach of my promise to my worthy friend Master Doctor Whiteing, or of my divorce, or of his victory? If the man and his modesty had not been long since parted, these idle cracks had never been. But whereas this mighty Champion challeges me with great insultation in many passages of his braving discourse, to name but one Bishop or Priest of note, which after holy Orders conversed coniugally with his Wife; without the scandal of the Church branding such (if any were) for infamous; and daring to pawn his cause upon this trial; I do here accept his offer, and am ready to produce him such an Example, as if all the jesuites heads in the world stood upon his shoulders, Tu vero si quid minus per aetatem in hymns, & Epistola intelligis. His children hurt him not, not his Wife lawfully conjoined in Wedlock: in those day's God mis●●●d 〈◊〉 the Marriage bed, nor the cradle, 〈◊〉. they could not tell how to wrangle against. I do not urge to him that Prosper of Aquitane, a Bishop and a Saint, whose Verses to his Wife are famous, and imply their inseparable conversation. Age iam precor mearum, Corns irremot a rerum, etc. Nor yet the forenamed Hilary, Bishop of Poitlers, who in his old age (if that Epistle be worthy of any credit) writing to his Daughter, confesses her years so few, that through the incapacity of her age, she might perhaps not understand the Hymn or Epistle; of whom the honest Carmelite Mantuanus could ingenously confess: Non nocuit tibi progenies, non obstitit uxor Legitimo coniunct a thoro▪ Non horruit illa Tempestate Deus thalamos, cunabula, taed●●. Nor Bishop Simplictus, of whom m Sidon. Apol. Conc. adjunct. Cp. 9 l. 7. Sidonius gives this praise, that his Parents were eminent either in Cathedris, or Tribunalibus, and that his Pedigree was famous either Episcopis, or Praefectis: and for his wife, that she was of the Stock of the Palludii, qui aut literarum, aut altarium cathedras cum sui ordinis laude tenuerunt; of whom also Sidonius can say, she did respondere Sacerdotiis utriusque familiae, answer the Priesthoods of either Family. Nor Alcimus n Alcim. Auit. Vien. Gal. Arch. l. ad sororem, circa. An. 492. Auitus the French Archbishop, who writing to his Sister, of her Parentage, hath thus, — Stemma Parentum, I will not, dear Sister, make report of the Pedigree of thy great Grands●●●e●, etc. 〈…〉 renow●ed life of Priests made famous to the World. Quos licet antiquo mundus donârit honore, Et titulis à primaevo insigniverit ortu, Plus tamen ornantur sacris insignibus illi, etc. Nec jam atavos soror alma tibi proanosque retexam; Vita Sacerdotum quos reddidit inclyta claros. Nor Paulinus Bishop of Nola in Campania; to whom Ausonius writes, Tanequil tua nesciat istud; And Formidatamque iugatam objicis, etc. These and such like might suffice reasonable men; but since we have to do with those Adversaries, whom S. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; who, if we urge hundreds of such evident examples, turn us off with bold shifts; and will needs put us to prove those acts which seek secrecy; Let him and all his complices whet their wits upon that clear and irrefragable place of Gregory Nazianzen, a man beyond all exception; who brings in his Father Gregory, whom the world knows to have been Bishop of the same See, speaking thus of him, Greg. Naz. Car. de vita sua, Edit. Marel. Par●. To. 2. p. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Nondum tot anni sunt tui, quot jam in sacris mihi sunt peracti victimis, etc. That is, The years of thy age are not so many as of my Priesthood. Words that will convince the most importunate gain-sayer, that Greg. Nazianzen was borne to his worthy father, after the time of his holy Orders. And lest any man should suspect that this (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nondum) may reach only to the birth, not to the begetting of Gregory Nazianzen; so as perhaps he might be borne after his Father's Orders, begotten before them: Let him know (to make all sure and plain) that Gorgonia and Caesarius the sister and brother of this Gregory, were by the same father begotten afterwards; as is evident both by that Verse of Nazianzen; who speaking of his mother, as then childless when she begged him of God, says, Ibid. de vita sua, etc. Iam●. Cupiebat illa masculum foetum domi Spectare, magna ut pars cupit mortalium. Elias Cretens. In Orat. Greg. Naz. 19 And the clear Testimony of Elias Cretensis; Quamvis enim si nativitatem spectes, etc. Although (saith he) if you regard his birth, he was not the only child of his Parents, forasmuch as after him both Gorgonia and Caesarius were borne. Thus he. O infamous Gregory's, the scum of the Clergy! O irregular Father, that durst defile his sacred function with so carnal an act! O shameless son, that blushes not to proclaim his own sinful generation! Go now petulant Refuter, and see whether you can either yield, or answer. As for that glorious show of Antiquity, where with C. E. hopes to blear his Readers eyes, gracing himself herein with the astipulation of our Reverend jewel, I need not return any other answer then of his Beatus Rhenanus: Quanquam veteres omnes, etc. Although all the Ancient, Aug. lib. Tert. Exhort. cas●. matrimonio p●rum aequi fuerint, etc. The time is short. and Hierome himself were no whit equal or indifferent to Marriage; esteeming Virginity and Chastity very high; both because they thought the Last-day was near at hand, as remembering that sentence of S. Paul, Tempus incollecto est; and because they saw many impediments grow from Marriage, which marred the purity of Christianity, in those days, especially when Christians lived amongst Heathens, and matched in marriage with them: Surely it is evident, that for this cause Hierome was in an ill name at Rome, etc. Thus he. We durst not have said so much, for ourselves. The highest Antiquity is ours, the later had been ours, if it had not been upon these grounds which were then their own, proper to the time, place, occasion. SECT. IX. I Descend to the Testimony of Gratian; Champion E. calls this, Picking of Straws. If picking of Straws be boys play, and argue that they which use it are foiled, and have lost all, as our Refuter merrily pipeth, let him acknowledge how beggarly the proofs are grown of the martyrdom of their Saintly jesuites and Priests amongst us, did they not stoop to pick straws, to thresh out a miracle (when it was) for translating Father Garnet from a Traitor to a Martyr; yea, and that Chaff, the gullery whereof themselves smile at here, is devoutly transported beyond the Seas, and enshrined for a sacred relic, and proclaimed by their Kornmannus for one of the great Wonders of the Dead; Ridet aruspex ubi aruspicem viderit. It is well that the great Compiler of the Canon Law of Rome is grown so base with Catholic Priests. He witnesss plainly, that some Bishops of Rome were the sons of Priests not spurious, but begot in lawful Wedlock; m Dist. 56. Ceno manens 'em. etc. Which was (according to Gratian) every where lawful to the Clergy, before the prohibition. C.E. bites the lip at this authority, and first he tells us, it is the Palea, not Gratian. Refut. p. 161. But if this be the Chaff, there is no Corne. Reader, try by this the egregious impudence of this fellow. Turn to the place, thou shalt find the words to be none but Gratians; and the notes allowed by public authority, openly to confirm it: Hîc apertè ostendit Gratianus se in ea fuisse opinion, etc. Here Gratian openly shows that he was in that opinion, that heretofore the Priests of the Latin Church might be married. Secondly, my Parenthesis displeases him (As now adays: Refut. p. 162. ) But what needs this quarrel? He must grant, if the Romish Priests have sons, they can be no other than spurious. It is his best not to press this point too fare. This idle jealousy of his can argue no good. I touched not the continency of his Paulus Quintus, so much as in any thought, I only wish that his Holiness would bestow some of the offals of his Nephew's great Benefices, upon this Masse-Priest for the reward of his superfluous Oleum peccatorum. My third untruth, (and that a gross one) is, Refut. p. 163. 164, 165. that I say many Bishops of Rome followed their Fathers in the Pontifical Chair: whereas in this Chaff of Gratian, he finds but one Syluerius Pope, son of Syluerius Bishop of Rome. And what if in his Chaff he find but one, whiles I in my Corne-heape can find more? Did I tie myself in this clause only to Gratian? Was not Pope john the Eleventh, or, in some accounts, the tenth, son to Pope Sergius? And is there no Chair Pontifical but the Roman? Was not Theodorus Pope, son to Theodorus Bishop of jerusalem? Foelix the Third, son to Bishop Valerius? Pope Adrian the Second, son to Bishop Taralus? His Platina can supply his Gratian in these. What have I to do with his quarrels about Hosius, Foelix, Agapetus, Steven? Refut. p. 166. They are their own; Let him wring Gratian by the ear, till I feel: And surely, the poor Canonist bleeds on all hands. Bellarmine, Baronius, Possevine, and this stout Beagle, have every one a snatch at him; and he must be content to go away with this gash; (We are not bound to follow him as an infallible Writer, but may with free liberty reject him.) Yea, how merry doth my Refuter make himself with his despised Gratian? Like a Philistim he hath pulled out the eyes of this Samson, and now makes sport with him; If Douai like it well, it shall not be displeasing to us. The man (as ill as he love's marriage) will needs make a match betwixt his Gratians Pope Steven, and his Pope joane. Iô Hymen! Was ever man so mad, to make himself pastime with his own shame? Was the History of that their monstrous Papesse of our making? Do not n Sigebert. Martin. Polen. Platin. Mart. Minorit. Oth. Fris. Flores. Temp. Petrareba, etc. the whole stream of their Writers of Chronicles, their own Bishops, Monks, Recluses, Registers, record it openly to all posterity, without the contradiction of the next ages, yea of any, till this last? Let them take to themselves therefore, this fruitful Successor in the infallible Chair; she is their own, they may dispose of her, where they list; and since my Refuter will find out a match for her out of the Chair of exploration, why should not we dance at the wedding? Why do not we help him to a piece of an Epithamium? Papa pater patrum, Papissae pandito partum. o Flor. temp. Impr. vlt. 1486. A flower that never came out of Luther's Poesy. SECT. X. I See, that whiles I follow this Wrangler by the foot, I am become insensibly tedious, the residue of his longsome Treatise is spent upon the Council of Constantinople. Gregory's charge, Isidores rule, Hulderick, Hildebrand, Dunstan, and Anselme, and the estate of our forefathers in the English Clergy. The discussion of all which, as not being essential to our business, (except only the last) will admit more brevity of dispatch. The vital parts of our cause being secured, there will be less danger in the remoter limbs; which yet, if our Target guard not, our sword shall. In all these, it shall be best to reduce his Cavils unto heads, that we may crop them with more speed and ease; Only I must crave leave to dwell some while in the last. Concil. 6. Const. in Trullo. Concerning the council of Constantinople (after some idle mistaken discourse of the occasion thereof) he insists upon these four points. Refut. p. 168. usque ad 174. First, That it was not general: Secondly, Not the sixth: Thirdly, Not peremptorily ours: Fourthly, Not by them defaced, or torn out. First, it is no trusting what a Roman Priest says in choler of a Grecian Council. The Greek Church is equally in their Books with ours; and this Council, with the Synod of Dort. It is an eternal quarrel, which all the vassals of Rome have against this Council, that it equalled the Bishop of Constantinople, with the Roman: A crime that cannot be forgiven. The invectives of our Popish Divines, especially Pighius, p Vid. Bell. de Rom. l'ont. l. 2. cap 18. Bellarmine, Baronius, have made good that note of q Balsam. in Phot. Nomoc. Balsamon, Occidentales Episcopi, etc. The Western Bishops (saith he) that is, the Italian or Latin (Ab huius Synodi Canonibus oportunè icti) finding themselves galled with the Canons of this Synod, have given it out not to be General: Thus he. And why was it not general? It had no form of a Council (saith my Refuter) No Legates of the Pope, Refut. p. 174. no invitation of the Latin Bishops, neither were any of the other Patriarches present or consenting. Every word, a shameless untruth. Basilius' Bishop of Gortyna the Metropolis of Crete, (which was then under the Archbishop of Rome) and the Bishop of Ravenna (saith Balsamon) were there to represent the Roman Church; Balsam. ibid. The Bishops of Thessalonica, Sardinea, Heracles, Corinth, were there and then the Pope's Legates. And for the Patriarches; Basilius (saith the same Balsamon) Bishop of Gortyna, which was present in the name of the Roman Church, is found to have subscribed after the four Patriarches, and certain other Metropolitans. What can be more plain? Refut. p. 171. But S. Beda (saith C.E.) tells us that justinian the Younger, commanded Sergius Bishop of Rome, to be carried to Constantinople, because he would not subscribe huic erraticae Synodo. Still mistaking and ignorance. His Surius and Turrian could have taught him out of Theophanes, this was another a Pseudo-Synode, which the same justinian had in his first government called in favour of the Monothelites; which was some years after the true Synod under Constantine the Bearded. Constantinus Pogonatus. This man's wit wanders with his erratical Synod. SECT. XI. FOr the number of sixth, we need not be scrupulous; whether it were the fift, or sixth, or both (as Balsamon calls it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) or neither. It is enough for me, Quini. sextam. that Gratian, Caranza, Espencaeus, and other his own great Masters call it familiarly both sixth, and General; In this I cannot but be safe enough. I grant, that (to speak precisely) the sixth Synod under Constantine published no Canons, but afterwards many of the same Fathers, which had formerly met in the sixth Synod, and others, to the number of 227, being called together by the then penitent & restored justinian, Slit-●ose. (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) gathered up, and set forth with universal consent, the Canons formerly made, and by them reinforced. But what need I trouble myself with any other answer to all these windy cavils of my Adversary, then that which Tharasius himself, the Patriarch of Constantinople, hath most fully given; r Gratian dist. 16. Habeo librum. Quae est haec ignorantia, etc. What ignorance (saith he) is this, wherewith many men are tainted, about these Canons? For it is a scandal to doubt whether they were the Canons of the sixth Synod. Let these men therefore know, that the sixth Synod was gathered in the time of Constantine, against those which ascribe one only action and will to Christ; The Fathers then condemning those Heretics, and confirming the Orthodox Faith about the fourteenth year of Constantine, returned home: After four or five years, the same Fathers (being met under justinian the son of Constantine) set forth the foresaid Canons; Neither let any man doubt of this; For those very same Fathers, which in the time of Constantine subscribed, did also under justinian subsigne this present Paper; which thing is evident enough by the unchangeable likeness of their own hands. So he. Whether therefore the computation of Tharasius or Theophanes, be followed, we have what we desired; The same acts are set forth, if not by altogether the same persons, and s Dist. 16. ubi supr. Gratians judgement is herein ours. SECT. XII. FOR the third point. To prove that this Synod is not peremptorily for us; Refut. p. 175. vs● ad 182. He urgeth diverse other Canons of it, which in other things sound against us. Then he shows the instanced thirteenth Canon, not to be so absolutely and fully ours, as is pretended. First, where finds he this Law, that no man may allege one testimony of a Father, or a Council, but he must be tied to justify all the rest? Himself would be the first that would shrink at this condition. This challenge is unreasonable, and might turn off all allegation. For example, If a man should allege the Nicene Council, Canon 1. against any superstitious Fool that hath made himself a corporal Eunuch, might he strait for his justification fly upon the last Canon of that Council, unnecessarily enjoining us to stand at our Sundays Prayers. Synod. Laodic. Can 20. Can. 35. Can 60. Can. 37. Or if a man should cite the Synod of Laodicea against a Deacon (though a Cardinal) sitting before a Priest, or against the worshipping of Angels; were it meet to choke him with a return of the last Canon of that Council, forbidding the Apocryphal books; or the 37 Canon, forbidding his Holiness to take so much as a Bible in his solemnity, from the hands of jews: If a man shall allege a Testimony of Cyprian, were it fit to upbraid him with the error of rebaptisation? Or if of Augustine, with the error of the necessity of Infants communicating? This is clawm clavo. For me, I have undertaken no such task to warrant them that once said true, from ever erring: I do therefore herein scorn my silly Refuters compassion, who is so fare from crushing me in this, Refut. p. 181. that he hurts none but his own fists, in beating them about his own hard head. For, if the pressing us with the authority of some of these Canons, be to justify the rest, than the 36 Canon of that Council bears him and his Rome down before it, whiles it sets Constantinople cheek by jowl with it, maugre. A point, which rather than they will yield, they will be glad to abate us all the rest: Refut. p. 182. usque ad 192. This we are sure of, that the alleged Canon is peremptorily, fully, cautelously ours: For this, my credit is at the stake, which my Refuser pleases himself with the hope to impair, insulting in the idle fancy of a just advantage, whiles he shows the Canon to come short in some points of our requisition and practice; For there, Bishops are excepted, and the freedom of Marriage after Ordination. Reader, compare the Canon with the words of my engagement, I undertook thou shouldest find no decree could be made more peremptory, more cautelous, more full and absolute, for the lawfulness of the Marriage of Ecclesiastical persons. For first; The Fathers profess herein to cross the practice and Decree of the Roman Church. Secondly, they profess the conjugal cohabitations of sacred persons to stand by the Apostolic Canons, and to be a sincere, exquisite, and orderly constitution. What could be said more? They (thirdly) ratify this liberty for ever. They (fourthly) give charge that no man by the cohabitation with his lawful wife, be hindered from ascending to the highest degree of holy Orders. (Fiftly) That in the time of their Ordination, it be not so much as required of them, to abstain from the lawful companying with their Wives; which were (say they) to offer injury to marriage ordained by God, and blessed by his presence; and to cross him that said, Those whom God hath joined together, let no man separate: and, Marriage is honourable amongst all, etc. (Sixtly) That if any man shall presume so fare, as to offer to debar any Priest, Deacon, or Subdeacon, from the conjunction and society with his lawful Wife, he shall be deposed; Or if any Priest, or Deacon shall voluntarily cast off his Wife, upon pretence of Religion, that he shall be suspended, and (if he go on) deposed. judge now whether herein my protestation have erred; Not that there can be no circumstance devised, as of the extent of the persons, or time, or manner, wherein curiosity might enlarge the scope of this liberty (so I never meant:) but if this one point (That the marriage of persons Ecclesiastical is lawful) can be more fully and warily set down, let me lie open to censure; if not, hate the vanity of this idle Mountebank, and confess with Aristophanes, There is no salve for the sting of a Sycophant. Refut. p. 192. 193, 194. Aduersus ictum Sycophantae non inesse pharmacum. The Parliamental Law in the time of King Edward, was (I grant) more full in extending the liberty, could not be more full in avouching the lawfulness of our Marriages. Where I must take leave to tell my Refuter, that the comparison he presumes to make of King Edward's Parliament, with the proceed of jacke Straw, Wat Tiler, etc. is, like himself, seditious and traitorous. And what marvel if such repiners blow out the foggy vaporous blast of seditious words, against our highest Court of Parliament, which some of their Companions have attempted to blow up with a blast of fire? This Constitution was not civil only, but Synodical: And may not a lawful Synod or Convocation, with the concurrence of the three States, and the sway of Royal authority, make or re-establish a Law agreeable to the Word of God, and the received practice of their Progenitors, but every jacke-sawce of Rome shall thus odiously dare to control and disgrace it? Etiam Asinus meus recalcitrat? One of his Capitoline gods of Rome called England his Ass; So it was whiles it might bear nothing but his Trumpery, and go but where his Grooms would either lead, or drive it: now that it hath taken heart, and (with Cardinal Campegius his Sumpter) cast off this base load; and hath haply overrun this servitude; they are ready, with the Keeper of metamorphosed Apulcius, to seek a desperate remedy from the next Tree. SECT. XIII. Such than is the Canon of Constantinople, Refut. p. 195. usque ad 198. which therefore (I said) because they cannot blemish enough, they have indignly torn out of the Counsels: and here is much vehement and braving Rhetoric spent upon me as a shameless Writer; and this passage as the grossest lie, that ever was published by Protestant, and now I am conjured, how blemished? how torn? what? where? how? when? Because innocence is bold, the man will be bold, that he may seem innocent; but we shall well find that facing will not serve his turn. Is he so ignorant as not to know that all his great t Baron. An. 58. ●u 18. & Bell. l. 1. de ve●●o Dei, c ●. & 2. de Rom. Pont. c 17. l. 1. de Conc. c 7. l. 1. de Cl●ric. c. 21. Bin. Tom. 1. p. 14. etc. Masters discard this whole Council as spurious? Doth he not know that it is (if not torn) yet left out in diverse of their Editions of the Counsels? Let him learn, if he know not, that their ancient collection of Canons, which was called Codex, or Corpus Canonum, which was in use in Leo the fourth's time, mentioned by Gratian, dist. 20. c. de libellis, and printed Anno 1526 at MentZ, and reprinted at Paris, in octavo, Anno 1609. omits it. The other Collection of Counsels by Isidorus Mercator, which began to be received about Charles the Great his Time, wherein, besides the forged Decretal Epistles of diverse Popes, are the Canons of many Provincial Counsels of Africa, France, Spain, etc. set forth by jac. Merlin at Coleine 1530, and which hath been usually received in the Western Church, in the times of the Schoolmen, who usually (as do also Ino and Burchardus) allege them, likewise omits it. The two Editions of the Counsels by P. Crabbe, likewise omit it; and if it had not been for stark shame, so would the rest also. Doth he not know what his Anastatius and Numbertus protest of some particular Canons, and this for one, u Dist. 16. In Notis. These Chapters we do altogether reject. Let them by no means be rece●ued. That they are ioyned with Wive not their own. Haec capitula omnino refutamus, and, nullatenùs recipiantur. And for this very particular Canon; If he know not, There is first an attempt of a double blemish to be cast upon it: The one, in that they read it so, as if the Roman Clergy professed quòd copulentur uxoribus non suis, as by way of scorn; whereas the words run, se deinceps cum uxoribus suis non congressuros. The other, in that some of their Authors would refer Sacrorum virorum to Constitutiones, not to Nuptias; marring quite the sense of the Canon. This for the blemish. For the wiping out of this very Canon, and denying it place with the rest; Let him hear his own x Esp. lib. 1. de Conim. totum scilicet profanum, erroris, insolentiae, impudicitia plenum, manifestae falsitatis Apocryphum, & corruptissimum. Espencaeus, telling him, that even they which allowed this Synod rejected by Pighius, and others, yet hunc Canonem duriter tractant, etc. Use this Canon somewhat hardly, as altogether profane, full of error, insolence, immodesty, manifest falsehood, Apocryphal, and most corrupted; and his ingenuity is fain to plead, in conclusion, Canonem hunc legitimum esse non gratis, sed necessariò donemus; That they must (not upon courtesy, but of necessity) yield this Canon for legitimate, not suppositicious. And what is this in my Detectors' construction, but a cashiering of this Canon out of the Counsels against the authority of Gratian, and the Greek Copies? Lastly, the eyes of learned Chemnitius, are undoubted witnesses to us, what credit so ever they find with this Italianate generation; In Tomis Conciliorum prorsus expunxerunt, & omiserunt hunc Canonem: y Chemnit. hist. de Coelib. Sacerd. p. 65. In the Tomes of the Counsels they have altogether wiped out, and omitted this Canon. So as if we had those blurred Copies which he saw bleeding from the hand of the Inquisitors, there could be no fence for this charge, but that which serves for all, impudent denials. Neither needed my Refuter to take it so highly, Refut. p. 196. that I objected to them the tearing; blemishing, and defacing of this, and other Records against them; Ere long the World shall see, to the foul shame of these selfe-condemned Impostors, Erasm. Lang. in Niceph. Io Nevizan D. Venatorius P. Crinitus. I de solas, Polyd. Virg. ●olewinch Thuavus. Ignat. Sigebert, etc. that in the Writings both of ancient and later Authors, they have blotted out more than an hundred places (some of them containing above two sheets apiece) concerning this very point, which we have in hand. This is no news therefore; neither needed my Detector to make it so dainty. SECT. XIV. Refut. p. 198. usque ad 203. I Cited from Gratian the free confession of Pope Steven the Second, acknowledging the open liberty of Marriage to the Clergy of the Eastern Church, Matrimonio copulantur. They are joined in Marriage. A place truly irrefragable; My Refuter first excepts against the number, telling us that Steven the Second lived but three or four days at the most, and therefore he could not be the man; what spirit of Cavillation possesses this Masse-Priest? He cannot but know that his own Sigebertus ascribes five years to this Steven, & Hermannus, See also Funccius in his Chronol. six: But five is the least: And his Binius tells him that the Steven he speaks of (fitting but two days exclusively) z Bin. Steph. 2. A pluribus è Serie Rom. Pontificum dimittitur. is by the most omitted in the Catalogue of the Roman Bishops: whence it is that the Chronicle names not two Stevens betwixt the first & the fourth. But this man (he saith) called no Council; what is that to me? Gratian affirms it, I do not. Let him fall out, for this, with his friends. And now according to the old wont, (after he hath tried to shift off, Matrimonio copulantur, with the sleeveless evasion of a false gloss (i. utuntur) which Cajetan hath sufficiently confuted for us) he falls to a flat rejection of Gratian, Caiet. Opus. Castit. and tells us, out of Bellarmine, That Canon to be perhaps of no authority, but an error of the Collectors. Good God what face have these men? That none of their received Authors can be produced against them, Refut. p. 203. but they are strait counterfeit; and yet the very same, where they speak for them, canonical? Their Clients, if they might but know these tricks, would be ashamed of their Patrons. Refut. p. 204. That the Clergy not only of the East might Matrimonio copulari, but of the West also might Matrimonium contrahere (which are the words they are unwilling to know in their own Canon Law) show sufficiently that they not only were married of old, but might marry; But for the Eastern Clergy, it is freely granted, by all ingenuous spirits; insomuch as Espencaeus tells us, that never Author, either old or new imputed this for a fault unto the Greek Church, that their Clergy was married. Refut. p. 206, 207. What shall we say then to this bold Bayard, that compares this toleration of Marriage in the Greek Church with Mosesses permission of the Bill of Divorce unto the jews? As if Marriage had been only tolerated, not allowed; as if unjust Divorce were a fit match for lawful Wedlock; whiles he here talks of Duritia cordis, well may we talk of his Duritia frontis. It is true, every Church, every Country, hath their Customs and Fashions; which joannes Mayor pleads against Beda's Censure of the English and Scottish and British observation of Easter, and may be as justly in this case pleaded for us, This was of old no less ours, than the Greeks'; And if any Church will be prescribing against God, we have no such Custom, nor the Church of God; But what a ridiculous insinuation is i●, that the Greek Priests are dispensed with by supreme authority Ecclesiastical? Refut. p. 207, 208. Forsooth, by the Pope of Rome. Feign would I learn when, upon what terms, at what rate the Grecians purchased in the Court of Rome Dispensation for their Marriages. I would my Refuter had the Office appointed him to shuffle over all the Records of the Apostolic Chamber, till he find such a grant made propter duritiem cordis; then should a great deal of good Paper escape the misery of being besmeared by his Pen. What strange fantastic Dreams are put upon the World? Where the Papacy cannot prevail, there forsooth his Holiness dispenseth. The Greek Church admitteth married Priests, the Pope dispenseth with them; They deny and defy the Pope's Supremacy; I trow he dispenseth with them for that too: and why not with the Church of England? We pay no Peter-pences, we run not to Rome-market to buy trash, I hope his Holiness dispenseth with us for these Peccadillo's; we take liberty here to marry rather than to burn, why should we not hope to receive that Dispensation whereof we heard the news of late from a poor Bankrupt Carrier? Ad populum phaleras. SECT. XV. AS for the contradiction, which his sagacity finds (not without much scorn) in the two Parliamental Laws of the Father, and the Son, Refut. p. 209. usque ad 214. King Henry the Eight, and King Edward the sixth; whereof the one forbids, the other allows the Marriage of ecclesiastics, it needed not have been any wonder to a learned Priest, which might have known Counsels enough, diametrally opposite to each other; what fault was it in the recovered blind man, that he first saw men walk like Trees, and after like men? Even the best man may correct himself. Neither was there here any contradiction. King Henry spoke with the Roman Church, (whose one half of him than was) King Edward spoke with the Scriptures, and purer antiquity: King Henry never said, God disallowed these Marriages; King Edward never said, they were allowed by the Romish Church. And why may not we draw out the like absurdity out of Queen Mary's Parliaments; wherein she reversed many things established by King Edward, as in this very case concerning Marriage of Priests? May nor we hereupon ask, What will you say to such Parliaments wherein the Brother is thwarted by the Sister, and that with the consent of the most of the same Parliament-men enacting in a few years contrarily? Or as if it were any news with Pope's rescindere acta praedecessorum; even of those which immediately preceded them. Who knows not the Story of Pope Formosus, and Stephanus, and the many and strong contradictions of decrees in the frequent long and desperate Schisms of the Romish Church. This lash is indifferently fit for all backs; let him that hath no cause to smart, complain. What needed this foul mouth then to break forth into so palpable slanders of that holy Archbishop and Martyr Doctor Cranmer, Refut. p. 212. charging him with deep dissimulation, in soothing up both these Kings in their contrary Decrees? When it is most manifest, that this Worthy Metropolitan was the only man, which durst for three days together openly in Parliament oppose those wickedly projected Articles of King Henry; and this in special. Insomuch, as he was willed out of the house, till the act might pass; which (notwithstanding he well knew King Henry) he stoutly refused. Would this man (think we) care to belly all the Saints in Heaven for an advantage? What will not he dare to say, that will object inconstancy to him who sealed God's truth with his blood? The contradictions and weaknesses that he finds in this Synod of Constantinople, Refut. p. 1●▪ 〈◊〉 do no whit move us; If he can allow and commend, and cite against us the seven and thirtieth Canon of the council, for the worship of the Cross, or the fourscore and fifteenth for the holy Chrism, and yet disallow the thirteenth; why, may not we by the same Law cite and approve the thirteenth Canon against them, and yet disavow those other? SECT. XVI. NEither was it for want that I mentioned only this Council of Constantinople; Refut. p. 220. The more ancient Constitutions of Ancyra, and Gangra; and the first and fourth of Toledo, besides the Apostolical and Nicene, might have been urged by me. It was not mine intent (with this blabber) to say more than all; but only to take an handful out of the Sacks mouth for a taste to the buyer; That fair flourish therefore of Counsels which he musters up against me herein, will be but, Refut. p. 225. Arma armis contraria: Wherein since my Refuter will needs make himself so busy, let me entreat him by the way to compare the Council of a Abo●● Ann. 324. C●ngra, with the Decree of his Pope Hildebrand; The Council says flatly, Si quis discernit Presbyterium coniugatum, etc. If any man make difference of a married Priest, so as that by occasion of his marriage he ought not to offer, and doth therefore abstain from his oblation, let him be accursed: But, his Hildebrand uxoratos Sacerdotes à divino remonit officio, & laicis missam eorum audire interdixit; novo exemplo, etc. That is, removed married Priests from their divine office, and forbade Laymen to hear their Masses, saith b Sigeb. de Gregor. Pap. an. 1074 Idem. & Math. Paris. Sigebert; Therefore by the sentence of the Council, Pope Hildebrand is accursed; And accursed for that very point which made him a Romish Saint: When my Refuter hath gnawed awhile upon this bone, he may hope to be rewarded with a crust. Refut. p. 225. usque ad 234. And now for his Counsels, to make up the number he names for the foreman of the Quest, the Council of Ancyra (somewhat before the Nicene) one who hath passed a direct verdict against him, allowing Deacons, upon their profession, to marry. The miserable evasions of his c Vid. Bin. ibid. Binius, and Baronius, in this point, argue both a mind and a cause desperate; while (without all colour of warrant) they imperiously turn down these married Deacons to a lay-communion, and fain this liberty only in a forced Ordination, not in a voluntary. Refut. p. 226. As for that first Canon which he citeth of the Council of Arles, That a man cannot be made Priest in the band of Wedlock, unless he promise conversion: It is a gross counterfeit: And that the world may see we use not to pass these censures without evident reason; It mentions the Arrians which were not yet hatched; It mentions Bonosus, which lived long after in the time of Innocent 1. It mentions the Concilium Vasense, which was yet later, in the time of Leo the first. When his authors can agree of the time, and make good the Synod, he shall receive an answer to it: In the mean time, it was either before the Council of Nice, or after it; if before, it was corrected by the Nicene; a Provincial must yield to a General; if after, it was presumptuous, in decreeing that peremptorily which the General determinately left free. Refut. pp. 227. carthaginian. 5. African. Can. 3. sub Coelest. Can. 37. Secundum proprios terminos, vel propria statuta. Where they read it, Secund●● priora statuta. The Council of Arausica is cited by him in direct terms opposite to the Ancyran. He must make them friends, ere he can bring it forth against an enemy. As for the main stay of this cause of his, which is the two Counsels of Africa, lent him by his Bellarmine, it is grounded (as our learned junius hath probably answered) upon mere corruption, and mistaking; the Latin Copies taking propria, for priora: The charge of the Council being only, that Deacons, Priests, Bishops (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) according to their turns of ministration, should abstain from their Wives, which no modest Divine will not willingly subscribe unto. Moreover, I am sure, if the one word be not corrupted, the other is ambiguous, and may as well signify Balsamons' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And if these Canons were first Latin, and after translated into the Greek; yet the Greek shows what was the first Latin, and may well correct the mistaken Original. But to discuss the several Counsels, which he only thinks fit to name, and utter by wholesale against us, were a work for a volume a part. The old word is Dolosus versatur in generalibus; There is deceit in generalities; It were easy to show that some of these are impertinent, others plainly against them; others corrupted to speak against us, as that of Mentz, and Worms, whereof in the sequel; others partial to the faction of Rome. So then, here, Obruimur numero; He thinks to carry it by number, not by weight; where with us, one piece of Gold is worth a whole bag of Counters. But, if after the Tyrannical impositions of his Siritius and Innocentius took place in the Church, he could name for every one of his Provincial Synods, an hundred, it were all one to us; we are not the worse, his cause no whit the better. This Tradition, after that in an emulation of the Montanisticall vaunt of Virginity, it had gotten head in the Church, ran like fire in a train; Those Provinces that held correspondence at Rome, according to the charge of d Ad similitudinem sedu Apostolicae, eos cuncta obseruare constituat, Greg. Epist. lib. 3. 34. Gregory, spoke as she did prompt them; What should they do but follow their Mistress? The Greek Church, and those that either had dependence upon it, or which had continued in the succession of this custom of marriage, still maintaining the lawfulness and use of it inviolable. So then, in sum. This he hath gained, which I am ready ever to avow; The ancientest Counsels are against him; The later are against us; and God with us against them; of which we have learned e Gnapheut Orat. in defence. Io Pistorii. Woe to you rebellious Children, that you should hold your Council, and not of me. Privata decreta: to say, Va vobis filii desertores, ut faceretis Concilium & non ex me. And if his Mistress of Rome have elsewhere found vassals, it follows not, that we may not be free. Yea, it is more than manifest, by those evidences we have already produced from their own records, that notwithstanding this cogged number of his provincial Synods, and Private decrees (as Volusian terms them) all the time of the first seven hundred years, the freedom of this practice continued in many parts of the Christian world; Insomuch as amongst the rest, the Church of Armenia, for the time of the years mentioned, upheld a Tradition, f Concil. Constant. 6 Can. 33. Quoniam Cognovimus in Armenionum regiore eos solum in Cleri Ordinem referri, qui sunt ex genere Sacerdota●i. not to admit of any Clergyman, but those which descended ex genere Sacerdotali, descended from Priests; Witness the Fathers of Constantinople, in their three and thirtieth Canon. Where my Detector should do well to inquire what Balsamons' Clerici Chryso-bullati means; Sure I am, that this example sufficiently proves the practical liberty of those Churches in the questioned limits of the seven first Centuries. To which we may add the Church of Bulgaria, out of his g Dist. 28. Gratian; The Church of Germany out of h Annal. ●oyorum, supra. Aventine; The Church of Ireland out of i Vita S. Malach. Lib. Synod. Wigo●n. Eccles. Canon. Condil. Hybern. sub Patricio, Auxilio Isernino. Quicunque Clericus ab ostiario usque ad Sacerdotem sine tunica vis●● fuerit, etc. & uxor eius sine velato capite ●●bulauerit, pariter à laicis contemnantur, etc. Matth. Park Def. of Pr. Mar. Refut. p. 235. Bernard, who confesses the Episcopal See of Armach to have been furnished with a lineal descent of Bishops, for eight generations, before the time of his Malachias; which were still both uxorati and literati. How those men were Bishops, and yet sine ordinibus, is a Riddle which (I confess) I cannot a read. Perhaps, they were without Roman Orders, but if they were not Clerks after the than Irish fashion, what needed they be Literati, that they might be Bishops? The Church of our Britain (as we shall see in the Process) and others. These are more then enough to let the World see this restraint, for all this pretence of Provincial and partial Counsels never universally obtained. SECT. XVII. YEt the man having unmercifully crushed me in pieces with this empty bladder of windy and worthless authority, crows over me, thus, in conclusion: And truly to me he seemeth not to be more mad, then blind; for otherwise he would never have proclaimed this freedom of seven hundred years, seeing the very form of words used by his c●ne sacred Council, doth so strongly withstand his fond collection; For there it is decreed, Qui sunt in sacris, etc. We will that the marriages of such as be in holy Orders, from this time forward be firm and valid, For in case this freedom had been common before: why did they say, Deinceps, from this time forward? Thus he. Wherein I would his superiors did but see how kindly he buffets himself. For if this be the force of Deinceps or A modo, I thus argue against him; He hath pleaded before, From this time forward. that neither this nor any other Church ever allowed, nor ever practised the celebration of marriage after Ordination; Now, if he turn to the sixth Canon of this council of Constantinople, he shall find Decernimus ut nulli deinceps hypodiacono, etc. We decree that from hence forward no Sub-Deacon, Deacon, or Priest may marry after his Ordination; Therefore by the force of his inference before this time (for almost seven hundred years) this was commonly practised. And now to answer my Refuters Deinceps: If his wit had been any way matchable with his malice, he might have seen that this Deinceps had relation to the Roman Church, not to the Greek; For, (if he know not) this Synod meant to prescribe Laws to his Mistress, and to correct that their injurious Tradition of restraint, and to enlarge this liberty through all the Territories of the Universal Church; For this purpose is the Deinceps, of the Constantinopolitan Fathers, who well knew, how much it needed in the Western Church, which had enthralled their Clergy in the bondage of that unlawful prohibition. So as the Refuter, whiles he plays upon upon my want of Logic, in not descrying the dangerous necessity of this inference upon me, plainly betrays his own want of brains, in not descrying the folly of his objection; Refut. p. 236. and where he tells me (like a dull jester) That all the Walls and Windows, from the Hall to the Kitchen, may mourn to see an Vniversitie-man have so little wit, I must tell him that all the Doors of Douai may leap off their hinges, to see their Champion so childishly absurd. Refut. p. 237. Now then to answer his idle Epilogue; if it appear that his own Pope and Canonist, and the received Histories of the Church, and the examples of several Nations and persons acknowledge this ancient liberty both in the Eastern and (some) Western Churches de facto; And Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles, the ancient Counsels, with this fixed of Constantinople, approve it de iure; it follows that the necessary imposition of professed continency, is but a part of that sour milk wherewith the She Wolf of the Seven-hils feeds the faction of her Romulists and Rhemists, and none of that wholesome sustenance which God and his purer Church have provided for their Children. THE HONOUR OF THE MARRIED CLERGY maintained, etc. The third Book. SECT. I. THE Marriage of ecclesiastics, which had the common allowance of the first Times, had in some parts but the connivance of the subsequent, and the prohibition of the last. Those Churches that were not parties to the faction of Rome, could not but be much moved with so peremptory a Decree of a famous Council, reducing them, in this point, to the exactness of Apostolic institution, and professing to rectify that Roman deviation; No marvel therefore, if not long after, there ensued a collision of opposite parts, and much scuffling betwixt the abettors of Antichristian servitude, Refut. p. 241. and Evangelicall liberty; whom this Hedge-creeper dare term incontinent Grecians, Schismatics, Heretics; his Pen is no slander: The multitude of his Synods, wherein was such reiteration of the same Law, shows the opposition which it still found in the Church, and the prevailing use of the contrary practice. The Epistle of Pope Gregory the Third, to the Clergy of Bavaria, Refut. p. 243. which gives that disiunct charge, Of either living chastely, or marrying a Wife whom they may not divorce, is no where (forsooth) extant, because he finds it not in his Binius, or Baronius; as if no water had gone beside their Mill; and here I am threatened with the Cornelian Law for forgery; no less crime: To avoid the peril whereof, let my far seen Detector turn to the Bavarian Annals of * Auent. Boyorum Annot. l. 3. Aventine, in the third Book, there he shall find it; An Epistle sent to Vivilus, and the other Clergy of Bavaria, by the hands of Martinian, George, Dorotheus, a Bishop, Priest, Deacon, with this express disjunction, Aut castè vinat, aut uxorem ducat, etc. That which he brings from the successor of this Gregory, Refut. p. 244. Zacharias, shows what his Pope wished, when he had gotten better footing in Germany, but the success makes for us; for B. Boniface either never durst, or at least never did urge these Rules to his Germans. So, I hope, his mouth is stopped for my forged Testimony of his Gregory, which could not in his conceit be other, because he never saw it peep forth before this in other men's books. Iwis nothing ever looked forth of the Press, that escaped that bookish eye: witness the next passage, which if his Superiors could have had the leisure to have viewed, they had blushed at their Champion. This charge of Gregory (I said) was according to that rule of Clerks cited from Isidore, Refut. p. 245. and renewed in the Council of Mentz; but by our juggling Adversaries clipped in the recital: Here the man cries out, as before of forgery, so now of ignorance, telling his Readers, that I have only taken this upon trust from another man's notebook. Reader, by this judge of the spirit of my Detractor. It is true; Isidore wrote no Book of this title: But in the second Book of his Ecclesiastical Offices, he makes the title of his second Chapter, De Regulis Clericorum; Of the Rules of Clerks. From this Chapter, I cite a confessed passage, and am thus censured; whereas the Council of Mentz cities it by this very style, Sicut in Regulâ Clericorum dictum est, As it is said in the Rule of Clerks. Is it simplicity that he knows not this title of Isidore? or maliciousness, that he conceals it? One of them is unavoidable. It is clear then, to his shame (if he have any) that the testimony is aright cited; and is it less clear that it is maimed, and cut off by the hams in their Moguntine Council? Conc. Mogunt. 1. Compare the places, the fraud shall be manifest. That Council in the tenth Chapter professes to transcribe (verbatim) the words of Isidore in the forecited Tract; and where Isidore saith, Castimoniam inniolati corporis perpetuò conseruare studeant, aut certè unius matrimonii vinculo foederentur; Let them live chaste or marry but one: Their good Clerks have utterly left out the latter clause, and make Isidore charge his Clerks with perpetual continency; Let them live chaste. He that denies this, let him deny that there is a Sun in the Heaven, or light in that Sun; what need I say more? Let the books speak. Here my Refuter doth so shuffle and cut, that any man may see he speaks against his own heart; for (to omit his strained misse-interpretation of Isidore, since we now contend not of the sense, but of the citation) how poorly doth he salve up the credit of his Moguntine Fathers, Refut. p. 246. & 249. whiles he saith Isidore spoke in general, the Fathers in that Council more strictly; when he that hath but one half of an eye may see, that both speak in one latitude of the same persons? Those Father's giving the same title to that Chapter, and professing to follow the Letters and Syllables of Isidore; both name only Clericos in that rule without distinction. Away then with this graceless facing of wilful frauds in your faithless Secretaries, which have also fetched two Canons out of Carthage to Worms, and learn to be ashamed of your gross falsifications, and injurious expurgations; else doubtless the World will be ashamed of you. SECT. II. Refut. p. 252. to 28. I Did but name Huldericus his Epistle in mine, as a witness, not as the foundation of my cause; my Refuter spends but one and thirty whole Pages upon him: how else should he have made a Volume? In all this what says he? Little in many words; and the same words thrice over for failing. And first, he wonders at my extreme prodigality of credit, and serednesse of conscience, in citing an Epistle so convicted by Bellarmine, Baronius, Eckius, Faber, Fitz-Simons the jesuite, and others. Why doth he not wonder that the Moon will keep her pace in the sky, whiles so many Dogs bark at her below? When these Proctors of Rome have said their worst, there is more true authority in the very face of this Letter, and better Arguments in the body of it, then in an hundred Decretal Epistles which he adoreth. Let the World wonder rather at his shamelessness, who relating the occasion of this fable (as he terms it) feigns it to be only a Lutheran fiction to cover their incestuous marriages, whereas their own Cardinal Aeneas Silvius, almost two hundred years ago mentions it, and reports the argument of it; whereas it is yet extant (as Illiricus) in the Libraries of Germany; whereas Hedio found an ancient copy of it in Holland; and our john Bale; Archbishop Parket, B. jewel, Io. Fox, had a copy of it remarkable for reverend Antiquity, in aged Parchment here in England; which, I hope to have the means to produce. Whereas, last, the very style importeth age. As well may he question all the Records of their Vatican, all report of Histories, all Histories of Times: He that would doubt whether such an Epistle were written, may as well doubt whether Pope Zachary wrote to B. Boniface in Germany a direction when to eat bacon: may doubt whether Paul the fift wrote to his English Catholics to persuade them not to swear they would be good subjects: may doubt whether Spider catcher, corner-creeper C.E. Pseudo. Catholic Priest, wrote a scurrilous Letter of above two choir of paper, in a twelue-yeares answer to three leaves of I. H. It is not more sure that there is a Rome, or that Gregory and Nicolas sat there, then that such an Epistle was written thither above seven hundred years ago. It was extant of old, before ever those Lutheran quarrels were hatched. Let him therefore go fish for Frogs in the Pond of his Gregory, whiles he derives thence the vain pleas of improbability. If there were differences in relating the circumstances of that story (as I know none) must it needs thereupon be false? Which of their Histories is not liable to variety of report? To begin with the first: The succession of Linus, and Cletus, and Clemens, is diversely reported; is there no truth in it? To end with the last: The title of Paul the fift to the chair of Peter in the lawfulness of his election, is diversely reported; hath he therefore no true claim to his seat? But who ever placed Gregory's pond in Sicily? This is one of the fittens of his Fitz-Simons. If other authors have mentioned this narration, than all the strength of this History lieth not on Hulderick; If none besides him, his words vary not; These are but tricks to outface truth. The Epistle, in spite of contradiction, is so ancient; and what care we then for names? Whether it were Saint Vdalricke, or Hulderick, or Volusianus, we labour not much. Let it be the task of idle Critics to dispute who was Hecuba's mother, and what was her age; No less vain is my Refuter, that spends many waste words about his Saint Vdalricke, in showing the difference of time, betwixt him, and Pope Nicolas; the one dying, Anno 869. the other being borne, 890. and proving out of his obscure Sorbonist Monchiacenus, that there were five Bishops of Auspurge, betwixt the times of the one, and the other: whereby a simple Reader might easily be deluded, and drawn to think, there is nothing but impossibily and untruth in our report: whereas there is nothing in all this peremptory and colourable flourish of his, but mere cogging or misprision: For both Illyricus apart, and the Centurists, and Chemnitius (all Germans that should be best acquainted with the state of their own) have long since told him, that his Saint Vdalricke was not the man, whom they held the Author of this Epistle, but, Hulderick, another, not much different in name, but differing in time, above seventy years; Ne nominis aequivocatio lectorem turbet, Chem. hist. de Caeli●ot●. and lest the equinocation of the name (saith Chemnitius) should trouble the Reader; There is another Vdalricke of Augusta, whom Aventine writes to have died Anno 973. But this Hulderick, Aeneas Silvius writes to have died, Anno 900, and in the year of his age 83. Thus he: from the authority of two their famousest Historians: from whose account Onuphrius differs not much: But (that my Refuter may hereafter save the labour of scanning their discordant Computations) whether it were either, or neither of them, it is not worth to us one hair of his crown: since with our faithful and learned Fox, we rather from the authority of ancient English Copies, Act. & Mon. p. 1055. ascribe it to Volusianus, whose second Epistle also in the same style, to the same purpose, is extant from the same Records, not inferior to the former: What matters it for the name, when it appears that the Epistle itself is truly anclent, ponderous, reverend, Theological, convictive: and such as the best Romans heads cannot after seven hundred years shape a just answer unto? Even in some Canonical Books, though there be difference in the names of the Penmen, there is full assent to their divine authority: And why is it not so in humane? Thus than we have easily blown away these light bubbles of Discourse, which our Adversary hath raised out of the Nutshell of his computation; from the Age, Person, Writings, of his Saint Vdalricke; and return his impuram nescio cujus nebulonis Epistolam; with his ferrei oris, and plumbei cordis, back whence it came; to the Writer cited by my Adversary, not named: But by better due to the next hand; whereto I am no whit beholding for leaving it un-englished: In that C. E. spared not me but himself: who is nescio quis, but he that leapeth into the Press without a name? Who Nebulo, rather than he that masketh and marcheth sub nebulâ, hoping to pass in the conflict for a doughty Knight or Champion Sconoscinto, not daring to lift up his Beaver? Who writes impuram Epistolam, but he that hath scribbled a Voluminous Epistle, to cry down pure and Honourable Marriage, for the enhancing of impure Celibate? not that, in Thesi, Celibate is impure, but in Hypothesi, theirs, forced and hypocritical. SECT. III. AS for the difference that he finds in our number of Pope Nicolas, whether first, or second, or third, we may thank his Gratian; whose fashion it is (as likewise Sigeberts') to name the Popes without the note of their number; we are sure it was not Nicolas Nemo▪ which wrote to Odo, Bishop of Vienna, reproving him for giving leave to Aluericus a Deacon to marry: thereupon sending his contrary Decree to the German Churches; which it seems, (or the like imposition) gave occasion to this noble Epistle. But can there be any Game amongst our English Popish Pamphleteers, where the Fox is not in chase? Where is the shame of this Roman Priest, whiles he so manifestly belies our holy, reverend, worthy Master Fox, whom this Scoganly Pen dare say plays the Goose in the inconstancy of his Relation of this Nicholas, first reporting him the first, than the second; when it is most manifest in the during Monuments of that industrious and excellent Author, that he still insists upon Nicholas the second; rejecting by many Arguments, the opinion of them which have referred it to the first? Such truth there is in shorn crowns. john Husse was a Goose by name, and now john Fox is a Goose by reproach; Two such Geese are more worth than all the fawning Curs of the Roman Capitol. And how much more wit than fidelity is there in my Detector, whiles he would prove that Pope Gregory had then no pond; because there is now no ponds at Rome? As if Rome were now in any thing as it was; as if twelve hundred years had made no alteration; Nunc seges est ubi Troia fuit. As if the streets of Troy were not now Champain; As if his Lipsius could now find Rome in Rome: As if lastly, that man were uncapable of a large pond, whose Sea is universal. As for the number of children's heads, I say no more for it then he can against it; this History shall be more worth to us then his denial; But this I dare say, that I know persons both of credit and honour, Vid. qu● supra. l. 1. S. 12. Histor. Rodulphi Bourn, etc. that saw betwixt fifty and threescore, cast up out of the little Mote of an Abbey where I now live: Let who list cast up the proportion. After the refusal of this worthy Epistle, according to his fashion he tries to disgrace it with us; telling us, that therein the Bishop of Rome is styled Supreme Head & Governor of the whole Church. If it were thus, so much more powerful is the Testimony against them, by how much more the witness was theirs. There must needs be much cause, when he that so humbly over-titles the person, resists the Doctrine so vehemently. But the truth is, that the Epistle styles Pope Nicolas no otherwise in the superscription, then Sanctae Ecclesiae Romanae provisorem: Overseer of the holy Roman Church. And in the body of the letter, Summae sedis Pontificem; Bishop of the chief See; to whom the examination of the common affairs of the Church doth appertain; which is far other, then in the now Roman sense, the Supreme Head of the Church. Secondly, he tells us that this Epistle both grants and allows a Vow of Continency: He excepts none, but a professor of Continence. Nullum excipit nisi professorem continentiae; wherein we are no other than friends, we yield no less; where there is good evidence of the gift and calling of God. But whiles our Volusian grants the professor of continency bound, and pleads the Clergy to be free, how plainly doth he show us that there was no such Vow, then required of, no such made by the Clergy. But what needs the man to be so furiously angry with the good old Epistler, Pag. 272. for saying, that the Apostles charge (Let every one have his own Wife) is general to all; reaching to the Clergy as well as the Laity? excepting none but those which have the gift of Continency. What Logic, (the want whereof he sometimes causelessly objecteth of me) ever taught him that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unusquisque was any other then universal? Every one. Or what other sense can be put upon the words of the Apostle? Can I as truly upbraid Sir Refuter with reading the Logic Lesson, as he doth me with the Rhetoric, surely I should not now be put to pains to teach this Novice, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (unusquisque) is a term of collective universality, and must be extended to all, where kind is excepted tacitly, ex natura rei, as this case must needs be acknowledged to be; fore-prizing none but such as have the gift of Continency; which S. Paul toucheth upon in that Chapter. judge then, Reader, whether the Catholic Bishop that wrote this, or the Mis-Catholike Masse-Priest that reproves it, be more worthy of Bedleem. SECT. FOUR LAstly yet, as if in the lose he would shake hands and be friends with him, Refut. p. 273. whom he had so long defied; he thus closes up: Then if Priests have this gift, and have prefixed this course to themselves in the Lord, they shall not need to marry. And this is the case of all Clergymen who vow Chastity. Thus he. Believe him, Readers, if ye can: All the Romish Clergy, all Votaries have the gift of Continency; Witness our foresaid Volusianus in the same Period; Multos eiusdem consilii assentatores hominibus non Deo pro falsâ specie continentiae placere volentes, graviora vides committere, patrum scilicet uxores subagitare, masculorum ac pecudum amplexus non abhorrere. I will not English it for shame: Would God the World did not too well find still these proofs of Romish Chastity. Nunc etiam Romae quidlibet audet Amor. But as one that thinks no man can be his friend, except also he be our enemy; Propert. Refut. p. 274. like a true , he will tell us a tale in our ear, that shall set a perpetual jar betwixt us and our Hulderick. Iwis, says my Refuter, your Vdalricke is not the man you take him for; For thus he there writes to the Pope, Wherefore, O reverend Father, it shall be your part to cause and oversee, that whosoever either with hand or mouth hath made a Vow of Continency (as all Clergy men in holy Orders have) and afterwards would forsake the same, should be either compelled to keep his Vow, or else by lawful authority should be deposed from his order. So he. But we are not so light of belief to lose a friend thus easily. Know then, Reader, that the * (As all Clergy men in holy Orders have.) Parenthesis (which is the harshest piece of this clause) is foisted into the Text, and forged by this Caviller; the quite contrary whereof is affirmed in the former Period of our Vldaricke, where thus he writes: Non parùm quip, etc. From this holy discretion thou hast not a little swerved, when as thou wouldst have those Clergy men, whom thou oughtest only to advice to Abstinence from Marriage, compelled unto it by a certain imperious violence; For is not this justly in the judgement of all wise men to be accounted violence, when as against the Evangelicall Institution, and the charge of the Holy Ghost, any man is constrained to the execution of private Decrees? The Lord in the old Law appointed Marriage to his Priest which he is never read afterwards to have forbidden; So he. Let my Refuter then reconcile this false Parenthesis with the true Text, (which he can never do, since it directly crosseth the whole scope of Huldericks Epistle) and then he shall see us easily reconcile Huldericks proposition with ours. But, not so long to delay my Readers satisfaction; the truth is; The Author pleads for an indifferent immunity of Clergy men from the necessity of this Vow, else the Epistle were contradictory to itself: for if he suppose that all the Clergy had vowed, and all that had vowed should be compelled to keep their Vow, how could he plead that the Clergy should not be compelled to Continence? The drift of Vldaricke or Volusian, then, is, that it may be equally lawful, equally free for Priests either to vow, or not to vow continency; which granted, if any one having liberty not to have vowed, Praefixit hoc sibi in Domino, ibid. or observed it, shall notwithstanding prefix this course to himself in the Lord, out of a long-setled experience and assurance of this calling and gift of God, and now, when he hath thus engaged himself to the expectation of the Church, voluerit apostare, shall be froward wantonly to abandon this vow, willingly neglecting all good means for the continued observation thereof, such a one shall be liable either to compulsion, or deposition; As now, if any one of ours should in the midst of freedom bind himself by a voluntary vow, it were pity and shame that he should play fast and lose at pleasure with impunity. What Wool then is here worthy of this cry? Or wherein hath our Author offended us? whiles we neither make this vow, nor can therefore ever break it, nor ever allowed the breakers of so made vows, guiltless? Refut. p. 276. One quarrel yet he cannot remit to Master Foxe and me; that for this forenamed Hulderick, we cite Aeneas Siluius in his Germania; a book that never was. This great helluo librorum hath wearied all Libraries, and consulted with his Tritemius and Possevine; neither of them mention any such work of Aeneas Siluius; whereas, if he had but taken the book next the door, Gesner: Bibliotheca, he had found (if at least he could have seen the Wood for Trees) Siluius his Germania; which (for failing) he might have heard of in a double Edition; The one larger, the other more contracted. There in extant the same Authors Germania wherein are contained the grievances of the Germane nation, and a confutation of the same, with a reply. The first, Gesner expresses thus, Extat eiusdem Germania, quâ continentur gravamina nationis Germanicae, & confutatio eorundem, cum replicâ. The latter is, Aeneae Syluii Germania excerpta, etc. The Germania of Aeneas Silvius gathered out of that book, wherein the grievances of the German nation objected to the See of Rome, by Martin Mere a Lawyer of Mentz, are refelled. See now, Reader, whether my Refuter can blush. In the one of these, which (after denial) he confesseth to have seen, he finds somewhat that likes him not. Silvius speaking of Auspurge, Sanctus Vdalricus huic praesidet (saith he) qui Papam arguit de Concubinis; In sua Germ. Illyr. Catal. Test. lib. 19 Aeneas. Vdalrick is the Saint of that City, who reproved the Pope concerning Concubines. The bone lies before him, let him pick out the marrow as he can; which because he finds hard to break, he casts it from him in a chafe, and tells us for the last refuge; He hath seen a printed Copy, and two manuscripts without these words. In verbo Sacerdotis. And so just have we found him of his word, all this while, that he were hardhearted that would not believe him. SECT. V Refut. 280. But still I am taken tardy in my time, or rather do overtake. I reckon this Liberty to have continued in Germany after Huldericke, for some two hundred years; Whereas betwixt Saint Vdalricke and Gregory the seventh, were but a hundred and twelve years. But still his Saint deceives him, and (if I should have erred) his own Chronologers should have deceived me. For his Onuphrius in his Ecclesiastical Chronicle, makes our Hulderick Bishop of Auspurge in the beginning of Pope Nicolas, An. 859. And his Sigebert, and other Chroniclers cast Gregory the seventh his opposition to Priest's marriage, upon the year 1074. Where now is my error? Where is my overreaching? Count it, Reader, and see whether I cannot make my word good, and give him fifteen years in to the bargain: and now judge whether of us may say, Non sat commodè divisa sunt temporibus tibi, Daue, haec; and whether of us it is, from whom nothing cometh, savouring of any learning or truth: and if thou thinkest it fit, blush for him. Refut. p. 281. The like (I fear) willing error upon the same ground is the miscalculation of the times of Leo the ninth, and Nicholas the second, betwixt whose times, and Vdalrick, he makes but fifty years; abating one other half of the hundred, to expose me to the laughter of his credulous Clients, which may now say, Lo the man which in a reckoning of 200 years did out-lash but 150. When as both their Sigebert and Hermannus Contractus, (and who not?) make Leo the ninth, Pope, An. 1049, and Nicholas the second, some ten years after him; The very elder whereof, if we reckon to Huldericke, An. 856, will be in no less than 190 year's distance. The man wanted either counters, or wit, or honesty; Truth I am sure he wants. SECT. VI ANtichrist, which was conceived in the Primitive times, saw the light in Boniface the third, and was grown to his stature and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gregory the seventh. Refut. p. 283. So as I might well say, that the body of Antichristianisme, together with the prohibition of marriage, began to be complete in that Hildebrand. The times accord better than our Papists would have them. After a thousand years Satan was loosed: at that very time did this Hildebrand (otherwise Gregory) by the instigation of the Devil (as himself confessed at his death (witness Cardinal Benno and Sigebert) trouble the Church; belike with the violent obtrusion of this doctrine of Devils (prohibition of marriage) and insolent detrusion of imperial authority. It is then but a Sardonian laughter that my Refuter takes up at our complete Antichrist; whose supparasitation may one day cost him tears and gnashing. But (good God) what Saints hath the Roman Church? Hildebrand is one of their Calendar; the Legend of whose Holiness shall anon make any man save C. E. ashamed. Since it will be no better; Perge mentiri; Refut. p. 284. I am now charged with a fair contradiction, whiles I am accused to say, That the liberty of Priests marriages was universal for a thousand years, and yet had before granted, that in Steven the second his time (which was two hundred and forty years before) the Western Clergy was restrained. In all which he persuades his friends that I would fain lie grossly, if my memory would let me. Reader, do but review my words. These they are: After him (that is, Hulderick) so strongly did he plead and so happily, that for two hundred years more, this freedom still blessed those parts. I speak of Germany, he of Italy: I speak of those parts, he of all. Is not this a Logical and faithful refutation? Yet more, this bold and false hand dares write, that Leo the ninth, and Nicholas the second, Refut. p. 285. never meddled with the prohibition of these marriages; Only the one made a decree against Harlots, the other against Concubines: neither of which (he hopes) we will apply to ourselves. We are so used to these impudent assertions, that now we cease to wonder at them. Let him tell me what was that Epistle which Leo the ninth wrote to Peter the Hermit? He detests the incontinency of Clerks, and writes to have it punished. Append. Epist. Leon. 9. ●in●i●s. Whole very title is Incontinentiam Clericorum detestatur, & puniendam describit. The Epistle is bitter, like my Libelers. And lest he should say we guiltily take to ourselves the imputation of Incontinency, it is bend against quadrimodam carnalis contagionis pollutionem: a fourfold pollution of Clergymen: Whereof one he will not sure deny to be marriage. Let him tell me what was done under Leo in the Council of Mentz (about the year 1049) of which, Adam Bremensis (who was there present) writes, Simoniaca haeresis & nefanda Sacerdotum coniugia holographa Synodi manu perpetuò damnata est. That is, a Ad●●. Bren●. l. 3. c. 51. ●in. not. in Synod. Mogunt Refut. p. 286. The heresy of Simony, and the wicked marriages of Priests, by the consent of the Synod was condemned. Is this nothing done by his Leo, the Leo rugiens of that time. As for his Nicholas the second; good man, he did nothing neither: Only he stained women as honest as himself, with the name of Concubines, and men more holy than himself, with the name of Nicolaitans, (whom he must needs love for the names sake) and an estate of life, as holy as his own, with the name of Filthy copulation. Let his Pope's shameful decrees, and his shameless lies, go both together for company whence they came. SECT. VII. Refut. p. 287. YEt still the further we go, the worse. My Refuter surpasses himself in the prizes that he plays for his Pope Gregory the seventh, who first (he saith) did not ruin this liberty of marriages: Let Vincentius, and Radulphus de Diceto and Sigebert speak for us both; b Chron. Sigebert. Anno 1074. Polydor. Virg. Exemple post homines natos importunissimo. Ex qua re tam graue oritur scandalum, ut nullius haeresis tempore sancta Ecclesia graviore schismate scissa sit. Sigeb. ibid. Refut. p. 288. Vxoratos Sacerdotes à divino, etc. He removed married Priests from their function, and forbade the people to hear their Masses; a new example, and as many thought inconsiderately prejudicial, against the judgement of the holy Fathers, etc. But he fully prevailed not (saith my Refuter,) What thank is that to him? he did his best, and kindled those coals that could never be quenched. He led the way to his urban the second, and Paschal the second. They followed him, and prevailed; The broils were his, if not the victory. Gratum opus scortatoribus (faith Aventine.) Aventine (saith my Refuter) a late Gospelling brother. For us, we are glad of the fraternity of so worthy an Author, whom Beatus Rhenanus gratulates to his Germany, and calls c Most learned Aventine. Eruditissimum Auentinum, and d Excelling in the knowledge of all variety of learning. Variarum cognitione disciplinarum praestantem; and Erasmus, e A man of unweariable pains, and deep reading. Hominem studio indefatigabili, ac recondita lectionis. Lastly, whom his just Epitaph styles, f A most diligent and accurate searcher of antiquities. Refut. p. 289. Rerum antiquarum indagatorem sagacissimum: But the truth is; no man by his History can tell his Religion: The Canons of Augusta praise him for the light he gives to the institutions of their Monasteries; And when he speaks of the Shrines of Berg, Valentia, and Halle, I am sure he mentions them with too Popish devotion; & when of Io. Husse and Jerome of prague, he taxes them with crimen irreligiositatis; Yet this man (borne Anno 1466.) when he but speaks a famous truth of Hildebrand, and the Germane Clergy, he is become a late Gospelling brother. Still let us have Brethren that care more for their honesty, than their faction. Neither yet (to give the Devil his due) do we think so ill of those enemies of married chastity, that they did purposely enact Laws of unmarried looseness: but that all abominable filthiness did follow upon the restraint of lawful remedies, who sees not? g Porro continentiam paucis tenentibus, aliquibus eam modò causa quesl●● ac iactantia simulantibus, multis incontinentiam periurio aut m●ltiplicum adulterio cumulantibus, etc. Sigeb. An. 1074. Refut. p. 291. Sigebert himself (their own Monk) freely acknowledges it. john Haywood our old Epigrammatist told Queen Mary, her Clergy was saucy; if they had not Wives, they would have leman's. Where there is not the gift of holy continency, how could it be otherwise? Where the water is dammed up, and yet the stream runs full, how can it choose but rise over the banks? There is purity therefore out of Wedlock, but not out of Continence. And what needed my Detector to travel so fare as England, for an example of incontinency in a King Henry, or any wife of his, whether falsely or truly objected, when he might have looked near the centre of their Church, and have found his own Pope john (in the very time now questioned for this prohibition) h Io. autem Papa se cum uxore iniusdam oblect●●s, à Diabolo in tempore percutitur, Sigeb An. 963. The brand of Love.. Brand of Hell. Refut. p. 293. killed by the Devil in the act of adultery with another man's wife? This end of the Wallet hangs behind him. SECT. VIII. HIldebrand (as I learned of Aventine) is as much as Titio Amoris. But how little he differed in name or nature from Hellebrand, Titio infernalis (as Chemnitius calls him) his History shows too well. And is it possible that any man should rise up after so many hundred years, to Canonize Saint Hildebrand, even in that for which he condemned himself? My Reader must know the man a little from the witness of his own Conclave, his Cardinal Benno, Archpriest of the Roman Church, then living: Others, beside, tell of his beginnings in wicked Necromancy, and murderous undermine, and tyrannical swaying of the Keys, ere he had them: Benno tells how he got them, how he used them gotten: He got them by fraud, money, violence; used them with tyranny. There was a knot, & a succession of Necromancers in those days. Gerbertus, which was Sylvester the second, was the Master of the School: His chief Scholars in the Black Art, were Theophylactus (afterwards changed into Pope Benedict) and Laurentius, and Gratianus. These were the Tutors of Hildebrands younger times, of whom he learned both magic and Policy. It is a world to see what work these Magicians made (like the ill spirits they raised) in Church and Commonwealth; opposing Emperors, setting up what Popes they pleased, poisoning whom they disliked: at last it came to Hildebrands turn to take the Chair: i Benno Cardi●. vita Hildebr. To which purpose he separated first the Bishops from the Cardinal's averse from him: when he had done, he compelled them by terror and force to swear unto his part; which done, he was elected in spite of the Canons, only by Lay-people, by Soldiers; he expelled the Cardinals, rashly excommunicated the Emperor, of his own head, without any Canonical accusation, without subscription of any Cardinal; hired a bloody Villain to murder the Emperor; consulted with the Oracle of his breaden God, which because it answered not, he cast it into the fire; he exercised most horrible cruelties upon many, hanging up men at his pleasure unconuicted; in a word, quantis haeresibus mundum corruperit, & c? saith Benno in his conclusion, His heresies, his perjuries, can scarce be described by many Pens; Clamat tamen altiùs, etc. But the Christian blood shed by his instigation and command, (saith he) cries yet louder to God; yea, the blood of the Church, which the sword of his tongue in a miserable prodition hath shed, cries out against him; for which things, the Church did most justly departed from all communion with him. Thus Benno; who yet (to make amends k So our Rogerus Cestrens. l. 7. Papa Hildebrandu● laborans in extre●●is, vocate adse Car●in●l●● quem plus dilexrat, & confessus est se suscitasse odium & schisma inter Imperatorem, & alios Christianos, unde dissoluit vincula bannorum, & obiit. Refut. p. 295. usque ad 306. tells us, that Hildebrand upon his deathbed repent of these lewd courses, and sent to the Emperor and the Church to cry them mercy: confessing (as Sigebert reports) that he had by the suasion of the Devil raised these wicked tumults. Yet this is the man whom Bellarmine will justify by seven and twenty Authors, and C.E. can add two more to the heap; yea, in those very things for which he condemned himself. Reader, if one of his evil spirits should have stepped into Peter's chair, do ye think he could have wanted Proctors? But how good an account we were like to have of seven and twenty Authors (if it would require the cost to examine them) appears, in that l Lamb. Schefnab. Hist. rerum German. Lambertus Schafnaburgensis (which is cited for the man that magnifies the miracles of this Gregory) says not one such word of him; but speaks indeed the like of one Anno Archbishop of Coleine, who lived and died in the time of Gregory: As for Gregory's miracles, Benno the Cardinal tells us what they were; that he raised Devils familiarly; that he shaked sparks of fire out of his sleeve by his Magic. A trick that well beseemed an Hellebrand, who set all the world on fire by his wicked impetuosity. We will not envy Rome this Saint, let them enjoy him, let them celebrate him, and cry down Henry the Emperor, and all that opposed him. Still may such as these be the Tutelar gods of that holy City; For us, it is comfort enough to us, that our marriages had such a persecutor. That the Churches did hereupon ring of him for Antichrist, Aventine is my Author: Refut. p. 306. usque ad 309. Pro concione, etc. in their Sermons (saith he) they did curse Hildebrand, they cried out on him as a man transported with hatred and ambition, Antichristum esse praedicant, Antichristi negotium agitat. They declared him to be Antichrist; They said that under the colourable title of Christ, he did the service of Antichrist; That he sits in Babylon in the Temple of God, and is advanced above all that is called God. So he. And little better is that which his m Lamb. Schefnab. lib. de Rebus German. Schafnaburgensis (so much extolled by C. E.) recordeth: Aduersus hoc decretum infremuit tot a factio Clericorum, etc. Against this Decree (saith he) all the whole faction of Clergymen fretted and mutined; accusing him as an Heretic, and a man of perverse opinion, who forgetting the word of Christ, which said All men cannot receive this, did by a violent exaction compel men to live in the fashion of Angels. To which if I should add the sentence of the Synod of Worms, and that of Brixia, my Reader would easily see, that it is not the applause of some devoted Pen, that can free him from these foul imputations of deserved infamy. That untruth then cleared, another belike hangs upon the score; My Refuter charges me with falsehood, in saying, Refut. p. 307. That Gregory the seventh was deposed by the French and Germane Bishops. Only the Germans (he saith) were Actors in that Tragedy. But if not at Worms, yet let him tell me what was done at Brixia, and by whom: Quamobrem Italiae, Germaniae, Galliae Pontifices, etc. Wherefore (saith Auentinus) the Bishops of Italy, Germany, and France, the seventh of the Kalends of july, met at Brixia in Bavaria, and sentenced Hildebrand to have spoken and done against Christian piety, etc. and condemned him of heresy, impiety, Refut. p. 310, 311 sacrilege, etc. And that my Refuter may find himself answered at once to the last of his Cavils, wherein he pleads that this deposition was not so much as pretended for the inhibition of these marriages, but for other causes, let him see the Copy of the judgement passed against him in the said council; wherein, after the accusation of his Simoniacal climbing into the Chair (the vice which he pretended most to persecute in others) his forceable possession, The virtues of C. Is Saint. his heresy, his machinations against the Emperor, his perverting of the Laws both of God and Men, his false doctrines, sacrileges, perjuries, lies, murders, by him suborned & commended, his tyranny, his setting of discord betwixt Brethren, Friends, Cousins; It follows; Inter coniuges divortia facit; suavis homo sacerdotes qui uxores habent legitimos sacrificos esse pernegat; interim tamen scortatores, adulteros, incestuosoes aris ad movet, etc. He causes divorces betwixt Man and Wife; The fine man denies those Priests, which have lawful Wives, to be Priests at all; in the mean time he admits to the Altar whore-mongers, adulterers, incestuous persons, etc. Nos ergo. We therefore by the authority of Almighty God, pronounce him deposed from his Popedom. Thus Aventine specifies the Decree; which alone without Commentary, without enforcement, answers all the frivolous exceptions of my wordy Adversary. So as now, to return his Epilogue, he hath sent back my ten pretended lies, Refut. p. 316. with the unreasonable and inverted usury of well-near an hundred. Pauperis est numerare. SECT. IX. FRom foreign parts, I return at last to our own; so I fear hath C. E. done long since; lurking somewhere in England for no good. These Fugitives love not home more, than their home hath cause to hate them. His cavils of the wondrous contradiction betwixt my Margin and my Text, Refut. p. 317. are too childish to be honoured with an answer. My Text was; The bicker of our English Clergy with their Dunstan's, about this time are memorable. My Margin cities Henry of Huntingdon, affirming Anselme to be the first that forbade marriage: Betwixt these two, saith my Refuter, was an hundred year's difference. I grant it: But (had my words been thus) if my Detector were not disposed to seek a knot in a Rush, he had easily noted that in a general survey of all Ages, the phrase (About that time) admits much latitude, and will easily stretch without any strain to one whole Century of years. Had the Quotation been as he pleadeth, this answer were sufficient. But my words need no such reconciliation; I stand to the censure, and disclaim the mercy of any Reader: For that citation of Anselme hath plain reference to the following words Our Histories testify how late, how repiningly our Clergy stooped under this yoke: it is for this that my Margin points to Henry Huntingdon, and Fabian, reporting Anselme the first man that prohibited these marriages. What contradiction now can his acuteness detect in these two? The English Clergy had bicker with their Dunstan's; and stooped late and repiningly to this yoke under Anselme. See, Reader, and admire the equal Truth and Logic of a Catholic Priest, and judge how well he bestoweth his Pages. SECT. X. Refut. p. 318. IT is true, Dunstan was the man who first with his other * Oswal and Ethelwold. two Cousins and partners in canonisation, opposed any appendance of the married Clergy; He wrought it with good King Edgar, by dreams, and visions, and miracles. He, who when the Devil came to tempt him to lust, a Gul. Malmesb. Jt. Legend, etc. caught him by the nose with an hot pair of Tongues, and made him roar out for mercy, supposed that every Clergy man had the same Irons in the fire, and therefore blue Coals to that good King, of the dislike of these clerical marriages; and with the same breath enkindled the zeal of Monkery. The Church wherein I am now interessed, and wherein I do (by the providence of God, and the bounty of my gracious Master) succeed their Saint Oswald's Priors, yields me sufficient records hereof; which because they are both worthy of public light, and give no small light to the business in hand, I have thought good here to insert. * The names of the Founders of the Church of Wo●cester. In the time of King Ethelred was Worcester made an Episcopal See; Rosel was the first Bishop. The 17 was Saint Osw●ld; in whose time King Edgar gave, etc. And by the meditation of Saint Oswald was this Cathedrali Church translated from mar●e● Clerks unto Monks. Nomina Fundatorum Ecclesia Wigorniensis, Tempore Ethelredi Regis, etc.— constituta est sedes Episcopalis Wigorn: Bosel Episcopus primus— Septimusdecimus, Sanctus Oswaldus, tempore cuius Edgarus Rex dedit— Mediante verò Beato Oswaldo, à Clericis in Monachos translata est sedes Pontificalis honoris. Then follows the Charter of King Edgar founding the Monks with this Title, Carta Regis Eadgari, de Oswaldeslaw. ALtitonantis Dei largifluâ Clementiâ, qui est Rex Regum & Dominus Dominantium. Ego Eadgarus Anglorum Basileus omnium Regum insularum Oceani quae Britanniam circumiacent, cunctarumque Nationum quae infra came includuntur, Imperator & Dominus, gratias ago ipsi Deo Omnipotenti Regi meo, qui meum Imperium sic amplificavit, & exaltavit super Regnum Patrum meorum.— Quapropter & ego Christi gloriam & laudem in regno meo exaltare, & eius seruitium amplificare devotus disposui, & per meos fideles fautores Danstanum, videlicet, Archiepiscopum, & Athelwoldum, ac Oswaldum Episcopos, quos mihi Patres spirituales, & confiliarios elegi, magna ex parte secundum quod disposui perfeci.— Et ipsis supradictis meis cooperatoribus strenuè annitentibus, jam XL. & VII. Monasteria cum Monachis & Sanctimonialibus constitui; & si Christus vitam mihi tam diu concesserit, usque an quinquagessimum remissionis numerum meae devotae Deo munificentiae oblationem protendere decrevi. Vnde nunc in praesenti Monasterium, quod praedictus reverendus Episcopus Oswaldus in sede Episcopali Wereceastre, in honorem Sanctae Dei genetricis Mariae amplificavit, & eliminatis Clericorum neniis, & spurcis lasciviis, religiosis Dei seruis Monachis, meo consensu & favore suffultus locavit, Ego ipsis Monasticae religionis viris Regali authoritate confirmo, & consilio, & astipulatione Principum & Optimatum meorum corroboro, & consigno, ita ut jam amplius non sit fas, neque ius Clericis reclamandi quicquam inde, quip qui magis elegerunt cum sui ordinis periculo, & Ecclesiastici beneficii dispendi suis uxoribus adhaerere, quàm Deo castè & canonicè seruire. Et ideo cuncta quae illi de Ecclesia possederant, cum ipsa Ecclesiâ, sive Ecclesiastica, sive Secularia, tam mobilia, quam immobilia, ipsis Dei seruis Monachis ab hac die perpetualiter Regiae munificentia iure deinceps possidenda trado, & consigno, ita firmiter, ut nulli Principum, nec etiam ulli Episcopo succedenti fas sit, aut licitum quicquam inde subtrahere, aut pervadere, aut ab eorum potestate surripere, & in Clericorum ius iterum traducere, quamdiu fides Christiana in Anglia perduraverit. Sed & dimidum Centuriatum, etc. In the end dated thus, Facta sunt haec Anno Dominicae Nativitatis, D. CCCC.LXIIII. Indictione VIII. Regni Eadgari Anglorun Regis, 6. in Regia urbe quae ab incolis Glouceastre nominatur, in Natale Domini. In English thus. BY the bountiful mercy of Almighty God, which is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, I Edgar King of England; and of all the Kings of the Lands of the Ocean lying about Britain, and of all the Nations that are included within it, Emperor and Lord; do give thankes to Almighty God my King, which hath enlarged my Empire, and exalted it above the Kingdom of my Fathers.— Wherefore I also having devoted myself to exalt the glory and praise of Christ in my Kingdom, and to enlarge his service, have intended; and by my faithful Well-willers, Dunstan Archbishop, Athelwold and Oswald Bishops, (whom I have chosen for my spiritual Fathers, and Counsellors) I have for the greatest part already performed what I intended, etc.— And by the diligent endeavours of my foresaid Helpers, I have now constituted and made seven and forty Monasteries with Monks and Nuns; and if Christ shall give me to live so long, I have decreed to draw forth the Oblation of this my devout Munificence unto God, to the full number of fifty, which is the number of my remission. * So as it appears, this number was set to King Edgar by Dunstan for his penance Whereupon, now for the present, I do by my Royal Authority confirm to persons of Monastical Religion, and by the consent and astipulation of my Princes and Peers, do establish and consign to them, that Monastery which the foresaid reverend Bishop Oswald (to the honour of the Blessed Mother of God) hath amplified in the Episcopal See of Wereceastre, and expelling the wanton and filthy lasciviousness of Clerks, hath, by my consent and favour, bestowed it upon the religious servants of God, the Monks; so as from henceforth it shall not be lawful for the said Clerks, to challenge any thing therein, as those which have rather chosen (with the danger of their Order, and the loss of their Ecclesiastical * That is, their Prebend. Benefice) to stick unto their wives, then chastely and canonically to serve God. And therefore all that ever they possessed of the said Church, whether Ecclesiastical or Secular, movable, or unmoveable, together with the Church itself, I do from this day forward for ever, give and consign to the said Monks, to be possessed of them in the right of my Royal Munificence; so firmly, that it shall not be lawful for any Prince or any Bishop succeeding to subtract aught from them, or to withdraw any of the Premises from their power, and to deliver it back again to the right and possession of Clerks, so long as the Christian Faith shall remain in England, etc.— Facta sunt haec, etc. These things were done in the year of Christ's Nativity, D. CCCC.LXIIII. Indiction VIII. In the sixth year of the Reign of Edgar King of England; in the Royal City, which by the Inhabitants is named Glouceastre, in the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, etc.— That Dunstan did this, none ever doubted; but withal it is considerable, who himself was; an Abbot; and therefore partial to the Cloisters; and who put him into this Commission; Pope john the thirteenth: a Monster of men, yea, of Popes; one who (as was articled against him in a general Council) had committed Incest with two of his own Sisters, who called to the Devil for his help at Dice; who deflowered Virgins, who lay with Stephana his Father's Concubine; who drank to the Devil, besides many other horrible crimination; A man fit to set a Saint on work against lawful Marriages. And thirdly, what the state of the Times were; wherein liberty was degenerate into strange licentiousness; Even change of Wives (if we may believe Histories) was then to wonder; For the correcting whereof, the Reformers (according to the Philosopher's advice) laboured towards the other extreme; as those which to straighten a stick, bow it as much the contrary way: And lastly, how fare this act and endeavour extended: For Dunstan sought not to thrust married men out of the Clergy, but to thrust * Expulit malos Praesbyteres, introduxit pe●●res Monaches. Polyd. From the greater Churches. married Clergymen out of the Cathedral Churches, which required a quotidian attendance, which is evident both by the sentence of Dunstan (Aut Canonicè vivendum, aut ab Ecclesia excundum) either that they must live Canonically, or get out of the Church; that is, ex Ecclesiis maioribus, as Historians relate it; And by the sentence of the Rood for Dunstan; Mutaretis non benè; How much difference there was in these two, appears in the Decree of Bishop Lanfranc, Anselm's Predecessor, which tolerating married Seculars, drives directly against married Canons. Little needed my Refuter then (but that he must have something to say) to fall upon our right Reverend and Learned Bishop of Hereford (whose worthy labours have justly endeared him to all Posterity) for that true comparison he makes betwixt these three Saints of theirs, Refut. p. 321. and Anselme: They by action, he by Synodical Decree persecuted the Clergy; They bent their endeavours against Cathedral Clerks, he against Priests; Their project was particular, his universal. That a peremptory sentence passed generally against the Marriage of ecclesiastics in a public Synod under Dunstan, Refut. p. 319. he refers us to Binius, which at random talks of Concilium Anglicanum; without all particulars of place, or persons; and refers us to Surius; as if he had bidden us ask his Fellow if he lie: Why did he not send us to Father Parsons, or his Gabriel Gifford? Sure, it was in some obscure hole of the ●eake, or some blind dormitory of a Covent; neither can we say of it with the Apostle, These things were not done in a Corner; The Canons, whereto the fore alleged Chatter, and the sentence of Dunstan have reference, were no other than Romish, which these Monkish Prelates had persuaded King Edgar to receive, and in part to urge upon his married Prebendaries. The success of his Synod at Reading, or Winchester he knows well enough: And is he ashamed of the miraculous sentence of his Holy-Rood (which jornalensis reports) who there openly spoke for the Monks against the Clergy? Absit ut hoc fiat; that he passes over to that of Calne, where the falling of an overcharged floor, crushed the Marriage of Clergymen. Refut. p. 321. Idle Monks who for their own turn set such a superstitious gloss upon that accident, which (as * H. Hunt. l. 5. Henry Huntingdon more probably interprets it) was Signum excelsi Dei, quod proditione & interfectione Regis sui ab amore Dei casuri essent, & à diversis gentibus digna contritione centerendi: A sign from the High God, that by their Treason and Murder of their King (who was slain in the year after) they should fall from the favour of God, and be worthily crushed by other Nations. Thus he. Such was the event; For the construction of it, Gul. Malmes. the Reader may choose, whether he will believe an Archdeacon of Huntingdon, or a Monk of Malmesbury. Iwis these rotten ioysts are foundation enough whereon to build the prohibition of our marriages. SECT. XI. Under these late Romish Saints, Dunstan and Anselme, I might safely say, Refut. p. 332. our English Clergy found the first machinations against their marriage, and at last stooped perforce to this yoke of constrained continency. Neither doth my wit or my Logic fail me in this collection. If these were the men that made the first opposition to the marriage of Clergy men in England, than it formerly obtained here, without contradiction. The bare word of my Refuter, is a hot shot to batter this necessary illation; and to assure the Reader that the forced Celibate of the English Clergy is of greater Antiquity than these his Saints; To which he adds (in an ignorant begging of the question) A thing so filthy; after a solemn vow to God, to take a Wife, as it never appeared without the brand of infamy. As if our Predecessors in the English Clergy had been ever charged with a vow; As if the solemnity of this vow had never had beginning? chimerical fancies fit for a shorn head. q D. Martin's arg. is, Priests crowns signify their Vow; No other proof can be brought worth talking o●, but from the Barber's shop. Antiquit. Brit. Def. of Pr Marr. p. 282. When as his Master Harding could not produce so much as a probability of any vow anciently required, or undertaken; whether by beck, or Dieu-gard. When as the ancient Saxon Pontifical makes not the least mention of any such profession; yea, when Girardus (who was the second Bishop of York after the conquest) writes flatly to Anselme concerning his own Canons, Professiones verò mihi penitus abnegant Canonici, etc. My Canons (saith he) utterly deny to give me profession of continency, which without this profession have been disorderly advanced to holy Orders; Cùm verò ad ordines aliquos in vito, dura seruice renituntur, ne in ordinando castitatem profiteantur, And when I do invite any to take Orders, they do resist me very stubbornly, that they will make no profession of chastity in their Ordination. Thus he. Showing us plainly that the Clergy in those times challenged no other than the liberty of their Predecessors. But well may he face us down in this more obscure (though certain) truth, when he dares to say that Greece itself never tolerated this estate in their Clergy, till by b●d life it fell to Schism, and from Schism to open Heresy; whiles their own Canon Law (besides all Histories) give him the lie; and what r Latinorum nemo vel veterùm, vel recentiorum, inter Graecorum errores, aut haerese●, aut schismata, hanc coniugalis usus retentionem supp●tauit, non Hugo Eterianus, non Tho. Aquinas, non Guido Carmelita, ad 26. licet hic numeraverit, non ●●ues qui vel obiter, vel peculiariter de iis egerit. Espens. l. 1. c. 4. Espencaeus hath ingenuously spoken concerning this point, we have formerly showed. t Apud Win●on & Monachos▪ loco Clericor●m primus in●●ituit. De Edgaro Rogerus Cestrens. lib. 6. If he did not presume upon Readers that never saw Books, he durst not be thus impudent. This argument therefore shall ever stand good, and shall scornfully trample upon all his vain cavils; Ethelwold was the first, which by the command of King Edgar expelled married Priests, out of ˢ the old erection of Winchester; Anno 963. Dunstan and Oswald together with him were the men, who (two years after) first expelled married Clergymen out of the greater houses of Merceland; As 1177, in the days of King Henry the Second, the secular Prebendaries of Waltham, were first turned out, to give way to their irregulars; therefore until these times, these places were interruptedly possessed by married Clergymen. If now he shall except; that this possession of theirs was not of long continuance, but upon usurpation; whereby the married Incumbents had injuriously encroached upon the right of Monks; Our Monks of Worcester shall herein fully convince him; who writ under their Oswaldus Archiepiscopus; Oswald Archbishop of York. Per me fundatus fuit ex clericis monachatus, That is, By me were Monks first founded out of Clerks; Which was also the fashion of all other erections of this nature; so as it is manifest, that originally these Churches were founded in married Clergymen; afterwards wrongfully translated, from them to Monks; And if the first possessors had been t A Clericis in Monachos translata est senes Pontif. hon. vid. supr. Monks, how could Monks have been there first founded by Oswald, when as Ethelred had long before both founded, and furnished it? and how out of Clerks, if Monks had been there before? Let my Refuter show me but a Verse of equal antiquity in a contrary rhyme, Per me fundatus fuit ex Monachis Clericatus. And I yield him my argument: Otherwise let the world judge, if he be not shamelessly obstinate in not yielding. SECT. XII. Refut. p. 324. Non est scriptum, ergo non est factum, etc. But to strike it dead, my Adversary will prove the English Clergy ever to have been continent. Reader, look now for Demonstrations; His first proof is, That in all the pursuit of this business, we never read of any that did stand upon the former custom of the Church. A proper argument, ab authoritate negatiuè. And what other arguments doth my Detector find used by the then persecuted Clergy? Histories record them not; therefore doubtless they said nothing for themselves; and if they urged other proofs, which are not now descended to us by any relation, why not this for one? Who can but hisse out so silly sophistry? But to stop that clamorous mouth in this poor cavil; doth not his own u Gul. Malmesde gest. Angl. l. 2. c. 9 Monk of Malmesbury tell him, that the Clergy urged this plea for themselves, Ingens esse & miserabile dedecus, ut nows advena veteres colonos migrare compellerit, etc. That it was a great and miserable shame, that these upstarts, the Monks, should thrust out the ancient possessors of those places; that this was neither pleasing to God, which had given them that long-continued habitation, nor yet to any good man, who might justly fear the same hard measure which was offered to them: Thus they, whose plea and complaint seemed so just, that Alfgina the Queen, Prince Alfere, and others of the Nobility, overthrew many of those new-founded Monasteries, and reinstalled the Priests in their former right. Refut. p.. 325. His next proof is from the Letters of Pope Gregory, which he wrote to Austin the Monk here in England. Risum teneatis? Did ever any man doubt, but that Pope Gregory was desirous to establish Romish Laws, and orders, amongst the English. Where yet his Legate found many as good Christians as himself under another rule, conform to the Greek Church? But how follows this? This Pope was willing to in-romanize the English; therefore the staff stands in the corner: And yet even Pope Gregory allowed marriage to those of the x Greg. resp. ad quast. 2. Aug. English Clergy, which were not within the higher Orders; appointing them to receive their stipends apart; a favour which he saw necessarily to be yielded to our Nation, whiles he abridged others. Refut. p. 326. The noble Star of Monks. From Gregory, he descends to Beda, a man doubtless venerable for his learning, and virtue; but (as it is in his Epitaph) Monachorum nobile sydus. Whether a neighbour at least to Italy, by birth (as they contend) I am sure a Disciple of Abbot Benedict, and so great a fautor of the Roman faction, that he censures S. Aidanus and Colmanuus, for adhering to those Greek forms, which the Churches of this Island had anciently followed; whose part joannes Maior justly takes against him. This Beda in a general speculation speaks his conceit of the voluntary continency which he holds requisite in the Priesthood; says nothing of the particular custom of the English Clergy; rather in diverse passages insinuating the contrary. Amongst the rest, he tells us that in the y Bed. Eccles. hist. Aug. l. 4. Synod holden by Archbishop Theodorus, and other Bishops (at Hereford) in the third year of King Egfride, (which was about Anno 673.) their tenth and last Canon was pro coniugiis; ut nulli liceat nisi legitimum habere connubium; For Marriages; That no man should marry unlawfully, no man should commit incest, no man should leave his own wife, unless (as the Gospel teacheth) for fornication only, etc. I know my Refuter will plead the universality of this Canon, and will contend, that a Law generally made for all Christians, is not without injury restrained to ecclesiastics; But let my Reader well consider both the Prologue and Epilogue of that Synod, he shall see, that they who are required to keep these Laws, are Consacerdotes omnes; and that whosoever shall violate them, Noverit se ab omni officio Sacerdotali & nostra societate separatum; must know himself separate from all sacerdotal office and society; so as it will necessarily follow, that this Law did (at least) concern the Clergy with others, though not apart; Neither is there any other of those Canons, which concerns not the Clergy only; except the first, concerning the observation of Easter, which principally also belonged to them. Whereto it makes not a little, that in the Book of Saxon Canons set out for the governing of the secular Priests, the rule is, Let them also do their endeavour, I forbear the Saxon word for lack of their Characters. The Reader shall since them cited in Saxon by Mat. Parker. Def. of Pr. Mar. that they hold with perpetual diligence their chastity, in an unspotted body, or else let them be coupled with the bond of one Matrimony. Words, wherein our Clergy meant to regulate themselves (as it seems) by the holy prescript of Isidore, whereof we have spoken. Lastly, my Adversary cannot deny, that this Synod gives order for many accidental matters, concerning the Clergy, for their fixed station, for their maintenance, etc. but except in this Canon, there is no one word of their state of life; neither is there in all those Canons, one syllable of this pretended Celibate, as that, which the contrary received custom of our Church would never have endured; My Refuter dares not say that these marriages were so quite out of use, that it was needless to ordain aught against them; he knows that his Dunstan found here this course so inveterate, that the very age and deep rooting of it hindered his designs. SECT. XIII. FRom Bede he comes down to his three premised Saints, Dunstan, Oswald, Refut. p. 328. and Ethelwold; and, to make sure work, cities an obscure z Vulstan in vita Etholwoldi. Scholar of Ethelwold, for an authentic Witness against eight honest Priests, and the lawfulness of all Priests marriages. And lastly, he makes up the mouth of his discourse with the full Decree of Archbishop Anselme Richard in the Synods of London; p. 329, 330, 331. and why not King Henry's six Articles? and why not the Council of Trent? Sic conclusum est contra hereticos; Now, because his heart told him, how light these proofs were, he lays in the scales with them certain grave ponderations, which all put together, will prove almost as weighty as the Feather he wrote withal. The first is, That there cannot be a greater national proof, then to have the Bishops and the King, and his Nobility to define, and deliver this point with joint consent. Refut. p. 332. Take this, Reader, of King Edward the sixth, and his Parliament, and Convocation, and all is well. King Edgar's Vtopicall decree was hatched in a Monks Cowle: and to his two King Henries, he might have added Philip and Mary. And why might not we oppose King Edmund to Edgar, and Osulphus his Bishop to Dunstan? And the Clergy before Anselme to the Clergy after him? This match were made with some indifferency; But how idly hath my Refuter mislaid the comparison betwixt Henry of Huntingdon, and Fabian on our part, and all the Clergy and Laity of theirs? Since those two Authors (if we had no more) report only de facto, that Priest marriages were not before forbidden; and the cited Clergy and Laity do now thus late-ward discuss de iure; Neither have the Clergy and Laity by him alleged, ever contradicted that which Huntingdon and Fabian have out of the course of all Story affirmed; Unto which, let me add a Polyd. Hist. Ang. l. 6. Anno 970. De Jnuentorib. l. 5. Polydore Virgil, seconding this their assertion; who plainly tells us, that for 970 years, the restraint of marriage was never in use amongst the English Clergy. Search not for this, Reader, in the later editions, lest thou complain of lost labour; Poor Polydore may cry out of his grave with that other Polydore in Virgil: Fas omne abrumpit Polydorum obtrancat. Let him then (to answer this vain challenge) produce but any one author of equal authority to any of these, which doth avouch the contrary to that which these three have thus confidently delivered, and I shall confess myself herein sufficiently answered; In the mean time, let him, and the world know, that all the ancient Clergy, and Laity of this Island, was for this liberty, altogether ours: Whereto if he yield not, let him name the man, before his Dunstan, that ever in this I'll opened his mouth against it; Till then, the Reader cannot but see; that whereas our proof is, Ex ore duorum, aut trium, his side is mute; that for our Something, he can show Nothing at all; and that our Huntingdon, F. Fabian, and Polydore, are better than C.E. and his man in the Moon. SECT. XIIII. Refut. p. 335. HIs second ponderation of the sanctity of the persons, is no truer avoirdepois. That B. Dunstan was an holy man, we may easily grant; but taken from the Covent of Glastenbury. Neither would the Nobility of his time be so liberal as to yield this; who accused him to the King, de libidinibus & praestigiis; for (two remarkable qualities in his Saintship) lechery and sorcery; whereupon he was cast out from the Court; and that he was received again, he might thank the King's horse, whose sudden stop on the verge of a steep down-fall, restored Dunstan to the good opinion of the superstitious Prince; who was yet so fare from being guilty of this deliverance, that he did not so much as know of the danger; To King Athelstan, who first brought him from his Cell. an acquittal at least as causeless as the accusation. That Bishop Anselme was devout and learned, we willingly grant, but withal an Italian, and taken from a Norman * The Clergy of Engl●nd did so well approve these Mo●kish Archbishops, that after Anselme, and Rodulph, the Bishops of the Land became Suitors to the ●ing, that they might never have any Archbishop of Canterbury chosen from the Monkish profession. Sax. Chron. An. 1123. Refut. p. 338. Covent; he was holy, but how impetuously addicted to his own will; and how refractory to authority, I had rather Histories should speak then myself. Neither is it any wonder if both these Prelates (how holy soever) savoured somewhat too strong of the Cloisters, and of Rome. Something must be yielded to times and places; we will not think but a wel-meant zeal carried them into these resolutions; but a zeal misguided with the sway of the times. The name of Saints, the truth of their sanctity did not privilege them from errors; we know how to sever their chaff from their wheat, and to send one of them to the winds, the other to the granary. As for the married Clergy, That they were ever accounted the scum and refuse of their Order, it is but the scurrilous scummy blur of an intemperate pen; what was Spiridion? what was Hilary? what were both Gregory's? what was Sidonius? what was Tertullian, Prosper, Simplicius, Eupsychius? In a word, what were all those whom his Damasus recounteth? what was the father of the Archdeacon of Huntingdon, whom within two leaves he recordeth (from his Epitaph) for t Stella carit cleri, splendour marcet Nicolai: Stella ●adens cleri, splendeat arce Dei, Huntingd. l. 7. the star of the Clergy. This scum is better than their broth: which though it send forth a fume, seemingly delicious, yet many times being nearer tasted, proveth but cock-crowen pottage. These Saints he ignorantly ballanceth again with our Huntingdon and Fabian; as if their present decree did contradict the history of things passed; as if we had no more histories on our side, because my margin cited them not. In the mean time he finds this testimony of Huntingdon so too much, that he would fain strip us of it; denying peremptorily that Huntingdon affirms Anselme to be the first that forbade marriage to the Clergy. Reader, in stead of all other ponderations weigh the words, u Henr. Huntin●d. edit Savil. p. 378. Eodem anno ad festum S. Michaelis tenuit Anselmus Archiepiscopus Concilium, apud Londoniam, in quo prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus Anglorum, antea non prohibitas, i. The same year; on the Feast of S. Michael, Archbishop Anselme held a Synod at London, wherein he forbade wives to the Priests of England before not forbidden; and tell me whether my Detector be true. The words are too plain; he will wrangle yet with the sense, and tells us that the word, Before may signify, perhaps, Immediately before, in the reign of the Williams and not all succession of times. It were well if he could escape so: But this starting hole will not hide him. For (not to send him to School to learn the difference betwixt Antea and Dudum, or Pridem) The same Author, in the following words, shows us the censures and conceits that passed upon this Act, as an absolute and unheard-off novelty, like as in Germany, the Historians brand this same act in Hildebrand, with a novo exemplo and inconsiderato praeiudicio. And for the times preceding, Polydore Virgil gives the very same witness. Neither let him fly for succour to his Dunstan, who never can be proved to have prohibited the marriage of Priests, though he disliked that Monasteries and Cathedral Churches should be possessed by married Clerks. Lastly, ●here the testimony is displeasing, Refut. p. 343. the witness himself must be disgraced. Curiosity led my Detector to search who this H. Huntingdon might be, with one inquiry he might find him to be a Canon Regular of Augustine's Order, and for dignity an Archdeacon; a person past exception: But for his parentage, he went no further than to the next Leaf, to find that he was the son of a noted, and, in those days, eminent Clergy man: Vid. supra. His Epitaph at Lincoln shows him to have been the star of the Clergy, no whit dimmed in his acknowledged light, or hindered in his influence, by his conjunction in lawful wedlock: What better instance could my Refuter have given against himself? If he think to insinuate that his birth made him partial; The Reader will easily consider, that if such Parentage had been then accounted shameful, the Historian would have had the wit to have suppressed it; And withal that he durst not; writing in the times when this thing was so familiarly and universally known, have offered such a Proposition to the light, out of a vain partiality, to incur the controlment of all eyes. SECT. XV. AS for our Fabian, if C.E. find him a Merchant, Refut. p. 333. I find him to have been Sheriff of the Honourable City of London; A man whose credit would scorn to be poised with an hundred nameless Fugitives, parasitical petty-chapmen of the late small-wares of Rome. Neither can the name of a Citizen disparage him to any wise judge. How many have our times yielded of that rank, whom both Academical education, and experience and travel, and study have wrought to an eminent perfection in all Arts, especially in Mathematics, and History! Such was Fabian, whose fidelity (besides his other worths) was never (that I find) taxed but by this insolent Pen that hath learned to forbear no man; He was too old for us to bribe, and too credible for C.E. to disgrace. If he would have lent Rome but this one lie, no man had been more authentical; now his truth makes him fabulous Fabian. That one fault hath marred our Archdeacon of Huntingdon also. The Story which he tells of the Cardinal of Crema the Popes Legate taken in bed (after his busy endeavours, against the married Clergy) the same day with an Harlot, Refut. p. 348. hath undone his reputation. Why will C. E. stir this sink? No man provoked him: If he did not long to blazon the shame of his friends, he had rather smothered this foul occurrence; but since he will be meddling, Res apertissima negari non potuit, celari non debuit, saith Huntingdon. The thing was most openly known, it could not be denied, it might not be concealed. Yet now comes an Vpstart-novice, and dares tell us from Baronius, that this was a mere Fable; how public and notorious soever Huntingdon makes it: with these men this rule is universal, whatsoever may tend to the dishonour of the Church of Rome, is false and fabulous. Indeed, I remember what their Gloss said of old, x Dist. 96. In script. Clericus amplectens mulierem, praesumitur bene agere, si ergo Clericus amplectitur mulierem, interpraetabuitur quòd causa benedicendi eam, hoc faciat: That is; A Clergy man embracing a woman, must be presumed to do well; if therefore a Clerk take a woman by the middle, it must be interpreted that he doth it to give her his blessing. * So the Chronicle tells us of Adelme, Abbot of Malmesbury, who when he was stirred to the vice of the flesh, had wont to despite the Devil, and torment himself with holding a fair young Virgin in his bed so long as he might say over the whole Psalter, Vid. Pa●k. Def. Polyd suppressing the name telleth the History. Perhaps, the good Legate was but bestowing his ghostly blessing on so needful a subject, but that he was found in bed with her, if C. E. were not as shameless as that Cardinal, or his bedfellow, he durst not deny; For what impudence is this, to cast this relation only upon H. Huntingdon, when so many uncontrollable Pens have recorded it to the world? Men of their own stamp, for Religion, for Devotion. Matthew Paris, Ranulfus Cestrensis, Roger Hoveden, Polydore Virgil, Fabian, Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis, otherwise called Florilegus; Dictus joannes, qui in Concilio, etc. saith he; The said john which in the open Council had grievously condemned all the y Viz the married: so did the enemies of Marriage disgracefully term the married Clergy, and so are the words of the Legate to be understood, the latere meretricis; be then railing against Marriage not (whoredom property) was deprehended in whoredom. Concubinary Priests, was taken himself in the same crime. Now let my Reader judge, whether this Priest's Truth, or that Cardinal's honesty were greater. SECT. XVI. HIs third Ponderation is the same with the first; Every thing eekes. His S. Dunstan and Anselme, Gregory and Beda are again laid in our dish; we cannot feed on these over-oft-sod Coleworts. I am challenged here, to produce any Priest or Deacon that lived in Wedlock before the times of Dunstan; The man presumes upon the suppression of Records. For one, I name him hundreds. Who were they that Dunstan and his fellow Saints found seated in the Cathedral Churches of this Land? whom did they eiect? Were they not married Priests? What did the e●ected Clergy plead but ancient possession? After that; in the Synod which Archbishop a Ex Act. Concil. Wint. sub. La●fr. Martyrol. Cant. Lanfranck held at Winchester (which I wonder my Detector would oversee: This neglect is not for nothing;) was it not decreed, that the Canons should not have Wives, but that the Priests which dwelled in Towns and Villages, should not be compelled to put away their Wives; though caution is put in for the future? What doth this imply, but that in those ancient Times the English Clergy were inoffensively married? To which add that old Record from an ancient Martyrologue of the Church of Canterbury: Lanfrancus Archiepiscopus reddidit Ecclesiae Sancti Andreae, etc. Lanfranck Archbishop hath restored to Saint Andrew's Church, the Monastery of Saint Mary, with the Lands and Houses which Livingus Priest, and his Wife had in London, etc. And before him, or Dunstan either, in King Edmund's time, b Fox Act. & Mon. Bishop Osulphus with Athelme and Vlrick, Laics, thrusts out the Monks of Euesham, and placed Canons (married Priests) in their room. Lastly, If he be the Son of a Bishop, etc. jornalensis records it as King Ina's Law, long before these times; Si Episcopi filiolus sit, sit dimidium hoc, etc. as supposing this no other than ordinary in those times. Now let my Refuter comfort himself and his Catholics, with the weak defence of Heresy, and the strong Bulwarks of Roman Truth; who in the mean time must be put in mind, that he puts on me the burden which should lie upon his own shoulders; I have produced Histories which affirm peremptorily, that the English Clergy were never forbidden to marry until Anselmes time; it is now his task to disprove this assertion of theirs by equal authority to the contrary, which till he have done, the day is ours. SECT. XVII. Refut. p. 347. HIs fourth Ponderation, is the difficulty of this grant in King Edward's Parliament. And is it possible the man should not see the greater difficulty that was found in the enforcement of this glorious Celibate? How Alfere and the Nobles dispossessed the Monks of Dunstan; justly restoring the married Priests to their ancient right? How Lanfranck durst not speak it out; Anselme did; but prevailed little: Let c Vid. supra Epist. ad Ansel. Neubr. l. 3. c. 5. Girardus then Archbishop of York witness. After whom Roger Archbishop of that See (as Neubrigensis records) thrust out d Pope Paschalis writing to Anselme saith, that there was at this time ●o great a number of Priests sons in England, that the greater part of the Clergy consisted of them. Anselmes Monks, and stood for the liberty of Marriage: insomuch as in the succession of Times, even by Royal leave also, Marriage of spiritual persons yet continued. Neither could Anselmes Successors, Radulphus, Gulielmus de Turbine and the rest, (notwithstanding all their Canons and practices) prevail against it. How plain is that of the e Chron. Saxon. Anno 1129. Chron. jornal. Saxon Chronicle? Thus did the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops, which were in England; And yet all these Decrees and bid stood not; All held their Wives by the King's leave, even as they did. Insomuch at Archbishop William referred it to the King. The King decreed, that the Priests should continue with their Wives still. Neither were any thing more easy then to give store of instances in this kind. What need I give more than that of Galfride B. of Ely, who was avouched before the Pope himself to have married a wife? which f Habet excusationem Euangelicam. resp. est ab Epis. Arelat. Alexandro Papae. Evangelicall excuse (uxorem duxit) was made for his not appearing at Rome with the rest. Of Richard Bishop of Chichester. Robert Bishop of Lincoln married men, after these Decrees; yea, good Evidences of ancient Charts are ready in our hands, to show the use and legal allowance of these Marriages for no less than two hundred years after. As for those idle words which his sauciness throws after our reverend Martyr, Archbishop Cranmer, (whom he falsely affirm to have been the first married Archbishop of this Kingdom, Anno 1250. when as Archbishop Boniface sat married in that See three hundred years before him) and King Edward's Parliament, we answer them with silence and scorn. Let leesers have leave to talk. The approbation, and better expedience of single life in capable subjects, we do willingly subscribe unto; The lawfulness, yea, necessity of Marriage where the gift of Continency is denied, our Saviour and his chosen vessel justify with us. So as I still conclude, He that made marriage, saith it is honourable, what care we for the dishonour of those that corrupt it? SECT. XVIII. HIs last ponderation is leaden indeed; That from the bicker of our English Clergy with their Dunstan's, it will not follow, Refut. p. 351. that Continency was not ancient, but was repiningly, lately, unjustly imposed. By this reason, C.E. writes in the Margin, Master Hall● lose manner of disputing. he will prove there was never Thief nor Malefactor in our Country, before the time of King james; since all judges have yearly bicker with such people. Thus he. But did ever such lose Bosom sweep the press before? Reader, vouchsafe yet once more to cast thine eye upon the close of my Epistle; Doth my argument run thus wildly as he makes it? The English Clergy had bicker with their Dunstan's, therefore continency was repiningly and unjustly imposed? Canst thou think I have met with a sober Adversary? My words are; That our Histories teach us how late, how repiningly, how unjustly our English Clergy stooped under this yoke. And what can his sophistry make of this? Are ye not ashamed (ye Superiors of Douai?) are ye not ashamed of such a Champion; fit for a troop of Pigmees to trail a reed in their bicker with Cranes, then to be committed with any reasonable or Scholarlike Antagonist? In the bicker with his Dunstan's, the P●t●ents pleaded prescription (as we have showed out of Malmesbury) and taxed his Saints with novelty; In my bicker with him, I plead Antiquity, Scripture, Reason; and tax him most justly with impudence, and absurdity. How well is that man, that is matched but with an honest Adversary? The Conclusion. Refut. p. 353, etc. THe Conclusion follows, a fit cover for such a dish; The Reader was not weary enough, but he must be tired out with a tedious recapitulation; wherein my Refuter recollects all his dispersed folly, that it may show the fairer: Telling his Protestant friend, what I have bragged, what I have undertaken, what I have not performed; how I have falsified, how I have mistaken; what himself hath in all passages performed against me, how he hath answered, how he hath conquered; The best is, the Conclusion can show no more than the Premises. By them, let me be judged: Those have made good to my Reader, that C. E. hath accused much, and proved nothing; vaunted much, and done nothing; railed much, and hurt nothing; laboured much, and gained nothing; talked much, and said nothing. It is a large and bold word: but if any one clause of mine be unproned, if any one clause of mine be disproved, any one exception against my defence proved just, any one charge of his proved true, any one falsehood of mine detected, any one argument of mine refeled, any one argument or proposition of his not refelled: Let me go away convicted with shame. But if I have answered every challenge, vindicated every * I only except that one slip of my Pen, that I said Gratian cited a sentence out of Austin, which was indeed his own. authority, justified every proof, wiped away every cavil, affirmed no proposition untruely, censured nothing unjustly; satisfied all his malicious objections, and warranted every sentence of my poor Epistle: Let my apology live and pass; and let my Refuter go as he is, C. E. Cavillator Egregius: Let my cause be no more victorious than just; and let honest Marriages ever hold up their heads; in despite of Rome and Hell: With this Farewell, I leave my Refuter, either to the acting of his unbloody executions of the Son of God, or the plotting of the bloody executions of the Deputies of God, or (as it were his best) to the knocking of his Beads; But if he will needs be meddling with his pen, and will have me, after some jubilies, to expect an answer to my fix week's labour, I shall in the mean time pray, that God would give him the grace to give way to the known Truth, and sometimes to say true. Yet to gratify my Reader at the parting, I may not conceal from him an ancient and worthy Monument, which I had the favour and happiness to see in the Inner Library of Corpus Christi College in Cambridge; An excellent Treatise written (amongst seventeen other) in a fair set hand, by an Author of great learning and Antiquity; Of Rome in France. He would needs suppress his name, but describes himself to be Rotomagensis: The time wherein it was written, appears to be amids the heat of contention, which was betwixt the Archbishop of Canterbury & York, for precedency; * As also the contention betwixt the Church of Roan and Vienna. R●g. Houed. which quarrel fell betwixt Rodulph of Canterbury, and Thurstin of York, in the year (1114,) at which time Pope Paschalis wrote to King Henry concerning it; and was renewed after about the year 1175. The Discourse shall speak enough for itself. ROTOMAGENSIS. ANONYMUS. AN LICEAT SACERDOTIBUS INIRE MATRIMONIA. SCire volui quis primus instituit ne Sacerdotes Christiani inire deberent Matrimonia. Deus an homo? Si enim Deus, eius certe sententia & tenenda & obseruanda est cum omni veneratione & reverentia. Si vero homo & non Deus, de corde hominis, & non ex ore Dei talis egressa est traditio: Ideoque nec per eam salus adquiritus si obseruetur, nec amittitur si non obseruetur. Non enim est hominis saluare vel per dere aliquem pro meritis, sed Dei proprium unius est, scilicet, quod Deus hoc instituerit, nec in veteri Testamento nec in Euangelio, nec in Apostolorum Epistolis scriptum reperitur, in quibus quicquid Deus hominibus praecèpit insertum describitur. Traditio ergo hominis est & non Dei, non Apostolorum institutio. Quemadmodum & Apostolus instituit, ut oportet Episcopum esse unius uxoris virum. Quod minime instituisset, si adulterium esset quod Episcopus haberet simul & uxorem, & Ecclesiam quasi duus uxores, ut quidam asserunt. Quodque de Scripturis sanctis non habet authoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua dicitur. Sancta enim Ecclesia non Sacerdotis uxor, non spousa, sed Christi est, sicut Ioannes dicit. Qui habet sponsam, sponsus est: huius inquam sponsi Ecclesia, sponsa est, & tamen huic sponsae licet in parte inire matrimonia ex Apostolica traditione. Dicit enim Apostolus ad Cor. Propter fornicationes inquit unusquisque uxorem suam habeat, & caetera usque volo omnes homines esse sicut meipsum, sed unusquisque proprium donum habet à Deo, alius quidem sic, alius verò sic. Non enim omnes habent unum donum virginitatis; scilicet, & continentiae, sed quidam virgines sunt & continentes, quidam vero incontinentes, quibus concidit nuptias ne tentet eos Sathanas propter incontinentiam suam & in ruinam turpitudinis corruant. Sed & Sacerdotes quoque alij quidem continentes sunt, alij vero incontinentes, & qui continentes sunt, continentia sua donum à Deo consecuti sunt, fine eius dono & gratia continentes esse non possunt. Incontinentes vero hoc donum gratiae minime percipiunt, qui cum intemperantia suae conspersionis, tum etiam animi infirmitate per carnis desideria diffluunt. Quod nullo modo facerent; si continentiae gratiam & virtutem à Deo percepissent Sentiunt enim & ipsi aliam legem in membris suis repugnantem legi mentis suae, & captivantem eos in lege peccati, & quod nolunt agere cogentem, qui de corpore mortis huius liberantur gratia Dei. Hac itaque eos lege captivante, & carnis concupiscentia stimulante, aut fornicari coguntur aut nubere. Quorum quid melius fit Apostolica docemur authoritate, qua dicitur, melius nubere quàm uri. Quod melius est, id certe eligendum & tenendum est: Melius est inquam nubere, quia peius est uri. Quia melius est nubere quàm uri, conveniens est incontinentibus ut nubant, non ut urantur. Bona etenim sunt nuptia, sicut Augustinus ait in libro super Genesin ad literam, in ipsis commendatur bonum naturae quo incontinentiae regitur pravitas, & naturae decoratur foecunditas, Num utriusque sexus infirmitas propendens in ruinam turpitudinis, recta excipitur honestate nuptiarum, ut quod sanis possit esse officium, sit aegrotis remedium. Neque enim quia incontinentia malum est ideo connubium, vel quo incontinentes copulantur non est bonum. Imo vero non propter illud malum culpabile est bonum, sed propter hoc bonum ventale est illud malum: quoniam id quod bonum habent nuptiae. & quod bonae sunt nuptiae, peccatum esse nunquam potest. Hoc autem tripartitum est, fides, proles, Sacramentum. In fide attenditur, ne praeter vinculum coniugale, cum altera vel cum altero concubatur. In prole, ut amanter suscipiatur, benigne suscipiatur, religiose educetur. In Sacramento, ut coniugium non separetur, & demissus aut demissa ne causa prolis alteri coniugatur. Haec est tanquam regula nuptiarum, qua vel naturae decoratur foecunditas, vel incontinentiae regitur pravitas. Hanc autem regulam nuptiarum, & hoc tripartitum bonum instituit aeterna veritas ordine decenti & lege aeterna, contra quam quicquid fit, vel dicitur, vel concupiscitur, peccatum est. Quod in libro contra Faustum Manichaeum Augustinus testatur, dicens, Peccatum est factum, vel dictum, vel concupitum contra aeternam legem. Aeterna lex est divina voluntas, sive ratio ordinem naturalem perturbari vetans, conseruari iubens. Quicquid igitur ordinem naturalem perturbari iubet, conseruari vetat, exercere nuptias & earum tripartitum bonum, fidem, scilicet, prolem & Sacramentum eos habere prohibet, & regulam illam aeternae veritatis qua naturae decoratur foecunditas, vel incontinentiae regitur pravitas, eos soluere praecipit, etc. quibus naturalis ordo peragitur, abhominari iubet. Hoc inquam mandatum naturalem ordinem conseruari vetat, perturbari iubet, & ideo contra aeternam legem fit, & peccatum est: peccant enim qui mandatum tale instituunt, quo naturalis ordo destruitur, Nam etiam ut videtur, minime credunt quod de Sacerdotum filiis assumat Deus ad aedificandam supernam Civitatem, & ad restaurandum Angelorum numerum. Si enim crederent, nunquam tale mandatum instituerent, quia scienter & nimia temeritate id efficere conarentur, ut superna Civitas nunquam proficiatur, & Angelorum numerus nunquam repararetur: si enim superna Civitas de filiis etiam Sacerdotum perficienda est, & si Angelorum numerus de ipsis etiam reparandus est, qui hoc efficere conatur ut nulli sint, quantum in ipso est, & supernam civitatem destruit, & Angelorum numerus ne perficiatur efficit. Quo quod perversius potest fieri? Hoc enim fit contra voluntatem & praedestinationem illius, qui quae futura sint fecit. Fecit enim praedestinatione quae futura sunt in opere. Quicunque ergo id efficere conatur at non faciat Deus in opere qua fecit in Predestinatione, ipsam Praedestinationem Dei conatur evacuere. Si ergo Deus fecit in Praedestinatione, ut filii Sacerdotum futuri sint in opere, qui hoc efficere conatur ut non futuri sint, in opere destruere molitur facta Dei quod fecit praedestinatione, & ita praedestinationem Dei nititur evertere, & voluntatem Dei contraire quae aeterna est. Voluit evim Deus ab aeterno, & ante saeculum omnes homines creare in saeculo, certo quidem ordine quo praecogitavit & praedestinavit eos se creaturum. Nihil enim inordinate facit, nihil in saeculo creat, quod non ante praedestinatione suae mentis procedente omnia saeculo disponendo praeordinauerit. Quaecunque ergo in hoc saeculo ab ipso creantur, Praedestinationem mentis praedisponentem ac praeordinantem omnia necessario sequuntur, quod impossibile est non fieri quod Deus ab aeterno voluit & praeordinavit fieri. Necesse est igitur omnes homines eo ordine creari quo voluit ab aeterno & praeordinanit. Alioquin non sicut voluit Deus neque sicut praeordinautt omnes homines sunt creati, sed quod hoc inconveniens est necesse est illos creari, sicut voluit ab aeterno & praecogitavit atque praeordinavit, quod omnia quae voluit fecit, & nihil unquam fecit quae non voluit ab aeterno & praecogitavit decreto certo & incommutabili, Quia nec eius voluntas irrita potest fieri, nec praecogitatio falli, nec praeordinationes commutari. Quae cùm ita sint, necesse est ut sicut Laici, ita etiam Sacerdotes de quibus homines creantur, ad ipsos creandos Ministerium exhibeant divinae voluntati & praeordinationi. Parentes non sunt authores creationis filiorum, sed ministri. Qui si Ministerium non exhiberent voluntatem Dei & praecogitationem si possibile esset irratam facerent, ordinationique resisterent. Quid si scienter facerent granius utique delinquerent, si nescienter minus non solum in Deum Patrem, sed & in caelestem jerusalem sanctorum omnium matrem, quod quantum in ipsis esset illos creari non permitterent, ex quibus ea adificanda & coelestis patria dantia sunt praeparanda. Sed ab hoc delicto defendit eos impotentia, quod non possunt voluntati Dei resistere & praeordinationi contraire. Voluntas enim Dei & Praedestinatio lex aeterna est, in qua omnium rerum cursus decretus est, & paradigma est, in quo omnium saeculorum forma depicta est, quod nulla ratione aboleri potest. Huic igitur ministerium non exhibere malum est, quod exhibere bonum est & maxime cum bona fit voluntate. Quod tum fit, cum parentes conveniunt causa gignendae prolis, non appetitu exercendae libidinis. Gignendae prolis dico, quia & praesens Ecclesia multiplicetur, & coelestis Civitas fabricetur, & electorum numerus compleatur, quorum nihil potest fieri sine conuentione tali. Si enim primi parentes Sanctorum omnes aut continentes permansissent aut virgines, nullus Sanctorum ex eis esset natus in saeculo, nullus gloria & honore coronatus in coelo, nullus adscitus in Angelorum numero. Sed quia inestimabile bonum est; quod sancti nati sunt in saeculo, quod gloria & honore coronantur in coelo, & quod adsciti sunt in Angelorum numero, ex eo parentum foecunditas beatior praedicatur, & conventus sanctior. Sic ergo melius fuit eye tales filios genuisse quam non genuisse, talemque fructum nuptiarum protulisse, quam sine fructu continentes, aut virgines extitisse. Quamvis bonum sit quibusdam continentes esse, vel virgines, illis viZ. quos Deus voluit ab aeterno, & praeordinavit ita creandos esse in saeculo, ut continentia vel virginitate permaneant: sicut enim voluit ab aeterno, & praeordinavit quosdam, ita creandos esse in saeculo, ut fructum nuptiarum faciunt & filios generent, ita etiam voluit & praeordinavit ab aeterno, quosdam ita creandos esse, ut in continentia vel virginitate permancant. Et sicut illi ad creandos filios voluntati Dei & praeordinationi ministerium exhibent, ita & isti ad consernandam & continentiam & virginitatem voluntati Dei & praeordinationi ministrant. Ac per hoc & illorum foecunditas & istorum virginitas bona est atque laudabilis, quae si non ministerium exhiberet voluntati Dei & praordinationi, nec bona esset nec landabilis. Omne enim quod voluntati Dei & praordinationi contrarium est, nec bonum est nec laudabile. Si ergo voluit Deus & praedestinavit alios futuros virgines, alios nuptiarum fructum facientes. Si enim omnes essent virgines, nullus Sanctorum qui vel nascitur vel nasciturus sit, in hoc saculo natus esset, vel nasciturus. Nec ipsi etiam virgines essent, quia nati non essent. Ex foecunditate enim illorum orta est istorum virginitas. Magnum igitur bonum est foecunditas, de qua sancta praecessit virginitas. Quia autem virgines esse debeant, & qui nuptiarum fructus facientes, docet eos verbum quod Deus seminat in cordibus illorum. In aliorum enim cordibus seminat verbum bonae foecunditatis nuptiarum fructum facientis, in aliorum vero cordibus seminat verbum virginitatis, * Deest (opinor) pars clausula; Illi ergo in quibus seminat verbum virginitatis, etc. ipsi virginitatem seruare desiderant: In quibus vero verbum nuptiarum seminat, ipsi facere nuptiarum fructum appetunt. WHICH, FOR MY COUNTRYMENS' SAKE, I have thus Englished. I Would fain know who it was that first ordained, that Christian Priests might not marry, God, or Man? For, if it were God, surely, his determination is to be held and observed with all veneration and reverence; But, if it were Man, and not God; and this Tradition came out of the heart of Man, not out of the Mouth of God, than neither is salvation got by it, if it be observed, nor lost, if it be not observed: For it doth not belong to Man either to save or destroy any man for his merits, but it is proper only unto God. That God hath ordained this, it it neither found written in the Old Testament, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Epistles of the Apostles, in all which is set down whatsoever God hath enjoined unto men. It is therefore a Tradition of Man, and not an institution of God, nor of his Apostles: As the Apostle instituted (rather) that a Bishop should be the Husband of one Wife; which he would never have appointed, if it had been adultery for a Bishop to have at once a Wife, and a Church, as it were two Wives, like as some affirm: Now, that which hath not authority from the holy Scriptures, is with the same facility contemned, that it is spoken: For, the holy Church is not the Wife, not the Spouse of the Priest, but of Christ, as S. john saith, He that hath the Bride, he is the Bridegroom. Of this Bridegroom, I say, is the Church the Spouse; and yet it is lawful even for this Spouse in part to marry, by Apostolic Tradition; For the Apostle speaks thus to the Corinthians, because of fornications, let every man have his own Wife. And I would that all men were as I am, but every man hath his proper gift of God, one thus, another otherwise. For, all men have not one gift, namely, of Virginity and Continency, but some are virgins and contain; others contain not; to whom he granteth marriage, lest Satan tempt them through their incontinency, and they should miscarry in the ruin of their uncleanness. So also of Priests, some are continent, others are incontinent; and those which are continent, have received the gift of their continence from God, without whose Gift and Grace, they cannot be continent. But those which are incontinent, have not received this gift of grace, but, whether by the intemperance of their humour, or the weakness of their mind, run out into fleshly desires; which they would in no wise do, if they had received from God the Grace and Virtue of Continence. For they also which are delivered by the Grace of God from the body of this death, feel another Law in their members rebelling against the Law of their mind, and captivating them to the Law of sin, and compelling them to do that which they would not. This Law therefore, holding them captive, and this Concupiscence of the flesh provoking them, they are compelled either to fornicate, or marry: whereof whether is the better, we are taught by the authority of the Apostle, who tells us, it is better to marry then to burn. Surely, that which is the better, is to be chosen and held; now it is better to marry, because it is worse to burn; and because it is better to marry then to burn, it is convenient for those which contain not, to marry, not to burn. For marriage is good, as August speaks in his book (super Genesin ad Literam) in it is commended the good of nature, whereby the pravity of incontinence is ruled, and the fruitfulness of Nature graced; For the weakness of either Sex, declining towards the ruin of filthiness, is well relieved by honesty of marriage, so as the same thing, which may be the office of the found, is also the remedy unto the sick: Neither yet, because incontinence is evil, is therefore Marriage (even that wherewith the Incontinent are joined) to be reputed not good; yea rather, not for that evil, is the good faulty, but for this good, is that evil pardonable, since that good which marriage hath, yea which marriage is, can never be sin. Now, this good is three fold, the Fidelity, the Fruit, the Sacrament of that estate; In the Fidelity, is regarded: That besides this bond of Marriage, there be not carnal society with any other. In the Fruit of it. That it be lovingly raised and religiously bred. In the Sacrament of it, That the marriage be not separated, and that the dismissed party of either Sex, be not joined to any other, no not for issue's sake. This is as it were the Rule of Marriage, whereby the fruitfulness of Nature is graced, or the pravity of Incontinence ruled. And this Rule of Marriage, and this threefold good, the eternal Truth hath appointed in the order of his Decree, and that eternal Law of his, against which whatsoever is done, spoken, or willed, is sin; which Augustine in his book against Faustus the Manichee witnesseth, saying, Sin is either Deed, Word, or desire against the Law Eternal. This Eternal Law is the divine Will or Decree, forbidding the disturbance, and commanding the preservation of due natural order; whatsoever therefore commands natural Order to be disturbed, forbids it to be conserved; prohibits men to use Marriage; and to attain to the threefold good thereof, Fidelity, Issue, Sacrament; and commands them to break that Rule of Eternal Truth, whereby the fruitfulness of Nature is graced, or the pravity of Incontinency is ruled, commands men to abhor those things whereby natural Order is held and maintained. This Commandment, I say, forbids natural Order to be observed, commands it to be disturbed, and therefore is against the Law of God, and by consequence, is sin: For, they sin that ordain such a command by which natural Order is destroyed. These men do not (it seems) believe, that of the children of Priests, God takes for the building of his City above, and for the restoring of the number of Angels: For, if they did believe it, they would never ordain such a Mandare, because they should wittingly and over rashly, go about to effect, that the supernal City should never be perfited, and the number of Angels never repaired. For if the supernal City be to be perfited even of the sons of Priests, and if the number of Angels be of them to be repaired, those that endeavour to procure that they should not be, do (what in them lies) destroy the supernal City, and labour that the number of Angels may not be perfited, than which, what can be more perversely done? For this is done against the will and predestination of him which hath done those things, which shall be; for he hath done in his predestination those things which shall be in effect; whosoever therefore goes about to procure that God may not in effect do those things, which he hath done in his predestination, goes about to make void the very predestination of God. If then God have already in his predestination decreed, that the sons of Priests shall once be in effect, he that goes about to procure that they may not be in effect, endeavours to destroy the work of God, because he hath already done it in predestination; and so strives to overthrew God's predestination, and to gain-stand that will of God which is eternal: For God would from eternity, and before all worlds, create all men in the world, in that certain order wherein he preconceived, and predestinated, to create them; He doth nothing disorderly, he createth nothing in the world which he hath not fore-ordained, by disposing it in the predestination of his mind that went before all worlds. Whatsoever therefore is by him created in this world, doth necessarily follow the predestination of his mind, predisposing and preordaining all things; because it is impossible that should not be done, which God from eternity hath willed and fore-ordained to be done; It is therefore necessary that all men should be created in that very Order, wherein he willed, and from eternity fore-ordained; Or else, all men are not created as God would have them, nor as he fore-ordained them; But because this is inconvenient, it must needs be that they are created as he willed from eternity, and forethought, and fore-ordained; because he hath done all things that he would, and never did any thing which he willed nor from everlasting, and hath fore-conceived in his certain and unchangcable Decree. For neither can his will be frustrated, nor his forethought deceived, nor his fore-ordinations altered; Which, since it is so; needs must it be; that as Laics, so Priests also, of whom men are created, should yield their service to the divine will and preordination to the creating of them. For parents are not the authors of the creation of their children, but the servants; who if they should not yield their service, they should (if it were possible) make void the forethought of God, and resist his ordination; which if they should wittingly do, they should offend the more, if ignorantly, the less; not only against God the Father, but also against the heavenly jerusalem, the Mother of all Saints, because (what in them were) they should not suffer those to be created of whom it is to be builded, and those things to be prepared, whereby that Celestial Country is bestowed. But from this offence their impotence frees them, because they cannot resist the will of God, and cross his preordination. For the will and predestination of God is that eternal Law, in which the course of all things is decreed, and the pattern wherein the form of all ages is set forth, which can by no means be defaced; Not to yield our service then hereunto, is evil, because to yield it, is good, and especially if it be done with a good intent, which is then done, when as Parents meet together in a desire of propagation of issue, not in an appetite of exercising their lust. Of propagation, I say, that both the present Church may be multiplied, and the celestial City built, and the number of the Elect made up, none of which could be done without such conjugal meeting. For if the first Parents of the Saints had continued all either continent or virgins, no Saint had been borne of them in the world, none of them had been crowned with glory and honour in heaven, none of them ascribed into the number of Angels. But since it is an inestimable good, that Saints are borne in the world, that they are crowned with glory and honour in heaven, and that they are ascribed into the number of Angels; thereupon the fruitfulness of Parents is more blessed, and their meeting holier. So than it is better for them to have begotten such children, than not to have begotten them, and to have brought forth such fruit of marriage, then to have been continent, or Virgins, without fruit. Although it is good for some to be continent, or virgins▪ namely, for them whom God eternally willed and preordained to be so created in the world, that they should remain either in Continence or Virginity: For as he hath eternally willed and fore-ordained that some should be so created in the world, as that they should yield the fruit of marriage, and beget children, so also hath he willed, and from eternity fore-ordained, some to be so created, that they should continue in Continency or Virginity: And as those other yield their service to the will and preordination of God in the creation of children; so these also serve the will and preordination of God in conserving their continence, and virginity; and hereupon is both the fruitfulness of the one, and the Virginity of the other good, and laudable; which if it did not yield services the will and preordination of God, would be neither good nor laudable: For whatsoever is contrary to the will and preordination of God, is neither good nor laudable. If therefore God willed and predestinated some to be Virgins, others to yield the fruit of marriage (for if all were virgins, no Saint that now is, or shall be borne, should either be now or hereafter borne in the world, neither should those virgins be at all, because they should not be borne; for of the fruitfulness of the one arises the others virginity) therefore is fruitfulness a great good, from which holy virginity hath proceeded: now that there should be some virgins, and others that should bear the fruits of marriage, the word which God soweth in their hearts, teacheth us. For in the hearts of some he soweth the word of good fruitfulness, yielding the increase of marriage, and in the hearts of others he sow's the word of virginity; Those then in whom he sows the the word of virginity, they desire to keep virginity, but those in whom he sows the word of marriage, they desire to yield the fruit of marriage. WHERETO I WILL ADD FOR Conclusion the wise and ingenuous judgement of Erasmus Roterodamus; The rather, because it pleased my Refuter to lay this worthy Author in our dish. In his Epistle to Christopher Bishop of Basil, Habetur Tomo nono Op. Eras. pag. 982. concerning humane Constitutions, Thus he writes. Name in totum quae sunt humani iuris, quemadmodum, in morbis remedia, etc. FOr those things which are altogether of humane constitution, must (like to remedies in diseases) be attempered to the present estate of matters and times. Those things which were once religiously instituted, afterwards according to occasion, and the changed quality of manners and times, may be with more Religion and Piety abrogated; which yet is not to be done by the temerity of the people, but by the authority of Governors; that tumult may be avoided; and that the public custom may be so altered, that concord may not be broken: the very same is perhaps to be thought concerning the Marriage of Priests of old, as there was great paucity of Priests, so great Piety also; They, that they might more freely attend those holy Services, made themselves chaste of their own accord. And so much were those Ancients affected to Chastity, that they would hardly permit Marriage unto that Christian, whom his Baptism found single, but a second Marriage yet more hardly: And now that which seemed plausible in Bishops and Priests, was translated to Deacons, and at last to subdeacons: which voluntarily received custom was confirmed by the authority of Popes. In the mean time, the member of Priests increased, and their Piety decreased. Inter hos quanta raritas eorum qui castè viwnt? How many swarms of Priests are maintained in Monasteries and Colleges? and amongst them how few are there that live chastely? I speak of them which do publicly keep Concubines in their houses, in stead of their Wives. Nec enim attingo nunc secretiorum libidinum myst●ria, etc. I do not now meddle with the mysteries of their more secret lusts; I only speak of those things which are most notoriously known to the World: And yet, when we know these things, how easy are we to admit men into holy Orders, and how difficult in releasing this constitution of single life? when as contrarily S. Paul teaches, that hands must not be rashly laid upon any; and more than once hath prescribed what manner of men Priests and Deacons ought to be, but of their single life, neither Christ, nor his Apostles, hath ever given any Law in the holy Scriptures. Long since hath the Church abrogated the nightly Vigils at the Tombs of Martyrs, which yet had been received by the public custom of Christians, and that for diverse Ages; Those Fasts which were wont to continue till the evening, it hath transferred to noon; and many other things hath it changed according to the occasions arising: Cur hic humanam constitutionem urgemus tam obstinatè, praesertim cùm tot causa suadeant mutationem? Primùm enim magna pars Sacerdotum vivit cum malâ famâ; parumque requieta conscientia tractat illa sacrosancta mysteria, etc. And why then do we so obstinately urge this humane constitution, especially when so many causes persuade us to an alteration? For first a great part of our Priests life's with an ill name; and with an unquiet conscience handleth those holy Mysteries; And then the fruit of their labours (for the most part) is utterly lost, because their doctrine is contemned of their people by reason of their shameful life. Whereas, if Marriage might be yielded to those which do not contain, both they would live more quietly, and should preach God's Word to the people with authority, and might honestly bring up their children, neither should the one of them be a mutual shame to other, etc. FINIS. A BRIEF SUM OF THE Principles of Religion, fit to be known of such as would address themselves to God's TABLE. Q HOw many things are required of a Christian? A. Two: Knowledge and Practice. Q What are we bound to know? A. God and ourselves. Q. What must we know of God? A. What one he is, and what he hath done. Q. What is God? A. He is one Almighty and infinite Spirit, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Q. What hath he done? A. He hath made all things, he governeth and preserveth all things, and hath eternally decreed how all things shall be done, and hath revealed his will to us in his Word? Q. What more must we know concerning God and his actions? A. That God the Son, Christ jesus, took our nature upon him, died for our redemption, rose again, and now liveth gloriously in Heaven, making intercession for us. Q. Thus much concerning God: What must we know of ourselves? A. What we were, what we are, and what we shall be. Q. What were we? A. We were made at first perfect and happy, according to God's Image, in knowledge, in holiness, in righteousness. Q. What are we now? A. Ever since the fall of our first Parents, we are all naturally the sons of wrath, subject to misery and death: But those whom God chooseth out to himself, are in part renewed through grace, and have the Image of God in part repaired in them. Q. What shall we be? A. At the general resurrection of all flesh, those which were in part renewed here, shall be fully perfited and glorified in body and soul: those which have lived and died in their sins, shall be judged to perpetual torments. Q. Thus much for our knowledge: Now for our practice what is required of us? A. Due obedience and service to God, both in our ordinary course of life, and also in the special exercises of his worship. Q. What is that obedience which is required of us in the ordinary course of our life? A. It is partly prescribed us by the Law, and partly by the Gospel. Q. What doth the Law require? A. The Law contained in Ten Commandments, enjoineth us all piety to God, and all justice and charity to our neighbour. Q. What doth the Gospel require? A. Faith in Lord jesus, with the fruit of it, Repentance; as our only remedy for the breach of the Law. Q. What is faith? A. The affiance of the soul upon Christ jesus, depending upon him alone for forgiveness and salvation. Q What is Repentance? A. An effectual breaking off our old sins, with sorrow and detestation, and an earnest purpose and endeavour of contrary obedience. Q. Thus much of our obedience in the whole course of life: What are the services required more specially in the immediate exercises of God's worship? A. They are chief three: first, Due hearing and reading the Word: secondly, Receiving the Sacraments: thirdly, Prayer. Q. Which call you the Word of God? A. The holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament. Q. How many Sacraments are there? A. Two: Baptism, and the Lords Supper. Q. What is the use of Baptism? A. By water, washing the body to assure us that the blood of Christ, applied to the soul of every believer, cleanseth him from his sins. Q. What is the use of the Lords Supper? A. To be a sign, a seal, a pledge, unto us of Christ jesus given for us, & given to us. Q. What signifies the Bread and wine? A. The body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for our redemption. Q. What is required of every Receiver? A. Upon pain of judgement, that he prepare himself by examination. Q. Whereof must a man examine himself? A. Whether he find in himself, first Competent knowledge: secondly, A true (though weak) Faith: thirdly, Unfeigned repentance for his sins: fourthly, Charity, and readiness to forgive: fifthly, An hungering desire to this Sacrament: fixtly, A thankful heart for Christ, and it. Q. What is Prayer? A. A calling upon God through Christ for a supply of all our wants, and praising him for all his blessing. FINIS. Contemplations UPON THE PRINCIPAL PASSAGES OF THE Holy Story. The first Volume IN FOUR BOOKS. By I.H. D.D. LONDON, Printed for THO: PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and john Haviland. 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES. HIS HIGHNESS' UNWORTHY Servant dedicates all his labours, and wishes all Happiness. MOst Gracious Prince: THis work of mine, which (if my hopes and desires fail me not) time may hereafter make great, I have presumed both to dedicate in whole to your Highness, and to parcel out in severals unto subordinate hands. It is no marvel if Books have this freedom, when we ourselves can and ought to be all yours, while we are our own, and others under you. I dare say these Meditations, how rude soever they may fall from my Pen, in regard of their subject are fit for a Prince. Here your Highness shall see how the great pattern of Princes, the KING of HEAVEN, hath ever ruled the World, how his Substitutes, earthly Kings, have ruled it under him, and with what success either of glory or ruin. Both your Peace and War shall find here holy and great examples. And if History and observation be the best Councillors of your youth; what story can be so wise and faithful as that which God hath written for Men, wherein you see both what hath been done, and what should be? What observation so worthy as that which is both raised from God, and directed to him? If the propriety which your Highness justly hath in the Work, and Author, may draw your Princely eyes and heart the rather to these holy Speculations, your Servant shall be happier in this favour, then in all your outward bounty; as one to whom your spiritual progress deserves to be dearer than his own life; and whose daily suit is, that God would guide your steps aright in this slippery Age, and continue to rejoice all good hearts in the view of your gracious proceed. Your Highnesses humbly devoted Servant, IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. THE FIRST BOOK. The Creation of the World. Man. Paradise. Cain and Abel. The Deluge. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THOMAS, EARL OF EXETER, ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST Honourable Privy Council; All Grace and Happiness. RIght Honourable: I Knew I could not bestow my thoughts better than upon Gods own History, so full of edification and delight: which I have in such sort endeavoured to do, that I shall give occasion to my Reader of some Meditations, which perhaps he would have miss. Every help in this kind deserves to be precious. I present the first part to your Honour, wherein you shall see the World both made, and smothered again: Man in the glory of his Creation, and the shame of his fall: Paradise at once made and lost. The first Man killing his seed, the second his brother. If in these I shall give light to the thoughts of any Reader, let him with me give the praise to him from whom that light shone forth to me. To whose grace and protection I humbly commend your Lordship: as Your Honours unfeignedly devoted in all observance and duty, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE FIRST BOOK. The Creation. WHAT can I see, O God, in thy creation, but miracles of wonders? Thou madest something of nothing, and of that something all things. Thou which wast without a beginning, gavest a beginning to Time, and to the World in time. It is the praise of us men, if when we have Matter, we can give fashion: thou gavest a being to the Matter, without form; thou gavest a form to that Matter, and a glory to that Form. If we can but finish a slight and unperfect Matter according to a former pattern, it is the height of our skill: but to begin that which never was, whereof there was no example, whereto there was no inclination, wherein there was no possibility of that which it should be, is proper only to such power as thine; the infinite power of an infinite Creator: with us, not so much as a thought can arise without some Matter; but here with thee, all Matter arises from nothing. How easy is it for thee to repair all out of something, which couldst thus fetch all out of nothing? wherein can we now distrust thee, that hast proved thyself thus Omnipotent? Behold: to have made the least Clod of nothing, is more above wonder, then to multiply a World; but now the Matter doth not more praise thy power, than the Form thy wisdom: what beauty is here? what order? what order in working? what beauty in the work. Thou mightest have made all the World perfect in an instant, but thou wouldst not. That Will which caused thee to create, is reason enough why thou didst thus create. How should we deliberate in our actions, which are so subject to imperfection? since it pleased thine infinite perfection (not out of need) to take leisure. Neither did thy wisdom herein proceed in time only, but in degrees: At first thou madest nothing absolute; first thou madest things which should have being without Life; then those which should have life and being; lastly, those which have Being, Life, Reason: So we ourselves in the ordinary course of generation, first live the life of Vegetation, then of Sense, of Reason afterwards. That instant wherein the Heaven and the Earth were created in their rude Matter, there was neither Day nor Light, but presently thou madest both Light and Day. Whiles we have this example of thine, how vainly do we hope to be perfect at once? It is well for us, if through many degrees we can rise to our consummation. But (alas) what was the very Heaven itself without Light? how confused? how formless? like to a goodly Body without a Soul, like a soul without thee. Thou art Light, and in thee is no darkness. Oh how incomprehensibly glorious is the light that is in thee, since one glimpse of this created light, gave so lively a glory to all thy workmanship! This, even the brute Creatures can behold; That, not the very Angels. That sh●nes forth only to the other supreme World of immortality, this to the basest part of thy creation. There is one cause of our darkness on earth, and of the utter darkness in Hell; the restraint of thy light. Shine thou, O God, into the vast corners of my soul, and in thy light I shall see light. But whence, O God, was that first light? the Sun was not made till the fourth day; light the first. If man had been, he might have seen all lightsome; but whence it had comen he could not have seen; as in some great Pond, we see the banks full, we see not the Springs from whence that water ariseth. Thou madest the Sun, madest the Light, without the Sun, before the Sun, that so Light might depend upon thee, and not upon thy Creature. Thy power will not be limited to means. It was easy to thee to make an Heaven without Sun, Light without an Heaven, Day without a Sun, Time without a day: It is good reason thou shouldest be the Lord of thine own works: All means serve thee: why do we weak wretches distrust thee, in the want of those means, which thou canst either command, or forbear? How plainly wouldst thou teach us, that we Creatures need not one another, so long as we have thee? One day we shall have light again, without the Sun. Thou shalt be our Sun; thy presence shall be our light: Light is sown for the righteous. The Sun and Light is but for the World below itself; thine only for above. Thou givest this light to the Sun, which the Sun gives to the World: That light which thou shalt once give us, shall make us shine like the Sun in glory. Now this light which for three days was thus dispersed through the whole heavens, it pleased thee at last to gather and unite into one body of the Sun. The whole Heaven was our Sun, before the Sun was created: but now one Star must be the Treasury of Light to the Heaven and E rth. How thou lovest the union and reduction of all things of one kind to their own head and centre: so the Waters must by thy command be gathered into one place, the sea; so the upper W●ters must be severed by these Airy limits from the lower: so heavy substances hasten downward, and light mount up: so the general light of the first days must be called into the compass of one Sun, so thou wilt once gather thine Elect, from all coasts of Heaven, to the participation of one glory. Why do we abide our thoughts and affections scattered from thee, from thy Saints, from thine anointed? Oh let this light which thou hast now spread abroad in the hearts of all thine, once meet in thee: We are as thy Heavens in this their first imperfection; be thou our Sun, unto which our light may be gathered. Yet this light was by thee inter-changed with darkness, which thou mightst as easily have commanded to be perpetual. The continuance, even of the best things, cloyeth, & wearieth: there is nothing but thyself, wherein there is not satiety. So pleasing is the vicissitude of things, that the intercourse even of those occurrents which in their own nature are less worthy, gives more contentment, than the un-altered estate of better. The day dies into night; and rises into the morning again, that we might not expect any stability here below, but in perpetual successions: It is always day with thee above: the night favoureth only of mortality: Why are we not here spiritually as we shall be hereafter? Since thou hast made us Children of the light, and of the day, teach us to walk ever in the light of thy presence, not in the darkness of error and unbelief. Now in this thine enlightened frame, how fitly, how wisely are all the parts disposed; that the Method of the Creation might answer the Matter, and the Form both. I● hold all purity above; below, the dregs and lees of all. The higher I go, the more perfection; each Element superior to other, not more in place then dignity; that by these stairs of ascending perfection, our thoughts might climb unto the top of all glory, and might know thine imperial Heaven no less glorious above the visible, than those above the earth. Oh how miserable is the place of our pilgrimage, in respect of our home! Let my soul tread awhile in the steps of thine own proceed; and so think as thou wroughtest: When we would describe a man, we begin not at the feet, but the head: The head of thy Creation is the heaven; how high? how spacious? how glorious? It is a wonder that we can look up to so admirable a height, and that the very eye is not tired in the way. If this ascending line could be drawn right forwards, some that have calculated curiously, have found it five hundred year's journey unto the starry Heaven. I do not examine their Art; O Lord, I wonder rather at thine, which hast drawn so large a line about this little point of earth: For in the plainest rules of Art and experience, the Compass must needs be six times as much as half the height. We think one Island great, but the Earth unmeasurably. If we were in that Heaven with these eyes, the whole earth (were it equally enlightened) would seem as little to us, as now the least Star in the firmament seems to us upon earth: And indeed, how few Stars are so little as it? And yet how many void and ample spaces are there beside all the Stars? The hugeness of this thy work, O God, is little inferior for admiration to the majesty of it. But oh what a glorious heaven is this which thou hast spread over our heads? With how precious a Vault hast thou walled in this our inferior world? What world's of light hast thou set above us? Those things which we see are wondrous; but those which we believe and see not, are yet more. Thou dost but set out these unto view, to show us what there is within. How proportionable are thy works to thyself? King's erect not cottages, but set forth their magnificence in sumptuous buildings: so hast thou done, O King of glory. If the lowest pavement of that Heaven of thine be so glorious, what shall we think of the better parts yet unseen? And if this Sun of thine be of such brightness and majesty, oh what is the glory of the Maker of it? And yet if some other of thy Stars were let down as low as it, those other Stars would be Suns to us; which now thou hadst rather to have admired in their distance. And if such a sky be prepared for the use and benefit even of thine Enemies also upon Earth, how happy shall those eternal Tabernacles be, which thou hast sequestered for thine own? Behold then in this high and stately building of thine, I see three stages; This lowest Heaven for Fowls, for Vapours, for Meteors: The second, for the Stars: The third, for thine Angels and Saints. The first is thine outward Court, open for all: The second is the body of thy covered Temple, wherein are those Candles of Heaven perpetually burning: The third is thine Holy of Hol●●●▪ In the first is Tumult and Vanity: In the second, Immutability and Rest: In the third, Glory and Blessedness. The first we feel; the second we see; the third we believe. In these two lower is no felicity; for neither the Fowls, nor Stars are happy. It is the third Heaven alone, where thou, O blessed Trinity, enjoyest thyself, and thy glorified spirits enjoy thee. It is the manifestation of thy glorious presence that makes Heaven to be itself. This is the privilege of thy Children: that they here seeing thee (which art invisible) by the eye of faith, have already begun that heaven which the perfect sight of thee shall make perfect above. Let my soul then let these heavens alone, till it may see, as it is seen. That we may descend to this lowest and meanest Region of Heaven, wherewith our senses are more acquainted; What marvels do ever ●●ere meet with us? There are thy Clouds thy bottles of rain, Vessels as thin as 〈◊〉 liquor which is contained in them: there they hang, and move, though weighty with their burden: How they are upheld, and why they fall, here, and now, we know not, and wonder. These thou makest one while as some Airy Seas to hold water: another while, as some Airy Furnaces, whence thou scatterest thy sudden fires unto all the parts of the Earth, astonishing the World with the fearful noise 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 Sun looks and shows his face in the variety of those colours which he hath not; There are thy streams of light, blazing and falling Stars, fires darred up and down in many forms, hollow openings, and (as it were) Gulfs in the sky, bright circles about the Moon, and other Planets, Snows, Hail: In all which it is enough to admire thine hand, though we cannot search out thine action. There are thy subtle Winds, which we hear and feel, yet neither can see their substance, nor know their causes: whence and whither they pass, and what they are thou knowest. There are thy Fowls of all shapes, colours, notes, natures: whilst I compare these with the inhabitants of that other heaven, I find those Stars, and spirits like one another; These Meteors and fowls, in as many varieties, as there are several creatures. Why is this? Is it because Man (for whose sake these are made) delights in change; thou in constancy? Or is it, that in these thou mayest show thine own 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 perfectness, by how much we draw nearer to unity, and uniformity. From thence, if we go down to the great deep, the Womb of moisture, the Well of fountains, the great Pond of the world; we know not whether to wonder at the Element itself, or the guests which it contains. How doth that sea of thine roar, and foam, and swell, as if it would swallow up the earth? Thou stayest the rage of it by an insensible violence; and by a natural miracle confinest his wanes; why it moves, and why it stays, it is to us equally wonderful: what living Mountains (such are thy Whales) roll up and down in those fearful billows: for greatness of number, hugeness of quantity, strangeness of shapes, variety of fashions, neither air nor earth can compare with the waters. I say nothing of thy hid treasures which thy wisdom hath reposed in the bowels of the earth and sea; How secretly, and how basely are they laid up? secretly, that we might not seek them; basely, that we might not over-esteeme them: I need not dig so low as these metals, mineries, quarries, which yield riches enough of observation to the soul. How many millions of wonders doth the very face of the earth offer me; Which of these Herbs, Flowers, Trees, Leaves, Seeds, Fruits, is there; what Beast, what Worm, wherein we may not see the footsteps of a Deity? Wherein we may not read infiniteness of power, of skill: and must be forced to confess, that he which made the Angels and Stars of heaven, made also the vermin on the earth? O God, the heart of man is too straight to admire enough, even that which he treads upon! What shall we say to thee the Maker of all these? O Lord, how wonderful are thy works in all the world? In wisdom hast thou made them all. And in all these thou spakest, and they were done. Thy will 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 helps, no instruments: wh●t could be present with the Eternal? what needed, or what could be added to the infinite? Thine hand is not shortened, thy word is still equally effectual; say thou the word, and my soul shall be made new again: say thou the word, and my body shall be repaired from his dust. For all things obey thee; O Lord, why do I not yield to the word of thy council; since I must yield, as all thy creatures, to the word of thy command. Of Man. BUT (O God) what a little Lord hast thou made over this great World? The least corn of sand is not so small to the whole Earth, as Man is to the Heaven; when I see the Heavens, the Sun, Moon, and Stars; O God, what is man? who would think thou shouldst make all these Creatures for one? and that one, well near 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 seethe; how had he need to do nothing but this, since he alone must do it? Certainly, the price and virtue of things consist not in the quantity: one diamond is more worth than many Quarries of stone, one Loadstone hath more virtue than Mountains of earth: It is lawful for us to praise thee in ourselves: All thy creation hath not more wonder in it, than one of us: other Creatures thou madest by a simple command; Man, not without a divine consultation: others at once; Man, thou didst first form, then inspire: others in several shapes like to none but themselves; Man, after thine own Image: others with qualities fit for service; Man, for dominion. Man had his name from thee; They had their names from Man. How should we be consecrated to thee above all others, since thou hast bestowed more cost on us then others? What shall I admire first? Thy providence in the time of our Creation? Or thy power and wisdom in the act? First, thou madest the great house of the World, and furnishedst it: then thou broughtest in thy Tenant to possess it. The bare walls had been too good for us, but thy love was above our desert: Thou that madest ready the Earth for us before we were, hast by the same mercy prepared a place in heaven for us whiles we 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 use, an Heaven for contemplation: after thou hadst drawn that large and real Map of the World; thou didst thus abridge it into this little table of Man; he alone consists of Heaven and Earth; Soul and Body. Even this earthly part, which is vile in comparison of the other; as it is thine (O God) I dare admire it, though I can neglect it as mine own; for lo, this heap of Earth hath an outward reference to Heaven: other Creatures grovel down to their earth, and have all their senses intent upon it; this is reared up towards Heaven, and hath no more power to look beside Heaven, then to tread beside the Earth. Unto this, every part hath his wonder. The head is nearest to heaven, as in place, so in resemblance; both for roundness of figure, & for those divine guests which have their seat in it; There dwell those majestical Powers of reason, which make a Man; all the senses as they have their original from thence, so they do all agree there to manifest the virtue: how goodly proportions hast thou set in the face? such as though oft times we can give no reason when they please, yet transport us to admiration. What living glasses are those which thou hast placed in the midst of this visage, whereby all objects from far are clearly represented to the mind? and because their tenderness lies open to dangers, how hast thou defenced them with hollow bones, and with prominent brows, and lids? And lest they should be too much bend on what they ought not, thou hast given them peculiar nerves to pull them up towards the seat of their rest. What a tongue hast thou given him; the instrument not of taste only, but of speech; how sweet & excellent voices are form by that little lose film of flesh? what an incredible strength hast thou given to the weak bones of the jaws? What a comely and tower like neck, therefore most sinewy, because smallest? And lest I be infinite, what able arms and active hands hast thou framed him, whereby he can frame all things to his own conceit? In every part, beauty, strength, convenience meet together. Neither is there any whereof our weakness cannot give reason, why it should be no otherwise. How hast thou disposed of all the inward vessels, for all offices of life; nourishment, egestion, generation? No vein, sinew, artery is idle. There is no piece in this exquisite frame, whereof the place, use, form, doth not admit wonder, and exceed it: Yet this body if it be compared to the soul, what is it, but as a clay wall that encompasses a treasure; as a wooden box of a jeweller; as a course case to a rich instrument; or as a mask to a beautiful face? Man was made last, because he was worthiest. The soul was inspired last, because yet more noble; If the body have this honour to be the companion of the Soul, yet withal it is the drudge. If it be the instrument, yet also the clog of that divine part. The companion for life, the drudge for service, the instrument for action, the clog in respect of contemplation. These external works are effected by it, the internal which are more noble, hindered; contrary to the bird which sings most in her cage, but flies most and highest at liberty. This my soul teaches me of itself, that itself cannot conceive how capable, how active it is. It can pass by her nimble thoughts from heaven to earth in a moment: it can be all things, can comprehend all things; know that which is; and conceive that which never was, never shall be: Nothing can fill it, but thou which art infinite: nothing can limit it, but thou which art everywhere. O God which madest it, replenish it, possess it, dwell thou in it, which hast appointed it to dwell in clay. The body was made of earth common to his fellows; the soul inspired immediately from God. The body lay senseless upon the earth like itself: the breath of lives gave it what it is; and that breath was from thee. Sense, motion, reason, are infused into it, at once. From whence then was this quickening breath? No air, no earth, no water was here used to give help to this Work: Thou that breathedst upon man, and gavest him the Holy Spirit; didst also breathe upon the body, and gavest it a living Spirit; we are beholden to nothing but thee for our soul. Our flesh is from flesh; our spirit is from the God of spirits. How should our souls rise up to thee, and fix themselves in their thoughts upon thee, who alone created them in their infusion, and infused them in their creation? How should they long to return back to the Fountain of their being, and Author of being glorious? Why may we not say that this soul as it came from thee, so it is like thee? as thou, so it, is one, immaterial, immortal, understanding spirit, distinguished into three powers, which all make up one spirit. So thou the wise Creator of all things, wouldst have some things to resemble their Creator. These other creatures are all body; Man is body and spirit; the Angels are all spirit, not without a kind of spiritual composition; Thou art alone after thine own manner, simple, glorious, infinite; no creature can be like thee in thy proper being; because it is a creature; How should our finite, weak compounded nature, give any perfect resemblance of thine? Yet of all visible creatures thou vouchsafest Man the nearest correspondence to thee: not so much in the natural faculties, as its those divine graces, wherewith thou beautifiest his soul. Our knowledge, holiness, righteousness, was like the first copy from which they were drawn. Behold, we were not more like thee in these, than now we are unlike ourselves in their loss. O God, we now praise ourselves to our shame, for the better we were, we are the worse; as the sons of some prodigal, or tainted Ancestors, tell of the Lands, and Lordships which were once theirs. Only do thou whet our desires answerably to the readiness of thy mercies, that we may redeem what we have lost; that we may recover in thee, what we have lost in ourselves. The fault shall be ours, if our damage prove not beneficial. I do not find, that Man thus framed, found the want of an helper. His fruition of God gave him fullness of contentment; the sweetness which he found in the contemplation of this new workmanship, and the glory of the Author, did so take him up, that he had neither leisure nor cause of complaint. If Man had craved an helper, he had grudged at the condition of his Creation, and had questioned that which he had perfection of being. But he that gave him his being, and knew him better than himself, thinks of giving him comfort in the creature, whiles he sought none but in his Maker: He sees our wants, and forecasts our relief, when we think ourselves too happy to complain: How ready will he be to help our necessities, that thus provides for our perfection? God gives the nature to his creatures: Man must give the name; that he might see they were made for him, they shall be to him, what he will. In stead of their first homage, they are presented to their new Lord, and must see of whom they hold. He that was so careful of man's sovereignty in his innocence, how can he be careless of his safety in his renovation? If God had given them their names, it had not been so great a praise of Adam's memory to recall them, as it was now of his judgement (at first sight) to impose them: he saw the inside of all the creatures at first; (his Posterity sees but their skins ever since;) and by this knowledge he fitted their names to their dispositions. All that he saw, were fit to be his servants, none to be his companions. The same God that finds the want, supplies it. Rather than Man's innocence shall want an outward comfort, God will begin a new creation. Not out of the Earth, which was the matter of Man, not out of the inferior creatures, which were the servants of Man, but out of himself for dearness, for equality. Doubtless such was Man's power of obedience, that if God had bidden him yield up his rib, waking, for his use, he had done it cheerfully: but the bounty of God was so absolute, that he would not so much as consult with man's will, to make him happy. As man knew not while he was made; so shall he not know while his other self is made out of him: that the comfort might be greater, which was seen before it was expected. If the Woman should have been made, not without the pain or will of the Man, she might have been upbraided with her dependence, and obligation. Now she owes nothing but to her Creator: The rib of Adam sleeping, can challenge no more of her, than the earth can of him. It was an happy change to Adam, of a rib, for an helper; what help did that bone give to his side? God had not made it, if it had been superfluous: and yet if Man could not have been perfect without it, it had not been taken out. Many things are useful and convenient, which are not necessary: and if God had seen Man might not want it, how easy had it been for him, which made the Woman of that bone, to turn the flesh into another bone? But he saw man could not complain of the want of that bone, which he had so multiplied, so animated. O God, we can never be losers by thy changes, we have nothing but what is thine: take from us thine own, when thou wilt, we are sure thou canst not but give us better. Of Paradise. MAn could no sooner see, than he saw himself happy: His eyesight and reason were both perfect at once, and the objects of both were able to make him as happy as he would. When he first opened his eyes, he saw heaven above him, earth under him, the creatures above him, God before him, he knew what all these things meant, as if he had been long acquainted with them all: He saw the heaven's glorious, but fare off: his Maker thought it requisite to fit him with a Paradise nearer home. If God had appointed him immediately to heaven, his body had been superfluous; It was fit his body should be answered with an earthen Image of that heaven, which was for his soul: had Man been made only for contemplation, it would have served as well to have been placed in some vast desert, on the top of some barren Mountain; But the same power which gave him a heart to meditate, gave him hands to work; and work fit for his hands. Neither was it the purpose of the Creator, that Man should but live: pleasure may stand with innocence; he that rejoiced to see all he had made to be good, rejoiceth to see all that he had made to be well. God love's to see his creatures happy; Our lawful delight is his: they know not God, that think to please him with making themselves miserable. The Idolaters thought it a fit service for Baal, to cut and lance themselves; never any holy man looked for thankes from the True God, by wronging himself. Every Earth was not fit for Adam, but a Garden; a Paradise. What excellent pleasures, and rare varieties have men found in Gardens planted by the hands of men? And yet all the world of men cannot make one twig, or leaf, or spire of grass: When he that made the matter, undertakes the fashion, how must it needs be, beyond our capacity, excellent? No herb, no flower, no tree was wanting there, that might be for ornament or use; whether for sight, or for scent, or for taste. The bounty of God reached further than to necessity: even to comfort and recreation: Why are we niggardly to ourselves, when God is liberal? But for all this; if God had not there conversed with man, no abundance could have made him blessed. Yet behold: that which was man's store-house, was also his workhouse; his pleasure was his task: Paradise served not only to feed his senses, but to exercise his hands. If happiness had consisted in doing nothing, man had not been employed; All his delights could not have made him happy in an idle life. Man therefore is no sooner made, than he is set to work: neither greatness, nor perfection can privilege a folded hand; he must labour, because he was happy; how much more we, that we may be? This first labour of his was, as without necessity, so without pains, without weariness; how much more cheerfully we go about our businesses, so much nearer we come to our Paradise. Neither did these Trees afford him only action for his hands, but instruction to his heart: for here he saw God's Sacraments grow before him; All other trees had a natural use; these two in the midst of the Garden, a spiritual. Life is the act of the Soul, Knowledge the life of the Soul; the Tree of Knowledge, and the Tree of Life then, were ordained as earthly helps of the spiritual part: Perhaps he which ordained the end, immortality of life; did appoint this Fruit as the means of that life. It is not for us to inquire after the life we had; and the means we should have had. I am sure it is served to nourish the soul by a lively representation of that living Tree, whose fruit is eternal life, and whose leaves serve to heal the Nations. O infinite mercy! Man saw his Saviour before him, ere he had need of a Saviour; he saw in whom he should recover an heavenly life, ere he lost the earthly; but after he had tasted of the Tree of knowledge, he might not taste of the Tree of Life; That immortal food was not for a mortal stomach: Yet then did he most savour that invisible Tree of Life, when he was most restrained from the other. O Saviour, none but a Sinner can relish thee: My taste hath been enough seasoned with the forbidden fruit, to make it capable of thy sweetness; Sharpen thou as well the stomach of my soul by repenting, by believing: so shall I eat, and in despite of Adam live for ever. The one Tree was for confirmation; the other for trial: one shown him what life he should have; the other what knowledge he should not desire to have: Alas, he that knew all other things, knew not this one thing, that he knew enough: how Divine a thing is knowledge, whereof even Innocence itself is ambitious? Satan knew what he did: If this bait had been gold, or honour, or pleasure, Man had contemned it: who can hope to avoid error, when even man's perfection is mistaken? He looked for speculative knowledge, he should have looked for experimental: he thought it had been good to know evil: Good was large enough to have perfected his knowledge, and therein his blessedness. All that God made was good, and the Maker of them much more good; they good in their kinds, he good in himself. It would not content him to know God, and his creatures; his curiosity affected to know that which God never made, evil of sin, and evil of death, which indeed himself made, by desiring to know them; now we know well evil enough, and smart with knowing it. How dear hath this lesson cost us that in some cases it is better to be ignorant; and yet do the sons of Eve inherit this saucy appetite of their Grandmother: How many thousand souls miscarry with the presumptuous affectation of forbidden knowledge! O God, thou hast revealed more than we can know, enough to make us happy; teach me a sober knowledge, and a contented ignorance. Paradise was made for Man, yet there I see the Serpent; What marvel is it if my corruption find the serpent in my Closet, in my Table, in my bed, when our holy Parents found him in the midst of Paradise? No sooner he is entered, but he tempteth: he can no more be idle, then harmless; I do not see him at any other Tree; he knew there was no danger in the rest, I see him at the Tree forbidden▪ How true a Serpent is he in every point; In his insinuation to the place; in his choice of the Tree, in his assault of the Woman, in his plausibleness of speech to avoid terror, in his question to move doubt, in his reply to work distrust, in his protestation of safety, in his suggestion to envy and discontent, in his promise of gain! And if he were so cunning at the first, what shall we think of him now, after so many thousand year's experience? Only thou (O God) and these Angels that see thy face, are wiser than he; I do not ask why, when he left his goodness, thou didst not bereave him of his skill? Still thou wouldst have him an Angel, though an evil one: And thou knowest how to ordain his craft to thine own glory; I do not desire thee to abate of his subtlety, but to make me wise; Let me beg it without presumption, make me wiser than Adam; even thine Image which he bore, made him not (through his own weakness) wise enough to obey thee; thou offeredst him all Fruits, and restrainedst but one; Satan offered him but one, and restrained not the rest: when he chose rather to be at Satan's feeding, then thine, it was just with thee to turn him out of thy gates, with a curse: why shouldest thou feed a Rebel at thine own board? And yet we transgress daily, and thou shutest not heaven against us: how is it that we find more mercy than our forefather? His strength is worthy of severity, our weakness finds pity. That God, from whose face he fled in the Garden, now makes him with shame to fly out of the Garden: those Angels that should have kept him, now keep the gates of Paradise against him; It is not so easy to recover happiness, as to keep it, or lose it: Yea the same cause that drove Man from Paradise, hath also withdrawn Paradise from the world? That fiery sword did not defend it against those waters wherewith the sins of men drowned the glory of that place: neither now do I care to seek where that Paradise was, which we lost: I know where that Paradise is, which we must care to seek, and hope to find. As man was the Image of God, so was that earthly Paradise an Image of Heaven; both the Images are defaced, both the first Patterns are eternal: Adam was in the first, and stayed not: In the second, is the second Adam, which said, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. There was that chosen Vessel, and heard, and saw what could not be expressed: by how much the third Heaven exceeds the richest Earth; so much doth that Paradise, whereto we aspire, exceed that which we have lost. Of CAIN and ABEL. Look now (O my soul) upon the two first Brethren, perhaps Twins; and wonder at their contrary dispositions and estates: If the privileges of Nature had been worth any thing, the first borne Child should not have been a Reprobate. Now that we may ascribe all to free Grace, the elder is a Muderer, the younger a Saint; though goodness may be repaired in ourselves, yet it cannot be propagated to ours: Now might Adam see the Image of himself in Cain, for after his own Image begot he him; Adam slew his Posterity, Cain his Brother; we are too like one another in that wherein we are unlike to God: Even the clearest grain sends forth that chaff from which it was fanned, ere the sowing: yet is this Cain a possession, the same Eve that mistook the fruit of the Garden, mistook also the fruit of her own body, her hope deceived her in both; so, many good names are ill bestowed; and our comfortable expectations in earthly things do not seldom disappoint us. Doubtless, their education was holy, For Adam though in Paradise he could not be innocent, yet was a good man out of Paradise; his sin and fall now made him circumspect, and since he saw that his act had bereft them of that Image of God, which he once had for them, he could not but labour by all holy endeavours to repair it in them, that so his care might make amends for his trespass. How plain is it, that even good breeding cannot alter destiny? That which is crooked can none make strait; who would think that Brethren, and but two Brethren should not love each other? Dispersed love grows weak, and fewness of objects useth to unite affections: If but two Brothers be left alive of many, they think that the love of all the rest should survive in them; and now the beams of their affection are so much the hotter, because they reflect mutually in a right line upon each other: yet behold, here are but two Brothers in a World; and one is the Butcher of the other. Who can wonder at dissensions amongst thousands of brethren, when he sees so deadly opposition betwixt two, the first roots of brotherhood: who can hope to live plausibly & securely amongst so many cain's, when he sees one Cain the death of one Abel? The same Devil that set enmity betwixt Man and God; sets enmity betwixt Man and Man; and yet God said, I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed. Our hatred of the Serpent and his seed is from God: Their hatred of the holy Seed is from the Serpent: Behold here at once, in one person, the Seed of the Woman and of the Serpent: cain's natural parts are of the Woman; his vicious qualities of the Serpent: The Woman gave him to be a brother, the Serpent to be a ; all uncharitableness, all quarrels are of one Author: we cannot entertain Wrath, and not give place to the Devil. Certainly, so deadly an act must needs be deeply grounded. What then was the occasion of this capital malice? Abel's sacrifice is accepted; what was this to Cain? cain's is rejected; what could Abel remedy this? Oh envy, the corrosive of all ill minds; and the root of all desperate actions: the same cause that moved Satan to tempt the first Man, to destroy himself, and his posterity, the same moves the second Man to destroy the third. It should have been cain's joy to see his brother accepted; It should have been his sorrow, to see that himself had deserved a rejection; his Brother's example should have excited, and directed him: Can Abel have stayed God's fire from descending? Or should he (if he could) reject God's acceptation, and displease his Maker, to content a Brother? Was Cain ever the farther from a blessing, because his Brother obtained mercy? How proud and foolish is malice? which grows thus mad, for no other cause but because God, or Abel is not less good; It hath been an old and happy danger to be holy; Indifferent actions must be careful to avoid offence; But I care not what Devil or what Cain be angry that I do good, or receive good. There was never any nature without envy; Every man is borne a Cain; hating that goodness in another, which he neglected in himself. There was never envy that was not bloody; for if it eat not an others heart, it will eat our own: but unless it be restrained, it will surely feed itself with the blood of others, ofttimes in act, always in affection. And that God, which (in good) accepts the will for the deed, condemns the will for the deed in evil. If there be an evil heart, there will be an evil eye; and if both these, there will be an evil hand. How early did Martyrdom come into the world? the first man that died, died for Religion; who dare measure God's love by outward events, when he sees wicked Cain standing over bleeding Abel; whose sacrifice was first accepted, and now himself is sacrificed? Death was denounced to Man as a curse; yet behold, it first lights upon a Saint: how soon was it altered by the mercy of that just hand which inflicted it? If Death had been evil, and Life good; Cain had been slain, and Abel had survived: now that it gins with him that God love's, O Death, where is thy sting? Abel says nothing, his blood cries: Every drop of innocent blood hath a tongue, and is not only vocal, but importunate: what a noise than did the blood of my Saviour make in Heaven? who was himself the Shepherd and the Sacrifice; the Man that was offered, and the God to whom it was offered; The Spirit that heard both, says, It spoke better things th●n the blood of Abel. Abel's blood called for revenge, his for mercy. Abel's pleaded his own innocency, his the satisfaction for all the believing world: Abel's procured cain's punishment, his freed all repentant souls from punishment, better things indeed, than the blood of Abel. Better, and therefore that which Abel's blood said, was good: It is good, that God should be avenged of sinners. Execution of justice upon offenders, is no less good, then rewards of goodness. No sooner doth Abel's blood speak unto God, than God speaks to Cain; There is no wicked man to whom God speaks not, if not to his ear, yet to his heart: what speech was this? Not an accusation, but an inquiry; yet such an inquiry as would infer an accusation. God love's to have a sinner accuse himself, and therefore hath he set his Deputy in the breast of man; neither doth God love this, more than nature abhors it: Cain answers stubbornly: The very name of Abel wounds him no less, than his hand had wounded Abel; Consciences that are without remorse, are not without horror: wickedness makes men desperate; the Murderer is angry with God as of late for accepting his brother's oblation, so now for listening to his blood. And now he dares answer God with a question, Am I my brother's Keeper? where be should have said, Am not I my brother's murderer? Behold, he scorneth to keep whom he feared not to kill: Good duties are base and troublesome to wicked minds, whiles even violences of evil are pleasant. Yet this miscreant, which neither had grace to avoid his sin, nor to confess it, now that he is convinced of sin, and cursed for it, how he howleth, how he exclaimeth? He that cares not for the act of his sin, shall care for the smart of his punishment. The damned are weary of their torments, but in vain. How great a madness is it to complain too late! He that would not keep his brother, is cast out from the protection of God; he that feared not to kill his brother, fears now, that whosoever meets him will ●ill him. The troubled conscience proiecteth fearful things, and sin makes even cruel men cowardly: God sa● it was too much favour for him to die: he therefore wills that which Cain wills. Cain would live; It is yielded him, but for a curse: how often doth God hear sinners in anger? He shall live, banished from God, carrying his hell in his bosom, and the brand of God's vengeance in his forehead: God rejects him, the Earth repines at him, men abhor him; himself now wishes that death which he feared, and no man dare pleasure him with a murder; how bitter is the end of sin, yea, without end; still Cain finds that he killed himself more than his brother. We should never sinne, if our foresight were but as good as our sense; The issue of sin would appear a thousand times more horrible, than the act is pleasant. Of the Deluge. THE World was grown so foul with sin, that God saw it was time to wash it with a Flood. And so close did wickedness cleave to the Authors of it, that when they were washed to nothing, yet it would not off: yea so deep did it stick in the very grain of the earth; that God saw it meet to let it soak long under the waters. So under the Law, the very vessels that had touched unclean water, must either be rinced, or broken. Mankind began but with one; and yet he that saw the first man, lived to see the Earth peopled with a world of men: yet men grew not so fast as wickedness. One man could soon and easily multiply a thousand sins, never Man had so many children: so that when there were men enough to store the earth, there were as many sins as would reach up to heaven, whereupon the waters came down from heaven, and swollen up to heaven again; If there had not been so deep a Deluge of sin, there had been none of the waters; Fron whence then was this superfluity of iniquity? Whence, but from the unequal yoke with Infidels? These marriages did not beget men, so much as wickedness, from hence religious husbands both lost their piety, and gained a rebellious and godless generation. That which was the first occasion of sin, was the occasion of the increase of sin: A woman seduced Adam, women betray these sons of God: the beauty of the Apple betrayed the woman, the beauty of these women betrayed this holy seed: Eve saw, and lusted, so did they, this also was a forbidden fruit, they lusted, tasted, sinned, died; the most sins begin at the eyes, by them commonly Satan creeps into the heart: that soul can never be in safety, that hath not covenanted with his eyes. God needed not have given these men any warning of his judgement; they gave him no warning of their sins, no respite: yet that God might approve his mercies to the very wicked; he gives them an hundred and twenty year's respite of repenting: how loath is God to strike, that threats so long! He that delights in revenge, surprises his adversary, whereas he that gives long warnings, desires to be prevented: if we were not wilful, we should never smart. Neither doth he give them time only, but a faithful teacher. It is an happy thing, when he that teacheth others is righteous; Noah's hand taught them as much as he tongue. His business in building the Ark, was a real sermon to the world, wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the believer; and to the rebellious destruction. Me thinks I see those monstrous sons of Lamech coming to Noah, and ask him, what he means by that strange work; whether he mean to sail upon the dry land. To whom when he reports God's purpose, and his, they go away laughing at his idleness, and tell one another, in sport, that too much holiness hath made him mad: yet cannot they all flout Noah out of his faith, he preaches, and builds, and finishes. Doubtless more hands went to this work then his: many a one wrought upon the Ark, which yet was not saved in the Ark. Our outward Works cannot save us, without our Faith; we may help to save others, and perish ourselves: what a wonder of mercy is this that I here see? One poor Family called out of a World, and as it were eight grains of corn fanned from a whole barnefull of chaff: one Hypocrite was saved with the rest, for Noah's sake; not one righteous man was swept away for company; For these few was the Earth preserved still under the Waters; and all kinds of Creatures upon the Waters; which else had been all destroyed. Still the World stands, for their sakes, for whom it was preserved; Else fire should consume that, which could not be cleansed by water. This difference is strange; I see the savagest of all creatures, Lions, Tigers, Bears, by an instinct from God come to seek the Ark (as we see swine foreseeing a storm, run home crying for shelter) men I see not; Reason once debauched is worse than brutishness: God hath use even of these fierce and cruel beasts, and glory by them: even they being created for man, must live by him, though to his punishment: how gently do they offer & submit themselves to their Preserver; renewing that obeisance to this Repairer of the World, which they, before sin, yielded to him that first stored the World: He that shut them into the Ark when they were entered, shut their mouths also while they did enter. The Lion's fawn upon Noah, and Daniel; What heart cannot the Maker of them mollify? The unclean beasts God would have to live, the clean to multiply; and therefore he sends to Noah seven of the clean, of the unclean two: He knew the one would annoy Man with their multitude, the other would enrich him; Those things are worthy of most respect which are of most use. But why seven? Surely that God that created seven days in the Week, and made one for himself; did here preserve of seven clean beasts, one for himself; for sacrifice: He gives us six for one in earthly things, that in spiritual we should be all for him. Now the day is come, all the guests are entered, the Ark is shut, and the windows of Heaven opened: I doubt not but many of those scoffers, when they saw the violence of the Waves descending, and ascending, according to Noah's prediction, came wading middle-deepe unto the Ark, and importunately craved that admittance, which they once denied: But now, as they formerly rejected God, so are they justly rejected of God. E'er vengeance begin, repentance is seasonable; but if judgement be once gone out, we cry too late. While the Gospel solicits us, the doors of the Ark are open, if we neglect the time of grace, in vain shall we seek it with tears; God holds it no mercy to pity the obstinate. Others, more bold than they, hope to overrun the judgement; and climbling up to the high Mountains, look down upon the Waters, with more hope than fear: and now when they see their Hills becomne Lands, they climb up into the tallest Trees; there with paleness and horror at once look for death, and study to avoid it, whom the waves overtake at last half dead with famine, and half with fear. Lo, now from the tops of the Mountains they descry the Ark floating upon the waters, and behold with envy that which before they beheld with scorn. In vain doth he fly whom God pursues. There is no way to fly from his judgements, but to fly to his mercy by repenting. The Faith of the righteous cannot be so much derided, as their success is magnified: How securely doth Noah ride out this uproar of Heaven, Earth and Waters! He hears the pouring down of the rain above his head; the shrieking of Men, and roaring and bellowing of Beasts, on both sides him; the raging and threats of the waves under him; he saw the miserable shifts of the distressed unbelievers; and in the mean time sits quietly in his dry , neither feeling, nor fearing evil: he knew that he which owed the waters, would steer him; that he who shut him in, would preserve him, How happy a thing is Faith? what a quiet safety, what an heavenly peace doth it work in the soul, in the midst of all the inundations of evil? Now when God hath fetched again all the life which he had given to his unworthy creatures, and reduced the world unto his first form wherein waters were over the face of the Earth, it was time for a renovation of all things to succeed this destruction. To have continued this Delude long, had been to punish Noah, that was righteous. After forty days therefore, the Heaven's clear up, after an hundred and fifty the waters sink down: How soon is God weary of punishing, which is never weary of blessing! yet may not the Ark rest suddenly. If we did not stay somewhile under God's hand, we should not know how sweet his mercy is, and how great our thankfulness should be. The Ark though it was Noah's Fort against the waters; yet it was his prison; he was safe in it, but penned up; he that gave him life by it, now thinks time to give him liberty out of it. God doth not reveal all things to his best servants: behold, He that told Noah an hundred and twenty years before, what day he should go into the Ark, yet foretells him not now in the Ark what day the Ark should rest upon the Hills, and he should go forth. Noah therefore sends out his Intelligencers, the Raven, and the Dove; whose wings in that vaporous air might easily descry further than his sight: The Raven of quick sent, of gross feed, of tough constitution; no Fowl was so fit for discovery; the likeliest things always succeed not. He neither will venture far into that solitary world for fear of want, nor yet come into the Ark for love of liberty; but hovers about in uncertainties. How many carnal minds fly out of the Ark of God's Church; and embrace the present world: rather choosing to feed upon the unsavoury carcases of sinful pleasures, then to be restrained within the strait lists of Christian obedience. The Dove is sent forth, a Fowl, both swift and simple. She like a true Citizen of the Ark, returns; and brings faithful notice of the continuance of the Waters, by her restless and empty return; by her Olive leaf, of the abatement: how worthy are those Messengers to be welcome, which with innocence in their lives, bring glad tidings of peace, and salvation, in their mouths! Noah rejoices and believes; yet still he waits seven days more: It is not good to devour the favours 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 have so longed for the open air after so long closeness, that upon the first notice of safety he would have uncovered, and voided the Ark; Noah stays seven days ere he will open; and well-near two Months ere he will forsake the Ark; and not then, unless God, that commanded to enter, had bidden him departed. 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 upon the commission of his Maker. Contemplations. THE SECOND BOOK. NOAH. Babel. ABRAHAM. ISAAC sacrificed. LOT and Sodom. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THE LORD STANHOPE, ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL. All Grace and Happiness. RIght Honourable: I Durst appeal to the judgement of a carnal Reader (let him not be prejudicate) that there is no History so pleasant as the Sacred. Set aside the Majesty of the Jnditer; none can compare with it, for the Magnificence and Antiquity of the matter, the sweetness of compyling, the strange variety of memorable occurrences: And if the delight be such, what shall the profit be esteemed of that which was written by GOD for the salvation of Men? I confess, no thoughts did evermore sweetly steal Me and Time away, than those which I have employed in this subject, and I hope, none can equally benefit others: for if the mere Relation of these holy things be profitable, how much more when it is reduced to use? This second part of the World repaired, I dedicate to your Lordship, wherein you shall see Noah as weak in his Tent, as strong in the Ark; an ungracious Son reserved from the Deluge to his Father's curse: modest piety rewarded with blessings: the building of Babel, begun in pride, ending in confusion, Abraham's Faith, Fear, Obedience; Isaac bound upon the Altar under the hand of a Father that hath forgotten both nature and all his hopes; Sodom burning with a double fire, from Hell, and from Heaven: Let rescued from that impure City, yet after finding Sodom in his Cave: Every 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 us their right use: and sanctify these my unworthy Meditations to the good of his Church. To whose abundant grace I humbly commend your Lordship. Your Lordships unfeignedly devoted in all due observance, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE SECOND BOOK. NOAH. NO sooner is Noah come out of the Ark, but he builds an Altar: not an house for himself, but an Altar to the Lord: Our faith will ever teach us to prefer God to ourselves; delayed thankfulness is not worthy of acceptation. Of those few creatures that are left, God must have some; they are all his: yet his goodness will have Man know that it was he, for whose sake they were preserved. It was a privilege to those very bruit creatures, that they were saved from the waters, to be offered up in fire unto God; what a favour is it to men, to be reserved from common destructions, to be sacrificed to their Maker and Redeemer! Lo this little fire of Noah, through the virtue of his faith, purged the world, and ascended up into those heavens, from which the waters fell, & caused a glorious Rainbow to appear therein for his security: All the sins of the former world were not so unsavoury unto God, as this smoke was pleasant. No perfume can be so sweet as the holy obedience of the faithful. Now God that was before annoyed with the ill savour of sin, smells a sweet savour of rest: Behold here a new and second rest: First, God rested from making the World, now he rests from destroying it: Even while we cease not to offend, he ceases from a public revenge. His word was enough; yet withal he gives a sign: which may speak the truth of his promise to the very eyes of men: thus he doth still in his blessed Sacraments, which are as real words to the soul. The Rainbow is the pledge of our safety; which even naturally signifies the end of a shower: all the signs of God's institution are proper, and significant. But who would look after all this, to have found righteous Noah, the Father of the new World, lying drunken in his tent? Who could think that wine should overthrew him, that was preserved from the waters? That he who could not be tainted with the sinful examples of the former world, should begin the example of a new sin of his own? What are we men, if we be but ourselves? While God upholds us, no temptation can move us: when he leaves us, no temptation is too weak to overthrew us. What living man had ever so noble proofs of the mercy, of the justice of God? Mercy upon himself, justice upon others: What man had so gracious approbation from his Maker? Behold, he of whom in an unclean world God said, Thee only have I found righteous, proves now unclean, when the world was purged: The Preacher of righteousness unto the former age, the King, Priest, & Prophet of the world renewed, is the first that renews the sins of that world which he had reproved, and which he saw condemned for sin: Gods best children have no fence for sins of infirmity: Which of the Saints have not once done that, whereof they are ashamed? God that lets us fall, knows how to make as good use of the sins of his holy ones, as of their obedience: If we had not such patterns, who could choose but despair at the sight of his sins? Yet we find Noah drunken but once. One act can no more make a good heart unrighteous, than a trade of sin can stand with regeneration: but when I look to the effect of this sin, I cannot but blush and wonder; Lo, this sin is worse than sin; Other sins move shame, but hide it: this displays it to the world. Adam had no sooner sinned, but he saw and abhorred his own nakedness, seeking to hide it even with bushes. Noah had no sooner sinned but he discovers his nakedness, and hath not so much rule of himself, as to be ashamed: One hours' drunkenness betrays that, which more than six hundred years' sobriety had modestly concealed; he that gives himself to wine is not his own: what shall we think of this vice, which robs a man of himself, and lays a beast in his room? Noah's nakedness is seen in wine, it is no unusual quality, in this excess, to disclose secrets; drunkenness doth both make imperfections, and show those we have, to others eyes; so would God have it, that we might be double ashamed, both those of weaknesses which we discover, and of that weakness which moved us to discover. Noah is uncovered; but in the midst of his own Tent: It had been sinful, though no man had seen it: unknown sins have their guilt & shame, & are justly attended with known punishments. Ungracious Cham saw it & laughed, his father's shame should have been his; the deformity of those parts from which he had his being, should have begotten in him a secret horror, and dejection: how many graceless men make sport at the causes of their humiliation? Twice had Noah given him life: yet neither the name of a Father, & Preserver, nor Age, nor virtue could shield him from the contempt of his own. I see that even God's Ark may nourish Monsters: some filthy toads may lie under the stones of the Temple, God preserves some men in judgement; Better had it been for Cham to have perished in the waters, then to live unto his father's curse. Not content to be a witness of this filthy sight; he goes on to be a Proclaimer of it. Sin doth ill in the eye, but worse in the tongue: As all sin is a work of darkness, so it should be buried in darkness. The report of sin is oft times as ill, as the commission; for it can never be blazoned without uncharitableness; seldom without infection: Oh the unnatural and more than Chammish impiety of those sons, which rejoice to publish the nakedness of their spiritual Parents, even to their Enemies. Yet it was well for Noah that Cham could tell it to none but his own; and those gracious and dutiful Sons. Our shame is the less, if none know our faults but our friends. Behold, how love covereth sins; these good Sons are so fare from going forward to see their Father's shame, that they go backward to hide it. The cloak is laid on both their shoulders; they both go back with equal paces, and dare not so much as look back, lest they should unwillingly see the cause of their shame; and will rather adventure to stumble at their Father's body, then to see his nakedness: How did it grieve them to think, that they which had so oft come to their holy Father with reverence, must now in reverence turn their backs upon him; and that they must now clothe him in pity; which had so often clothed them in love! And which adds more to their duty, they covered him, and said nothing. This modest sorrow is their praise, and our example; The sins of those we love and honour, we must hear of with indignation, fearfully and unwillingly believe, acknowledge with grief and shame, hide with honest excuses, and bury in silence. How equal a regard is this both of piety and disobedience? because I'm sinned against his Father, therefore he shall be plagued in his children; japheth is dutiful to his Father, and finds it in his posterity. Because I'm was an ill Son to his Father, therefore his sons shall be Servants to his Brethren; because japheth set his shoulder to Sems, to bear the cloak of shame, therefore shall japheth dwell in the Tents of Sem; partaking with him in blessings, as in duty. When we do but what we ought, yet God is thankful to us; and rewards that, which we should sinne if we did not: who could ever yet show me a man rebelliously undutiful to his Parents, that hath prospered in himself, and his seed? Of BABEL. HOw soon are men and sins multiplied? within one hundred years the World is as full of both, as if there had been no Deluge. Though men could not but see the fearful monuments of the ruin of their Ancestors, yet how quickly had they forgotten a flood? Good Noah lived to see the World both populous, and wicked again; and doubtless ofttimes repent to have been preserver of some, whom he saw to traduce the vices of the former World, to the renewed: It could not but grieve him to see the destroyed Giants revive out of his own loins, and to see them of his flesh and blood tyrannize over themselves. In his sight Nimrod casting off the awe of his holy Grandfather grew imperious and cruel, and made his own kinsmen servants. How easy a thing it is for a great spirit to be the head of a faction; when even brethren will stoop to servitude. And now when men are combined together, evil and presumptuous motions find encouragement in multitudes; and each man takes a pride in seeming forwardest: we are the cheerfuller in good when we have the assistance of company; much more in sinning, by how much we are more prone to evil then good. It was a proud word; Come, let us build us a City and a Tower, whose top may reach to Heaven. They were newly come down from the Hills unto the Plains, and now think of raising up of an Hill, of building in the Plain: when their Tents were pitched upon the Mountains of Armenia, they were as near to Heaven as their Tower could make them; but their ambition must needs aspire to an height of their own raising. Pride is ever discontented; and still seeks matter of boasting in her own works. How fond do men reckon without God, Come, let us build; As if there had been no stop but in their own will: As if both Earth and Time had been theirs: Still do all natural men build Babel, forecasting their own plots so resolutely, as if there were no power to countermand them: It is just with God that peremptory determinations seldom prosper: whereas those things which are fearfully, and modestly undertaken, commonly succeed. Let us build us a City. If they had taken God with them, it had been commendable; establishing of societies is pleasing to him that is the God of order: But a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven, was a shameful arrogance, an impious presumption. Who would think that we little Aunts that creep upon this earth, should think of climbing up to Heaven, by multiplying of earth? Pride ever looks at the highest: the first Man would know as God, these would dwell as God, Covetousness and Ambition know no limits. And what if they had reached up to Heaven? some Hills are as high as they could hope to be, and yet are no whit the better; no place altars the condition of Nature: an Angel is glorious, though he be upon earth; and Man is but earth, though he be above the clouds: The nearer they had been to heaven, the more subject should they have been to the violences of heaven; to thunders, lightnings, and those other higher inflammations; what had this been, but to thrust themselves into the hands of the revenger of all wicked insolences? God love's that heaven should be looked at, and affected with all humble desires, with the holy ambitions of faith, not with the proud imaginations of our own achievements. But wherefore was all this? Not that they loved so much to be neighbours to heaven, as to be famous upon earth; It was not commodity that was here sought, not safety, but glory: whither doth not thirst of fame carry men, whether in good or evil? It makes them seek to climb to heaven, it makes them not fear to run down headlong to hell: Even in the hest things desire of praise stands in competition with conscience, and brags to have the more clients. One builds a Temple to Diana, in hope of glory, intending it for one of the great wonders of the World, another in hope of Fame burns it. He is a rare man that hath not some Babel of his own, whereon he bestows pains and cost, only to be talked of. If they had done better things in a vainglorious purpose, their act had been accursed; if they had built houses to God, if they had sacrificed, prayed, lived well; the intent poisons the action: but now both the act and the purpose are equally vain, and the issue is as vain as either. God hath a special indignation at pride above all sins, and will cross our endeavours, not for that they are evil (what hurt could be in laying one brick upon another?) but for that they are proudly undertaken: He could have hindered the laying of the first stone; and might as easily have made a trench for the foundation, the grain of the builders: but he love's to see what wicked men would do; and to let fools run themselves out of breath: what monument should they have had of their own madness, and his powerful interruption, if the walls had risen to no height? To stop them then in the midst of their course, he meddles not with either their hands, or their feet, but their tongues; not by pulling them out, not by losing their strings, not by making them say nothing, but by teaching them to say too much: Here is nothing varied but the sound of Letters; even this frustrates the work, and be fools the workmen: How easy is it for God ten thousand ways to correct and forestall the greatest projects of men? He that taught Adam the first words, taught them words that never were. One calls for brick, the other looks him in the face, and wonders what he commands, and how and why he speaks such words as were never heard; and in stead thereof brings him mortar, returning him an answer as little understood: each chides with other, expressing his choler, so as he only can understand himself: From heat they fall to quiet entreaties, but still with the same success. At first every man thinks his fellow mocks him: but now perceiving this serious confusion, their only answer was silence, and ceasing; they could not come together, for no man could call them to be understood; and if they had assembled, nothing could be determined, because one could never attain to the others purpose: No, they could not have the honour of a general dismission, but each man leaves his Trowel and station, more like a fool than he undertook it: So commonly actions begun in glory, shut up in shame. All external actions depend upon the tongue: No man can know another's mind, if this be not the interpreter; hence, as there were many tongues given to stay the building of Babel, so there were as many given to build the new jerusalem, the Evangelicall Church. How dear hath Babel cost all the world? At the first, when there was but one language, men did spend their time in Arts; (so was it requisite at the first settling of the world, and so came early to perfection) but now we stay so long (of necessity) upon the shell of tongues, that we can hardly have time to chew the sweet kernel of knowledge: Surely, men would have grown too proud, if there had been no Babel: It falls out ofttimes that one sin is a remedy of a greater. Division of tongues must needs flacken any work: Multiplicity of language had not been given by the Holy Ghost, for a blessing to the Church, if the world had not been before possessed with multiplicity of languages for a punishment: Hence it is, that the building of our Zion rises no faster, because our tongues are dividde; Happy were the Church of God, if we all spoke but one language: Whiles we differ, we can build nothing but Babel; difference of tongues caused their Babel to cease, but it builds ours. Of ABRAHAM. IT was fit that he which should be the Father and pattern of the faithful, should be throughly tried: for in a set copy every fault is important, and may prove a rule of error: of ten trials which Abraham passed, the last was the forest: No son of Abraham can hope to escape temptations, while he sees that bosom, in which he desires to rest, so assaulted with difficulties. Abraham must leave his Country, and kindred, and live amongst strangers; The calling of God never leaves men, where it finds them; The earth is the Lords, and all places are alike to the wise and faithful: If Chaldea had not been grossly idolatrous, Abraham had not left it; no bond must tie us to the danger of infection. But whither must he go? to a place he knew not, to men that knew not him: it is enough comfort to a good man, wheresoever he is, that he is acquainted with God; we are never out of our way, while we follow the calling of God. Never any man lost by his obedience to the Highest; because Abraham yielded, God gives him the possession of Canaan: I wonder more at his faith in taking this possession, then in leaving his own; Behold, Abraham takes possession for that Seed which he had not; which in nature he was not like to have; of that Land whereof he should not have one foot, wherein his Seed should not be settled of almost five hundred years after: The power of faith can prevent time, and make future things present; If we be the true sons of Abraham, we have already (while we solourne here on earth) the possession of our Land of Promise: while we seek our Country, we have it. Yet even Canaan doth not afford him bread, which yet he must believe shall flow with milk and honey to his Seed: sense must yield to faith; woe were us, if we must judge of our future estate by the present: Egypt gives relief to Abraham, when Canaan cannot. In outward things, Gods enemies may far better than his friends: Thrice had Egypt preserved the Church of God, in Abraham, in jacob, in Christ; God ofttimes makes use of the world, for the behoof of his; though without their thankes; as contrarily he uses the wicked for scourges to his own inheritance, and burns them; because in his good they intended evil. But what a change is this? Hitherto hath Sarah been Abraham's wife, now Egypt hath made her his sister; fear hath turned him from an husband to a brother; No strength of faith can exclude some doubtings: God hath said, I will make thee a great Nation; Abraham saith, the Egyptians will kill me: He that lived by his faith, yet shrinketh, and sinneth. How vainly shall we hope to believe without all fear, and to live without infirmities? Some little aspersions of unbelief cannot hinder the praise and power of faith; Abraham believed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness. He that through inconsiderateness doubted twice of his own life, doubted not of the life of his Seed, even from the dead and dry womb of Sarah, yet was it more difficult that his Posterity should live in Sarah, then that Sarahs' husband should live in Egypt: This was above nature, yet he believes it. Sometimes the believer sticks at easy trials, and yet breaks through the greatest temptations without fear: abraham's was old ere this promise and hope of a son; and still the older, the more uncapable; yet God makes him wait twenty five years for performance. No time is long to faith; which hath learned to defer hopes without fainting and irksomeness. Abraham heard this news from the Angel, and laughed: Sarah heard it, and laughed: they did not more agree in their desire, then differ in their affection: Abraham laughed for joy; Sarah for distrust: Abraham laughed, because he believed it would be so; Sarah, because she believed it could not be: the same act varies in the manner of doing, and the intention of the doer: Yet Sarah laughed but within herself, and is bewrayed: How God can find us out in secret sins! how easily did she now think, that he which could know of her inward laughter, could know of her conception! and now she that laughed, and believed not, believeth and feareth. What a lively pattern do I see in Abraham and Sarah, of a strong faith, and weak! of strong in Abraham, and weak in Sarah: She to make God good of his word to Abraham, knowing her own barrenness, substitutes an Hagar; and in an ambition of Seed persuades to Polygamy. Abraham had never looked to obtain the promise by any other than a barren womb, if his own wife had not importuned him to take another: when our own apparent means fails, weak faith is put to their shifts; and projects strange devices of her own, to attain her end. She will rather conceive by another womb, then be childless: when she hears of an impossibility to nature, she doubteth, and yet hides her diffidence; and when she must believe, feareth, because she did distrust: Abraham hears and believes, and expects and rejoices; he saith not, I am old and weak; Sarah is old and barren; where are the many Nations that shall come from these withered loins? It is enough to him that God hath said it: he sees not the means, he sees the promise. He knew that God would rather raise him up seed from the very stones that be trod upon, than himself should want a large and happy issue. There is no faith where there is either means or hopes. Difficulties and impossibilities are the true objects of belief: Hereupon God adds to his name, that which he would fetch from his loins, and made his name as ample as his posterity: never any man was a loser by believing: Faith is ever recompensed with glory. Neither is Abraham content only to wait for God, but to smart for him▪ God bids him cut his own flesh; he willingly sacrifices this parcel of his skin and blood, to him that was the owner of all: How glad he is to carry this painful mark of the love of his Creator? How forward to seal this covenant with blood, betwixt God and him? not regarding the soreness of his body, in comparison of the confirmation of his soul. The wound was not so grievous as the signification was comfortable. For herein he saw, that from his loins should come that blessed Seed, which should purge his soul from all corruption. Well is that part of us lost, which may give assurance of the salvation of the whole; our faith is not yet found, if it have not taught us to neglect pain for God, and more to love his Sacraments, than our own flesh. Of ISAAC sacrificed. But all these are but easy tasks of Faith: all ages have stood amazed at the next; not knowing whether they should more wonder at God's command, or Abraham's obedience: Many years had that good Patriarch waited for his Isaac; now at last he hath joyfully received him, and that with this gracious acclamation; In Isaac shall thy seed be called, and all Nations blessed. Behold, the son of his Age, the son of his Love, the son of his Expectation, he that might not endure a mock from his brother, must now endure the knife of his Father; Take thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee to the Land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering. Never any gold was tried in so hot a fire. Who but Abraham would not have expostulated with God? What? Doth the God of mercies now begin to delight in blood? Is it possible that Murder should become Piety? Or if thou wilt needs take pleasure in an humane sacrifice, is there none but Isaac fit for thine Altar, none but Abraham to offer him? Shall these hands destroy the fruits of mine own loins? Can I not be faithful unless I be unnatural? Or if I must needs be the Monster of all Parents, will not Ishmael yet be accepted? O God, where is thy mercy; where is thy justice? Hast thou given me but one only son, and must I now slay him? Why did I wait so long for him? Why didst thou give him me? Why didst thou promise me a blessing in him? What will the Heathen say, when they shall hear of this infamous massacre? How can thy Name, and my Profession escape a perpetual blasphemy? With what face shall I look upon my wife Sarah, whose son I have murdered? How shall she entertain the Executioner of Isaac? Or who will believe that I did this from thee? How shall not all the World spit at this holy cruelty, and say, There goes the man that cut the throat of his own son. Yet if he were an ungracious or rebellious child, his deserts might give some colour to this violence: but to lay hands on so dear, so dutiful, so hopeful a son, is uncapable of all pretences. But grant that thou which art the God of Nature, mayst either alter or neglect it; what shall I say to the truth of thy promises? Can thy justice admit contradictions? Can thy decrees be changeable? Canst thou promise and disappoint? Can these two stand together, Isaac shall live to be the father of Nations; and Isaac shall now dye by the hand of his Father? when Isaac is once gone, where is my seed, where is my blessing? O God, if thy commands and purposes be capable of alteration, altar this bloody sentence, and let thy first word stand. These would have been the thoughts of a weak heart: But God knew that he spoke to an Abraham, and Abraham knew that he had to do with a God: Faith had taught him not to argue, but obey. In an holy wilfulness he either forgets Nature, or despises her, he is sure that what God commands is good, that what he promises is infallible, and therefore is careless of the means, and trusts to the end. In matters of God, whosoever consults with flesh and blood, shall never offer up his Isaac, to God; there needs no counsellor when we know God is the Commander; here is neither grudging nor deliberating, nor delaying: His faith would not suffer him so much as to be sorry for that he must do. Sarah herself may not know of God's charge, and her husband's purpose, lest her affection should have overcome her faith; lest her weakness now grown importunate, should have said, Disobey God and dye. That which he must do, he will do; he that hath learned not to regard the life of his son, had learned not to regard the sorrow of his wife. It is too much tenderness to respect the censures and constructions of others, when we have a direct word from God. The good Patriarch rises early, and addresses himself to his sad journey. And now must he travel three whole days to this execution; and still must Isaac be in his eye, whom all this while he seems to see bleeding upon the pile of Wood; which he caries; there is nothing so miserable as to dwell under the expectation of a great evil; That misery which must be, is mitigated with speed, and aggravated with delay. All this while if Abraham had repent him, he had leisure to return. There is no small trial, even in the very time of trial: now when they are come within sight of the chosen Mountain, the servants are dismissed; what a devotion is this that will abide no witnesses? he will not suffer two of his own Vassals to see him do that, which soon after all the world must know he hath done; yet is not Abraham afraid of that piety, which the beholders could not see without horror, without resistance, which no ear could hear of without abomination. What stranger could have endured to see the Father carry the knife and fire, instruments of that death, which he had rather suffer then inflict? The son securely carrying that burden which must carry him? But if Abraham's heart could have known how to relent, that question of his dear, innocent, and religious son had melted it into compassion, My Father, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the Sacrifice? I know not whether that word, My Father, did not strike Abraham as deep as the knife of Abraham could strike his son: yet doth he not so much as think, (O miserable man, that may not at once be a Son to such a God, and Father to such a Son:) Still he persists, and conceals, and where he meant not, prophecies, My son, God shall provide a Lamb for the burnt-offering. The heavy tidings was loath to come forth: It was a death to Abraham to say what he must do: He knows his own faith to act this, he knows not Isaac's to endure it. But now when Isaac hath helped to build the Altar, whereon he must be consumed; he hears (not without astonishment) the strange command of God, the final will of his Father: My son thou art the Lamb which God hath provided for this offering: If my blood would have excused thee, how many thousand times had I rather to give thee my own life, then take thine! Alas, I am full of days, and now of long lived not but in thee; Thou mightest have preserved the life of thy Father, and have comforted his death, but the God of us both hath chosen thee: He that gave thee unto me miraculously, bids me by an unusual means return thee unto him. I need not tell thee, that I sacrifice all my worldly joys, yea and myself in thee, but God must be obeyed; neither art thou too dear for him that calls thee: Come on, my Son restore the life that God hath given thee by me: offer thyself willingly to these flames; send up thy soul cheerfully unto thy glory; and know that God love's thee above others, since he requires thee alone to be consecrated in sacrifice to himself. Who cannot imagine with what perplexed mixtures of passions, with what changes of countenance, what doubts, what fears, what amazement, good Isaac received this sudden message from the mouth of his Father, how he questioned, how he pleaded? But when he had somewhat digested his thoughts, and considered that the Author was God, the actor Abraham, the action a sacrifice, he now approves himself the son of Abraham; now he encourages the trembling hands of his Father; with whom he strives in this praise of forwardness, and obedience; now he offers his hands and feet to the cords, his throat to the knife, his body to the Altar; and growing ambitious of the sword & fire, entreats his Father to do that, which he would have done though he had dissuaded him. O holy emulation of faith! O blessed agreement of the Sacrificer, and Oblation: Abraham is as ready to take, as Isaac to give; he binds those dear hands which are more straightly bound with the cords of duty, and resolution; he lays his sacrifice upon the wood, which now beforehand burnt inwardly with the heavenly fire of zeal and devotion. And now having kissed him his last, not without mutual tears; he lifts up his hand to fetch the stroke of death at once, not so much as thinking, perhaps God will relent after the first wound. Now the stay of Abraham, the hope of the Church, lies on bleeding under the hand of a father, what bowels can choose but yearn at this spectacle? which of the savagest Heathens that had been now upon the hill of Moriah, and had seen (through the bushes) the sword of a Father hanging over the throat of such a son, would not have been more perplexed in his thoughts, than that unexpected sacrifice was in those briers? yet he whom it nearest concerned, is least touched; Faith hath wrought the same in him, which cruelty would in others, Not to be moved; He contemns all fears, and overlookes all impossibilities; His heart tells him that the same hand which raised Isaac from the dead womb of Sarah, can raise him again from the ashes of his sacrifice: with this confidence was the hand of Abraham now falling upon the throat of Isaac, who had given himself for dead, and rejoiced in the change; when suddenly the Angel of God interrupts him, forbids him, commends him. The voice of God was never so welcome, never so sweet, never so seasonable as now: It was the trial that God intended, not the fact; Isaac is sacrificed, and is yet alive: and now both of them are more happy in that they would have done, than they could have been distressed if they had done it. God's charges are ofttimes harsh in the beginnings and proceeding, but in the conclusion always comfortable: true spiritual comforts are commonly late and sudden: God defers on purpose, that our trials may be perfect, our deliverance welcome, our recompense glorious? Isaac had never been so precious to his father, if he had not been recovered from death; if he had not been as miraculously restored, as given: Abraham had never been so blessed in his seed, if he had not neglected Isaac for God. The only way to find comfort in any earthly thing, is to surrender it (in a faithful carelessness) into the hands of God: Abraham came to sacrifice, he may not go away with dry hands: God cannot abide that good purposes should be frustrate. Lest either he should not do that, for which he came, or should want means of speedy thanksgiving for so gracious a disappointment; Behold, a Ram stands ready for the sacrifice, and as it were, proffers himself to this happy exchange. He that made that Beast, brings him thither, fastens him there: Even in small things there is a great providence: what mysteries there are in every act of God The only Son of God upon this very hill, is laid upon the Altar of the Cross; and so becomes a true sacrifice for the world, that yet he is raised without impeachment, and exempted from the power of death: The Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World, is here really offered, and accepted: One Saviour in two figures; in the one, dying; restored in the other. So Abraham whiles he exercises his faith, confirms it; and rejoices more to foresee the true Isaac in that place offered to death for his sins, then to see the carnal Isaac preserved from death for the reward of his Faith. Whatsoever is dearest to us upon earth is our Isaac; happy are we if we can sacrifice it to God; those shall never rest with Abraham, that cannot sacrifice with Abraham. Of LOT and Sodom. BEFORE Abraham and Lot grew rich, they dwelled together; now their wealth separates them; Their society was a greater good than their riches: Many a one is a loser by his wealth; who would account those things good which make us worse? It had been the duty of young Lot to offer rather than to choose; to yield rather than contend: who would not here think Abraham the Nephew; and Let the Uncle? It is no disparagement for greater persons to begin treaties of Peace. Better doth it beseem every son of Abraham to win with love, then to sway with power. Abraham yields over this right of his choice; Lot takes it. And behold, Lot is crossed in that which he chose, Abraham is blessed in that which was left him; God never suffers any man to lose by an humble remission of his right in a desire of peace? Wealth hath made Lot not only undutiful, but covetous; he sees the goodly Plains of jordan, the richness of the soil, the commodity of the Rivers, the situation of the Cities, and now not once enquiring into the conditions of the Inhabitants, he is in love with Sodom: Outward appearances are deceitful guides to our judgement, or affections: they are worthy to be deceived that value things as they seem: It is not long after that Lot pays dear for his rashness. He fled for quietness with his Uncle, and finds War with strangers: Now is he carried prisoner with all his substance, by great Enemies; Abraham must rescue him, of whom he was forsaken. That wealth which was the cause of his former quarrels, is made a prey to merciless Heathens: That place which his eye covetously chose, betrays his life and goods. How many Christians, whiles they have looked at gain, have lost themselves. Yet this ill success hath neither driven out Lot, nor amended Sodom, he still love's his commodity, and the Sodomites their sins: wicked men grow worse with afflictions, as water grows more cold after an heat: And as they leave not sinning, so God leaves not plaguing them, but still follows them with succession of judgements. In how few years hath Sodom forgot she was spoiled, and led captive? If that wicked City had been warned by the sword, it had escaped the fire; but now this visitation hath not made ten good men, in those five Cities: How fit was this heap for the fire, which was all chaff? Only Let vexed his righteous soul with the sight of their uncleanness; He vexed his own soul, for who bade him stay there? yet because he was vexed, he is delivered. He escapeth their judgement, from whose sins he escaped. Though he would be a guest of Sodom, yet because he would not entertain their sins, he becomes an Host to the Angels: Even the good Angels are the executioners of God's judgement: There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactors. Who can be ashamed of that which did not misbeseeme the very Angels of God? Where should the Angels lodge but with Lot? the houses of holy men are full of these heavenly Spirits, when they know not; they pitch their Tents in ours, and visit us when we see not; and when we feel not, protect us; It is the honour of God's Saints to be attended by Angels: The filthy Sodomites now flock together, stirred up with the fury of envy, and lust, and dare require to do that in troops, which to act single, had been too abominable, to imagine, unnatural. Continuance and society in evil makes wicked men outrageous, and impudent: It is not enough for Lot to be the Witness, but he must be the Bawd also. (Bring forth these men that we may know them.) Behold: even the Sodomites speak modestly; though their acts and intents be villainous. What a shame is it for those which profess purity of heart, to speak filthily? The good man craves and pleads the laws of hospitality; and when he sees headstrong purposes of mischief, chooses rather to be an ill Father, than an ill host: His intention was good, but his offer was faulty; If through his allowance the Sodomites had defiled his daughters; it had been his sin: If through violence they had defiled his guests; it had been only theirs: There can be no warrant for us to sin, lest others should sin: It is for God to prevent sins with judgements, it is not for men to prevent a greater sin with a less: the best minds when they are troubled, yield inconsiderate motions; as water that is violently stirred, sends up bubbles: God meant better to Lot, then to suffer his weak offer to be accepted: Those which are bend upon villainy, are more exasperated by dissuasion; as some strong streams, when they are resisted by floodgates, swell over the banks. Many a one is hardened by the good word of God; and in stead of receiving the counsel, rages at the messenger: When men are grown to that pass, that they are no whit better by afflictions, and worse with admonitions, God finds it time to strike; Now Lots guests begin to show themselves Angels, and first deliver Lot in Sodom, then from Sodom: First strike them with blindness, whom they will after consume with fire. How little did the Sodomites think that vengeance was so near them! While they went groping in the streets, and cursing those whom they could not find: Let with the Angels is in secure light, and sees them miserable, and foresee them burning. It is the use of God to blind and besot those whom he means to destroy: The light which they shall see shall be fiery, which shall be the beginning of an everlasting darkness, and a fire unquenchable: Now they have done sinning, and God gins to judge: Wickedness hath but a time, the punishment of wickedness is beyond all time. The residue of the night was both short and dangerous. Yet good Lot, though sought for by the Sodomites, and newly pulled into his house by the Angels, goes forth of his house to seek his sons in law: No good man would be saved alone; faith makes us charitable with neglect of all peril: He warns them like a Prophet, and advices them like a Father, but both in vain; he seems to them as if he mocked, and they do more than seem to mock him again. Why should to morrow differ from other days? Who ever saw it rain fire? Or whence should that brimstone come? Or if such showers must fall, how shall nothing burn but this Valley? So to carnal men preaching is foolishness, devotion idleness, the Prophet's madmen, Paul a babbler: These men's incredulity is as worthy of the fire, as the others uncleanness. He that believes not, is condemned, already. The messengers of God do not only hasten Lot, but pull him by a gracious violence out of that impure City. They thirsted at once after vengeance upon Sodom, and Lot's safety; they knew God could not strike Sodom, till Lot were gone out, and that Lot could not be safe within those walls. We are all naturally in Sodom: if God did not hale us out, whiles we linger, we should be condemned with the world. If God meet with a very good field, he pulls up the weeds, and lets the corn grow; if indifferent, he lets the corn and weeds grow together; if very ill, he gathers the few ears of corn, and burns the weeds. Oh the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us only, but to ours! God saves Lot for Abraham's sake, and Zoar for Lot's sake; If Sodom had not been too wicked, it had escaped: Were it not for God's dear children, that are intermixed with the world, it could not stand: The wicked own their lives unto those few good; whom they hate and persecute. Now at once the Sun rises upon Zoar, and fire falls down upon Sodom: Abraham stands upon the hill, and sees the Cities burning; It is fair weather with God's children, when it is foulest with the wicked. Those which burned with the fire of lust, are now consumed with the fire of vengeance: They sinned against nature; and now against the course of nature, fire descends from Heaven, and consumes them: Lot may not so much as look at the flame, whether for the st●y of his passage, or the horror of the sight, or trial of his faith, or fear of commiseration. Small precepts from God are of importance; obedience is as well tried, and disobedience as well punished in little, as in much: His wife doth but turn back her head, whether in curiosity, or unbelief, or love and compassion of the place; she is turned into a monument of disobedience: what doth it avail her not to be turned into ashes in Sodom, when she is turned into a pillar of Salt in the Plain? He that saved a whole City, cannot save his own Wife. God cannot abide small sins, in those whom he hath obliged. If we displease him, God can as well meet with us out of Sodom. Lot now comen into Zoar, marvels at the stay of her, whom he might not before look back to call; and soon after returning to seek her, beholds this change with wonder and grief: He finds Salt in stead of flesh, a Pillar in stead of a Wife: he finds Sodom consumed, and her standing; and is more amazed with this, by how much it was both more near him, and less expected. When God delivers us from destruction, he doth not secure us from all afflictions: Lot hath lost his Wise, his allies, his substance, and now betakes himself to an uncomfortable solitariness. Yet though he fled from company, he could not fly from sin: He who could not be tainted with uncleanness in Sodom, is overtaken with drunkenness and incest in a Cave: Rather than Satan shall not want baits, his own daughters will prove Sodomites; Those which should have comforted, betrayed him: How little are some hearts moved with judgements? The ashes of Sodom, and the Pillar of Salt, were not yet out of their eye, when they dare think of lying with their own Father. They knew that whilst Lot was sober, he could not be unchaste: Drunkenness is the way to all bestial affections, and acts. Wine knows no difference either of persons, or sins: No doubt, Lot was afterwards ashamed of his incestuous Seed, and now wished he had come alone out of Sodom; yet even this unnatural bed was blessed with increase; and one of our Saviour's worthy Ancestors sprung after from this line. God's election is not tied to our means; neither are blessings or curses ever traduced; The chaste bed of holy Parents hath ofttimes bred a monstrous generation; and contrarily, God hath raised sometimes an holy Seed from the drunken bed of Incest, or Fornication. It hath been seen, that weighty ears of corn have grown out of the compass of the tilled field: Thus will God magnify the freedom of his own choice; and let us know that we are not borne, but made good. Contemplations. THE THIRD BOOK. jacob and Esau. jacob and Laban. Dinah. judah and Thamar. joseph. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THE LORD DENNY, BARON OF WALTHAM, MY SINGULAR GOOD PATRON; All Grace and Happiness. RIght Honourable: I Know, and in all humility confess, how weak my Discourse is, and how unworthy of this divine subject, which I have undertaken; which if an Angel from Heaven should say he could sufficiently comment upon, I should distrust him: Yet this let me say (without any vain boasting) that these thoughts (such as they are) through the blessing of GOD, I have woven out of myself, as holding it (after our Saviour's rule) better to give, than to receive. It is easier to heap together large volumes of others labours, then to work out lesser of our own: and the suggestion of one new thought, is better than many repeated. This part (which together with the Author is yours) shall present to your Lordship, the busiest of all the Patriarches, together with his trials, and success: wherein you shall see Esau stripped by fraud, of that which he willingly sold, jacobs' hard adventures for the blessing, and no less hard services for his wives and substance, his dangerous encounters ending joyfully, the ra●e of his only daughter, seconded with the treacherous murder of his sons, judah's wrong to Thamar repaid by his own uncleanness: josephs' sale, imprisonment, honour, piety; The sin of his brethren well bestowed, well answered. I so touch at the uses of all these, as one that knows, it is easy to say more, and impossible to say enough. GOD give a blessing to my endeavours, and a pardon to my weakness, to your Lordship an increase of his graces, and perfection of all happiness. Your Lordships humbly and officiously devoted in all duty, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE THIRD BOOK. Of JACOB and ESAV. OF all the Patriarches, none made so little noise in the World as Isaac; none lived either so privately, or so innocently: Neither know I whether he approved himself a better son or an Husband. For the one; he gave himself over to the knife of his Father, and mourned three years for his Mother: for the other he sought not to any handmaid's bed, but in a chaste forbearance reserved himself for twenty years space, and prayed: Rebecca was so long barren, his prayers proved more effectual than his seed. At last she conceived, as if she had been more than the daughter in law to Sarah; whose son was given her, not out of the power of Nature, but of her husbands Faith. God is oft better to us than we would: Isaac prays for a son; God gives him two at once: Now, she is no less troubled with the strife of the children in her womb, than before with the want of children: we know not when we are pleased; that which we desire, ofttimes discontents us more in the fruition; we are ready to complain both full and fasting. Before Rebecca conceived, she was at ease: Before spiritual regeneration there is all peace in the soul: No sooner is the new man form in us, but the flesh conflicts with the spirit: There is no grace where is no unquietness: Esau alone would not have striven: Nature will ever agree with itself; Never any Rebecca conceived only an Esau; or was so happy as to conceive none but a jacob; She must be the mother of both, that she may have both joy and exercise. This strife began early; Every true Israelite gins his war with his being. How many actions which we know not of, are not without presage and signification? These two were the champions of two Nations; the field was their mother's womb; their quarrel, precedency & superiority: Esau got the right of Nature; jacob of grace: yet that there might be some pretence of equality, lest Esau should outrun his brother into the World, jacob holds him fast by the heel: So his hand was borne before the others foot: But because Esau is some minutes the elder; that the younger might have better claim to that which God had promised, he buys that which he could not win: If either by strife, or purchase, or suit, we can attain spiritual blessings, we are happy: If jacob had come forth first, he had not known how much he was bound to God for the favour of his advancement. There was never any meat, except the forbidden fruit, so dear bought as this broth of jacob; In both, the receiver and the Eater is accursed: Every true son of Israel will be content to purchase spiritual favours with earthly; And that man hath in him too much of the blood of Esau, which will not rather dye then forgo his birthright. But what hath careless Esau lost, if having sold his birthright, he may obtain the blessing? Or what hath jacob gained, if his brother's Venison may countervail his Pottage? Yet thus hath old Isaac decreed; who was now not more blind in his eyes, then in his affections: God had forewarned him that the elder should serve the younger, yet Isaac goes about to bless Esau. It was not so hard for Abraham to reconcile God's promise and Isaac's sacrifice, as for Isaac to reconcile the superiority of jacob, with Esau's benediction: for God's hand was in that, in this none but his own: The dearest of God's Saints have been sometimes transported with natural affections: He saw himself preferred to Ishmael, though the elder; he saw his father wilfully forgetting nature at God's command, in binding him for sacrifice; He saw Esau lewly matched with Heathens; and yet he will remember nothing, but, Esau is my first borne; But how gracious is God, that when we would will not let us sin? And so order our actions, that we do not what we will, but what we ought. That God which had ordained the Lordship to the younger, will also contrive for him the blessing; what he will have effected, shall not want means: the Mother shall rather defeat the Son, and beguile the Father, than the Father shall beguile the chosen son of his blessing. What was jacob to Rebecca more than Esau? or what Mother doth not more affect the elder? But now God inclines the love of the Mother to the younger, against the custom of nature, because the father love's the elder, against the promise: The affections of the Parents are divided, that the promise might be fulfilled; Rebeccaes' craft shall answer Isaac's partiality: Isaac would unjustly turn Esau into jocob, Rebecca doth as cunningly turn jacob into Esau: her desire was good, her means were unlawful: God doth oft times effect his just will by our weaknesses; yet neither thereby justifying our infirmities, nor blemishing his own actions. Here was nothing but counterfeiting; a feigned Person, a feigned Name, feigned Venison, a feigned Answer, and yet behold, a true blessing; but to the man, not to the means: Those were so unsound, that jacob himself doth more fear their curse then hope for their success. Isaac was now both simple and old: yet if he had perceived the fraud, jacob had been more sure of a curse, than he could be sure, that he should not be perceived. Those which are plainehearted in themselves, are the bitterest enemies to deceit in others: Rebecca presuming upon the Oracle of God, and her husband's simplicity, dare be his surety for the danger, his counsellor for the carriage of the business, his cook for the diet, yea dresses both the meat and the man: and now puts words into his mouth, the dish into his hand, the garments upon his back, the Goat's hair upon the open parts of his body, and sends him in thus furnished for the blessing; Standing, no doubt, at the door, to see how well her lesson was learned, how well her device succeeded. And if old Isaac should by any of his senses have discerned the guile; she had soon stepped in and undertaken the blame, and urged him with that known will of God concerning jacobs' Dominion, and Esau's servitude, which either age or affection had made him forget. And now she wishes she could borrow Esau's tongue as well as his garments, that she might securely deceive all the senses of him, which had suffered himself more dangerously deceived with his affection: But this is past her remedy: her son must name himself Esau with the voice of jacob. It is hard if our tongue do not bewray what we are, in spite of our habit. This was enough to work Isaac to a suspicion, to an inquiry not to an incredulity: He that is good of himself, will hardly believe evil of another; And will rather distrust his own senses, than the fidelity of those he trusted: All the senses are set to examine; none sticketh at the judgement but the ear; To deceive that, jacob must second his dissimulation with three lies at one breath: I am Esau, as thou b●●st me, my Venison: one sin entertained fetcheth in another: and if it be forced to lodge alone, either departeth, or dyeth: I love jacobs' blessing, but I hate his lie. I would not do that wilfully, which jacob did weakly, upon condition of a blessing: He that pardoned his infirmity, would curse my obstinateness. Good Isaac sets his hands to try whether his ears informed him aright; he feels the hands of him whose voice he suspected: that honest heart could not think, that the skin might more easily be counterfeited, than the lungs: A small satisfaction contents those whom guiltiness hath not made scrupulous: Isaac believes, and blesses the younger Son in the garments of the elder: If our heavenly Father smell upon our backs the savour of our elder brother's Robes, we cannot departed from him unblessed. No sooner is jacob gone away full of the joy of his blessing, than Esau comes in, full of the hope of the blessing: And now he cannot repent him to have sold that in his hunger for pottage; which in his pleasure he shall buy again with Venison. The hopes of the wicked fail them when they are at highest, whereas God's children find those comforts in extremity which they durst not expect. Now he comes in blowing, and sweeting for his reward, and finds nothing but a repulse: Lewd men when they think they have earned of God, and come proudly to challenge favour, receive no answer, but, Who art thou? Both the Father and the Son wonder at each other, the one with fear, the other with grief; Isaac tremble 〈◊〉 Esau wept; the one upon conscience, the other upon envy: Isaac's heart now told him that he should not have purposed the blessing where he did; and that it was due to him unto whom it was given, and not purposed; hence he durst not reverse that which he had done with God's will; besides his own: For now he saw that he had done unwilling justice: God will find both time and means to reclaim his own, to prevent their sins, to manifest and reform their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: who would have looked for tears from Esau? Or who dare trust tears, when he sees them fall from so graceless Eyes? It was a good word, Bless me also, my Father; Every miscreant can wish himself well: No man would be miserable, if it were enough to desire happiness: Why did he not rather weep to his Brother, for the pottage; then to Isaac for a blessing? If he had not then sold, he had not needed now to beg: It is just with God to deny us those favours which we were careless in keeping, and which we under valued in enjoying. Esau's tears find no place for Isaac's repentance; Except it were that he hath done that by wile, which he should have done upon duty. No motive can cause a good heart to repent that he hath done well; how happy a thing it is to know the seasons of grace, and not to neglect then how desperate to have known and neglected them! these tears were both late and false; the tears of rage, of envy, of carnal desire; worldly sorrow causeth death: yet whiles Esau ●owles out thus for a blessing, I hear him cry out of his father's store (Hast thou but one blessing, my Fathers?) of his brother's subtlety (was he not rightly called jacob?) I do not hear him blame his own deserts. He did not see, while his Father was deceived, and his brother crafty, that God was just, and himself uncapable: he knew himself profane; and yet claims a blessing. Those that care not to please God, yet care for the outward favours of God, and are ready to murmur if they want them, as if God were bound to them, and they free. And yet so merciful is God, that he hath second blessings for those that love him not, and gives them all they care for. That one blessing of special love is for none but Israel; but those of common kindness are for them that can sell their birth right: this blessing was more than Esau could be worthy of: yet like a second Cain, he resolves to kill his brother, because he was more accepted: I know that whether he were a worse son, or brother; he hopes for his father's death, and purposes his brothers; and vows to shed blood in stead of tears. But wicked men cannot be so ill as they would; that strong Wrestler against whom jacob prevailed, prevailed with Esau, and turned his wounds into kisses. An Host of men came with Esau, an army of Angels met jacob. Esau threatened, jacob prayed: His prayers and presents have melted the heart of Esau into love. And now in stead of the grim and stern countenance of an executioner, jacob sees the face of Esau, as the face of God. Both men and devils are stinted, the stoutest heart cannot stand out against God. He that can wrestle earnestly with God, is secure from the harms of men. Those minds which are exasperated with violence, and cannot be broken with fear, yet are bowed with love; when the ways of a man please God, he will make his enemies at peace with him. Of JACOB and LABAN. ISAAC'S life was not more retired and quiet, than jacobs' was busy and troublesome. In the one I see the Image of contemplation, of action in the other. None of the Patriarches saw so evil days as he; from whom justly hath the Church of God therefore taken her name. Neither were the faithful ever since called Abrahamites, but Israelites. That no time might be lost, he began his strife in the womb; after that, he flies for his life from a cruel brother to a cruel uncle. With a staff goes he over jordan alone; doubtful and comfortless, not like the son of Isaac. In the way the earth is his bed, and the stone his pillow; Yet even there he sees a vision of Angels jacobs' heart was never so full of joy, as when his head lay hardest. God is most pr●●●nt with us in our greatest dejection, and love's to give comfort to those that are forsaken of their hopes. He came fare to find out an hard friend; and of a Nephew becomes a Servant. No doubt when Laban heard of his sister's son, he looked for the Camels and attendance that came to fetch his sister Rebecca, not thinking that Abraham's servant could come better furnished, than Isaac's son: but now when he saw nothing but a staff, he looks upon him, not as an uncle, but a master. And while he pretends to offer him a wife as the reward of his service, he craftily requires his service as the dowry of his wife. After the service of an hard Apprentice ship hath earned her whom he loved; his wife is changed, and he is in a sort, forced to an unwilling adultery: His mother had before in a cunning disguise substituted him, who was the younger son, for the elder; and now not long after, his father in law, by a like fraud, substitutes to him the elder daughter for the younger: God comes oftentimes home to us in our own kind; and even by the sin of others pays us our own, when we look not for it. It is doubtful whether it were a greater cross to marry whom he would not, or to be disappointed of her whom he desired. And now he must begin a new hope, where he made account of fruition. To raise up an expectation once frustrate, is more difficult, then to continue a long hope drawn on with likelihoods of performance: yet thus dear is jacob content to pay for Rachel, fourteen years' servitude. Commonly Gods children come not easily by their pleasures: what miseries will not love digest and overcome? And if jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost in the night, to become the son in law to Laban; What should we refuse to be the sons of God? Rachel whom he 〈◊〉, is barren: Lea which was despised, is fruitful; How wisely God weighs ●ot to us our favours and crosses in an equal balance; so tempering our sorrows that they may not oppress, and our joys that they may not transport us: each one hath some matter of envy to others, and of grief to himself. Lea envies Rachel's beauty, and love; Rachel envies Leahs fruitfulness: Yet Lea would not be barren, nor Rachel blear-eyed. I see in Rachel the image of her Grandmother Sara; both in her beauty of person, in her actions, in her success: she also will needs suborn her handmaid to make her a mother; and at last beyond hope herself conceiveth: It is a weak greediness in us to affect God's blessings by unlawful means; what a proof and praise had it been of her faith if she had stayed God's leisure, and would rather have endured her barrenness, than her husband's polygamy? Now she shows herself the daughter of Laban; the Father for covetousness, the daughters for emulation have drawn sin into jacobs' bed: he offended in yielding, but they more in soliciting him, and therefore the fact is not imputed to jacob, but to them. In those sins which Satan draws us into, the blame is ours: in those which we move each other unto, the most fault and punishment lies upon the tempter. None of the Patriarches divided his seed into so many wombs as jacob; none was so much crossed in his seed. Thus, rich in nothing but wives and children, was he now returning to his Father's house, accounting his charge his wealth. But God meant him yet more good. Laban sees that both his Family and his Flocks were well increased by jacobs' service. Not his love therefore but his gain makes him loath to part. Even Laban's covetousness is made by God the means to enrich jacob. Behold; his straight master entreats him to that recompense, which made his nephew mighty, and himself envious: God considering his hard service, paid him wages out of Laban's folds. Those Flocks and Herds had but few spotted Sheep and Goats, until jacobs' covenant: then (as if the fashion had been altered) they all ran into parted colours; the most and best (as if they had been weary of their former owner) changed the colours of their young, that they might change their master. In the very shapes and colours of brute creatures there is a divine hand, which disposeth them to his own ends. Small and unlikely means shall prevail where God intends an effect. Little peeled sticks of Hasell or Poplar laid in the troughs shall enrich jacob with an increase of his spotted flocks; Laban's sons might have tried the same means, and failed: God would have Laban know that he put a difference betwixt jacob and him; that as for fourteen years he had multiplied jacobs' charge of cattles to Laban, so now for the last six years he would multiply Laban's flock to jacob: and if Laban had the more, yet the better were jacobs': Even in these outward things, Gods childen have many times sensible tastes of his favours above the wicked. I know not whether Laban were a worse Uncle, or Father, or Master: he can like well jacobs' service, not his wealth. As the wicked have no peace with God, so the godly have no peace with men; for if they prosper not, they are despised; if they prosper, they are envied. This Uncle, whom his service had made his father, must now upon his wealth be fled from as an enemy, and like an enemy pursues him: If Laban had meant to have taken a peaceable leave, he had never spent seven days journey in following his innocent son: jacob knew his churlishness, and therefore resolved rather to be unmannerly then injured: well might he think, that he, whose oppression changed his wages so often in his stay, would also abridge his wages in the parting; now therefore he wisely prefers his own estate to Laban's love: it is not good to regard too much the unjust discontentment of worldly men, and to purchase unprofitable favour with too great loss. Behold: Laban follows jacob with one troop, Esau meets him with another, both with hostile intentions; both go on till the utmost point of their execution: both are prevented ere the execution. God makes fools of the enemies of his Church, he lets them proceed, that they may be frustrate, and when they are gone to the utmost reach of their tether, he pulls them back to their task with shame: Lo now, Laban leaves jacob with a kiss; Esau meets him with a kiss: Of the one he hath an oath, tears of the other, peace with both: Who shall need to fear man that is in league with God? But what a wonder is this? jacob received not so much hurt from all his enemies, as from his best friend. Not one of his hairs perished by Laban, or Esau; yet he lost a joint by the Angel, and was sent halting to his grave: He that knows our strength, yet will wrestle with us for our exercise, and love's our violence and importunity. O happy loss of jacob! he lost a joint, and won a blessing: It is a favour to halt from God, yet this favour is seconded with a greater. He is blessed, because he would rather halt, then leave ere he was blessed. If he had left sooner, he had not halted, but he had not prospered. That man shall go away sound, but miserable, that love's a limb more than a blessing. Surely, if jacob had not wrestled with God, he had been foiled with evils: how many are the troubles of the righteous! Not long after, Rachel, the comfort of his life dyeth. And when, but in her travel, and in his travel to his Father? When he had now before digested in his thoughts the joy and gratulation of his aged Father, for so welcome a burden. His children, (the staff of his age) wound his soul to the death. Reuben proves incestuous, judah adulterous, Dinah ravished, Simeon and Levi murderous, Er and Onan stricken dead, joseph lost, Simeon imprisoned; Benjamin the death of his Mother, the Father's right-hand, endangered; himself driven by famine in his old age to die amongst the Egyptians, a people that held it abomination to eat with him. If that Angel, with whom he striven, and who therefore striven for him, had not delivered his soul out of all adversity, he had been supplanted with evils, and had been so far from gaining the name of Israel, that he had lost the name of jacob: now what son of Israel can hope for good days, when he hears his Fathers were so evil? It is enough for us, if when we are dead, we can rest with him in the land of Promise. If the Angel of the Covenant once bless us, no pain, no sorrows can make us miserable. Of DINAH. I Find but one only daughter of jacob, who must needs therefore be a great darling to her Father; and she so miscarries, that she causes her Father's grief to be more than his love. As her mother Leah; so she hath a fault in her eyes; which was Curiosity: She will needs see; and be seen; and whiles she doth vainly see, she is seen lustfully. It is not enough for us to look to our own thoughts, except we beware of the provocations of others: If we once wander out of the lists, that God hath set us in our callings, there is nothing but danger: Her Virginity had been safe, if she had kept home; or if Sechem had forced her in her mother's tent, this loss of her Virginity had been without her sin; now she is not innocent that gave the occasion. Her eyes were guilty of the temptation; Only to see, is an insufficient warrant to draw us into places of spiritual hazard: If Sechem had seen her busy at home, his love had been free from outrage; now the lightness of her presence gave encouragement to his inordinate desires. Immodesty of behaviour makes way to lust; and gives life unto wicked hopes: yet Sechem be wrayes a good nature even in filthiness; He love's Dinah after his sin, and will needs marry her whom he had defiled. Commonly lust ends in loathing: Ammon abhors Thamar as much, after his act, as before, he loved her; and beats her out of doors, whom he was sick to bring in. But Sechem would not let Dinah far the worse for his sin. And now he goes about to entertain her with honest love whom the rage of his lust had dishonestly abused. Her deflowering shall be no prejudice to her, since her shame shall redound to none but him, and he will hide her dishonour with the name of an husband. What could he now do, but sue to his Father, to hers, to herself, to her brethren; entreating that, with humble submission, which he might have obtained by violence? Those actions which are ill begun, can hardly be salved up with late satisfactions; whereas good entrances give strength unto the proceed, and success to the end. The young man's father doth not only consent, but solicit; and is ready to purchase a daughter either with substance, or pain: The two old men would have ended the matter peaceably; but youth commonly undertakes rashly, and performs with passion. The sons of jacob think of nothing but revenge, and (which is worst of all) begin their cruelty with craft, and hide their craft with Religion: A smiling malice is most deadly; and hatred doth most rankle the heart, when it is kept in and dissembled. We cannot give our sister to an uncircumcised man; here was God in the mouth, and Saran in the heart: The bloodiest of all projects have ever wont to be coloured with Religion: because the worse any thing is, the better show it desires to make, and contrarily, the better colour is put upon any vice, the more odious it is; for as every simulation adds to an evil, so the best adds most evil: themselves had taken the daughters and sisters of uncircumcised men; yea jacob himself did so; why might not an uncircumcised man obtain their sister? Or if there be a difference of giving and taking, it had been well, if it had not been only pretended. It had been a happy Ravishment of Dinah, that should have drawn a whole Country into the bosom of the Church: but here was a Sacrament intended, not to the good of the soul, but to murder of the body: It was a hard task for Hamor and Sechem, not only to put the knife to their own foreskins, but to persuade a multitude to so painful a condition. The sons of jacob dissemble with them, they with the people. (Shall not their flocks and substance be ours?) Common profit is pretended; whereas only Sechems' pleasure is meant. No motive is so powerful to the vulgar sort, as the name of Commodity; The hope of this, makes them prodigal of their skin and blood; Not the love to the Sacrament, not the love to Sechem: sinister respects draw more to the profession of Religion, than conscience: if it were not for the loaves and fishes, the train of Christ would be less. But the Sacraments of God mis-received, never prosper in the end. These men are content to smart, so they may gain. And now that every man lies sore of his own wound, Simeon and Levi rush in armed, and wound all the males to death: Cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruel. Indeed, filthiness should not have been wrought by Israel; yet, murder should not have been wrought by Israel; if they had been fit judges (which were but bloody executioners) how far doth the punishment exceed the fault? To punish above the offence, is no less injustice, then to offend: one offendeth, and all feel the revenge: yea all (though innocent) suffer that revenge, which he that offended, deserved not. Sechem sinneth, but Dinah tempted him: She that was so light, as to wander abroad alone, only to gaze, I fear was not over-difficult to yield: And if having wrought her shame, he had driven her home with disgrace to her Father's tent, such tyrannous lust had justly called for blood: but now he craves, and offers, and would pay dear for but leave to give satisfaction. To execute rigour upon a submiss offender, is more merciless than just: Or if the punishment had been both just and proportionable from another, yet from them which had vowed peace and affinity, it was shamefully unjust. To disappoint the trust of another, and to neglect our own promise and fidelity for private purposes, adds faithlesness unto our cruelty. That they were impotent, it was through their circumcision: what impiety was this; in stead of honouring an holy sign, to take an advantage by it? What shrieking was there now in the streets of the City of the Hivites? And how did the beguiled Sichemits, when they saw the swords of the two brethren, die cursing that Sacrament in their hearts, which had betrayed them? Even their curses were the sins of Simeon and Levi; whose fact, though it were abhorred by their Father, yet it was seconded by their brethren. Their spoil makes good the others slaughter. Who would have looked to have found this outrage in the family of jacob? How did that good Patriarch, when he saw Dinah come home blubbered and wring her hands, Simeon and Levi sprinkled with blood, wish that Leah had been barren as long as Rachel! Good Parents have grief enough (though they sustain no blame) for their children's sins: What great evils arise from small beginnings! The idle curiosity of Dinah hath bred all this mischief; Ravishment follows upon her wand'ring, upon her ravishment murder, upon the murder spoil: It is holy and safe to be jealous of the first occasions of evil, either done or suffered. Of JUDAH and THAMAR. I Find not many of jacobs' sons more faulty than judah; who yet is singled out from all the rest, to be the royal Progenitor of Christ; and to be honoured with the dignity of the birthright, that God's election might not be of merit, but of grace: Else howsoever he might have sped alone, Thamar had never been joined with him in this line: Even judah marries a Canaanite; it is no marvel though his Seed prosper not: And yet that good children may not be too much discouraged with their unlawful propagation, the Fathers of the promised Seed are raised from an incestuous bed: judah was very young, scarce from under the rod of his Father, yet he takes no other counsel for his marriage, but from his own eyes, which were like his sister Dinahs, roving and wanton: what better issue could be expected from such beginnings? Those proud jews that glory so much of their Pedigree and Name from this Patriarch, may now choose whether they will have their mother a Canaanite, or an Harlot: Even in these things ofttimes the birth follows the belly. His eldest son Er, is too wicked to live; God strikes him dead ere he can leave any issue, not abiding any scions to grow out of so bad a stock: Notorious sinners God reserves to his own vengeance. He doth not inflict sensible judgements upon all his enemies, lest the wicked should think there were no punishment abiding for them elsewhere. He doth inflict such judgements upon some, lest he should seem careless of evil. It were as easy for him to strike all dead, as one: but he had rather all should be warned by one; and would have his enemies find him merciful, as his children, just: His brother Onan sees the judgement, and yet follows his sins. Every little thing discourages us from good; Nothing can alter the heart that is set upon evil: Ere was not worthy of any love; but though he were a miscreant, yet he was a brother. Seed should have been raised to him; Onan justly leeses his life with his Seed; which he would rather spill, then lend to a wicked brother. Some duties we own to humanity, more to nearness of blood. Ill deservings of others can be no excuse for our injustice, for our uncharitableness. That which Thamar required, Moses afterward, as from God, commanded; the succession of brothers into the barren bed: Some laws God spoke to his Church, long ere he wrote them: while the author is certainly known, the voice and the finger of God are worthy of equal respect. judah hath lost two sons, and now doth but promise the third, whom he sins in not giving. It is the weakness of nature, rather to hazard a sin, than a danger; and to neglect our own duty, for wrongful suspicion of others: though he had lost his son in giving him, yet he should have given him: A faithful man's promise is his debt, which no fear of damage can dispense with. But whereupon was this slackness? judah feared that some unhappiness in the bed of Thamar was the cause of his son's miscarriage; whereas it was their fault, that Thamar was both a widow and childless. Those that are but the patients of evil, are many times burdened with suspicions; and therefore are ill thought of, because they far ill: Afflictions would not be so heavy, if they did not lay us open unto uncharitable conceits. What difference God puts betwixt sins of wilfulness, and infirmity? The pollution is punished with present death, the father's incest is pardoned, and in a sort prospereth. Now Thamar seeks by subtlety, that which she could not have by award of justice; the neglect of due retributions drives men to indirect courses; neither know I whether they sin more in righting themselves wrongfully, or the other in not righting them: She therefore takes upon her the habit of an harlot, that she might perform the act; If she had not wished to seem an Whore, she had not worn that attire, nor chosen that place. Immodesty of outward fashion or gesture bewrays evil desires: the heart that means well, will never wish to seem ill; for commonly we affect to show better than we are. Many harlots will put on the semblances of chastity, of modesty; never the contrary. It is no trusting those, which do not wish to appear good. judah esteems her by her habit: and now the sight of an harlot hath stirred up in him a thought of lust; Satan finds well, that a fit object is half a victory. Who would not be ashamed to see a son of jacob thus transported with filthy affections? At the first fight he is inflamed, neither yet did he see the face of her, whom he lusted after: it was enough motive to him that she was a woman, neither could the presence of his neighbour, the Adullamite, compose those wicked thoughts, or hinder his unchaste acts. That sin must needs be impudent which can abide a witness: yea so hath his lust besotted him, that he cannot discern the voice of Thamar, that he cannot foresee the danger of his shame in parting with such pledges. There is no passion, which doth not for the time bereave a man of himself: Thamar had learned not to trust him without a pawn; He had promised his son to her as a daughter, and failed; now he promised a Kid to her, as an Harlot, and performeth it: Whether his pledge constrained him, or the power of his word, I inquire not: Many are faithful in all things, save those which are the greatest, and dearest; If his credit had been as much endangered in the former promise, he had kept it: now hath Thamar requited him. She expected long the enjoying of his promised son, and he performed not: but here he performs the promise of the Kid, and she stays not to expect it. judah is sorry that he cannot pay the hire of his lust, and now feareth lest he shall be beaten with his own staff, lest his signet shall be used to confirm, and seal his reproach; resolving not to know them; and wishing they were unknown of others. Shame is the easiest wages of sin, and the surest, which ever gins first in ourselves. Nature is not more forward to commit sin, then willing to hide it. I hear as yet of no remorse in judah, but fear of shame. Three months hath his sin slept: and now when he is securest, it awakes and baits him. News is brought him that Thamar gins to swell with her conception, and now he swells with rage, and calls her forth to the flame like a rigorous judge, without so much as staying for the time of her deliverance, that his cruelty in this justice, should be no less ill, than the unjustice of occasioning it. If judah had not forgotten his sin, his pity had been more than his hatred to this of his daughters: How easy is it to detest those sins in others, which we flatter in ourselves! Thamar doth not deny the sin, nor refuse punishment; but calls for that partner in her punishment, which was her partner in the sin: the staff, the signet, the handkerchief accuse and convince judah, and now he blushes at his own sentence, much more at his act, and cries out, She is more righteous than I. God will find a time to bring his children upon their knees, and to wring from them penitent confessions: And rather than he will not have them sound ashamed, he will make them the trumpets of their own reproach. Yet doth he not offer himself to the flame with her, but rather excuses her by himself. This relenting in his own case, shamed his former zeal: Even in the best men nature is partial to itself: It is good so to sentence others frailties, that yet we remember our own, whether those that have been, or may be: with what shame, yea with what horror must judah needs look upon the great belly of Thamar, and on her two sons, the monuments of his filthiness? How must it needs wound his soul, to hear them call him both Father and Grandfather; to call her mother and sister? If this had not cost him many a sigh, he had no more escaped his Father's curse, than Reuben did: I see the difference, not of sins, but of men: Remission goes not by the measure of the sin, but the quality of the sinner; yea rather the mercy of the Forgiver: Blessed is the man (not that sins not, but) to whom the Lord imputes not his sin. Of JOSEPH. I Marvel not that joseph had the double portion of jacobs' land, who had more than two parts of his sorrows: None of his sons did so truly inherit his afflictions; none of them was either so miserable, or so great: suffering is the way to glory: I see in him not a clearer type of Christ, then of every Christian; Because we are dear to our Father, and complain of sins, therefore are we hated of our carnal brethren: If joseph had not meddled with his brother's faults, yet he had been envied for his Father's affection; but now malice is met with envy: There is nothing more thankless or dangerous then to stand in the way of a resolute sinner: That which doth correct and oblige the penitent, makes the wilful mind furious and revengeful. All the spite of his brethren cannot make joseph cast off the livery of his Father's love: what need we care for the censures of men, if our hearts can tell us that we are in favour with God? But what meant young joseph to add unto his own envy, by reporting his dreams? The concealment of our hopes, or abilities, hath not more modesty, than safety: He that was envied for his dearness, and hated for his intelligence, was both envied & hated for his dreams. Surely God meant to make the relation of these dreams, a means to affect that which these dreams imported. We men work by likely means; God by contraries. The main quarrel was, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Had it not been for his dreams, he had not been sold: if he had not been sold, he had not been exalted. So josephs' state had not deserved envy, if his dreams had not caused him to be envied. Full little did joseph think, when he went to seek his brethren, that this was the last time he should see his father's house: Full little did his brethren think, when they sold him naked to the Ismaelites, to have once seen him in the Throne of Egypt. God's decree runs on; and while we either think not of it, or oppose it, is performed. In an honest and obedient simplicity, joseph comes to inquire of his brethren's health, and now may not return to carry news of his own misery: whiles he thinks of their welfare, they are plotting his destruction; Come, let us slay him. Who would have expected this cruelty in them, which should be the Fathers of God's Church? It was thought a favour, that Reubens entreaty obtained for him that he might be cast into the pit alive; to dye there. He looked for brethren, and behold murderers; Every man's tongue, every man's fist was bend against him: Each one strives who shall lay the first hand upon that changeable cote, which was died with their Father's love, and their envy: And now they have stripped him naked; and haling him by both arms, as it were, cast him alive into his grave. So in pretence of forbearance, they resolve to torment him with a lingering death: the savagest robbers could not have been more merciless: for now besides (what in them lies) they kill their Father in their brother. Nature, if it once degenerate, grows more monstrous and extreme, than a disposition borne to cruelty. All this while joseph wanted neither words nor tears; but like a passionate suppliant bowing his bare knees to them, whom he dreamt should bow to him) entreats and persuades by the dear name of their brotherhood, by their profession of one common God, for their Father's sake, for their own soul's sake, not to sin against his blood. But envy hath shut out mercy; and makes them not only forget themselves to be brethren, but men: What stranger can think of poor innocent joseph, crying naked in that desolate and dry pit (only saving that he moistened it with tears) and not be moved? Yet his hardhearted brethren fit them down carelessly, with the noise of his lamentation in their ears, to eat bread; not once thinking by their own hunger, what it was for joseph to be affamisht to death. Whatsoever they thought, God never meant that joseph should perish in that pit; and therefore he sends very Ismaelites to ransom him from his Brethren; the feed of him that persecuted his brother Isaac, shall now redeem joseph from his brethren's persecution. When they came to fetch him out of the pit, he now hoped for a speedy dispatch; That since they seemed not to have so much mercy, as to prolong his life, they would not continue so much cruelty, as to prolong his death. And now, when he hath comforted himself with hope of the favour of dying, behold, death exchanged for bondage: how much is servitude, to an ingenuous nature, worse than death? For, this is common to all; that, to none but the miserable: judah meant this well, but God better: Reuben saved him from the sword, judah from affamishing: God will ever raise up some secret favourers to his own, amongst those that are most malicious. How well was this favour bestowed? If joseph had died for hunger in the pit, both jacob, and judah, and all his brethren had died for hunger in Canaan. Little did the Ismaelitish Merchants know what a treasure they bought, carried, and sold; more precious than all their Balms and Myrrhs. Little did they think that they had in their hands the Lord of Egypt, the jewel of the World? Why should we contemn any man's meanness, when we know not his destiny? One sin is commonly used for the veil of another: josephs' coat is sent home dipped in blood, that whiles they should hide their own cruelty, they might afflict their Father, no less than their brother. They have devised this real lie, to punish their old Father for his love, with so grievous a monument of his sorrow. He that is mourned for in Canaan, as dead, prospers in Egypt under Potiphar; and of a Slave, is made a Ruler: Thus God meant to prepare him for a greater charge; he must first rule Petiphars House, than Pharaohs Kingdom: his own service is his least good, for his very presence procures a common blessing: A whole Family shall far the better for one joseph. Virtue is not looked upon alike with all eyes: his fellows praise him, his Master trusts him, his Mistress affects him too much. All the spite of his brethren was not so great a cross to him, as the inordinate affection of his Mistress. Temptations on the right hand, are now more perilous, and hard to resist, by how much they are more plausible and glorious; But the heart that is bend upon God, knows how to walk steadily, and indifferently betwixt the pleasures of sin, and fears of evil. He saw, this pleasure would advance him: He knew what it was to be a Minion of one of the greatest Ladies in Egypt: yet resolves to contemn it: A good heart will rather lie in the dust, then rise by wickedness. How shall I do this; and sin against God He knew that all the honours of Egypt could not buy off the guilt of one sin, and therefore abhors not only her bed, but her company: He that will be safe from the acts of evil, must wisely avoid the occasions. As sin ends ever in shame, when it is committed, so it makes us past shame, that we may commit it; The impudent strumpet dare not only solicit, but importune, but in a sort force the modesty of her good servant; She lays hold on his garment; her hand seconds her tongue. Good joseph found it now time to flee; when such an enemy pursued him: how much had he rather leave his cloak, than his virtue! and to suffer his Mistress to spoil him of his livery, rather than he should blemish her honour, or his Masters in her, or God in either of them. This second time is joseph stripped of his garment; before in the violence of envy, now of lust; before of necessity, now of choice: Before, to deceive his Father, now his Master: for behold, the pledge of his fidelity, which he left in those wicked hands, is made an evidence against him, of that which he refused to do: therefore did he leave his cloak, because he would not do that; of which he is accused and condemned, because he left it: what safety is there against great Adversaries, when even arguments of innocence are used to convince of evil? Lust yielded unto, is a pleasant madness, but is a desperate madness, when it is opposed: No hatred burns so furiously, as that which arises from the quenched coals of love. Malice is witty to device accusations of others, out of their virtue, and our own guiltiness: joseph either pleads not, or is not heard. Doubtless he denied the fact, but he dare not accuse the offender: There is not only the praise of patience, but ofttimes of wisdom, even in unjust sufferings: He knew that God would find a time to clear his innocence, and to regard his chaste faithfulness. No prison would serve him, but Pharaohs. joseph had lain obscure, and not been known to Pharaoh, if he had not been cast into Pharaohs dungeon: the afflictions of God's children turn ever to their advantages. No sooner is joseph a prisoner, than a Guardian of the prisoners. Trust and honour accompany him wheresoever he is: In his father's house, in Potiphars, in the jail, in the Court: still he hath both favour and rule. So long as God is with him, he cannot but shine in spite of men: The walls of that dungeon cannot hide his virtues, the irons cannot hold them. Pharaohs Officers are sent to witness his graces, which he may not come forth to show: the Cupbearer admires him in the jail, but forgets him in the Court. How easily doth our own prosperity make us forget either the deservings, or miseries of others! But as God cannot neglect his own, so lest of all in their sorrows. After two years more of josephs' patience; that God which caused him to be lift out of the former pit, to be sold, now calls him out of the dungeon to honour. He now puts a dream into the head of Pharaoh. He puts the remembrance of josephs' skill into the head of the Cupbearer; who to pleasure Pharaoh, not to requite joseph, commends the Prisoner, for an Interpreter: He puts an interpretation in the mouth of joseph: he puts this choice into the heart of Pharaoh, of a miserable prisoner, to make the Ruler of Egypt. Behold: one hour hath changed his fetters into a chain of gold; his rags into fine linen, his stocks into a Chariot, his jail into a Palace, Potiphars captive into his Master's Lord; the noise of his chains into Abrech. He whose chastity refused the wanton allurements of the Wife of Potiphar, hath now given him to his Wife the daughter of Potipherah. Humility goes before honour; Serving and Suffering are the best Tutors to Government. How well are God's children paid for their patience! How happy are the issues of the faithful! Never any man repent him of the advancement of a good man. Pharaoh hath not more preferred joseph, than joseph hath enriched Pharaoh; If joseph had not ruled, Egypt and all the bordering Nations had perished. The providence of so faithful an Officer hath both given the Egyptians their lives; and the money, cattles, lands, bodies of the Egyptians to Pharaoh. Both have reason to be well pleased. The Subjects own to him their lives; the King his Subjects, and his Dominions: the bounty of God made joseph able to give more than he received. It is like, the seven years of plenty were not confined to Egypt; other Countries adjoining, were no less fruitful: yet in the seven years of famine, Egypt had corn when they wanted. See the difference betwixt a wise prudent frugality, and a vain ignorant expense of the benefits of God: The sparing hand is both full and beneficial, whereas the lavish is not only empty, but injurious. Good jacob is pinched with the common famine. No piety can exempt us from the evils of neighbourhood. No man can tell by outward events, which is the Patriarch, and which the Canaanite. Neither doth his profession lead him to the hope of a miraculous preservation. It is a vain tempting of God, to cast ourselves upon an immediate provision, with neglect of common means: His ten sons must now leave their flocks, and go down into Aegppt, to be their Father's purveyors. And now they go to buy of him whom they had sold; and bow their knees to him for his relief, which had bowed to them before for his own life. His age, his habit, the place, the language, kept joseph from their knowledge; neither had they called off their minds from their folds, to inquire of matters of foreign State, or to hear that an Hebrew was advanced to the highest honour of Egypt. But he cannot but know them, whom he left at their full growth, whose tongue, and habit, and number were all one: whose faces had left so deep an impression in his mind, at their unkind parting: It is wisdom sometimes to conceal our knowledge, that we may not prejudice truth. He that was hated of his brethren, for being his Fathers spy; now accuses his brethren for common spies of the weaknesses of Egypt; he could not without their suspicion have come to a perfect intelligence of his Father's estate, and theirs, if he had not objected to them that which was not. We are always bound to go the nearest way to truth. It is more safe in cases of inquisition, to fetch fare about; that he might seem enough an Egyptian, he swears heathenishly: how little could they suspect, this Oath could proceed from the son of him, which swore by the fear of his Father Isaac? How oft have sinister respects drawn weak goodness to disguise itself, even with sins? It was no small joy to joseph, to see this late accomplishment of his ancient dream; to see these suppliants (I know not whether more brethren, or enemies) grovelling before him in an unknown submission: and now it doth him good to seem merciless to them, whom he had found wilfully cruel; to hide his love from them, which had showed their hate to him; and to think how much he favoured them, and how little they knew it: And as sporting himself in their seeming misery, he pleasantly imitates all those actions reciprocally unto them, which they in despite and earnest, had done formerly to him; he speaks roughly, rejects their persuasions, puts them in hold, and one of them in bonds. The mind must not always be judged by the outward face of the actions. God's countenance is ofttimes as severe, and his hand as heavy to them whom he best loveth. Many a one, under the habit of an Egyptian, hath the heart of an Israelite. No song could be so delightful to him, as to hear them in a late remorse condemn themselves before him, of their old cruelty towards him, who was now their unknown witness and judge. Nothing doth so powerfully call home the conscience, as affliction, neither need there any other art of memory for sin, besides misery. They had heard josephs' deprecation of their evil with tears, and had not pitied him; yet joseph doth but hear their mention of this evil which they had done against him, and pities them with tears; he weeps for joy to see their repentance, and to compare his safety and happiness with the cruelty which they intended, and did, and thought they had done. Yet he can abide to see his brother his prisoner; whom no bonds could bind so strong, as his affection bound him to his captive: Simeon is left in pawn, in fetters; the rest return, with their corn, with their money, paying nothing for their provision, but their labour; that they might be as much troubled with the beneficence of that strange Egyptian Lord, as before with his imperious suspicion. Their wealth was now more irksome to them, than their need: and they fear, God means to punish them more in this superfluity of money, then in the want of victuals (What is this that God hath done to us?) It is a wise course to be jealous of our gain; and more to fear, then desire abundance. Old jacob, that was not used to simple and absolute contentments, receives the blessing of seasonable provision, together with the affliction of that heavy message; the loss of one son, and the danger of another; and knows not whether it be better for him to dye with hunger, or with grief, for the departure of that son of his right hand: He drives off all till the last; Protraction is a kind of ease in evils that must come. At length (as no plea is so importunate, as that of famine) Benjamin must go; one evil must be hazarded for the redress of another: what would it avail him, to see whom he loved, miserable? How injurious were that affection to keep his son so long in his eye, till they should see each other die for hunger! The ten brothers return into Egypt loaded with double money in their sacks, and a present in their hands; the danger of mistaking is requited, by honest minds, with more than restitution. It is not enough to find our own hearts clear in suspicious actions, except we satisfy others: Now hath joseph what he would, the sight and presence of his Benjamin, whom he therefore borrows of his Father for a time, that he might return him with a greater interest of joy: And now he feasts them whom he formerly threatened, and turns their fear into wonder: all unequal love is not partial; all the brethren are entertained bountifully, but Benjamin hath a fivefold portion: By how much his welcome was greater, by so much his pretended theft seemed more heinous; for good turns aggravate unkindnesses, and our offences are increased with our obligations; How easy is it to find advantages, where there is a purpose to accuse! Benjamins' sack makes him guilty of that whereof his heart was free; Crimes seem strange to the innocent; well might they abjure this fact, with the offer of bondage and death: For they which carefully brought again that which they might have taken, would never take that which was not given them. But thus joseph would yet daily with his brethren, and make Benjamin a thief, that he might make him a servant, and fright his brethren with the peril of that their charge, that he might double their joy, and amazedness, in giving them two brothers at once: our happiness is greater, and sweeter, when we have well feared, and smarted with evils. But now when judah seriously reported the danger of his old Father, and the sadness of his last complaint, compassion and joy will be concealed no longer, but break forth violently at his voice and eyes. Many passions do not well abide witnesses, because they are guilty to their own weakness: joseph sends forth his servants, that he might freely weep. He knew he could not say, I am joseph, without an unbeseeming vehemence. Never any word sounded so strangely as this, in the ears of the Patriarches. Wonder, doubt, reverence, joy, fear, hope, guiltiness, strooke them at once. It was time for joseph to say, Fear not; No marvel if they stood with paleness and silence before him; looking on him, and on each other: the more they considered, they wondered more; and the more they believed, the more they feared: For those words (I am joseph) seemed to sound thus much to their guilty thoughts; You are murderers: and I am a Prince in spite of you; My power and this place, give me all opportunities of revenge; My glory is your shame, my life your danger, your sin life's together with me. But now the tears and gracious words of joseph have soon assured them of pardon and love, and have bidden them turn their eyes from their sin against their brother, to their happiness in him, and have changed their doubts into hopes and joys; causing them to look upon him without fear, though not without shame. His loving embracements clear their hearts of all jealousies; and hasten to put new thoughts into them; of favour, and of greatness: So that now forgetting what evil they did to their brother, they are thinking of what good their brother may do to them. Actions salved up with a free forgiveness, are as not done: and as a bone once broken, is stronger after well setting, so is love after reconcilement. But as wounds once healed, leave a scar behind them; so remitted injuries leave commonly in the actors a guilty remembrance; which hindered these brethren from that freedom of joy, which else they had conceived: This was their fault, not josephs': who strives to give them all security of his love; and will be as bountiful, as they were cruel. They sent him naked to strangers, he sends them in new and rich liveries to their Father; they took a small sum of money for him, he gives them great treasures; They sent his torn coat to his Father; He sends variety of costly raiments to his Father, by them: They sold him to be the load of Camels; He sends them home with Chariots. It must be a great favour that can appease the conscience of a great injury. Now they return home rich and joyful, making themselves happy to think; how glad they should make their Father with this news. That good old man would never have hoped that Egypt could have afforded such provision as this. joseph is yet alive: This was not food, but life to him. The return of Benjamin was comfortable: but that his dead son was yet alive after so many year's lamentation, was tidings too happy to be believed, and was enough to endanger that life with excess of joy, which the knowledge thereof doubled. Ouer-excellent objects are dangerous in their sudden apprehensions. One grain of that joy would have safely cheered him, whereof a full measure overlayes his heart with too much sweetness. There is no earthly pleasure whereof we may not surfeit: of the spiritual we can never have enough. Yet his eyes revive his mind, which his ears had thus astonished. When he saw the Chariots of his son, he believed josephs' life, and refreshed his own. He had too much before, so that he could not enjoy it: now he saith, I have enough, joseph my son is yet alive. They told him of his honour, he speaks of his life: Life is better than honour. To have heard that joseph lived a servant, would have joyed him more, then to hear that he died honourably. The greater blessing obscures the less. He is not worthy of honour, that is not thankful for life. Yet josephs' life did not content jacob without his presence: (I will go down and see him ere I die:) The sight of the eye is better than to walk in desires; Good things pleasure us not in their being, but in our enjoying. The height of all earthly contentment appeared in the meeting of these two; whom their mutual loss had more endeared to each other: The intermission of comforts, hath this advantage, that it sweetens our delight more in the return, than was abated in the forbearance. God doth ofttimes hide away our joseph for a time, that we may be more joyous and thankful in his recovery: This was the sincerest pleasure that ever jacob had, which therefore God reserved for his age. And if the meeting of earthly friends be so unspeakably comfortable; how happy shall we be in the light of the glorious face of God our heavenly Father! of that our blessed Redeemer, whom we sold to death by our sins! and which now after that noble Triumph hath all power given him in Heaven and Earth. Thus did jacob rejoice when he was to go out of the Land of Promise, to a foreign Nation, for josephs' sake; being glad that he should lose his Country for his son. What shall our joy be, who must go out of this foreign Land of our Pilgrimage, to the home of our glorious inheritance, to dwell with none but our own; in that better and more lightsome Goshen, free from all the encumbrances of this Egypt, and full of all the riches and delights of God? The guilty conscience can never think itself safe: So many year's experience of josephs' love could not secure his brethren of remission: those that know they have deserved ill, are wont to misinterpret favours, and think they cannot be beloved: All that while, his goodness seemed but concealed and sleeping malice; which they feared in their Father's last sleep would awake, and bewray itself in revenge: Still therefore they plead the name of their Father, though dead, not daring to use their own: Good meanings cannot be more wronged, then with suspicion: It grieves joseph to see their fear, and to find they had not forgotten their own sin, and to hear them so passionately crave that which they had. Forgive the trespass of the servants of thy Father's God:) What a conjuration of pardon was this? What wound could be either so deep, or so festered, as this plaster could not cure? They say not, the sons of thy Father, for they knew jacob was dead, and they had degenerated; but the servants of thy Father's God: How much stronger are the bonds of Religion then of Nature? If joseph had been rancorous, this deprecation had charmed him; but now it resolves him into tears: They are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence, as he to protest his love; and if he chide them for any thing, it is for that they thought they needed to entreat; since they might know, it could not stand with the fellow-servant of their Father's God to harbour maliciousness, to purpose revenge. Am not I under God? And fully to secure them; he turns their eyes from themselves to the Decree of God, from the action to the event; as one that would have them think, there was no cause to repent of that which proved so successful. Even late confession finds forgiveness; joseph had long ago seen their sorrow, never but now heard their humble acknowledgement; Mercy stays not for outward solemnities. How much more shall that infinite goodness pardon our sins, when he finds the truth of our repentance? Contemplations. THE FOURTH BOOK. The affliction of Israel, Or The Egyptian bondage. The birth and breeding of Moses. Moses called. The plagues of Egypt. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, JAMES LORD HAY, ALL GRACE AND HAPPINESS. Right Honourable, ALL that I can say for myself, is a desire of doing good; which if it were as fervent in richer hearts, the Church which now we see comely, would then be glorious: this honest ambition hath carried me to neglect the fear of seeming prodigal of my little; and while I see others Talents rusting in the earth, hath drawn me to traffic with mine in public. I hope, no adventure that ever I made of this kind, shall be equally gainful to this my present labour, wherein I take Gods own History for the ground, and work upon it by what Meditations my weakness can afford: The divineness of this subject shall make more than amends for the manifold defects of my discourse; although also the blame of an imperfection is so much the more, when it lighteth upon so high a choice. This part which I offer to your Lordship, shall show you Pharaoh impotently envious and cruel, the Israelites of friends become slaves, punished only for prospering; Moses in the Weeds, in the Court, in the Desert, in the Hill of visions; a Courtier in Egypt, a Shepherd in Midian, an Ambassador from God, a Leader of God's people: and when you see the prodigious variety of the plagues of Egypt, you shall not know whether more to wonder at the miracles of Moses, or Pharaohs obstinacle. Finally, you shall see the same Waves made both a wall and a gulf in one hour; the Egyptians drowned, where no Jsraelite was wetshod: and if these passages, yield not abundance of profitable thoughts, impute it (not without pardon) to the poverty of my weak conceit; which yet may perhaps occasion better unto others. In all humble submission I commend them (what they are) to your Lordship's favourable acceptation, and yourself with them to the gracious blessing of our God. Your Lordships in all dutiful observance at command, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE FOURTH BOOK. The affliction of Jsrael. EGYPT was long an harbour to the Israelites; now it proves a jail: the Posterity of jacob finds too late, what it was for their forefathers to sell joseph, a slave into Egypt. Those whom the Egyptians honoured before as Lord, now they contemn as drudges: One Pharaoh advances, whom another labours to depress: Not seldom the same man changes copies: but if favours outlive one age, they prove decrepit and heartless: It is a rare thing to find posterity heirs of their father's love: How should men's favour be but like themselves, variable and inconstant? there is no certainty but in the favour of God, in whom can be no change; whose love is entailed upon a thousand generation. Yet if the Israelites had been treacherous to Pharaoh, if disobedient, this great change of countenance had been just; now the only offence of Israel, is, that he prospereth; that which should be the motive of their gratulation, and friendship, is the cause of their malice. There is no more hateful sight to a wicked man, than the prosperity of the conscionable; None but the spirit of that true Harbinger of Christ, can teach us to say with contentment, He must increase, but I must decrease. And what if Israel be mighty and rich? (If there be war, they may join with our enemies, and get them out of the Land.) Behold, they are afraid to part with those whom they are grieved to entertain: either staying, or going, is offence enough, to those that seek quarrels; There were no wars, and yet they say, If there be wars. The Israelites had never given cause of fear to revolt, and yet they say, Lest they join to our enemies, to those enemies which we may have; So they make their certain friends slaves, for fear of uncertain enemies. Wickedness is ever cowardly, and full of unjust suspicions; it makes a man fear, where no fear is; fly, when none pursues him. What difference there is betwixt David and Pharaoh! The faith of the one says, I will not be afraid for then thousand that should beset me; The fear of the other says, Left if there be war, they join with our enemies; therefore should he have made much of the Israelites, that they might be his: his favour might have made them firm; Why might they not as well draw their swords for him? Weak and base minds ever incline to the worse; and seek safety, rather in an impossibility of hurt, then in the likelihood of just advantage. Favours had been more binding then cruelties: yet the foolish Egyptian had rather have impotent servants, then able friends. For their welfare alone, Pharaoh owes Israel a mischief; and how will he pay it? (Come let us work wisely;) Lewd men call wicked policies wisdom, and their success happiness: Herein Satan is wiser than they; who both lays the plot, and makes them such fools, as to mistake villainy and madness, for the best virtue. Injustice is upheld by violence, whereas just governments are maintained by love: Taskmasters must be set over Israel; they should not be the true Seed of Israel, if they were not still set to wrestle with God in afflictions: Heavy burdens must be laid upon them: Israel is never but loaded, the destiny of one of jacobs' sons is common to all; To lie down betwixt their burdens. If they had seemed to breathe them in Goshen sometimes, yet even there it was no small misery to be forainers, and to live among Idolaters; but now the name of a slave is added to the name of a stranger. Israel had gathered some rust in idolatrous Egypt, and now he must be scoured: they had borne the burden of God's anger, if they had not borne the burdens of the Egyptians. As God afflicted them with another mind then the Egyptians; (God to exercise them, the Egyptians to suppress them;) so causes he the event to differ. Who would not have thought with these Egyptians, that so extreme misery should not have made the Israelites unfit, both for generation and resistance? Moderate exercise strengthens, extreme destroys nature: That God which many times works by contrary means, caused them to grow with depression, with persecution to multiply; How can God's Church but fare well, since the very malice of their enemy's benefits them? Oh the Sovereign goodness of our God, that turns all our poisons into cordials! God's Vine bears the better with bleeding. And now the Egyptians could be angry with their own maliciousness, that this was the occasion of multiplying them whom they hated, and feared; to see that this service gained more to the workmen, then to their Masters; The stronger therefore the Israelites grew, the more impotent grew the malice of their persecutors. And since their own labour strengthens them, now tyranny will try what can be done by the violence of others: since the present strength cannot be subdued; the hopes of succession must be prevented: women must be suborned to be murderers; and those whose office is to help the birth, must destroy it. There was less suspicion of cruelty in that sex, and more opportunity of doing mischief. The male children must be borne, and die at once; what can be more innocent, than the child that hath not lived so much as to cry, or to see light? It is fault enough to be the son of an Israelite: the daughters may live for bondage, for lust; a condition so much (at the least) worse than death, as their sex was weaker. O marvelous cruelty, that a man should kill a man, for his sex's sake! Whosoever hath loosed the reynes unto cruelty, is easily carried into incredible extremities. From burdens, they proceed to bondage, and from bondage to blood: from an unjust vexation of their body, to an inhuman destruction of the fruit of their body. As the sins of the concupiscible part, from slight motions, grow on to foul executions, so do those of the irascible; there is no sin, whose harbour is more unsafe, then of that of malice: But ofttimes the power of tyrants answers not their will: evil commanders cannot always meet with equally mischievous agents. The fear of God teaches the Midwives to disobey an unjust command; they well knew, how no excuse it is for evil, I was bidden. God said to their hearts, Thou shalt not kill: This voice was louder than Pharaohs. I commend their obedience in disobeying; I dare not commend their excuse; there was as much weakness in their answer, as strength in their practice: as they feared God in not killing, so they feared Pharaoh in dissembling: ofttimes those that make conscience of greater sins, are overtaken with less. It is well and rare, if we can come forth of a dangerous action without any foil; and if we have escaped the storm, that some after-drops wet us not. Who would not have expected that the Midwives should be murdered, for not murdering? Pharaoh could not be so simple to think these women a rusty: yet his indignation had no power to reach to their punishment. God prospered the Midwives, who can harm them? Even the not doing of evil is rewarded with good. And why did they prosper? Because they feared God; Not for their dissimulation, but their piety. So did God regard their mercy, that he regarded not their infirmity. How fond do men lay the thank upon the sin, which is due to the virtue: true wisdom teaches to distinguish God's actions, and to ascribe them to the right causes; Pardon belongs to the lie of the Midwives, and remuneration to their goodness, prosperity to their fear of God. But that which the Midwives will not, the multitudes shall do; It were strange, if wicked Rulers should not find some or other instruments of violence: all the people must drown whom the women saved. Cruelty hath but smoked before, now it ●ames up, secret practising hath made it shameless, that now it dare proclaim tyranny. It is a miserable state, where every man is made an executioner: there can be no greater argument of an ill cause, than a bloody persecution, whereas Truth upholds herself by mildness, and is promoted by patience. This is their act, what was their issue? The people must drown their males, themselves are drowned: they died by the same means, by which they caused the poor Israelitish infants to dye; that law of retaliation which God will not allow to us, because we are fellow-creatures, he justly pactiseth in us. God would have us read our sins in our judgements, that we might both repent of our sins, and give glory to his justice. Pharaoh raged before, much more now, that he received a message of dismission: the monitions of God make ill men worse: the waves do not beat, nor roar any where so much, as at the bank which restrains them. Corruption when it is checked, grows mad with rage; as the vapour in a cloud would not make that fearful report, if it met not with opposition. A good heart yields at the stillest voice of God: but the most gracious motions of God harden the wicked. Many would not be so desperately settled in their sins, if the world had not controlled them. How mild a message was this to Pharaoh, and yet how galling? We pray thee let us go. God commands him that which he feared. He took pleasure in the present servitude of Israel: God calls for a release. If the suit had been for mitigation of labour, for preservation of their children, it might have carried some hope, and have found some favour: but now God requires that which he knows will as much discontent Pharaoh, as Pharaohs cruelty could discontent the Israelites; Let us go. How contrary are God's precepts to natural minds? and indeed, as they love to cross him in their practice, so he love's to cross them in their commands before, and his punishments afterwards; It is a dangerous sign of an ill heart to feel God's yoke heavy. Moses talks of sacrifice, Pharaoh talks of work. Any thing seems due work to a carnal mind, saving God's service: nothing superfluous, but religious duties. Christ tells us, there is but one thing necessary: Nature tells us, there is nothing but that needless: Moses speaks of devotion, Pharaoh of idleness. It hath been an old use, as to cast fair colours upon our own vicious actions, so to cast evil aspersions upon the good actions of others. The same Devil that spoke in Pharaoh, speaks still in our scoffers, and calls Religion Hypocrisy, conscionable care, singularity. Every vice hath a title, and every virtue a disgrace. Yet while possible tasks were imposed, there was some comfort: Their diligence might save their backs from stripes. The conceit of a benefit to the commander, and hope of impunity to the labourer, might give a good pretence to great difficulties: but to require tasks not faisible, is tyrannical, and doth only pick a quarrel to punish. They could neither make straw, nor find it, yet they must have it. Do what may be, is tolerable; but do what cannot be, is cruel. Those which are above others in place, must measure their commands, not by their own wills, but by the strength of their inferiors. To require more of a beast than he can do, is inhuman. The task is not done; the taskmasters are beaten: the punishment lies where the charge is; they must exact it of the people, Pharaoh of them. It is the misery of those which are trusted with authority, that their inferiors faults are beaten upon their backs. This was not the fault to require it of the taskmasters, but to require it by the taskmasters, of the people. Public persons do either good or ill with a thousand hands, and with no fewer shall receive it. Of the birth and breeding of MOSES. IT is a wonder that Amram the father of Moses, would think of the marriage bed in so troublesome a time, when he knew he should beget children either to slavery or slaughter: yet even now in the heat of this bondage he maries jochebed: the drowning of his sons was not so great an evil, as his own burning; the thraldom of his daughters not so great an evil, as the subjection unto sinful desires. He therefore uses God's remedy for his sin; and refers the sequel of his danger to God. How necessary is this imitation for those which have not the power of containing! perhaps we would have thought it better to live childless: but Amram and jochebed durst not incur the danger of a sin, to avoid the danger of a mischief. No doubt when jochebed the mother of Moses, saw a manchild borne of her, and him beautiful and comely, she fell into extreme passion, to think that the executioners hand should succeed the Midwives. All the time of her conception, she could not but fear a son; now she sees him, and thinks of his birth and death at once, her second throes are more grievous than her first. The pains of travel in others are somewhat mitigated with hope, and counternailed with joy, that a manchild is borne; in her they are doubled with fear, the remedy of others is her complaint: still she looks when some fierce Egyptian would come in, and snatch her newborn infant out of her bosom; whose comeliness had now also added to her affection. Many times God writes presages of majesty and honour, even in the faces of children. Little did she think, that she held in her lap the Deliverer of Israel. It is good to hazard in greatest appearances of danger. If jochebed had said, If I bear a son, they will kill him, where had been the great Rescuer of Israel? Happy is that resolution which can follow God hoodwinked, and let him dispose of the event: When she can no longer hide him in her womb, she hides him in her house, afraid lest every of his cry should guide the executioners to his cradle. And now she sees her treasure can be no longer hid, she ships him in a bark of bulrushes, and commits him to the mercy of the waves, and (which was more merciless) to the danger of an Egyptian passenger, yet doth she not leave him without a guardian. No tyranny can forbid her to love him, whom she is forbidden to keep: Her daughter's eyes must supply the place of her arms. And if the weak affection of a mother, were thus effectually careful, what shall we think of him, whose love, whose compassion is (as himself) infinite? His eye, his hand, cannot but be with us, even when we forsake ourselves: Moses had never a stronger protection about him, no not when all his Israelites were pitched about his Tent in the wilderness, than now when he lay sprawling alone upon the waves: no water, no Egyptian can hurt him. Neither friend nor mother dare own him, and now God challenges his custody. When we seem most neglected and forlorn in ourselves, then is God most present, most vigilant. His providence brings Pharaohs daughter thither to wash herself. Those times looked for no great state: A Princess comes to bathe herself in the open stream: she meant only to wash herself; God fetches her thither, to deliver the Deliverer of his people. His designs go beyond ours. We know not (when we set our foot over our threshold) what he hath to do with us. This event seemed casual to this Princess, but predetermined, and provided by God, before she was: how wisely and sweetly God brings to pass his own purposes, in our ignorance and regardlessness! She saw the Ark, opens it, finds the child weeping; his beauty and his tears had God provided for the strong persuasions of mercy. This young and lively Oratory prevailed. Her heart is struck with compassion, and yet her tongue could say, It is an Hebrew child. See here the merciful daughter of a cruel father: It is an uncharitable and injurious ground, to judge of the child's disposition by the parents. How well doth pity beseem great personages! and most in extremities. It had been death to another to rescue the child of an Hebrew; in her it was safe and noble. It is an happy thing, when great ones improve their places to so much more charity, as their liberty is more. Moses his sister finding the Princess compassionate, offers to procure a nurse, and fetches the mother: and who can be so fit a nurse as a mother? She now with glad hands receives her child, both with authority and reward. She would have given all her substance for the life of her son; & now she hath a reward to nurse him. The exchange of the name of a mother, for the name of a nurse, hath gained her both her son, and his education, and with both a recompense. Religion doth not call us to a weak simplicity, but allows us as much of the Serpent as of the Dove: lawful policies have from God both liberty in the use, and blessing in the success. The good Lady did not breed him as some child of alms, or as some wretched outcast, for whom it might be favour enough to live, but as her own son; in all the delicacies, in all the learning of Egypt. Whatsoever the Court, or the School could put into him, he wanted not; yet all this could not make him forget that he was an Hebrew. Education works wondrous changes, and is of great force either way: a little advancement hath so puffed some up above themselves, that they have not only forgot their friends, but scorned their parents. All the honours of Egypt could not win Moses not to call his nurse mother, or wean him from a willing misery with the Israelites. If we had Moses his faith, we could not but make his choice. It is only our infidelity that binds us so to the world, and makes us prefer the momentany pleasures of sin, unto that everlasting recompense of reward. He went forth, and looked on the burdens of Israel. What needed Moses to have afflicted himself with the afflictions of others? Himself was at ease and pleasure in the Court of Pharaoh. A good heart cannot endure to be happy alone; and must needs, unbidden, share with others in their miseries. He is no true Moses that is not moved with the calamities of God's Church. To see an Egyptian smite an Hebrew, it smote him, and moved him to smite. He hath no Israelitish blood in him, that can endure to see an Israelite stricken either with hand or tongue. Here was his zeal: where was his authority? Doubtless, Moses had an instinct from God of his Magistracy; else how should he think they would have understood what himself did not? Oppressions may not be righted by violence, but by law. The redress of evil by a person unwarranted, is evil. Moses knew that God had called him; he knew that Pharaoh knew it not: therefore he hides the Egyptian in the sand. Those actions which may be approved unto God, are not always safe with men: as contrarily, too many things go currant with men, which are not approved of God. Another Hebrew is stricken, but by an Hebrew: the act is the same, the agents differ: neither doth their profession more differ, than Moses his proceed. He gives blows to the one: to the other, words. The blows to the Egyptian were deadly; the words to the Hebrew, gentle and plausible. As God makes a difference betwixt chastisements of his own, and punishments of strange children: so must wise Governors learn to distinguish of sins and judgements, according to circumstances. How mildly doth Moses admonish! Sirs, ye are brethren. If there had been but any dram of good nature in these Hebrews, they had relented: now it is strange to see, that being so universally vexed with their common adversary, they should yet vex one another: One would have thought that a common opposition should have united them more, yet now private grudges do thus dangerously divide them. Blows enough were not dealt by the Egyptians, their own must add to the violence. Still Satan is thus busy, and Christians are thus malicious, that (as if they wanted enemies) they fly in one another's faces. While we are in this Egypt of the world, all unkind strifes would easily be composed, if we did not forget that we are brethren. Behold an Egyptian in the skin of an Hebrew: how dogged an answer doth Moses receive to so gentle a reproof? who would not have expected that this Hebrew had been enough dejected with the common affliction? But vexations may make some more miserable, not more humble; as we see sicknesses make some tractable, others more froward. It is no easy matter to bear a reproof well, if never so well tempered; no Sugar can bereave a Pill of his bitterness. None but the gracious can say, Let the righteous smite me. Next to the not deserving a reproof, is the well taking of it. But who is so ready to except and exclaim as the wrong doer? The patiented replies not. One injury draws on another: first to his brother, then to his reprover. Guiltiness will make a man stir upon every touch: he that was wronged, could incline to reconciliation: Malice makes men uncapable of good counsel; and there are none so great enemies to justice, as those which are enemies to peace. With what impatience doth a galled heart receive an admonition! This unworthy Israelite is the pattern of a stomachful offender; first, he is moved to choler in himself: then he calls for the authority of the admonisher: A small authority will serve for a loving admonition. It is the duty of men, much more of Christians, to advice against sin; yet this man asks, Who made thee a judge? for but finding fault with his injury. Then, he aggravates, and misconstrues; Wilt thou kill me? when Moses meant only to save both. It was the death of his malice only that was intended, and the safety of his person. And lastly, he upbraids him with former actions, Thou killed'st the Egyptian: What if he did? What if unjustly? What was this to the Hebrew? Another man's sin is no excuse for ours: A wicked heart never looks inward to itself, but outward to the quality of the reprover; if that afford exception, it is enough; as a dog runs first to revenge on the stone: What matter is it to me who he be that admonisheth me? Let me look home into myself: let me look to his advice. If that be good, it is more shame to me to be reproved by an evil man. As a good man's allowance cannot warrant evil, so an evil man's reproof may remedy evil: If this Hebrew had been well pleased, Moses had not heard of his slaughter; now in choler all will out; and if this man's tongue had not thus cast him in the teeth with blood, he had been surprised by Pharaoh, ere he could have known that the fact was known. Now he grows jealous, flees, and escapes. No friend is so commodious in some cases as an adversary; This wound which the Hebrew thought to give Moses, saved his life. As it is good for a man to have an enemy, so it shall be our wisdom to make use of his most choleric objections. The worst of an enemy may prove most sovereign to ourselves: Moses flees. It is no discomfort for a man to flee when his conscience pursues him not: Where Gods warrant will not protect us, it is good for the heels to supply the place of the tongue. Moses when he may not in Egypt, he will be doing justice in Midian. In Egypt, he delivers the oppressed Israelite; in Midian the wronged daughters of jethro. A good man will be doing good, wheresoever he is; his Trade is a compound of Charity and justice; as therefore evil dispositions cannot be changed with airs, no more will good. Now than he sits him down by a Well in Midian. There he might have to drink, but where to eat he knew not. The case was altered with Moses; To come from the dainties of the Court of Egypt, to the hunger of the fields of Midian: it is a lesson that all God's children must learn to take out, To want and to abound. Who can think strange of penury, when the great governor of God's people once hath nothing? Who would not have thought in this case, Moses should have been heartless and sullen; so cast down with his own complaints, that he should have had no feeling of others; yet how hot is he upon justice? No adversity can make a good man neglect good duties: he sees the oppression of the Shepherds, the image of that other he left behind him in Egypt: the Maids (daughters of so great a Peer) draw water for their flocks, the inhuman shepherds drive them away; rudeness hath no respect either to S●●● or Condition; if we lived not under laws, this were one case, Might would be the measure of justice: we should not so much as 〈◊〉 our own water: unjust courses will not ever prosper. Moses shall rather come from Egypt to Midian to beat the shepherds, than they shall vex the daughters of jethro, This act of ●ustice was not better done then taken. Revel requires it kindly with an hospital entertainment. A good nature is ready to answer courtesies: we cannot do 〈◊〉 much fore thankful man. And if a courteous Heathen reward the watering of a ●●●pe in this bountiful manner, how shall our God recompense but a cup of cold water that is given to a Disciple! This favour hath won Moses, who now consents to dwell with him, though out of the Church. Curiosity, or whatsoever idle occasions may not draw us for our residence) out of the bounds of the Church of God: danger of life may; we love not the Church if we easily leave it: if in a case of life; we leave it not (upon opportunity) for a time of respite, we love not ourselves. The first part of Moses his requital was his wife, one of those whom he had formerly protected. I do not so much marvel that jethro gave him his daughter (for he saw him vallant, wise, learned, nobly bred) as that Moses would take her; a stranger both in Blood and Religion. I could plead for him necessity: his own nation was shut up to him; if he would have tried to fetch a daughter of Israel, her had endangered to leave himself behind: I could plead some correspondence in common principles of Religion; for doubtless Moses his zeal could not suffer him to smother the truth in himself: he should have been an unfaithful servant, if he had not been his Master's teacher. Yet neither of these can make this match either safe, or good. The event betrays it dangerously inconvenient. This choice had like to have cost him dear: she stood in his way for circumcision; God stands in his way for revenge. Though he was now in God's message, yet might he not be forborn in this neglect. No circumstance, either of the dearness of the Solicitor or our own engagement, can bear out a sin with God: Those which are unequally yoked, may not ever look to draw one way. The love to ●he person cannot long agree with dislike of the religion. He had need to be more than a man, that hath a Zippora● in his bosom, and would have true zeal in his heart. All this while Moses his affection was not so tied to Midian, that he could forget Egypt. He was a stranger in Midian: what was he else in Egypt? Surely, either Egypt was not his home, or a miserable one; & yet in reference to it, he calls his son Gershom, a stranger there. Much better were it to be a stranger there, than a dweller in Egypt. How hardly can we forget the place of our abode or education, although never so homely! And if he so thought of his Egyptian home, where was nothing but bondage and tyranny, how should we think of that home of ours, above, where is nothing but rest and blessedness? Of MOSES calling. FOrty years was Moses a Courtier, and forty years (after that) a Shepherd: That great men: may not be ashamed of honest vocations, the greatest that ever were have been content to take up with mean trades. The contempt of honest callings in those which are well borne, argues pride without wit. How constantly did Moses stick to his hook? and yet a man of great spirits, of excellent learning, of curious education: and if God had not (after his forty year's service) called him off, he had so ended his days. Humble resolutions are so much more heroical, as they fall into higher subjects. There can be no fit disposition for a leader of God's people, than constancy in his undertake, without either weariness, or change. How had he learned to subdue all ambitious desires, and to rest content with his obscurity! So he might have the freedom of his thoughts, and full opportunity of holy meditations, he willingly leaves the World to others, and envies not his proudest acquaintance of the Court of Pharaoh. He that hath true world in himself, and familiarity with God, finds more pleasure in the Deserts of Midi●●, than others can do in the Palaces of Kings. Whiles he is tending his sheep, God appeared unto him: God never graces' the idle with his visions; when he finds us in our callings, we find him in the 〈◊〉 of his mercy: Satan appears to the idle man in manifold temptations, or rather presents himself, and appears not God was ever with Moses, yet was he not seen till now. He is never absent from his; but sometimes he makes their senses witnesses of his presence. In small matters may be greater wonders. That a bush should burn, is no marue●●; but that it should not consume in burning, is justly miraculous: God chooseth not ever great subjects, wherein to exercise his power. It is enough that his power is great in the smallest. When I look upon this burning bush with Moses, me thinks I can never see a worthier and more lively Emblem of the Church; that in Egypt was in the furnace, yet wasted not. Since then how oft hath it been flaming, never consumed! The same power that enlightens it, preserves it; and to none but his enemies is he a consuming fire. Moses was a great Philosopher: but small skill would have served to know the nature of fire, and of the bush: that fire meeting with combustible matter, could not but consume: If it had been some solid wood, it would have yielded later to the flame; but bushes are of so quick dispatch, that the joy of the wicked is compared to a fire of thorns. He noted a while, saw it continued, and began to wonder. It was some marvel how it should come there: but how it should continue without supply, yea without dimention of matter, was truly admirable. Doubtless he went oft about it, and viewed it on all sides and now when his eye and mind could vnt●● with no likely causes, so far off, resolves, I will go see it: His curiosity led him neeres, and what could he see but a bush and a flame, which he saw at first unsatisfied? It is good to come to the place of God's presence, howsoever; God may perhaps speak to thy heart though thou come but for novelty: Even those which have come upon curiosity have been oft taken: Absence is without hope; If Moses had not come, he had not been called out of the bush. To see a fire not consuming the bush, was much; but to hear a speaking fire, this was more; and to hear his own name out of the mouth of the fire, it was most of all. God makes way for his greatest messages by astonishment and admiration: as on the contrary, carelessness caries us to a mere unproficiency under the best means of God: If our hearts were more awful, God's messages would be more effectual to us. In that appearance God meant to call Moses to come; yet when he is come, inhibits him (Come not hither.) We must come to God, we must not come too near him. When we meditate of the great mysteries of his word, we come to him: we come too near him when we search into his counsels. The Sun and the fire say of themselves, Come not too near: how much more the light which none can attain unto? We have all our limits set us: The Gentiles might come into some outer courts, not into the inmost: The jews might come into the inner Court, not into the Temple: the Priests and Levites into the Temple, not into the Holy of Holies; Moses to the Hill, not to the Bush. The waves of the Sea had not more need of bounds, than man's presumption. Moses must not come close to the bush at all; and where he may stand, he may not stand with his shoes on. There is no unholiness in clothes: God prepared them for man at first, and that of skins, lest any exception should be taken at the hides of dead beasts. The rite was significant. What are the shoes but worldly and carnal affections? If these be not cast off when we come to the holy place, we make ourselves unholy: how much less should we dare to come with resolutions of sin? This is not only to come with shoes on, but with shoes bemired with wicked filthiness; the touch whereof pro-the pavement of God, and makes our presence odious. Moses was the Son of Amram, Amram of Kohath, Kohath of Levi, Levi of jacob, jacob of Isaac, Isaac of Abraham. God puts together both ends of his pedigree, I am the God of thy father, and of Abraham, Isaac, jacob. If he had said only, I am thy God, it had been Moses his duty to attend awfully; but now that he says, I am the God of thy Father, and of Abraham, etc. He challenges reverence by prescription. Any thing that was our Ancestors, pleases us; their Houses, their Vessels, their Cot● armour; How much more their God? How careful should Parents be to make holy choices? Every precedent of theirs are so many monuments and motives to their posterity. What an happiness it is to be borne of good Parents! hence God claims an interest in us and we in him, for their sake. As many a man smarteth for his father's sin, so the goodness of others is crowned in a thousand generations. Neither doth God say, I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, jacob; but, I am. The Patriarches still live after so many thousand years of dissolution. No length of time can separate the souls of the just from their Maker. As for their body, there is still a real relation betwixt the dust of it, and the soul: and if the being of this part be more defective, the being of the other is more lively, and doth more than recompense the wants of that earthly half. God could not describe himself by a more sweet name than if his, I am the God of thy father, and of Abraham, etc. yet Moses hides his face for fear: If he had said, I am the glorious God that made heaven and earth, that dwell in light inaccessible, whom the Angels cannot behold; or, I am God the avenger, just and terrible, a consuming fire to mine enemies, here had been just cause of terror. But, why was Moses so frighted with a familiar compellation? God is no less awful to his own in his very mercies. Great is thy mercy that thou mayst be feared: for to them no less majesty shines in the favours of God, then in his judgements and justice. The wicked heart never fears God but thundering, or shaking the earth, or raining fire from heaven; but the good can dread him in his very sunshine: his loving deliverances & blessings affect them with awfulness Moses was the true son of jacob, who when he saw nothing but visions of love & mercy, could say, How dreadful is this places. I see Moses now at the bush hiding his face at so mild a representation: hereafter we shall see him in this very Mount betwixt heaven and earth; in Thunder, Lightning, Smoke, Earthquakes, speaking mouth to mouth with God, bare faced, and fearless! God was then more terrible, but Moses was less strange. This was his first meeting with God, further acquaintance makes him familiar, and familiarity makes him bold: Frequency of conversation gives us freedom of access to God; and makes us pour out our hearts to him as fully and as fearlessly as to our friends. In the mean time now at first he made not so much haste to see, but he made as much to hide his eyes: Twice did Moses hide his face; once for the glory which God put upon him, which made him so shine, that he could not be beheld of others; once for Gods own glory, which he could not behold. No marvel. Some of the creatures are too glorious for mortal eyes: how much more, when God appears to us in the easiest manner, must his glory needs overcome us? Behold the difference betwixt our present and future estate: Then the more Majesty of appearance, the more delight: when our sin is quite gone, all our fear at God's presence shall be turned into joy. God appeared to Adam before his sin with comfort, but in the same form which after his sin was terrible. And if Moses cannot abide to look upon God's glory when he descends to us in mercy, how shall wicked ones abide to see his fearful presence when he sets upon vengeance! In this fire he flamed and consumed not, but in his revenge our God is a consuming fire. First Moses hides himself in fear, now in modesty. Who am I? None in all Egypt or Midian was comparably fit for this embassage. Which of the Israelites had been brought up a Courtier, a Scholar, an Israelite by blood, by education an Egyptian, learned, wise, valiant, experienced? Yet, Who am I? The more fit any man is for whatsoever vocation, the less he thinks himself. Forwardness argues insufficiency. The unworthy thinks still, Who am I not? Modest beginnings give hopeful proceed, and happy end Once before, Moses had taken upon him, and laid about him; hoping than they would have known, that by his hand God meant to deliver Israel: but now when it comes to the point, Who am I? God's best servants are not ever in an equal disposition to good duties. If we find differences in ourselves sometimes; it argues that grace is not our own. It is our frailty, that those services which we are forward to, aloof off, we shrink at, near hand, and fearfully miss give. How many of us can bid defiances to death, and suggest answers to absent temptations, which when they come from to us, we die off, and change our note; and in stead of action, expostulate! Of the plagues of Egypt. IT is too much honour for flesh and blood to receive a message from heaven, yet here God sends a message to man, and is repulsed: well may God ask, Who is man that I should regard him? but for man to ask, Who is the Lord? is a proud and bold blasphemy. Thus wild is Nature at the first, but are God have done with Pharaoh, he will be known of him, he will make himself known by him, to all the world. God might have swept him away suddenly. How unworthy is he of life, who with the same breath that he receives, denies the Gi●er of it! But he would have him convinced, ere he were punished; First therefore he works miracles before him, then upon him. Pharaoh was now, from a staff of protection & sustentation to God's people; turned to a Serpent that stung there to death; God shows himself in this real Emblem; doing that suddenly before him, which Satan had wrought in him by leisure; And now when he crawls, and winds, and hisses, threatening peril to Israel; he shows him how in an instant he can turn him into a senseless stick, and make him if not useful, yet fearless: The same God which wrought this, gives Satan leave to imitate it; the first plague that he meant to inflict upon Pharaoh, is delusion: God can be content the Devil should win himself credit; where he means to judge; and holds the honour of a miracle well lost, to harden an enemy: Yet to show that his miracle was of power, the others of permission; Moses his Serpent devours theirs: how easily might the Egyptians have thought, that he which caused their Serpent not to be, could have kept it from being: and that they which could not keep their Serpent from devouring, could not secure them from being consumed! but wise thoughts enter not into those that must perish. All God's judgements stands ready, and wait but till they be called for. They need but a watchword to be given them: No sooner is the rod lift up, but they are gone forth into the world, presently the waters run into blood, the Frogs & Lice crawl about, & all the other troops of God come rushing in upon his adversaries: All creatures conspire to revenge the injuries of God. If the Egyptians look upward, there they have Thunder, Lightning, Hail, Tempests; one while no light at all, another while such fearful flashes as had more terror than darkness. If they look under them, there they see their waters changed into blood, their earth swarming with Frogs & Grasshoppers: if about them, one while the Flies till their eyes and ears; another while they see their fruits destroyed, their cattles dying, their children dead. If, last, they look upon themselves, they see themselves loathsome with Lice, painful and deformed with Scabs, Biles, and Botches. First, God gins his judgements with waters. As the river of Nilus was to Egypt, in stead of heaven, to moisten and fatten the earth; so their confidence was more in it then in heaven; Men are sure to be punished most and soon, in that which they make a corrival with God. They had before defiled the rivers with the blood of innocents; and now it appears to them, in his own colour. The waters will no longer keep their counsel: Never any man delighted in blood, which had not enough of it ere his end: they shed but some few streams, and now behold, whose rivers of blood: Neither was this more a monument of their slaughter past, than an image of their future destruction. They were afterward overwhelmed in the Red Sea, and now beforehand they see the Rivers red with blood. How dependant and servile is the life of man, that cannot either want one Element, or endure it corrupted! It is hard to say whether there were more horror, or annoyance in this plague. They complain of thirst, and yet doubt whether they should dye, or quench it with blood. Their fish (the chief part of their sustenance) dies with infection, and infecteth more by being dead. The stench of both is ready to poison the inhabitants; yet Pharaohs curiosity caries him away quite from the sense of the judgement: he had rather send for his Magicians to work feats, then to humble himself under God for the remoueall of this plague; and God plague's his curiosity with deceit, those whom he trusts, shall undo him with prevailing; the glory of a second miracle shall be obscured by a false imitation, for a greater glory to God in the sequel. The rod is lift up again, Behold, that Nilus which they had before adored, was never so beneficial as it is now troublesome; yielding them not only a dead, but a living annoyance: It never did so store them with Fish, as now it plague's them with Frogs; whatsoever any man makes his god, besides the true one, shall be once his tormenter. Those loathsome creatures leave their own element, to punish them which rebelliously detained Israel from their own. No Bed, no Table can be free from them, their dainty Ladies cannot keep them out of their bosoms; neither can the Egyptians sooner open their mouths, than they are ready to creep into their throats; as if they would tell them, that they came on purpose to revenge the wrongs of their Maker: yet even this wonder also is Satan allowed to imitate. Who can marvel to see the best virtues counterfeited by wicked men, when he sees the Devil emulating the miraculous power of God? The feats that Satan plays may harden, but cannot benefit. He that hath leave to bring Frogs, hath neither leave, nor power, to take them away, nor to take away the stench from them. To bring them, was but to add to the judgement; to remove them was an act of mercy. God doth commonly use Satan in executing of judgement, never in the works of mercy to men. Yet even by thus much is Pharaoh hardened, & the Sorcerers grown insolent. When the devil and his agents are in the height of their pride, God shames them in a trifle. The rod is lift up: the very dust receives life: Lice abound everywhere, and make no difference betwixt Beggars and Princes. Though Pharaoh and his Courtiers abhorred to see themselves lousy, yet they hoped this miracle would be more easily imitable: but now the greater possibility, the greater foil. How are the great wonder-mongers of Egypt abashed, that they can neither make Lice of their own, nor deliver themselves from the Lice that are made! Those that could make Serpent and Frogs, could not either make or kill Lice; to show them that those Frogs and Serpents were not their own workmanship. Now Pharaoh must needs see how impotent a devil he served that could not make that vermin which every day rises voluntarily out of corruption. jannes' and jambres cannot now make those Lice (so much as by delusion) which at another time they cannot choose but produce unknowing, & which now they cannot avoid. That spirit which is powerful to execute the greatest things when he is bidden, is unable to do the least when he is restrained. Now these corrivals of Moses can say, This is the finger of God. Ye foolish enchanters, was God's finger in the Lice, not in the Frogs, not in the Blood, not in the Serpent? And why was it rather in the less, then in the greater? Because ye did imitate the other, not these. As if the same finger of God had not been before in your imitation, which was now in your restraint: As if ye could have failed in these, if ye had not been only permitted the other. Whiles wicked minds have their full scope, they never look up above themselves; but when once God crosses them in their proceed, their want of success teaches them to give God his own. All these plagues perhaps had more horror than pain in them. The Frogs creep upon their clothes, the Lice upon their skins: but those stinging Hornets which succeed them, shall wound and kill. The water was annoyed with the first plague, the earth with the second and third; this fourth fills the air, and besides corruption brings smart. And that they may see this winged army comes from an angry God (not either from nature, or chance) even the very Flies shall make a difference betwixt Egypt and Goshen. He gave them their being, sets them their stint. They can no more sting an Israelite, then favour an Egyptian. The very wings of Flies are directed by a providence, and do acknowledge their limits. Now Pharaoh finds how impossible it is for him to stand out with God, since all his power cannot rescue him from Lice and Flies. And now his heart gins to thaw a little: Go, do sacrifice to your God in this Land; or (since that will not be accepted.) Go into the wilderness, but not far: but how soon it knits again! Good thoughts make but a thorough fare of carnal hearts, they can never settle there: yea, his very misgiving hardens him the more: that now neither the murrain of his cattles, nor the botches of his servants can stir him a whit. He saw his cattle struck dead with a sudden contagion; he saw his Sorcerers (after their contestation with God's messengers) struck with a scab in their very faces, and yet his heart is not struck. Who would think it possible that any soul could be secure in the midst of such variety, and frequency of judgements? These very plagues have not more wonder in them, than their success hath. To what an height of obduration will sin lead a man, and of all sins, incredulity? Amidst all these storms Pharaoh sleepeth, till the voice of God's mighty thunders, and hail mixed with fire, roused him up a little. Now as betwixt sleeping and waking, he starts up, and says, God is righteous, I am wicked, Moses pray for us, and presently lays down his head again. God hath no sooner done thundering, than he hath done fearing. All this while you never find him careful to prevent any one evil, but desirous still to shift it off, when he feels it; never holds constant to any good motion; never prays for himself, but carelessly wils Moses and Aaron to pray for him; never yields God his whole demand, but higgleth and dodgeth, like some hard chapman, that would get a release with the cheapest: First, They shall not go; then, Go and sacrifice, but in Egypt; next, Go sacrifice in the wilderness, but not far off; after, Go ye that are men; then, Go you and your children only; at last, Go all save your sheep and cattle. Wheresoever mere Nature is, she is still improvident of future good, sensible of present evil, inconstant in good purposes, unable, through unacquaintance, and unwilling to speak for herself, niggardly in her grants, and uncheerfull. The plague of the Grasshoppers startled him a little; and the more through the importunity of his servants: for when he considered the fish destroyed with the first blow, the cattle with the fift, the corn with the seventh, the fruit and leaves with this eighth, and nothing now left him, but a bare fruitless earth to live upon (and that, covered over with Locusts) necessity driven him to relent for an advantage: Forgive me this once; take from me this death only. But as constrained repentance is ever short and unsound; the West wind, together with the Grasshoppers, blows away his remorse; & now is he ready for another judgement. As the Grasshoppers took away the sight of the earth from him, so now a gross darkness takes away the sight of heaven too: other darknesses were but privative, this was real and sensible. The Egyptians thought this night long, (how could they choose when it was six in one?) and so much the more, for that no man could rise to talk with other, but was necessarily confined to his own thoughts: One thinks the fault in his own eyes, which he rubs oftentimes in vain: Others think, that the Sun is lost out of the Firmament, and is now withdrawn for ever: Others, that all things are returning to their first confusion: all think themselves miserable, past remedy, and wish (whatsoever had befallen them) that they might have had but light enough to see themselves die. Now Pharaoh proves like to some beasts that grow mad with baiting: grace often resisted, turns to desperateness, Get thee from me, look thou see my face no more; whensoever thou comest in my sight, thou shalt dye. As if Moses could not plague him as well in absence: as if he that could not take away the Lice, Flies, Frogs, Grasshoppers, could at his pleasure take away the life of Moses, that procured them. What is this but to run upon the judgements, and run away from the remedies? Evermore when God's messengers are abandoned, destruction is near. Moses will see him no more, till he see him dead upon the sands; but God will now visit him more than ever: The fearfullest plagues God still reserves for the upshot: All the former do but make way for the last. Pharaoh may exclude Moses and Aaron, but God's Angel he cannot exclude: In sensible messengers are used, when the visible are debarred. Now God gins to call for the blood they owed him: In one night every house hath a carcase in it, and (which is more grievous) of their first borne, and (which is yet more fearful) in an instant. No man could comfort other; every man was too full of his own sorrow, helping rather to make the noise of the lamentation more doleful, and astonishing. How soon hath God changed the note of this tyrannical people! Egypt was never so stubborn in denying passage to Israel, as now importunate to entreat it: Pharaoh did not more force them to stay before, then now to departed: whom lately they would not permit, now they hire to go. Their rich jewels of silver and gold were not too dear for them, whom they hated; how much rather had they to send them away wealthy, then to have them stay to be their Executors? Their love to themselves obtained of them the enriching of their enemies; and now they are glad to pay them well for their old work, and their present journey: God's people had stayed like Slaves, they go away like Conquerors, with the spoil of those that hated them; armed for security, and wealthy for maintenance. Old jacobs' seventy souls which he brought down into Egypt, in spite of their bondage and bloodshed, go forth six hundred thousand men; besides children. The world is well mended with Israel, since he went with his staff and his scrip over jordan. Tyranny is too weak, where God bids, Increase and multiply. I know not where else the good herb overgrowes the weeds; the Church outstrips the World. I fear if they had lived in ease and delicacy, they had not been so strong, so numerous. Never any true Israelite lost by his affliction. Not only for the action, but the time, Pharaohs choice meets with Gods: That very night, when the hundred and thirty years were expired, Israel is gone, Pharaoh neither can, nor can will to keep them any longer; yet in this, not fulfilling Gods will, but his own. How sweetly doth God dispose of all second causes, that whiles they do their own will, they do his! The Israelites are equally glad of this haste. Who would not be ready to go, yea to fly out of bondage? They have what they wished; it was no staying for a second invitation. The loss of an opportunity is many times unrecoverable: the love of their liberty made the burden of their dough light: who knew whether the variable mind of Pharaoh might return to a denial, and (after all his stubbornness) repent of his obedience? It is foolish to hazard where there is certainty of good offers, and uncertainty of continuance. They go therefore; and the same God that fetched them out, is both their guide and protector. How carefully doth he choose their way! not the nearer, but the safer. He would not have his people so suddenly change from bondage to war. It is the wondrous mercy of God, that he hath respect, as to his own glory, so to our infirmities. He intends them wars hereafter, but after some longer breathing, and more preparation; his goodness so order all, that evils are not ready for us, till we be ready for them. And as he chooses, so he guides their way. That they might not err in that sandy and untracted wilderness, himself goes before them: who could but follow cheerfully, when he sees God lead him? He that led the wise men by a Star, leads Israel by a Cloud: That was an higher object, therefore he gives them an higher and more heavenly conduct; This was more earthly, therefore he contents himself with a lower representation of his presence; A pillar of cloud and fire: A pillar for firmness; of cloud and fire for visibility and use. The greater light extinguishes the less; therefore in the day he shows them not fire, but a cloud: In the night nothing is seen without light; therefore he shows them not the cloud, but fire: The cloud shelters them from heat by day; the fire digests the rawness of the night. The same God is both a cloud and a fire to his children, ever putting himself into those forms of gracious respects, that may best fit their necessities. As good motions are long ere they can enter into hard hearts, so they seldom continue long. No sooner were the backs of Israel turned to departed, than Pharaohs heart and face is turned after them, to fetch them back again. It vexes him to see so great a command, so much wealth, cast away in one night; which now he resolves to redeem, though with more plagues. The same ambition and covetousness that made him wear out so many judgements, will not leave him, till it have wrought out his full destruction. All Gods vengeances have their end; the final perdition of his enemies, which they cannot rest till they have attained: Pharaoh therefore & his Egyptians will needs go fetch their bane. They well knew that Israel was fit to serve then to fight; weary with their servitude, not trained up to war, not furnished with provision for● field: Themselves Captains and Soldiers by profession, furnished with horses, and Chariots of war. They gave themselves therefore the victory beforehand, and Israel either for spoil or bondage: yea, the weak Israelites gave up themselves for dead, and already are talking of their graves. They see the Sea before them; behind them the Egyptians: they know not whether is more merciless, and are stricken with the fear of both. O God, how couldst thou forbear so distrustful a people! They had seen all thy wonders in Egypt and in their Goshen; they saw even now thy pillar before them, and yet they did more fear Egypt then believe thee. Thy patience it no less miracle than thy deliverance. But in stead of removing from them, the cloudy pillar removes behind them, and stands betwixt the Israelites and Egyptians: as if God would have said, They shall first overcome me, O Israel, ere they touch thee. Wonder did now justly strive with fear in the Israelites, when they saw the cloud remove behind them, and the sea remove before them. They were not used to such bulwarks. God stood behind them in the cloud; the sea reared them up walls on both sides them. That which they feared would be their destruction, protected them: how easily can God make the cruelest of his creatures both our friends and patrons. Yet here was faith mixed with unbelief. He was a bold Israelite that set the first foot into the channel of the Sea: and every step that they set in that moist way, was a new exercise of their faith. Pharaoh sees all this, and wonders; yet hath not the wit or grace to think (though the pillar tells him so much) that God made a difference betwixt him and Israel. He is offended with the Sea, for giving way to his enemies, and yet sees not why he may not trust it as well as they. He might well have thought, that he which gave light in Goshen, when there was darkness in Egypt, could as well distinguish in the Sea: but he cannot now either consider, or fear: it is his time to perish. God makes him fair way, and lets him run smoothly on, till he be come to the midst of the Sea; not one wave may rise up against him, to wet so much as the house of his horse. Extraordinary favours to wicked men, are the forerunners of their ruin. Now when God sees the Egyptians too far to return, he finds time to strike them with their last terror: they know not why, but they would return too late. Those Chariots in which they trusted now fail them, as having done service enough, to carry them into perdition. God pursues them, and they cannot fly from him. Wicked men make equal haste, both to sin, and from judgement: but they shall one day find, that it is not more easy to run into sin, then impossible to run away from judgement: the sea will show them, that it regards the Rod of Moses, not the Sceptre of Pharaoh; and now (as glad to have got the enemies of God at such an advantage) shuts her mouth upon them, and swallows them up in her waves, and after she hath made sport with them a while, casts them upon her sands, for a spectacle of triumph to their adversaries. What a sight was this to the Israelites, when they were now safe on the shore, to see their enemies come floating after them upon the billows, and to find among the carcases upon the sands, their known oppressors, which now they can tread upon with insultation! They did not cry more loud before, then now they sing. Not their faith, but their sense, teaches them now to magnify that God after their deliverance, whom they hardly trusted for their deliverance. Contemplations UPON THE PRINCIPAL PASSAGES OF THE Holy Story. The second Volume IN FOUR BOOKS. By I.H. D.D. LONDON, Printed for THO: PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and john Haviland. 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, CHARLES, PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAIN. Most excellent PRINCE: ACcording to the true duty of a servant, I intended all my Contemplations to your now-glorious Brother, of sweet and sorrowful memory. The first part whereof, as it was the last Book, that ever was dedicated to that dear, and immortal name of his: so it was the last, that was turned over by his gracious hand. Now, since it pleased the GOD of spirits to call him from these poor Contemplations of ours, to the blessed Contemplation of himself, to see him as He is, to see as he is seen; to whom is this sequel of my labours due, but to your Highness, the heir of his Honour, and Virtues? Every year of my short pilgrimage, is like to add something to this Work; which in regard of the subject, is scarce finite: The whole doth not only crave your Highness' Patronage, but promises to requite your Princely acceptation, with many sacred examples, and rules, both for piety, and wisdom; towards the decking up of this flourishing spring of your Age; in the hopes whereof, not only we live, but be that is dead, life's still in you: And if any piece of these endeavours, come short of my desires, I shall supply the rest with my prayers: which shall never be wanting to the God of Princes, that your happy proceed may make glad the Church of God, and yourself in either World, glorious. Your Highnesses in all humble devotion, and faithful observance, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE FIFTH BOOK. The Waters of Marah. The Quails and Manna. The Rock of Rephidim. The Foil of Amalek, Or The hand of Moses lift up. The Law. The Golden Calf. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, HENRY, EARL OF HUNTINGDON LORD HASTINGS, BOTERAUX, MOLINES & MOILES, HIS MAJESTY'S LIEUTENANT IN THE COUNTY OF LEICESTER; A BOUNTIFUL FAVOURER OF ALL GOOD LEARNING, A NOBLE PRECEDENT OF VIRTUE, THE FIRST PATRON OF MY POOR STUDIES: J. H. DEDICATES THIS PIECE OF HIS LABOURS, AND WISHES ALL HONOUR AND HAPPINESS. Contemplations. THE FIFTH BOOK. The waters of Marah. ISRAEL was not more loath to come to the Red Sea, then to part from it. How soon can God turn the horror of any evil into pleasure! One shore resounded with shrieks of fear; the other with Timbrels, and Dances; and Songs of Deliverance. Every main affliction is our Red Sea, which while it threats to swallow, preserves us: At last, our Songs shall be louder than our cries. The Israelitish Dames, when they saw their danger, thought they might have left their Timbrels behind them; how unprofitable a burden seemed those instruments of Music! yet now they live to renew that forgotten Minstrelsy, and Dancing, which their bondage had so long discontinued: and well might those feet dance upon the shore, which had walked thorough the Sea. The Land of Goshen was not so bountiful to them, as these Waters. That afforded them a servile life: This gave them at once freedom, victory, riches; bestowing upon them the remainder of that wealth, which the Egyptians had but lent. It was a pleasure to see the floating carcases of their Adversaries; and every day offers them new booties: It is no marvel then if their hearts were tied to these banks. If we find but a little pleasure in our life, we are ready to dote upon it. Every small contentment glues our affections to that we like: And if here our imperfect delights hold us so fast, that we would not be loosed; how forcible shall those infinite joys be above, when our souls are once possessed of them! Yet if the place had pleased them more, it is no marvel they were willing to follow Moses; that they durst follow him in the Wilderness, whom they followed through the Sea: It is a great confirmation to any people, when they have seen the hand of God with their guide. O Saviour, which hast undertaken to carry me from the spiritual Egypt, to the Land of Promise; How faithful, how powerful have I found thee? How fearelesly should I trust thee? how cheerfully should I follow thee through contempt, poverty, death itself! Master, if it be thou, bid us come unto thee. Immediately before, they had complained of too much water: now they go three days without. Thus God meant to punish their infidelity, with the defect of that, whose abundance made them to distrust. Before they saw all Water, no Land; now all dry and dusty Land, and no Water. Extremities are the best trials of men; As in bodies, those that can bear sudden changes of heats and cold without complaint, are the strongest. So much as an evil touches upon the mean, so much help it yields towards patience; Every degree of sorrow is a preparation to the next: but when we pass to extremes without the mean, we want the benefit of recollection; and must trust to our present strength. To come from all things to nothing, is not a descent, but a downfall; and it is a rare strength and constancy, not to be maimed at least. These headlong evils, as they are the forest, so they must be most provided for; as on the contrary, a sudden advancement from a low condition to the height of Honour, is most hard to manage. No man can marvel how that Tyrant blinded his Captives, when he hears that he brought them immediately, out of a dark dungeon, into Rooms that were made bright and glorious. We are not worthy to know, for what we are reserved: no evil can amate us, if we can overcome sudden extremities. The long deferring of a good (though tedious) yet makes it the better, when it comes. Well did the Israelites hope that the Waters which were so long inifinding, would be precious when they were found: Yet behold, they are crossed, not only in their desires, but in their hopes; for after three days travel, the first Fountains they find are bitter Waters. If these Wells had not run pure Gall, they could not have so much complained. Long thirst will make bitter Waters sweet; yet such were these Springs, that the Israelites did not so much like their moisture, as abhor their relish. I see the first handsel that God gives them in their voyage to the Land of Promise; Thirst and bitterness. Satan gives us pleasant entrances into his ways, and reserves the bitterness for the end: God invites us to our worst at first; and sweetens our conclusion with pleasure. The same God, that would not lead Israel through the Philistims Land, lest they should shrink at the sight of War, now leads them through the Wilderness, and fears not to try their patience with bitter potions. If he had not loved them, the Egyptian Furnace or Sword had prevented their thirst, or that Sea whereof their Enemies drunk dead; and yet see how he diets them. Never any have had so bitter draughts upon Earth as those be loves best: The palate is an ill judge of the favours of God. O my Saviour, thou didst drink a more bitter Cup from the hands of thy Father, then that which thou refusedst of the jews, or then that which I can drink from thee. Before, they could not drink if they would; now they might and would not. God can give us blessings with such a tang, that the fruition shall not much differ from the want: So many a one hath riches, not grace to use them; many have children, but such as they prefer barrenness. They had said before, Oh that we had water! now, Oh that we had good water! It is good so to desire blessings from God, that we may be the better for enjoying them; so to crave water, that it may not be sauced with bitterness. Now, these fond Israelites in stead of praying, murmur; in stead of praying to God, murmur against Moses. What hath the righteous done? He made not either the Wilderness dry, or the Waters bitter; Yea (if his conduct were the matter) what one foot went he before them without God? The Pillar led them, and not he; yet Moses is murmured at. It is the hard condition of authority, that when the multitude far well, they applaud themselves; when ill, they repine against their Governors. Who can hope to be free, if Moses escape not? Never any Prince so merited of a people. He thrust himself upon the Pikes of Pharaohs tyranny. He brought them from a bondage worse than death. His Rod divided the Sea, and shared life to them, death to their Pursuers. Who would not have thought these men, so obliged to Moses, that no death could have opened their mouths, or raised their hands against him? Yet now, the first occasion of want makes them rebel. No benefit can stop the mouth of Impatience. If our turn be not served for the present, former favours are either forgotten, or contemned. No marvel, if we deal so with men, when God receives this measure from us. One year of Famine, One Summer of Pestilence, One Moon of unseasonable weather, makes us overlook all the blessings of God; and more to mutiny at the sense of our evil, then to praise him for our varieties of good: whereas favours well bestowed, leave us both mindful and confident; and will not suffer us either to forget or distrust. O God, I have made an ill use of thy mercies, if I have not learned to be content with thy corrections. Moses was in the same want of water with them, in the same distaste of bitterness, and yet they say to Moses, What shall we drink? If they had seen him furnished with full vessels of sweet water, and themselves put over to this unsavoury liquor, envy might have given some colour to this mutiny: but now their Leaders common misery, might have freed him from their murmurs. They held it one piece of the late Egyptian tyranny, that a task was required of them, which the Imposers knew they could not perform; to make Brick when they had no Straw; Yet they say to Moses, What shall we drink? Themselves are grown Exactors, and are ready to menace more than stripes, if they have not their ends, without means. Moses took not upon him their provision, but their deliverance: and yet, as if he had been the common victualler of the Camp, they ask, What shall we drink? When want meets with impatient minds, it transports them to fury; Every thing disquiets, and nothing satisfies them. What course doth Moses now take? That which they should have done, and did not: They cried not more fervently to him, than he to God: If he were their Leader, God was his, That which they unjustly required of him, he justly requires of God, that could do it; He knew whence to look for redress of all complaints; this was not his charge, but his Makers, which was able to maintain his own act. I see and acknowledge the harbour, that we must put into, in all our ill weather. It is to thee, O God, that we must pour out our hearts, which only canst make our bitter waters sweet. Might not that Rod, which took away the liquid nature from the waters, and made them solid; have also taken away the bitter quality from these waters, and made them sweet: since to flow is natural unto the water; to be bitter is but accidental. Moses durst not employ his Rod without a Precept; he knew the power came from the Commandment. We may not presume on likelihoods, but depend upon warrants; therefore Moses doth not lift up his Rod to the Waters, but his hand and voice to God. The hand of faith never knocked at heaven in vain: No sooner hath Moses showed his grievance, than God shows him the remedy: yet an unlikely one, that it might be miraculous. He that made the waters, could have given them any savour: How easy is it for him that made the matter, to alter the quality! It is not more hard to take away, then to give. Who doubts but the same hand that created them, might have immediately changed them? Yet that Almighty power will do it by means. A piece of wood must sweeten the waters: What relation hath wood to water; or that which hath no savour, to the redress of bitterness? Yet here is no more possibility of failing, than proportion to the success. All things are subject to the command of their Maker; He that made all of nothing, can make every thing of any: There is so much power in every creature, as he will please to give. It is the praise of Omnipotency to work by improbabilities; Elisha with Salt, Moses with wood, shall sweeten the bitter waters; Let no man despise the means, when he knows the Author. God taught his people by actions, as well as words. This entrance shown them their whole journey; wherein they should taste of much bitterness: but at last through the mercy God, sweetened with comfort. Or did it not represent themselves rather, in the journey? in the fountains of whose hearts, were the bitter waters of manifold corruptions, yet their unsavoury souls are sweetened by the graces of his Spirit. O blessed Saviour: the wood of thy Cross, that is, the application, of thy sufferings, is enough to sweeten a whole Sea of bitterness. I care not how unpleasant a potion I find in this Wilderness, if the power and benefit of thy precious death may season it to my soul. Of the quails and Manna. THe thirst of Israel is well quenched: for besides the change of the waters of Marah, their station is changed to Elim; where were twelve Fountains, for their twelve Tribes, and now they complain as fast of hunger. Contentation is a rare blessing; because it arises either from a fruition of all comforts, or a not desiring of some which we have not. Now, we are never so bare, as not to have some benefits; never so full, as not to want something, yea as not to be full of wants. God hath much ado with us; either we lack health, or quietness, or children, or wealth, or company, or ourselves in all these. It is a wonder these men found not fault with the want of sweet to their Quails, or with their old , or their solitary way. Nature is moderate in her desires; but conceit is unsatiable. Yet who can deny hunger to be a sore vexation? Before, they were forbidden sour bread; but now what leaven is to sour as want? When means hold out, it is easy to be content. Whiles their dough, and other eats lasted, while they were gathering of the Dates of Elim, we hear no news of them. Who cannot pray for his daily bread when he hath it in his cupboard? But when our own provision fails us, than not to distrust the provision of God, is a noble trial of faith. They should have said; He that stopped the mouth of the Sea, that it could not devour us, can as easily stop the mouth of our stomaches: It was no easier matter to kill the firstborn of Egypt, by his immediate hand, then to preserve us; He that commanded the Sea to stand still and guard us, can as easily command the earth to nourish us: He that made the Rod a Serpent, can as well make these stones, bread: He that brought armies of Frogs and Caterpillars to Egypt, can as well bring whole drifts of birds and beasts to the desert: He that sweetened the waters with Wood, can aswell refresh our bodies, with the fruits of the earth. Why do we not wait on him, whom we have found so powerful? Now they set the mercy and love of God upon a wrong laste; while they measure it only by their present sense. Nature is ioc●●d and cheerful, while it prospereth: let God withdraw his hand; no sight, no trust. Those can praise him with Timbrels for a present favour, that cannot depend upon him, in the want of means for a future. We all are never weary of receiving, soon weary of attending. The other mutiny, was of some few malcontents, perhaps those strangers, which fought their own protection under the wing of Israel; this, of the whole troop. Not that none were free: Caleb, joshua, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, were not yet tainted: usually God measures the state of any Church or Country by the most; the greater part caries both the name and censure. Sins are so much greater, as they are more universal: so fare is evil from being extenuated by the multitude of the guilty, that nothing can more aggravate it. With men, commonness may plead for favour; with God at pleads for judgement. Many hands draw the Cable with more violence, than few: The leprosy of the whole body is more loathsome, then that of a part. But what do these mutineers say? Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord! And whose hand was this, O ye fond Israelites if ye must perish by famine? God carried you forth; God restrained his creatures from you: and while you are ready to dye this ye say; On that we had died by the hand of the Lord! It is the folly of men, that in immediate judgements they can see God's hand; not in those, whose second causes are sensible: whereas God holds himself equally interessed in all: challenging that there is no evil in the City, but from him. It is but one hand, and many instruments, that God strikes us with: The water may not lose the name, though it come by channels and pipes from the spring. It is our faithlesness, that in visible means, we see not him that is invisible. And when would they have wished to die? When we sat by the fleshpots of Egypt: Alas, what good would their flesh pots have done them, in their death? If they might sustain their life, yet what could they avail them in dying? For, if they were unpleasant, what comfort was it, to see them? If pleasant, what comfort to part from them? Our greatest pleasures are but pains in their loss. Every mind affects that which is like itself. Carnal minds are for the fleshpots of Egypt, though bought with servitude; spiritual are for the presence of God, though redeemed with famine; and would rather die in God's presence, then live without him in the sight of delicate of full dishes. They loved their lives well enough: I heard how they shrieked, when they were in danger of the Egyptians; yet now they say, Oh that we had died! Not, Oh that we might live by the fleshpots; but, Oh that we had died! Although life be naturally sweet, yet a little discontentment makes us weary. It is a base cowardliness, so soon as ever we are called from the garrison to the field, to think of running away. Then is our fortitude worthy of praise, when we can endure to be miserable. But what? can no fleshpots serve but those of Egypt? I am deceived, if that Land afforded them any fleshpots save their own: Their Landlords of Egypt held it abomination to eat of their dishes, or to kill that which they did eat. In those times than they did eat of their own; and why not now? They had droves of cattles in the Wilderness: why did they not take of them? Surely, if they would have been as good husbands of their cattles, as they were of their dough, they might have had enough to eat without need of murmuring: for if their back-burden of dough lasted for a month; their herds might have served them many years. All grudging is odious; but most, when our hands are full. To whine in the midst of abundance, is a shameful unthankfulness. When a man would have looked that the anger of God should have appeared in fire: now behold, his glory appears in a Cloud. Oh the exceeding long-suffering of God, that hears their murmurings! and as if he had been bound to content them, in stead of punishing, pleases them; as a kind mother would deal with a crabid child, who rather stills him with the breast, then calls for the rod. One would have thought, that the fight of the cloud of God should have dispelled the cloud of their distrust; and this glory of God should have made them ashamed of themselves, and afraid of him: Yet I do not hear them once say, What a mighty and gracious God have we disinherited? Nothing will content an impotent mind, but fruition. When an heart is hardened with any passion, it will endure much, ere it will yield to relent. Their eyes saw the cloud; their ears heard the promise, the performance is speedy and answerable. Needs must they be convinced, when they saw God as glorious in his work, as in his presence; when they saw his word justified by his act. God tells them aforehand what he will do, that their expectation might stay their hearts. He doth that which he foretell, that they might learn to trust him, ere he perform. They desired meat, and receive Quails; they desired bread, and have Manna. If they had had of the coursest flesh, and of the basest Pulse, hunger would have made it dainty: But now God will pamper their famine; and gives them meat of Kings, and Bread of Angels. What a world of Quails were but sufficient to serve six hundred thousand persons? They were all strong, all hungry; neither could they be satisfied with single Fowls: What a Table hath God prepared in the Desert, for abundance, for delicacy? Never Prince was so served in his greatest pomp, as these rebellious Israelites in the Wilderness. God love's to over-deserue of men; and to exceed not only their sins; but their very desires in mercy. How good shall we find him to those that please him, since he is so gracious to offenders! If the most graceless Israelites be fed with Quails and Manna; Oh, what goodness is that he hath laid up for them that love him! As on the contrary, If the Righteous scarce be saved, where will the Sinners appear? Oh God, thou canst, thou wilt make this difference. Howsoever with us men, the most crabbed and stubborn oftentimes far the best; the Righteous judge of the world frames his remuneration as he finds us: And if his mercy sometimes provoke the worst to repentance by his temporal favours, yet he ever reserves so much greater reward for the Righteous, as eternity is beyond time, and heaven above earth. It was not of any natural instinct, but from the overruling power of their Creator, that these Quails came to the Desert. Needs must they come whom GOD brings. His hand is in all the motions of his meanest Creatures. Not only we, but they move in him. As not many Quails, so not one Sparrow falls without him: How much more are the actions of his best creature, Man, directed by his providence? How ashamed might these Israelites have been, to see these creatures so obedient to their Creator, as to come and offer themselves to their slaughter; whiles they went so repiningly to his service and their own preferment? Who can distrust the provision of the great House keeper of the world, when he sees how he can furnish his tables at pleasure? Is he grown now careless, or we faith less rather? Why do we not repose upon his mercy? Rather than we shall want, when we trust him, he will fetch Quails from all the coasts of heaven to our board. Oh Lord, thy hand is not shortened to give: let not ours be shortened, or shu●● receiving. Eliahs' servitors, the Ravens, brought him his full service of bread, and flesh at once; each morning and evening. But these Israelites have their flesh at even, and their bread in the morning. Good reason there should be a difference. Eliahs' table was upon God's direct appointment; the Israelites upon their mutiny: Although God will relieve them with provision, yet he will punish their impatience with delay; so shall they know themselves his people, that they shall find they were murmurers. Not only in the matter, but in the order, God answers their grudging; First they complain of the want of fleshpots, then of bread. In the first place therefore they have flesh, bread after. When they have flesh, yet they must stay a time ere they can have a full meal; unless they would eat their meat breadlesse, and their bread dry. God will be waited on; and will give, the consummation of his blessings at this leisure. In the evening of our life, we have the first pledges of his favour: but in the morning of our resurrection, must we look for our perfect satiety of the true Manna, the bread of life. Now the Israelites sped well with their Quails; they did eat and digest, and prosper: not long after, they have Quails with a vengeance; the meat was pleasant, but the sauce was fearful. They let down the Quails at their mouth, but they came out at their nostrils. How much better had it been to have died of hunger, through the chastisement of God, then of the plague of God, with the flesh betwixt their teeth! Behold, they perish of the same disease then, whereof they now recover. The same sin repeated, is death, whose first act found remission: Relapses are desperate, where the sickness itself is not. With us men, once goes away with a warning, the second act is but whipping, the third is death. It is a mortal thing to abuse the lenity of God; we should be presumptuously mad, to hope that God will stand us for a sinning-stock, to provoke him how we will. It is more mercy than he owes us, if he forbear us once; it is his justice to plague us the second time: We may thank ourselves, if we will not be warned. Their meat was strange, but nothing so much as their bread. To find Quails in a Wilderness was unusual; but for bread to come down from Heaven was yet more. They had seen Quails before (though not in such number:) Manna was never seen till now. From this day till their settling in Canaan, God wrought a perpetual miracle in this food. A miracle in the place: other bread rises up from below, this fell down from above; neither did it ever rain bread till now; Yet so did this heavenly shower fall, that it is confined to the camp of Israel. A miracle in the quantity: That every morning should fall enough to fill so many hundred thousand mouths and maws. A miracle in the composition; That it is sweet like hony-cakes, round like Corianders, transparent as dew. A miracle in the quality; That it melted by one heat, by another hardened. A miracle in the difference of the fall; That (as if it knew times, and would reach them as well as feed them) it fell double in the even of the Sabbath, and on the Sabbath fell not. A miracle in the putrefaction and preservation; That it was full of worms, when it was kept beyond the due hour for distrust: full of sweetness, when it was kept a day longer for religion; Yea many Ages, in the Ark, for a monument of the power and mercy of the Giver. A miracle in the continuance and ceasing; That this shower of bread followed their Camp in all their removeals, till they came to taste of the bread of Canaan; and then withdrew itself, as if it should have said: Ye need no miracles, now ye have means. They had the Types; we have the substance. In this wilderness of the World, the true Manna is reigned upon the tents of our hearts. He that sent the Manna, was the Manna, which he sent: He hath said, I am the Manna that came down from heaven; Behold, their whole meals were sacramental: Every morsel they did eat, was spiritual. We eat still of their Manna: still he comes down from heaven. He hath substance enough for worlds of souls; yet only is to be found in the lists of the true Church; He hath more sweetness than the honey, and the honeycomb. Happy are we if we can find him so sweet as he is. The same hand that reigned Manna upon their tents, could have reigned it into their mouths, or laps. God love's we should take pains for our spiritual food. Little would it have availed them, that the Manna lay about their tents, if they had not gone forth and gathered it, beaten it, baked it: Let salvation be never so plentiful, if we bring it not home, and make it ours by faith, we are no whit the better. If the work done, and means used, had been enough to give life, no Israelite had died: Their bellies were full of that bread, whereof one crumb gives life: yet they died many of them in displeasure. As in natural, so in spiritual things, we may not trust to means: The carcase of the Sacrament cannot give life, but the soul of it; which is the thing represented. I see each man gather, and take his just measure out of the common heap; We must be industrious, and helpful each to other: but when we have done, Christ is not partial. If our sanctification differ, yet our justification is equal in all. He that gave a Gomer to each, could have given an Ephah: As easily could he have reigned down enough for a month, or a year at once, as for a day. God delights to have us live in a continual dependence upon his providence, and each day renew the acts of our faith and thankfulness. But what a covetous Israelite was that, which in a foolish distrust would be sparing the charges of God; and reserving that for morning, which he should have spent upon his supper? He shall know, that even the bread that came down from heaven, can corrupt: The Manna was from above; the worms and stink from his diffidence. Nothing is so sovereign, which being perverted, may not annoy instead of benefiting us. Yet I see some difference between the true & typical Manna; God never meant that the shadow and the body should agree in all things. The outward Manna reserved, was poison: the spiritual Manna is to us, as it was to the Ark; not good, unless it be kept perpetually. If we keep it, it shall keep us from putrefaction. The outward Manna fell not at all on the Sabbath: The spiritual Manna (though it ball●●s no day) yet it falls double on God's day: and if we gather it not then; we famish. In that true Sabbath of our glorious rest, we shall for ever feed of that Manna which we have gathered in this even of our life. Of the Rock of Rephidim. BEfore, Israel thirsted and was satisfied; after that, they hungered and were filled; now they thirst again. They have bread and meat, but want drink: It is a marvel if God do not evermore hold us short of something, because he would keep us still in exercise. We should forget at whose cost we live, if we wanted nothing. Still God observes a vicissitude of evil, and good; and the same evils that we have passed, return upon us in their courses. Crosses are not of the nature of those diseases, which they say a man can have but once. Their first seizure doth but make way for their reentry. None but our last enemy comes once for all; and I know not, if that: for even in living we die daily. So must we take our leaves of all afflictions, that we reserve a lodging for them, and expect their return. All Israel murmured when they wanted bread, meat, water; and yet all Israel departed from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim, at God's command. The very worst men will obey God in something; none but the good, in all: He is rarely desperate, that makes an universal opposition to God. It is an unsound praise that is given a man, for one good action: It may be safely said of the very Devils themselves, that they do something well: They know and believe, and tremble. If we follow God, and murmur, it is all one, as if we had stayed behind. Those distrust his providence in their necessity, that are ready to follow his guidance in their welfare. It is an harder matter to endure an extreme want, then to obey an hard commandment. Sufferings are greater trials, than actions: How many have we seen jeopard their lives, with cheerful resolution, which cannot endure in cold blood to lose a limb with patience! But God will have his throughly tried, he puts them to both: and if we cannot endure both to follow him from Sin, and to thirst in Rephidim, we are not found Israelites. God led them, on purpose to this dry Rephidim: He could as well have conducted them to another Elim, to convenient waterings: Or he that gives the waters of all their channels, could as well have derived them to meet Israel: But God doth purposely carry them to thirst. Is it not for necessity, that we far ill, but out of choice: It were all one with God to give us health, as sickness; abundance as poverty. The treasury of his riches hath more store than his creature can be capable of; we should not complain, if it were not good for us to want. This should have been a contentment able to quench any thirst: God hath led us hither; If Moses out of ignorance had misguided us, or we chanceably fall'n upon these dry deserts, though this were no remedy of our grief, yet it might be some ground of our complaint. But now the counsel of so wise and merciful a God, hath drawn us into his want; and shall not he as easily find the way out? It is the Lord, let him do what he will. There can be no more forceable motive to patience, than the acknowledgement of a divine hand that strikes us. It is fearful to be in the hand of an adversary; but who would not be confident of a Father? Yet in our frail humanity, choler may transport a man from remembrance of nature; but when we feel ourselves under the discipline of a wise God, that can temper our afflictions to our strength, to our benefit; who would not rather murmur at himself, that he should swerve towards impatience? Yet these sturdy Israelites wilfully murmur: and will not have their thirst quenched with faith, but with water. Give us water. Nooked to hear when they would have entreated Moses to pray for them: but in stead of entreating, they contend, and in stead of prayers, I find commands: Give us water. If they had gone to God without Moses, I should have praised their faith: but now they go to Moses without God, I hate their stubborn faithlesness. To seek to the second means, with neglect of the first, is the fruit of a false faith. The answer of Moses is like himself, mild and sweet; Why contend ye with me? Why tempt ye the Lord? In the first expostulation condemning them of injustice; since not he, but the Lord had afflicted them. In the second, of presumption; that since it was God that tempted them by want, they should tempt him by murmuring. In the one, he would have them see their wrong; in the other their danger. As the act came not from him, but from God; so he puts it off to God, from himself: Why tempt ye the Lord? The opposition which is made to the instruments of God, redounds ever to his person. He holds himself smitten through the sides of his Ministers: So hath God incorporated these respects, that our subtlety cannot divide them. But what temptation is this? Is the Lord among us or no? Infidelity is crafty, and yet foolish; Crafty in her insinuations, foolish in her conceits. They imply, If we were sure the Lord were with us, we would not distrust; They conceive doubts of his presence, after such confirmations. What could God do more, to make them know hi● present, unless every moment should have renewed miracles? The plagues of Egypt, and the division of the Sea were so famous, that the very Inns of jericho rang of them. Their waters were lately sweetened; the Quails were yet in their teeth; their Manna was yet in their eye; yea, they saw God in the Pillar of the Cloud, and yet they say, Is the Lord amongst us? No argument is enough to an incredulous heart; not sense, not experience. How much better was that faith of Thomas, that would believe his eyes and hands, though his care he would not? Oh the deep infidelity of these Israelites, that saw and believed not! And how will they know if God be amongst them? As if he could not be with them, and they be a thirst: either God must humour carnal minds, or be disinherited: If they prosper (though it be with wickedness) God is with them; If they be thwarted in their own designs; strait, Is God with us? It was the way to put God from them, to distrust and murmur. If he had not been with them, they had not lived; If he had been in them, they had not mutined. They can think him absent in their want, and cannot see him absent in their sin: and yet wickedness, not affliction, argues him gone; Yea, then is he most present, when he most chastises. Who would not have looked, that this answer of Moses should have appeased their fury? As what can still him that will not be quiet to think he hath God for his Adversary? But, as if they would wilfully war against Heaven, they proceed; yet with no less craft, than violence; bending their exception to one part of the answer: and smoothly omitting, what they could not except against. They will not hear of tempting God? they maintain their strife with Moses, both with words and stones. How malicious, how heady is impatience! The act was Gods, they cast it upon Moses, Wherefore hast thou brought us? The act of God was merciful, they make it cruel, To kill us and our children: As if God and Moses meant nothing but their ruin; who intended nothing but their life and liberty. Foolish men! What needed this journey to death? Were they not as obnoxious to God in Egypt? Can not God by Moses as easily have killed them in Egypt, or in the Sea, as their enemies? Impatience is full of misconstruction; If it be possible to find out any gloss to corrupt the Text of God's actions, they shall be sure not to scape untainted. It was no expostulating with an unreasonable multitude; Moses runs strait to him, that was able at once to quench their thirst, and their fury: What shall I do to this people? It is the best way, to trust God with his own causes: when men will be intermeddling with his affairs, they undo themselves in vain. We shall find difficulties in all great enterprises; if we be sure we have begun them from God, we may securely cast all events upon his providence, which knows how to dispose, and how to end them. Moses perceived rage, not in the tongues only, but in the hands of the Israelites. Yet a while longer and they will stone me. Even the Leader of God's people, feared death; and sinned not in fearing. Life is worthy to be dear to all: especially to him, whom public charge hath made necessary: Mere fear is not sinful; It is impotence and distrust that accompany it, which make it evil. How well is that fear bestowed, that sends us the more importunately to God. Some man would have thought of flight; Moses flies to his Prayers; and that not for revenge, but for help. Who but Moses would not have said; This twice they have mutined, and been pardoned; and now again thou seest, O Lord, how madly they rebel; and how bloodily they intent against me; preserve me I beseech thee, and plague them. I hear none of this: but imitating the long suffering of his God, he seeks to God for them, which sought to kill him, for the quarrel of God. Neither is God sooner sought then found: All Israel might see Moses go towards the Rock: None but the Elders might see him strike it. Their unbelief made them unworthy of this privilege. It is no small favour of God, to make us witnesses of his great Works; That he crucifies his Son before us; that he fetches the water of Life, out of the true Rock, in our sight, is an high prerogative; If his rigour would have taken it, our infidelity had equally excluded us, whom now his mercy hath received. Moses must take his Rod; God could have done it by his will, without a word, or by his word, without the Rod; but he will do by means, that which he can as easily do without. There was no virtue in the Rod, none in the stroke; but all in the command of God. Means must be used, and yet their efficacy must be expected out of themselves. It doth not suffice God to name the Rod, without a description; (Whereby thou smotest the River:) Wherefore? but to strengthen the faith of Moses, that he might well expect this wonder from that, which he had tried to be miraculous. How could he but firmly believe, that the same means which turned the waters into blood, and turned the sea into a wall, could as well turn the stone into water? Nothing more raises up the hart in present affiance, than the recognition of favours, or wonders passed. Behold the same Rod that brought plagues to the Egyptians, brings deliverances to Israel. By the same means can God save and condemn: like as the same sword defends and kills. That power, which turned the wings of the Quails to the wilderness, turned the course of the water through the Rock: He might (if he had pleased) have caused a Sping to well out of the plain earth; but he will now fetch it out of the stone, to convince and shame their infidelity. What is more hard and dry then the Rock? What more moist and supple than water? That they might be ashamed to think, they disinherited lest God could bring them water out of the Clouds or Springs, the very Rock shall yield it. And now, unless their hearts had been more rocky than this stone, they could not but have resolved into tears, for this diffidence. I wonder to see these Israelites fed with Sacraments: Their bread was sacramental, whereof they communicated every day: lest any man should complain of frequency, the Israelites received daily; and now their drink was sacramental, that the ancient Church may give no warrant of a dry Communion. Twice therefore hath the Rock yielded them water of refreshing; to signify that the true spiritual Rock yields it always. The Rock that followed them was Christ: Out of thy side, O Saviour, issued that bloody stream, whereby the thirst of all believers is comfortably quenched: Let us but thirst; not with repining, but with faith; this Rock of thine shall abundantly flow forth to our souls, and follow us, till this water be changed into that new wine, which we shall drink with thee in thy Father's Kingdom. The Foil of AMALEK: or the hand of MOSES lift up. NO sooner is Israel's thirst slaked, than God hath an Amalekite ready to assault them. The Almighty hath choice of rods to whip us with; and will not be content with one trial. They would needs be quarrelling with Moses, without a cause; and now, God sends the Amalekites to quarrel with them. It is just with God, that they which would be contending with their best friends, should have work enough, of contending with enemies. In their passage out of Egypt, God would not lead them the nearest way, by the Philistims Land, lest they should repent at the sight of war; now they both see, and feel it. He knows how to make the fittest choice of the times of evil; and withholds that one while, which he sends another, not without a just reason, why he sends, and withholds it: And though to us, they come ever (as we think) unseasonably, and at some times more unfitly, than others; yet he that sends them knows their opportunities. Who would not have thought, a worse time could never have been picked for Israel's war, than now? In the feebleness of their troops, when they were wearied, thirsty, unweaponed; Yet now must the Amalekites do that, which before, the Philistims might not do: We are not worthy, not able to choose for ourselves. To be sick, and dye in the strength of youth, in the minority of children: To be pinched with poverty, or miscarriage of children in our age, how harshly unseasonable it seems! But the infinite wisdom, that orders our events, knows how to order our times. Unless we will be shameless unbelievers, O Lord, we must trust thee with ourselves and our seasons, and know, that not that which we desire, but that, which thou hast appointed, is the fitted time for our sufferings. Amalek was Esau's grandchild; and these Israelites, the Sons of jacob. The abode of Amalek was not so fare from Egypt, but they might well hear what became of their Cousins of Israel; and now, doubtless out of envy watched their opportunity of revenge for their old grudge. Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the blood, and (as we use to say of Runnet) the older it is, the stronger. Hence is that foolish hostility, which some men unjustly nourish upon no other grounds, than the quarrels of their Forefathers. To wreak our malice upon posterity, is at the best, but the humour of an Amalekite. How cowardly, and how crafty was this Skirmish of Amalek! They do not bid them battle in terms of War, but without all noise of warning, come stealing upon the hindmost, and fall upon the weak, and scattered remnants of Israel. There is no looking for favour at the hands of malice: The worst that either force or fraud can do, must be expected of an Adversary; but much more of our spiritual enemy; by how much his hatred is deeper. Behold, this Amalek lies in ambush to hinder our passage unto our Land of Promise; and subtly takes all advantages of our weaknesses. We cannot be wise, or safe, if we stay behind our colours; and strengthen not those parts, where is most peril of opposition. I do not hear Moses say to his joshua: Amalek is come up against us; it matters not whether thou go against him, or not; or if thou go, whether alone or with company; or if accompanied, whether with many or few, strong or weak; Or if strong men, whether they do fight or no; I will pray on the Hill: but, Choose us out men and go fight. Then only can we pray with hope, when we have done our best. And though the means cannot effect that, which we desire; yet God will have and use the likeliest means on our part, to effect it. Where it comes immediately from the charge of God, any means are effectual; One stick of wood shall fetch water out of the Rock, another shall fetch bitterness out of the water: But in those projects, which we make for our own purposes, we must choose those helps, which promise most efficacy. In vain shall Moses be upon the Hill, if joshua be not in the Valley. Prayer without means, is a mockery of God. Here are two shadows of one substance; The same Christ in joshua fights against our spiritual Amalek, and in Moses spreads out his Arms upon the hill; and in both, conquers. And why doth he climb up the hill rather, then pray in the valley? Perhaps that he might have the more freedom to his thoughts; which, following the sense, are so much more heavenly, as the eye sees more of heaven. Though virtue lies not in the place, yet choice must be made of those places, which may be most help to our devotion: Perhaps, that he might be in the eye of Israel. The presence and sight of the Leader gives heart to the people: neither doth any thing more move the multitude, than example. A public person cannot hide himself in the Valley: but yet it becomes him best to show himself upon the Hill. The hand of Moses must be raised, but not empty; neither is it his own Rod that he holds, but Gods. In the first meeting of God with Moses, the Rod was Moseses; it is like, for the use of his trade: now the propriety is altered; God hath so wrought by it, that now he challenges it; and Moses dare not call it his own. Those things which it pleases God to use for his own service, are now changed in their condition. The bread of the Sacrament was once the Bakers, now it is Gods: the water was once every man's, now it is the Laver of Regeneration. It is both unjust and unsafe, to hold those things common wherein God hath a peculiarity. At other times, upon occasion of the plagues, and of the Quails, and of the Rock, he was commanded to take the Rod in his hand; now he doth it unbidden. He doth it not now for miraculous operation, but for encouragement. For when the Israelites should cast up their eyes to the Hill, and see Moses, and his Rod (the man and the means that had wrought so powerfully for them) they could not but take heart to themselves, and think, There is the man that delivered us from the Egyptian, Why not now from the Amalekite? There is the Rod which turned waters to blood, and brought varieties of plagues on Egypt, Why not now on Amalek? Nothing can more hearten our faith, than the view of the monuments of God's favour: if ever we have found any word, or act of God cordial to us, it is good to fetch it forth oft to the eye. The renewing of our sense, and remembrance, makes every gift of God perpetually beneficial. If Moses had received a command, that Rod which fetched water from the Rock, could as well have fetched the blood of the Amalekites out of their bodies: God will not work miracles always; neither must we expect them unbidden. Not as a Standard-bearer so much as a suppliant, doth Moses lift up his hand: The gesture of the body should both express and further the piety of the soul. This flesh of ours is not a good servant, unless it help us in the best offices: The God of Spirits doth most respect the soul of our devotion; yet, it is both unmannerly and irreligious, to be misgestured in our Prayers. The careless and uncomely carriage of the body helps both to signify, and make a profane soul. The hand, and the Rod of Moses never moved in vain; Though the Rod did not strike Amalek, as it had done the Rock: yet it smote Heaven, and fetched down victory. And that the Israelites might see, the hand of Moses had a greater stroke in the fight, then all theirs, The success must rise and fall with it: Amalek rose, and Israel fell, with his hand falling: Amalek fell, and Israel rises, with his hand raised. Oh the wondrous power of the prayers of faith! All heavenly favours are derived to us from this channel of grace: To these are we beholden for our peace, preservations, and all the rich mercies of God, which we enjoy. We could not want, if we could ask. Every man's hand would not have done this; but the hand of a Moses. A faithless man may as well hold his hand and tongue still; he may babble, but prays not; he prays ineffectually, and receives not: Only the prayer of the Righteous availeth much; and only the believer is Righteous. There can be no merit, no recompense answerable to a good man's prayer; for Heaven, and the ear of God is open to him: but the formal devotions of an ignorant, and faithless man, are not worth that crust of bread which he asks: Yea, it is presumption in himself; how should it be beneficial to others? it profanes the name of God, in stead of adoring it. But how justly is the fervency of the prayer added to the righteousness of the person? When Moses hand slackened, Amalek prevailed. No Moses can have his hand ever up; It is a title proper to God, that his hands are stretched out still: whether to mercy, or vengeance. Our infirmity will not suffer any long intention, either of body or mind. Long prayers can hardly maintain their vigour; as in tall bodies the spirits are diffused. The strongest hand will languish, with long intending: And when our devotion tires, it is seen in the success; then strait our Amalek prevails. Spiritual wickednesses are mastered by vehement prayer and by heartlessness in prayer, overcome us. Moses had two helps, A stone to sit on, and an hand to raise his: And his sitting, and helped hand is no whit less effectual. Even in our prayers will God allow us to respect our own infirmities. In cases of our necessity, he regards not the posture of body, but the affections of the soul. Doubtless Aaron and Hur did not only raise their hands, but their minds with his: The more cords, the easier draught. Aaron was brother to Moses: There cannot be a more brotherly office, then to help one another in our prayers; and to excite our mutual devotions. No Christian may think it enough to pray alone; He is no true Israelite; that will not be ready to lift up the weary hands of God's Saints. All Israel saw this: or if they were so intent upon the slaughter, and spoil, that they observed it not, they might hear it after from Aaron, and Hur: yet this contents not God; It must be written. Many other miracles had God done before; not one, directly commanded to be recorded: The other were only for the wonder; this for the imitation of God's people. In things that must live by report, every tongue adds, or detracts something; The word once written is both inalterable and permanent. As God is careful to maintain the glory of his miraculous victory: so is Moses desirous to second him; God by a book, and Moses by an Altar, and a name. God commands to enrol it in parchment; Moses registers it in the stones of his Altar; which he raises not only for future memory, but for present use. That hand which was weary of lifting up, strait offers a sacrifice of praise to God: How well it becomes the just to be thankful! Even very nature teacheth us men to abhor ingratitude in small favours. How much less can that Fountain of goodness abide to be laded at with unthankful hands? O God, we cannot but confess our deliverances: where are our Altars? where are our Sacrifices? where is our jehovanissi? I do not more wonder at thy power in preserving us, then at thy mercy, which is not weary of casting away favours upon the ingrateful. Of the Law. IT is but about seven weeks, since Israel came out of Egypt: In which space God had cherished their faith by five several wonders: yet now he thinks it time to give them Statutes from heaven, as well as bread. The Manna and water from the Rock (which was Christ in the Gospel) were given before the Law. The Sacraments of Grace, before the legal Covenant. The grace of God preventeth our obedience; Therefore should we keep the Law of God, because we have a Saviour. Oh the mercy of our God which before we see what we are bound to do, shows us our remedy, if we do it not: How can our faith disannul the Law, when it was before it? It may help to fulfil that, which shall be: it cannot frustrate that which was not. The Letters which God had written in our fleshly tables, were now (as those which were carved in some barks) almost grown out; he saw it time to write them in dead tables, whose hardness should not be capable of alteration: He knew, that the stone would be more faithful than our hearts. Oh marvelous accordance betwixt the two Testaments! In the very time of their delivery, there is the same agreement, which is in the substance. The ancient jews kept our Feasts; and we still keep theirs. The Feast of the Passeover is the time of Christ's resurrection, than did he pass from under the bondage of Death. Christ is our Passeover, the spotless Lamb, whereof not a bone must be broken. The very day, wherein God came down in fire and thunder, to deliver the Law: Even the same day came also the Holy Ghost down upon the Disciples in fiery tongues, for the propagation of the Gospel. That other was in fire and smoke, obscurity was mingled with terror; This was in fire without smoke, befitting the light and clearness of the Gospel: Fire, not in flashes, but in tongues; not to terrify, but to instruct. The promulgation of the Law, makes way for the Law of the Gospel; No man receives the Holy Ghost, but he which hath felt the terrors of Sinai. God might have imposed upon them a Law perforce; They were his creatures, and he could require nothing but justice. It had been but equal, that they should be compelled to obey their Maker; yet that God which love's to do all things sweetly, gives the law of justice in mercy, and will not imperiously command, but craves our assent for that, which it were rebellion not to do. How gentle should be the proceeding of fellow creatures, who have an equality of being, with an inequality of condition; when their infinite Maker requests, where he might constrain! God will make no covenant with the unwilling; How much less the covenant of Grace, which stands all upon love? If we stay till God offer violence to our will, or to us, against our will, we shall die strangers from him. The Church is the Spouse of Christ; he will enjoy her love by a willing contract, not by a ravishment. The obstinate have nothing to do with God; The title of all Converts, is, A willing people. Then Israel inclined to God, it was from God; he inquires after his own gifts in us, for our capacity of more. They had not received the Law, unless they had first received a disposition fit to be commanded. As there was an inclination to hear, so there must be a preparation for hearing. God's justice had before prepared his Israelites, by hunger, thirst, fear of enemies; his mercies had prepared them by deliverances, by provisions of water, meat, bread: and yet besides all the sight of God in his miracles, they must be three days prepared to hear him. When our souls are at the best, our approach to God requires particular addresses: And if three days were little enough to prepare them to receive the Law; how is all our life short enough to prepare for the reckoning of our observing it? And if the word of a command expected such readiness; what shall the word of promise, the promise of Christ and salvation? The Murrain of Egypt was not so infectious as their vices; the contagion of these stuck still by Israel: All the water of the Red Sea, and of Marah, and that which gushed out of the Rock; had not washed it off. From these, they must now be sanctified. As sin is always dangerous; so most, when we bring it into God's sight: It enuenometh both our persons and services, and turns our good into evil. As therefore we must be always holy: so most, when we present ourselves to the holy eyes of our Creator. We wash our hands every day; but when we are to sit with some great person, we scour them with balls. And if we must be so sanctified, only to receive the Law, how holy must we be to receive the grace promised in the Gospel? Neither must themselves only he cleansed, but their very : Their garments smelled of Egypt, even they must be washed: Neither can be capable of sin, nor can water cleanse from sins; The danger was neither in their garments, nor their skin; yet they must be washed, that they might learn by their , with what souls to appear before their God. Those garments must be washed, which should never wax old, that now they might begin their age in purity; as those which were in more danger of being Fowl, then bare. It is fit that our reverence to God's presence should appear in our very garments; that both without and within we may be cleanly: but little would neatness of vestures avail us with a filthy soul. The God of spirits looks to the inner man; and challenges the purity of that part which resembles himself: Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purge your hearts ye double-minded. Yet even when they were washed, and sanctified, they may not touch the Mount; not only with their feet; but, not with their eyes: The smoke keeps it from their eyes; the marks from their feet. Not only men that had some impurity at their best, are restrained, but even beasts, which are not capable of any unholiness. Those beasts which must touch his Altars, yet might not touch his hill: And if a beast touch it, he must die: yet so, as no hands may touch that, which hath touched the Hill. unreasonableness might seem to be an excuse in these creatures: that therefore which is death to a beast, must needs be capital to them, whose reason should guide them to avoid presumption. Those Israelites which saw God every day in the pillar of fire, & the cloud, must not come near him in the Mount. God love's at once familiarity and fear; Familiarity in our conversation, and fear in his commands. He love's to be acquainted with men, in the walks of their obedience: yet he takes state upon him in his ordinances; and will be trembled at, in his Word and judgements. I see the difference of God's carriage to men in the Law, and in the Gospel: There the very Hill where he appeared, may not be touched of the purest Israelite; Here the hem of his garment is touched by the woman, that had the flux of blood; yea, his very face was touched with the lips of judas. There the very earth was prohibited them, on which he descended: Here, his very body and blood is proffered to our touch and taste. Oh the marvelous kindness of our God How unthankful are we, if we do not acknowledge this mercy above his ancient people! They were his own; yet strangers, in comparison of our liberty. It is our shame and sin, if in these means of entireness, we be no better acquainted with God, than they, which in their greatest familiarity, were commanded aloof. God was ever wonderful in his works, and fearful in his judgements: but he was never so terrible in the execution of his will, as now in the promulgation of it. Here was nothing, but a majestical terror in the eyes, in the ears of the Israelites; as if God meant to show them by this, how fearful he could be. Here was the lightning darted in their eyes, the thunder's roaring in their ears, the Trumpet of God drowning the thunder claps, the voice of God out-speaking the Trumpet of the Angel: The Cloud enwrapping, the smoke ascending, the fire flaming, the Mount trembling, Moses climbing and quaking, paleness and death in the face of Israel, uproar in the elements, and all the glory of heaven turned into terror. In the destruction of the first World, there were clouds without fire: In the destruction of Sodom, there was fire raining without clouds; but here was fire, smoke, clouds, thunder, earthquakes, and whatsoever might work more astonishment, than ever was in any vengeance inflicted. And if the Law were thus given, how shall it be required? If such were the Proclamation of God's Statutes, what shall the Sessions be? I see and tremble at the resemblance. The Trumpet of the Angel called unto the one: The voice of an Archangel, the Trumpet of God, shall summon us to the other, To the one, Moses (that climbed up that Hill, and alone saw it) says, God came with ten thousands of his Saints; In the other, thousand thousands shall minister to him, and ten thousand thousands shall stand before him. In the one, Mount Sinai only was on a flame; all the World shall be so, in the other. In the one there was fire, smoke, thunder and lightning: In the other a fiery stream shall issue from him, wherewith the heavens shall be dissolved, and the Elements shall melt away with a noise. Oh God, how powerful art thou to inflict vengeance upon sinners, who didst thus forbid sin! and if thou wert so terrible a Lawgiver, what a judge shalt thou appear? What shall become of the breakers of so fiery a Law? Oh where shall those appear, that are guilty of the transgressing that law, whose very delivery was little less than death? If our God should exact his Law, but in the same rigour wherein he gave it, sin could not quite the cost: But now the fire wherein it was delivered; was but terrifying; the fire wherein it shall be required, is consuming. Happy are those that are from under the terrors of that Law, which was given in fire, and in fire shall be required. God would have Israel see, that they had not to do with some impotent Commander, that is fain to publish his Laws without noise, in dead paper; which can more easily enjoin, then punish; or descry, then execute; and therefore, before he gives them a Law, he shows them that he can command Heaven, Earth, Fire, Air, in revenge of the breach of the Law; That they could not but think it deadly to displease such a Lawgiver, or violate such dreadful statutes; that they might see all the Elements, examples of that obedience, which they should yield unto their Maker. This fire wherein the Law was given, is still in it; and will never out: Hence are those terrors which it flashes in every conscience, that hath felt remorse of sin. Every man's heart is a Sinai, and resembles to him both heaven and hell. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the Law. That they might see, he could find out their closest sins, he delivers his Law in the light of fire, from out of the smoke: That they might see, what is due to their sins, they see fire above, to represent the fire that should be below them: That they might know he could waken their security, the Thunder, and louder voice of GOD speaks to their hearts. That they might see what their hearts should do, the Earth quakes under them. That they might see they could not shift their appearance, the Angels call them together. Oh royal Law, and mighty Lawgiver! How could they think of having any other God, that had such proofs of this? How could they think of making any resemblance of him, whom they saw could not be seen; and whom they saw in not being seen, infinite? How could they think of daring to profane his Name, whom they heard to name himself, with that voice, jehova? How could they think of standing with him for a day, whom they saw to command that heaven, which makes and measures day? How could they think of disobeying his Deputies, whom they saw so able to revenge? How could they think of killing, when they were half dead with the fear of him, that could kill both body and soul? How could they think of the flames of lust, that saw such fires of vengeance? How could they think of stealing from others, that saw whose the heaven and the earth was to dispose of at his pleasure? How could they think of speaking falsely, that heard God speak in so fearful a tone? How could they think of coveting others goods, that saw how weak and uncertain right they had to their own? Yea to us, was this Law so delivered; to us in them: neither had there been such state in the promulgation of it, if God had not intended it for Eternity. We men, that so fear the breach of humane Laws, for some small mulcts of forfeiture; how should we fear thee (O Lord) that canst cast body and soul into hell! Of the Golden Calf. IT was not much above a month, since Israel made their covenant with God; since they trembled to hear him say, Thou shalt have no other Gods but me; since they saw Moses part from them, and climb up the Hill to God: and now they say, Make us Gods, we know not what is become of this Moses. Oh, ye mad Israelites, have ye so soon forgotten that fire, and thunder, which you heard and saw? Is that smoke vanished out of your mind, as soon as out of your sight? Can your hearts cease to tremble with the earth? Can ye in the very sight of Sinai, call for other Gods? And for Moses; was it not for your sakes, that he thrust himself into the midst of that smoke and fire, which ye feared to see afar off? Was he not now gone after so many sudden embassages, to be your Lieger with God? If ye had seen him take his heels, and run away from you into the wilderness, what could ye have said, or done more? Behold, our better Moses was with us a while upon earth: he is now ascended into the Mount of Heaven, to mediate for us; shall we now think of another Saviour? Shall we not hold it our happiness, that he is for our sakes above? And what if your Moses had been gone for ever? Must ye therefore have gods made? If ye had said, Choose us another Governor, it had been a wicked and unthankful motion; ye were too unworthy of a Moses, that could so soon forget him: but to say, Make us Gods, was absurdly impious. Moses was not your God, but your Governor: Neither was the presence of God tied to Moses: You saw God still, when he was gone, in his pillar, and in his Manna; and yet ye say, Make us Gods: Every word is full of senseless wickedness. How many gods would you have? Or what gods are those that can be made? Or (what ever the Idolatrous Egyptians did) with what face can ye, after so many miraculous obligations, speak of another God? Had the voice of God scarce done thundering in your ears? Did you so lately hear and see him to be an infinite God? Did ye quake to hear him say out of the midst of the flames, I am jehovah thy God: Thou shalt have no Gods but me? Did ye acknowledge God your Maker; and do ye now speak of making of gods? If ye had said, Make us another man to go before us, it had been an impossible suit. Aaron might help to mar you, and himself; He could not make one hair of a man: and do ye say, Make us Gods? And what should those gods do? Go before you. How could they go before you, that cannot stand alone? your help makes them to stand, and yet they must conduct you. Oh the impatient ingratitude of carnal minds! Oh the sottishness of Idolatry! Who would not have said, Moses is not with us; but he is with God for us? He stays long: He that called him, withholds him: His delay is for our sakes, as well as his ascent. Though we see him not, we will hope for him: his favours to us have deserved, not to be rejected: Or, if God will keep him from us; he that withholds him, can supply him: He that sent him, can lead us without him; His fire and Cloud is all-sufficient; God hath said, and done enough for us, to make us trust him: We will, we can have no other God; we care not for any other guide. But behold, here none of this: Moses stays but some five and thirty days, and now he is forgotten, and is become but this Moses: Yea, God is forgotten, with him; and, as if God and Moses had been lost at once, they say, Make us Gods. Natural men must have God at their bent: and if he come not at a call, he is cast off, and they take themselves to their own shifts: like as the Chinois whip their gods, when they answer them not; Whereas his holy ones wait long, and seek him; and not only in their sinking, but from the bottom of the deeps, call upon him; and though he kill them, will trust in him. Superstition besots the minds of men, and blinds the eye of reason; and first makes them not men, ere it makes them idolaters. How else could he, that is the Image of God, fall down to the Images of creatures? How could our forefathers have so doted upon stocks and stones, if they had been themselves? As the Syrians were first blinded, and then led into the midst of Samaria: so are the Idolaters first bereft of their wits and common sense, and afterwards are carried brutishly into all palpable impiety. Who would not have been ashamed to hear this answer from the brother of Moses, Pluck off your Earring? He should have said, Pluck this Idolatrous thought out of your hearts: and now in stead of chiding, he soothes them. And as if he had been no kin to Moses, he helps to lead them back again from God, to Egypt. The people importuned him, perhaps with threats. He that had waded thorough all the menaces of Pharaoh; doth he now shrink at the threats of his own? Moses is not afraid of the terrors of God: His faith that carried him thorough the water, led him up to the fire of God's presence; whiles his brother Aaron fears the faces of those men, which he lately saw pale with the fear of their glorious Lawgiver. As if he that forbade other gods, could not have maintained his own act, and agent, against men. Sudden fears, when they have possessed weak minds, lead them to shameful errors. Importunity or violence may lessen, but they cannot excuse a fault. Wherefore was he a Governor, but to depress their disordered motions? Facility of yielding to a sin, or wooing it with our voluntary suit, is an higher stair of evil: but, even at last to be won to sin, is damnable. It is good to resist any onset of sin; but one condescent loses all the thankes of our opposition. What will it avail a man, that others are plagued for soliciting him, whiles he smarteth for yielding? If both be in hell, what ease is it to him, that another is deeper in the pit? What now did Aaron? Behold, he that alone was allowed to climb up the trembling and fiery Hill of Sinai, with Moses, and heard God say, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graved Image, for I am a jealous God: (as if he meant particularly to prevent this act) within one month, calls for their earings, makes the graved Image of a Calf, erects an Altar, consecrates a day to it, calls it their God, and weeps not, to see them dance before it. It is a miserable thing, when Governors' humour the people in their sins; and in stead of making up the breach, enlarge it. Sin will take heart by the approbation of the meanest looker on; but if authority once second it, it grows impudent: As contrarily, where the public government opposes evil, (though it be underhand practised, not without fear) there is life in that state. Aaron might have learned better counsel of his brother's example: When they came to him with stones in their hands, and said, Give us water, he ran as roundly to God, with prayers in his mouth; So should Aaron have done, when they said, Give us gods: but he weakly runs to their earings, that which should be made their god: not to the True God, which they had, and forsook. Who can promise to himself freedom from gross infirmities, when he that went up into the Mount, comes down, and doth that in the valley, which he heard forbidden in the Hill? I see yet, and wonder at the mercy of that God, which had justly called himself jealous. This very Aaron, whose infirmity had yielded to so foul an idolatry, is after chosen by God, to be a Priest to himself: He that had set up an Altar to the Calf, must serve at the Altar of God: He that had melted, and carved out the Calf for a god, must sacrifice Calves and Rams, and Bullocks unto the True God: He that consecrated a day to the Idol, is himself consecrated to him, which was dishonoured by the Idol. The grossest of all sins cannot prejudice the calling of God; Yea, as the light is best seen in darkness, the mercy of God is most magnified in our unworthiness. What a difference God puts between persons, and sins! While so many thousand Israelites were slain, and that had stomackfully desired the Idol; Aaron that in weakness condescended, is both pardoned the fact, and afterwards laden with honour from God. Let no man take heart to sin, from mercy: He that can purpose to sin upon the knowledge of God's mercy, in the remission of infirmities, presumes, and makes himself a wilful offender. It is no comfort to the wilful, that there is remission to the weak and penitent. The earings are plucked off: Egyptian jewels are fit for an idolatrous use. This very gold was contagious. It had been better the Israelites had never borrowed these ornaments, then that they should pay them back to the Idolatry of their first owners. What cost the superstitious Israelites are content to beat for this lewd devotion! The riches, and pride of their outward habit, are they willing to part with, to their molten god; as glad to have their ears bare that they might fill their eyes. No gold is too dear for their Idol; each man is content to spoil their wives and children, of that whereof they spoiled the Egyptians. Where are those worldlings, that cannot abide to be at any cost for their Religion; which could be content to do God e service? These very Israelites that were ready to give Gold, not out of their purses, but from their very ears, to mis-devotion, shall once condemn them. O Sacrilege succeeding to Superstition! Of old they were ready to give gold to the false service of God; we, to take away gold from the true: How do we see men prodigal to their lusts and ambitions, and we hate not to be niggards to God This gold is now grown to a Calf; Let no man think that form came forth casually, out of the melted earings. This shape was intended by the Israelites, and perfected by Aaron: they brought this god in their hearts with them out of Egypt, and now they set it up in their eyes. Still doth Egypt hurt them: Servitude was the least evil, that Israel receives from Egypt; for that sent them still to the True God, but this Idolatrous example led them to a false. The very sight of evil is dangerous: and it is hard for the heart not to run into those sins, to which the eye and care is enured: Not out of love, but custom, we fall into some offences. The Israelites wrought so long in the furnaces of the Egyptian brick, that they have brought forth a molten Calf. The black Calf with the white spots, which they saw worshipped in Egypt, hath stolen their hearts: And they, which before would have been at the Egyptian fleshpots, would now be at their devotions. How many have fall'n into a fashion of swearing, scoffing, drinking, out of the usual practice of others; as those that live in an ill air, are infected with diseases! A man may pass thorough Aethiopia unchanged: but he cannot dwell there, and not be discoloured. Their sin was bad enough, let not our uncharitableness make it worse: No man may think they have so put off humanity, and sense, with their Religion, as to think that Calf a god; or that this Idol, which they saw yesterday made, did bring them out of Egypt, three months ago. This were to make them more beasts than that Calf, which this Image represented: Or if they should have been so insensate, can we think that Aaron could be thus desperately mad? The Image and the Holiday were both, to one Deity: To morrow is the Holiday of the Lord your God. It was the true God they meant to worship in the Calf: and yet at best this Idolatry is shameful. It is no marvel if this foul sin seek pretences; yet no excuse can hide the shame of such a face. God's jealousy is not stirred only by the rivality of a false God; but of a false worship: nothing is more dangerous, then to mint God's services in our own brain. God sends down Moses to remedy this sin. He could as easily have prevented, as redressed it. He knew ere Moses came up, what Israel would do, ere he came down: like as he knew, the two Tables would be broken, ere he gave them. God most wisely permits, and ordains sin to his own ends, without our excuse: And though he could easily by his own hands remedy evils; yet he will do it by means, both ordinary, and subordinate. It is not for us to look for an immediate redress from God, when we have a Moses, by whom it may be wrought: Since God himself expects this from man, why should man expect it from God? Now might Moses have found a time to have been even with Israel for all their unthankfulness, and mutinous insurrections; Let me alone: I will consume them, and make thee a mighty Nation. Moses should not need to solicit God for revenge; God solicits him, in a sort, for leave to revenge. Who would look for such a word from God to Man, Let me alone? As yet Moses had said nothing; Before he opens his mouth, God prevents his importunity: as foreseeing that holy violence, which the requests of Moses would offer to him. Moses stood trembling before the Majesty of his Maker; and yet hears him say, Let me alone. The mercy of our God hath, as it were, obliged his power, to the faith of men: The fervent prayers of the faithful, hold the hands of the Almighty. As I find it said afterwards of Christ, That he could do no miracles there, because of their unbelief: So now, I hear God (as if he could not do execution upon Israel, because of Moses' faith) say, Let me alone, that I may consume them. We all naturally affect propriety, and like our own so much better, as it is freer from partners. Every one would be glad to say, with that proud one, I am, and there is none beside me: so much the more sweetly would this message have sounded to nature, I will consume them, and make of thee a mighty Nation: How many endeavour that (not without danger of curses and uproar) which was voluntarily tendered unto Moses! Whence are our depopulations, and enclosures, but for that men cannot abide either fellows, or neighbours? But how graciously doth Moses strive with God, against his own preferment? If God had threatened, I will consume thee, and make of them a mighty Nation: I doubt whether he could have been more moved. The more a man can leave himself behind him, and aspire to a care of community, the more spiritual he is. Nothing makes a man so good a patriot, as Religion. Oh the sweet disposition of Moses; fit for him that should be familiar with God He saw they could be content to be merry, and happy without him; he would not be happy without them. They had professed to have forgotten him: he slacks not to sue for them. He that will ever hope for good himself, must return good for evil unto others. Yet was it not Israel so much that Moses respected, as God in Israel. He was thrifty and jealous for his Maker; and would not have him lose the glory of his mighty deliverances; nor would abide a pretence for any Egyptian dog, to bark against the powerful work of God; Wherefore shall the Egyptians say? If Israel could have perished without dishonour to God, perhaps his hatred to their Idolatry, would have overcome his natural love, and he had let God alone. Now so tender is he over the name of God, that he would rather have Israel scape with a sin, than God's glory should be blemished in the opinions of men, by a just judgement. He saw that the eyes and tongues of all the world were intent upon Israel; a people so miraculously fetched from Egypt, whom the Sea gave way to; whom heaven fed; whom the Rock watered; whom the fire and cloud guarded, which heard the audible voice of God: He knew withal, how ready the world would be to misconstrue, and how the Heathens would be ready to cast imputations of levity, or impotence upon God; and therefore says, What will the Egyptians say? Happy is that man, which can make God's glory the scope of all his actions, and desires; neither cares for his own welfare, nor fears the miseries of others, but with respect to God, in both. If God had not given Moses this care of his glory, he could not have had it: and now his goodness takes it so kindly, as if himself had received a favour from his creature; and for a reward of the grace he had wrought, promises not to do that which he threatened. But what needs God to care for the speech of the Egyptians, men, Infidels? And if they had been good, yet their censure should have been unjust. Shall God care for the tongues of men; the holy God, for the tongues of Infidels? The very Israelites, now they were from under the hands of Egypt, cared not for their words; and shall the God of Heaven regard that which is not worth the regard of men? Their tongues could not walk against God, but from himself; and if it could have been the worse for him; would he have permitted it? But, O God, how dainty art thou of thine honour, that thou canst not endure the worst of men should have any colour to taint it! What do we men stand upon our justice, and innocence, with neglect of all unjust censures; when that infinite God, whom no censures can reach, will not abide, that the very Egyptians should falsely tax his power and mercy? Wise men must care, not only to deserve well, but to hear well, and to wipe off, not only crimes, but censures. There was never so precious a Monument, as the Tables written with Gods own hand. If we see but the stone which jacobs' head rested on; or, on which the foot of Christ did once tread; we look upon it with more than ordinary respect: With what eye should we have beheld this stone, which was hewed, and written with the finger of God Any manu-script scroll written by the hand of a famous man, is laid up amongst our jewels; What place then should we have given to the hand-writing of the Almighty! That which he hath dictated to his servants the Prophets, challenges just honour from us; how doth that deserve veneration, which his own hand wrote immediately! Prophecies and Evangelicall discourses he hath written by others; never did he write any thing himself, but these Tables of the Law: neither did he ever speak any thing audibly to whole mankind, but it; The hand, the stone, the Law, were all his. By how much more precious this Record was, by so much was the fault greater, of defacing it. What King holds it less than rebellion, to tear his writing, and blemish his Seal? At the first, he ingraued his Image in the table of man's heart; Adam blurred the Image, but (through God's mercy) saved the Tablet. Now he writes his will in the Tables of stone, Moses breaks the Tables, and defaced the writing: if they had been given him for himself, the Author, the matter had deserved, that as they were written in stone, for permanency; So they should be kept for ever: and as they were everlasting in use, so they should be in preservation. Had they been written in clay, they could but have been broken: But now they were given for all Israel, for all mankind. He was but the messenger, not the owner. Howsoever therefore, Israel had deserved, by breaking this Covenant with God, to have this Monument of God's Covenant with them, broken by the same hand that wrote it: yet how durst Moses thus carelessly cast away the Treasure of all the world; and by his hands undo that, which was with such cost and care done by his Creator? How dared he fail the trust of that God, whose pledge he received with awe, and reverence? He that expostulated with God, to have Israel live and prosper, why would he deface the rule of their life, in the keeping whereof they should prosper? I see, that forty days talk with God cannot bereave a man of passionate infirmity: He that was the meekest upon earth, in a sudden indignation abandons that, which in cold blood he would have held faster than his life: He forgets the Law written, when he saw it broken; His zeal for God hath transported him from himself, and his duty to the charge of God: He more hates the Golden Calf, wherein he saw engraven the Idolatry of Israel, than he honoured the Tables of stone, wherein God had engraven his Commandments; and more longed to deface the Idol, than he cared to preserve the Tables. Yet that God, which so sharply revenged the breach of one Law, upon the Israelites, checks not Moses for breaking both the Tables of the Law. The Law of God is spiritual; the internal breach of one Law, is so heinous, that in comparison of it, God scarce counts the breaking of the outward Tables, a breach of the Law. The goodness of God winks at the errors of honest zeal, and so love's the strength of good affections, that it passeth over their infirmities: How highly God doth esteem a well governed zeal; when his mercy crownes it with all the faults! The Tables had not offended: the Calf had, and Israel in it. Moses takes revenge on both: He burns and stamps the Calf to powder, and gives it Israel to drink; that they might have it in their guts, in stead of their eyes: How he hasteth to destroy the Idol, wherein they sinned! that, as an Idol is nothing, so it might be brought to nothing; and Atoms and dust is nearest to nothing: that in stead of going before Israel, it might pass thorough them; so as the next day they might find their god in their excrements; To the just shame of Israel, when they should see their new god cannot defend himself, from being either nothing, or worse. Who can but wonder, to see a multitude of so many hundred thousands (when Moses came running down the Hill) to turn their eyes from their god, to him; And on a sudden, in stead of worshipping their Idol, to batter it in pieces, in the very height of the novelty? In stead of building Altars, and kindling fires to it, to kindle an hotter fire, then that, wherewith it was melted, to consume it? In stead of dancing before it, to abhor and deface it; in stead of singing, to weep before it? There was never a more stiffnecked people: Yet I do not hear any one man of them say, He is but one man; We are many; how easily may we destroy him, rather than he our god? If his brother durst not resist our motion in making it: Why will we suffer him to dare resist the keeping of it? It is our act; and we will maintain it. Here was none of this; but an humble obeisance to the basest and bloodiest revenge that Moses shall impose. God hath set such an impression of Majesty in the face of lawful authority, that wickedness is confounded in itself, to behold it. If from hence visible powers were not more feared, than the invisible God, the world would be overrun with outrage. Sin hath a guiltiness in itself, that when it is seasonably checked, it pulls in his head, and seeks rather an hiding place, than a fort. The Idol is not capable of a further revenge: It is not enough, unless the Idolaters smart: The gold was good, if the Israelites had not been evil: So great a sin cannot be expiated without blood. Behold, that meek spirit, which in his plea with God, would rather perish himself, than Israel should perish, arms the Levites against their brethren, and rejoices to see thousands of the Israelites bleed, and blesses their executioners. It was the mercy of Moses that made him cruel: He had been cruel to all, if some had not found him cruel. They are merciless hands, which are not sometimes imbrued in blood: There is no less charity, than justice, in punishing sinners with death; God delights no less in a kill mercy, then in a pitiful justice: Some tender hearts would be ready to censure the rigour of Moses. Might not Israel have repent and lived? Or if they must dye, must their brethren's hand be upon them? Or, if their throats must be cut by their brethren, shall it be done in the very heat of their sin? But they must learn a difference betwixt pity, and fondness; mercy, and unjustice. Moses had an heart as soft as theirs, but more hot; as pitiful, but wiser. He was a good Physician, and saw that Israel could not live, unless he bled: he therefore let's out this corrupt blood, to save the whole body. There cannot be a better sacrifice to God, than the blood of Malefactors: and this first sacrifice so pleased God in the hands of the Levites, that he would have none but them sacrifice to him for ever. The blood of the Idolatrous Israelites cleared that Tribe from the blood of the innocent Sichemites. Contemplations. THE SIXTH BOOK. The Veil of Moses. Nadab and Abihu. Aaron and Miriam. The Searchers of Canaan. Corah's Conspiracy. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deave of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THOMAS, LORD VISCOUNT FENTON, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GVARD; ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNSELLORS; ONE OF THE HAPPY RESCVERS OF THE DEAR LIFE OF OUR GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN LORD; A WORTHY PATTERN OF ALL TRUE HONOUR; I. H. DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS; AND WISHETH ALL INCREASE OF GRACE. AND HAPPINESS. Contemplations. THE SIXTH BOOK. Of the Veil of MOSES. IT is a wonder, that neither Moses nor any Israelite gathered up the shivers of the former Tables: Every sheard of that stone, and every letter of that writing had been a Relic worth laying up: but he well saw how headlong the people were to Superstition; and how unsafe it were, to feed that disposition in them. The same zeal that burned the Calf to ashes, concealed the ruins of this Monument. Holy things, besides their use, challenge no further respect. The breaking of the Tables did as good as blot out all the Writings defaced, left no virtue in the stone, no reverence to it. If God had not been friends with Israel, he had not renewed his Law. As the Israelites were wilfully blind, if they did not see God's anger in the Tables broken: so could they not but hold it a good sign of grace, that God gave them his Testimonies. There was nothing wherein Israel outstripped all the rest of the world more, then in this privilege; the pledge of his Covenant, the Law written with Gods own hand. Oh what a favour than is it, where God bestows his Gospel upon any Nation? That was but a kill letter: this is the power of God to salvation. Never is God throughly displeased with any people, where that continues. For, like as those which purposed love, when they fall off, call for their tokens back again; So when God gins once perfectly to mislike, the first thing he withdraws, is his Gospel. Israel recovers this favour, but with an abatement; Hue thee two Tables. God made the first Tables: The matter, the form, was his; now Moses must hue the next: As God created the first man after his own Image; but, that once defaced, Adam begat Cain after his own; Or as the first Temple razed, a second was built; yet so far short, that the Israelites wept at the sight of it. The first works of God are still the purest: those that he secondarily works by us, decline in their perfection. It was reason, that though God had forgotten Israel, they should still find they had sinned. They might see the footsteps of displeasure, in the differences of the Agent. When God had told Moses before, I will not go before Israel, but my Angel shall lead them; Moses so noted the difference, that he rested not till God himself undertook their conduct: So might the Israelites have noted some remainders of offence, whiles in stead of that which his own hand did formerly make, he saith now, He● thou; And yet these second Tables are kept reverently in the Ark, when the other lay mouldered in shivers upon Sinai; like as the repaired repaired Image of God in our Regeneration is preserved, perfited, and laid up at last, safe in Heaven; whereas the first Image of our created innocence is quite defaced, so the second Temple had the glory of Christ's exhibition, though meaner in frame. The merciful respects of God are not tied to glorious outsides; or the inward worthiness of things or persons: He hath chosen the weak and simple, to confound the wise and mighty. Yet God did this work by Moses, Moses hewed, and God wrote: Our true Moses repairs that Law of God which we in our nature had broken; He revives it for us, and it is accepted of God, no less than i● the first Characters of his Law had been still entire. We can give nothing but the Table: it is God that must write in it. Our hearts are but a bare board, till God by his finger engrave his Law in them; Yea, Lord, we are a rough Quarry; hue thou us out, and square us fit for thee to write upon. Well may we marvel, to see Moses, after this oversight, admitted to this charge again: Who of us would not have said, Your care indeed deserves trust; you did so carefully keep the first Tables, that it would do well to trust you with such another burden. It was good for Moses, that he had to do with God, not with men: The God of mercy will not impute the slips of our infirmity, to the prejudice of our faithfulness. He that after the misse-answer of the one Talon, would not trust the evil servant with a second, because he saw a wilful neglect; will trust Moses with his second Law, because he saw fidelity in the worst error of his zeal. Our charity must learn, as to forgive, so to believe where we have been deceived: Not that we should wilfully beguile ourselves in an unjust credulity, but that we should search diligently into the disposition of persons, and grounds of their actions; perhaps none may be so sure as they that have once disappointed us. Yea Moses broke the first; therefore he must hue the second: If God had broken them, he would have repaired them; The amends must be where the fault was. Both God, and his Church, look for a satisfaction, in that wherein we have offended. It was not long since Moses his former fast of forty days: When he then came down from the hill, his first question was not for meat: and now going up again to Sinai, he takes not any repast with him: That God which sent the Quails to the Host of Israel, and Manna from Heaven, could have fed him with dainties: He goes up confidently in a secure trust of God's provision. There is no life to that of faith; Man life's not by bread only: The Vision of God did not only satiate, but feast him. What a blessed satiety shall there be, when we shall see him as he is; and he shall be all in all to us; since this very frail mortality of Moses was sustained, and comforted, but with representations of his presence! I see Moses the Receiver of the Law, Elias the Restorer of the Law, Christ the fulfiller of the old Law, and Author of the new, all fasting forty days: and these three great fasters I find together glorious in mount Tabor. Abstinence merits not; For Religion consists not in the belly, either full or empty: What are meats, or drinks, to the Kingdom of God, which is like himself, spiritual? But it prepares best for good duties. Full bellies are fit for rest: not the body, so much as the soul, is more active with emptiness; Hence, solemn prayer takes ever fasting to attend it, and so much the rather speeds in Heaven, when it is so accompanied. It is good so to diet the body, that the soul may be fattened. When Moses came down before, his eyes sparkled with anger; and his face was both interchangeably pale, and red with indignation: now it is bright with glory. Before there were the flames of fury in it; now the beams of Majesty. Moses had before spoken with God; why did not his face shine before? I cannot lay the cause upon the inward trouble of his passions, for this brightness was external. Whither shall we impute it, but to his more intyrenesse with God. The more familiar acquaintance we have with God, the more do we partake of him. He that passes by the fire, may have some gleams of heat: but he that stands by it; hath his colour changed. It is not possible a man should have any long conference with God, and be no whit affected. We are strangers from God, it is no wonder if our faces be earthly; but he that sets himself apart to God, shall find a kind of Majesty, and awful respect put upon him, in the minds of others. How did the heart of Moses shine with illumination, when his face was thus lightsome! And if the flesh of Moses in this base composition, so shined by conversing with God forty days in Sinai; What shall our glory be, when clothed with incorruptible bodies, we shall converse with him in the highest Heavens? Now his face only shone: afterwards the three Disciples saw all his body shining. The nature of a glorified body, the clearer Vision, the immediate presence of that fountain of glory, challenge a far greater resplendence to our faces, than his. O God, we are content that our faces be blemished a while with contempt, and blubbered with tears; how can we but shine with Moses, when we shall see thee more than Moses! The brightness of Moseses face reflected not upon his own eyes; He shone bright, and knew not of it: He saw God's face glorious, he did not think others had so seen his. How many have excellent graces, and perceive them not! Our own sense is an ill judge of God's favours to us; Those that stand by, can convince us in that which we deny to ourselves. Here below, it is enough if we can shine in the eyes of others; above, we shall shine and know it. At this instant Moses sees himself shine: then he needed not. God meant not that he should more esteem himself, but that he should be more honoured of the Israelites: That other glory shall be for our own happiness, and therefore requires our knowledge. They that did but stand still, to see anger in his face; ran away to see glory in it: Before, they had desired that God would not speak to them any more but by Moses; and now, that God doth but look upon them in Moses, they are afraid; and yet there was not more difference betwixt the voices; then the faces of God and Moses. This should have drawn Israel to Moses so much the more, to have seen this impression of Divinity in his face. That which should have comforted, affrights them: Yea, Aaron himself, that before went up into the Mount to see and speak with God, now is afraid to see him that had seen God: Such a fear there is in guiltiness, such confidence in innocence. When the soul is once cleared from sin, it shall run to that glory with joy, the least glimpse whereof now appalls it, and sends it away in terror. How could the Israelites now choose but think; How shall we abide to look God in the face, since our eyes are dazzled with the face of Moses! And well may we still argue, If the Image of God, which he hath set in the fleshly forehead of authority, daunt us; how shall we stand before the dreadful Tribunal of Heaven! Moses marvels to see Israel run away from their Guide, as from their Enemy; and looks back to see if he could discern any new cause of fear; and not conceiving how his mild face could affray them, calls them to stay and retire. Oh my people, whom do ye flee? It is for your sakes, that I ascended, stayed, came down: Behold here are no armed Levites to strike you, no Amalekites, no Egyptians to pursue you, no fires and thunders to dismay you. I have not that rod of God in my hand, which you have seen to command the Elements: or if I had; so fare am I from purposing any rigour against you, that I now lately have appeased God towards you; and lo here the pledges of his reconciliation. God sends me to you for good; and do you run from your best friend? Whither will ye go from me; or without me? Stay, and hear the charge of that God, from whom ye cannot flee. They perceive his voice the same, though his face were changed, and are persuaded to stay, and return and hear him, whom they dare not see; and now after many doubtful paces, approaching nearer, dare tell him he was grown too glorious. Good Moses, finding that they durst not look upon the Sun of his face, clouds it with a veil: Choosing rather to hide the work of God in him, then to want opportunity of revealing Gods will to his people. I do not hear him stand upon terms of reputation; if there be glory in my face, God put it there; he would not have placed it so conspicuously, if he had meant it should be hid: Hid ye your faces rather, which are blemished with your sin; and look not that I should wrong God and myself, to seem less happy, in favour of your weakness. But without all self respects, he modestly hides his glorified face; & cares not their eyes should pierce so far, as to his skin, on condition, that his words may pierce into their ears. It is good for a man sometimes to hide his graces; Some Talents are best improved by being laid up: Moses had more glory by his Veil, then by his face. Christian modesty teaches a wise man, not to expose himself to the fairest show, and to live at the utmost pitch of his strength. There is many a rich Stone laid up in the bowels of the Earth; many a fair Pearl laid up in the bosom of the Sea, that never was seen, nor never shall be. There is many a goodly Star, which because of height comes not within our account. How did our true Moses, with the Veil of his flesh, hide the glory of his Deity, and put on vileness, besides the laying aside of Majesty: and shut up his great and Divine Miracles, with, See you tell no man! How fare are those spirits from this, which care only to be seen; and wish only to dazzle others eyes with admiration, not caring for unknown Riches? But those yet more, which desire to seem above themselves, whether in parts, or graces; whose Veil is fairer than their skin. Modest faces shall shine through their Veils, when the vainglorious shall bewray their shame, through their covering. That God which gave his Law in smoke, delivered it again, through the Veil of Moses. Israel could not look to the end of that, which should be abolished; for the same cause had God a Veil upon his face, which hide his presence in the Holy of Holies. Now as the Veil of God did rend, when he said, It is finished; so the Veil of Moses then pulled off. We clearly see Christ, the end of the Law. Our joshua that succeeded Moses, speaks to us bare-faced: what a shame is it there should be a Veil upon our hearts, when there is none on his face? When Moses went to speak with God, he pulled off his Veil; It was good reason he should present to God that face which he had made: There had been more need of his Veil, to hide the glorious face of God from him, then to hide his from God: but his faith and thankfulness serve for both these uses. Hypocrites are contrary to Moses; he shown his worst to men, his best to God; they show their best to men, their worst to God: but God sees both their Veil, and their face; and I know not whether he hates their veil of dissimulation, or their face of wickedness. Of NADAB and ABIHV. THat God, which shown himself to men in fire when he delivered his Law, would have men present their Sacrifices to him in fire; and this fire he would have his own: that there might be a just circulation in this creature; as the water sends up those vapours, which it receives, down again in rain. Hereupon it was, that fire came down from God unto the Altar: That as the charge of the Sacrifice was delivered in fire and smoke; so God might signify the acceptation of it, in the like fashion wherein it was commanded. The Baalites might lay ready their Bullock upon the wood, and water in their Trench: but they might sooner fetch the blood out of their bodies, and destroy themselves, than one flash out of Heaven to consume the Sacrifice. That Devil which can fetch down fire from Heaven, either maliciously, or to no purpose; (although he abound with fire; and did as feruenly desire this fire in emulation to God, as ever he desired mitigation of his own) yet now, he could no more kindle a fire for the Idolatrous Sacrifice, then quench the flames of his own torment. Herein God approves himself only worthy to be sacrificed unto, that he creates the fire of his own service; whereas the impotent Idols of the Heathen must fetch fire from their neighbour's Kitchen; and themselves are fit matter for their borrowed fire. The Israelites (that were led too much with sense) if they had seen the Bullock consumed with a fire fetched from a common hearth, could never have acknowledged what relation the Sacrifice had to God; had never perceived that God took notice of the Sacrifice: but now they see the fire coming out, from the presence of God, they are convinced both of the power and acceptation of the Almighty; They are at once amazed, and satisfied, to see the same God answer by fire, which before had spoken by fire: God doth not less approve our Evangelicall Sacrifices, than theirs under the Law; but as our Sacrifices are spiritual, so are the signs of his acceptation; Faith is our guide, as Sense was theirs. Yea even still doth God testify his approbation by sensible evidences: when by a lively faith, and fervent zeal, our hearts are consecraten to God, then doth this heavenly fire come down upon our Sacrifices, then are they holy, living, acceptable. This flame, that God kindled, was not as some momentany bonfire, for a sudden and short triumph, nor as a domestical fire, to go out with the day; but is given for a perpetuity, and neither must dye, nor be quenched. God, as he is himself, eternal; so he love's permanency and constancy of grace in us: If we be but a flash and away, God regards us not; all promises are to perseverance. Sure, it is but an elementary fire, that goes out, that which is celestial, continues: it was but some presumptuous heat in us that decays upon every occasion. But he that miraculously sent down this fire, at first, will not renew the miracle every day, by a like supply; it began immediately from God, it must be nourished by means. Fuel must maintain that fire, which came from Heaven; God will not work miracles every day: if he have kindled his Spirit in us, we may not expect he shall every day begin again; we have the fuel of the Word and Sacraments, Prayers, and Meditations, which must keep it in for ever. It is from God that these helps can nourish his graces in us; like as every flame of our material fire hath a concourse of providence; but we may not expect new infusions: rather know, that God expects of us an improvement of those habitual graces we have received. Whiles the people with fear and joy see God lighting his own fire, fire from heaven, the two sons of Aaron, in a careless presumption, will be serving him with a common flame; As if he might not have leave to choose the forms of his own worship. If this had been done some ages after, when the memory of the original of this heavenly fire had been worn out, it might have been excused with ignorance: but now, when God had newly sent his fire from above, newly commanded the continuance of it; either to let it go out, or whiles it still flamed, to fetch profane coals to God's Altar, could savour of no less than presumption, and Sacrilege: when we bring zeal without knowledge, misconceits of faith, carnal affections, the devices of our Will-worship, Superstitious Devotions into God's Service; we bring common fire to his Altar; these flames were never of his kindling; He hates both Altar, Fire, Priest and Sacrifice. And now behold, the same fire which consumed the Sacrifice before, consumes the Sacrificers. It was the sign of his acceptation, in consuming the beast; but whiles it destroyed men, the fearful sign of his displeasure. By the same means can God bewray both love and hatred. We would have pleaded for Nadab and Abihu; They are but youngmen, the sons of Aaron, not yet warm in their Function; let both age, and blood, and inexperience excuse them, as yet. No pretences, no privileges can bear off a sin with God: Men think either to patronise, or mitigate evils, by their feigned reasons. That no man may hope the plea either of birth, or of youth, or of the first commission of evil may challenge pardon; I see here young men, sons of the Ruler of Israel, for the first offence strooke dead. Yea, this made God the more to stomach, and the rather to revenge this impiety, because the Sons of Aaron did it. God had both pardoned and graced their Father, he had honoured them; of the thousands of Israel, culling them out for his Altar: and now, as their Father set up a false god, so they bring false fire unto the True God. If the sons of Infidels live godlessely, they do their kind; their punishment shall be, (though just) yet less: but if the children of religious Parents, after all Christian nurture, shall shame their Education; God takes it more heinously, and revenges is more sharply. The more bonds of duty, the more plagues of neglect. If from the Agents, we look to the act itself; set aside the original descent, and what difference was there betwixt these fires? Both looked alike, heated alike, ascended alike, consumed alike: both were fed with the same material wood, both vanished into smoke; There was no difference, but the Commandment of God. If God had enjoined ordinary fire, they had sinned to look for celestial: now he commanded only the fire which he sent; they sinned in sending up Incense, in that fire, which he commanded not. It is a dangerous thing in the service of God to decline from his own institutions; we have to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his own worship, just to require what he hath prescribed, powerful to revenge that which he hath not required. If God had strooke them with some Leprosy in their forehead, as he did their Aunt Miriam, soon after; or with some palsy, or linger consumption, the punishment had been grievous: but he, whose judgements are ever just, sometimes secret, saw fire the fittest revenge, for a sin of fire; his own fire fittest to punish strange fire; A sudden judgement, fit for a present and exemplary sin; He saw, that if he had winked at this, his service had been exposed to profanation. It is wisdom in governors to take sin at the first bound; and so to revenge it, that their punishments may be preventions. Speed of death is not always a judgement: suddenness, as it is ever justly suspicable; so then certainly argues anger, when it finds us in an act of sin. Leasure of repentance is an argument of favour: when God gives a man Law, it implies that he would not have judgement surprise him. Doubtless, Aaron looked somewhat heavily on this sad spectacle; It could not but appall him, to see his two sons dead before him, dead in displeasure, dead suddenly. dead by the immediate hand of God. And now he could repent him of his new honour, to see it succeed so ill, with the sons of his loins: neither could he choose but see himself stricken in them. But his Brother Moses, that had learned not to know either Nephews, or Brother, when they stood in his way to God, wisely turned his eyes from the dead carcases of his Sons, to his respect of the living God; My Brother, this event is fearful, but just; These were thy sons, but they sinned; it was not for God, it is not for thee, to look so much who they were, as what they did. It was their honour and thine, that they were chosen to minister before the Lord: He that called them, justly required their Sanctification & obedience. If they have profaned God, and themselves; can thy natural affection so miscarry thee, that thou couldst wish their impunity, with the blemish of thy Maker? Our sons are not ours, if they disobey our Father: to pity their misery, is to partake of their sins; If thou grudge at their judgement, take heed lest the same fire of God come forth upon this strange fire of nature. Show now whether thou more lovest God, or thy sons; Show whether thou be a better Father, or a Son. Aaron, weighing these things, holds his peace, not out of an amazement, or sullenness, but out of patiented and humble submission; and seeing God's pleasure, and their desert, is content to forget that he had sons. He might have had a silent tongue, and a clamorous heart. There is no voice louder in the ears of God, than a speechless repining of the soul. Heat is more intended with keeping in; but Aaron's silence was no less inward: He knew how little he should get by brawling with God. If he breathed our discontentment, he saw God could speak fire to him again; And therefore he quietly submits to the will of God; and held his peace, because the Lord had done it. There is no greater proof of grace, then to smart patiently; and humbly and contentedly to rest the heart in the justice, and wisdom of Gods proceeding; and to be so fare from chiding, that we dispute not. Nature is froward; and though she well knows we meddle not with our match, when we strive with our Maker, yet she pricks us forward to this idle quarrel; and bids us with jobs wife, Curse and dye. If God either chide or smite (as servants are charged to their Masters) we may not answer again; when God's hand is on our back, our hand must be our mouth: else, as mothers do their children, God shall whip us so much the more for crying. It is hard for a slander by, in this case to distinguish betwixt hardheartedness, and piety. There Aaron sees his son's lie; he may neither put his hand to them, to bury them, nor shed a tear for their death. Never parent can have juster cause of mourning, then to see his sons dead in their sin; if prepared, and penitent, yet who can but sorrow for their end? but to part with children, to the danger of a second death, is worthy of more than tears. Yet Aaron must learn so fare to deny nature, that he must more magnify the justice of God, then lament the judgement. Those whom God hath called to his immediate service, must know that he will not allow them the common passions, and cares of others. Nothing is more natural than sorrow for the death of our own: if ever grief be seasonable, it becomes a funeral. And if Nadab and Abihu had died in their beds, this favour had been allowed them, the sorrow of their Father and Brethren: for when God forbids solemn mourning to his Priests, over the dead, he excepts the cases of this nearness of blood. Now all Israel may mourn for these two; only the Father and Brethren may not. God is jealous lest their sorrow should seem to countenance the sin, which he had punished: even the fearfullest acts of God must be applauded by the heaviest hearts of the faithful. That which the Father and Brother may not do, the Cousins are commanded: dead carcases are not for the presence of God; His justice was shown sufficiently in killing them: They are now fit for the grave, not the Sanctuary: Neither are they carried out naked, but in their coats. It was an unusual sight for Israel to see a linen Ephod upon the Beer; The judgement was so much more remarkable, because they had the badge of their calling upon their backs. Nothing is either more pleasing unto God, or more commodious to men, then that when he hath executed judgement, it should be seen and wondered at; for therefore he strikes some, that he may warn all. Of AARON and MIRIAM. THe Israelites are stayed seven days in the station of Hazzeroth, for the punishment of Miriam. The sins of the governors are a just stop to the people; all of them smart in one; all must stay the leisure of Miriams' recovery. Whosoever seeks the Land of Promise, shall find many lets; Amalek, Og, Schon, and the Kings of Canaan meet with Israel: these resisted, but hindered not their passage; their sins only stay them from removing. Afflictions are not crosses to us, in the way to heaven, in comparison to our sins. What is this I see? Is not this Aaron, that was brother in nature; and by office joint. Commissioner with Moses? Is not this Aaron, that made his Brother an Intercessor for him, to God, in the case of his Idolatry? Is not this Aaron, that climbed up the Hill of Sinai, with Moses? Is not this Aaron, whom the mouth and hand of Moses consecrated an high Priest unto God? Is not this Miriam, the elder Sister of Moses? Is not this Miriam, that led the Triumph of the Women, and sung gloriously to the Lord? It not this Miriam, which laid her Brother Moses in the Reeds, and fetched her Mother to be his Nurse? Both, Prophets of God; both, the flesh and blood of Moses: And doth this Aaron repine at the honour of him, which gave himself that honour, and saved his life? Doth this Miriam repine at the prosperity of him whose life she saved? Who would not have thought, this should have been their glory, to have seen the glory of their own Brother? What could have been a greater comfort to Miriam, then to think; How happily doth he now sit at the Stern of Israel, whom I saved from perishing in a Boat of Bul-rushes! It is to me, that Israel owes this Commander; But now envy hath so blinded their eyes, that they can neither see this privilege of nature, nor the honour of God's choice. Miriam and Aaron are in mutiny against Moses. Who is so holy that sins not? What sin is so unnatural, that the best can avoid without God? But what weakness soever may plead for Miriam, who can but grieve to see Aaron at the end of so many sins? Of late, I saw him carving the molten Image, and consecrating an Altar to a false god: now I see him seconding an unkind mutiny against his Brother: Both sins find him accessary; neither principal. It was not in the power of the legal Priesthood to perform, or promise innocency to her Ministers: It was necessary we should have another high Priest, which could not be tainted. That King of righteousness was of another order; He being without sin, hath fully satisfied for the sins of men. Whom can it now offend, to see the blemishes of the Evangelicall Priesthood, when Gods first high Priest is thus miscarried? Who can look for love and prosperity at once, when holy and meek Moses finds enmity in his own flesh and blood? Rather than we shall want, A man's enemies shall be those of his own house. Authority cannot fail of opposition, if it be never so mildly swayed: that common makebate will rather raise it out of our own bosom. To do well, and hear ill, is Princely. The Midianitish wife of Moses cost him dear. Before, she hazarded his life: now, the favour of his people: Unequal matches are seldom prosperous. Although now this scandal was only taken: Envy was not wise enough to choose a ground of the quarrel. Whether some secret and emulatory brawls passed between Zipporah and Miriam, (as many times these sparks of private brawls grow into a perilous and common flame) or whether now that jethro and his family was joined with Israel, there were surmises of transporting the Government to strangers; or whether this unfit choice of Moses is now raised up to disparage God's gifts in him; Even in fight, the exceptions were frivolous: Emulation is curious; and out of the best person, or act, will raise something to cavil at. Seditions do not ever look the same way they move; Wise men can easily distinguish betwixt the visor of actions, and the face. The wife of Moses is mentioned, his superiority is shot at. Pride is lightly the ground of all sedition. Which of their faces shined like Moses? Yea, let him but have drawn his veil, which of them durst look on his face? Which of them had fasted twice forty days? Which of them ascended up to the top of Sinai, and was hid with smoke, and fire? Which of them received the Law twice in two several Tables, from Gods own hand? And yet they dare say, Hath God spoken only by Moses? They do not deny Moses his honour, but they challenge a part with him: and as they were the elder in nature, so they would be equal in dignity, equal in administration. According to her name, Miriam would be exalted. And yet how unfit were they? One, a woman, whom her sex debarred from rule; the other a Priest, whom his office sequestered from earthly government. Self-love makes men unreasonable, and teaches them to turn the glass, to see themselves bigger, others less than they are. It is an hard thing for a man, willingly and gladly to see his equals lifted over his head, in worth and opinion. Nothing will more try a man's grace, than questions of emulation. That man hath true light, which can be content to be a candle before the Sun of others. As no wrong can escape God; so lest of all those which are offered to Princes: He that made the care, needs no intelligence of our tongues. We have to do with a God, that is light of hearing, we cannot whisper any evil so secretly, that he should not cry out of noise: and what need we any further evidence, when our judge is our witness? Without any delation of Moses, God hears and challenges them. Because he was meek, therefore he complained not: Because he was meek and complained not, therefore the Lord struck in for him the more. The less a man strives for himself, the more is God his Champion. It is the honour of great persons, to undertake the patronage of their Clients: How much more will God revenge his Elect, which cry to him, day and night! He that said, I seek not mine own glory, adds, But there is one that seeks it, and judges. God takes his part over, that sights not for himself. No man could have given more proofs of his courage, than Moses. He slew the Egyptian; He confronted Pharaoh in his own Court; He beat the Midianite shepherds; He feared not the troops of Egypt: He durst look God in the face, amidst all the terrors of Sinai: and yet that spirit, which made, and knew his heart, says, He was the mildest man upon earth. Mildness and Fortitude may well lodge together in one breast; to correct the misconceits of those men, that think none valiant, but those that are fierce, and cruel. No sooner is the word out of Miriams' mouth, than the Word of God's reproof meets it; How he bestirs him, and will be at once seen and heard, when the name of Moses is in question! Moses was zealously careful for God's glory, and now God is zealous for his. The remunerations of the Almighty, are infinitely gracious. He cannot want honour and patronage, that seeks the honour of his Maker. The ready way to true glory, is goodness. God might have spoken so loud, that Heaven and Earth should have heard it; so as they should not have needed to come forth for audience: but now, he calls them out to the bar, that they may be seen to hear. It did not content him, to chide them within doors; the shame of their fault had been less in a private rebuke: but the scandal of their repining was public. Where the sin is not afraid of the light, God love's not the reproof should be smothered. They had depressed Moses, God advances him: They had equalled them to Moses, God prefers him to them. Their plea was, that God had spoken by them, as well as Moses: God's reply is, That he hath in a more entire fashion spoken to Moses, then them. God spoke to the best of them, but either in their dream, sleeping; or in vision, waking. But to Moses he spoke with more inward illumination, with more lively representation: To others, as a stranger; to Moses as a friend. God had never so much magnified Moses to them, but for their envy. We cannot device to pleasure God's servants, so much as by despighting them. God was angry when he chode them, but more angry when he departed. The withdrawing of his presence, is the presence of his wrath. Whiles he stays to reprove, there is favour in his displeasure: but when he leaves either man, or Church, there is no hope but of vengeance. The final absence of God, is hell itself. When he forsakes us (though for a time) it is an introduction to his utmost judgement. It was time to look for a judgement, when God departed: so soon as he is gone from the eyes of Miriam, the leprosy appears in her face: her foul tongue is punished with a foul face. Since she would acknowledge no difference betwixt herself, and her brother Moses, every Israelite now sees his face glorious, here leprous. Deformity is a fit cure of Pride. Because the venom of her tongue would have eaten into the reputation of her brother, therefore a poisonous infection eats into her flesh. Now both Moses & Miriam, need to wear a veil: the one to hide his glory; the other her deformity. That Midianite Zapparah; whom she scorned, was beautiful in respect of her. Miriam was stricken, Aaron escaped: both sinned; his Priesthood could not rescue him; the greatness of his dignity did but add to the heinousness of his sin: his repentance freed him; Alas, my Lord, I beseech thee lay not this sin upon us, which we have foolishly committed. I wonder not to see Aaron free, while I see him penitent; This very confession saved him before, from bleeding for Idolatry, which now preserves him from Leprosy, for his envious repining. The universal Antidote, for all the judgements of God, is our humble repentance. Yea, his sad deprecation prevailed, both to clear himself, and recover Miriam; The brother sues for himself and his sister, to that brother whom they both emulated, for pardon from himself, and that God which was offended in him. Where now is that equality which was pretended? Behold, he that so lately made his brother his fellow, now makes him his God: Lay not this sin upon us; Let her not be as one dead: As if Moses had imposed this plague, and could remove it. Never any opposed the servants of God, but one time or other they have been constrained to confess a superiority. Miriam would have wounded Moses with her tongue; Moses would heal her, with his, O Lord, heal her now: The wrong is the greater, because his sister did it. He doth not say, I sought not her shame, she sought mine; if God have revenged it, I have no reason to look on her, as a sister, who looked at me, as an adversary: But, as if her ieprosie were his, he cries out for her cure. O admirable meekness of Moses! His people the jews rebelled against him; God proffers revenge; He would rather dye, than they should perish: His sister rebelled against him; God works his revenge: He will not give God peace, till she be recured. Behold a worthy and noble pattern for us to follow. How fare are they from this disposition, who are not only content God should revenge; but are ready to prevent God's revenge with their own? God's Love to Moses suffers him not to obtain presently his suit for Miriam; his good nature to his sister, made him pray against himself. If the judgement had been at once inflicted, and removed, there had been no example of terror for others: God either denies, or defers the grant of our requests, for our good; It were wide for us, if our suits should be ever heard. It was fit for all parts, Miriam should continue somewhile leprous. There is no policy in a sudden removal of just punishment: unless the rain so fall that it lie, and soak into the earth, it profits nothing. If the judgements of God should be only as passengers, and not sojourners at least, they would be no whit regarded. Of the Searchers of Canaan. I Can but wonder at the counsel of God. If the Israelites had gone on to Canaan, without inquiry; their confidence had possessed it: now they send to espy the Land, six hundred thousand of them never lived to see it: And yet I see God enjoining them to send; but enjoining it, upon their instance. Some things God allows in judgement; their importunity, and distrust, extorted from God this occasion of their overthrow. That which the Lord moves unto, prospers; but that which we move him to first, seldom succeedeth. What needed they doubt of the goodness of that Land, which God told them did flow with milk and honey? What needed they doubt of obtaining that, which God promised to give? When we will send forth our senses, to be our scouts in the mats of faith, and rather dare trust men, than God, we are worthy to be deceived. The basest sort of men are commonly held fit enough for intelligencers; but Moses, to make sure work, chooseth forth the best of Israel, such as were like to be most judicious in their inquiry, and most credible in their report. Those that ruled Israel at home, could best descry for them abroad; What should direct the body, but the head? Men can judge but by appearance; It is for him only that sees the event, ere he appoint the means, not to be deceived. It had been better for Israel to have sent the off all of the multitude: By how less the credit of their persons is, by so much less is the danger of seducement. The error of the mighty is armed with authority; and in a sort commands assent; whether in good or evil, Greatness hath ever a train to follow it at the heels. Forty days they spent in this search; and this cowardly unbelief in the search shall cost them forty year's delay of the fruition. Who can abide to see the Rulers of Israel so basely timorous? They commend the Land, the fruit commends itself, and yet they plead difficulty: We be not able to go up. Their shoulders are laden with the grapes; and yet their hearts are overlaid with unbelief: It is an unworthy thing to plead hardness of achieving, where the benefit will more than require the endeavour. Our Land of Promise is above; we know, the fruit thereof is sweet and glorious, the passage difficult. The giantly sons of Anak (the powers of darkness) stand in our way: If we sit down and complain, we shall once know, that without shall be the fearful. See the idle pleas of distrust; We are not able: They are stronger. Can not God enable them? Was he not stronger than their Giants? Had he not promised to displace the Canaanites, to settle them in their stead? How much more easy is it for us to spy their weakness, then for them to espy the strength of their adversaries? When we measure our spiritual success by our own power, we are vanquished, before we fight: He that would overcome, must neither look upon his own arm, nor the arm of his enemy, but the mouth and hand of him that hath promised, and can perform. Who are we flesh and blood, with our breath in our nostrils, that we should fight with Principalities, powers, spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places? The match is too unequal; we are not like Grasshoppers, to these Giants; when we compare ourselves with them, how can we but despair? when we compare them with God, how can we be discouraged? He that hath brought us into this field, hath promised us victory. God knew their strength, ere he offered to commit us. Well might they have thought, Were not the Amalekites stronger than we? Were not they armed, we naked? Did not the only hand of Moses, by lifting up, beat them down? Were not the Egyptians no less our masters? Did not Death come running after us in their Chariots? Did we not leave these buried in the Sea, the other unburied in the Wilderness? Whence had the Anakims their strength, but from him, that bids us go up against them? Why have the bodies of our forefathers taken possession of their Hebron, but for us? But now, their fear hath not left them so much reason, as to compare their adversaries with others, but only with themselves: Doubtless, these Giants were mighty, but their fear hath stretched them out some Cubits, beyond their stature. Distrust makes our dangers greater, and our helps less than they are, and forecasts ever worse, then shall be; and if evils be possible, it makes them certain. Amongst those twelve Messengers, whom our second Moses sent thorough the Land of Promise, there was but one judas; But amongst those twelve, which the former Moses addressed thorough the same Land, there is but one Caleb: and yet those were chosen out of the meanest; these, out of the heads of Israel. As there is no society free from some corruption: so is it hard, if in a community of men, there be not some faithfulness. We shall wrong God, if we fear left good causes shall be quite forsaken; He knows how to serve himself of the best, if the fewest; And could as easily be attended with a multitude, if he did not seek his own glory, in unlikelihoods. joshua was silent, and wisely spared his tongue for a further advantage; Only Caleb spoke: I do not hear him say, Who am I to strive with a multitude? What can joshua and I do against ten Rulers? It is better to fit still, then to rise and fall: But he resolves to swim against this stream, and will either draw friends to the truth, or enemies upon himself. True Christian fortitude teaches us not to regard the number, or quality of the opponents, but the equity of the cause; and cares not to stand alone, and challenge all comers: and if it could be opposed by as many worlds, as men, it may be overborne, but it cannot be daunted: Whereas popularity caries weak minds, and teaches them the safety of erring with a multitude. Caleb saw the giantly Anakims, and the walled Cities, as well as the rest; and yet he says, Let us go up and possess it: As if it were no more, but to go, and see, and conquer. Faith is courageous, & makes nothing of those dangers, wherewith others are quailed. It is very material with what eyes we look upon all objects. Fear doth not more multiply evils, than faith diminisheth them; which is therefore bold, because either it sees not, or contemns that terror, which fear represents to the weak. There is none so valiant as the believer. It had been happy for Israel, if Calebs' counsel had been as effectual as good: But how easily have these Rulers discouraged a faint-hearted people! In stead of lifting up their ensigns, and marching towards Canaan; they sit them down, and lift up their voice and cry. The rods of their Egyptian Taskmasters had never been so fit for them, as now, for crying. They had cause indeed to weep for the sin of their infidelity: but now they weep for fear of those enemies they saw not. I fear if there had been ten Calebs' to persuade, and but two faint spies to discourage them, those two cowards would have prevailed against those ten solicitors: How much more, now ten oppose, and but two encourage! An easy Rhetoric draws us to the worse part; yea, it is hard not to run down the hill. The faction of Evil is so much stronger in our nature, then that of Good, that every least motion prevails for the one: scarce any sure for the other. Now is Moses in danger of losing all the cost and care, that ever he bestowed upon Israel: His people are already gone back to Egypt, in their hearts; and their bodies are returning. Oh ye rebellious Hebrews, where shall God have you at last! Did ever Moses promise to bring you to a fruitful Land; without Inhabitants? To give you a rich Country, without resistance? Are not the graves of Canaan as good, as those of Egypt? What can ye but dye at the hands of the Anakims? Can ye hope for less from the Egyptians? What madness is this to wish to dye, for fear of death? Is there less hope from your enemies, that shall be, when ye go under strong and expert Leaders, then from the enemies that were when ye shall return masterless? Can those cruel Egyptians so soon have forgotten the blood of their fathers, children, brothers, husbands, which perished in pursuing you? Had ye rather trust the mercy of known enemies, than the promise of a faithful God? Which way will ye return? Who shall divide the Sea for you? Who shall fetch you water out of the Rock? Or can ye hope that the Manna of God will follow you, while ye run from him? Feeble minds, when they meet with crosses they looked not for, repent of their good beginnings, and wish any difficulty rather, then that they find. How many have pulled back their foot from the narrow way, for the troubles of a good profession! It had been time for the Israelites to have fall'n down on their faces before Moses and Aaron, and to have said, Ye led us thorough the Sea, make way for us into Canaan. Those Giants are strong, but not so strong as the Rock of Rephidim; ye struck that and it yielded; If they be tall, the Pillar of God is higher than they: when we look on ourselves, we see cause of fear; but when we consider the miraculous power of you our leaders, we cannot but contemn those men of measures. Leave us not therefore, but go before us in your directions, go to God for us in your prayers. But now contrarily, Moses and Aaron fall on their faces to them, and sue to them, that they would be content to be conducted. Had they been suffered to departed, they had perished; Moses and his few had been victorious: And yet, as if he could not be happy without them, be falls on his face to them, that they would stay. We have never so much need to be importuned, as in those things, whose benefit should make us most importunate. The sweetness of God's Law, and our promised glory is such, as should draw all hearts after it; And yet if we did not sue to men (as for life) that they would be reconciled to God, and be saved, I doubt whether they would obtain, yea, it were well, if our suit were sufficient to prevail. Though Moses and Aaron entreat upon their faces, and joshua and Caleb persuade and rend their garments, yet they move nothing. The obstinate multitude, grown more violent with opposing, is ready to return them stones, for their prayers. Such hath been ever the thankes of fidelity, and truth; Crossed wickedness proves desperate; and in stead of yielding, seeks for revenge. Nothing is so hateful to a resolute sinner, as good counsel: We are become enemies to the world, because we tell them truth. That God which was invisibly present, whiles they sinned, when they have sinned, shows himself glorious. They might have seen him before, that they should not sin; Now they cannot choose but see him in the height of their sin. They saw before, the Pillar of his ordinary presence: now they see him unusually terrible; that they may with shame and horror, confess him able to defend, able to revenge. The help of God uses to show itself in extremity. He that can prevent evils, conceals his aid, till danger be ripe; And then, he is fearful as before he seemed connivent. Of CORAH'S Conspiracy. THe tears of Israel were scarce dry, since the smart of their last mutiny, and now they begin another. The multitude is like a raging Sea; full of unquiet billows of discontentment; whereof one rises, in the fall of another. They saw, God did but threaten, and therefore are they bold to sin: It was now high time, they should know what it is for God to be angry. There was never such a revenge taken of Israel; never any better deserved. When lesser warnings will not serve, God looks into his Quiver for deadly arrows. In the mean time what a weary life did Moses lead, in these continual successions of conspiracies? What did he gain by his troublesome government, but danger and despite? Who but he would not have wished himself rather with the sheep of jethro, then with these wolves of Israel? But, as he durst not quit his hook, without the calling of God, so now he dare not his Sceptre, except he be dismissed by him that called him; no troubles, no oppositions can drive him from his place: we are too weak, if we suffer men to chase us from that station, where God hath set us. I see the Levites, not long since, drawing their swords for God and Moses, against the rest of Israel; and that fact wins them both praise and blessing: Now they are the forwardest in the rebellion against Moses and Aaron, men of their own Tribe. There is no assurance of a man, for one act: whom one sin cannot fasten upon, another may. Yea the same sin may find a repulse one while, from the same hand, which another time gives it entertainment: and that yeeldance loses the thank of all the former resistance. It is no praise to have done once well, unless we continue. Outward privileges of blood can avail nothing, against a particular calling of God. These Reubenites had the right of the natural primogeniture; yet do they vainly challenge preeminence, where God hath subjected them. If all civil honour flow from the King, how much more from the God of Kings? His hand exalts the poor, and casts down the mighty from their throne. The man that will be lifting up himself, in the pride of his heart, from under the foot of God, is justly trodden in the dust. Moses is the Prince of Israel; Aaron the Priest: Moses was mild; Aaron popular; yet both are conspired against: Their places are no less brothers, than their persons. Both are opposed at once; He that is a traitor to the Church, is a traitor to the King. Any superiority is a mark of Enuy. Had Moses and Aaron been but fellows with the Israelites, none had been better beloved; their dispositions were such, as must needs have forced favour from the indifferent: now they were advanced, their malice is not inferior to their honour. High towers must look for lightnings; we offer not to undermine but those walls, which we cannot scale. Nature in every man is both envious, and disdainful, and never love's to honour another, but where it may be an honour to itself. There cannot be conceived an honour less worth emulation, than this principality of Israel; a people that could give nothing; a people that had nothing, but in hope; a people, whom their leader was fain to feed with bread, and water; which paid him no tribute, but of ill words; whose command was nothing but a burden: and yet this dignity was an eyesore to these Levites and these Reubenites, Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. And this challenge (though thus unseasonable) hath drawn in two hundred and fifty Captains of Israel. What wonder is it, that the ten Rulers prevailed so much with the multitude to dissuade them from Canaan; when three traitors prevailed thus with 250 Rulers, famous in the Congregation, and men of renown? One man may kindle such a fire, as all the world cannot quench. One plague-sore may infect a whole Kingdom: The infection of evil is much worse than the act. It is not like, these Leaders of Israel could err without followers: He is a mean man that draws not some Clients after him. It hath been ever a dangerous policy of Satan, to assault the best: he knows, that the multitude (as we say of Bees) will follow their master. Nothing can be more pleasing to the vulgar sort, then to hear their Governors taxed, and themselves flattered. All the Congregation is holy; Every one of them; Wherefore lift ye up yourselves? Every word is a falsehood. For Moses dejected himself (Who am I?) God lifted him up, over Israel: And so was Israel holy, as Moses was ambitious. What holiness was there in so much infidelity, fear, Idolatry, mutiny, disobedience? What could make them unclean, if this were holiness? They had scarce wiped their mouths, or washed their hands, since their last obstinacy: and yet these pickthanks say, All Israel is holy. I would never desire a better proof of a false teacher, than flattery: True meaning need not uphold itself by soothing. There is nothing easier, then to persuade men well of themselves; when a man's self-love meets with another's flattery, it is an high praise that will not be believed. It was more out of opposition, than belief, that these men plead the holiness of Israel. Violent adversaries, to uphold a side, will maintain those things they believe not. Moses argues not for himself, but appeals to God; neither speaks for his own right, but his brother Aaron's: He knew, that God's immediate service was worthy to be more precious, than his government: That, his Princedom served but to the glory of his Master. Good Magistrates are more tender over God's honour then their own; and more sensible of the wrongs offered to Religion, then to themselves. It is safest to trust God with his own causes. If Aaron had been chosen by Israel, Moses would have sheltered him under their authority: Now that God did immediately appoint him, his patronage is sought, whose the election was. We may easily fault in the managing of divine affairs; and so our want of success cannot want sin; He knows how to use, how to bless his own means. As there was a difference betwixt the people, and Levites; so betwixt the Levites, and Priests. The God of order love's to have our degrees kept. Whiles the Levites would be looking up to the Priests, Moses sends down their eyes to the people. The way not to repine at those above us, is to look at those below us. There is no better remedy for ambition, then to cast up our former receipts, and to compare them with our deservings, and to confer our own estate with inferiors: So shall we find cause to be thankful, that we are above any, rather than of envy, that any is above us. Moses hath chid the sons of Levi, for mutining against Aaron; and so much the more, because they were of his own Tribe: now he sends for the Reubenites, which rose against himself. They come not, and their message is worse than their absence. Moses is accused of injustice, cruelty, falsehood, treachery, usurpation; and Egypt itself must be commended, rather than Moses shall want reproach. Innocency is no shelter from ill tongues; Malice never regards how true any accusation is; but how spiteful. Now it was time for Moses to be angry. They durst not have been thus bold, if they had not seen his mildness. Lenity is ill bestowed upon stubborn natures: It is an injurious senselessness, not to feel the wounds of our reputation. It well appears he is angry, when he prays against them. He was displeased before; but when he was most bitter against them, he still prayed for them: but now, he bends his very prayers against them. Look not to their offering. There can be no greater revenge, than the imprecation of the righteous; There can be no greater judgement, than God's rejection of our services. With us men, what more argues dislike of the person, than the turning back of his present? What will God accept from us, if not prayers? The innocence of Moses calls for revenge on his Adversaries. If he had wronged them in his government, in vain should he have looked to God's hand for right. Our feigns exclude us from God's protection; whereas uprightness challenges, and finds his patronage. An Affe taken had made him uncapable of favour. Corrupt Governors lose the comfort of their own breast, and the tuition of God. The same tongue that prayed against the Conspirators, prays for the people. As lewd men think to carry it with number; Corah had so fare prevailed, that he had drawn the multitude to his side. God, the avenger of treasons, would have consumed them all at once: Moses and Aaron pray for their Rebels. Although they were worthy of death, and nothing but death could stop their mouths; yet their merciful Leaders will not buy their own peace, with the loss of such enemies. Oh rare and imitable mercy! The people rise up against their Governors; Their Governor's fall on their faces to God, for the people: so fare are they from plotting revenge, that they will not endure God should revenge for them. Moses knew well enough, that all those Israelites must perish in the Wilderness; God had vowed it, for their former insurrection: yet how earnestly doth he sue to God, not to consume them at once! The very respite of evils, is a favour next to the removal. Corah kindled the fire; the two hundred and fifty Captains brought sticks to it; All Israel warmed themselves by it; only the incendiaries perish. Now do the Israelites own their life to them, whose death they intended. God and Moses knew to distinguish betwixt the heads of a faction, and the train; though neither be faultless, yet the one is plagued, the other forgiven. God's vengeance, when it is at the hottest, makes differences of men: Get you away from about the Tabernacles of Corah. Ever before common judgements, there is a separation. In the universal judgement of all the earth, the judge himself will separate: in these particular executions, we must separate ourselves. The society of wicked men, especially in their sins, is mortally dangerous: whiles we will not be parted, how can we complain, if we be enwrapped in their condemnation? Our very company sins with them; why should we not smart with them also? Moses had well hoped, that when these Rebels should see all the Israelites run from them, as from monsters, and looking affrightedly upon their Tents, and should hear that fearful Proclamation of vengeance, against them, (howsoever they did before set a face on their conspiracy; yet now their hearts would have misgiven. But lo, these bold Traitors stand impudently staring in the door of their Tents, as if they would outface the revenge of God; As if Moses had never wrought miracle before them; As if no one Israelite had ever bled for rebelling. Those that shall perish, are blinded. Pride and infidelity obdures the heart, and makes even cowards fearless. So soon as the innocent are severed, the guilty perish: the earth cleaves, and swallows up the Rebels. This element was not used to such morsels. It devours the carcases of men; but bodies informed with living souls, never before. To have seen them struck dead upon the earth, had been fearful: but to see the earth at once their executioner and grave, was more horrible. Neither the Sea, nor the Earth are fit to give passage; The Sea is moist and flowing, and will not be divided, for the continuity of it; The earth is dry and massy, and will neither yield naturally, not meet again, when it hath yielded; yet the waters did cleave to give way unto Israel, for their preservation; the earth did cleave, to give way to the Conspirators, in judgement: Both Sea and Earth did shut their jaws again upon the adversaries of God. There was more wonder in this latter. It was a marvel that the waters opened: it was no wonder that they shut again; for, the retiring and flowing, was natural. It was no less marvel, that the earth opened; but more marvel that it did shut again, because it had no natural disposition to meet, when it was divided. Now might Israel see, they had to do with a God, that could revenge with ease. There were two sorts of Traitors: the Earth swallowed up the one; the Fire, the other. All the elements agree to serve the vengeance of their Maker. Nadab and Abihu brought fit persons, but unfit fire to God, these Levites bring the right fire, but unwarranted persons, before him: Fire from God consumes both. It is a dangerous thing to usurp sacred functions. The ministry will not grace the man; The man may disgrace the ministry. The common people were not so fast gathered to Corahs' flattering persuasion before, as now they ran from the sight, and fear of his judgement. I marvel not if they could not trust that earth whereon they stood, whiles they knew their hearts had been false. It is a madness to run away from punishment, and not from sin. Contemplations. THE SEVENTH BOOK. Aaron's Censer, and Rod. The Brazen Serpent. Balaam. Phinehas. The death of Moses. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO MY RIGHT HONOURABLE, RELIGIOUS AND BOUNTIFUL PATRON, EDWARD, LORD DENNY, BARON OF WALTHAM, THE CHIEF COMFORT OF MY LABOURS: J. H. WISHES ALL TRUE HAPPINESS, AND DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS. Contemplations. THE SEVENTH BOOK. AARON'S Censer and Rod. WHen shall we see an end of these murmurings, and these judgements? Because these men rose up against Moses and Aaron, therefore God consumed them; and because God consumed them, therefore the people rise up against Moses and Aaron: and now because the people thus murmur, God hath again begun to consume them. What a circle is here of sins, and judgements? Wrath is gone out from God: Moses is quick-sighted, and spies it at the setting out. By how much more faithful, and familiar we are with God, so much earlier do we discern his judgements; as those which are well acquainted with men, know by their looks and gestures that, which strangers understand but by their actions; As finer tempers are more sensible of the changes of weather. Hence the Seers of God have ever from their Watchtower descried the judgements of God afar off. If another man had seen from Carmel a cloud of a hand-breadth, he could not have told Ahab, he should be wet. It is enough for God's Messengers, out of their acquaintance with their Masters proceed, to foresee punishment: No marvel, if those see it not, which are wilfully sinful: we men reveal not our secret purposes, either to enemies or strangers: all their favour is to feel the plague ere they can espy it. Moses, though he were great with God, yet he takes not upon him this reconciliation; he may advice Aaron what to do, himself undertakes not to act it: It is the work of the Priesthood, to make an atonement for the people: Aaron was first his brother's tongue to Pharaoh; now he is the people's tongue to God: he only must offer up the incense of the public prayers to God. Who would not think it a small thing to hold a Censer in his hand? yet if any other had done it, he had fall'n with the dead, and not stood betwixt the living and dead; in stead of the smoke ascending, the fire had descended upon him: And shall there be less use, or less regard of the Evangelicall ministry, than the Legal? When the world hath poured out all his contempt, we are they, that must reconcile men to God; and without us, they perish. I know not whether more to marvel at the courage, or mercy of Aaron: His mercy, that he would yet save so rebellious a people; his courage, that he would save them, with so great a danger of himself. For, as one that would part a fray, he thrusts himself under the strokes of God; and puts it to the choice of the revenger, whether he will smite him, or forbear the rest; He stands boldly betwixt the living and the dead, as one that will either dye with them, or have them live with him; the sight of fourteen hundred carcases dismayed him not: he that before feared the threats of the people, now fears not the strokes of God. It is not for God's Ministers, to stand upon their own perils in the common causes of the Church: Their prayers must oppose the judgements of the Almighty; When the fire of God's anger is kindled, their Censers must smoke with fire from the Altar. Every Christian must pray for the removal of vengeance: how much more they, whom God hath appointed to mediate for his people? Every man's mouth is his own: but they are the mouths of all. Had Aaron thrust in himself with empty hands, I doubt whether he had prevailed; now this Censer was his protection; When we come with supplications in our hands, we need not fear the strokes of God. We have leave to resist the divine judgements by our prayers, with favour and success. So soon as the incense of Aaron ascended up unto God, he smelled a savour of rest; he will rather spare the offenders, then strike their intercessor. How hardly can any people miscarry, that have faithful Ministers to sue for their safety? Nothing but the smoke of hearty prayers can cleanse the air from the plagues of God. If Aaron's sacrifice were thus accepted; how much more shall the Highpriest of the New Testament, by interposing himself to the wrath of his Father, deliver the offenders from death? The plague was entered upon all the sons of men: O Saviour, thou stoodst betwixt the living, and the dead, that all which believe in thee, should not perish. Aaron offered and was not stricken; but thou, O Redeemer, wouldst offer and be strooke, that by thy stripes we might be healed: So stoodst thou betwixt the dead and living, that thou wert both alive and dead; and all this, that we, when we were dead, might live for ever. Nothing more troubled Israel, than a fear left the two brethren should cunningly engross the government to themselves. If they had done so, what wise men would have envied them an office so little worth, so dearly purchased? But because this conceit was ever apt to stir them to rebellion, and to hinder the benefit of this holy sovereignty; therefore God hath endeavoured nothing more, then to let them see that these officers, whom they so much envied, were of his own proper institution: They had scarce shut their eyes, since they saw the confusion of those two hundred and fifty usurping sacrificers; and Aaron's effectual intercession for staying the plague of Israel. In the one, the execution of God's vengeance upon the competitors of Aaron for his sake; In the other, the forbearance of vengeance upon the people for Aaron's mediation, might have challenged their voluntary acknowledgement of his just calling from God. If there had been in them either awe, or thankfulness, they could not have doubted of his lawful supremacy. How could they choose but argue thus; Why would God so fearfully have destroyed the rivals that durst contest with Aaron, if he would have allowed him any equal? Wherefore serve those plates of the Altar, which we see made of those usurped Censers, but to warn all posterity of such presumption? Why should God cease striking, whiles Aaron interposed betwixt the living and the dead,, if he were but as one of us? Which of us, if we had stood in the plague, had not added to the heap? Incredulous minds will not be persuaded with any evidence. These two brothers had lived asunder forty years, God makes them both meet in one office of delivering Israel. One half of the miracles were wrought by Aaron; he strooke with the rod, whiles it brought those plagues on Egypt. The Israelites heard God call him up by name to mount Sinai; They saw him anointed from God: and (lest they should think this a set match betwixt the brethren) they saw the earth opening, the fire issuing from God upon their emulous opposites: they saw his smoke a sufficient antidote for the plague of God; and yet still Aaron's calling is questioned. Nothing is more natural to every man, than unbelief: but the earth never yielded a people so strongly incredulous, as these; and after so many thousand generations, their children do inherit their obstinacy; still do they oppose the true Highpriest, the Anointed of God: sixteen hundred year's desolation hath not drawn from them to confess him whom God hath chosen. How desirous was God to give satisfaction even to the obstinate! There is nothing more material, than that men should be assured their spiritual guides have their Commission and Calling from God: The want whereof is a prejudice to our success. It should not be so: but the corruption of men will not receive good, but from due messengers. Before, God wrought miracles in the Rod of Moses; now, in the rod of Aaron. As Pharaoh might see himself in Moseses rod; who, of a rod of defence and protection, was turned into a venomous Serpent: So Israel might see themselves in the rod of Aaron. Every Tribe and every Israelite was, of himself, as a sere-sticke, without life, without sap; and if any one of them had power to live, and flourish, he must acknowledge it from the immediate power, and gift of God. Before God's calling, all men are alike: Every name is alike written in their Rod; there is no difference in the letters, in the wood; neither the characters of Aaron are fairer, nor the staff more precious; It is the choice of God that makes the distinction: So it is in our calling of Christianity; All are equally devoid of possibility of grace: all equally liveless; by nature we are all sons of wrath: If we be now better than others, who separated us? We are all Crabstocks in this Orchard of God, he may graft what fruit he pleases, upon us; only the grace and effectual calling of God makes the difference. These twelve Heads of Israel would never have written their names in their rods, but in hope they might be chosen to this dignity. What an honour was this Priesthood, whereof all the Princes of Israel are ambitious? If they had not thought it an high preferment, they had never so much envied the office of Aaron. What shall we think of this change? Is the Evangelicall ministration of less worth than the Leviticall? Whiles the Testament is better, is the service worse? How is it, that the great think themselves too good for this employment? How is it, that under the Gospel, men are disparaged with that, which honoured them under the Law; that their ambition and scorn, meet in one subject? These twelve rods are not laid up in several cabinets of their owners; but are brought forth, and laid before the Lord. It is fit God should make choice of his own attendants. Even we men hold it injurious to have servants obtruded upon us, by others: never shall that man have comfort in his Ministry, whom God hath not chosen. The great Commander of the world hath set every man in his station; To one he hath said, Stand thou in this Tower and watch; To another, Make thou good these Trenches; To a third, Dig thou in this Mine. He that gives, and knows our abilities, can best set us on work. This rod was the pastoral staff of Aaron, the great Shepherd of Israel. God testifies his approbation of his charge, by the fruit. That a rod cut off from the tree, should blossom, it was strange; but that in one night it should bear buds, blossoms, fruit, and that both ripe and hard, it was highly miraculous. The same power that revives the dead plants of winter, in the Spring, doth it here without earth, without time, without sun; that Israel might see and grant, It was no reason his choice should be limited, whose power is unlimited. Fruitfulness is the best argument of the calling of God: Not only all the plants of his setting, but the very boughs cut off from the body of them, will flourish. And that there may not want a succession of increase, here are fruit, blossoms, buds; both proof and hope, inseparably mixed. It could not but be a great comfort unto Aaron, to see his rod thus miraculously flourishing; to see this wonderful Testimony of God's favour, and Election: Sure, he could not but think; Who am I, O God, that thou shouldest thus choose me out of all the Tribes of Israel? My weakness hath been more worthy of thy rod of correction, than my rod hath been worthy of these blossoms. How hast thou magnified me, in the sight of all thy people? How able art thou to uphold my imbecility with the rod of thy support? how able to defend me with the rod of thy power, who hast thus brought fruit out of the sapless rod of my profession? That servant of God is worthy to faint, that holds it not a sufficient encouragement, to see the evident proofs of his Master's favour. Commonly, those fruits which are soon ripe, soon whither; but these Almonds of Aaron's rod, are not more early, than lasting: the same hand which brought them out before their time, preserved them beyond their time; and for perpetual memory, both rod and fruit must be kept in the Ark of God. The Tables of Moses, the rod of Aaron, the Manna of God, are monuments fit for so holy a shrine. The Doctrine, Sacraments and government of God's people, are precious to him, and must be so to men. All times shall see and wonder, how his ancient Church was fed, taught, ruled. Moses his rod did great miracles, yet I find it not in the Ark. The rod of Aaron hath this privilege, because it carried the miracle still in itself; whereas the wonders of that other rod were passed. Those monuments would God have continued in his Church, which carry in them the most manifest evidences of that which they import. The same God, which by many transient demonstrations had approved the calling of Aaron to Israel, will now have a permanent memorial of their conjunction; that whensoever they should see this relic, they should be ashamed of their presumption, and infidelity. The name of Aaron was more plainly written in that rod, than the sin of Israel was in the fruit of it; and how much Israel finds their rebellion beaten with this rod, appears in their present relenting, and complaint; Behold we are dead, we perish. God knows how to pull down the biggest stomach, and can extort glory to his own Name, from the most obstinate gainsayers. Of the Brazen Serpent. Seven times already hath Israel mutined against Moses, and seven times hath either been threatened, or punished; yet now they fall to it afresh. As a tasty man finds occasion to chafe at every trifle: so this discontented people either find or make all things troublesome. One while they have no water; then bitter; One while no God; then one too many; One while no bread; then bread enough, but too light; One while they will not abide their Governors: then they cannot abide their loss. Aaron and Miriam were never so grudged alive, as they are bewailed dead. Before, they wanted Onions, Garlic, fleshpots; now they want Figs, Vines, Pomegranates, Corne. And as crabid children, that cry for every thing they can think of, are whipped by their wise mother: So God justly serves these fond Israelites. It was first their way that makes them repine: They were fain to go round about Idumea; the journey was long and troublesome. They had sent entreaties to Edom for licence of passage the next way, reasonably, submissly: It was churlishly denied them. Esau life's still in his posterity; jacob in Israel: The combat which they began in Rebeccaes' belly, is not yet ended. Amalec, which was one limb of Esau, follows them at the heels; The Edomite, which was another, meets them in the face: So long as there is a world, there will be opposition to the chosen of God. They may come at their peril; the way had been nearer, but bloody; they dare not go it, and yet complain of length. If they were afraid to purchase their resting place with war, how much less would they their passage? What should God do with impatient men? They will not go the nearest way, and yet complain to go about. He that will pass to the promised Land, must neither stand upon length of way, nor difficulty. Every way hath his inconueniencies: the nearest hath more danger, the farthest hath more pain; Either, or both must be overcome, if ever we will enter the rest of God. Aaron and Miriam were now past the danger of their mutinies; for want of another match, they join God with Moses, in their murmurings: Though they had not mentioned him, they could not sever him in their insurrection; For, in the causes of his own servants, he challenges even when he is not challenged. What will become of thee, O Israel, when thou makest thy Maker thine enemy? Impatience is the cousin to Frenzy: this causes men not to care upon whom they run, so they may breathe out some revenge. How oft have we heard men that have been displeased by others, tear the name of their Maker in pieces? He that will judge, and can confound, is fetched into the quarrel without cause. But if to strive with a mighty man be unwise, and unsafe, what shall it be to strive with the mighty God? As an angry child casts away that which is given him, because he hath not that he would: so do these foolish Israelites; their bread is light, and their water unsatisfying, because their way displeased them. Was ever people fed with such bread, or water? Twice hath the very Rock yielded them water, and every day the heaven affords them bread. Did any one soul amongst them miscarry, either for hunger, or thirst? But no bread will down with them, save that which the earth yields; no water ●ut from the natural Wells, or Rivers. Unless nature may be allowed to be her own carver, she is never contented. Manna had no fault, but that it was too good, and too frequent: the pulse of Egypt had been fit for these course mouths: This heavenly bread was unspeakably delicious; it tasted like wafers of honey, and yet even this Angel's food is contemned. He that is full despiseth an honeycomb. How sweet and delicate is the Gospel! Not only the Fathers of the Old Testament, but the Angels desired to look into the glorious mysteries of it, and yet we are cloyed. This supernatural food is too light: the bread-corne of our humane reason, and profound discourse, would better content us. Moses will not revenge this wrong, God will; yet will he not deal with them himself, but he sends the fiery Serpents to answer for him: How fitly! They had carried themselves like serpents to their governors: how oft had they stung Moses and Aaron, near to death? If the Serpent bite when he is not charmed, no better is a slanderer. Now these venomous Adder's revenge it; which are therefore called fiery, because their poison scalded to death; God hath an hand in the annoyance and hurt of the basest creature; how much less can the sting of an ill tongue, or the malice of an ill spirit, strike us without him? Whiles they were in Goshen, the Frogs, Lice, Caterpillars spared them, and plagued the Egyptians; now they are rebellious in the Desert, the serpents find them out, and sting them to death. He that brought the Quails thither to feed them, fetches these Serpents thither to punish them. While we are at wars with God, we can look for no peace with his creatures: Every thing rejoices to execute the vengeance of his Maker. The stones of the field will not be in league with us, while we are not in league with God. These men, when the Spies had told them news of the Giants of Canaan, a little before had wished, Would God we were dead in this Wilderness: Now God hath heard their prayers, what with the Plague, what with the Serpents, many thousands of them died. The ill wishes of our impatience are many times heard. As those good things are not granted us, which we pray for, without care; so those evils which we pray for, and would not have, are oft granted. The ears of God are not only open to the prayers of faith, but to the imprecations of infidelity. It is dangerous wishing evil to ourselves, or ours; It is just with God to take us at our word, and to effect that, which our lips speak against our heart. Before, God hath ever consulted with Moses; and threatened, ere he punished: now he strikes, and says nothing. The anger is so much more, by how much less notified. When God is not heard before he is felt, (as in the hewing of wood, the blow is not heard, till the axe be seen to have strooke) it is a fearful sign of displeasure: It is with God, as with us men, that still revenges are ever most dangerous. Till now, all was well enough with Israel, and yet they grudged; Those that will complain without a cause, shall have cause to complain for something. Discontented humours seldom scape unpunished; but receive that most justly whereat they repined unjustly. Now the people are glad to seek to Moses unbidden. Ever heretofore, they have been wont to be sued to, and entreated for without their own entreaty; now their misery makes them importunate; There need no solicitor, where there is sense of smart. It were pity, men should want affliction; since it sends them to their prayers, and confessions. All the persuasions of Moses could not do that which the Serpents have done for him. O God, thou seest how necessary it is we should be stung sometimes: else we should run wild, and never come to a sound humiliation; we should never seek thee, if thy hand did not find us out. They had spoken against God, and Moses; and now they humbly speak to Moses that he would pray to God for them. He that so oft prayed for them unbidden, cannot but much more do it requested; and now obtains the means of their cure. It was equally in the power of God, to remove the Serpents; and to heal their stinging; to have cured the Israelites by his word, and by his sign: But he finds it best for his people (to exercise their faith) that the Serpents may bite, and their bitings may inuenome, and that this venom may endanger the Israelites; and that they, thus affected, ●●y seek to him for remedy; and seeking, may find it, from such means, as should have no power, but in signification; that while their bodies were cured by the sign, their souls might be confirmed, by the matter signified. A Serpent of brass could no more heal, then sting them. What remedy could their eyes give to their legs? Or what could a Serpent of cold brass prevail against a living and fiery Serpent? In this troublesome Desert, we are all stung by that fiery and old Serpent; O Saviour, it is to thee we must look, and be cured; It is thou that wert their Paschal Lamb, their Manna, their Rock, their Serpent. To all purposes dost thou vary thyself to thy Church, that we may find thee everywhere: Thou art for our nourishment, refreshing, cure; as hereafter, so even now, all in all. This Serpent which was appointed for cure to Israel, at last stings them to death, by Idolatrous abuse. What poison there is in Idolatry, that makes even Antidotes deadly! As Moses therefore raised this Serpent, so Ezekias pulled it down: God commanded the raising of it, God approved the demolishing of it. Superstitious use can mar the very institutions of God: how much more the most wise and well-grounded devices of men? Of BALAAM. MOab and Midian had been all this while standers by, and lookers on; If they had not seen the pattern of their own ruin, in these neighbours; it had never troubled them, to see the Kings of the Amorites, and Bashan to fall before Israel. Had not the Israelites camped in the Plains of Moab, their victories had been no eyesore to Balac. Wicked men never care to observe God's judgements, till themselves be touched; The fire of a neighbour's house would not so affect us, if it were not with the danger of our own: Secure minds never startle, till God come home to their very senses. Balac and his Moabites had wit enough to fear, not wit enough to prevent judgement: They see an enemy in their borders, & yet take no right course for their safety. Who would not have looked, that they should have come to Israel, with conditions of peace? Or, why did they not think; Either Israel's God is stronger than ours, or he is not? If he be not, Why are we afraid of him? If he be, Why do we not serve him? The same hand which gives them victory, can give us protection. Carnal men that are secure of the vengeance of God, ere it do come, are mastered with it, when it doth come; and not knowing which way to turn them, run forth at the wrong door. The Midianites join with the Moabites, in consultation, in action against Israel. One would have thought, they should have looked for favour from Moses, for jethroes sake; which was both a Prince of their Country, and father in law to Moses; and either now, or not long before, was with Israel in the Wilderness. Neither is it like, but that Moses having found forty years harbour amongst them, would have been (what he might) inclinable to favourable treaties with them: but now, they are so fast linked to Moab, that they will either sink or swim together. Entireness with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chains of Hell, and binds us to a participation both of sin, and punishment: An easy occasion will knit wicked hearts together, in conspiracy against the Church of God. Their errand is devilish (Come curse Israel:) That which Satan could not do by the swords of Og and Sehon, he will now try to effect, by the tongue of Balaam. If either strength, or policy would prevail against God's Church, it could not stand. And why should not we be as industrious to promote the glory of God, and bend both our hands and heads to the causes of the Almighty? When all helps fail Moab, the Magician is sought to. It is a sign of a desperate cause, to make Satan either our Counsellor, or our refuge. Why did they not send to Balaam to bless themselves, rather than to curse Israel? It had been more easy to be defended from the hurt of their enemies, then to have their enemies laid open to be hurt by them. Pride and malice did not care so much for safety, as for conquest: It would not content them to escape Israel, if Israel may escape them; It was not thankworthy, to save their own blood, if they did not spill the blood of others; As if their own prosperity had been nothing, if Israel also prospered. If there be one project worse than another, a wicked heart will find it out. Nothing but destruction will content the malicious. I know not whether Balaam were more famous, or Balac more confident. If the King had not been persuaded of the strength of his charm, he had not sent so far, & paid so dear for it; now he trusts more to his enchantment, then to the forces of Moab, and Midian: and (as heaven and earth were in the power of the charmers tongue) he saith, He that thou blessest, is blessed; and he whom thou cursest, is cursed. Magic, through the permission of God, is powerful; for whatsoever the Devil can do, the Magician may do; but it is madness to think either of them omnipotent. If either the curses of men, or the endeavours of the powers of darkness, should be effectual, all would be Hell. No, Balac: So short is the power of thy Balaam, that neither thou, nor thy prophet himself, can avoid that curse, which thou wouldst have brought upon Israel. Had Balaam been a true Prophet of God, this bold assurance had been but just. Both those ancient Seers, and the Prophets of the Gospel have the ratification of God in heaven, to their sentences on earth. Why have we less care of the blessings, and less fear of the curses and censures of God's Ministers? Who would not rather have Elishaes' guard, than both the Kings of Israel, and Assyria? He himself as he had the Angelical chariots and horsemen about him, so was he the chariots and horsemen of Israel: Why should our faith be less strong, than superstition? Or why should Gods agents have less virtue than Satan's? I should wonder to hear God speak with a false prophet, if I did not know, it hath been no rare thing with him (as with men) to bestow words, even where he will not bestow favour. Pharaoh, Abimelec, Nabuchadnezzar, receive visions from God: neither can I think this strange, when I hear God speaking to Satan, in a question no less familiar than this of Balaam; Whence comest thou, Satan. Not the sound of the voice of God, but the matter which he speaks, argues love: He may speak to an enemy; he speaks peace to none, but his own. It is a vain brag, God hath spoken to me. So may he do to reprobates, or Devils. But what said he? Did he say to my soul, I am thy salvation? Hath he indented with me that he will be my God, and I shall be his? I cannot hear this voice and not live. God heard all the consultation, and message of these Moabites; these messengers could not have moved their foot, or their tongue, but in him: and yet he which asked Adam, where he was, asks Balaam, What men are these? I have ever seen, that God love's to take occasion of proceeding with us, from ourselves, rather than from his own immediate prescience. Hence it is, that we lay open our wants, and confess our sins, to him that knows both, better than our own hearts, because he will deal with us from our own mouths. The prevention of God, forbids both his journey, and his curse. And what if he had been suffered to go and curse? What corn had this wind shaken, when God meant to bless them? How many Bulls have bellowed out execrations against this Church of God? What are we the worse? Yea I doubt, if we had been so much blessed, had not those Balaamitish curses been spent upon us. He that knows what waste winde the causeless curses of wicked men are, yet will not have Balaam curse Israel; because he will not allow Balac so much encouragement, in his opposition, as the conceit of this help. Or perhaps, if Balac thought this Sorcerer a true Prophet, God would not have his Name, so much, as in the opinion of the heathen, scandalized, in usurping it to a purpose, which he meant not should succeed. The hand of God is in the restraint of many evils, which we never knew to be towards us. The Israelites sat still in their Tents, they little thought what mischief was brewing against them: without ever making them of counsel, God crosses the designs of their enemies. He that keepeth Israel, is both a sure and a secret friend. The reward of the divination had easily commanded the journey, and curse of the covetous prophet, if God had not stayed him. How oft are wicked men cursed by a divine hand, even in those sins, which their heart stands to? It is no thank to lewd men that their wickedness is not prosperous. Whence is it that the world is not overrun with evil, but from this; that men cannot be so ill as they would? The first entertainment of this message, would make a stranger think Balaam wife, and honest: He will not give a sudden answer, but craves leisure to consult with God, and promises to return the answer he shall receive. Who would not say; This man is free from rashness, from partiality? Dissimulation is crafty, & able to deceive thousands: The words are good: when he comes to action, the fraud bewaries itself: For, both he insinuates his own forwardness, and casts the blame of the prohibition, upon God, and (which is worse) delivers but half his answer: he says indeed, God refuses to give them leave to go: He says not, as it was, He charges me not to curse them, for they are blessed. So did Balaam deny, as one that wished to be sent for again. Perhaps a peremptory refusal had hindered his further solicitation. Concealment of some truths, is sometimes as faulty, as a denial. True fidelity is not niggardly in her relations. Where wickedness meets with power, it thinks to command all the world, and takes great scorn of any repulse. So little is Balac discouraged with one refusal, that he sends so much the stronger message; more Princes, and more honourable. Oh that we could be so importunate for our good, as wicked men are for the compassing of their own designs! A denial doth but whet the desires of vehement suitors. Why are we faint in spiritual things, when we are not denied, but delayed? Those which are themselves transported with vanity, and ambition, think that no heart hath power to resist these offers. Balacs' Princes thought they had strooke it dead, when they had once mentioned promotion to great honour. Self-love makes them think they cannot be slaves, whiles others may be free; and that all the world would be glad to run on madding after their bait. Nature thinks it impossible to contemn honour and wealth; and because too many souls are thus taken, cannot believe that any would escape. But let carnal hearts know, there are those can spit the world in the face, and say, Thy gold and silver perish with thee: and that in comparison of a good conscience, can tread under foot his best proffers, like shadows, as they are; and that can do as Balaam said. How near, truth, and falsehood can lodge together! Here was piety in the lips, and covetousness in the heart. Who can any more regard good words, that hears Balaam speak so like a Saint? An housefull of gold & silver may not pervert his tongue his heart is won with less: for if he had not already swallowed the reward, and found it sweet, why did he again solicit God, in that which was peremptorily denied him? If his mind had not been bribed already, why did he stay the messenger? why did he expect a change in God? why was he willing to feed them with hope of success, which had fed him with hope of recompense? One prohibition is enough for a good man. Whiles the delay of God doth but hold us in suspense, importunity is holy and seasonable: but when once he gives a resolute denial, it is profane sauciness to solicit him. When we ask what we are bidden, our suits are not more vehement than welcome: but when we beg prohibited favours, our presumption is troublesome, and abominable: No good heart will endure to be twice forbidden. Yet this opportunity had obtained a permission; but, a permission, worse than a denial. I heard God say, before; Go not, nor curse them; Now he says, Go, but curse not. Anon, he is angry that he did not go. Why did he permit that which he forbade, if he be angry for doing that which he permitted? Some things God permits with an indignation; not for that he gives leave to the act, but that he gives a man over to his sin in the act; this sufferance implies not favour, but judgement: so did God bid Balaam to go, as Solomon bids the young man follow the ways of his own heart. It is one thing to like, another thing to suffer; Moses never approved those legal divorces, yet he tolerated them: God never liked Balaams' journey, yet he displeasedly gives way to it: as if he said; Well, since thou art so hot, set on this journey, be gone. And thus Balaam took it: else, when God after professed his displeasure for the journey, it had been a ready answer, Thou commandedst me: but herein his confession argues his guilt. Balaams' suit, and Israel's Quails had both one fashion of grant; in anger. How much better is it, to have gracious denials, then angry yielding? A small persuasion heartens the willing: It booted not to bid the covetous prophet hasten to his way. Now he makes himself sure of success: His corrupt hart tells him, that as God had relented in his licence to go, so he might perhaps, in his licence to curse; and he saw how this curse might bless him with abundance of wealth: he rose up early therefore and saddled his Ass. The night seemed long to his forwardness. Covetous men need neither clock nor bell to awaken them: their desires make them restless. O that we could, with as much eagerness seek the true riches, which only can make us happy! We that see only the outside of Balaam, may marvel, why he that permitted him to go, afterward opposes his going: but God that saw his heart, perceived what corrupt affections carried him: he saw, that his covetous desires and wicked hopes, grew the stronger, the nearer he came to his end: An Angel is therefore sent to withhold the hasty Sorcerer. Our inward disposition, is the life of our actions; according to that doth the God of spirits judge us, whiles men censure according to our external motions. To go at all, when God had commanded to stay, was presumptuous: but to go with desire to curse, made the act doubly sinful, and fetched an Angel to resist it. It is one of the worthy employments of good Angels, to make secret opposition to evil designs: Many a wicked act have they hindered, without the knowledge of the agent. It is all one with the Almighty, to work by Spirits, and men; It is therefore our glory to be thus set on work: To stop the course of evil, either by dissuasion, or violence, is an Angelical service. In what danger are wicked men, that have Gods Angels their opposites? The Devil moved him to go; a good Angel resists him. If an heavenly Spirit stand in the way of a Sorcerers sin, how much more ready are all those spiritual powers, to stop the miscarriages of Gods dear children? How oft had we fall'n yet more, if these Guardians had not upheld us, whether by removing occasions, or by casting in good instincts? As our good endeavours are oft hindered by Satan; so are our evil, by good Angels: else were not our protection equal to our danger; and we could neither stand nor rise. It had been as easy for the Angel to strike Balaam, as to stand in his way; and to have followed him in his starting aside, as to stop him in a narrow path: But even the good Angels have their stints, in their executions. God had somewhat more to do with the tongue of Balaam, and therefore he will not have him slain, but withstood: and so withstood, that he shall pass. It is not so much glory to God, to take away wicked men, as to use their evil to his own holy purposes. How soon could the Commander of heaven and earth rid the world of bad members? But so should he lose the praise of working good by evil instruments. It sufficeth that the Angels of God resist their actions, while their persons continue. That no man may marvel to see Balaam have visions from God, and utter prophecies from him; his very Ass hath his eyes opened, to see the Angel, which his Master could not; and his mouth opened to speak more reasonably than his Master. There is no beast deserves so much wonder, as this of Balaam, whose common sense is advanced above the reason of his rider; so as for the time the prophet is brutish, and the beast prophetical. Who can but stand amazed at the eye, at the tongue of this silly creature? For so dull a sight, it was much to see a bodily object, that were not too apparent: but to see that spirit, which his rider discerned not, was fare beyond nature. To hear a voice come from that mouth, which was used only to bray, it was strange, and uncouth: but to hear a beast, whose nature is noted for incapacity, to our reason his Master, a professed Prophet, is in the very height of miracles: Yet can no heart stick at these, that considers the dispensation of the Almighty, in both. Our eye could no more see a beast, than a beast can see an Angel, if he had not given this power to it. How easy is it for him that made the eye of man and beast, to dim, or enlighten it at his pleasure! And if his power can make the very stones to speak, how much more a creature of sense? That evil spirit spoke in the Serpent to our first Parents; Why is it more that a spirit should speak in the mouth of a beast? How ordinarily did the heathen receive their Oracles out of stones, & trees? Do not we ourselves teach birds to speak those sentences they understand not? We may wonder, we cannot distrust, when we compare the act with the Author; which can as easily create a voice, without a body, as a body without a voice. Who now can hereafte plead his simplicity, and dulness of apprehending spiritual things, when he sees how God exalts the eyes of a beast, to see a spirit? Who can be proud of seeing visions, since an Angel appeared to a beast? neither was his skin better after it, than others of his kind. Who can complain of his own rudeness, and inability to reply in a good cause, when the very beast is enabled by God, to convince his Master? There is no mouth, into which God cannot put words: and how oft doth he choose the weak, and unwise, to confound the learned, and mighty! What had it been better for the Ass to see the Angel, if he had rushed still upon his sword? Evils were as good not seen, as not avoided; But now he declines the way, and saves his burden. It were happy for perverse sinners, if they could learn of this beast, to run away from foreseen judgements. The revenging Angel stands before us; and though we know we shall as sure die, as sin, yet we have not the wit or grace to give back; though it be with the hurt of a foot, to save the body; with the pain of the body, to save the soul. I see, what fury and stripes the impotent prophet bestows upon this poor beast, because he will not go on; yet if he had gone on, himself had perished. How oft do we wish those things, the not obtaining whereof is mercy? We grudge to be stayed in the way to death, and fly upon those which oppose our perdition. I do not (as who would not expect) see Balaams' hair stand upright, nor himself alighting, and appalled at this monster of miracles: But, as if no new thing had happened, he returns words to the beast, full of anger, void of admiration; Whether his trade of sorcering had so enured him to receive voices from his Familiars, in shape of beasts, that this event seemed not strange to him; Or, whether his rage, and covetousness had so transported him, that he had no leisure to observe the unnatural unusualnesse of the event. Some men make nothing of those things, which overcome others with honour, and astonishment. I hear the Angel of God taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his beast: His first words to the unmerciful prophet, are in expostulating of this wrong. We little think it; but God shall call us to an account for the unkind and cruel usages of his poor mute creatures: He hath made us Lords, not tyrants; owners, not torments: he that hath given us leave to kill them, for our use, hath not given us leave to abuse them, at our pleasure; they are so our drudges, that they are our fellows by creation. It was a sign, the Magician would easily wish to strike Israel with a curse, when he wished a sword to strike his harmless beast. It is ill falling into those hands, whom beasts find unmerciful. Notwithstanding these rubs, Balaam goes on, and is not afraid to ride on that beast, whose voice he had heard: And now, Posts are sped to Balac, with the news of so welcome a guest: He that sent Princes to fetch him, comes himself on the way to meet him; Although he can say (Am not I able to promote thee?) yet he gives this high respect to him as his better, from whom he expected the promotion of himself, and his people. Oh the honour that hath been formerly done by Heathens, to them that have borne but the face of Prophets! I shame, and grieve to compare the times and men: Only, O God, be thou merciful to the contempt of thy servants. As if nothing needed but the presence of Balaam, the superstitious King (out of the joy of his hope) feasts his gods, his prophet, his Princes; and on the morrow, caries him up to the high-places of his Idol. Who can doubt whether Balaam were a false prophet, that sees him sacrificing in the mount of Baal? Had he been from the true God, he would rather have said, Pull me down these altars of Baal, then Build me here seven others. The very place convinces him of fashood, and Idolatry; And why seven Altars? What needs all this pomp? When the true God never required but one at once, as himself is one; why doth the false prophet call for no less than seven? As if God stood upon numbers? As if the Almighty would have his power either divided, or limited? Here is nothing but a glorious and magnificent pretence of devotion. It hath been ever seen, that the false worshippers of God have made more pompous shows, and fairer flourishes of their piety, and religion, than the true. Now when Balaam sees his seven bullocks and seven rams smoking upon his seven Altars, he goes up higher into the mount (as some counterfeit Moses) to receive the answer of God. But will God meet with a Socerer? Will he make a Prophet of a Magician? O man, who shall prescribe God what instruments to use? He knows how to employ, not only Saints, & Angels, but wicked men, Beasts, Devils, to his own glory: He that put words into the mouth of the Ass, puts words into the mouth of Balaam: The words do but pass from him; They are not polluted, because they are not his; as the Trunk, thorough which a man speaks, is not more eloquent for the speech that is uttered thorough it. What a notable proclamation had the Infidels wanted of God's favour to his people, if Balaams' tongue had not been used? How many shall once say, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, that shall hear, Verily I know you not. What madness is this in Balaam? He that found himself constant in soliciting, thinks to find God not constant in denying; and, as if that infinite Deity were not the same every where, hopes to change success, with places. Neither is that bold forehead ashamed to importune God again in that, wherein his own mouth had testified an assurance of denial. The reward was in one of his eyes; the revenging Angel in the other: I know not whether (for the time) he more loved the bribe, or feared the Angel. And whiles he is in this distraction, his tongue blesses against his heart; and his heart curses against his tongue. It anger's him that he dare not speak what he would; and now at last, rather than lose his hopes, he resolves to speak worse than curses. The fear of God's judgement in a worldly heart, is at length overcome with the love of gain. Of PHINEAS. BAlaam pretended an haste homeward: but he lingered so long, that he left his bones in Midian. How justly did he perish with the sword of Israel, whose tongue had insensibly slain so many thousands of them? As it is usually said of the Devil, that he goes away in a stench; so may it truly be said of this Prophet of his: According to the fashion of all hypocrites, his words were good, his actions abominable; He would not curse, but he would advice; and his counsel is worse than a curse: For his curse had hurt none but himself; his counsel cost the blood of 24000 Israelites. He that had heard God speak by Balaam, would not look for the Devil, in the same mouth. And if God himself had not witnessed against him, who could believe that the same tongue which uttered so divine prophecies, should utter so villainous and cursed advice? Hypocrisy gains this of men, that it may do evil, unsuspected: But now, he that heard what he spoke in Balacs' ear, hath bewrayed, and condemned his counsel, and himself. This policy was fetched from the bottom of hell. It is not for lack of desire, that I curse not Israel; thou dost not more wish their destruction, than I do thy wealth, and honour: But so long as they hold firm with God, there is no sorcery against jacob; withdraw God from them, and they shall fall alone, and curse themselves; Draw them into sin, and thou shalt withdraw God from them. There is no sin more plausible than wantonness; One fornication shall draw in another, and both shall fetch the anger of God after them; send your fairest women into their tents, their sight shall draw them to lust; their lust to folly; their folly to Idolatry; and now God shall curse them for thee unasked. Where Balaam did speak well, there was never any Prophet spoke more divinely; where he spoke ill, there was never any Devil spoke more desperately: Ill counsel seldom succeedeth not; Good seed falls often out of the way, and roots not; but the tares never light amiss. This project of the wicked Magician was too prosperous. The daughters of Moab come into the tents of Israel; and have captived those, whom the Amorites and Amalekites could not resist. Our first mother Eve bequeathed this dowry to her daughters, that they should be our helpers to sin; the weaker sex is the stronger, in this conquest: had the Moabites sent their subtlest Councillors, to persuade the Israelites to their Idol-sacrifices; they had been repelled with scorn: but now the beauty of their women is over-eloquent, and successful. That which in the first world betrayed the sons of God, hath now ensnared God's people; It had been happy for Israel, if Balaam had used any charms, but these. As it is the use of God to fetch glory to himself out of the worst actions of Satan; so it is the guise of that evil one (through the just permission of the Almighty) to raise advantage to himself, from the fairest pieces of the workmanship of God: No one means hath so much enriched hell, as beautiful faces. All Idols are abominable: but this of Baal-Peor, was beside the superstition of it, beastly; Neither did Baal ever put on a form of so much shame, as this; yet very Israelites are drawn to adore it. When lust hath blinded the eyes, it caries a man whither it lists; even beyond all differences of sin. A man besotted with filthy desires, is fit for any villainy. Sin is no less crafty, than Satan himself; give him but room in the eye, and he will soon be possessed of body and soul. These Israelites first saw the faces of these Moabites and Midianites; then they grew to like their presence; from thence to take pleasure in their feasts: From their boards, they are drawn to their beds; from their beds, to their Idols; and now they are joined to Baal-Peor, and separated from God. Bodily fornication is the way to spiritual: If we have made Idols of flesh, it is just to be given up to Idols of wood, and stones. If we have not grace to resist the beginnings of sin, where shall we stay? If our foot slip into the mouth of hell, it is a miracle to stop ere we come to the bottom. Well might God be angry, to see his people go a whoring in this double fornication; neither doth he smother his wrath, but himself strikes with his plague, and bids Moses strike with the sword. He strikes the body, and bids Moses strike the head. It had been as easy for him to plague the Rulers, as the vulgar: and one would think, these should be more properly reserved for his immediate hand; but these he leaves to the sword of humane authority, that he might win awe to his own ordinances. As the sins of great men are exemplary, so are their punishments. Nothing procures so much credit to government, as strict and impartial executions of great and noble offenders. Those whom their sins have embased, deserve no favour in the punishment. As God knows no honour, no royalty in matter of sin, no more may his Deputies. Contrarily, connivance at the outrages of the mighty, cuts the sinews of any State; neither doth any thing make good laws more contemptible, than the making difference of offenders; that small sacrileges should be punished, when great ones ride in triumph. If good ordinations turn once to Spider's webs, which are broken thorough by the bigger Flies, no hand will fear to sweep them down. God was angry; Moses and all good Israelites grieved; the heads hanged up; the people plagued: yet behold, one of the Princes of Israel fears not to brave God and his Ministers, in that sin which he sees so grievously revenged in others. I can never wonder enough at the impudence of this Israelite. Here is fornication, an odious crime and that of an Israelite, whose name challenges holiness; yea, of a Prince of Israel, whose practice is a rule to inferiors; and that, with a woman of Midian, with whom even a chaste contract had been unlawful; and that with contempt of all government; and that in the face of Moses, and all Israel; and that in a time of mourning, and judgement, for that same offence. Those that have once passed the bounds of modesty, soon grow shameless in their sins. Whiles sin hides itself in corners, there is yet hope; for, where there is shame, there is a possibility of grace: but when once it dare look upon the Sun, and sends challenges to authority, the case is desperate, and ripe for judgement. This great Simeonite thought he might sinne by privilege; He goes, as if he said, Who dares control me? His nobility hath raised him above the reach of correction. Commonly, the sins of the mighty are not without presumption: and therefore their vengeance is no less than their security; and their punishment is so much greater, as their conceit of impunity is greater. All Israel saw this bold lewdness of Zimri, but their hearts and eyes were so full of grief, that they had not room enough for indignation. Phineas looked on with the rest, but with other affections. When he saw this defiance bidden to God; and this insultation upon the sorrow of his people, that whiles they were wring their hands, a proud miscreant durst outface their humiliation, with his wicked dalliance; his hart boiles with a desire of an holy revenge: and now that hand, which was used to a Censer, and sacrificing knife, takes up his javelin, and with one stroke joins these two bodies in their death, which were joined in their sin; and in the very flagrance of their lust, makes a new way for their souls, to their own place. O noble and heroical courage of Phineas! which as it was rewarded of God, so is worthy to be admired of men. He doth not stand casting of scruple: Who am I to do this? The son of the high Priest; My place is all for peace and mercy; It is for me to sacrifice, and pray for the sin of the people, not to sacrifice any of the people, for their sin. My duty calls me to appease the anger of God, what I may, not to revenge the sins of men, to pray for their conversion, not to work the confusion of any sinner: and who are these? Is not the one a great Prince in Israel, the other a Princess of Midian? Can the death of two so famous persons go unrevenged? Or if it be safe, and fit, why doth my uncle Moses rather shed his own tears, than their blood? I will mourn with the rest: let them revenge whom it concerneth. But the zeal of God hath barred out all weak deliberations; and he holds it now both his duty, and his glory, to be an executioner of so shameless a pair of offenders. God love's this heat of zeal, in all the carriages of his servants: And if it transport us too far, he pardoneth the errors of our fervency, rather than the indifferences of lukewarmness. As these two were more beasts, than any that ever he sacrificed; so the shedding of their blood, was the acceptablest sacrifice, that ever he offered unto God: for both all Israel is freed from the plague, and all his posterity have the Priesthood entailed to them, so long as the jews were a people. Next to our preys, there is no better sacrifice, than the blood of malefactors; not as it is theirs, but as it is shed by authority. Governor's are faulty of those sins they punish not. There can be no better sigh● in any State, then to see a malefactor at the Gallows. It is not enough for us, to stand gazing upon the wickedness of the times (yea although with tears) unless we endeavour to redress it: especially public persons carry not their javelin in their hand for nought. Every one is ready to ask Phineas for his commission: and those that are willing to salve up the act, plead extraordinary instinct from God; who (no doubt) would not have accepted that, which himself wrought not. But what need I run so far for this warrant? when I hear God say to Moses, Hang up all the heads of Israel; and Moses say to the Vnder-Rulers, Every one slay his men, that are joined to Baal-Peor. Every Israelite is now made a Magistrate for this execution; and why not Phineas, amongst the rest? Doth his Priesthood exempt him from the blood of sinners? How then doth Samuel hue Agag in pieces? Even those may make a carcase, which may not touch it. And if Levi got the Priesthood, by shedding the blood of Idolaters; why may it not stand with that Priesthood, to spill the blood of a fornicator, and Idolater? Ordinary justice will bear out Phineas in this act; It is not for every man to challenge this office, this which double proclamation allowed to Phineas. All that private persons can do, is either to lift up their hands to heaven for redress of sin; or to lift up their hands against the sin, not against the person. Who made thee a judge, is a lawful question, if inseer with a person unwarranted. Now the sin is punished, the plague ceaseth. The revenge of God sets out ever after the sin, but if the revenge of men (which commonly comes later) can overtake it, God gives over the chase. How oft hath the infliction of a less punishment, avoided a greater. There are none so good friends to the State, as courageous and impartial ministers of justice. These are the reconcilers of God and the people, more than the prayers of them that fit still, and do nothing. Of the death of MOSES. AFter many painful and perilous enterprises, now is Moses drawing to his rest. He hath brought his Israelites from Egypt, thorough the Sea and wilderness, within the sight of their promised Land; and now himself must take possession of that Land, whereof Canaan was but a type. When we have done that we came for, it is time for us to be gone; This earth is made only for action, not for fruition; the services of God's children should be ill rewarded, if they must stay here always. Let no man think much, that those are fetched away which are faithful to God; They should not change, if it were not to their preferment. It is our folly that we would have good men live for ever, and account it an ha●d measure that they were. He that lends them to the world, owes them a better turn than this earth can pay them. It were injurious to wish, that goodness should hinder any man from glory. So is the death of God's Saints precious, that it is certain. Moses must go up to mount Nebo, and die. The time, the place, and every circumstance of his dissolution, is determined. That one dies in the field, another in his bed, another in the water: one in a foreign Nation, another in his own, is fore-decreed in heaven. And, though we hear it not vocally, yet God hath called every man by his name, and saith, Die thou there. One man seems to dye casually; another by an inexpected violence: both fall by a destiny; and all is set down to us by an eternal decree. He that brought us into the world, will carry us out, according to his own purposes. Moses must ascend up to the hill to dye. He received his charge for Israel, upon the hill of Sinai; And now he delivers up his charge, on the hill of Nebo: His brother Aaron died on one hill; he on another. As Christ was transfigured on an hill: so was this excellent type of his; neither doubt I, but that these hills were types to them, of that heaven whither they were aspiring. It is the goodness of our God, that he will nor have his children dye any where, but where they may see the Land of Promise before them; neither can they departed without much comfort, to have seen it: Contrarily, a wicked man that looks down, and sees hell before him, how can he choose but find more horror in the end of death, then in the way? How familiarly doth Moses hear of his end! It is no more betwixt God and Moses, but go up and dye. If he had invited him to a meal, it could not have been in a more sociable compellation: No otherwise than he said to his other Prophet. Up and eat. It is neither harsh, nor news to God's children, to hear or think of their departure; To them, death hath lost his horror, through acquaintance: Those faces which at first sight seemed ill-favoured, by oft viewing, grow out of dislike: They have so oft thought and resolved of the necessity, and of the issue of their dissolution, that they cannot hold it either strange, or unwelcome: He that hath had such entire conversation with God, cannot fear to go to him. Those that know him not, or know that he will not know them, no marvel if they tremble. This is no small favour; that God warns Moses of his end: he that had so oft made Moses of his counsel, what he meant to do with Israel, would not now do aught with himself, without his knowledge. Expectation of any main event, is a great advantage to a wise heart; If the fiery chariot had fetched away Elias, unlooked for, we should have doubted of the favour of his transportation: It is a token of judgement, to come as a thief in the night. God forewarns one by sickness, another by age, another by his secret instincts, to prepare for their end: If our hearts be not now in readiness, we are worthy to be surprised. But what is this I hear? Displeasure mixed with love? and that to so faithful a servant as Moses? He must but see the Land of Promise, he shall not tread upon it; because he once, long ago, sinned in distrusting. Death, though it were to him an entrance into glory, yet shall be also a chastisement of his infidelity. How many noble proofs had Moses given of his courage and strength of faith? How many gracious services had he done to his Master? Yet for one act of distrust, he must be gathered to his Fathers. All our obediences cannot bear out one sin against God; How vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former trespasses, by our better behaviour, when Moses hath this one sin laid in his dish, after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelity? When we have forgotten our sins, yet God remembers them, and (although not in anger, yet) he calls for our arrearages. Alas, what shall become of them, with whom God hath ten thousand greater quarrels; that amongst many millions of sins, have scattered some few acts of formal services? If Moses must die the first death, for one fault; how shall they escape the second for sinning always? Even where God love's, he will not wink at sin; and if he do not punish, yet he will chastise: How much less can it stand with that eternal justice, to let wilful sinners escape judgement? It might have been just with God, to have reserved the cause to himself; and in a generality, to have told Moses, that his sin must shorten his journey: but it is more of mercy, than justice, that his children shall know why they smart; That God may at once both justify himself, and humble them for their particular offences: Those to whom he means vengeance, have not the sight of their sins, till they be passed repentance. Complain not that God upbraids thee with thy old sins, whosoever thou art: but know, it is an argument of love; whereas concealment is a fearful sign of a secret dislike from God. But what was that noted sin which deserves this late exprobration, and shall carry so sharp a chastisement? Israel murmured for water; God bids Moses take the rod in his hand, and speak to the rock to give water; Moses, in stead of speaking, and striking the rock with his voice, strikes it with the rod: Here was his sin; An overreaching of his commission; a fearfulness and distrust of the effect. The rod, he knew, was approved for miracles; he knew not how powerful his voice might be; therefore he did not speak, but strike, and he strooke twice for failing; And now, after these many years, he is stricken for it of God. It is a dangerous thing in divine matters, to go beyond our warrant: Those sins which seem trivial to men, are heinous in the account of God; Any thing that favours of infidelity, displeases him more, than some other crimes of morality. Yet the moving of the Rod, was but a divers thing from the moving of the tongue, it was not contrary; He did not forbid the one, but he commanded the other: This was but across the stream, not against it; where shall they appear, whose whole courses are quite contrary to the Commandments of God? Upon the act done, God passed the sentence of restraining Moses with the rest, from the promised Land: Now he performs it: Since that time, Moses had many favours from God. All which could not reverse this decreed castigation; That everlasting rule is grounded upon the very essence of God; I am jehovah, I change not. Our purposes are as ourselves, fickle and incertain; His are certain, and immutable: some things which he reveals, he altars; nothing that he hath decreed. Besides the soul of Moses (to the glory whereof God principally intended this change) I find him careful of two things: His Successor, and his Body: Moses moves for the one: the other God doth unasked: He that was so tender over the welfare of Israel, in his life, would not staken his care in death: He takes no thought for himself (for he knew how gainful an exchange he must make.) All his care is for his charge. Some envious nature's desire to be miss, when they must go; and wish that the weakness, or want of a successor, may be the foil of their memory, and honour: Moses is in a contrary disposition; It sufficeth him not, to find contentment in his own happiness, unless he may have an assurance, that Israel shall prosper after him. Carnal minds are all for themselves, and make use of government, only for their own advantages; But good hearts look ever to the future good of the Church, above their own, against their own. Moses did well, to show his good affection to his people; but in his silence God would have provided for his own: He that called him from the sheep of jethro, will not want a governor for his chosen, to succeed him, God hath fitted him, whom he will choose. Who can be more meet, than he whose name, whose experience, whose graces might supply, yea revive Moses to the people? He that searched the Land before, was fittest to guide Israel into it; He that was endued with the Spirit of God, was the fittest deputy for God: He that abode still in the Tabernacle of Ohel-moed, as God's attendant, was fittest to be sent forth from him, as his Lieutenant: But, oh the unsearchable counsel of the Almighty! Aged Caleb, and all the Princes of Israel are passed over; and joshua the servant 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 eternal elections, so in his temporary, he will have mercy on whom he will. And well doth joshua succeed Moses; The very acts of God of old were allegories: where the Law ends, there the Saviour gins; we may see the Land of Promise in the Law; Only jesus the Mediator of the New Testament can bring us into it. So was he a servant of the Law, that he supplies all the defects of the Law to us: He hath taken possession of the promised Land for us; he shall carry us from this Wilderness, to our rest. It is no small happiness to any state, when their governors are chosen by worthiness; and such elections are ever from God; whereas the intrusions of bribery, and injust favour, or violence, as they make the Commonwealth 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 works it; for both of them have sold themselves; the one to servitude, the other to sin. I do not hear Moses repine at God's choice, and grudge that this Sceptre of his is not hereditary; but he willingly lays hands upon his servant, to consecrate him for his successor. joshua was a good man, yet he had some sparks of Envy; for when Eldad and Medad prophesied, he stomakt it; (My Lord Moses, forbidden them.) He that would not abide two of the Elders of Israel to prophesy; how would he have allowed his servant to sit in his throne? What an example of meekness (besides all the rest) doth he here see in this last act of his master, who without all murmuring resigns his chair of State to his Page? It is all one to a gracious heart, whom God will please to advance: Emulation and discontentment are the affections of carnal minds. Humility goes ever with regeneration; which teaches a man to think (what ever honour be put upon others) I have more than I am worthy of. The same God that by the hands of his Angels carried up the soul of Moses to his glory, doth also by the hand of his Angels carry his body down into the velley of Moab, to his sepulture. Those hands which had taken the Law from him, those eyes that had seen his presence, those lips that had conferred so oft with him, that face that did so shine with the beams of his glory, may not be neglected, when the soul is gone: He that took charge of his birth, and preservation in the Reeds, takes charge of his carriage out of the world: The care of God ceaseth not over his own, either in death or after it. How justly do we take care of the comely burials of our friends, when God himself gives us this example! If the ministry of man had been used in this grave of Moses, the place might have been known to the Israelites; but God purposely conceals this treasure, both from Men and Devils; that so he might both cross their curiosity, and prevent their superstition. If God had loved the adoration of his servant relics; he could never have had a fit opportunity for this devotion, then in the body of Moses. It is folly to place Religion in those things, which God hides on purpose from us; It is not the property of the Almighty, to restrain us from good. Yet, that divine hand which locked up 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 we may know, these bodies of ours are not lost, but laid up; and shall as sure be raised in glory, as they are laid down in corruption. We know that when he shall appear, we shall also appear with him in Glory. Contemplations. THE EIGHTH BOOK. Rahab. Jordan divided. The siege of Jericho. Achan. The Gibeonites. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE TRULY NOBLE, AND WORTHILY HONOURED GENTLEMAN, MASTER ROBERT HAY, ONE OF THE ATTENDANTS OF HIS MAJESTY'S BEDCHAMBER. A SINCERE FRIEND OF VIRTUE, AND LOVER OF LEARNING. J. H. WITH APPRECATION OF ALL HAPPINESS, DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS. Contemplations. THE EIGHTH BOOK. Of RAHAB. IOshua was one of those twelve searchers which were sent to view the Land of Canaan; yet now he addresses two Spies, for a more particular Survey: Those twelve were only to inquire of the general condition of the people, and Land; these two find out the best entrance into the next part of the Country, and into their greatest City. joshua himself was full of God's Spirit, and had the Oracle of God ready for his direction: yet now he goes not to the Propitiatory for consultation, but to the Spies. Except where ordinary means fail us, it is no appealing the immediate help of GOD; we may not seek to the postern, but where the common gate is shut. It was promised joshua, that he should lead Israel into the promised Land; yet he knew it was unsafe to presume. The condition of his provident care was included in that assurance of success. Heaven is promised to us, but not to our carelessness, infidelity, disobedience. He that hath set this blessed Inheritance before us, presupposes our wisdom, faith, holiness. Either force or policy, are fit to be used unto Canaanites. He that would be happy in this spiritual warfare, must know where the strength of his enemy lieth; and must frame his guard, according to the others assault. It is a great advantage to a Christian, to know the fashion of Satan's onsets, that he may the more easily compose himself to resist. Many a soul hath miscarried, through the ignorance of his enemy, which had not perished, if it had well known that the weakness of Satan stands in our faith. The Spies can find no other lodging, but Rahabs house. She was a victualler by profession, and (as those persons and trades, by reason of the commonness of entertainment, were amongst the jews infamous by name, and note) she was Rahab the Harlot, I will not think she professed filthiness: only her public trade (through the corruption of those times) hath cast upon 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) have given such proofs 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 only a Disciple of God, but a Prophetess. Or if she had once been public, as her house was; now 〈…〉 worthy Co●●t; and so approved herself for honest and wise behaviour, that she is ●●ought w●●hy to be the great Grandmother of David's Father: and ●e holy Line of the Messiah, is not ashamed to admit her into 〈◊〉 happy Pedegree●●he mercy of our God doth not measure us, by what w● were; It would be wide with the best of us, if the eye of God should look backward to our former estate: there ●e should see Abraham an Idolater; Paul a Persecute Manasses a Necromancer; Marry Magdalen a Courtesan; and the best, vile enough to be ashamed of himself. Who can despair of mercy, that sees even Rahab fetched into the blood of Israel, and line of Christ? If Rahab had not received these Spies, but as unknown passengers, with respect to their money, and not to their errand, it had been no praise: for in such cases, the thank is rather to the guest, then to the Oast: but now, she knew their purpose; she knew that the harbour of them, was the danger of her own life: and yet, she hazards this entertainment. Either faith or friendship are never tried, but in extremities. To show countenance to the messengers of God, whiles the public face of the State smiles upon them, is but a courtesy of course; but to hide out own lives in theirs, when they are persecuted, is an act that looks for a reward. These times need not favour; we 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 concerns Princes to hearken after the affairs of each other. If this poor Inholder knew of the Sea dried up before Israel, and of the discomfiture of Og and Sehon; Surely this rumour was stolen with the King of jericho; he had heard it, and feared: and yet in stead of sending Ambassadors for peace, he sends Pursui●nts for the Spies. The spirit of Rahab 〈◊〉 with that same report, wherewith the King of jericho was hardened: all make not and use of the messages of the proceed of God. The King sends to tell her, what she knew; she had not hid them, if she had not known their errand. I know not whether first to wonder at the gracious provision of God for the Spies; or at the strong faith which he hath wrought in the heart of a weak woman: two strangers, Israelites, Spies (and noted for all these) in a foreign, in an hostile Land, have a safe harbour provided them, even amongst their enemies; In jericho, at the very Court gate, against the Proclamation of a King, against the endeavours of the people. Where cannot the God of heaven either find, or raise up friends to his own cause and servants? Who could have hoped for such faith in Rahab? which contemned her life for the present, that she might save it for the future; neglected her own King and Country, for strangers, which she never saw; and more feared the destruction of that City, before it knew that it had an adversary, than the displeasure of her King, in the mortal revenge of that, which he would have accounted treachery. She brings them up to the roof of her house, and hides them with stalks of Flax: That plant which was made to hide the body from nakedness and shame, now is used to hide the Spies from death. Never could these stalks have been improved so well with all her housewifery, after they were bruised, as now before they were fitted to her wheel: Of these she hath woven an everlasting web, both of life and propagation. And now her tongue hides them no less than her hand: her charity was good, her excuse was not good. Evil may not be done, that good may come of it; we may do any thing but sin, for promoting a good cause: And if not in so main occasions; how shall God take it, that wear not dainty of falsehoods in trifles? No man will look that these Spies could take any sound sleep, in these beds of stalks; It is enough for them that they live, though they rest not. And now, when they heard Rahab coming up the stairs, doubtless they looked for an executioner: but behold, she comes up with a message better than their sleep, adding to their protection, advice for their future safety; whereto she makes way by a faithful report of God's former wonders, and the present disposition of her people; and by wise capitulations for the life, and security of her Family. The news of Gods miraculous proceed for Israel, have made her resolve of their success, and the ruins of jericho. Then only do we make a right use of the works of God, when by his judgements upon others, wear warned to avoid our own. He intends his acts for precedents of justice. The parents and brethren of Rahab take their rest; They are not troubled with the fear and care of the success of Israel; but securely go with the current of the present condition: She watches for them all; and breaks her midnight sleep, to prevent their last. One wise and faithful person does well in an house; where all are careless, there is no comfort, but in perishing together. It had been an ill nature in Rahab, if she had been content to be saved alone: that her love might be a match to her faith, she covenants for all her Family; and so returns life to those, of whom she received it. But the bond of nature, and of grace, will draw all ours, to the participation of the same good, with ourselves. It had been never the better for the Spies, if after this night's lodging, they had been turned out of doors to the hazard of the way; For so the pursuers had light upon them, and prevented their return with their death. Rahabs' counsel therefore was better than her harbour; which sent them (no doubt, with victuals in their hands) to seek safety in the mountains, till the heat of that search were passed. He that hath given us charge of our lives, will not suffer us to cast them upon wilful adventures: Had not these Spies hid themselves in those Desert hills, Israel had wanted directors for their enterprises. There is nothing more expedient for the Church, then that some of God's faithful messengers should withdraw themselves, and give way to persecutions. Courage in those that must die, is not a greater advantage to the Gospel, than a prudent retiring of those, which may survive, to maintain and propagate it. It was a just and reasonable transaction betwixt them, that her life should be saved by them, which had saved theirs; They own no less to her, to whom they were not so much guests, as prisoners: And now they pass not their promise only, but their oath. They were strangers to Rahab, and for aught she knew, might have been godless: yet she dares trust her life upon their oath. So sacred and inviolable hath this bond ever been, that an heathen woman thought herself secure, upon the oath of an Israelite. Neither is she more confident of their oath taken, than they are careful both of taking, and performing it. So fare are they from desiring to salve up any breach of promise, by equivocation, that they explain all conditions; and would prevent all possibilities of violation. All Rahabs Family must be gathered into her house; and that red cord, which was an instrument of their delivery, must be a sign of hers. Behold, this is the saving colour: The destroying Angel sees the doore-cheekes of the Israelites sprinkled with red, and passes them over. The Warriors of Israel see the window of Rahab died with red, and save her Family from the common destruction. If our souls have this tincture of the precious blood of our Saviour, upon our doors, or windows, we are safe. But if any 〈…〉 the brethren of Rahab shall fly from this red flag, and rove about the City, and not contain himself undet that roof, which hide the Spies, it is vain for him to tell the avengers', that he is Rahabs' brother: That title will not save him in the street, within doors it will. If we will wander out of the limits that God hath set us, we cast ourselves out of his protection; we cannot challenge the benefit of his gracious Preservation, and our most precious Redemption, when we fly out, into the byways of our own hearts; Not for innocence, but for safety and harbour: the Church is that house of Rahab, which is saved, when all jericho shall perish. Whiles we keep us in the lists thereof, we cannot miscarry, through mis-opinion; but when once we run out of it, let us look for judgement from God, and error in our own judgement. Of Jordan divided. THe two Spies returned with news of the victory that should be. I do not hear them say, The Land is unpeopled; or the people are unfurnished with arms; unskilful of the discipline of war; but (They faint because of us: therefore their Land is ours.) Either success, or discomfiture, gins ever at the heart. A man's inward disposition doth more than presage the event. As a man raises up his own heart, before his fall; and depresses it, before his glory: so God raises it up, before his exaltation; and casts it down, before his ruin. It is no otherwise in our spiritual conflicts: If Satan see us once faint, he gives himself the day. There is no way to safety, but that our hearts be the last that shall yield. That which the heathens attributed to Fortune, we may justly to the hand of God; That he speedeth those that are forward. All the ground that we lose, is given to our adversaries. This news is brought but overnight; joshua is on his way by morning, and prevents the Sun for haste. Delays, whether in the business of God or our own, are hateful and prejudicial. Many a one loses the Land of Promise, by lingering: if we neglect God's time, it is just with him, to cross us in ours. joshua hastens till he have brought Israel to the verge of the promised Land: Nothing parts them now, but the river of jordan. There he stays a time: that the Israelites might feed themselves a while with the sight of that, which they should afterwards enjoy. That which they had been forty years in seeking, may not be seized upon too suddenly: God love's to give us cools, and heats in our desires; and will so allay our joys, that their fruition hurt us not. He knows, that as it is in meats; the long forbearance where of causes a surfeit, when we come to full feed: so it fares in the contentments of the mind; therefore he feeds us not with the dish, but with the spoon; and will have us, neither cloyed nor famished. If the mercy of God have brought us within fight of heaven, let us be content to pause a while, and upon the banks of jordan, fit ourselves for our entrance. Now that Israel is brought to the brim of Canaan, the cloud is vanished, which led them all the way: And as soon as they have but crossed jordan, the Manna ceaseth, which nourished them all the way. The cloud and Manna were for their passage, not for their rest; for the Wilderness, not for Canaan. It were as easy for God to work miracles always; but he knows, that custom were the way to make them no miracles. He goes by ways, but till he have brought us into the Road; and then he refers us to his ordinary proceed. That Israelite should have been very foolish, that would still have said, I will not stir, till I see the cloud; I will not eat, unless I may have that food of Angels. Wherefore serves the Ark, but for their direction? Wherefore serves the Wheat of Canaan, but for bread? So fond is that Christian, that will still depend upon expectation of miracles, after the fullness of God's Kingdom. If God bear us in his arms, when we are children, yet when we are well-grown, he looks we should go on our own feet: it is enough, that he upholds us, though he carry us not. He that hitherto had gone before them in the cloud, doth now go before them in the Ark; the same guide, in two diverse signs of his presence. The cloud was for Moses, the Ark of Ioshua's time: the cloud was fit for Moses; the Law offered us Christ, but enwrapped in many obscurities. If he were seen in the cloud, he was heard from the cover of the Ark. Why was it the Ark of the Testimony, but because it witnessed both his presence and love? And within it were, his Word, the Law; and his Sacrament, the Manna. Who can wish a better Guide, than the God of heaven, in his Word, and Sacraments? Who can know the way into the Land of Promise, so well as he that owns it? And what means can better direct us thither, than those of his Institution? That Ark which before was as the heart is now as the head: It was in the midst of Israel, whiles they camped in the Desert; now when the cloud is removed, it is in the front of the Army; That as before they depended upon it for life, so now, they should for direction. It must go before them, on the shoulders of the sons of Levi; they must follow it, but within fight, not within breathing. The Levites may not touch the Ark, but only the bars: The Israelites may not approach nearer than a thousand paces to it. What awful respects doth God require to be given unto the testimony of his presence? Vzzah paid dear for touching it; the men of Bethshemesh, for looking into it. It is a dangerous thing to be too bold with the ordinances of God. Though the Israelites were sanctified, yet they might not come near either the mount Sinai, when the Law was delivered; or the Ark of the Covenant, wherein the Law was written. How fearful shall their estate be, that come with unhallowed hearts and hands to the Word of the Gospel, and the true Manna of the Evangelicall Sacrament? As we use to say of the Court and of fire; so may we of these divine Institutions, We frieze, if we be fare off from them; and if we be more near than befits us, we burn. Under the Law. we might look at Christ aloof; now under the Gospel, we may come near him: He calls us to him; yea, he enters into us. Neither was it only for reverence, that the Ark must be, not stumbled at, but waited on, afar; but also for convenience, both of sight, and passage: Those things that are near us, though they be less, fill our eye; Neither could, so many thousand eyes see the same object, upon a level but by distance: It would not content God, that one Israelite should tell another, Now the Ark goes, now it turns, now it stands; but he would have every one his own witness. What can be so comfortable to a good heart, as to see the pledges of God's presence, and favour? To hear the loving kindnesses of God, is pleasant; but to behold, and feel the evidences of his mercy, is unspeakably delectable: Hence the Saints of God, not contenting themselves with faith, have still prayed for sight, and fruition, and mourned when they have wanted it. What an happy prospect hath God set before us of Christ jesus crucified before us, and offered unto us? Ere God will work a miracle before Israel, they have charge to be sanctified. There is an holiness required, to make us either patients, or beholders of the great works of God; how much more when we should be actors in his sacred services? There is more use of sanctification, when we must present something to God, then when he must do aught to us. The same power that divided the red Sea before Moses, divides jordan before joshua; that they might see the Ark no less effectual, than the cloud; and the hand of God as present with joshua, to bring them into Canaan, as it was with Moses to bring them out of Egypt: The bearers of the Ark had need be faithful; they must first set their foot into the streams of jordan, and believe that it will give way; The same faith that led Peter upon the water, must carry them into it. There can be no Christian without belief in God; but those that are near to God, in his immediate services, must go before others, no less in believing, than they do in example. The waters know their Maker: That jordan, which flowed with full streams, when Christ went into it, to be baptised; now gives way, when the same God must pass thorough it in state: Then there was use of his water, now of his sand: I hear no news of any rod to strike the waters; the presence of the Ark of the Lord God, the Lord of all the World, is sign enough to these waves; which now, as if a sinew were broken, run back to our Issues, and dare not so much as wet the feet of the Priests, that bore it; What ailed thee, O Sea, that thou fleddest, and thou, jordan, that thou wert driven back? Ye mountains, that ye leapt like Rams, and ye little hills, like Lambs? The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord; at the presence of the God of jacob. How observant are all the Creatures to the God that made them? How glorious a God do we serve? whom all the powers of the Heavens and Elements are willingly subject unto; and gladly take that nature which he pleases to give them. He could have made jordan like some solid pavement of Crystal, for the Israelites feet to have trod upon; but this work had not been so magnificent. Every strong Frost congeals the water, in a natural course: but for the River to stand still, and run on heaps, and to be made a liquid wall for the passage of God's people, is, for Nature to run out of itself, to do homage to her Creator: Now must the Israelites needs think; How can the Canaanites stand out against us, when the Seas and Rivers give us way? With what joy did they now trample upon the dry channel of jordan, whiles they might see the dry Deserts overcome; the promised Land before them, the very waters so glad of them, that they ran back to welcome them into Canaan? The passages into our promised Land are troublesome and perilous; and even at last, offer themselves to us the main hindrances of our salvation; which after all our hopes, threaten to defeat us: for what will it avail us to have passed a Wilderness, if the waves of jordan should swallow us up? But the same hand that hath made the way hard, hath made it sure: He that made the Wilderness comfortable, will make jordan dry; he will master all difficulties for us; and those things, which we most feared, will he make most sovereign, and beneficial to us. O God, as we have trusted thee with the beginning, so will we with the finishing of our glory. Faithful art thou that hast promised, which wilt also do it. He that led them about, in forty year's journey, thorough the Wilderness, yet now leads them the nearest cut to jericho; He will not so much as seek for a Ford for their passage; but divides the waters. What a sight was this to their heathen adversaries, to see the waters make both a lane, and a wall for Israel? Their hearts could not choose, but be broken, to see the streams broken off for a way to their enemies. I do not see joshua hasting thorough this channel, as if he feared, lest the Tide of jordan should return; but as knowing that watery wall stronger than the walls of jericho, he paces slowly: And lest this miracle should pass away with themselves, he commands twelve stones to be taken out of the channel of jordan, by twelve selected men, from every Tribe, which shall be pitched in Gilgal; and twelve other stones to be set in the midst of jordan, where the feet of the Priests had stood, with the Ark; That so both land and water might testify the miraculous way of Israel, whiles it should be said of the one; These stones were fetched out of the pavement of jordan; of the other, There did the Ark rest, whiles we walked dryshod thorough the deeps of jordan: Of the one, jordan was once as dry as this Gilgal; Of the other, Those waves which drown these stones, had so drowned us, if the power of the Almighty had not restrained them. Many a great work had God done for Israel, which was now forgotten: joshua therefore will have monuments of God's mercy, that future Ages might be both witnesses, and applauders of the great works of their God. Of the Siege of Jericho. IOshua gins his wars with the Circumcision and Passeover; He knew that the way to keep the blood of his people from shedding, was to let out that Paganish blood of their uncircumcision. The person must be in favour, ere the work can hope to prosper: His predecessor Moses had like to have been slain for neglect of this Sacrament, when he went to call the people out of Egypt: he justly fears his own safety, if now he omit it, when they are brought into Canaan: we have no right of inheritance in the spiritual Canaan, the Church of God, till we have received the Sacrament of our matriculation: So soon as our covenants are renewed with our Creator, we may well look for the vision of God, for the assurance of victory. What sure work did the King of jericho think he had made! he blocked up the passages, barred up the gates, defended the walls, and did enough to keep out a common enemy: If we could do but this to our spiritual adversaries, it were as impossible for us to be surprised, as for jericho to be safe. Me thinks I see how they called their council of war; debated of all means of defence; gathered their forces, trained their soldiers, set strong guards to the gates, and walls; and now would persuade one another, that unless Israel could fly into their City, the siege was vain. Vain worldlings think their Rampires and Barricadoes can keep out the vengeance of God; their blindness suffers them to look no further than the means: The Supreme hand of the Almighty comes not within the compass of their fears. Every carnal heart is a jericho shut up; God sets down before it, and displays mercy and judgement, in sight of the walls thereof; It hardens itself in a wilful security; and faith, Tush, I shall never be moved. Yet their courage and fear fight together within their walls, within their bosoms: Their courage tells them of their own strength; their fear suggests the miraculous success of this (as they could not but think) enchanted generation; and now whiles they have shut out their enemy, they have shut in their own terror. The most secure heart in the world hath some flashes of fear; for it cannot but sometimes look out of itself, and see what it would not. Rahab had notified that their hearts fainted: and yet now, their faces bewray nothing but resolution. I know not whether the heart, or the face of an hypocrite be more false; and as each of them seeks to beguile the other, so both of them agree to deceive the beholders: In the midst of laughter, their heart is heavy; who would not think him merry that laughs? Yet their rejoicing is but in the face: who would not think a blasphemer, or profane man resolutely careless? If thou hadst a window into his heart, thou shouldest see him tormented with horrors of conscience. Now the Israelites see those walled cities, and towers; whose height was reported to reach to heaven; the fame whereof had so affrighted them, ere they saw them, and were ready doubtless to say, in their distrust, Which way shall we scale these invincible fortifications? what ladders, what engines shall we use to so great work? God prevents their infidelity; Behold, I have given jericho into thine hand. If their walls had their foundations laid in the centre of the earth; If the battlements had been so high built, that an Eagle could not soar over them; this is enough, I have given it thee. For, on whose earth have they raised these castles? Out of whose treasure did they dig those piles of stone? Whence had they their strength, and time to build? Cannot he that gave, recall his own? O ye fools of jericho; what if your walls be strong, your men valiant, your leaders skilful, your King wise, when God hath said, I have given thee the City: What can swords or spears do against the Lord of Hosts? Without him, means can do nothing: how much less against him? How vain and idle is that reckoning, wherein God is left out? Had the Captain of the Lords host drawn his sword for jericho, the gates might have been opened; Israel could no more have entered, than they can now be kept from entering, when the walls were fall'n. What courses soever we take for our safety, it is good making God of our side: Neither men, nor devils can hurt us against him; neither men nor Angels can secure us from him. There was never so strange a siege as this of jericho: Here was no mount raised, no sword drawn, no engine planted, no pioneers undermining; Hear were trumpets sounded, but no enemy seen; Here were armed men, but no stroke given: They must walk; and not fight, seven several days must they place about the walls, which they may not once look over, to see what was within. Doubtless, the inhabitants of jericho made themselves merry with this sight: When they had stood six days upon their walls, & beheld none but a walking enemy; What (say they) could Israel find no walk to breathe them with, but about our walls? Have they not traveled enough in their forty year's Pilgrimage, but they must stretch their limbs in this circle? Surely if their eyes were engines, our walls could not stand: we see they are good footmen; but when shall we try their hands? What, do these vain men think jericho will be won with looking at? Or, do they only come to count how many paces it is about our City? If this be their manner of siege, we shall have no great cause to fear the sword of Israel. Wicked men think God in jest, when he is preparing for their judgement. The Almighty hath ways and counsels of his own, utterly unlike to ours: which because our reason cannot reach, we are ready to condemn of foolishness and impossibility. With us, there is no way to victory but fight; and the strongest caries the spoil: God can give victory to the feet, as well as to the hands; and when he will, makes weakness no disadvantage. What should we do but follow God through byways, and know, that he will in spite of nature lead us to our end? All the men of war must compass the City; yet it was not the presence of the great warriors of Israel that threw down the walls of jericho. Those foundations were not so slightly laid, as that they could not endure either a look, or a march, or a battery: It was the Ark of God whose presence demolished the walls of that wicked City. The same power that drove back the waters of jordan before, and afterwards laid Dagon on the floor, cast down all those forts. The Priests bear on their shoulders that mighty engine of God, before which those walls, if they had been of molten brass, could not stand. Those spiritual wickednesses, yea, those gates of hell, which to nature are utterly invincible, by the power of the Word of God (which he hath committed to the carriage of his weak servants) are overthrown, and triumphed over. Thy Ark, O God, hath been long amongst us; how is it that the walls of our corruptions stand still unruined? It hath gone before us; his Priests have carried it, we have not followed it, our hearts have not attended upon it; and therefore, how mighty soever it is in itself; yet to us, it hath not been so powerful, as it would. Seven days together they walked this round; They made this therefore their sabbath-days journey; and who knows whether the last, and longest walk, which brought victory to Israel, were not on this day? Not long before, an Israelite is stoned to death, for but gathering a few sticks, that day: Now all the host of Israel must walk about the walls of a large and populous City, and yet do not violate the day. God's precept is the rule of the justice, and holiness of all our actions: Or was it, for that revenge upon God's enemies is an holy work, and such as God vouchsafes to privilege with his own day? Or, because when we have undertaken the exploits of God, he will abide no intermission, till we have fulfilled them? He allows us to breathe; not to break off, till we have finished. It had been as easy for God, to have given this success to their first days walk, yea to their first pace, or their first sight of jericho; yet he will not give it, until the end of their seven days toil: It is the pleasure of God to hold us both in work, and in expectation; And though he require our continual endeavours for the subduing of our corruptions, during the six days of our life, yet we shall never find it perfectly effected till the very evening of our last day: In the mean time, it must content us, that we are in our walk, and that these walls cannot stand, when we come to the measure, and number of our perfection. A good heart groans under the sense of his infirmities, fain would be rid of them, and strives and prays: but when he hath all done, until the end of the seventh day, it cannot be: If a stone or two moulder off from these walls, in the mean time, that is all; but the foundations will not be removed till then. When we hear of so great a design as the miraculous winning of a mighty City, who would not look for some glorious means to work it? when we hear that the Ark of God must besiege jericho, who would not look for some royal equipage▪ But behold ●here seven Priests must go before it, with seven Trumpets of Rams horns. The Israelites had trumpets of silver, which God had appointed for the use of assembling, and dissolving the Congregation, for war, and for peace. Now I do not hear them called for; but in stead thereof, Trumpets of Rams horns; base for the matter, and not loud for sound; the shortness and equal measure of those instruments could not afford, either shrillness of noise, or variety. How mean and homely are those means which God commonly uses in the most glorious works! No doubt, the Citizens of jericho answered this dull alarm of theirs, from their walls, with other instruments of louder report, and more martial ostentation: and the vulgar Israelites thought, We have as clear, and as costly trumpets as theirs; yet no man dares offer to sound the better, when the worse are commanded. If we find the ordinances of God poor and weak; let it content us that they are of his own choosing, and such, as whereby he will so much more honour himself, as they in themselves are more inglorious. Not the outside, but the efficacy, is it that God cares for. No Ram of iron could have been so forceable for battery, as these Rams horns: For when they sounded long, and were seconded with the shout of the Israelites, all the walls of jericho fell down at once: They made the Heaven ring with their shout: but the ruin of those walls drowned their voice, and gave a pleasant kind of horror to the Israelites: The earth shaken under them, with the fall; but the hearts of the Inhabitants shaken yet more: many of them doubtless were slain with those walls, wherein they had trusted: A man might see death in the faces of all the rest that remained; who now being half dead with astonishment, expected the other half from the sword of their enemies; They had now, neither means, nor will to resist; for if only one breach had been made (as it uses in other sieges) for the entrance of the enemy; perhaps new supplies of defendants might have made it up with their carcases: but now, that at once jericho is turned to a plain field, every Israelite, without resistance, might run to the next booty; and the throats of their enemies seemed to invite their swords to a dispatch. If but one Israelite had knocked at the gates of jericho, it might have been thought, their hand had helped to the victory: Now, that God may have all the glory, without the show of any rival, yea of any means, they do but walk and shout, and the walls give way. He cannot abide to part with any honour, from himself: As he doth all things, so he would be acknowledged. They shout all at once. It is the presence of God's Ark and our conjoined prayers, that are effectual to the beating down of wickedness. They may not shout, till they be bidden. If we will be unseasonable in our good actions, we may hurt, and not benefit ourselves. Every living thing in jericho, man, woman, child, cattles, must die: our folly would think this merciless: but there can be no mercy in injustice, and nothing but injustice in not fulfilling the charge of God: The death of Malefactors, the condemnation of wicked men, seem harsh to us; but we must learn of God, that there is a punishing mercy. Cursed be that mercy, that opposes the God of mercy. Yet was not joshua so intent upon the slaughter, as not to be mindful of God's part, and Rahabs: First, he gives charge (under a curse) of reserving all the treasure for God; Then of preserving the family of Rahab. Those two Spies, that received life from her, now return it to her, and hers: They call at the window with the red cord; and send up news of life to her, the same way which they received theirs: Her house is no part of jericho; neither may fire be set to any building of that City, till Rahab and her family be set safe without the host. The actions of our faith and charity will be sure to pay us; if late, yet surely. Now Rahab finds what it is to believe God; whiles out of an impure idolatrous City, she is transplanted into the Church of God, and made a mother of a royal and holy posterity. Of ACHAN. WHen the walls of jericho were fall'n, joshua charged the Israelites but with two precepts; Of sparing Rahabs' house; and of abstaining from that treasure, which was anathematised to God; and one of them is broken: As in the entrance to Paradise, but one tree was forbidden, and that was eaten of. God hath provided for our weakness in the paucity of commands: but our innocency stands not so much in having few precepts, as in keeping those we have. So much more guilty are we in the breach of one, as we are more favoured in the number. They needed no command to spare no living thing in jericho: but to spare the treasure, no command was enough. impartiality of execution is easier to perform, than contempt of these worldly things; because we are more prone to covet for ourselves, then to pity others. Had joshua bidden save the men, and divide the treasure, his charge had been more plausible, then now to kill the men, and save the treasure: or, if they must kill, earthly minds would more gladly shed their enemy's blood, for a booty, than out of obedience, for the glory of their Maker. But now, it is good reason, since God threw down those walls, and not they; that both the blood of that wicked City should be spilt to him, not to their own revenge; and that the treasure should be reserved for his use, not for theirs. Who but a miscreant can grudge, that God should serve himself of his own? I cannot blame the rest of Israel, if they were well pleased with their conditions; only one Achan troubles the peace, and his sin is imputed to Israel: the innocence of so many thousand Israelites, is not so forceable to excuse his one sin, as his one sin is to taint all Israel. A lewd man is a pernicious creature: That he damns his own soul, is the least part of his mischief; he commonly draws vengeance upon a thousand, either by the desert of his sin, or by the infection. Who would not have hoped, that the same God, which for ten righteous men would have spared the five wicked Cities, should not have been content to drown one sin, in the obedience of so many righteous? But so venomous is sin, (especially, when it lights among God's people) that one dram of it is able to infect the whole mass of Israel. Oh righteous people of Israel, that had but one Achan! How had their late circumcision cut away the unclean foreskin of their disobedience? How had the blood of their Paschal Lamb scoured their souls from covetous desires? The world was well mended with them, since their stubborn murmurings in the Desert. Since the death of Moses, and the government of joshua, I do not find them in any disorder. After that the Law hath brought us under the conduct of the true jesus, our sins are more rare, and our lives are more conscionable. Whiles we are under the Law, we do not so keep it, as when we are delivered from it: our Christian freedom is more holy than our servitude. Then have the Sacraments of God their due effect, when their receipt purgeth us from our old sins; and makes our conversation clean and spiritual. Little did joshua know that there was any sacrilege committed by Israel: that sin is not half cunning enough, that hath not learned secrecy▪ joshua was a vigilant Leader, yet some sins will escape him: Only that eye which is every where, finds us out in our close wickedness. It is no blame to authority, that some sins are secretly committed: The holiest congregation, or family, may be blemished with some malefactors: it is just blame, that open sins are not punished; we shall wrong government, if we shall expect, the reach of it should be infinite. He therefore, which if he had known the offence, would have sent up prayers and tears to God, now sends Spies for a further discovery of Ai; They turn, with news of the weakness of their adversaries: and (as contemning their paucity) persuades joshua, that a wing of Israel is enough to overshadow this city of Ai. The Israelites were so fleshed with their former victory, that now they think no walls or men can stand before them. Good success lifts up the heart with too much confidence; and whiles it dissuades men from doing their best, ofttimes disappoints them. With God, the means can never be too weak; without him, never strong enough. It is not good to contemn an impotent enemy. In this second battle the Israelites are beaten: It was not the fewness of their assailants that overthrew them, but the sin that lay lurking at home. If all the Host of Israel had set upon this poor village of Ai, they had been all equally discomfited: the wedge of Achan did more fight against them, than all the swords of the Canaanites. The victories of God go not by strength, but by innocence. Doubtless, these men of Ai insulted in this foil of Israel, and said; Lo, these are the men, from whose presence the waters of jordan ran back, now they run as fast away from ours: These are they, before whom the walls of jericho fell down; now they are fall'n as fast before us; and all their neighbours took heart from this victory. Wherein I doubt not, but besides the punishment of Israel's sin, God intended the further obduration of the Canaanites: Like as some skilful player loses on purpose at the beginning of the game, to draw on the more abetments. The news of their overthrow spread as fare as the fame of their speed; and every City of Canaan could say, Why not we as well as Ai▪ But good joshua that succeeded Moses, no less in the care of God's glory, then in his government, is much dejected with this event. He rends his clothes, falls on his face, casts dust upon his head, and (as if he had learned of his Master, how to expostulate with God) says, What wilt thou do to thy mighty Name? That joshua might see, God took no pleasure to let the Israelites lie dead upon the earth, before their enemies; himself is taxed, for but lying all day, upon his face, before the Ark. All his expostulations are answered in one word, Get thee up, Israel hath sinned. I do not hear God say, Lie still, and mourn for the sin of Israel. It is to no purpose to pray against punishment, while the sin continues. And though God love's to be sued to; yet he holds our requests unseasonable, till there be care had of satisfaction. When we have risen, and redressed sin, then may we fall down for pardon. Victory is in the free hand of God, to dispose where he will; and no man can marvel that the dice of War run ever with hazard, on both sides: so as God needed not to have given any other reason of this discomfiture of Israel, but his own pleasure: yet joshua must now know, that Israel, which before prevailed for their faith, is beaten for their sin. When we are crossed in just and holy quarrels, we may well think there is some secret evil unrepented of, which God would punish in us; which, though we see not, yet he so hates, that he will rather be wanting to his own cause, than not revenge it. When we go about any enterprise of God, it is good to see that our hearts be clear from any pollution of sin; and when we are thwarted in our hopes, it is our best course to ransack ourselves, and to search for some sin hid from us in our bosom, but open to the view of God. The Oracle of God, which told him, a great offence was committed, yet reveals not the person: It had been as easy for him, to have named the man, as the crime. Neither doth joshua request it; but refers that discovery to such a means, as whereby the offender (finding himself singled out by the lot) might be most convinced. Achan thought he might have lain as close in all that throng of Israel, as the wedge of Gold lay in his Tent. The same hope of secrecy which moved him to sin, moved him to confidence in his sin: but now, when he saw the lot fall upon his Tribe, he began to start a little; when upon his family, he began to change countenance: when upon his household, to tremble and fear; when upon his person, to be utterly confounded in himself. Foolish men think to run away with their privy sins; and say, Tush, no eye shall see me: but when they think themselves safest, God pulls them out with shame. The man that hath escaped justice, and now is lying down in death, would think; My shame shall never be disclosed: but, before Men and Angels shall he be brought on the scaffold, and find confusion, as sure as late. What needed any other evidence, when God had accused Achan? Yet joshua will have the sin out of his mouth, in whose heart it was hatched; My son, I beseech thee give glory to God. Whom God had convinced as a malefactor, joshua beseeches as a son. Some hot spirit would have said; Thou wretched traitor, how hast thou pilfered from thy God, and shed the blood of so many Israelites, and caused the Host of Israel to show their backs, with dishonour to the Heathen? now shall we fetch this sin out of thee with tortures; and plague thee with a condign death. But like the Disciple of him whose servant he was, he meekly entreats that, which he might have extorted by violence, (My son, I beseech thee.) Sweetness of compellation, is a great help towards the good entertainment of an admonition: roughness and rigour, many times hardens those hearts, which meekness would have melted to repentance: whether we sue, or convince, or reprove, little good is gotten by bitterness. Detestation of the sin, may well stand with favour to the person: and these two not distinguished, cause great wrong, either in our charity, or justice; for, either we uncharitably hate the creature of God, or unjustly affect the evil of men. Subjects are, as they are called, sons to the Magistrate: All Israel was not only of the family, but as of the loins of joshua; such must be the corrections, such the provisions of Governorus, as for their children; as again, the obedience and love of subjects must be filial. God had glorified himself sufficiently, in finding out the wickedness of Achan; neither need he honour from men, much less from sinners; They can dishonour him by their iniquities: but what recompense can they give him for their wrongs? yet joshua says, My son, give glory to God. Israel should now see, that the tongue of Achan did justify God in his lot. The confession of our sins doth no less honour God, than his glory is blemished by their commission. Who would not be glad to redeem the honour of his Redeemer, with his own shame? The lot of God, and the mild words of joshua, won Achan to accuse himself, ingenuously, impartially: a storm perhaps would not have done that, which a Sunshine had done. If Achan had come in uncalled; and before any question made, out of an honest remorse, had brought in this sacrilegious booty, and cast himself and it at the foot of joshua; doubtless, Israel had prospered, and his sin had carried away pardon: now, he hath gotten thus much thank, that he is not a desperate sinner. God will once wring from the conscience of wicked men their own inditements; They have not more carefully hid their sin, than they shall one day freely proclaim their own shame. Achans confession, though it were late, yet was it free and full: For he doth not only acknowledge the act, but the ground of his sin; I saw, and coveted, and took. The eye betrayed the heart; and that, the hand; and now all conspire in the offence. If we list not to flatter ourselves, this hath been the order of our crimes. Evil is uniform; and beginning at the senses, takes the inmost fort of the soul, and then arms our own outward forces against us; This shall once be the lascivious man's song, I saw, and coveted, and took: This the thiefs; this the Idolaters; this the gluttons & drunkards: All these receive their death by the eye. But, oh foolish Achan! with what eyes didst thou look upon that spoil, which thy fellows saw and contemned? Why couldst thou not before, as well as now, see shame hid under that gay Babylonish garment? and an heap of stones covered with those shekels of silver? The overprizing, and over-desiring of these earthly things, caries us into all mischief; and hides from us the sight of God's judgements: whosoever desires the glory of metals, or of gay clothes▪ or honour, cannot be innocent. Well might joshua have proceeded to the execution of him, whom God and his own mouth accused: but as one that thought no evidence could be too strong, in a case that was capital; he sends to see, whether there was as much truth in the confession, as there was falsehood in the stealth. Magistrates and judges must place slowly, and sure, in the punishment of offenders. Presumptions are not ground enough for the sentence of death; no, not in some cases the confessions of the guilty: It is no warrant for the Law to wrong a man, that he hath before wronged himself. There is less ill in sparing an offender, then in punishing the innocent. Who would not have expected, since the confession of Achan was ingenuous, and his pillage still found entire, that his life should have been pardoned? But here was, Confess and die; he had been too long sick of this disease, to be recovered. Had his confession been speedy and free, it had saved him. How dangerous it is, to suffer sin to lie fretting into the soul! which if it were washed off betimes with our repentance, could not kill us. In mortal offences, the course of humane justice is not stayed by our penitence: It is well for our souls that we have repent; but the laws of men take not notice of our sorrow. I know not whether the death, or the tears of a malefactor, be a better sight: The censures of the Church are wiped off with weeping, not the penalties of laws. Neither is Achan alone called forth to death, but all his family, all his substance. The actor alone doth not smart with sacrilege; all that concerns him, is enwrapped in the judgement. Those that defile their hands with holy goods, are enemies to their own flesh and blood. God's first revenges are so much the more fearful, because they must be exemplary. Of the Gibeonites. THe news of Israel's victory had flown over all the Mountains & Valleys of Canaan; and yet those Heathenish Kings and people, are mustered together against them. They might have seen themselves in jericho and Ai; and have well perceived, it was not an arm of flesh, that they must resist; yet they gather their forces, and say, Tush, we shall speed better. It is madness in a man, not to be warned, but to run upon the point of those judgements, wherewith he sees others miscarry, and not to believe, till he cannot recover. Our assent is purchased too late, when we have overstayed prevention; and trust to that experience which we cannot live to redeem. Only the Hivites are wiser than their fellows, and will rather yield & live. Their intelligence was not divers from the rest; all had equally heard of the miraculous conduct, and success of Israel: but their resolution was divers. As Rahab saved her Family, in the midst of jericho: so these four cities preserved themselves, in the midst of Canaan; and both of them, by believing what God would do. The efficacy of God's marvelous works, is not in the acts themselves, but in our apprehension; some are over come with those motives, which others have contemned for weak. Had these Gibeonites joined with the forces of all their neighbours, they had perished in their common slaughter; If they had not gone away by themselves, death had met them; It may have more pleasure, it cannot have so much safety to follow the multitude. If examples may lead us, the greatest part shuts out God upon earth, and is excluded from God else where. Some few poor ●iuites yield to the Church of God, and escape the condemnation of the world: It is very like, their neighbours flouted at this base submission of the Gibeonites; and out of their terms of honour, scorned to beg life of an enemy, whiles they were out of the compass of mercy: but when the bodies of these proud jebusites and Perizzites lay strewed upon the earth, and the Gibeonites survived; whether was more worthy of scorn and insultation? If the Gibeonites had stayed till Israel had besieged their Cities, their yeeldance had been fruitless; now they make an early peace, and are preserved. There is no wisdom in staying till a judgement come home to us; the only way to avoid it, is to meet it half way. There is the same remedy of war and of danger: To provoke an enemy in his own borders, is the best stay of invasion; and to solicit God betimes in a manifest danger, is the best antidote for death. I commend their wisdom in seeking peace; I do not commend their falsehood, in the manner of seeking it: who can look for any better of Pagans? But as the faith of Rahab is so rewarded, that her lie is not punished: so the fraud of these Gibeonites is not an equal match of their belief; since the name of the Lord God of Israel brought them to this suit of peace. Nothing is found fit to deceive God's people, than a counterfeit copy of age: Here are old sacks, old bottles, old shoes, old garments, old bread. The Israelites that had worn one suit forty years, seemed new clad in comparison of them. It is no new policy, that Satan would beguile us with a vain colour of antiquity, clothing falsehood in rags. Errors are never the elder, for their patching: Corruption can do the same that time would do: we may make age, as well as suffer it. These Gibeonites did tear their bottles, and shoes, and clothes, and made them naught, that they might seem old: so do the false patrons of new errors. If we be caught with this Gibeonitish stratagem, it is a sign we have not consulted with God. The sentence of death was gone out against all the inhabitants of Canaan. These Hivites acknowledge the truth, and judgements of God, and yet seek to escape by a league with Israel. The general denunciations of the vengeance of God, enwrap all sinners; Yet may we not despair of mercy. If the secret counsel of the Almighty had not designed these men to life, joshua could not have been deceived with their league. In the generality there is no hope: Let us come in old rags of our vileness, to the true joshua, and make our truce with him; we may live, yea, we shall live. Some of the Israelites suspect the fraud; and notwithstanding all their old garments, and provisions, can say, It may be thou dwellest amongst us. If joshua had continued this doubt, the Gibeonites had torn their bottles in vain. In cases and persons unknown, it is safe not to be too credulous: Charity itself will allow suspicion, where we have seen no cause to trust. If these Hivites had not put on new faces, with their old clothes, they had surely changed countenance, when they heard this argument of the Israelites, (It may be thou dwellest amongst us; how then can I make a league with thee?) They had (perhaps) hoped, their submission would not have been refused, wheresoever they had dwelled: but lest, their neighbourhood might be a prejudice, they come disguised; and now hear, that their nearness of abode was an unremovable bar of peace. It was quarrel enough, that they were Canaanites; God had forbidden both the league, and the life of the native inhabitants. He that calls himself the God of peace, proclaims himself the God of Hosts: and not to fight where he hath commanded, is to break the peace with God, whiles we nourish it with men. Contention with brethren is not more hateful to him then leagues with Idolaters. The condition that he hath set to our peace is our possibility and power. That falls not within the possibility of our power, which we cannot do lawfully. What a smooth tale did these Gibeonites tell for themselves? of the remoteness of their Country; the motives of their journey; the consultation of their Elders; the ageing of their provisions in the way: that it might seem not only safe, but deserved on their parts, that they should be admitted to a peace, so fare sought, and purchased with so much toil, and importunity. Their clothes, and their tongues agreed together; and both disagree from the truth. Deceit is ever lightly wrapped up in plausibility of words; as fair faces oft times hide much unchastity. But this guile sped the better, because it was clad with much plainness: For who would have suspected, that clouted shoes, and ragged coats could have covered so much subtlety? The case seemed so clear, that the Israelites thought it needless to consult with the mouth of the Lord. Their own eyes and ears were called only to counsel; and now their credulity hath drawn them into inconvenience. There is no way to convince the Gibeonitish pretences of antiquity, but to have recourse to the Oracle of God. Had this been advised with, none of these false rags had shamed the Church of God: whether in our practice, or judgement, this direction cannot fail us, whereas what we take up on the words of men, proves ever either light, or false wares. The facility of Israel had led them into a league, to an oath, for the safety of the Gibeonites: and now within three days they find both their neighbourhood and deceit. Those old shoes of theirs would easily hold to carry them back to their home. The march of a great Army is easy: yet within three days the Israelites were before their Cities, joshua might now have taken advantage of their own words, to dissolve his league, and have said; Ye are come from a fare Country, these Cities are near; These are not therefore the people, to whom we are engaged by our promise, and oath: And if these Cities be yours, yet ye are not yourselves. Ere while, ye were strangers; now ye are Hivites borne, and dwelling in the midst of Canaan: we will therefore destroy these Cities near-hand, and do you save your people afar off. It would seem very questionable, Whether joshua needed to hold himself bound to this oath; for fraudulent conventions oblige not; and Israel had put in a direct caveat of their vicinity: yet dare not joshua and the Princes trust to shifts, for the eluding their oath; but must faithfully perform, what they have rashly promised. joshuaes' heart was clear from any intention of a league with a Canaanite, when he gave his oath to these disguised strangers: yet he durst neither repeal it himself, neither do I hear him sue to Eleazar the Highpriest, to dispense with it; but takes himself tied to the very strict words of his oath; not to his own purpose. His tongue had bound his heart and hands, so as neither might stir; lest while he was curious of fulfilling the will of God, he should violate the oath of God. And if the Gibeonites had not known these holy bonds indissoluble, they neither had been so importunate to obtain their vow, nor durst have trusted it being obtained. If either dispensation with oaths, or equivocation in oaths, had been known in the world, or at least approved, these Gibeonites had not lived, and Israel had slain them without sin: Either Israel wanted skill; or our reseruers honesty. The multitude of Israel, when they came to the walls of these four exempted Cities, itched to be at the spoil: Not out of a desire to fulfil God's commandment, but to enrich themselves, would they have fall'n upon these Hivites; They thought all lost that fell beside their fingers. The wealthy City of jericho was first altogether interdicted them; the walls and houses either fell, or must be burnt; the men and cattles killed; the goods and treasure confiscate to God. achan's booty shows, that City was both rich, and proud: yet Israel might be no whit the better for them, carrying away nothing but empty victory: and now four other cities must be exempted from their pillage. Many an envious look did Israel therefore cast upon these walls; and many bitter words did they cast out against their Princes, the enemies of their gain; whether for swearing, or for that they would not forswear: But howsoever, the Princes might have said in a return to their fraud; We swore indeed to you, but not the people: yet, if any Israelite had but pulled down one stone from their walls, or shed one drop of Gibeonitish blood; he had no less plagued all Israel for perjury, than Achan had before plagued them for sacrilege. The sequel shows how God would have taken it: For, when three hundred years after, Saul (perhaps forgetting the vow of his forefathers) slew some of these Gibeonites, although out of a wel-meant zeal; all Israel smarted for the fact, with a three year's famine, and that in David's reign: who received this Oracle from God; It is for Saul, and for his bloody house; because he slew the Gibeonites. Neither could this wrong be expiated, but by the blood of saul's seven sons, hanged up at the very Court-gates of their father. joshua and the Princes had promised them life, they promised them not liberty: no Covenant was passed against their servitude. It was just therefore with the Rulers of Israel, to make slavery the price both of their lives, and their deceit. The Israelites had themselves been drudges, if the Gibeonites had not beguiled them, and lived. The old rags therefore wherewith they came disguised, must now be their best suits, and their life must be toilesomely spent in hewing of wood, and drawing of water for all Israel. How dear is life to our nature, that men can be content to purchase it with servitude? It is the wisdom of God's children to make good use of their oversights. The rash oath of Israel proves their advantage: Even wicked men gain by the outside of good actions: Good men make a benefit of their sins. CONTEMPLATIONS UPON THE PRINCIPAL PASSAGES OF THE HOLY HJSTORY. The third Volume. IN THREE BOOKS. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of Worcester. AT LONDON Printed by JOHN BEALE and NATHANIEL BUTTER. Ann. Dom. 1624. CONTEMPLATIONS. ❧ The ninth BOOK. CONTAINING The Rescue of Gibeon. The Altar of the Reubenites. Ehud and Eglon. Jael and Cisera. gideon's calling. gideon's preparation and victory. The revenge of Succoth and Penuel. Abimelech's usurpation. AT LONDON, Printed by JOHN BEALE and NATHANIEL BUTTER. Ann. Dom. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD▪ SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT, LORD ELLESMERE, LORD CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND, CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, THE SINCERE AND GRAVE ORACLE OF EQVITIE, THE GREAT AND SURE FRIEND OF THE CHURCH, THE SANCTVARY OF THE CLERGY, THE BOUNTIFUL ENCOURAGER OF LEARNING: I. H. With Thankful AcknowledgeMENT OF GOD'S BLESSING UPON THIS STATE, IN SO WORTHY AN INSTRUMENT, AND HUMBLE PRAYERS FOR HIS HAPPY CONTINVANCE, DEDICATES THIS POOR AND UNWORTHY PART OF HIS LABOURS. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE NINTH BOOK. The Rescue of GIBEON. THe life of the Gibeonites must cost them servitude from Israel, and danger from their neighbours: if joshua will but sit still, the deceit of the Gibeonites shall be revenged by his enemies. Five Kings are up in Arms against them, and are ready to pay their fraud with violence. What should these poor men do? If they make not their peace, they die by strangers; if they do make their peace with Foreigners, they must dye by Neighbours. There is no course that threatens not some danger: We have sped well, if our choice hath light upon the easiest inconvenience. If these Hivites have sinned against God, against Israel, yet what have they done to their Neighbours? I hear of no treachery, no secret information, no attempt. I see no sin but their league with Israel, and their life: yet (for aught we find) they were freemen, no way either obliged, or obnoxious. As Satan, so wicked men, cannot abide to lose any of their community: If a Convert come home, the Angels welcome him with Songs, the Devils follow him with uproar and fury, his old Partners, with scorns and obloquy. I find these Neighbour Princes half dead with fear, and yet they can find time to be sick of envy. Malice in a wicked heart, is the king of Passions: all other veil and bow when it comes in place; even their own life was not so dear to them as revenge. Who would not rather have looked, that these Kings should have tried to have followed the copy of this League? Or if their fingers did itch to fight, why did they not rather think of a defensive war against Israel, than an offensive against the Gibeonites? Gibeon was strong, and would not be won without blood; yet these Amorites, which at their best were too weak for Israel, would spend their forces before hand on their Neighbours. Here was a strong hatred in weak breasts: they feared, and yet began to fight; they feared Israel, yet began to fight with Gibeon. If they had sat still, their destruction had not been so sudden: the malice of the wicked, hastens the pace of their own judgement. No rod is so fit for a mischievous man as his own. Gibeon, and these other Cities of the Hivites, had no King: and none yielded and escaped but they. Their elders consulted before for their League; neither is there any challenge sent to the King, but to the City: And now the five Kings of the Amorites have unjustly compacted against them. Sovereignty abused, is a great spur to outrage: the conceit of authority in great persons, many times lies in the way of their own safety, whiles it will not let them stoop to the ordinary courses of inferiors. Hence it is, that heaven is peopled with so few Great-ones: hence it is, that true contentment seldom dwells high; whiles meaner men of humble spirits, enjoy both earth and heaven. The Gibeonites had well proved, that though they wanted an Head, yet they wanted not wit; and now the same wit that won joshua and Israel to their friendship and protection, teacheth them to make use of those they had won. If they had not more trusted joshua, than their walls, they had never stolen that League; & when should they have use of their new Protectors, but now that they were assailed? Whither should we fly, but to our joshua, when the powers of darkness (like mighty Amorites) have besieged us? If ever we will send up our prayers to him, it will be when we are beleaguered with evils. If we trust to our own resistance, we cannot stand; we cannot miscarry, if we trust to his: in vain shall we send to our joshua in these straits, if we have not before come to him in our freedom. Which of us would not have thought joshua had a good pretence for his forbearance, and have said, You have stolen your League with me; why do you expect help from him whom ye have deceived? All that we promised you, was a sufferance to live: enjoy what we promised, we will not take your life from you. Hath your faithfulness deserved to expect more than our covenant? we never promised to hazard our lives for you, to give you life with the loss of our own. But that good man durst not construe his own covenant to such an advantage: he knew little difference betwixt killing them with his own sword, and the sword of an Amorite: whosoever should give the blow, the murder would be his. Even permission in those things we may remedy, makes us no less Actors than consent: some men kill as much by looking on, as others by smiting: We are guilty of all the evil we might have hindered. The noble disposition of joshua, besides his engagement, will not let him forsake his new Vassals: Their confidence in him, is argument enough to draw him into the Field. The greatest obligation to a good mind, is another's trust; which to disappoint, were mercilessly perfidious. How much less shall our true joshua fail the confidence of our faith? Oh, my Saviour, if we send the messengers of our prayers to thee into thy Gilgal, thy mercy binds thee to relief: never any soul miscarried that trusted thee; we may be wanting in our trust, our trust can never want success. Speed in bestowing, doubles a gift; a benefit deferred, loses the thankes, and proves unprofitable. joshua marches all night, and fights all day for the Gibeonites: They took not so much pains in coming to deceive him, as he in going to deliver them. It is the noblest victory to overcome evil with good: If his very Israelites had been in danger, he could have done no more: God, and his joshua, make no difference betwixt Gibeonites Israelited, and his own natural people. All are Israelites whom he hath taken to league: we strangers of the Gentiles, are now the true jews; God never did more for the natural Olive, then for that wild Imp which he hath graffed in. And as these Hivites could never be thankful enough to such a joshua; no more can we to so gracious a Redeemer, who forgetting our worthiness, descended to our Gibeon, and rescued us from the powers of hell and death. joshua fought, but God discomfited the Amorites: The praise is to the workman, not the instrument: Neither did God slay them only with joshuas sword, but with his own hailstones; that now the Amorites may see both these revenges come from one hand. These bullets of God do not wound, but kill: It is no wonder that these five Kings fly; they may soon run away from their hope, never from their horror. If they look behind, there is the sword of Israel, which they dare not turn upon, because God had taken their heart from them, before their life: If they looked upwards, there is the hail shot of God fight against them out of heaven; which they can neither resist, nor avoid. If they had no enemy but Israel, they might hope to run away from death, sith fear is a better footman, then desire of revenge; but now whither-soever they run, heaven will be about their heads: And now, all the reason that is left them in this confusion of their thoughts, is to wish themselves well dead; there is no evasion, where God intends a revenge. We men have devised to imitate these instruments of death, & send forth deadly bullets out of a cloud of smoke; wherein yet, as there is much danger; so much uncertainty: but this God, that discharges his Ordinance from heaven, directs every shot to an head, and can as easily kill as shoot. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: he hath more ways of vengeance, than he hath creatures. The same heaven that sent forth water to the old world, fire to the Sodomites, Lightning and Thunderbolts to the Egyptians, sends out hailstones to the Amorites. It is a good care how we may not anger God; it is a vain study how we may fly from his judgements, when we have angered him; if we could run out of the world, even there shall we find his revenges fare greater. Was it not miracle enough that God did brain their Adversaries from heaven, but that the Sun and Moon must stand still in heaven? Is it not enough that the Amorites fly, but that the greatest Planets of heaven must stay their own course, to witness and wonder at the discomfiture? For him which gave them both being and motion, to bid them stand still, it seems no difficulty, although the rareness would deserve admiration but for a man to command the chief Stars of heaven, (by whose influence he liveth) as the Centurion would do his servant; Sun, stay in Gibeon, and Moon stand still in Aialon, it is more than a wonder. It was not joshua, but his faith that did this; not by way of precept, but of prayer, If I may not say, that the request of a faithful man (as we say of the great commands. God's glory was that which joshua aimed at: he knew that all the world must needs be witnesses of that which the Eye of the world stood still to see. Had he respected but the slaughter of the Amorites, he knew the Hailstones could do that alone; the Sun needed not stand still to direct that cloud to persecute them; but the glory of the slaughter was sought by joshua, that he might send that up, whence those Hailstones and that victory came: All the Earth might see the Sun and Moon; all could not see the Cloud of Hail, which because of that heavy burden flew but low. That all Nations might know, the same hand commands both in Earth, in the Clouds, in Heaven, joshua now prays, that he which disheartened his enemies upon earth, and smote them from the cloud, would stay the Sun and Moon in Heaven. God never got himself so much honour by one days work amongst the Heathen; and when was it more fit than now, when five Heathen Kings are banded against him? The Sun and the Moon were the ordinary gods of the world: and who would not but think, that their standing still but one hour, should be the ruin of Nature? And now all Nations shall well see, that there is an higher than their highest, that their gods are but servants to the god whom themselves should serve, at whose pleasure both they and Nature shall stand at once. If that God which meant to work this miracle, had not raised up his thoughts to desire it, it had been a presumption, which now is a faith worthy of admiration. To desire a miracle without cause, is a tempting of God. O powerful God that can effect this! O power of faith that can obtain it! What is there that God cannot do? and what is there which God can do, that faith cannot do? The Altar of the Reubenites. REuben and Gad were the first that had an inheritance assigned them: yet they must enjoy it last: So it falls out oft in the heavenly Canaan, the first in title are the last in possession. They had their lot assigned them beyond jordan, which though it were allotted them in peace, must be purchased with their war: that must be done for their brethren, which needed not be done for themselves: they must yet still fight, and fight foremost, that as they had the first patrimony, they might endure the first encounter. I do not hear them say, This is our share, let us sit down and enjoy it quietly, fight who will for the rest: but when they knew their own portion, they leave wives and children to take possession, and march armed before their brethren, till they had conquered all Canaan. Whether should we more commend their courage, or their charity? Others were moved to fight with hope, they only with love: they could not win more, they might lose themselves; yet they will fight, both for that they had something, and that their brethren might have. Thankfulness and love can do more with God's children, then desire to merit, or necessity: No true Israelite can (if he might choose) abide to sit still beyond jordan, when all his brethren are in the field. Now when all this war of God was ended, and all Canaan is both won and divided, they return to their own; yet not till they were dismissed by joshua: all the sweet attractives of their private love cannot hasten their pace. If heaven be never so sweet to us, yet may we not run from this earthen warfare, till our great Captain shall please to discharge us. If these Reubenites had departed sooner, they had been recalled, if not as cowards, surely as fugitives; now they are sent back with victory and blessing. How safe and happy it is to attend both the call and the dispatch of God Being returned in peace to their home, their first care is, not for Trophies, nor for houses, but for an Altar to God; an Altar, not for sacrifice, which had been abominable, but for a memorial what God they served. The first care of true Israelites, must be the safety of Religion; the world, as it is inferior in worth, so must it be in respect▪ he never knew God aright, that can abide any competition with his Maker. The rest of the Tribes no sooner hear news of their new Altar, but they gather to Shiloh, to fight against them: they had scarce breathed from the Canaanitish war, & now they will go fight with their brethren: if their brethren will (as they suspected) turn Idolaters, they cannot hold them any other then Canaanites. The Reubenites and their fellows had newly settled the rest of Israel in their possessions, and now ere they can be warm in their seats, Israel is up in Arms to thrust them out of their own: The hatred of their suspected Idolatry, makes them forget either their blood, or their benefits. Israel says, These men were the first in our battles, and shall be the first in our revenge: they fought well for us; we will try how they can fight for themselves. What if they were our Champions? Their revolt from God hath lost them the thank of their former labours; their Idolatry shall make them of brethren, adversaries; their own blood shall give handfell to their new Altar. O noble and religious zeal of Israel! Who would think these men the sons of them that danced about the molten Calf? That consecrated an Altar to that Idol? Now they are ready to die or kill, rather than endure an Altar without an Idol. Every overture in matter of Religion, is worthy of suspicion, worthy of our speedy opposition: God looks for an early redress of the first beginnings of impiety. As in treasons or mutinies, wise Statesmen find it safest to kill the serpent in the egg; so in motions of spiritual alteration, one spoonful of water will quench that fire at the first, which afterwards whole buckets cannot abate. Yet do not these zealous Israelites run rashly and furiously upon their brethren, nor say, What need we expostulate? The fact is clear: what care we for words, when we see their Altar? What can this mean▪ but either service to a false god, or division in the service of the true? There can be no excuse for so manifest a crime: why do we not rather think of punishment, than satisfaction? But they send ere they go, and consult ere they execute. Phineas the son of Eleazar the Priest, and ten Princes (for every Tribe one) are addressed both to inquire, and dissuade; to inquire of the purpose of the fact; to dissuade from that which they imagined was purposed. Wisdom is a good guide to zeal, and only can keep it from running out into fury: If discretion do not hold in the reynes, good intentions will both break their own necks, and the riders: yea, which is strange, without this, the zeal of God may lead us from God. Not only wisdom, but charity moved them to this message. For, grant they had been guilty, must they perish unwarned? Peaceable means must first be used to recall them, ere violence be sent to persecute them. The old rule of Israel hath been, still to inquire of Abel; No good Shepherd sends his dog to pull out the throat of his strayed sheep, but rather fetches it on his shoulders to the fold: Sudden cruelty stands not with Religion: He which will not himself break the bruised reed, how will he allow us, either to bruise the whole, or to break the bruised, or to burn the broken? Neither yet was here more charity in sending, than uncharitableness in the misconstruction. They begin with a challenge; and charge their brethren deeply with transgression, apostasy, rebellion. I know not how two contrary qualities fall into love; it is not naturally suspicious, and yet many times suggests jealous fears of those we affect. If these Israelites had not loved their brethren, they would never have sent so far to restrain them; they had never offered them part of their own patrimony: if they had not been excessively jealous, they had not censured a doubtful action so sharply. They met at Shilo, where the Tabernacle was; but if they had consulted with the Ark of God, they had saved both this labour, & this challenge: This case seemed so plain, that they thought advice needles: Their inconsiderateness therefore brands their brethren with crimes whereof they were innocent; and makes themselves the only offenders. In cases which are doubtful and uncertain, it is safe either to suspend the judgement, or to pass it in favour; otherwise, a plain breach of charity in us, shall be worse than a questionable breach of justice in another. Yet this little gleam of their uncharitable love began at themselves; if they had not feared their own judgements in the offence of Reuben, I know not whether they had been so vehement: The fearful revenges of their brethren's sin are still in their eye. The wickedness of Peor stretched not so far as the plague; Achan sinned, and Israel was beaten: therefore by just induction, they argue (Ye rebel to day against the Lord, to morrow will the Lord be wroth with all the Congregation.) They still tremble at the vengeance passed; and find it time to prevent their own punishment, in punishing their brethren. God's proceed have then their right use, when they are both carefully remembered, and made patterns of what he may do. Had these Reubenites been as hot in their answer, as the Israelites were in their charge, here had grown a bloody war out of misprision: But now their answer is mild and moderate, and such as well showed, that though they were further from the Ark, yet no less near to God. They thought in themselves, This act of ours, though it were well meant by us, yet might well be by interpretation scandalous; it is reason our mildness should give satisfaction for that offence, which we have not prevented. Hereupon, their answer was as pleasing, as their act was dangerous. Even in those actions whereby an offence may be occasioned (though not given) charity binds us to clear both our own name, and the conscience of others. Little did the Israelites look for so good a ground of an action so suspicious; An Altar without a sacrifice? An Altar and no Tabernacle? An Altar without a precept, and yet not against God? It is not safe to measure all men's actions by our own conceit, but rather to think there may be a further drift and warrant of their act, than we can attain to see. By that time the Reubenites have commented upon their own work, it appears as justifiable, as before offensive. What wisdom and religion is found in that Altar, which before shown nothing but Idolatry? This discourse of theirs is full both of reason and piety; We are severed by the river jordan from the other Tribes; perhaps hereafter, our choice may exclude us from Israel Posterity may peradventure say, jordan is the bounds of all natural Israelites; the streams whereof never gave way to those beyond the River: If they had been ours, either in blood or religion, they would not have been sequestered in habitation. Doubtless therefore these men are the offspring of some Strangers, which by vicinity of abode, have gotten some tincture of our language, manners, religion; What have we to do with them, what have they to do with the Tabernacle of God? Sith therefore we may not either remove God's Altar to us, or remove our Patrimony to the Altar; the Pattern of the Altar shall go with us, not for sacrifice, but for memorial; that both the posterity of the other Israelites may know, we are no less derived from them, than this Altar from theirs; and that our posterity may know, they pertain to that Altar, whereof this is the resemblance. There was no danger of the present; but posterity might both offer and receive prejudice, if this Monument were not. It is a wise and holy care to prevent the dangers of ensuing times, and to settle religion upon the succeeding generations. As we affect to leave a perpetuity of our bodily issue, so much more to traduce piety with them. Do we not see good husbands set and plant those trees, whereof their grandchildren shall receive the first fruit, and shade? Why are we less thrifty in leaving true religion entire to our children's children? EHUD and EGLON. AS every man is guilty of his own sorrow, these Isaelites bred mischief to themselves: It was their mercy that plagued them with those Canaanites which their obedience should have rooted out. If foolish pity be a more humane sin, yet it is no less dangerous than cruelty: Cruelty kills others, unjust pity kills ourselves. They had been Lords alone of the promised Land, if their commiseration had not over-swayed their justice; and now their enemies are too cruel to them (in the just revenge of God) because they were too merciful. That God, which in his revealed will had commanded all the Canaanites to the slaughter, yet secretly gives over Israel to a toleration of some Canaanites for their own punishment. He hath bidden us cleanse our hearts of all our corruptions: yet he will permit some of these thorns still in our sides, for exercise, for humiliation. If we could lay violent hands upon our sins, our souls should have peace; now our indulgence costs us many stripes, and many tears: what a continued circle is here of sins, judgements; repentance, deliverances? The conversation with Idolaters, taints them with sin; their sin draws on judgements; the smart of the judgement moves them to repentance; upon their repentance follows speedy deliverance, upon their peace and deliverance they sinne again. Othniel, Calebs' nephew, had rescued them from Idolatry and servitude: his life, and their innocence and peace ended together. How powerful the presence of one good man is in a Church or State, is best found in his loss. A man that is at once eminent in place and goodness, is like a stake in a hedge; pull that up, and all the rest are but lose and rotten sticks, easily removed: or like the pillar of a vaulted roof, which either supports, or ruins the building. Who would not think Idolatry an absurd and unnatural sin? which as it hath the fewest inducements, so had also the most direct inhibitions from God; and yet after all these warnings, Israel falls into it again: Neither affliction nor repentance can secure an Israelite from redoubling the worst sin, if he be left to his own frailty. It is no censuring of the truth of our present sorrow, by the event of a following miscarriage; The former cries of Israel to God were unfeigned, yet their present wickedness is abominable: Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. No sooner had he said (Israel had rest) but he adds, They committed wickedness: The security of any people is the cause of their corruption; standing waters soon grow noisome. Whiles they were exercised with war, how scrupulous were they of the least intimation of Idolatry? the news of a bare Altar beyond jordan, drew them together for a revenge; now they are at peace with their enemies, they are at variance with God. It is both hard and happy not to be the worse with liberty; The sendentary life is most subject to diseases. Rather than Israel shall want a scourge for their sin, God himself shall raise them up an enemy: Moab had no quarrel but his own ambition: but God meant by the ambition of the one part, to punish the Idolatry of the other; his justice can make one sin the executioner of another, whiles neither shall look for any other measure from him, but judgement: The evil of the City is so his, that the instrument is not guiltless. Before, God had stirred up the King of Syria against Israel; now, the King of Moab; afterwards, the King of Canaan: He hath more variety of judgements, than there can be offences; if we have once made him our adversary, he shall be sure to make us adversaries enough; which shall revenge his quarrel, whiles they prosecute their own. Even those were Idolaters, by whose hands God plagued the Idolatries of Israel. In Moab, the same wickedness prospers, which in Gods own people is punished: the justice of the Almighty can least brook evil in his own; the same heathen which provoked Israel to sin, shall scourge them for sinning. Our very profession hurts us, if we be not innocent. No less than eighteen years did the rod of Moab rest upon the inheritance of God: Israel seems as borne to servitude; they came from their bondage in the Land of Egypt, to serve in the Land of Promise: They had neglected God, now they are neglected of God; their sins have made them servants, whom the choice of God had made free, yea, his first borne. Worthy are they to serve those men, whose false gods they had served; and to serve them always in thraldom, whom they have once served in Idolatry. We may not measure the continuance of punishment, by the time of the commission of sin, one minutes sin deserves a torment beyond all time. Doubtless, Israel was not so insensible of their own misery, as not to complain sooner than the end of eighteen years: The first hour they sighed for themselves, but now they cried unto God. The very purpose of affliction is to make us importunate: He that hears the secret murmurs of our grief, yet will not seem to hear us, till our cries be loud and strong. God sees it best to let the penitent dwell for the time under their sorrows; he sees us sinking all the while, yet he lets us alone, till we be at the bottom: and when once we can say, Out of the depths have I cried to thee, instantly follows, The Lord heard me. A vehement suitor cannot but be heard of God, whatsoever he asks. If our prayers want success, they want heart: their blessing is according to their vigour. We live in bondage to these spiritual Moabites, our own corruptions. It discontents us: but where are our strong cries unto the God of heaven? where are our tears? If we could passionately bemoan ourselves to him, how soon should we be more than conquerors? Some good motions we have to send up to him, but they faint in the way. We may call long enough, if we cry not to him. The same hand that raised up Eglon against Israel, raised up also Ehud for Israel, against Eglon: When that Tyrant hath revenged God of his people, God will revenge his people of him. It is no privilege to be an instrument of God's vengeance by evil means. Though Eglon were an usurper, yet had Ehud been a Traitor, if God had not sent him: it is only in the power him that makes Kings, when they are once settled, to depose them. It is no more possible for our modern butchers of Princes, to show they are employed by God, then to escape the revenge of God in offering to do this violence, not being employed. What a strange enoyce doth God make of an Executioner? A man shut of his right hand; either he had but one hand, or used but one, and that the worse, and more unready: Who would not have thought both hands too little for such a work, or, if either might have been spared, how much rather the left? God seethe not as man seethe? It is the ordinary wont of the Almighty, to make choice of the unlikeliest means. The instruments of God must not be measured by their own power, or aptitude, but by the will of the Agent: Though Ehud had no hands, he that employed him, had enabled him to this slaughter. In humane things, it is good to look to the means; in divine, to the worker; No means are to be contemned that God will use; no means to be trusted that man will use without him. It is good to be suspicious where is least show of danger, and most appearance of favour. This lefthanded man comes with a present in his hand, but a dagger under his skirt. The Tyrant, besides service, looked for gifts; and now receives death in his bribe: Neither God nor men do always give where they love. How oft doth God give extraordinary illumination, power of miracles, besides wealth and honour, where he hates? So do men too oft accompany their curses with presents; either least an enemy should hurt us, or that we may hurt them. The intention is the favour in gifts, and not the substance. ehud's faith supplies the want of his hand: Where God intends success, he lifts up the heart with resolutions of courage and contempt of danger. What indifferent beholder of this project would not have condemned it, as unlikely to speed; To see a maimed man go alone to a great King, in the midst of all his troops; to single him out from all witnesses; to set upon him with one hand in his own Parlour, where his Courtiers might have heard the least exclamation, and have comen in, if not to the rescue, yet to the revenge? Every circumstance is full of improbabilities: Faith evermore overlookes the difficulties of the way, and bends her eyes only to the certainty of the end. In this intestine slaughter of our tyrannical corruptions, when we cast our eyes upon ourselves, we might well despair: Alas, what can our left hands do against these spiritual wickednesses? But when we see who hath both commanded, and undertaken to prosper these Holy designs, how can we misdoubt the success? I can do all things through him that strengthens me. When Ehud hath obtained the convenient secrecy both of the weapon and place; now with a confident forehead he approaches the Tyrant, and salutes him, with a true and awful preface to so important an act: I have a message to thee from God. Even ehud's poniard was God's message; not only the vocal admonitions, but also the real judgements of God, are his errands to the world. He speaks to us in rain and waters, in sicknesses and famine, in unseasonable times and inundations: These are the secondary messages of God; if we will not hear the first, we must hear these to our cost. I cannot but wonder at the devout reverence of this Heathen Prince: he sat in his Chair of State; the unweildinesse of his fat body was such, that he could not rise with readiness & ease; yet no sooner doth he hear news of a message from God, but he rises up from his Throne, and reverently attends the tenor thereof: Though he had no superior to control him, yet he cannot abide to be unmannerly in the business of God. This man was an Idolater, a Tyrant: yet what outward respects doth he give to the true God? Eternal ceremonies of piety, and compliments of devotion, may well be found with falsehood in Religion. They are a good shadow of truth where it is: but where it is not, they are the very body of hypocrisy. He that had risen up in Arms against God's people, and the true worship of God, now rises up in reverence to his name. God would have liked well to have had less of his courtesy, more of his obedience. He looked to have heard the message with his ears, & he feels it in his guts; so sharp a message, that it pierced the body, and let out the soul through that passage: neither did it admit of any answer, but silence and death. In that part had he offended by pampering it, and making it his god; and now his bane finds the same way with his sin. This one hard and cold morsel, which he cannot digest, pays for all those gluttonous delicates, whereof he had formerly surfeited. It is the manner of God, to take fearful revenges of the professed enemies of his Church. It is a marvel, that neither any noise in his dying, nor the fall of so gross a body, called in some of his attendants: But that God which hath intended to bring about any design, disposes of all circumstances to his own purpose. If Ehud had not come forth with a calm and settled countenance, and shut the doors after him, all his project had been in the dust. What had it been better that the King of Moab was slain, if Israel had neither had a messenger to inform, nor a Captain to guide them? Now he departs peaceably, and blows a Trumpet in Mount Ephraim, gathers Israel, and falls upon the body of Moab as well as he had done upon the head, and procures freedom to his people. He that would undertake great enterprises, had need of wisdom, and courage; wisdom to contrive, and courage to execute; wisdom to guide his courage, and courage to second his wisdom: both which, if they meet with a good cause, cannot but succeed. JAEL and SISERA. IT is no wonder if they, who ere fourscore days after the Law delivered, fell to Idolatry alone, now after fourscore years since the Law restored, fell to Idolatry among the Canaanites. Peace could in a shorter time work looseness in any people. And if forty years after Othniels' deliverance, they clapsed, what marvel is it that in twice forty after Ehud, they thus miscarried▪ What are they the better to have killed Eglon the King of Moab, if the Idolatry of Moab have killed them? The sin of Moab shall be found a worse Tyrant than their Eglon. Israel is for every market; they sold themselves to Idolatry; God sells them to the Canaanites; it is no marvel they are slaves, if they will be Idolaters. After their longest intermission, they have now the sorest bondage. None of their Tyrants were so potent as jabin with his nine hundred Chariots of iron. The longer the reckoning is deferred, the greater is the sum: God provides on purpose mighty Adversaries for his Church, that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining, and his glory may be greater in deliverance. I do not find any Prophet in Israel during their sin; but so soon as I hear news of their repentance, mention is made of a Prophetess, and judge of Israel. There is no better sign of God's reconciliation, than the sending of his holy messengers to any people: He is not utterly fallen out with those whom he blesses with prophecy. Whom yet do I see raised to this honour? Not any of the Princes of Israel; not Barac the Captain; not Lapidoth the husband; but a woman, for the honour of her sex; a wife, for the honour of wedlock: Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth. He that had choice of all the millions of Israel, culls out two weak women, to deliver his people; Deborah shall judge, jael, shall execute. All the Palaces of Israel must yield to the Palmtree of Deborah; The weakness of the instruments, redounds to the greater honour of the Workman. Who shall ask God any reason of his elections, but his own pleasure? Deborah was to sentence, not to strike; to command, not to execute: This act is masculine, fit for some Captain of Israel: She was the Head of Israel, it was meet some other should be the hand: it is an imperfect and titular government, where there is a commanding power, without correction, without execution. The message of Deborah finds out Barac the son of Abinoam, in his obscure secrecy, and calls him from a corner of Nepthali, to the honour of this exploit. He is sent for, not to get the victory, but to take it; not to overcome, but to kill; to pursue, & not to beat Sisera. Who could not have done this work, whereto not much courage, no skill belonged? Yet even for this, will God have an instrument of his own choice: It is most fit that God should serve himself where he list, of his own; neither is it to be inquired, whom we think meet for any employment, but whom God hath called. Deborah had been no Prophetess, if she durst have sent in her own name; Her message is from him that sent herself, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded? Baracs' answer is faithful, though conditionate; and doth not so much intent a refusal to go without her, as a necessary bond of her presence with him. Who can blame him that he would have a Prophetess in his company? If the man had not been as holy as valiant, he would not have wished such society. How many think it a perpetual bondage to have a Prophet of God at their elbow? God had never sent for him so fare, if he could have been content to go up without Deborah; He knew that there was both a blessing, and encouragement in that presence. It is not putting any trust in the success of those men, that neglect the messengers of God. To prescribe that to others, which we draw back from doing ourselves, is an argument of hollowness and falsity: Barac shall see that Deborah doth not offer him that cup, whereof she dare not begin; without regard of her sex she marches with him to Mount Tabor, and rejoices to be seen of the ten thousand of Israel. With what scorn did Sisera look at the glean of Israel? How unequal did this match seen of ten thousand Israelites against his three hundred thousand foot, ten thousand horse, nine hundred charets of iron? And now in a bravery, he calls for his troops, and means to kill this handful of Israel with the very sight of his picked chariots; and only feared, it would be no victory to cut the throats of so few. The faith of 〈◊〉 and Barac was not appalled with this world of Adversaries, which from mount T●o● they saw hiding all the Valley below them; they knew whom they had believed, and how little an arm of flesh could do against the God of Hosts. Barac went down against Sisera, but it was God that destroyed him. The Israelites did not this day wield their own swords, lest they should arrogate any thing; God told them beforehand, it should be his own act. I hear not of one stroke that any Canaanite gave in his fight; as if they were called hither, only to suffer. And n●w proud Sisera, after many curses of the heaviness of that iron carriage, is glad to quit his Chariot, and betake himself to his heels. Who ever yet knew any earthly thing trusted in, without disappointment? It is wonder if God make us not at last as weary of whatsoever hath stolen our hearts from him, as ever we were fond. Yet Sisera hopes to have sped better than his followers, in so seasonable an harbour of jael. If Heber and jael had not been great persons, there had been no note taken of their Tents; There had been no league betwixt King jabin and them: now their greatness makes them known, their league makes them trusted. The distress of Sisera might have made him importunate; but jael gins the courtesy, and exceeds the desire of her guest: He asks water to drink; she gives him milk; he wishes but shelter, she makes him a bed; he desires the protection of her Tent, she covers him with a mantle. And now Sisera pleases himself with this happy change, and thinks how much better it is to be here, then in that whirling of chariots, in that horror of flight, amongst those shrieks, those wounds, those carcases. Whiles he is in these thoughts, his weariness and easy reposall hath brought him asleep. Who would have looked that in this tumult and danger, even betwixt the very jaws of death, Sisera should find time to sleep? How many worldly hearts do so in the mids of their spiritual perils? Now whiles he was dreaming, doubtless, of the clashing of armours, rattling of chariots, neighing of horses, the clamour of the conquered, the furious pursuit of Israel; jael seeing his temples lie so fair, as if they invited the nail and hammer, entered into the thought of this noble execution; certainly not without some checks of doubt, and pleas of fear: What if I strike him? And yet who am I, that I should dare to think of such an act? Is not this Sisera, the famousest Captain of the world, whose name hath wont be fearful to whole Nations? What if my hand should swerve in the stroke? What if he should awake, whiles I am lifting up this instrument of death? What if I should be surprised by some of his followers while the fact is green, and yet bleeding? Can the murder of so great a Leader be hid, or unrevenged? Or if I might hope so, yet can my heart allow to be secretly treacherous? Is there not peace betwixt my house, and him? Did not I invite him to my Tent? Doth he not trust to my friendship and hospitality? But what do these weak fears, these idle fancies of civility? If Sisera be in league with us, yet is he not at defiance with God? Is he not a Tyrant to Israel? Is it for nothing that God hath brought him into my Tent? May I not now find means to repay unto Israel all their kindness to my Grandfather jethro? Doth not God offer me this day, the honour to be the Rescuer of his people? Hath God forbidden me strike, and shall I hold my hand? No, Sisera, sleep now thy last, and take here this fatal reward of all thy cruelty and oppression. He that put this instinct into her heart, did put also strength into her hand; He that guided Sisera to her Tent, guided the nail thorough his temples; which hath made a speedy way for his soul thorough those parts, and now hath fastened his ear so close to the earth, as if the body had been listening what was become of the soul. There lies now the great terror of Israel at the foot of a woman: He that brought so many hundred thousands into the Field, hath not now one Page left, either to avert his death, or to accompany it, or bewail it: He that had vaunted of his iron chariots, is slain by one nail of iron, wanting only this one point of his infelicity, that he knows not by whose hand he perished. gideon's Calling. THe judgements of God still the further they go, the forer they are; the bondage of Israel under jabin was great, but it was freedom in comparison of the yoke of the Midianites. During the former tyranny, Deborah was permitted to judge Israel under a Palmtree; Under this, not so much as private habitations will be allowed to Israel: Then, the seat of judgement was in sight of the Sun; now their very dwellings must be secret, under the earth. They that rejected the protection of God, are glad to seek to the mountains for shelter; and as they had savagely abused themselves, so they are fain to creep into dens and caves of the rocks, like wild creatures for safeguard: God had sown spiritual seed amongst them, and they suffered their heathenish neighbours to pull it up by the roots; and now, no sooner can they sow their material seed, but Midianites and Amalckites are ready by force to destroy it. As they inwardly dealt with God, so God deals outwardly by them; Their eyes may tell them what their souls have done: yet that God, whose mercy is above the worst of our sins, sends first his Prophet with a message of reproof, and then this Angel with a message of deliverance. The Israelites had smarted enough with their servitude, yet God sends them a sharp rebuke. It is a good sign when God chides us, his round reprehensions are ever gracious forerunners of mercy: whereas his silent connivance at the wicked, argues deep and secret displeasure: The Prophet made way for the Angel, reproof for deliverance, humiliation for comfort. Gideon was threshing Wheat by the Winepress. Yet Israel hath both Wheat and Wine, for all the incursions of their enemies. The worst estate out of hell, hath either some comfort, or at least, some mitigation; in spite of all the malice of the world, God makes secret provision for his own. How should it be but he that owns the earth, and all creatures, should reserve ever a sufficiency from foreigners (such the wicked are) for his household? In the worst of the Medianitish tyranny, gideon's field & barn are privileged, as his fleece was afterwards from the shower. Why did Gideon thr●sh his corn? To hide it; Not from his neighbours, but his enemies: his Granary might easily be more close than his barn. As then, Israelites threshed out their come, to hide it from the Midianites: but now, Midianites thresh out come, to hide it from the Israelites. These rural Tyrants of our time, do not more lay up come, than curses: he that withdraweth come, the people will curse him; yea, God will curse him, with them, and for them. What shifts nature will make to live! Oh that we could be so careful to lay up spiritual food for our souls, out of the reach of those spiritual Midianites, we could not but live, in despite of all adversaries. The Angels, that have ever God in their face, and in their thoughts, have him also in the mouths: The Lord is with thee. But this which appeared unto Gideon, was the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord of Angels. Whiles he was with Gideon, he might well fall, The Lord is with thee. He that sent the comforter, was also the true Comforter of his Church: he well knew, how to lay a sure ground of consolation, and that the only remedy of sorrow, and beginning of true joy, is The presence of God. The grief of the Apostles for the expected loss of their Master, could never be cured by any receipt but this, of the same Angel, Behold, I am with you to the end of the World. What is our glory but the fruition of God's presence? The punishment of the damned, is a separation from the beatifical face of God; needs must therefore his absence in this life, be a great torment to a good heart: and no cross can be equivalent to this beginning of heaven in the Elect, The Lord is with thee. Who can complain either of solitariness, or opposition, that hath God with him? With him, not only as a witness, but as a party: Even wicked men and devils cannot exclude God, not the bars of hell can shut him out: He is with them perforce, but to judge, to punish them: yea, God will be ever with them to their cost; but to protect, comfort, save he is with none but his. Whiles he calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. How could he be but valiant, that had God with him? The godless man may be careless, but cannot be other then cowardly. It pleases God to acknowledge his own graces in men, that he may interchange his own glory, with their comfort; how much more should we confess the graces of one another? An envious nature is prejudicial to God; he is a strange man in whom there is not some visible good; yea, in the Devils themselves we may easily note some commendable parts, of knowledge, strength, agility: Let God have his own in the worst creature; yea, let the worst creature have that praise which God would put upon it. Gideon cannot pass over this salutation, as some fashionable compliment, but lays hold on that part, which was most important; the tenure of all his comfort; and (as not regarding the praise of his valour) inquires after that which should be the ground of his valour, the presence of God: God had spoken particularly to him; he expostulates for all. It had been possible God should be present with him, not with the rest; as he promised to have been with Moses, not Israel: and yet when God says, The Lord is with thee, he answers, Alas Lord, if the Lord be with us. Gideon cannot conceive of himself as an exempt person; but puts himself among the throng of Israel, as one that could not be sensible of any particular comfort, while the common case of Israel laboured. The main care of a good heart is still for the public; neither can it enjoy itself, while the Church of God is distressed. As faith draws home generalities, so charity diffuses generalities from itself to all. Yet the valiant man was here weak; weak in faith, weak in discourse; whiles he argues God's absence by affliction, his presence by deliverances, and the unlikelihood of success by his own disability; all gross inconsequences: Rather should he have inferred God's presence upon their correction; for wheresoever God chastises, there he is, yea, there he is in mercy. Nothing more proves us his, than his stripes; he will not bestow whipping where he love's not. Fond nature thinks God should not suffer the wind to blow upon his dear ones, because herself makes this use of her own indulgence; but none out of the place of torment, have suffered so much as his dearest children. He says not we are Idolaters; therefore the Lord hath forsaken us, because we have forsaken him: This sequel had been as good, as the other was faulty, (The Lord hath delivered us unto the Midianites, therefore he hath forsaken us:) Sins, not afflictions, argue God absent. Whiles Gideon bewrayeth weakness, God both gives him might, and employs it; (Go in this thy might, and save Israel.) Who would not have looked that God should have looked angrily on him, and chid him for his unbelief? But he whose mercy will not quench the weakest fire of grace, though it be but in flax, looks upon him with compassionate eyes; and to make good his own word, gives him that valour he had acknowledged. Gideon had not yet said, Lord, deliver Israel: much less had he said, Lord deliver Israel by my hand. The mercy of God prevents the desire of Gideon? if God should not begin with us, we should be ever miserable; if he should not give us till we ask, yet who should give us to ask; if his Spirit did not work those holy groans, and sighs in us, we should never make suit to God. He that commonly gives us power to crave sometimes, gives us without craving, that the benefit might be so much more welcome, by how much less it was expected; & we so much more thankful, as he is more forward. When he bids us ask, it is not for that he needs to be entreated; but that he may make us more capable of blessings by desiring them: And where he sees fervent desires, he stays not for words; and he that gives ere we ask, how much more will he give when we ask? He that hath might enough to deliver Israel, yet hath not might enough to keep himself from doubting. The strongest faith will ever have some touch of infidelity. And yet this was not so much a distrust of the possibility of delivering Israel, as an inquiry after the means; Whereby shall I save Israel? The salutation of the Angel to Gideon, was as like to Gabriels' salutation of the blessed Virgin, as their answers were like: Both Angels brought news of deliverance; both were answered with a question of the means of performance; with a report of the difficulties in performing: Ah my Lord, whereby shall I save Israel? How the good man disparages himself! It is a great matter (O Lord) thou that speakest of, and great actions require mighty Agents: As for me, who am I? My Tribe is none of the greatest in Israel; My Father's family is one of the meanest in his Tribe, and I the meanest in his family; Poverty is a sufficient bar to great enterprises. Whereby shall I? Humility is both a sign of following glory, and a way to it, and an occasion of it: Bragging and height of spirit, will not carry it with God: None have ever been raised by him, but those which have formerly dejected themselves; None have been confounded by him, that have been abased in themselves. Thereupon it is that he adds, I will therefore be with thee: as if he had answered, Hadst thou not been so poor in thyself, I would not have wrought by thee. How should God be magnified in his mercies, if we were not unworthy? How should he be strong, if not in our weakness. All this while, Gideon knew not it was an Angel that spoke with him; He saw a man stand before him like a Traveller, with a staff in his hand. The unusualnesse of those revelations in those corrupted times was such, that Gideon might think of any thing rather than an Angel: No marvel if so strange a promise from an unknown messenger found not a perfect assent: Feign would he believe, but fain would he have good warrant for his faith. In matters of faith we cannot go upon too sure grounds. As Moses therefore being sent upon the same errand, desired a sign, whereby Israel might know that God sent him: So Gideon desires a sign from this bearer, to know that his news is from God. Yet the very hope of so happy news, not yet ratified, stirs up in Gideon both joy and thankfulness. After all the injury of the Midianites, he was not so poor, but he could bestow a Kid & cakes upon the Reporter of such tidings. Those which are rightly affected with the glad news of our spiritual deliverance, study to show their loving respects to the messengers. The Angel stays for the repairing of gideon's feast. Such pleasure doth God take in the thankful endeavours of his servants, that he patiently waits upon the leisure of our performances. Gideon intended a dinner, the Angel turned it into a sacrifice. He whose meat and drink it was to do his Father's will, calls for the broth and flesh to be poured out upon the stone: And when Gideon looked he should have blessed, and eaten, he touches the feast with his staff, and consumes it with fire from the stone, and departed. He did not strike the stone with his staff (for the attrition of two hard bodies would naturally beget fire) but he touched the meat, and brought fire from the stone: And now whiles Gideon saw and wondered at the spiritual act, he lost the sight of the Agent. He that came without entreating, would not have departed without taking leave, but that he might increase gideon's wonder, and that his wonder might increase his faith. His salutation therefore was not so strange as his farewell. Moses touched the rock with his staff, and brought forth water, and yet a man, and yet continued with the Israelites. This messenger touches the stone with his staff, and brings forth fire, and presently vanishes, that he may approve himself a spirit. And now Gideon, when head had gathered up himself, must needs think, He that can raise fire out of a stone, can raise courage and power out of my dead breast; He that by this fire hath consumed the broth and flesh, can by the feeble flame of my fortitude consume Midian. Gideon did not so much doubt before, as now he feared. We that shall once live with, and be like the Angels, in the estate of our impotency think we cannot see an Angel, and live. Gideon was acknowledged for mighty in valour, yet he trembles at the sight of an Angel. Peter, that durst draw his sword upon Malchus, and all the train of judas, yet fears when he thought he had seen a spirit. Our natural courage cannot bear us out against spiritual objects. This Angel was homely and familiar, taking upon him for a time, a resemblance of that flesh whereof he would afterwards take the substance; yet even the valiant Gideon quakes to have seen him: How awful and glorious is the God of Angels, when he will be seen in the state of heaven! The Angel that departed for the wonder, yet returns for the comfort of Gideon; It is not the wont of God to leave his children in a maze, but he brings them out in the same mercy which led them in, and will magnify his grace in the one, no less than his power in the other. Now Gideon grows acquainted with God, and interchanges pledges of familiarity; He builds an Altar to God, and God confers with him; and (as he uses where he love's) employs him. His first task must be to destroy the god of the Midianites, than the Idolaters themselves. Whiles Baal's Altar and Grove stood in the hill of Ophrah, Israel should in vain hope to prevail: It is most just with God, that judgement should continue with the sin, and no less mercy, if it may remove after it. Wouldst thou fain be rid of any judgement? Inquire what false Altars and groves thou hast in thy heart; down with them first. First must Baal's Altar be ruined, ere Gods be built, both may not stand together; The true God will have no society with Idols, neither will allow it us. I do not hear him say, That Altar and grove which were abused to Baal, consecrate now to me; but as one whose holy jealousy will abide no worship till there be no idolatry, he first commands down the monuments of superstition, and then inioynes his own service; yet the wood of Baal's grove must be used to burn a sacrifice unto God: When it was once cut down, God's detestation, and their danger ceased. The good creatures of God that have been profaned to Idolatry, may, in a change of their use, be employed to the holy service of their Maker. Though some Israelites were penitent under this humiliation, yet still many of them persisted in their wont Idolatry. The very household of gideon's father were still Baalites, and his neighbours of Ophrah were in the same sin: yea if his father had been free, what did he with Baal's grove and Altar; He dares not therefore take his father's servants though he took his bullocks, but commands his own. The Master is best seen in the servants: gideon's servants (amongst the idolatrous retinue of joash) are religious, like their Master; yet the misdevotion of joash, and the Ophrathites was not obstinate. joash is easily persuaded by his son, and easily persuades his neighbours, how unreasonable it is to plead for such a god, as cannot speak for himself; to revenge his cause, that could not defend himself. Let Baal plead for himself. One example of a resolute on set in a noted person, may do more good than a thousand seconds in the proceeding of an action. Soon are all the Midianites in an uproar to lose their god; They need not now be bi●den to muster themselves for revenge. He hath no Religion, that can suffer an indignity offered to his God. gideon's Preparation and victory. OF all the instruments that God used in so great a work, I find none so weak as Gideon, who yet (of all others) was styled valiant: natural valour may well stand with spiritual cowardice. Before he knew that he spoke with a God, he might have just colours for his distrust: but after God had approved his presence, and almighty power, by fetching fire out of the stone, then to call for a watery sign of his promised deliverance, was no other than to pour water upon the fire of the Spirit. The former trial God gave unwished; this upon gideon's choice and entreaty: The former miracle was strong enough to carry Gideon thorough his first exploit of ruinating the idolatrous grove, and Altar; but now when he saw the swarm of the Midianites and Amalekites about his ears, he calls for new aid: and not trusting to his Abiezrites, and his other thousand of Israel, he runs to God for a further assurance of victory. The refuge was good, but the manner of seeking it, savours of distrust. There is nothing more easy then to be valiant, when no peril appeareth: but when evils assail us upon unequal terms, it is hard, and commendable, Not to be dismayed. If God had made that proclamation now, which afterwards was commanded to be made by Gideon, Let the timorous depart; I doubt whether Israel had not wanted a Guide: yet how willing is the Almighty to satisfy our weak desires! What tasks is He content to be set by our infirmity? The fleece must be wet, and the ground dry; the ground must be wet, and the fleece dry: Both are done, that now Gideon may see whether he would make himself hard earth, or yielding wool. God could at pleasure distinguish betwixt him, and the Midianites, and pour down either mercies or judgement where he lists; and that he was set on work by that God which can command all the Elements, and they obey him, Fire, Water, Earth, serve both him, and (when he will) his. And now when Gideon had this reciprocal proof of his ensuing success, he goes on (as he well may) harnessed with resolution, and is seen in the head of his troops, and in the face of the Midianites. If we cannot make up the match with God, when we have our own ask, we are worthy to sit out. Gideon had but thirty thousand soldiers at his heels: the Midianites covered all the valley like Grasshoppers: and now whiles the Israelites think, We are too few, God says, The people are too many. If the Israelites must have looked for victory from their fingers, they might well have said, The Midianites are too many for us: but that God, whose thoughts and words are unlike to men's, says, They are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands. If humane strength were to be opposed, there should have needed an equality; but now God meant to give the victory, his care is not how to get it, but how to lose or blemish the glory of it gotten. How jealous God is of his honour! He is willing to give deliverance to Israel, but the praise of the deliverance he will keep to himself; and will shorten the means, that he may have the full measure of the glory. And if he will not allow lawful means to stand in the light of his honour, how will he endure it to be crossed so much as indirectly? It is less danger to steal any thing from God, than his glory. As a Prince, which if we steal or clip his coin, may pardon it; but if we go about to rob him of his Crown, will not be appeased. There is nothing that we can give to God of whom we receive all things; that which he is content to part with, he gives us; but he will not abide we should take aught from him, which he would reserve for himself. It is all one with him to save with many, as with few, but he rather chooses to save by few, that all the victory may redound to himself. O God, what art thou the better for our praises, to whom, because thou art infinite, nothing can be added? It is for our good that thou wouldst be magnified of us: Oh teach us to receive the be●●f●t of they merciful favours, and to return thee the thanks. gideon's Army must be lessened; Who are so fit to be cashiered as the fear●● 〈◊〉 bids him therefore proclaim licence for all faint hearts to leave the field. An ill instrument may shame a good work: God will not glorify himself by cowards. As the timorous shall be without the gates of heaven, so shall they be without the lists of God's field. Although it was not their courage that should save Israel, yet without their courage God would not serve himself of them. Christianity requires men; for if our spiritual difficulties meet not with high spirits, in stead of whetting our fortitude, 〈◊〉 quail it. David's royal Band of Worthies, was the type of the forces of the Church, all valiant men, and able to encounter with thousands. Neither must we be strong only, but acquainted with our own resolutions; not out of any carnal presumption, but out of a faithful reliance upon the strength of God; in whom, when we are weak, than we are strong. Oh thou white liver! doth but a foul word, or a frown scare thee from Christ: Doth the loss of a little land, olliver disquiet thee? Doth but the sight of the Midianites in the valley strike thee? Home then, home to the world; thou art not then for the conquering Band of Christ: If thou canst not resolve to follow him through infamy, prisons, racks, iybbers, flames; depart to thine house, and save thy life to thy loss. Me thinks now, Israel should have complained of indignity, and have said, Why shouldst thou think, O Gideon, that there can be a cowardly Israelite? And if the experience of the power and mercy of God, be not enough to make us fearless, yet the sense of servitude must needs have made us resolute, for who had not rather to be buried dead, then quick? Are we not fain to hide our heads in the caves of the earth, and to make our graves our houses? Not so much as the very light that we can freely enjoy the tyranny of death is but short and easy, to this of Midian: and yet what danger can there be of that, sith thou hast so certainly assured us of God's promise of victory, and his miraculous confirmation? No, Gideon, those hearts that have brought us hither after thy colours, can as well keep us from retiring. But now, who can but bless himself, to find of two and thirty thousand Israelites, two and twenty thousand cowards? Yet all these in gideon's march, made as fair affourish of courage as the boldest. Who can trust the faces of men, that sees in the Army of Israel, above two for one timorous? How many make a glorious show in the warfaring Church, which then they shall see danger of persecution, shall shrink from the Standard of God? Hope of , examples of neighbours, desire of praise, fear of censures, coaction of laws, fellowship of friends, draw many into the field; which so soon as ever they see the Adversary, repent of their conditions: & if they may cleanly escape, will be gone early from Mount Gilead. Can any man be offended at the number of these shrinkers, when he sees but ten thousand Israelites left of two and twenty thousand in one morning? These men that would have been ashamed to go away by day, now drop away by night: And if Gideon should have called any one of them back, and said, Wilt thou flee? would have made an excuse. The darkness is a fit veil for their paleness, or blushing; fearfulness cannot abide the light: None of these thousands of Israel but would have been loath Gideon should have seen his face whiles he said, I am fearful: Very shame holds some in their station, whose hearts are already fled. And if we cannot endure that men should be witnesses of that fear which we might live to correct, how shall we abide once to show our fearful heads before that terrible judge, when he calls us forth to the punishment of our fear? Oh the vanity of foolish hypocrites, that run upon the terrors of God, whiles they would avoid the shame of men! How do we think the small remainder of Israel looked, when in the next morning-muster they found themselves but ten thousand left? How did they accuse their timorous Countrymen, that had left but this handful to encounter the millions of Midian? and yet still, God complains of too many; and upon his trial, dismisses nine thousand seven hundred more. His first trial was of the valour of their minds; his next is of the ability of their bodies. Those, which besides boldness, are not strong, patiented of labour and thirst, willing to stoop, content with a little (such were those that took up water with their hand) are not for the select band of God. The Lord of Hosts will serve himself of none but able Champions: If he have therefore singled us into his combat, this very choice argues that he finds that strength in us, which we cannot confess in ourselves. How can it but comfort us in our great trials, y if the Searcher of hearts did not find us fit, he would never honour us with so hard an employment? Now, when there is not scarce left one Israelite to every thousand of the Midianites, it is seasonable with God to join battle. When God hath stripped us of all our earthly confidence, then doth he find time to give us victory; and not till then, lest he should be a loser in our gain: like as at last he unclothes us for our body, that he may us upon with glory. If Gideon feared when he had two and thirthy thousand Israelites at his heels, is it any wonder if he feared, when all these were shrunk into three hundred? Though his confirmation were more, yet his means were abated. Why was not Gideon rather the Leader of those two and twenty thousand runaways, then of these three hundred soldiers? Oh infinite mercy and forbearance of God, that takes not vantage of so strong an infirmity, but in stead of casting, encourages him! That wise providence hath prepared a dream in the head of one Midianite, an interpretation in the mouth of another, and hath brought Gideon to be an auditor of both; and hath made his enemy's Prophets of his victory, incouragers of the attempt, proclaimers of their own confusion. A Midianite dreams, a Midianite interprets. Our very dreams many times are not without God; there is a providence in our sleeping fancies: even the enemies of God may have visions, and power to construe them aright. How usually are wicked men forewarned of their own destruction? To foreknow and not avoid, is but an aggravation of judgement. When Gideon heard good news (though from an enemy) he fell down and worshipped. To hear himself but a barley-cake, troubled him not, when he heard withal, that his rolling down the hill should break the Tents of Midian. It matters not how base we be thought, so we may be victorious. The soul that hath received full confirmation from God in the assurance of his salvation, cannot but bow the knee, and by all gestures of body tell how it is ravished. I would have thought, Gideon should rather have found full confirmation in the promise and act of God, then in the dream of Midianite. Dreams may be full of uncertainty; Gods undertake are infallible: well therefore might the miracle of God give strength to the dream of a Midianite; but what strength could a Pagans dream give to the miraculous act of God? yet by this is Gideon throughly settled. When we are going, a little thing drives us on; when we are come near to the shore, the very tide without sails is enough to put us into the harbour. We shall now hear no more of gideon's doubts, but of his achievements: And though God had promised by these three hundred to chase the Midianites, yet he neglects not wise stratagems to effect it. To wait for God's performance in doing nothing, is to abuse that divine providence, which will so work, that it will not allow us idle. Now, when we would look that Gideon should give charge of whetting their swords, and sharpening their spears, and fitting their Armour, he only gives order for empty pitchers and lights, and trumpets. The cracking of these pitchers shall break in pieces this Midianitish clay: the kindling of these lights shall extinguish the light of Midian: these trumpets sound no other than a soule-peale to all the host of Midian: there shall need nothing but noise and light to confound this innumerable Army. And if the pitchers, and brands, and trumpets of Gideon, did so daunt and dismay the proud tops of Midian and Amaleck, who can we think, shall be able to stand before the last terror, wherein the Trumpet of the Archangel shall sound, and the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall be on a flame about our ears? Any of the weakest Israelites would have served to have broken an empty pitcher, to have carried a light, and to have sounded a trumpet, & to strike a flying adversary. Not to the basest use will God employ an unworthy Agent; he will not allow so much as a cowardly torchbearer. Those two and twenty thousand Israelites that slipped away for fear, when the fearful Midianites fled, can pursue and kill them, and can follow them at the heels, whom they durst not look in the face. Our flight gives advantage to the feeblest adversary, whereas our resistance foileth the greatest: How much more, if we have once turned our backs upon a tentation, shall our spiritual enemies (which are ever strong) trample us in the dust? Resist, and they shall flee: stand still, and we shall see the salvation of the Lord. The revenge of SUCCOTH and PENVEL. GIdeon was of Manasseh: Ephraim and he were brothers, sons of joseph: None of all the Tribes of Israel fall out with their victorious Leader, but he: The agreement of brothers is rare; by how much nature hath more endeared them, by so much are their quarrels more frequent and dangerous. I did not hear the Ephramites offering themselves into the front of the Army, before the fight, and now they are ready to fight with Gideon, because they were not called to fight with Midian: I hear them expostulating after it; After the exploit done, cowards are valiant. Their quarrel was, that they were not called: It had been a greater praise of their valour to have gone unbidden. What need was there to call them when God complained of multitude, and sent away those which were called? None speak so big in the end of the fray, as the fearfullest. Ephraim flies upon Gideon, whiles the Midianites fly from him; when Gideon should be pursuing his enemies, he is pursed by brethren; and now is glad to spend that wind in pacifying of his own, which should have been bestowed in the slaughter of a common Aduersay. It is a wonder if Satan suffer us to be quiet at home, whiles we are exercised with wars abroad. Had not Gideon learned to speak fair, as well as to finite, he had found work enough from the swords of josephs' sons: his good words are as victorious as his sword; his pacification of friends, better than his execution of enemies. For aught I see, the envy of Israelites was more troublesome to Gideon, than the opposition of Midian: He hath left the envy of Ephraim behind him; before him, he finds the envy of Succoth and Penuel: The one envies that he should overcome without them, the either, that he should but say he had over come. His pursuit leads him to Succoth, there he craves relief, and is repelled. Had he said, Come forth and draw your sword with me against Zeba and Zalmunna, the motion had been but equal: A common interest challenges an universal aid: Now he says but, Give morsels of bread to my followers; He is turned off with a scorn; He asks bread, and they give him a stone. Can he ask a more slender recompense of their deliverance, or a less reward of his victory? Give morsels of bread. Before this act, all their substance had been too small an hire for their freedom from Midian; now when it is done, a morsel of bread is too much: Well might he challenge bread, where he gave liberty, and life. It is hard, if those which fight the wars of God, may not have necessary relief; that whiles the enemy dies by them, they should dye by famine. If they had laboured for God at home in peace, they had been worthy of maintenance; how much more now, that danger is added to their toil? Even very Executioners look fore fees: but here were not malefactors, but adversaries to be slain; the sword of power and revenge was now to be wielded, not of quiet justice. Those that fight for our souls against spiritual powers, challenge bread from us; and it is shameless unthankfulness to deny it. When Abraham had vanquished the five Kings, and delivered Lot and his family, the King of Salem met him with bread and wine; and now the sons of Abraham, after an equal victory, ask dry bread, and are denied by their brethren: Craftily yet, and under pretence of a false title, had they acknowledged the victory of Gideon, with what forehead could they have denied him bread? Now, I know not whether their faithlesness, or envy lie in their way; Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna in thy hands? There were none of these Princes of Succoth and Penuel, but thought themselves better men than Gideon; That he therefore alone should do that, which all the Princes of Israel durst not attempt, they hated and scorned to hear. It is never safe to measure events by the power of the instrument; nor in the causes of God (whose calling makes the difference) to measure others by ourselves: There is nothing more dangerous, then in holy businesses to stand upon comparisons, and our own reputation; sith it is reason God should both choose, and bless where he lists. To have questioned so sudden a victory, had been pardonable: but to deny it scornfully, was unworthy of Israelites. Carnal men think that impossible to others, which themselves cannot do: From hence are their censures, hence their exclamations. Gideon hath vowed a fearful revenge, and now performs it; the taunts of his brethren may not stay him from the pursuit of the Midianites; Common enmities must first be opposed, domestical, at more leisure. The Princes of Succoth feared the tyranny of the Midianitish Kings, but they more feared gideon's victory. What a condition hath their envy drawn them into? that they are sorry to see God's enemies captive; that Israel's freedom must be their death; that the Midianites and they must tremble at one and the same Revenger. To see themselves prisoners to Zeba and Zalmunna, had not been so fearful, as to see Zeba and Zalmunna prisoners to Gideon. Nothing is more terrible to evil minds, then to read their own condemnation in the happy success of others: hell itself would want one piece of his torment, if the wicked did not know those whom they contemned, glorious. I know not whether more to commend gideon's wisdom and moderation in the proceed, than his resolution and justice in the execution of this business. I do not see him run furiously into the City, and kill the next; His sword had not been so drunken with blood, that it should know no difference: But he writes down the names of the Princes, and singles them forth for revenge. When the Leaders of God come to a jericho, or Ai, their slaughter was unpartial; not a woman or child might live to tell news; but now that Gideon comes to a Succoth, a City of Israelites, the rulers are called forth to death, the people are frighted with the example, not hurt with the judgement. To enwrap the innocent in any vengeance, is a murderous injustice: Indeed where all join in the sin, all are worthy to meet in the punishment. It is like, the Citizens of Succoth could have been glad to succour Gideon, if their rulers had not forbidden: they must therefore escape, whiles their Princes perish. I cannot think of gideon's revenge; without horror; That the Rulers of Succoth should have their flesh torn from their backs with thorns and briers, that they should be at once beaten and scratched to death. What a spectacle it was to see their bare bones looking somewhere thorough the bloody rags of their flesh and skin, and every stroke worse than the last, death multiplied by torment! justice is sometimes so severe, that a tender beholder can scarce discern it from cruelty. I see the Midianites far less ill; the edge of the sword makes a speedy and easy passage for their lives, whiles these rebellious Israelites dye lingeringly under thorns and briers, envying those in their death, whom their life abhorred. Howsoever men live or dye without the pale of the Church, a wicked Israelite shall be sure of plagues. How many shall unwish themselves Christians, when God's revenges have found them out? The place where jacob wrestled with God and prevailed, now hath wrestled against God, and takes a fall; they see God avenging, which would not believe him delivering. It was now time for Zeba and Zalmunna to follow those their troops to the grave, whom they had led in the field: Those which the day before were attended with an hundred thirty five thousand followers, have not so much as a Page now left to weep for their death, and have lived only to see all their friends, and some enemies die for their sakes. Who can regard earthly greatness, that sees one night change two of the greatest Kings of the World into captives? It had been both pity and sin, that the Heads of that Midianitish tyranny, into which they had drawn so many thousands, should have escaped that death. And yet, if private revenge had not made Gideon just, I doubt whether they had died; The blood of his brothers calls for theirs, and awakes his sword to their execution; He both knew and complained of the Midianitish oppression, under which Israel groaned: yet the cruelty offered to all the thousands of his Father's sons, had not drawn the blood of Zeba and Zalmunna, if his own mother's sons had not bled by their hands. He that slew the Rulers of Succoth and Penuel, & spared the people, now hath slain the people of Midian, and would have spared their Rulers: but that God which will find occasions to wind wicked men into judgement, will have them slain in a private quarrel, which had more deserved it for the public; If we may not rather say, that Gideon revenged these as a Magistrate, not as a brother: For Governors, to respect their own ends in public actions, and to wear the sword of justice in their own sheath, it is a wrongful abuse of authority. The slaughter of gideon's brethren, was not the greatest sin of the Midianitish Kings; this alone shall kill them, when the rest expected an unjust remission. How many lewd men hath God paid with some one sin for all the rest? Some that have gone away with unnuturally filthiness, and capital thefts, have clipped off their own days with their coin; Others, whose bloody murders have been punished in a mutinous word; Others, whose suspected felony hath paid the price of their unknown rape. O God, thy judgements are just, even when men's are unjust! gideon's young soon is bidden to revenge the death of his Uncles; His sword had not yet learned the way to blood, especially of Kings, though in irons: Deadly executions require strength both of heart and face. How are those aged in evil, that can draw their swords upon the lawfuly Anointed of God? These Tyrants plead not now for continuance of life, but for the haste of their death; Fall thou upon us. Death is ever accompanied with pain, which it is no marvel if we wish short: We do not more affect protraction of an easeful life, then speed in our dissolution; for here every pang that tends toward death, renews it: To lie an hour under death, is tedious, but to be dying a whole day; we think above the strength of humane patience. Oh what shall we then conceive of that death, which knows no end? As this life is no less frail than the dody which it animates, so that death is no less eternal than the soul which must endure it. For us to be dying so long as we now have leave to live, is intolerable; and yet one only minute of that other tormenting death, is worse than an age of this. Oh the desperate infidelity of careless men, that shrink at the thought of a momentarry death, and fear not eternal! This is but a kill of the body: that is a destruction of body and soul. Who is so worthy to wear Crown of Israel, as he that won the Crown from Midian? Their usurpers were gone, now they are headless; It is a doubt whether they were better to have had no Kings, or Tyrants; They sue to Gideon to accept of the Kingdom, and are repulsed; There is no greater ensample of modesty, than Gideon. When the Angel spoke to him, he abased himself below all Israel; when the Ephraimites contended with him, he prefers their glean to his vintage, and casts his honour at their feet: and now when Israel proffers him that Kingdom which he had merited, he refuses it. He that in overcoming would allow them to cry, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon, in governing, will have none but The sword of the Lord. That which others plot, and sue, and swear, and bribe for Dignity and superiority, he seriously rejects; whether it were, for that he knew God had not yet called them to a Monarchy; or rather, for that he saw the crown among thorns? What do we ambitiously affect the commahd of these molehills of earth, when wise men have refused the proffers of kingdoms? Why do we not rather labour for that Kingdom which is free from all cares, from all uncertainty? Yet he that refuses their Crown, calls for their earings, although not to enrich himself, but religion. So long had God been a stranger to Israel, that now superstition goes currant for devout worship. It were pity that good intentions should make any man wicked; here they did so: Never man meant than Gideon in his rich Ephod; yet this very act set all Israel on whoring: God had chosen a place, and a service of his own. When the wit of man will be over-pleasing God with better devices than his own, it turns to madness, and ends in mischief. ABIMELECHES usurpation. GIdeon refused the Kingdom of Israel when it was offered; his seventy sons offered not to obtain that Sceptre, which their father's victory had deserved to make hereditary: only Abimelec the concubines son, sues, and ambitiously plots for it. What could Abimelec see in himself, that he should overlook all his brethren? If he looked to his father, they were his equals; if to his mother, they were his betters. Those that are most unworthy of honour, are hottest in the chase of it, whiles the conscience of better deserts bids men sit still, and stay to be either importuned, or neglected; There can be no greater sign of unfitness, then vehement suit: It is hard to say, whether there be more pride, or ignorance in Ambition. I have noted this difference betwixt spiritual and earthly honour, and the Clients of both; we cannot be worthy of the one without earnest prosecution; nor with earnest prosecution worthy of the other: The violent abtaine heaven; only the meek are worthy to inherit the earth. That which an aspiring heart hath projected, it will find both argument and means to effect; If either bribes or favour will carry it, the proud man will not sit out. The Shechemites are fit brokers for Abimelec; That City which once betrayed itself to utter depopulation in yielding to the suit of Hamor, now betrays itself, and all Israel, in yielding to the request of Abimelec. By them hath this Usurper made himself a fair way to the Throne: It was an easy question, Whether will ye admit of the sons of Gideon for your Rulers, or of strangers? If of the sons of Gideon, whether of all, or one? If of one, whether of your own flesh and blood, or of others unknown? To cast off the sons Gideon for strangers, were unthankful; To admit of seventy Kings in one small Country, were unreasonable; To admit of any other rather than their own kinsman, were unnatural. gideon's sons therefore must rule amongst all Israel; One of his sons amongst those seventy: and who should be that one but Abimelec? Natural respects are the most dangerous corrupters of all elections; What hope can there be of worthy Superiors in any free people, where nearness of blood carries it from fitness of disposition? Whiles they say, He is our brother, they are enemies to themselves, and Israel. Fair words have won his brethren; they the Shechemites; the Shechemites furnish him with money, money with men; His men begin with murder, and now Abimelec reigns alone; Flattery, bribes, and blood, are the usual stairs of the Ambitious: The money of Baal is a fit hire for murderers; that which Idolatry hath gathered, is fitly spent upon Treason: One devil is ready to help another in mischief; seldom ever is ill gotten riches better employed. It is no wonder if he that hath Baal his Idol, now make an Idol of Honour. There was never any man that worshipped but one Idol; Woe be to them that lie in the way of the Aspiring: Though they be brothers, they shall bleed; yea, the nearer they are, the more sure is their ruin. Who would not now think that Abimelec should find an hell in his breast, after so barbarous and unnatural a massacre? and yet behold, he is a senseless as the stone upon which the blood of his severity brethren was spilt. Where Ambition hath possessed itself throughly of the soul, it turns the heart into steel, and makes it uncapable of a conscience; All sins will easily down with the man that is resolved to rise. Only jotham fell not at that fatal stone with his brethren; It is an hard battle where none escapes. He escapes, not to reign, not to revenge; but to be a Prophet, and a witness of the vengeance of God upon the usurper, upon the Abettors; He life's to tell Abimelec that he was but a bramble, a weed rather than a tree. A right bramble indeed, that grew but out of the base hedge-row of a Concubine, that could not lift up his head from the earth, unless he were supported by some bush or pale of Shechem, that had laid hold of the fleece of Israel, and had drawn blood of all his brethren; and lastly, that had no substance in him, but the sap vainglory, and the pricks of cruelty. It was better than a Kingdom to him, out of his obscure Beer, to see the fire out of his bramble to consume those tres; The view of God's revenge, is so much more pleasing to a good heart, than his own glory, by how much it is more just and full. There was never such a pattern of unthankfulness, as these Israelites: They which lately thought a Kingdom too small recompense for Gideon and his sons, now think it too much for his seed to live; and take life away from the sons of him, that gave them both life and liberty. Yet if this had been some hundred of years after, when time had worn out the memory of jerub-baal, it might have borne a better excuse. No man can hope to hold pace with Time; The best names may not think scorn to be unknown to following generations: but ere their Deliverer was cold in his coffin, to pay his benefits (which deserve to be everlasting,) with the extirpation of his Posterity, it was more than savage. What can be looked for from Idolaters? If a man have cast off his God, he will easily cast off his friends: When religion is once gone, humanity will not stay long after. That which the people were punished aftewrards for but desiring, he enjoys. Now is Abimelec seated in the Throne which his father refused, and no rival is seen to envy his peace. But how long will this glory last? Stay but three years, and ye shall see this bramble withered, and burnt. The prosperity of the wicked is short and fickle; a stolen Crown (though it may look fair) cannot be made of any but brittle stuff. All life is uncertain; but wickedness over-runnes nature. The evil spirit thrust himself into the plot of Abimeleches usurpation and murder, and wrought with the Shechemites for both: & now God sends the evil spirit betwixt Abimelec and the Shechemites, to work the ruin of each other. The first could not have been without God, but in the second, God challenges a part: Revenge is his, where the sin is ours. It had been pity that the Shechemites should have been plagued by any other hand then Abimeleches: They raised him unjustly to the throne, they are the first that feel the weight of his Sceptre. The foolish bird limbs herself with that which grew from her own excretion: Who wonders to see the kind Peasant stung with his own snake? The breach begins at Shechem: his own Countrymen fly off from their promised allegiance: Though all Israel should have fall'n off from Abimelec, yet they of Shechem should have stuck close: It was their act, they ought to have made it good. How should good Princes be honoured, when even Abimelecs' once settled, cannot be opposed with safety? Now they begin the revolt to the rest of Israel. Yet, if this had been done out of repentance, it had been praiseworthy; but to be done out of a treacherous inconstancy, was unworthy of Israelites. How could Abimelec hope for fidelity of them, whom he had made and found Traitors to his father's blood? No man knows how to be sure of him that is unconscionable: He that hath been unfaithful to one, knows the way to be perfidious; and is only fit for his trust, that is worthy to be deceived; whereas faithfulness, besides the present good, lays a ground of further assurance. The friendship that is begun in evil cannot stand; wickedness, both of it own nature, and through the curse of God, is ever unsteady: and though there be not a disagreement in hell (being but the place of retribution, not of action) yet on earth there is no peace among the wicked; whereas that affection which is knit in God is indissoluble. If the men of Shechem had abandoned their false god, with their false King, and out of a serious remorse, and desire of satisfaction for their idolatry & blood, had opposed this Tyrant, and preferred jotham to his Throne, there might have been both warrant for their quarrel, and hope of success: but now, if Abimelec be a wicked Usurper, yet the Shechemites are idolatrous Traitors. How could they think, that God would rather revenge Abimelecs' bloody intrusion by them, than their treachery and idolatry by Abimelec? When the quarrel is betwixt God and Satan, there is no doubt of the issue; but when one devil fights with another, what certainty is there of the victory? Though the cause of God had been good, yet it had been safe for them to look to themselves: The unworthiness of the agent many times curses a good enterprise. No sooner is a secret dislike kindled in any people against their Governors, than there is a Gaal ready to blow the coals; It were a wonder if ever any faction should want an Head; As contrarily, never any man was so ill, as not to have some favourers: Abimelec hath a Zebul in the midst of Shechem; Lightly, all treasons are betrayed even with some of their own; His intelligence brings the sword of Abimelec upon Shechem who now hath demolished the City, and sown it with salt. Oh the just successions of the revenges of God gideon's Ephod is punished with the blood of his sons; the blood of his sons is shed by the procurement of the Shechemites: the blood of the Shechemites is shed by Abimelec: the blood of Abimelec is spilt by a woman. The retaliations of God are sure and just, and make a more due pedigree, than descent of nature. The pursued Shechemites fly to the house of their god Berith; now they are safe: that place is at once a fort, and a sanctuary. Whither should we fly in our distress but to our God? And now this refuge shall teach them what a God they have served: The jealous God whom they had forsaken, hath them now where he would, and rejoices at once to be avenged of their god and them: Had they not made the house of Baal their shelter, they had not died so fearfully. Now according to the prophecy of jotham, a fire goes out of the bramble, and consumes these Cedars, and their eternal flames begin in the house of their Berith: the confusion of wicked men, rises out of the lalse Deities which they have doted on. Of all the Conspitators against gideon's sons, only Abimelec yet survives, and his day is now coming. His success against Shechem, hath filled his heart with thoughts of victory; He hath caged up the inhabitants of Tabez within their tower also; & what remains for them, but the same end with their neighbours? And behold, while his hand is busy in putting fire to the door of their tower, which yet was not high (for them he could not have discerned a woman to be his Executioner) a stone from a woman's hand strikes his head; His pain in dying, was not so much as his indignation to know by whom he died: and rather will he die twice then a woman shall kill him. If God had not known his stomach so big, he had not vexed him with impotency of his Victor: God finds a time to reckon with wicked men for all the arrearages of their sins. Our sins are not more our debts to God, than his judgements are his debts to our sins, which at last he will be sure to pay home. There now lies the greatness of Abimelec; upon one stone had he slain his seventy brethren, and now a stone slays him; His head had stolen the crown of Israel, and now his head is smitten: And what is Abimelec better that he was a King? What difference is there between him and any of his seventy brethren whom he murdered, save only in guiltiness? They bear but their own blood; he, the weight of all theirs. How pappy a thing is it to live well! that our death, as it is certain, so may be comfortable: What a vanity is it to insult in the death of them, whom we must follow the same way? The Tyrant hath his payment, and that time which he should have bestowed in calling for mercy to God, and washing his soul with the last tears of contrition, he vainly spends in deprecating an idle reproach; Kill me, that it may not be said, He died by a woman: A fit conclusion for such a life. The expectation of true and endless torment, doth not so much vex him, as the frivolous report of a dishonour; neither is he so much troubled with, Abimelec is frying in hell, as, Abimelec is slain by a woman. So vain fools are niggardly of their reputation, and prodigal of their souls; Do we not see them run wilfully into the field, into the grave, into hell? and all, lest it should be said, They have but as much fear as wit. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE TENTH BOOK. CONTAINING jeptha. Samson conceived. Samsons marriage. Samsons victory. Samsons end. Michaes Jdolatry. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of Worcester. AT LONDON, Printed by JOHN BEALE and NATHANIEL BUTTER. Ann. Dom. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, SIR HENRY DANVERS KNIGHT, BARON OF DANTESEY, A WORTHY PATTERN OF ALL TRUE NOBILITY, ACCOMPLISHED BOTH FOR WAR AND PEACE; A MUNIFICENT FAVOURER OF ALL LEARNING AND VIRTUE: I. H. With humble apprecation of ALL TRUE HAPPINESS, DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS POOR LABOURS. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE TENTH BOOK. JEPTHA. ISrael, that had now long gone a whoring from God, hath been punished by the regiment of the Concubine's son, and at last seeks protection from the son of an harlot: It is no small misery to be obliged unto the unworthy. The Concubine's Son made suit to them; They make sure to the son of the harlot. It was no fault of jeptha that he had an ill mother, yet is he branded with the indignity of is bastardy; neither would God conceal this blemish of nature, which jeptha could neither avoid, nor remedy. God, to show his detestation of whoredom, revenges it not only upon the actors, but upon their issue: Hence he hath shut out the base son from the congregation of Israel, to the tenth generation, that a transient evil might have a durable reproach attending it; and that after the death of the Adulterer, yet his shame might live. But, that God who justly ties men to his laws, will not abide that we should tie him to our laws, or his own; He can both rectify and ennoble the blood of jeptha. That no man should be too much discouraged with the errors of his propagation, even the base son of man may be the lawfully begotten of God; and though he be cast out from the inheritance of his brethren upon earth, may be admitted to the Kingdom of Israel. I hear no praise of the lawful issue of Gilead; only this misbegotten son is commended for his valour, and set at the stern of Israel: The common gifts of God respect not the Parentage or blood, but are indifferently scattered where he pleases to let them fall. The choice of the Almighty, is not guided by our rules; As in spiritual, so in earthly things, it is not in him that willeth: If God would have men glory in these outward privileges, he would bestow them upon none but the worthy. Now, who can be proud of strength or greatness, when he sees him that is not so honest, yet is more valiant, and more advanced? Had not jeptha been base, he had not been thrust out; and if he had not been thrust out from his brethren, he had neur been the Captain of Israel. By contrary paces to ours, it pleaseth God to come to his own ends: and how usually doth he look the contrary way, to that he moves? No man can measure the conclusion of God's act by his beginning: He that fetches good out of evil, raises the glory of men out of their ruin. Men love to go the nearest way, and often fail: God commonly goes about, and in his own time comes surely home. The Gileadites were not so forward to expel jeptha, as glad to recall him; No Ammonite threatened them when they parted with such an helper: Now whom they cast out in their peace, they fetch home in their danger and misery. That God, who never gave aught in vain, will find a time to make use of any gift that he hath bestowed upon men: The valour of jeptha shall not rust in his secrcey, but be employed to the common preservation of Israel. Necessity will drive us to seek up all our helps, even those whom our wantonness hath despised. How justly are the suits of our need upbraided with the errors of our prosperity! The Elders of Gilead now hear of their ancient wrong, & dare not find fault with their exprobration; Did ye not hate me, and expel me out of my Father's house? How then come ye now to me in time of tribulation? The same expostulation that jeptha makes with Gilead, God also at the same time makes with Israel; Ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore should I deliver you any more? Go and cry unto the gods whom ye have served. As we, so God also finds it seasonable, to tell his children of their faults, whiles he is whipping them. It is a safe and wise course, to make much of those in our peace, whom we must make use of in our extremity; else it is but just, that we should be rejected of those, whom we have rejected. Can we look for any other answer from God than this? Did ye not drive me out of your houses, our of your hearts, in the time of your health end jollity? Did ye not plead the strictness of my charge, and the weight of my yoke? Did not your wilful sins expel me from your souls? What do you now crouching and creeping to me in the evil day? Surely, O God, it is but justice, if thou be not found of those, which were glad to lose thee; it is thy mercy, if after many checks and delays, thou wilt be found at last. Where an act cannot be reversed, there is no amends, but confession; and if God himself take up with this satisfaction, He that confesses, shall find mercy; how much more should men hold themselves well paid with words of humility, & deprecation? jepthaes' wisdom had not been answerable to his valour, if he had not made his match before hand; He could not but know how treacherously Israel had dealt with Gideon. We cannot make too sure work, when we have to do with unfaithful men: It hath been an old policy to serve ourselves of men; and after our advantage, to turn them up. He bargains therefore for his Sovereignty ere he win it, Shall I be your Head? We are all naturally ambitious, and are ready to buy honour even with hazard. And if the hope of a troublesome superiority encouraged jeptha to fight against the forces of Ammon, what heart should we take in the battles of God against spiritual wickednesses, when the God of heaven hath said, To him that overcomes, will I give power over nations, & to sit with me in my Throne? Oh that we could bend our eyes upon the recompense of our reward; how willingly should we march forward against these mighty Ammonites! jeptha is noted for his valour, & yet he entreats with Ammon ere he fights. To make war any other than our last remedy, is not courage, but cruelty and rashness: And now, when reason will not prevail, he betakes himself to his sword. As God began the war with jeptha, in raising up his heart to that pitch of fortitude, so jeptha began his war at God, in craving victory from him, and pouring out his vow to him: His hand took hold of his sword; his heart, of God: therefore he whom the old Testament styles, valiant; the new, styles faithful; he who is commended for his strength, dares trust in none, but the arm of God: If thou wilt give the Ammonites into my hand. If jeptha had not looked upward for his victory, in vain had the Gileadite looked up to him. This is the disposition of all good hearts; they look to their sword, or their bow, as servants, not as Patrons; and whiles they use them, trust to God. If we could do so in all our businesses, we should have both more joy in their success, and less discomfort in their miscarriage. It was his zeal to vow: it was his sin to vow rashly, jacob, his forefather, of whom he learned to vow, might have taught him a better form; If God will be with me, then shall the Lord be my God. It is well with vows, when the thing promised makes the Promise good: But when jeptha says, Whatsoever thing cometh out of the doors of my house, shall be the Lords, or I will offer it for aburnt sacrifice; his devotion is blind, and his good affection overruns his judgement: For what if a dog, or a swine, or an ass had met him? where had been the promise of his consecration? Vows are as they are made; like unto scents, if they be of ill composition, nothing offends more; if well tempered, nothing is more pleasant: Either certainty of evil, or uncertainty of good, or impossibility of performance, makes vows no service to God: When we vow what we cannot, or what we ought not do, we mock God, in stead of honouring him: It is a vain thing for us to go about to catch God hoodwinked: To conscience shall never find peace in any way, but that which we see before us, and which we know safe, both in the kind, and circumstances. There is no comfort in (Peradventure I may please God;) What good child will not take part of the parents joy? If jeptha returns with Trophies, it is no marvel if his daughter meet him with Timbrels: Oh that we could be so affected with the glorious acts of our heavenly Father! Thou subduest thine enemies, and mightily deliverest thy people, O God; a song waiteth for thee in Zion. Who would have suspected danger in a dutiful Triumph? Well might jepthaes' daughter have thought; My sex forbade me to do any thing towards the help of my Father's victory; I can do little, if I cannot applaud it: If nature have made me weak, yet not unthankful; nothing forbids my joy to be as strong as the victors: Though I might not go out with my father to fight, yet I may meet him with gratulations; A Timbrel may become these hands which were unfit for a sword; This day hath made me the daughter of the Head of Israel; This day hath made both Israel free, my Father a Conqueror, and myself in him noble: and shall my affection make no difference? What must my Father needs think, if he shall find me sitting sullenly at home, whiles all Israel strives who shall run first to bless him with their acclamations? Should I only be insensible of his and the common happiness? And now, behold when she looks for most thankes, her Father answers the measures of her feet, with the knockings of his breast, and weeps at her music, and tears his clothes, to look upon her whom he best loved, and gives no answer to her Timbrels, but Alas, my daughter, thou art of them that trouble me: Her joy alone hath changed the day, and lost the comfort of that victory, which she enjoyed to see won. It falls out often, that those times and occasions which promise most contentment, prove most doleful in the issue: The heart of this Virgin was never lifted up so high as now, neither did any day of her life seem happy but this; and this only proves the day of her solemn and perpetual mourning: As contrarily the times and events which we have most disinherited, prove most beneficial. It is good in a fair morning, to think of the storm that may rise ere night, and to enjoy both good and evil fearfully. Miserable is that devotion which troubles us in the performance; Nothing is more pleasant than the acts of true piety: jeptha might well see the wrong of this religion, in the distaste of it; yet whiles himself had troubled his daughter, he says, Alas, my daughter, thou art of them that trouble me: She did but her duty: he did what he should not; yet he would be rid of the the blame, though he cannot of the smart. No man is willing to own a sin; the first man shifted it from himself to his wife; this, from himself to his daughter: He was ready to accuse another, which only committed it himself. It were happy if we could be as loath to commit sin, as to acknowledge it. The inconsideration of this vow was very tough, and settled; I have opened my mouth, and cannot go back. If there were just cause to repent, it was the weakness of his zeal, to think that a vow could bind him to evil; An unlawful vow is ill made, but worse performed. It were pity this constancy should light upon any, but an holy object; No loan can make a truer debt, than our vow; which if we pay not in our performance, God will pay us with judgement. We have all opened our mouths to God in that initial and solemn vow of Christianity; Oh that we could not go back! So much more is our vow obligatory, by how much the thing vowed is more necessary. Why was the soul of jeptha thus troubled, but because he saw the entail of his new honour thus suddenly cut off? He saw the hope of posterity extinguished, in the viginity of his daughter. It is natural to us, to affect that perpetuity in our succession, which is denied us in our persons; Our very bodies would emulate the eternity of the soul. And if God have built any of us an house on earth, as well as prepared us an House in heaven, it must be confessed a favour, worth our thankfulness: but as the perpetuity of our earthly houses is uncertain; so let us not rest our hearts upon that, but make sure of the House which is eternal in the heavens. Doubtless; the goodness of the Daughter added to the Father's sorrow: She was not more loving, then religious; neither is she less willing to be the Lords, than her fathers: and as provoking her Father to that which he thought piety, though to her own wrong, she says, If thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do with me as thou hast promised. Many a daughter would have dissuaded her Father with tears, & have wished rather her father's impiety, than her own prejudice; She sues for the smart of her Father's vow. How obsequious should children be to the will of their careful Parents even in their final disposition in the world, when they see this holy maid willing to abandon the world upon the rash vow of a Father! They are the living goods of their Parents, and must therefore wait upon the bestowing of their owners: They mistake themselves, which think they are their own; If this maid had vowed herself to God without her Father, it had been in his power to abrogate it; but now that he vowed her to God without herself, it stands in force. But what shall we say to those children, whom their Parents vow and care cannot make so much as honest; that will be no other than godless, in spite of their Baptism, and education? What, but that they are given their Parents for a curse, and shall one day find what it is to be rebellious? All her desire is, that she may have leave to bewail that which she must be forced to keep, Virginity: If she had not held it an affliction, there had been no cause to bewail it; it had been no thank to undergo it, if she had not known it to be a cross. Tears are no argument impatience; we may morn for that we repine not to bear. How comes that to be a meritorious virtue under the Gospel, which was but a punishment under the Law? The daughters of Israel had been too lavish of their tears, if virginity had been absolutely good: What injury should it have been to lament that spiritual preferment, which they should rather have emulated? While jepthaes' daughter was two months in the mountains, she might have had good opportunity to escape her father's vow; but as one, whom her obedience tied as close to her Father, as his vow tied him to God, she returns to take up that burden, which she had bewailed to foresee: If we be truly dutiful to our Father in heaven, we would not slip our necks out of the yoke though we might, nor fly from his commands, though the door were open. SAMSON conceived. OF extraordinary persons, the very birth and conception is extraordinary; God begins his wonders betimes, in those whom he will make wonderful: There was never any of those which were miraculously conceived, whose lives were not notable & singular. The presages of the womb, and the cradle, are commonly answered in the life; It is not the use of God to cast away strange beginnings. If Manoahs' wife had not been barren, the Angel had not been sent to her: Afflictions have this advantage, that they occasion God to show that mercy to us, whereof the prosperous are uncapable; It would not beseem a mother to be so indulgent to an healthful child, as to a sick. It was to the woman that the Angel appeared, not to the husband; whether for that the reproach of barrenness lay upon her more heavily, then on the father, or for that the birth of the child should cost her more dear than her husband; or lastly, for that the difficulty of this news was more in her conception, then in his generation: As Satan lays his batteries ever to the weakest; so contrarily, God addresseth his comforts to those hearts that have most need; As, at the first, because Eve had most reason to be dejected, for that her sin had drawn man into the Transgression, therefore the Cordial of God most respecteth her; The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head. As a Pysitian first tells the state of the disease with his symptoms, and then prescribes; so doth the Angel of God first tell the wife of Manoah her complaint, than her remedy; Thou art barren. Al our afflictions are more noted of that God which sends them, then of the Patient that suffers them: how can it be but less possible to endure any thing that he knows not, than that he inflicteth not? He saith to one, Thou art sick, to another, Thou art poor; to a third, Thou art defamed; Thou art oppressed, to another: That Allseeing eye takes notice from heaven of every man's condition, no less then if he should send an Angel to tell us he knew it; His knowledge compared with his mercy, is the just comfort of all our sufferings. O God, we are many times miserable, and feel it not, Thou knowest even those sorrows which we might have; Thou knowest what thou hast done: do what thou wilt. Thou art barren. Not that the Angel would upbraid the poor woman with her affliction; but therefore he names her pain, that the mention of her cure might be so much more welcome; Comfort shall come unseasonably to that heart, which is not apprehensive of his own sorrow: We must first know our evils, ere we can quit them. It is the just method of every true Angel of God, first to let us see that whereof either we do, or should complain, and then to apply comforts: Like as a good Physician first pulls down the body, and then raises it with cordials. If we cannot abide to hear of our faults, we are not capable of amendment. If the Angel had first said; Thou shalt conceive; and not premised, Thou art barren, I doubt whether she had conceived faith in her soul, of that infant which her body should conceive; Now, his knowledge of her present estate, makes way for the assurance of the future. Thus ever it pleases our good God; to leave a pawn of his fidelity with us, that we should not distrust him in what he will do, when we find him faithful in that which we see done. It is good reason that he which gives the son to the barren mother, should dispose of him, and diet him both in the womb first, and after, in the world. The mother must first be a Nazarite, that her son may be so. Whiles she was barren, she might drink what she would: but now that she shall conceive a Samson, her choice must be limited; There is an holy austerity that ever follows the special calling of God: The worldling may take his full scope, and deny his back and belly nothing; but he that hath once conceived that blessed burden, whereof Samson was a type, must be strict and severe to himself; neither his tongue, nor his , nor his hand, may run riot: Those pleasures which seemed not unseemly for the multitude, are now debarred him. We borrow more names of our Saviour then one; As we are Christians, so we are Nazarites; the consecration of our God is upon our heads, and therefore our very hair should be holy. Our appetite must be kerbed, our passions moderated, and so estranged from the world, that in the loss of parents, or children, nature may not make us forget grace. What doth the looseness of vain men persuade them that God is not curious, when they see him thus precisely ordering the very diet of his Nazarits? Nature pleads for liberty; religion for restraint: not that there is more uncleanness in the grape, then in the fountain; but that wine finds more uncleanness in us, than water; and that the high feed is not so fit for devotion, as abstinence. Who sees not a cer●mony in this command? which yet carries with it this substance of everlasting use, that God and the belly will not admit of one servant; that quaffing & cramming is not the way to heaven: A drunken Nazarite is a monster among men. We have now more scope than the ancient: not drinking of wine, but drunkenness with wine is forbidden to the Evangelicall Nazarite; wine, wherein is excess. Oh that ever Christians should quench the Spirit of God, with a liquor of Gods own making! that they should suffer their hearts to be drowned with wine, and should so live, as if the practice of the Gospel were quite contrary to the rule of the Law! The mother must conceive the only Giant of Israel, and yet must drink but water; neither must the child touch any other cup. Never wine made so strong a Champion as water did here. The power of nourishment is not in the creatures, but in their Maker. Daniel and his three companions kept their complexion, with the same diet wherewith Samson got his strength; he that gave that power to the grape, can give it to the stream. O God, how justly do we raise our eyes from our tables unto thee, which canst make water nourish, and wine enfeeble us! Samson had not a better mother, than Manoah had a wife; she hides not the good news in her own bosom, but imparts it to her husband: That wife hath learned to make a true use of her head, which is ever ready to consult with him about the messages of God. If she were made for his helper, he is much more hers. Thus should good women make amends for their first offence; that as Eve no sooner had received an ill motion, but she delivered it to her husband; so they should no sooner receive good, than they should impart it. Manoah (like one which in those lewd times had not lost his acquaintance with God) so soon as he hears the news, falls down upon his knees. I do not hear him call forth and address his servants to all the coasts of heaven (as the children of the Prophets did in the search of Elias) to find out the messenger; but I see him rather look strait up, to that God which sent him, My Lord, I pray thee let that man of God come again. As a strait line is the shortest, the nearest cut to any blessing, is to go by heaven; As we may not sue to God, and neglect means, so we must sue to God for those means which we shall use. When I see the strength of Manoahs' faith, I marvel not that he had a Samson to his son; he saw not the messenger, he heard not the errand, he examined not the circumstances; yet now he takes thought, not whether he shall have a son, but how he shall order the son which he must have: and sues to God, not for the son which as yet he had not, but for the direction of governing him, when he should be. Zachariah heard the same message, and craving a sign, lost that voice wherewith he craved it: Manoah seeks no sign for the promise, but counsel for himself; and yet, that Angel spoke to Zachary himself, this only to the wife of Manoah; that, in the Temple like a glorious spirit; this, in the house, or field, like some Prophet, or Traveller; that to a Priest, this to a Woman. All good men have not equal measures of faith; The bodies of men have not more differences of stature, than their graces: Credulity to men is faulty and dangerous; but in the matters of God, is the greatest virtue of a Christian; Happy are they that have not seen, yet believed: True faith takes all for granted, yea for performed, which is once promised. He that before sent his Angel unasked, will much more send him again, upon entreaty; those heavenly messengers are ready both to obey their Maker, and to relieve his children. Never any man prayed for direction in his duties to God, and was repulsed: rather will God send an Angel from heaven to instruct us, than our good desires shall be frustrate. Manoah prayed, the Angel appeared again; not to him, but to his wife. It had been the shorter way to have come first to the man whose prayers procured his presence: But as Manoah went directly, and immediately to God, so God comes mediately & about to him; and will make her the means to bear the message to her husband, who must bear him the son: Both the blessing and the charge are chief meant to her. It was a good care of Manoah, when the Angel had given order to his wife alone, for the governing of the child's diet, to proffer himself to this charge; How shall we order the child? As both the Parents have their part in the being of their children, so should they have in their education; it is both unreasonable & unnatural in husbands, to cast this burden upon the weaker vessel alone: it is no reason that she which alone hath had the pain of their birth, should have the pain of their breeding. Though the charge be renewed to the wife, yet the speech is directed to the husband; the act must be hers, his must be the oversight; Let her observe all I cammanded her. The head must overlook the body; it is the duty of the husband, to be careful that the wife do her duty to God. As yet, Manoah saw nothing but the outside of a man, and therefore offers the Angel an answerable entertainment, wherein there is at once Hospitality & Thankfulness. No man shall bring him good news from God, and go away unrecompensed; How forward he is to feast him, whom he took for a Prophet! their feet should be so much more beautiful, that bring us news of salvation, by how much their errand is better. That Manoah might learn to acknowledge God in this man; he sets off the proffer of his thankfulness from himself, to God; and (as the same Angel which appeared to Gideon) turns his feast into a sacrifice: And now he is Manoahs' solicitor to better thankes than he offered. How forward the good Angels are to incite us unto piety! Either this was the Son himself, which said it was his meat and drink to do his Father's will, or else one of his spiritual attendance of the same diet. We can never feast the Angels better, then with our hearty sacrifices to God; Why do not we learn this lesson of them, whom we propound to ourselves as the patterns of our obedience? We shall be once like the Angels in condition, why are we not in the mean time in our dispositions? If we do not provoke, and exhort one another to godliness, and do care more for a feast, than a sacrifice, our appetite is not Angelical, but brutish. It was an honest mind in Manoah, whiles he was addressing a sacrifice to God, yet not to neglect his messenger; fain would he know whom to honour; True piety is not uncivil, but whiles it magnifies the author of all blessings, is thankful to the means. Secondary causes are worthy of regard: neither need it detract any thing from the praise of the agent, to honour the instrument. It is not only rudeness, but injust ice in those, which can be content to hear good news from God, with contempt of the bearers. The Angel will neither take nor give, but conceals his very name from Manoah. All honest motions are not fit to be yielded to; good intentions are not always sufficient grounds of condiscent. If we do sometimes ask what we know not, it is no marvel if we receive not what we ask. In some cases, the Angel of God tells his name unasked, as Gaberiel to the Virgin; here, not by entreaty: If it were the Angel of the covenant, he had as yet no name but jehovah; if a created Angel, he had no commission to tell his name; and a faithful messenger hath not a word beyond his charge: Besides that, he saw it would be of more use for Manoah, to know him really, then by words. Oh the bold presumption of those men; which (as if they had long sojourned in heaven, and been acquainted with all the holy Legions of spirits) discourse of their orders, of their titles, when this one Angel stops the mouth of a better man than they, with Why dost thou ask after my name, which is secret? Secret things to God; revealed, to us and our children. No word can be so significant as actions; The act of the Angel tells best who he was; He did wonderfully: wonderful therefore was his name. So soon as ever the flame of the sacrifice ascended, he mounted up in the smoke of it; that Manoah might see the sacrifice, and the messenger belonged both to one God; and might know, both whence to acknowledge the message, and whence to expect the performance. gideon's Angel vanished at his sacrifice; but this in the sacrifice; that Manoah might at once see both the confirmation of his promse, & the acceptation of his obedience, whiles the Angel of God vouchsafed to perfume himself with that holy smoke, and carry the sent of it up into heaven. Manoah believed before, and craved no sign to assure him, God voluntarily confirms it to him above his desire: To him that hath, shall be given: Where there are beginnings of faith, the mercy of God will add perfection. How do we think Manoah and his wife looked to see this spectacle? They had not spirit enough left to look upon another: but in stead of looking up cheerfully to heaven, they fall down to the earth, on their faces; as weak eyes are dazzled with that which should comfort them. This is the infirmity of our nature, to be afflicted with the causes of our joy; to be astonished with our confirmations to conceive death in that vision of God, whererein our life & happiness consists. If this homely sight of the Angel did so confound good Manoah, what shall become of the enemies of God, when they shall be brought before the glorious Tribunal of the God of Angels? I marvel not now, that the Angel appeared both times rather to the wife of Manoah; her faith was the stonger of the two. It falls out sometimes, that the weaker vessel is fuller; and that of more precious liquor: that wife is no helper, which is not ready to give spiritual comfort to her husband; The reason was good, and irrefragable, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a offering from us. God will not accept gifts, where he intends punishment, and professes hatred. The sacrifice of the wicked, is abomination to the Lord: If we can find assurance of God's acception of our sacrifices, we may be sure he love's our persons. If I incline to wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me; but the Lord hath heard me. SAMSONS Marriage. OF all the Deliverers of Israel, there is none of whom are reported so many weaknesses, or so many miracles, as of Samson. The news which the Angel told of his conception and education, was not more strange, than the news of his own choice; he but sees a daughter of the Philistim, and falls in love; All this strength gins in infirmity; One maid of the Philistims over-comes that champion, which was given to overcome the Philistims: Even he that was dieted with water, found heat of unfit desires: As his body was strong notwithstanding that fare, so were his passions; without the gift of continency, a low feed may impair nature, but not inordination. To follow nothing but the eye in the choice of his wife, was a lust unworthy of a Nazarite; This is to make the sense not a Counsellor, but a Tyrant. Yet was Samson in this very impotency, dutiful; He did not in the presumption of his strength ravish her forceably; He did not make up a clandestine match without consulting with his Parents, but he makes suit to them for consent; Give me her to wife: As one that could be master of his own act, though not of his passion; and as one that had learned so to be a suitor, as not to forget himself to be a son. Even in this deplored state of Israel, children durst not presume to be their own carvers; how much less is this tolerable in a well guided and Christian Commonwealth? Whosoever now dispose of themselves without their Parents, they do wilfully unchild themselves, and change natural affection for violent. It is no marvel if Manoah and his wife were astonished at this unequal motion of their son; Did not the Angel (thought they) tell us that this child should be consecrated to God; & must he begin his youth in unholy wedlock? Did not the Angel say that our son should begin to save Israel from the Philistims; and is he now captived in his affections by a daughter of the Philistims? Shall our deliverance from the Philistims begin in an alliance? Have we been so scrupulously careful, that be should eat no thing, and shall we now consent to an heathenish match? Now therefore they gravely endeavour to cool this intemperate heat of his passion, with good counsel; as those which well knew the inconveniences of an unequal yoke; corruption in religion, alienation of affections, distraction of thoughts, connivance at Idolatry, death of zeal, dangerous undermine, and lastly, an unholy seed: Who can blame them, if they were unwilling to call a Philistim, daughter? I wish Manoah could speak so loud, that all our Israelites might hear him; Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all God's people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistims? If religion be any other than a cipher, how dare we not regard it in our most important choice? Is she a fair Philistim? Why is not this deformity of the soul more powerful to dissuade us, than the beauty of the face, or of metal to allure us? To dote upon a fair skin, when we see a Philistim under it, is sensual and brutish. Affection is not more blind, then deaf. In vain do the parents seek 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 weak motion that can plead no reason, but appetite; yet the good Parents, sith they cannot bow the affection of their son with persuasion, dare not break it with violence. As it becomes not children to be forward in their choice; so parents may not be too peremptory in their denial: It is not safe for children to overrun parents in settling their affections; nor for parents (where the impediments are not very material) to come short of their children, when the affections are once settled: The one is disobedience; the other may be tyranny. I know not whether I may excuse either Samson in making this suit, or his parents in yielding to it, by a divine 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 seem that he knew it; and it is likely he would know, & not impart it? This alone was enough to win, yea to command his parents; It is not mine eye only, but the counsel of God, that leads me to his coyce: The way to quarrel with the Philistims, is to match with them; If I follow mine affection, mine affection follows God, in this project. Surely, he that commanded his Prophet afterwards to marry an harlot, may have appointed his Nazarite to marry with a Philistim: On the other side, whether it were of God permitting, or allowing, I find not: It might so be of God, as all the evil in the City; and then the interposition of God's decree, shall be no excuse of Samsons infirmity. I would rather think, that God meant only to make a Treacle of a Viper; and rather appointed to fetch good out of Samsons evil, then to approve that for good in Samson, which in itself was evil. When Samson went on wooing, he might have made the sluggards excuse, There is a Lion in the way: but he that could not be stayed by persuasion, will not by fear. A Lion, young, wild, fierce, hungry, comes roaring upon him, when he had no weapon but his hand, no fence but his strength: the same providence that carried him to Timnah, brought the Lion to him. It hath been ever the fashion of God, to exercise his Champions with some initiatory encounters: Both Samson and David must first fight with Lions, then with Philistims; & he whose type they bore, meets with that roaring Lion of the wilderness, in the very threshold of his public charge. The same hand that prepared a Lion for Samson, hath proportionably matches for every Christian; God never gives strength, but he employs it: Poverty meets one like an armed man; Infamy, like some furious Mastiff, comes flying in the face of another: the wild Boar out of the forest, or the bloody Tiger of persecution sets upon one; the brawling curs of heretical pravity or contentious neighbourhood, are ready to bait another: and by all these meaner and brutish adversaries, will God fit us for greater conflicts: It is a pledge of our future victory over the spiritual Philistims, if we can say, my soul hath been among Lions. Come forth now thou weak Christian, and behold this preparatory battle of Samson; Dost thou think God deals hardly with thee in matching thee so hard, and calling thee forth to so many frays? What dost thou but repine at thine own glory? How shouldst thou be victorious, without resistance? If the Parents of Samson had now stood behind the hedge and seen his encounter, they would have taken no further care of matching their son with a Philistim; For who that should see a strong Lion ramping upon an unarmed man, would hope for his life and victory? The beast came bristling up his fearful mane, wafting his raised stem, his eyes sparkling with fury, his mouth roaring out kneels of his last passage, & breathing death from his nostrils, & now rejoiced at so fair a prey. Surely, if the Lion had had no other adversary 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 upon Samson; what is a beast in the hand of the creator? He that strooke the Lions with the awe of Adam, Noah, & Daniel, subdued this rebllious beast to Samson; what marvel is it if Samson now tore him, as if it had been a young Kid? If his bones had been brass, and his skin places of iron, all had been one: The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. If that roaring Lion, that goes about continually seeking whom he may devour, find us alone among the vineyards of the Philistims, where is our hope? Not in our heels; he is swifter than we: not in our weapons; we are naturally unarmed: not in our hands, which are weak and languishing; but in the Spirit of that God, by whom we can do all things: if God fight in us, who can resist him? There is a stronger Lion in us then that against us. Samson was not more valiant than modest; he made no words of this great exploit the greatest performers ever make the least noise; 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 show that they desire only to be thought eminent, whereas the deepest waters are least heard. But, whiles he concealed this event from others, he pondered it in himself; and when he returned to Timna●h, went out of the way to see his dead Adversary, and could not but recall to himself ●is danger, and deliverance; Hear the beast met me, thus he fought; thus I slew him. The very dead Lion taught Samson thankfulness: there was more honey in this thought then in the carcase. The mercies of God are ill bestowed upon us, if we cannot step aside to view the monuments of his deliverances; Dangers may be at once past, and forgotten. As Samson had not found his hony-comb, if he had not turned aside to see his Lion; so we shall lose the comfort of God's benefits, if we do not renew our perils by meditation. Lest any thing should befall Samson, wherein is not some wonder, his Lion doth more amaze him dead, then alive; For lo, that carcase is made an Hive; and the bitterness of death, is turned into the sweetness of honey. The Bee, a nice and dainty creature, builds her cells in an unsavoury carcase; the carcase that promised nothing but strength, & annoyance, now offers comfort & refreshing; and in a sort, pays Samson for the wrong offered. Oh the wonderful goodness of our God, that can change our terrors into pleasure, and can make the greatest evils beneficial! Is any man, by his humiliation under the hand of God, grown more faithful, & conscionable? there is honey out of the Lion. Is any man by his temptation or fall become more circumspect? there is also honey out of the Lion: there is no Samson, to whom every Lion doth not yield honey: Every Christian is the better for his evils; yea, Satan himself, in his exercise of God's children, advantageth them. Samson doth not disdain these sweets, because he finds them uncleanly laid; His diet was strict, and forbade him any thing that savoured of legal impurity; yet he eats the honeycomb out of the belly of a dead beast; good may not be refused; because the means are accidentally evil; Honey is honey still, though in a dead Lion. Those are less wise, and more scrupulous than Samson, which abhor the graces of God, because they find them in ill vessels: One cares not for the Preachers true doctrine, because his life is evil; Another will not take a good receipt from the hand of a Physician, because he is given to unlawful studies; A third will not receive a deserved contribution from the hands of a Usurer. It is a weak neglect, not to take the honey, because we hate the Lion: Gods children have right to their father's blessings, wheresoever they find them. The match is now made; Samson (though a Nazarite) hath both a wedding, and a feast; God never misliked moderate solemnities in the severest life; and yet this Bridal feast was long, the space of seven days. If Samson had matched with the best Israelite, this celebration had been no greater; neither had this perhaps been so long, if the custom of the place had not required it. Now I do not hear him plead his Nazaritisme, for a colour of singularity: It is both lawful and fit, in things not prohibited, to conform ourselves to the manners and rites of those with whom we live. That Samson might think it an honour to match with the Philistims, he whom before the Lion found alone, is now accompanied with thirty attendants; They called them companions, but they meant them for spies. The courtesities of the world are hollow and thankless; neither doth it ever purpose so ill, as when it shows fairest. None are so near to danger, as those whom it entertains with smiles; whiles it frowns, we know what to trust to; but the favours of it are worthy of nothing but fears and suspicion: Open defiance is better than false love. Austerity had not made Samson uncivil; he knows how to entertain Philistims with a formal familiarity: And that his intellectual parts might be approved answerable to his arms, he will first try masteries of wit, & set their brains on work with harmless thoughts; His riddle shall appose them, and a deep wager shall bind the solution; Thirty shirts, and thirty suits of raiment; neither their loss, nor their gain could be much, besides the victory, being divided unto thirty partners: but Samsons must needs be both ways very large, who must give or receive thirty alone. The seven days of the feast are expiring, and yet they which had been all this while devouring of Samsons meat, cannot tell who that eater should be from whence meat should come. In course of nature, the strong feeder takes in meat, and sends out filthiness; but, that meat and sweetness should come from a dovouring stomach, was beyond their apprehension. And as fools and dogs use to begin in jest, and end in earnest, so did these Philistims; and therefore they force the Bride to entice her husband to betray himself. Covetousness & Pride have made them impatient of loss: and now they threat to fire her, and her father's house, for recompense of their entertainment, rather than they will lose a small wager to an Israelite. Somewhat of kin to these savage Philistims, are those choleric Gamesters, which if the dice be not their friend, fall out with God curse (that which is not) Fortune; strike their fellows, and are ready to take vengeance upon themselves: Those men are unfit for sport, that lose their patience together with their wager. I do not wonder that a Philistim woman loved herself and her father's family, more than an Israelitish Bridegroom; and, if she bestowed tears upon her husband, for the ransom of them. Samson himself taught her this difference, I have not told it my father or my mother, and should I tell it thee? If she had not been as she was, she had neither done this to Samson, nor heard this from him; Matrimonial respects are dearer than natural; It was the law of him that ordained marriage (before ever Parents were) that Parents should be forsaken, for the husband or wife: But now, Israelitish Parents are worthy of more entireness, than a wife of the Philistims; And yet whom the Lion could not conquer, the tears of a woman have conquered. Samson never bewrayed infirmity but in uxoriousnesse; What assurance can there be of him that hath a Philistim in his bosom? Adam, the perfectest man, Samson, the strongest man Solomon, the wisest man, were betrayed with the flattery of their helpers. As there is no comfort comfortable to a faithful yoke-fellow: so woe be to him that is matched with a Philistim. It could not but much discontent Samson, to see that his adversaries had ploughed with his Heifer, and that upon his own back; now therefore he pays his wager to their cost. Ascalon the City of the Philistims, is his wardrobe; he fetches thence thirty suits, lined with the lives of the owners: He might with as much ease have slain these thirty companions, which were the authors of this evil; but his promise forbade him, whiles he was to cloth their bodies, to unclothe their souls; and that Spirit of God, which stirred him up to revenge, directed him in the choice of the subjects. If we wonder to see thirty throats cut for their suits, we may easily know, that this was but the occasion of that slaughter, whereof the cause was their oppression & tyranny. David slew 200. Philistims for their foreskins: but the ground of his act was their hostility. It is just with God to destiny what enemies he pleases, to execution: It is not to be expostulated why this man is stricken rather than another, when both are Philistims. SAMSONS victory. I Can no more justify Samson in the leaving of his wife, then in the choosing her: He chose her, because she pleased him, & because she despised him, he left her. Though her fear made her false to him in his Riddle, yet she was true to his bed: That weak treachery was worthy of a check, not a desertion. All the passions of Samson were strong, like himself: but (as vehement motions are not lasting) this vehement wind is soon allayed; and he is now returning with a Kid, to win her that had offended him, and to renew that feast which ended in her unkindness. 'Slight occasions may not break the knot of matrimonial love; and if any just offence have slackened it on either part, it must be fastened again by speedy reconciliation. Now Samsons father in law shows himself a Philistim, the true parent of her that betrayed her husband; for no sooner is the Bridegroom departed, than he changes his son: What pretence of friendship soever he made, a true Philistim will soon be weary of an Israelite. Samson hath not so many day's liberty to enjoy his wedding, as he spent in celebrating it: Marriage hath been ever a sacred Institution, and who but a Philistim would so easily violate it? One of his thirty companions enjoys his wife, together with his suit; and now laughs to be a partner of that bed, whereon he was an attendant. The good nature of Samson, having forgotten the first wrong, carried him to a proffer of familiarity, & is repulsed; but with a gentle violence, I had thought thou hadst hated her. Lawful wedlock may not be dissolved by imaginations, but by proofs. Who shall stay Somson from his own wife? He that slew the Lion in the way of his wooing, and before whom thousands of the Philistims could not stand, yet suffers himself to be resisted by him that was once his father in Law, without any return of private violence. Great is the force of duty once conceived, even to the most unworthy: This thought, I was his son, binds the hands of Samson; else how easily might he, that slew those thirty Philistims for their suits, have destroyed this family for his wife? How unnatural are those mouths, that can curse the loins from which they are proceeded; and those hands, that dare lift up themselves against the means of their life and being? I never read that Samson slew any but by the motion and assistance of the Spirit of God: and the divine wisdom hath reserved these offenders to another revenge: judgement must descend from others to them, sith the wrong proceeded from others, by them. In the very marriage, God foresaw and intended this parting, and in the parting, this punishment upon the Philistims. If the Philistims had not been as much enemies to God, as to Samson; enemies to Israel in their oppression, no less then to Samson in this particular injury, that purpose and execution of revenge had been no better then wicked: Now He to whom vengeance belongs, sets him on work, & makes the act justice: when he commands, even very cruelty is obedience. It was a busy and troublesome project of Samson, to use the foxes for his revenge: for not without great labour and many hands could so many wild creatures be got together, neither could the wit of Samson want other devices of hostility: But he meant to find out such a punishment, as might in some sort answer the offence, and might imply as much contempt, as trespass. By wiles, seconded with violence, had they wronged Samson, in extorting his secret, and taking away his wife: and what other Emblem could these foxes tied together present unto them, than wiliness combined by force, to work mischief? These foxes destroy their corn, before he which sent them destroy the persons. Those judgements which begin in outward things, end in the owners: A stranger that had been of neither side, would have said, What pity it is to see good corn thus spoiled? If the creature be considered apart from the owners, it is good; and therefore if it be misspent, the abuse reflects upon the maker of it; but if it be looked upon with respect to an ill master, the best use of it is to perish. He therefore that slew the Egyptian with murrain, and smote their fruit with hailstones; he that consumed the vines of Israel with the Palmerworm, and Caterpillar, and cankerworm, sent also foxes by the hand of Samson, into the fields of the Philistims. Their corn was too good for them to enjoy, not too good for the foxes to burn up: God had rather his creatures should perish any way, then serve for the lust of the wicked. There could not be such secrecy in the catching of three hundred foxes, but it might well be known who had procured them: Rumour will swiftly fly of things not done: but of a thing so notoriously executed, it is no marvel if Fame be a blab. The mention of the offence draws in the provocation: and now the wrong to Samson is scanned and revenged; Because the fields of the Philistims are burned for the wrong done to Samson by the Timnite in his daughter, therefore the Philistims burn the Timnite and his daughter. The tying of the firebrand between two foxes, was not so witty a policy, as the setting of a fire of dissension betwixt the Philistims. What need Samson be his own executioner, when his enemies will undertake that charge? There can be no more pleasing prospect to an Israelite, then to see the Philistims together by the ears. If the wife of Samson had not feared the fire for herself, and her Father's house, she had not betrayed her husband, her husband had not thus plagued the Philistims, the Philistims had not consumed her and her father with fire: now she leaps into that flame which she meant to avoid. That evil which the wicked feared, meets them in their flight: How many in a fear of poverty, seek to gain unconscionably, and die beggars? How many to shun pain and danger, have yielded to evil, and in the long run have been met in the teeth with that mischief, which they had hoped to have left behind them? How many in a desire to eschew the shame of men, have fall'n into the confusion of God? Both good and evil are sure paymasters at the last. He that was so soon pacified towards his wife, could not but have thought this revenge more then enough, if he had not rather wielded God's quarrel then his own; He knew that God had raised him up on purpose, to be a scourge to the Philistims, whom as yet he had angered more than punished: As if these therefore had been but flourishes before the fray, he stirs up his courage, and strikes them both hip & thigh, with a mighty plague. That God which can do nothing imperfectly, where he gins either mercy or judgement, will not leave till he have happily finished: As it is in his favours, so in his punishments; One stroke draws on another. The Israelites were but slaves; and the Philistims were their masters: so much more indignly therefore must they needs take it, to be thus affronted by one of their own vassals: yet shall we commend the moderation of these Pagans. Samson, being not mortally wronged by one Philistim, falls foul upon the whole Nation; the Philistims heinously offended by Samson, do not fall upon the whole Tribe of judah, but being mustered together, call to them for satisfaction from the person offending: the same hand of God which wrought Samson to revenge, restrained them from it; It is no thank to themselves that sometimes wicked men cannot be cruel. The men of judah, are by their fear made friends to their Tyrants, and taytors to their friend; it was in their cause that Samson had shed blood, & yet they conspire with the Philistims, to destroy their own flesh and blood. So shall the Philistims be quit with Israel, that as Samson by Philistims revenged himself 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 less easy for Samson to have slain those thousands of judah that came to bind him, than those other of the Philistims, that meant to kill him bound: And what if he had said, Are ye turned Traitors to your Deliverer? your blood be upon your own heads. But the Spirit of God (without whom he could not kill either beast, or man) would never stir him up to kill his brethren, though degenerated into Philistims; they have more power to bind him, than he to kill them: Israelitish blood was precious to him, that made no more scruple of killing a Philistim, than a Lion: That bondage and usury that was allowed to a jew from a Pagan, might not be exacted from a jew. The Philistims that had before ploughed with Samsons Heifer in the case of the Riddle, are now ploughing a worse furrow with an Heifer more his own. I am ashamed to hear these cowardly jews say, Knowest thou not that the Philistims are Lords over us? Why hast thou done thus unto us? We are therefore come to bind thee. Whereas they should have said; We find these tyrannical Philistims to usurp dominion over us; thou hast happily begun to shake off their yoke, and now we are come to second thee with our service; the valour of such a Captain shall easily lead us forth to liberty; We are ready either to die with thee, or to be freed by thee: A fearful man can never be a true friend; rather than incur any danger, he will be false to his own soul. Oh cruel mercy of these men of juda! We will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, and deliver 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 be at once dispatched by them, which wished either his life safe, or his death easy. When Saul was pursued by the Philistims upon the mountains of Gilboa, he could say to his Armour-bearer, Draw forth thy sword, and kill me, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me thorough, and mock me; and at last, would rather fall upon his own sword, then theirs: And yet these cousins of Samson can say, We will not kill thee, but we will bind thee, and deliver thee. It was no excuse to these Israelites, that Samsons binding had more hope, than his death; It was more in the extraordinary mercy of God, than their will, that he was not tied with his last bonds: Such is the goodness of the Almighty, that he turns the cruel intentions of wicked men to an advantage. Now these jews that might have let themselves lose from their own bondage, are binding their Deliverer, whom yet they knew able to have resisted. In the greatest strength, there is use of patience; There was more fortitude in this suffering, then in his former actions; Samson abides to be tied by his own countrymen, that he may have the glory of freeing himself victoriously. Even so, O Saviour, our better Nazarite, thou which couldst have called to thy Father, and have had twelve 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 do good, we are not fit for the consecration of God. To see Samson thus strongly manacled, and exposed to their full revenge, could not but be a glad spectacle to these Philistims; and their joy was so full, that it could not but fly forth of their mouths in shouting and laughter; Whom they say lose with terror, it is pleasure to see bound. It is the sport of the spiritual Philistims, to see any of God's Nazarites fettered with the cords of iniquity, & their Imps are ready to say, Aha, so would we have it. But the event answers their false joy, with that clause of triumph, Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy: though I fall, yet I shall rise again. How soon was the countenance of these Philistims changed, and their shouts turned into shriekings? The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson: and then, what are cords to the Almighty? His new bonds are as a flax burnt with fire; and he rouzes up himself, like that young Lion whom he first encountered, & flies upon those cowardly adversaries, who if they had not seen his cords, durst not have seen his face. If they had been so many devils, as men, they could not have stood before that Spirit, which lifted up the heart and hand of Samson. Wicked men never see fairer prospect, then when they are upon the very threshold of destruction; Security and Ruin are so close bordering upon each other, that where we see the face of the one, we may be sure the other is at his back. This didst thou, O blessed Saviour, when thou wert fastened to the Cross, when thou layest bound in the grave with the cords of death; thus didst thou miraculously raise up thyself, vanquish thine enemies, and lead captivity captive; Thus do all thy holy on's, when they seem most forsaken and laid open to the insultation of the world, find thy Spirit mighty to their deliverance, and the discomfiture of their malicious adversaries. Those three thousand Israelites were not so ill advised, as to come up into the rock unweaponed, to apprehend Samson; Samson therefore might have had his choice of swords, or spears, for this skirmish with the Philistims; yet he leaves all the munition of Israel, and finding the new jawbone of an Ass, takes that up in his hand, and with that base instrument of death, sends a thousand Philistims to their place. All the swords and shields of the armed Philistims cannot resist that contemptible Engine, which hath now left a thousand bodies, as dead as the carcase of that beast, whose bone it was. This victory was not in the weapon, was not in the arm: it was in the Spirit of God, which moved the weapon in the arm. O God, if the means be weak, yet thou art strong: Through God we shall do great acts; Yea, I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me. Seest thou a poor Christian, which by weak counsel hath obtained to overcome a tentation? there is the Philistim vanquished with a sorry jawbone. It is no marvel, if he were thus admirably strong and victorious, whose bodily strength God meant to make a type of the spiritual power of Christ: And behold, as the three thousands of juda stood still gazing with their weapons in their hand, whiles Samson alone subdued the Philistims; so did men and Angels stand looking upon the glorious achievements of the Son of God, who might justly say, I have trod the winepress alone. Both the Samsons complained of thirst; The same God which gave his Champion victory, gave him also refreshing; and by the same means; The same bone yields him both conquest, & life; and is of a weapon of offence, turned into a well of water: He that fetched water out of the flint for Israel, fetches it out of a bone for Samson. What is not possible to the infinite power of that Almighty Creator, that made all things of nothing? He can give Samson honey from the mouth of the Lion, and water from the mouth of the Ass. Who would not cheerfully depend upon that God, which can fetch moisture out of dryness, and life out of death? SAMSONS end. I Cannot wonder more at Samsons strength then his weakness; He that began to cast away his love upon a wife of the Philistims, goes on to misspend himself upon the harlots of the Philistims: He that did not so much overcome the men, as the women overcome him. His affections blinded him first, ere the Philistims could do it: would he else, after the effusion of so much of their blood, have suffered his lust to carry him within their walls, as one that cared more for his pleasure, than his life? Oh strange debauchedness, and presumption of a Nazarite! The Philistims are up in Arms to kill him; he offers himself to their City, to their Stews, and dare expose his life to one of their harlots, whom he had slaughtered. I would have looked to have seen him betake himself to his stronger Rock, then that of Etam, and by his austere devotion, to seek protection of him, of whom he received strength: but now, as if he had forgtten his consecration, I find him turned Philistim for his bed, and of a Nazarite, scarce a man. In vain doth he nourish his hair, whiles he feeds these passions. How usually do vigour of body, and infirmity of mind lodge under one roof? On the contrary, a wearish outside is a strong motive to mortification: Samsons victories have subdued him, and have made him first a slave to lewd desires, and then to the Philistims. I may safely say, that more vessels miscarry with a fair gale, then with a tempest. Yet was not Samson so blinded with lust, as not at all to look before him; he foresaw, the morning would be dangerous, the bed of his fornication therefore could hold him no longer than midnight; then he rises, and in a mock of those ambushes which the Azahites laid for him, he carries away the gates wherein they thought to have incaged him. It a temptation have drawn us aside, to lie down to sin, it is happy for us, if we can arise ere we be surprised with judgement. Samson had not left his strength in the bed of an harlot; neither had that God which gave it him, stripped him of it with his clothes, when he laid him down in uncleanness: His mercy uses not to take vantage of our unworthiness, but even when we cast him off, holds us fast. That bountiful hand leaves us rich of common graces, when we have misspent our better store: Like as our first Parents, when they had spoiled themselves of the Image of their Creator, yet were left wealthy of noble faculties of the soul. I find Samson come off from his sin with safety; he runs away lightly with an heavier weight than the gates of Azzah, the burden of an ill act. Present impunity argues not an abatement of the wickedness of his sin, or of the dislike of God; nothing is so worthy of pity, as a sinner's peace: Good is not therefore good, because it prospers, but because it is commanded: Evil is not evil because it is punished, but because it is forbidden. If the holy Parents of Samson lived to see these outrages of their Nazarite; I doubt whether they did not repent them of their joy, to hear news of a son. It is a shame to see how he that might not drink wine, is drunk with the cup of fornications; His lust carries him from Azzah, to the plain of Sorek, and now hath found a Dalilah, that shall pay him for all his former uncleanness. Sin is steep and slippery; and if after one fall we have found where to stand, it is the praise, not of our footing, but of the hand of God. The Princes of the Philistims knew already where Samsons weakness lay, though not his strength; and therefore they would entice his harlot by gifts, to entice him by her dalliance, to betray himself. It is no marvel, if she which would be filthy, would be also perfidious. How could Samson choose but think, if lust had not bewitched him, She, whose body is mercenary to me, will easily sell me to others; She will be false, if she will be an harlot? A wide conscience will swallow any sin: Those that have once thralled themselves to a known evil, can make no other difference of sins, but their own loss, or advantage: A liar will steal; a thief can kill; a cruel man can be a Traitor; a drunkard can falsify; wickedness once entertained, can put on any shape: Trust him in nothing, that makes not a conscience of every thing. Was there ever such another motion made to a reasonable man? Tell me wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mayest be bound to do thee hurt. Who would not have spurned such a suitor out of doors? What will not impudence ask, or stupidity receive? He that killed the thousand Philistims for coming to bind him, endures this harlot of the Philistims to consult with himself of binding him; and when upon the trial of a false answer he saw so apparent treachery, yet wilfully betrays his life by her, to his enemies: All sins, all passions have power to infatuate a man; but lust most of all. Never man that had drunk flagons of wine, had less reason, than this Nazarite, Many a one loses his life: but this casts it away; not in hatred of himself, but in love to a strumpet. We wonder that a man could possibly be so sottish, and yet we ourselves by tentation become no less insensate; Sinful pleasures, like a common Dalilah lodge in our bosoms▪ we know they aim at nothing but the death of our soul; we will yield to them, and die: Every willing sinner is a Samson; let us not inveigh against his senselessness, but our own: Nothing is so gross and unreasonable to a well-disposed mind, which tentation will not represent fit, and plausible: No soul can out of his own strength, secure himself from that sin which he most detesteth. As an hoodwinked man sees some little glimmering of light, but not enough to guide him; so did Samson, who had reason enough left him to make trial of Dalilah, by a crafty misinformation; but not enough upon that trial, to distrust and hate her he had not wit enough to deceive her thrice; not enough to keep himself from being deceived by her. It is not so great wisdom to prove them whom we distrust, as it is folly to trust them whom we have found treacherous: Thrice had he seen the Philistims in her chamber, ready to surprise him, upon her bonds; and yet will needs be a slave to his Traitor. Warning not taken, is a certain presage of destruction; and if once neglected it receive pardon, yet thrice is desperate. What man would ever play thus with his own ruin? His harlot binds him, and calls in her executioners to cut his throat; he rises to save his own life, and suffers them to carry away theirs, in peace. Where is the courage of Samson? Where his zeal? He that killed the Philistims for their clothes; He that slew a thousand of them in the field at once; in this quarrel, now suffers them in his chamber unrevenged. Whence is this? His hands were strong, but his heart was effeminate; his harlot had diverted his affection. Whosoever slackens the reines to his sensual appetite, shall soon grow unfit for the calling of God. Samson hath broke the green withies, the new ropes, the woof of his hair, and yet still suffers himself fettered with those invisible bonds of an harlot's love; and can endure her to say, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times: Whereas he should rather have said to her; How canst thou challenge any love from me, that hast thus thice sought my life? O canst thou think my mocks a sufficient revenge of this treachery? But contraily he melts at this fire; and by her importunate insinuations, is wrought against himself. Weariness of solicitation, hath won some to those actions, which at the first motion they despised; like as we see some suitors are dispatched, not for the equity of the cause, but the trouble of the prosecution; because it is more easy to yield, not more reasonable. It is more safe to keep ourselves out of the noy●e of suggestions, then to stand upon our power of denial. Who can pity the loss of that strength which was so abused? who can pity him the loss of his locks, which after so many warnings can sleep in the lap of Dalilah? It is but just that he should rise up from thence shaved and feeble; not a Nazarite, scarce a man. If his strength had lain in his hair, it had been out of himself; it was not therefore in his locks, it was in his consecration, whereof that hair was a sign. If the razor had come sooner upon his head, he had ceased to be a Nazarite; and the gift of God had at once ceased, with the calling of God; not for the want of that excretion, but for the want of obedience. If God withdraw his graces, when he is too much provoked, who can complain of his mercy? He that sleeps in sin, must look to wake in loss and weakness. Can Samson think, Though I tell her, my strength lies in my hair, yet she will not cut it; or though she do cut my hair, yet shall I not lose my strength, that now he rises and shakes himself in hope of his former vigour? Custom of success, makes men confident in their sins, and causes them to mistake an arbitrary tenure for a perpetuity. His eyes were the first offenders, which betrayed him to lust: and now they are first pulled out, and he is led a blind captive to Azzah, where he was first captived to his lust. The Azzahites, which lately saw him not without terror, running lightly away with their gates at midnight, see him now in his own perpetual night, struggling with his chains: and that he may not want pain, together with his bondage, he must grind in his prison. As he passed the street, every boy among the Philistims could not throw stones at him, every woman could laugh and shout at him; and what one Philistim doth not say, whiles he lashes him unto blood, There is for my brothers or my kinsman, whom thou slewest. Who can look to run away with a sin, when Samson a Nazarite is thus plagued? This great heart could not but have broken with indignation, if it had not pacified itself with the conscience of the just desert of all this vengeance. It is better for Samson to be blind in prison, then to abuse his eyes in Sore●: yea, I may safely say, he was more blind when he saw licentiously, then now that he sees not; He was a greater slave when he served his affections, than now in grinding for the Philistims. The loss of his eyes shows him his sin; neither could he see how ill he had done, till he saw not. Even yet, still the God of mercy looked upon the blindness of Samson, and in these fetters enlargeth his heart from the worse prison of his sin; his hair grew together with his repentance, and his strength with his hair. God's merciful humiliations of his own, are sometimes so severe, that they seem to differ little from desertions; yet at the worst he love's us bleeding: and when we have smarted enough, we shall feel it. What thankful Idolaters were these Philistims? They could not but know, that their bribes, and their Delilah, had delivered Samson to them, and yet they sacrifice to their Dagon; and, as those that would be liberal in casting favours upon a senseless Idol (of whom they could receive none) they cry out, Our god hath delivered our enemy into our hands. Where was their Dagon, when a thousand of his clients were slain with an Ass' jaw? There was more strength in that bone, then in all the makers of this god; and yet these vain Pagans say, Our god. It is the quality of superstition to misinterpret all events, and so feed itself with the conceit of those favours, which are so fare from being done, that their authors never were. Why do not we learn zeal of Idolaters? And if they be so forward in acknowledgement of their deliverances to a false deity; how cheerfully should we ascribe ours to the true? O God, whatsoever be the means, thou art the Author of all our success: Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and tell the wonders that he doth for the sons of men! No Musician would serve for this feast, but Samson; he must now be their sport, which was once their terror; that he might want no sorrow, scorn is added to his misery: Every wit and hand plays upon him; Who is not ready to cast his bone and his jest at such a captive? So as doubtless he wished himself no less deaf, then blind, and that his soul might have gone out with his eyes. Oppression is able to make a wise man mad: and the greater the courage is, the more painful the insultation. Now Samson is punished, shall the Philistims escape? If the judgement of God begin at his own, what shall become of his enemies? This advantage shall Samson make of their tyranny, that now death is no punishment to him, his soul shall fly forth in this bitterness, without pain; and that his dying revenge shall be no less sweet to him then the liberty of his former life. He could not but feel God mocked through him; and therefore whiles they are scoffing, he prays; his seriousness hopes to pay them for all those jests. If he could have been thus earnest with God in his prosperity, the Philistims had wanted this laughing stock. No devotion is so fervent, as that which arises from extremity; O Lord God, I pray thee think upon me; O God, I beseech thee strengthen me at this time only. Though Samsons hair were shorter, yet he knew, God's hand was not; as one therefore that had yet eyes enough to see him that was invisible, and whose faith was recovered before his strength, he sues to that God, which was a party in this indignity, for power to revenge his wrongs, more than his own: It is zeal that moves him & not malice; his renewed faith tells him, that he was destined to plague the Philistims, and reason tells him, that his blindness puts him out of the hope of such another opportunity. Knowing therefore, that this play of the Philistims must end in his death, he recollects all the forces of his soul and body, that his death may be a punishment in stead of a disport; and that his soul may be more victorious in the parting, then in the animation: and so addresses himself both to dye, and kill; as one, whose soul shall not feel his own dissolution, whiles it shall carry so many thousand Philistims with it to the pit. All the acts of Samson are for wonder, not for imitation: So didst thou, O blessed Saviour, our better Samson, conquer in dying; and triumphing upon the chariot of the Cross, didst lead captivity captive: The law, sin, death, hell, had never been vanquished, but by thy death: All our life, liberty, and glory, springs out of thy most precious blood. MICHAES Idolatry. THe mother of Micha hath lost her silver, and now she falls to cursing: she did afterwards but change the form of her god; her silver was her god, ere it did put on the fashion of an image: else she had not so much cursed to lose it, if it had not too much possessed her in the keeping. A carnal heart cannot forgo that wherein it delights, without impatience; cannot be impatient, without curses: whereas the man that hath learned to enjoy God, and use the world, smiles at a shipwreck, and pities a thief, and cannot curse, but pray. Micha had so little grace, as to steal from his mother; and that out of wantonness, not out of necessity; for if she had not been rich, so much could not have been stolen from her; and now, he hath so much grace as to restore it; her curses have fetched again her treasures: He cannot so much love the money, as he fears her imprecations: Wealth seems too dear, bought with a curse: Though his fingers were false, yet his, heart was tender. Many that make not conscience of committing sin, yet make conscience of facing it: It is well for them, that they are but novices in evil. Those whom custom hath fleshed in sin, can either deny and forswear, or excuse and defend it: their seared hearts cannot feel the gnawing of any remorse; and their forehead hath learned to be as an impudent, as their heart is senseless. I see no argument of any holiness in the mother of Micha: her curses were sin to he● self, yet Micha dares not but fear them. I know not whether the causeless curse be more worthy of pity, or derision; it hurts the author, not his adversary: but the deserved curses, that fall even from unholy mouths, are worthy to be feared: How much more should a man hold himself blasted with th● just inprecations of the godly? What metal are those made of, that can applaud themselves in the bitter curses which their oppressions have wrung from the poor, and rejoice in these signs of their prosperity? Neither yet was Micha more stricken with his mother's curses, then with the conscience of sacrilege: so soon as he finds there was a purpose of devotion in this treasure, he dares not conceal it, to the prejudice (as he thought) of God, more than of his mother. What shall we say to the palate of those men, which as they find no good relish but in stolen waters, so best in those, which are stolen from the fountain of God? How soon hath the old woman changed her note? Even now she passed an indefinite curse upon her son for stealing; and now she blesses him absolutely, for restoring; Blessed be my son of the Lord. She hath forgotten the theft, when she sees the restitution: How much more shall the God of mercies be more pleased with our confession, then provoked with our sin? I doubt not but this silver, and this superstition came out of Egypt, together with the mother of Micha. This history is not so late in time, as in place; for the Tribe of Dan was not yet settled in that first division of the promised land; so as this old woman had seen both the Idolatry of Egypt, and the golden Calf in the wilderness; and no doubt contributed some of her earrings to that Deity; & after all the plagues which she saw inflicted upon her brethren, for that Idol of Horeb, and Baal-Peor, she still reserves a secret love to superstition, & now shows it. Where mis-religion hath once possessed itself of the heart, it is very hardly cleansed out; but (like the plague) it will hang in the very clothes, and after long lurking, break forth in an expected infection; and old wood is the aptest to take this fire: After all the airing in the desert, Michoes mother will smell of Egypt. It had been better the silver had been stolen then thus bestowed; for now they have so employed it, that it hath stolen away their hearts from God; and yet, while it is melted into an image, they think it dedicated to the Lord. If Religion might be judged according to the intention, there should scarce be any Idolatry in the world. This woman loved her silver enough; and if she had not thought this costly piety, worth thanks, she knew which way to have employed her stock to advantage: Even evil actions have ofttimes good meanings, and those good meanings are answered with evil recompenses. Many a one bestows their cost, their labour, their blood, and receives torment in stead of thanks. Behold a superstitious son of a superstitious mother; She makes a god, and he harbours it; yea, (as the stream is commonly broader than the head) he exceeds his mother in evil: He hath an house of gods, an Ephod, Teraphin; and that he might be complete in his devotion, he makes his son his Priest, and feoffs that sin upon his son, which he received from his mother. Those sins which nature conveys not to us, we have by imitation. Every action and gesture of the Parents, is an example to the child; and the mother, as she is more tender over her son, so by the power of a reciprocal love, she can work most upon his inclination. Whence it is, that in the history of the Israelitish Kings, the mother's name is commonly noted: and as civilly, so also morally, The birth follows the belly. Those sons may bless their second birth, that are delivered from the sins of their education. Who cannot but think how far Micha overlookt all his fellow Israelites; and thought them profane and godless in comparison of himself? How did he secretly clap himself on the breast, as the man, whose happiness it was to engross Religion from all the Tribes of Israel, and little can imagine, that the further he runs, the more out of the way. Can an Israelite be thus paganish? O Micha! how hath superstition bewitched thee, that thou canst not see rebellion in every of these actions, yea in every circumstance, rebellion? What, more gods than one? An house of gods, beside God's house? An Image of silver to the invincible God? An Ephod, and no Priest? A Priest, besides the family of Levi? A Priest of thine own begetting, of thine own consecration? What monsters doth man's imagination produce, when it is forsaken of God? It is well seen there is no King in Israel. If God had been their King, his laws had ruled them. Moses or joshua had been their King, their sword had awed them. If any other, the courses of Israel could not have been so headless. We are beholden to government for order, for peace, for religion. Where there is no King, everyone will be a King, yea a God to himself. We are worthy of nothing but confusion, if we bless not God for authority. It is no marvel if Levites wandered for maintenance, while there was no King in Israel. The tithes & offerings were their due: if these had been paid, none of the holy Tribe needed to shift his station. Even where Royal power seconds the claim of the Levite, the injustice of men shortness his right. What should become of the Levites, if there were no King? And what of the Church, if no Levits? No King, therefore no Church. How could the impotent child live without a Nurse? King's shall be thy nursing Fathers, and Queens thy nurses, saith God. Nothing more argues the disorder of any Church, or the decay of Religion, than the forced straggling of the Levites. There is hope of growth, when Micha rides to seek a Levite; but when the Levite comes to seek a service of Micha, it is a sign of gasping devotion. Micha was no obscure man; all Mount Ephraim could not but take notice of his domestical gods. This Levite could not but hear of his disposition; of his mis-devotion; yet want of maintenance, no less than conscience, draws him on, to the danger of Idolatrous patronage. Holiness is not tied to any profession. Happy were it for the Church, if the Clergy could be a privilege from lewdness. When need meets with unconscionablenes, all conditions are easily swallowed, of unlawful entrances, of wicked executions: Ten shekels, and a suit of apparel, and his diet, are good wages for a needy Levite. He that could bestow 11000. shekels upon his puppets, can afford but ten to his Priest: so hath he at once a rich Idol, and a beggarly Priest. Whosoever affects to serve God good cheap, shows, that he makes God but a stolen to Mammon. Yet was Micha a kind Patron, though not liberal: He calls the young Levite his father, and uses him as his son; and what he wants in means, supplies in affection. It were happy, if Christians could imitate the love of Idolaters, towards them which serve at the Altar. Micha made a shift with the Priesthood of his own son; yet that his heart checks him in it, appears both by the change, and his contentment in the change: Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, seeing I have a Levite to my Priest: Therefore whiles his Priest was no Levite, he sees there was cause why God should not be good to him. If the Levite had not comen to offer his service, Michaes son had been a lawful Priest. Many times thy conscience runs away smoothly with an unwarrantable action, and rests itself upon those grounds, which afterward it sees cause to condemn. It is a sure way therefore to inform ourselves throughly ere we settle our choice, that we be not driven to reverse our acts with late shame, and unprofitable repentance. Now did Micha begin to see some little glimpse of his own error: He saw his Priesthood faulty; he saw not the faults of his Ephod, of his Images, of his gods: and yet (as if he thought all had been well, when he had amended one) he says, Now I know, the Lord will be good to me. The carnal heart pleases itself with an outward formality, and so delights to flatter itself, as that it thinks, if one circumstance be right, nothing can be amiss. Israel was at this time extremely corrupted; yet the spies of the Danites had taken notice even of this young Levite, and are glad to make use of his Priesthood. If they had but gone up to Shilo, they might have consulted with the Ark of God: but worldly minds are not curious in their holy services: If they have a god, an Ephod, a Priest, it suffices them: They had rather enjoy a false worship with ease, then to take pains for the true: Those that are curious in their diet, in their purchases, in their attire, in their contracts, yet in God's businesses are very indifferent. The author of lies sometime speaks truth for an advantage; and from his mouth, this flattering Levite speaks what he knew would please, not what he knew would fall out: The event answers his prediction, and now the spies magnify him to their fellows: Michaes Idol is a god, and the Levite is his Oracle. In matter of judgement, to be guided only by the event, is the way to error; Falsehood shall be truth, and Satan an Angel of light, if we follow this rule: Even very conjectures sometimes happen right; A Prophet, or Dreamer, may give a true sign or wonder, and yet himself say, Let us go after other gods. A small thing can win credit with weak minds, which where they have once sped, cannot distrust. The idolatrous Danites are so besotted with this success, that they will rather steal than want the gods of Micha; and because the gods without the Priest can do them less service, than the Priest without the gods; therefore they steal the Priest with the gods. O miserable Israelites! that could think that a god, which could be stolen; that could look for protection from that, which could not keep itself from stealing; which was won by their theft; not their devotion! Can they worship those Idols more devoutly than Micha that made them? And if they could not protect their maker from robbery, how shall they protect their thiefs? If it had been the holy Ark of the true God, how could they think it would bless their violence, or that it would abide to be translated by rapine and extortion? Now their superstition hath made them mad upon a god, they must have him; by what means they care not, though they offend the true God, by stealing a false. Sacrilege is fit to be the first service of an Idol. The spies of Dan had been courteously entertained by Micha: thus they reward his hospitality. It is no trusting the honesty of Idolaters: if they have once cast off the true God, whom will they respect? It seems, Levites did not more want maintenance, than Israel wanted Levites: Here was a Tribe of Israel without a spiritual guide. The withdrawing of due means, is the way to the utter dissolution of the Church; Rare offerings make cold Altars. There needed small force to draw this Levite to change his charge; Hold thy peace, and come, and be our father, and Priest; Whether is it better, etc. Here is not patience, but joy: He that was won with ten shekels, may be lost with eleven: When maintenance and honour calls him, he goes undriven; and rather steals himself away, then is stolen. The Levite had to many gods, to make conscience of pleasing one: There is nothing more inconstant, than a Levite that seeks nothing but himself. Thus the wild fire of Idolatry, which lay before couched in the private ball of Micha, now flies furiously thorough all the Tribe of Dan; who (like to thiefs that have carried away plaguy clothes) insensibly infected themselves, and their posterity, to death. Heresy and superstition have small beginnings, dangerous proceed, pernicious conclusions. This contagion is like a canker, which at the first is scarce visible, afterward it eats away the flesh, and consumes the body. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE ELEVENTH BOOK. CONTAINING The Levites Concubine. The desolation of Benjamin. Naomi and Ruth. Boaz and Ruth. Anna and Peninna. Anna and Elimine Eli and his sons. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of Worcester. AT LONDON, Printed by JOHN BEALE and NATHANIEL BUTTER, Ann. Dom. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR FULKE GREVILL, KNIGHT, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQVER, ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCILLORS; A MOST WISE, LEARNED, JUDICIOUS INGENVOUS CENCOR OF SCOLLERSHIP; A WORTHY EXAMPLE OF BENEFACTORS TO LEARNING. I. H. With his unfeigned prayers for THE HAPPY SUCCESS OF ALL HIS HONOURABLE DESIGNMENTS, HUMBLY DEDICATES THIS MEAN PIECE OF HIS STUDIES. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE ELEVENTH BOOK. The Levites Concubine. THere is no complaint of a publicly disordered State, where a Levite is not at one end of it; either as an agent, or a patiented. In the Idolatry of Micha, and the Danites, a Levite was an actor: In the violent uncleanness of of Gibeah, a Levite suffers. No Tribe shall sooner feel the want of government, then that of Levi. The law of God allowed the Levite a wife; humane connivance, a concubine; neither did the jewish concubine differ from a wife, but in some outward compliments; Both might challenge all the true essence of marriage; so little was the difference, that the father of the concubine is called the father in law to the Levite. She whom ill custom had of a wife made a concubine, is now by her lust, of a concubine made an harlot: Her fornication, together with the change of her bed, hath changed her abode. Perhaps her own conscience thrust her out of doors, perhaps the just severity of her husband. Dismission was too easy a penalty for that which God had sentenced with death: She that had deserved to be abhorred of her husband, seeks shelter from her Father. Why would her Father suffer his house to be defiled with an adultress, though out of his own loins? Why did he not ra-say, What? Dost thou think to find my house an harbour for thy sin? Whiles thou wert a wife to thine husband, thou wert a daughter to me; Now, thou art neither; Thou art not mine; I gave thee to thy husband; Thou art not thy husbands, thou hast betrayed his bed; Thy filthiness hath made thee thine own, and thine adulterers; Go seek thine entertainment, where thou hast lost thine honesty; Thy lewdness hath brought a necessity of shame upon thine abettors; How can I countenance thy person, and abandon thy sin? I had rather be a just man, than a kind Father; Get thee home therefore to thy husband, crave his forgiveness upon thy knees, redeem his love with thy modesty, and obedience; when his heart is once open to thee, my doors shall not be shut: In the mean time, know, I can be no Father to an harlot. Indulgence of Parents is the refuge of vanity, the bawd of wickedness, the bane of children. How easily is that Thief induced to steal, that knows his Receiver? When the lawlessness of youth knows where to find pity and toleration, what mischief can it forbear? By how much better this Levite was, so much more injurious was the Concubine's sin. What husband would not have said; She is gone, let shame and grief go with her; I shall find one no less pleasing, and more faithful: Or if it be not to much mercy in me to yield to a return; let her that hath offended seek me: What more direct way is there to a resolved looseness, then to let her see I cannot want her? The good nature of this Levite cast off all these terms; and now, after four months' absence, sends him to seek for her, that had run away from her fidelity: And now he thinks, She sinned against me; perhaps she hath repent; perhaps, shame and fear have withheld her from returning; perhaps she will be more loyal, for her sin: If her importunity should win me, half the thankes were lost; but now, my voluntary offer of favour shall oblige her for ever. Love procures truer servitude than necessity: Mercy becomes well the heart of any man, but most of a Levite. He that had helped to offer so many sacrifices to God for the multitude of every Israelites sins, saw how proportionable it was, that man should not hold one sin unpardonable: He had served at the Altar to no purpose, if he (whose trade was to sue for mercy) had not at all learned to practise it. And if the reflection of mercy wrought this in a servant, what shall we expect from him, whose essence is mercy? O God, we do every day break the holy covenant of our love; We prostitute ourselves to every filthy tentation, and then run, and hide ourselves in our father's house, the world. If thou didst not seek us up, we should never return; if thy gracious proffer did not prevent us, we should be uncapable of forgiveness. It were abundant goodness in thee to receive us, when we should entreat thee: but lo, thou intreatest us that we would receive thee. How should we now adore and imitate thy mercy, sith there is more reason, we should sue to each other, then that thou shouldest sue to us; because we may as well offend, as be offended! I do not see the woman's father make any means for reconciliation: but when remission came home to his doors, no man could entertain it more thankfully. The nature of many men is froward to accept, and negligent to sue for; they can spend secret wishes upon that which shall cost them no endeavour. Great is the power of love, which can in a sort undo evils past, if not for the act, yet for the remembrance. Where true affection was once conceived, it is easily pieced again, after the strongest interruption. Hear needs no tedious recapitulation of wrongs, no importunity of suit. The unkindnesses are forgotten, their love is renewed; and now the Levite is not a stranger, but a son; By how much more willingly he came, by so much more unwillingly he is dismissed. The four months absence of his daughter is answered with four days feasting; Neither was there so much joy in the former wedding feast, as in this; because then he delivered his daughter entire; now, desperate: then he found a son; but now, that son hath found his lost daughter, and he found both. The recovery of any good, is far more pleasant than the continuance. Little do we know what evil is towards us: Now did this old man, and this restored couple promise themselves all joy and contentment, after this unkind storm; and said in themselves, Now we begin to live. And now this feast, which was meant for their new nuptials, proves her funeral. Even when we let ourselves losest to our pleasures, the hand of God (though invisibly) is writing bitter things against us. Sith we are not worthy to know; it is wisdom to suspect the worst, while it is least seen. Sometimes it falls out, that nothing is more injurious than courtesy. If this old man had thrust his son and daughter early out of doors, they had avoided this mischief; now his loving importunity detains them to their hurt, and his own repentance. Such contentment doth sincere affection find in the presence of those we love, that death itself hath no other name, but departing. The greatest comfort of our life, is the fruition of friendship, the dissolution whereof, is the greatest pain of death: As all earthly pleasures, so this of love, is distasted with a necessity of leaving. How worthy is that only love to take up our hearts, which is not open to any danger of interruption; which shall outlive the date even of faith and hope, and is as eternal, as that God, and those blessed spirits whom we love? If we hang never so importunately upon one another's sleeves, and shed floods of tears to stop their way, yet we must be gone hence; no occasion, no force, shall then remove us from our father's house. The Levite is stayed beyond his time by importunity, the motions whereof are boundless, and infinite; one day draws on another; neither is there any reason of this days stay, which may not serve still for to morrow. His resolution at last breaks thorough all those kind hindrances, rather will he venture a benighting, than an unnecessary delay. It is a good hearing that the Levite makes haste home: An honest man's heart is where his calling is; such a one, when he is abroad, is like a fish in the air; whereinto if it leap for recreation, or necessity, yet it soon returns to his own element. This charge, by how much more sacred it is, so much more attendance it expecteth: Even a day breaks square with the conscionable. The Sun is ready to lodge before them: His servant advices him to shorten his journey, holding it more fit to trust an early Inn of the jebusites, then to the mercy of the night. And if that counsel had been followed, perhaps they, which found jebusites in Israel, might have found Israelites in jebus. No wise man can hold good counsel disparaged, by the meanness of the Author: If we be glad to receive any treasure from our servant, why not precious admonitions? It was the zeal of this Levite that shut him out of jebus; We will not lodge in the City of strangers. The jebusites were stranger's in religion, not strangers enough in their habitation: The Levite will not receive common courtesy from those which were aliens from God, though home-born in the heart of Israel. It is lawful enough in terms of civility to deal with Infidels; the earth is the Lords, and we may enjoy it in the right of the owner, while we protest against the wrong of the usurper; yet the less communion with God's enemies, the more safety. If there were another air to breathe in from theirs, another earth to tread upon, they should have their own. Those that affect a familiar entireness with jebusites, in conversion, in leagues of amity, in matrimonial contracts, bewray either too much boldness, or too little conscience. He hath no blood of an Israelite, that delights to lodge in jebus: It was the fault of Israel, that an heathenish Town stood yet in the navel of the Tribes, and that jebus was no sooner turned to jerusalem: Their lenity and neglect were guilty of this neighbourhood, that now no man can pass from Bethleem juda, to Mount Ephraim, but by the City of jebusites. Seasonable justice might prevent a thousand evils, whic● afterwards know no remedy but patience. The way was not long betwixt jebus and Gibeah: for the Sun was stooping when the Levite was over against the first, and is but now declined when he comes to the other. How his heart was lightened, when he was entered into an Israelitish City! and can think of nothing, but hospitality, rest, security. There is no perfume so sweet to a Traveller, as his own smoke. Both expactation and fear do commonly disappoint us; for seldom ever do we enjoy the good we look for, or smart with a feared evil. The poor Levite could have found but such entertainment with the jebusites. Whither are the posterity of Benjamin degenerated, that their Gibeah should be no less wicked than populous? The first sign of a settled godlessness, is, that a Levite is suffered to lie without doors. If God had been in any of their houses, his servant had not been excluded: Where no respect is given to God's messengers, there can be no Religion. Gibeah was a second Sodom; even there also is another Lot: which is therefore so much more hospital to strangers, because himself was a stranger. The Oast as well as the Levite is of Mount Ephraim: Each man knows best to commiserate that evil in others, which himself hath passed thorough. All that profess the Name of Christ, are Countrymen, and yet strangers here below; How cheerfully should we entertain each other, when we meet in the Gibeah of this in hospital world? This good old man of Gibeah came home late from his work in the fields: The Sun was set ere he gave over; And now, seeing this man a stranger, an Israelite, a Levite, an Ephramite, and that in his way to the house of God, to take up his lodging in the street, he proffers him the kindness of his houseroom. Industrious spirits are the fittest receptacles of all good motions; whereas those which give themselves to idle and lose courses, do not care so much as for themselves. I hear of but one man at his work in all Gibeah: the rest were quaffing and revelling. That one man ends his work in a charitable entertainment; the other, end their play in a brutish beastliness, and violence. These villainies had learned both the actions and the language of the Sodomites: One unclean devil was the prompter to both: and this honest Ephramite, had learned of righteous Lot, both to entreat, and to proffer. As a perplexed Mariner, that in a storm must cast away something, although precious; so this good Oast, rather will prostitute his daughter a virgin, together with the concubine, than this prodigious villainy should be offered to a man, much more to a man of God. The detestation of a fouler sin drew him to overreach in the motion of a lesser; which if it had been accepted, how could he have escaped the partnership of their uncleanness, and the guilt of his daughter's ravishment? No man can wash his hands of that sin, to which his will hath yielded. Bodily violence may be inoffensive in the patiented; voluntary inclination to evil (though out of fear) can never be excusable: yet behold, this wickedness is too little to satisfy these monsters. Who would have looked for so extreme abomination from the loins of jacob, the womb of Rachel, the sons of Benjamin? Can the very jebusites their neighbours be ever accused of such unnatural outrage? I am ashamed to say it, Even the worst Pagans were Saints to Israel. What avails it that they have the Ark of God in Shilo, while they have Sodom in their streets? that the law of God is in their fringes, whiles the devil is in their hearts? Nothing but hell itself can yield a worse creature than a depraved Israelite; the very means of his reformation, are the fuel of his wickedness. Yet Let sped so much better in Sodom, than his Ephraimite did in Gibeah, by how much more holy guests he entertained. There the guests were Angels; here a sinful man. There the guests saved the oast; here the oast could not save the guest from burtish violence. Those Sodomites were stricken with outward blindness and defeated; These Beniamites are only blinded with lust, and prevail. The Levite comes forth, perhaps his coat saved his person from this villainy; who now thinks himself well, that he may have leave to redeem his own dishonour with his concubines. If he had not loved her dear, he had never sought her so fare, after so foul a sin; Yet now his hate of that unnatural wickedness overcame his love to her; She is exposed to the furious lust of barbarous Ruffians, and (which he misdoubted not) abuseth to death. Oh the just and even course which the Almighty judge of the world holds in all his retribulations! This woman had shamed the bed of a Levit, by her former wantonness; she had thus far gone smoothly away with her sin; her father harboured her, her husband forgave her, her own heart found no cause to complain, because she smarted not: now, when the world had forgotten her offence, God calls her to reckoning, and punishes her with her own sin. She had voluntarily exposed herself to lust; now is exposed forceably. Adultery was her sin, adultery was her death. What smiles soever wickedness casts upon the heart, whiles it solicits; it will owe us a displeasure, and prove itself a faithful Debtor. The Levite looked to find her humbled with this violence, not murdered; and now, indignation moves him to add horror to the fact: Had not his heart been raised up with an excess of desire to make the crime as odious, as it was sinful, his action could not be excusen. Those hands that might not touch a carkais, now carve the corpse of his own dead wife into morsels, and send these tokens to all the Tribes of Israel; that when they should see these gobbets of the body murdered, the more they might detest the murderers. Himself puts on cruelty to the dead, that he might draw them to a just revenge of her death. Actions nororiously villainous, may justly countenance an extraordinary means of prosecution. Every Israelite hath a part in a Levites wrong; No Tribe hath not his share in the carcase, and the revenge. The desolation of BENIMIN. THese morsels could not choose but cut the hearts of Israel with horror and compassion; horror of the act, and compassion of the sufferer: and now their zeal draws them together, either for satisfaction, or revenge. Who would not have looked that the hands of Benjamin should have been first upon Gibeah; and that they should have readily sent the heads of the offenders, for a second service after the gobbets of the concubine? But now, in stead of punishing the sin, they patronise the actors; and will rather die in resisting justice, then live and prosper in furthering it. Surely, Israel had one Tribe too many: all Benjamin is turned into Gibeah, the sons not of Benjamin, but of Belial. The abetting of evil, is worse than the commission; This may be upon infirmity, but that must be upon resolution: Easy punishment is too much favour to sin: connivance is much worse: but the defence of it (and that unto blood) is intolerable. Had not these men been both wicked and quarrelous, they had not drawn their swords in so foul a cause. Peaceable dispositions, are hardly drawn to fight for innocence; yet these Beniaminites (as if they were in love with villainy, and out of charity with God) will be the wilful Champions of lewdness. How can Gibeah repent them of that wickedness, which all Beiamin will make good, in spite of their consciences? Even where sin is suppressed, it will rise; but, where it is encouraged, it insults and tyrannises. It was more just that Israel should rise against Benjamin, then that Benjamin should rise for Gibeah; by how much it is better to punish offenders, then to shelter the offenders from punishing; And yet the wickedness of Benjamin, sped better for the time, than the honesty of Israel. Twice was the better part foiled by the less, and worse; The good cause was sent back with shame: the evil returned with victory, and triumph. O God their hand was for thee in the fight, & thy hand was with them in their fall; They had not fought for thee, but by thee; neither could they have miscarried in the fight, if thou hadst not fought against them; Thou art just and holy in both. The cause was thine: the sin in managing of it, was their own. They fought in an holy quarrel, but with confidence in themselves; for, as presuming of victory, they ask of God, not what should be their success, but who should be their Captain. Number and innocence made them too secure: I was just therefore with God, to let them feel, that even good zeal cannot bear out presumption; and that victory lies not in the cause, but in the God that owns it. Who cannot imagine how much the Beniaminites insulted in their double field, and day? And now began to think, God was on their side: Those swords which had been taught the way into forty thousand bodies of their brethren, cannot fear a new encounter. Wicked men cannot see their prosperity a piece of their curse, neither can examine their actions, but the events. Soon after, thy shall find what it was to add blood unto filthiness, and that the victory of an evil cause, is the way to ruin and confusion. I should have feared lest this double discomfiture should have made Israel either distrustful, or weary of a good cause: but still I find them no less courageous, with more humility. Now they fast, and weep, and sacrifice, These weapons had been victorious in their first assault; Benjamin had never been in danger of pride for overcoming, if this humiliation of Israel had prevented the fight. It is seldom seen, but that which we do with fear, prospereth; whereas confidence in undertaking, lays even good endeavours in the dust. Wickedness could never brag of any long prosperity, nor complain of the lack of payment: Still God is even with it at the last: Now he pays the Beniaminites both that death which they had lent to the Israelites, and that wherein they stood indebted to their brotherhood of Gibeah: And now that both are met in death, there is as much difference betwixt those Israelites, and these Beniaminites, as betwixt Martyrs, and Malefactors. To die in a sin, is a fearful revenge of giving patronage to sin: The sword consumes their bodies, another fire their Cities, whatsoever became of their souls. Now might Rachel have justly wept for her children, because they were not; for behold, the men, women, and children of her wicked Tribe, are cut off; only some few scattered remainders, ran away from this vengeance, and lurked in caves, and rocks, both for fear, and shame: There was no difference, but life betwixt their brethren and them; the earth covered them both: yet unto them doth the revenge of Israel stretch itself, and vows to destroy, if not their persons, yet their succession; as holding them unworthy to receive any comfort by that sex, to which they had been so cruel, both in act and maintenance. If the Israelites had not held marriage and issue a very great blessing, they had not thus revenged themselves of Benjamin: now they accounted the withholding of their wives, a punishment second to death. The hope of life in our posterity, is the next contentment to an enjoying of life in ourselves. They have sworn, and now upon cold blood repent them. If the oath were not just, why would they take it? and if it were just, why did they recant it? If the act were justifiable, what needed these tears? Even a just oath may be rashly taken: not only injustice, but temerite of swearing ends in lamentation. In our very civil actions, it is a weakness to do that which we would after reverse; but in our affairs with God, to check ourselves too late, and to steep our oaths in tears, is a dangerous folly. He doth not command us to take voluntary oaths; he commands us to keep them. If we bind ourselves to inconvenience, we may justly complain of our own setters: Oaths do not only require justice, but judgement; wise deliberation, no less than equity. Not conscience of their fact, but commiseration of their brethren, led them to this public repentance. O God, why is this come to pass, that this day one Tribe of Israel shall want? Even the justest revenge of men is capable of pity: Insultation in the rigour of justice, argues cruelty; Charitable minds are grieved to see that done, which they would not wish undone; the smart of the offender doth not please them, which yet are throughly displeased with the sin, and have given their hands to punish it. God himself takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner, yet love's the punishment of sin: As a god parent whips his child, yet weeps himself. There is a measure in victory and revenge, if never so just, which to exceed, leeses mercy in the suit of justice. If there were no fault in their severity, it needed no excuse; and if there were a fault, it will admit of no excuse: yet, as if they meant to shift off the sin, they expostulate with God; O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass this day? God gave them no command of this rigour; yea he twice crossed them in the execution; and now, in that which they entreated of God with tears, they challenge him. It is a dangerous injustice, to lay the burden of our sins upon him, which tempteth no man, nor can be tempted with evil; whiles we would so remove our sin, we double it. A man that knew not the power of an oath, would wonder at this contrariety in the affections of Israel: They are sorry for the slaughter of Benjamin; and yet they slay those that did not help them in the slaughter. Their oath calls them to more blood: The excess of their revenge upon Benjamin, may not excuse the men of Gillead: If ever oath might look for a dispensation, this might plead it; Now, they dare not but kill the men of jabesh Gilead, lest they should have left upon themselves a greater sin of sparing, then punishing. jabesh Gilead came not up to aid Israel, therefore all the inhabitants must die. To exempt ourselves (whether out of singularity, or stubbornness) from the common actions of the Church, when we are lawfully called to them, is an offence worthy of judgement: In the main quarrels of the Church, neutrals are punished. This execution shall make amends for the former; of the spoil of jabesh Gilead, shall the Beniaminites be stored with wives: that no man may think these men slain for their daughters, they plainly dye for their sin; and these Gileadites might not have lived, without the perjury 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 solemn vow did not bind them to kill all of both sexes in Benjamin, why did they not spare their virgins? and if it did so bind them, why did they spare the virgins of Gilead? Favours must be enlarged in all these religious restrictions; Where breath may be taken in them, it is not fit nor safe they should be straitened. Four hundred virgins of Gilead have lost Parents, and brethren, and kindred, and now find husbands in lieu of them. An enforced marriage was but a miserable comfort for such a loss: like Wards, or captives, they are taken, and choose not. These suffice not; their friendly adversaries consult for more upon worse conditions. Into what troublesome and dangerous straits do men thrust themselves, by either unjust, or inconsiderate vows? In the midst of all this common lawlessness of Israel, here was conscience made on both sides of matching with Infidels: The Israelites can rather be content their daughters should be stolen by their own, then that the daughters of aliens should be given them. These men which had not grace enough to detest and punish the beastliness of their Gileadites, yet are not so graceless, as to choose them wives of the Heathen. All but Atheists (howsoever they let themselves lose) yet in some things find themselves restrained, and show to others that they have a conscience. If there were not much danger, and much sin in this unequal yoke, they would never have persuaded to so heavy an inconvenience: Disparity of religion in matrimonial contracts, hath so many mischiefs, that it is worthy to be redeemed with much prejudice. They which might not give their own daughters to Benjamin, yet give others, whiles they give leave to steal them. Stolen marriages are both unnatural, and full of hazrad; for love (whereof marriage is the knot) cannot be forced: this was rather rape, than wedlock. What unlikeness (perhaps contrariety) of disposition, what averseness of affection, may there be in not only a sudden, but a forceable meeting? If these Beniaminites had not taken liberty of giving themselves ease by divorcement, they would often have found leisure to rue this stolen booty. This act may not be drawn to example; and yet here was a kind of indefinite consent: Both deliberation, and good liking, are little enough for a during estate, and that which is once done for ever. These virgins come up to the feast of the Lord; and now, out of the midst of their dances are carried to a double captivity. How many virgins have lost themselves in dances? and yet this sport was not immodest. These virgins danced by themselves, without the company of them which might move towards unchastity; for if any men had been with them, they they had found so many rescuers as they had assaulters; now, the exposing of their weak sex to his injury, proves their innocence. Our usual dances are guilty of more sin; Wanton gestures, and unchaste touches, looks, motions, draw the heart to folly: The ambushes of evil spirits carry away many a soul from dances, to a fearful desolation. It is supposed, that the parents thus rob of their daughters, will take it heavily: There cannot be a greater cross than the miscarriage of children: They are not only the living goods, burr pieces of their parents, that they should therefore be torn from them by violence, is no less injury, than the dismembering of their own bodies. NAOMI and RUTH. BEtwixt the reign of the judges, Israel was plagued with tyranny; and whiles some of them reigned, with famine. Seldom did that rebellious people want somewhat to humble them. One rod is not enough for a stubborn child: The famine must needs be great, that makes the inhabitants to run their country. The name of home is so sweet, that we cannot leave it for a little. Behold, that land which had wont to flow with milk and honey, now abounds with want and penury, and Bethleem, in stead of an house of bread, is an house of famine. A fruitful land doth God make barren, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. The earth bears not for itself, but for us; God is not angry with it, but with men. For our sakes, it was first cursed to thorns & thistles, after that, to moisture, and since that (not seldom) to drought; and by all these, to barrenness. We may not look always for plenty. It is a wonder whiles there is such superfluity of wickedness, that our earth is no more sparing of her fruits. The whole earth is the Lords, and in him, ours. It is lawful for the owners to change their houses, at pleasure. Why should we not make free use of any part of our own possessions? Elimelech and his family remove from Bethleem juda unto Moab. Nothing but necessity can dispense with a local relinquishing of God's Church; Not pleasure, not profit, not curiosity. Those which are famished out, God calls, yea, drives from thence. The Creator and possessor of the earth, hath not confined any man to his necessary destruction. It was lawful for Elimelech to make use of Pagans, and Idolaters, for the supply of all needful helps. There cannot be a better employment of Moabites, then to be the treasures and purveyors of God's children: Wherefore serve they but to gather for the true owners? It is too much niceness in them, which forbear the benefit they might make of the faculties of profane, or heretical persons; They consider not that they have more right to the good such men can do, than they that do it, and challenge that good for their own. But I cannot see, how it could be lawful for his Sons to match with the daughters of Moab. Had these men heard how fare▪ and under how solemn an oath, their father Abraham sent for a wife of his own Tribe, for his son Isaac? Had they heard the earnest charge of holy Isaac, to the son he blessed, Thou shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan? H●d they forgotten the plagues of Israel for but a short conversation with the Moabitish women? If they plead remoteness from their own people; Did they not remember how f●rre jacob walked to Padan-Aram? Was it further from Moab to Bethleem, then from Bethleem to Moab? and if the care of themselves led them from Bethleem to Moab; should not their care of obedience to God, have as well carried them back from Moab to Bethleem? Yet if their wives would have left their Idotrie with their maidenhead, the match had been more safe; but now even at the last farewell, Naomi can say of Orpah, that she is returned to her gods. These men have sinned in their choice, and it speeds with them accordingly. Where did ever one of these unequal matches prosper? The two sons of Elimelech are swept away childless in the prime of their age, and in stead of their seed, they leave their carcases in Moab; their wife's widows, their mother childless, and helpless amongst Infidels, in that age which most needed comfort. How miserable do we now find poor Naomi? which is left destitute of her country, her husband, her children, her friends; and turned lose, and solitary to the mercy of the world: yet even out of these hopeless ruins, will God raise comfort to his servant. The first good news is, that God hath visited his people with bread; now therefore, since her husband and sons were unrecoverable, she will try to recover her country, and kindred. If we can have the same conditions in judah, that we have in Moab, we are no Israelites if we return not. Whiles her husband and sons lived, I hear no motion of retiring home; now these her earthly stays are removed, she thinks presently of removing to her country; Neither can we so hearty think of our home above, whiles we are furnished with these worldly contentments; when God strips us of them, straightway our mind is homeward. She that came from Bethleem, under the protection of an husband, attended with her sons, stored with substance; resolves now to measure all that way alone. Her adversity had stripped her of all, but a good heart; that remains with her, and bears up her head, in the deepest of her extremity. True Christian fortitude wades thorough all evils; and though we be up to the chin, yet keeps firm footing against the stream: where this is, the sex is not discerned; neither is the quantity of the evil read in the face. How well doth this courage become Israelites, when we are left comfortless in the midst of the Moab of this world, to resolve the contempt of all dangers, in the way to our home? A contrarily, nothing doth more misbeseeme a Christian, that his spirits should flag with his estate, and that any difficulty should make him despair of attaining his best ends. Goodness is of a winning quality wheresoever it is; and even amongst Infidels, will make itself friends. The good disposition of Naomi carries away the hearts of her daughters in law with her; so as they are ready to forsake their kindred, their country, yea their own mother, for a stranger, whose affinity died with her sons. Those men are worse than Infidels, and next to Devils, that hate the virtues of God's Saints; and could love their persons well, if they were not conscionable. How earnestly do these two daughters of Moab plead for their continuance with Naomi; and how hardly is either of them dissuaded from partaking of the misery of her society! There are good natures even among Infidels, and such as for moral disposition, and civil respects, cannot be exceeded by the best Professors. Who can suffer his heart to rest in those qualities, which are common to them that are without God? Naomi could not be so insensible of her own good, as not to know how much comfort she might reap to the solitariness, both of her voyage, and her widowhood, by the society of these two younger widows, whose affections she had so well tried; even very partnership is a mitigation of evils; yet so earnestly doth she dissuade them from accompanying her, as that she could not have said more, if she had thought their presence irksome, and burdenous: Good dispositions love not to pleasure themselves with the disadvantage of others; and had rather be miserable alone, then to draw in partners to their sorrow, for the sight of another's calamity doth rather double their own; and if themselves were free, would affect them with compassion: As contrarily, ill minds care not how many companions they have in misery, nor how few consorts in good; If themselves miscarry, they could be content all the world were enwrapped with them in the same distress. I marvel not that Orpah is by this seasonable importunity persuaded to return; from a mother in law, to a mother in nature; from a toilsome journey, to rest; from strangers, to her kindred; from an hopeless condition, to likelihoods of contentment. A little entreaty will serve to move nature to be good unto itself: Every one is rather a Naomi to his own soul, to persuade it to stay still, and enjoy the delights of Moab, rather than to hazard our entertainment in Bethleem. Will religion allow me this wild liberty of my actions, this lose mirth, these carnal pleasures? Can I be a Christian, and not live sullenly? None but a regenerate heart can choose rather to suffer adversity with God's people, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The one sister takes an unwilling farewell, and moistens her last kisses with many tears: the other cannot be driven back, but repels one entreaty with another; Entreat me not to leave thee; for whither thou goest, I will go, where thou dwellest, I will dwell, thy people shall be my people, thy God, where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried. Ruth saw so much upon ten years trial, in Naomi, as was more worth than all Moah; and in comparison whereof, all worldly respects deserved nothing but contempt: The next degree unto goodness is the love of goodness: He is in a fair way to grace, that can value it; If she had not been already a proselyte, she could not have set this price upon Naomies' virtue. Love cannot be separated from a desire of fruition; In vain had Ruth protested her affection to Naomi, if she could have turned her out to her journey alone; Love to the Saints doth not more argue our interest in God, than society argues the truth of our love. As some tied vessel that holds out against wind and water, so did Ruth against all the powers of a mother's persuasions; The impossibility of the comfort of marriage in following her (which drew back her sister in law) cannot move her. She hears her mother, like a modest matron (contrary to the fashion of these times) say, I am too old to have an husband, and yet she thinks not on the contrary, I am too young to want an husband: It should seem, the Moabites had learned this fashion of Israel, to expect the brothers raising of seed to the deceased; The widowhood & age of Naomi cuts off that hope; neither could Ruth then, dream of a Boaz that might advance her; It is no love that cannot make us willing to be miserable for those we affect: The hollowest heart can be content to follow one that prospereth: Adversity is the only furnace of friendship: If love will not abide both fire and anvil, it is but counterfeit; so in our love to God, we do but crack and vaunt in vain, if we cannot be willing to suffer for him. But if any motive might hope to speed, that which was drawn from example, was most likely; Behold thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and to her gods; return thou after her. This one artless persuasion hath prevailed more with the world, than all the places of reason: How many millions miscarry upon this ground, Thus did my forefathers; Thus do the most; I am neither the first, nor the last! Do any of the rulers? We strait think that, either safe, or pardonable, for which we can plead a precedent. This good woman hath more warrant for her resolution, than another's practice: The mind can never be steady, whiles it stands upon others feet, and till it be settled upon such grounds of assurance, that it will rather lead, then follow; and can say with joshua, whatsoever become of the world, I and my house will serve the Lord. If Naomi had not been a person of eminent note, no knowledge had been taken at Bethleem of her return. Poverty is ever obscure; and those that have little, may go and come without noise. If the streets of Bethleem had not before used to say, There goes Noami; they had not now asked, Is not this Noami? She that had lost all things, but her name, is willing to part with that also; Call me not Noami, but call me Marah. Her humility cares little for a glorious name, in a dejected estate. Many a one would have set faces upon their want, an in the bitterness of their condition, have affected the name of beauty. In all forms of good, there are more that care to seem, then to be: Naomi hates this hypocrisy, & since God hath humbled her, desires not to be respected of men. Those which are truly brought down, make it not dainty that the world should think them so; but are ready to be the first proclaimers of their own vileness. Naomi went full out of Bethleem to prevent want; and now she brings that want home with her, which she desired to avoid. Our blindness ofttimes carries us into the perils we seek to eschew: God finds it best many times to cross the likely projects of his dearest children; and to multiply those afflictions, which thy feared fingle. Ten years have turned Naomi into Marah: What assurance is there of these earthly things, whereof one hour may strip us? What man can say of the years to come, Thus I will be? How justly do we contemn this uncertainty, and look up to those riches that cannot but endure, when heaven and earth are dissolved? BOAZ and RUTH. WHiles Elimelech shifted to Moab to avoid the famine, Boaz abode still at Bethleem, and continued rich, and powerful: He stayed at home, and found that, which Elimelech went to seek, and miss. The judgement of famine doth not lightly extend itself 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 hear Ruth stand upon the terms of her better education, or wealthy Parentage; but now that God hath called her to want, she scorns not to lay her hand unto all homely services, and thinks it no disparagement to find her bread in other men's fields; There is no harder lesson to a generous mind, nor that more beseems it, then either to bear want, or to prevent it; Base spirits give themselves over to idleness, and misery, and because they are crossed, will sullenly perish. That good woman hath not been for nothing in the school of patience; she hath learned obedience to a poor stepmother; she was now a widdo past reach of any danger of correction; beside, that penury might seem to dispense with awe; Even children do easily learn to contemn the poverty of their own Parents; Yet hath she enured herself to obedience, that she will not so much as go forth into the field to glean, without the leave of her mother in law, & is no less obsequious to Marah, than she was to Naomi, What shall she say to those children, that in the main actions of their life, forget they have natural Parents? It is a shame to see, that in mean families want of substance causeth want of duty; and that children should think themselves privileged for unreverence, because the Parent is poor. Little do we know, when we go forth in the morning, what God means to do with us ere night: There is a providence that attends on us in all our ways, & guides us insensibly to his own ends; That divine hand leads Ruth blindfolded to the field of BoaZ: That she meets with his reapers, & falls upon his land amongst all the fields of Bethleem, it was no praise to her election, but the gracious disposition of him, in whom we move; His thoughts are above ours, and do so order our actions, as we, if we had known, should have 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 invites her to more bounty than she could have desired; now God gins to repay into her bosom, her love and duty to her mother in law. Reverence and loving respects to parents, never yet went away unrecompensed; God will surely raise up friends amongst strangers to those that have been officious at home. It was worth Ruthe's journey from Moab, to meet with such a man as BoaZ, whom we find thrifty, religious, charitable; Though he were rich, yet he was not careless; he comes into the field to oversee his reapers. Even the best estate requires careful managing of the owner; He wanted not officers to take charge of his husbandry, yet he had rather be his own witness: After all the trust of others, the Master's eye feeds the horse: The Master of this great Household of the world gives us an example of this care, whose eye is in every corner of this his large possession; Not civility only, but religion binds us to good husbandry; We are all stewards; and what account can we give to our Master, if we never look after our estate? I doubt whether Boaz had been so rich, if he had not been so frugal: Yet was he not more thrifty than 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 avail nothing; All the business of the family speeds the better, for the Master's benediction; Those affairs 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 hear the name of the Moabitesse, but he seconds the kindness of his reapers; and still he rises in his favours: First, she may glean in his field; then she may drink of his vessels; then she shall take her meal with his reapers; and part of it, from his own hand: lastly, his workmen must let fall sheaves for her gathering. A Small thing helps the needy: an handful of glean, a lapful of parched corn, a draught of the servant's bottles, a lose sheaf was such a favour to Ruth, as she thought was above all recompense: This was not seen in the estate of Boaz, which yet makes her for the time, happy. If we may refresh the soul of the poor with the very offals of our estate, and not hurt ourselves, woe be to us if we do it not. Our barns shall be as full of curses as of corn, if we grudge the scattered ears of our field to the hands of the needy. How thankfully doth Ruth take these small favours from Boaz? Perhaps some rich it well in Moab would not have been so welcome. Even this was a presage of her better estate. Those which shall receive great blessings, are ever thankful for little; and if poor souls be so thankful to us, for but an handful, or a sheaf; how should we be affected to our God; for whole fields full, for full barns, full garners? Doubtless, Boaz, having taken notice of the good nature, dutiful carriage, and the near affinity of Ruth, could not but purpose some greater beneficence, & higher respects to her: yet now onwards he fits his kindness to her condition, & gives her that, which to her meanness seemed much, though he thought it little. Thus doth the bounty of our God deal with us: It is not for want of love, that he gives us no greater measure of grace, but for want of our fitness and capacity: He hath reserved greater preferments for us, when it shall be seasonable for us to receive them. Ruth returns home wealthy with her Ephah of barley, and thankfully magnifies the liberality of Boaz, her new benefactor: Naomi repays his beneficence with her blessing; Blessed be he of the Lord. If the rich can exchange their alms with the poor for blessings, they have no cause to complain of an ill bargain. Our gifts cannot be worth their faithful prayers; therefore it is better to give then to receive, because he that receives, hath but a worthless alms; he that gives, receives an unualuable blessing. I cannot but admire the modesty and silence of these two women: Noami had not so much as talked of her kindred in Bethleem, nor till now, had she told Ruth that she had a wealthy kinsman; neither had Ruth inquired of her husband's great alliance; but both sat down meekly with their own wants, and cared not to know any thing else, save that themselves were poor. Humility is ever the way to honour. It is a discourtesy where we are beholden, to alter our dependency. Like as men of trade take it ill, if customers which are in their books, go for their wares to another shop. Wisely doth Naomi advice Ruth not to be seen in any other field, whiles the harvest lasted. The very taking of their favours is a contentment to those that have already well deserved; and it is quarrel enough that their courtesy is not received. How shall the God of heaven take it, that whiles he gives and proffers large, we run to the world, that can afford us nothing but vanity and vexation? Those that can least act, are ofttimes the best to advice. Good old Naomi sits still at home, & by her counsel pays Ruth all the love she owes her. The face of that action to which she directs her, is the worst piece of it; the heart was sound. Perhaps, the assurance, which long trial had given her of the good government, and firm chastity of her daughter in law, together with her persuasion of the religious gravity of Boaz, made her think that design safe, which to others had been perilous, if not desperate. But besides that, holding BoaZ next of blood to Elimelech, she made account of him, as the lawful husband of Ruth; so as there wanted nothing but a challenge, and consummation. Nothing was abated but some outward solemnities, which (though expedient for the satisfaction of others; yet were not essential to marriage: And if there were not these colours for a project so suspicious, it would not follow, that the action were warrantable, because Naomies. Why should her example be more safe in this, then in matching her sons with infidels; then in sending back Orpah to her father's gods? If every act of an holy person should be out rule, we should have crooked lives: Every action that is reported, is not straightways allowed. Our courses were very uncertain, if God had not given us rules, whereby we may examine the examples of the best Saints, and as well censure, as follow them. Let them that stumble at the boldness of Ruth, imitate the continence of Boaz. These times were not delicate. This man (though great in Bethleem) lays him down to rest upon a , in the floor of his barn; when he awakes at midnight, no marvel if he were amazed to find himself accompanied; yet, though his heart were cheered with wine, the place solitary, the night silent, the person comely, the invitation plausible could he not be drawn to a rash act of lust; His appetite could not get the victory of reason, though it had wine and opportunity to help it. Herein BoaZ shown himself a great master of his affections, that he was able to resist a fit tentation. It is no thank to many that they are free of some evils; perhaps they wanted not will, but convenience. But if a man, when he is fitted with all helps to his sin, can repel the pleasure of sin, out of conscience; this is true fortitude! In stead of touching her as a wanton, he blesses her as a father, encourageth her as a friend, promiseth her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes, and gifts, no less chaste, more happy than she came. Oh admirable temperance worthy the progenitor of him, in whose lips and heart was no guile. If Boaz had been the next kinsman, the marriage had needed no protraction, but now that his conscience told him that Ruth was the right of another, it had not been more sensuality than injustice to have touched his kinswoman. It was not any bodily impotency, but honesty and conscience that restrained Boaz, for the very next night she conceived by him; that good man wished his marriage bed holy, and durst not lie down in the doubt of a sin. Many a man is honest out of necessity, and affects the praise of that, which he could not avoid; but that man's mind is still an adulterer, in the forced continence of his body. No action can give us true comfort, but that which we do out of the grounds of obedience. Those which are fearful of sinning, are careful not to be thought to sin. Boaz, though he knew himself so be clear, would not have occasion of suspicion given to others; (Let no man know that a woman came into the floor:) A good heart is no less afraid of a scandal, then of a sin; whereas those that are resolved not to make any scruple of sin, despise others constructions, not caring whom they offend, so that they may please themselves. That Naomi might see her daughter in law was not sent back in dislike; she comes home laden with corn; Ruth hath gleaned more this night, then in half the harvest. The care of BoaZ was, that she should not return to her mother empty: Love wheresoever it is, cannot be niggardly. We measure the love of God by his gifts; How shall he abide to send us away empty from those treasures of goodness! BoaZ is restless in the prosecution of this suit; and hies him from his threshing floor, to the gate, and there convents the nearer kinsman before the Elders of the City: what was it that made Boaz so ready to entertain, so forward to urge this match? Wealth she had none, not so much as bread, but what she gleaned out of the field: Friends she had none, and those she had elsewhere, Moabites: beauty she could not have much, after that scorching in her travel, in her glean: Himself tells her what drew his heart to her, (All the City of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman:) Virtue in whomsoever it is found, is a great dowry, and where it meets with an heart that knows how to value it, is accounted greater riches than all that is hid in the bowels of the earth: The corn heap of Boaz was but chaff to this, and his money, dross. As a man that had learned to square all his actions to the law of God, Boaz proceeds legally with his rival; and tells him of a parcel of Elimelecs' land (which, it is like, upon his removal to Moab, he had alienated;) which he (as the next kinsman) might have power to redeem; yet so, as he must purchase the wife of the deceased with the land. Every kinsman is not a Boaz, the man could listen to the land, if it had been free from the clog of a necessary marriage; but now he will rather leave the land, then take the wife; lest whiles he should preserve Elimelecs' inheritance, he should destroy his own; for the next seed, which he should have by Ruth, should not be his heir, but his deceased kinsman's; How knew he whether God might not by that wife, send heirs enough for both their estates? rather had he therefore incur a manifest injustice, than hazad the danger of his inheritance. The Law of God bound him to raise up seed to the next in blood; the care of his inheritance draws him to neglect of his duty, though with infamy and reproach, and he had rather, his face should be spit upon, and his name should be called, The house of him whose shoow as pulled off, then to reserve the honour of him, that did his brother right, to his own prejudice. How many are there that do so overlove their issue, as that they regard neither sin, nor shame in advancing it? and that will rather endanger their soul, then lose their name? It is a woeful inheritance that makes men heirs of the vengeance of God. Boaz is glad to take the advantage of his refusal; and holds that (which was the sign of his tenure) more worth than all the land of Elimelec. And whereas other Wives purchase their husbands, with a large dowry, this man purchaseth his wife at a dear rate, and thinks his bargain happy. All the substance of the earth, is not worth a virtuous and prudent wife; which Boaz doth now so rejoice in, as if he this day only began to be wealthy. Now is Ruth taken into the house of Boaz; she, that before had said, she was not like one of his maidens, is now become their mistress. This day she hath gleaned all the fields and barns of a rich husband; and (that there might be no want in her) happiness by a gracious husband she hath gained an happy seed; and hath the honour, above all the dames of Israel, to be the great grandmother of a King, of David, of the Messiah. Now is Marah turned back again to Naomi; and Orpah, if she hear of this in Moab, cannot but envy at her sister's happiness. Oh the sure and bountiful payments of the almighty! Who ever came under his wing in vain? Who ever lost by trusting him? Who ever forsook the Moab of this world for the true Israel, and did not at last rejoice in the change? ANNA and PENINNA. ILL customs, where they are once entertained, are not easily discharged; Polygamy, besides carnal delight, might now plead age & example: so as even Elkanah (though a Levite) is tainted with the sin of Lamech; Like as fashions of attire, which at the first were disliked as uncomely, yet when they are once grown common, are taken up of the gravest. Yet this sin (as then currant with the time) could not make Elkanah not religious. The House of God in Shilo was duly frequented of him; oftentimes, alone, in his ordinary course of attendance; with all his males; thrice a year; and once a year with all his family. The continuance of an unknown sin cannot hinder the uprightness of a man's heart with God; as a man may have a mole upon his back, and yet think his skin clear; the least touch of knowledge, or wilfulness mars his sincerity. He that by virtue of his place was employed about the the sacrifices of others, would much less neglect his own. It is a shame for him that teaches God's people that they should not appear before the Lord empty, to bring no sacrifice for himself. If Levites be profane, who should be religious? It was the fashion when they sacrificed, to feast; so did Elkanah, the day of his devotion is the day of his triumph: he makes great cheer for his whole family, even for that wife which he loved less. There is nothing more comely than cheerfulness in the services of God. What is there in all the world, wherewith the heart of man should be so lift up, as with the consceience of his duty done to his Maker? Whiles we do so, God dorh to us, as our glass, smile upon us, while we smile on him. Love will be seen by entertainment; Peninna and her children shall not complain of want, but Anna shall find her husband's affection in her portion; as his love to her was double, so was her part; She fared not the worse, because she was childless; no good husband will dislike his wife for a fault out of the power of her redness: yea rather, that which might seem to lose the love of her husband, wins it, her barrenness. The good nature of Elkanah laboured by his dear respects, to recompense this affliction; that so she might find no less contentment in the fruit of his hearty love, than she had grief from her own fruitlessness. It is the property of true mercy, to be most favourable to the weakest; Thus doth the gracious spouse of the Christian soul pity the barrenness of his servants. O Saviour, we should not find thee so indulgent to us, if we did not complain of our own unworthiness! Peninna may have the more children, but barren Anna hath the most love. How much rather could Elkanah have wished Peninna barren, and Anna fruitful? but if she should have had both issue, and love, she had been proud, and her rival despised. God knows how to disperse his favours so, that every one may have cause both of thankfulness, and humiliation; whiles there is no one that hath all, no one but hath some. If envy and contempt were not thus equally tempered, some would be over haughty; and others too miserable: But now, every man sees that in himself which is worthy of contempt, & matter of emulation in others; and contrarily, sees what to pity, and dislike in the most eminent, and what to applaud in himself, and out of this contrariety, arises a sweet mean of contentation. The love of Elkanah is so unable to free Anna from the wrongs of her rival, that it procures them rather. The unfruitfulness of Anna had never with so much despite been laid in her dish, if her husband's heart had been as barren of love to her. Envy, though it take advantage of our weaknesses, yet is ever raised upon some grounds of happiness, in them whom it emulates; it is ever an ill effect of a good cause: If Abel's sacrifice had not been accepted, and if the acceptation of his sacrifice had not been a blessing, no envy had followed upon it. There is no evil of another, wherein it is fit to rejoice, but his envy, and this is worthy of our joy, and thankfulness, because it shows us the price of that good, which we had, and valued not. The malignity of envy is thus well answered, when it is made the evil cause of a good effect to us, when God and our souls may gain by another's sin. I do not find that Anna insulted upon Peninna, for the greater measure of her husband's love, as Peninna did upon her, for her fruitlessness. Those that are truly gracious, know how to receive the blessings of God, without contempt of them that want; and have learned to be thankful, without overlinesse. Envy, when it is once conceived in a malicious heart, is like fire in billets of juniper, which (they say) continues more years than one. Every year was Anna thus vexed with her emulous partner; and troubled, both in her prayers and meal: Amidst all their feastings, she fed on nothing but her tears. Some dispositions are less sensible, and more careless of the despite and injuries of others, and can turn over unkind usages, with contempt. By how much more tender the heart is, so much more deeply is it ever affected with discourtesies; As wax receives and retains that impression, which in the heard clay cannot be seen, or, as the eye feels that more, which the skin of the eyelid could not complain of: Yet the husband of Anna (as one that knew his duty) labours by his love, to comfort her against these discontentments, Why weepest thou? Am not I better to thee then ten sons? It is the weakness of good natures to give so much advantage to an enemy; what would malice rather have, than the vexation of them whom it persecutes? We cannot better please an adversary, then by hurting ourselves: This is no other, then to humour envy, to serve the turn of those that malign us; and to draw on that malice, whereof we are weary; whereas carelessness puts ill will out of countenance; and makes it withdraw itself in a rage, as that which doth but shame the author, without the hurt of the patiented. In causeless wrongs, the best remedy is contempt. She that could not find comfort in the loving persuasions of her husband, seeks at in her prayers; she rises up hungry from the feast, and hies her to the Temple; there she power out hers tears, and supplications. Whatsoever the complaint be, here is the remedy: There is one universal receipt for all evils, prayer: when all helps fail us, this remains; and whiles we have an heart, comforts it. Here was not more bitterness in the soul of Anna, than fervency; she did not only weep and pray, but vow unto God: If God will give her a son, she will give her son to God back again: Even nature itself had consecrated her son to God; for he could not but be borne a Levite: But if his birth make him a Levite, her vow shall make him a Nazarite, and dedicate his minority to the Tabernacle. The way to obtain any benefit is to devote it in our hearts, to the glory of that God, of whom we ask it: By this means shall God both pleasure his servant, and honour himself; whereas, if the scope of our desires be carnal, we may be sure either to fail of our suit, or of a blessing. ELY and ANNA. OLd Ely sits on a stool, by one of the posts of the Tabernacle: Where should the Priests of God be but in the Temple? whether for action or for oversight: Their very presence keeps God's House in order, and the presence of God keeps their hearts in order. It is oft found, that those which are themselves conscionable, are too forward to the censuring of others: Good Ely, because he marks the lips of Anna to move without noise, chides her as drunken, and uncharitably misconstrues her denotion: It was a weak ground whereon to build so heavy a sentence. If he had spoken too loud, and incomposedly, he might have had some just colour for this conceit; but now to accuse her silence (notwithstanding all the tears which he saw) of drunkenness, it was a zealous breach of charity. Some spirit would have been enraged with so rash a censure: When anger meets with grief, both turn into fury: But this good woman had been injured to reproaches, and beside, did well see the reproof arose from misprision, and the misprision from zeal; and therefore answers meekly as one that had rather satisfy, then expostulate; Nay, my Lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit. Ely may now learn charity of Anna: If she had been in that distemper, whereof he accused her, his just reproof had not been so easily digested: Guiltiness is commonly clamorous, and impatient, whereas innocence is silent and careless of mis-resports. It is natural unto to all men to wipe off from their name all aspersions of evil, but none do it with such violence, as they which are faulty. It is a sign the horse is galled, that stirs too much when he is touched. She that was censured for drunken, censures drunkenness more deeply than her reprovet; Count not thi●e handmaid for a daughter of Belial. The drunkard's st●●e gins in lawlessness, proceeds in unprofitableness, ends in misery; and all shut up it the denomination of this pedigree, A son of Belial. If Anna had been tainted with this sin, she would have denied it with more favour, and have disclaimed it with an externiation; What if I should have been merry with wine? yet I might be devout: If I should have ouerioyed in my sacrifice to God, one cup of excess had not been so heinous: now her freedom is seen in her severity. Those which have clear hearts from any sin, prosecute it with rigour; whereas the guilty are ever partial: their conscience holds their hands, and tells them that they beat themselves, whiles they punish others. Now Ely sees his error, and recants it; and to make amends for his rash censure, prays for her. Even the best may err, but not persist in it: When good natures have offended, they are unquiet, till they have hastened satisfaction: This was within his office, to pray for the distressed: Wherefore serves the Priest, but to sacrifice for the people? and the best sacrifices are the prayers of faith. She that began her prayers with fasting, and heaviness, rises up from them with cheerfulness, and repast. It cannot be spoken, how much ease and joy the heart of man finds in having unloaded his cares, and poured out his supplications into the ears of God; since it is well assured, that the suit which is faithfully asked, is already granted in heaven. The conscience may well rest, when it tells us, that we have neglected no means of redressing our affliction; for than it may resolve to look either for amendment, or patience. The sacrifice is ended, and now Elkanah and his family rise up early to return unto Ramah: but they dare not set forward, till they have worshipped before the Lord. That journey cannot hope to prosper, that takes not God with it. The way to receive blessings at home, is to be devout at the Temple. She that before conceived faith in her heart, now conceives a son in her womb: God will rather work miracles, then faithful prayers shall return empty: I do not find that Peninna asked any son of God, yet she had store; Anna begged hard for this one, and could not till now obtain him. They which are dearest to God, do ofttimes with great difficulty work our of those blessings, which fall into the mouths of the careless. That wise disposer of all things knows it fit to hold us short of those favours which we sue for; whether for the trial of our patience, or the exercise of our faith; or the increase of our importunity, or the doubling of our obligation. Those children are most like to prove blessings, which the parents have begged of God, and which are no less the fruit of our supplications, then of our body. As this child was the son of his mother's prayers, and was consecrated to God ere his possibility of being; so now himself shall know, both how he came, and whereto he was ordained; and lest he should forget it, his very name shall teach him both; (She called his name Samuel.) He cannot so much as hear himself named, but he must needs remember both the extraordinary mercy of God, in giving him to a barren mother; and the vow of his mother, in restoring him back to God by her zealous dedication; and by both of them learn holiness and obedience. There is no necessity of significant names, but we cannot have too many monitors to put us in mind of our duty. It is wont to be the father's privilege to name his child; but because this was his mother's son, begotten more by her prayers, than the seed of Elkana, it was but reason she should have the chief hand both in his name, and disposing. It bade been indeed the power of Elkanah, to have changed both his name, and profession, and to abrogate the vow of his wife; that wives might know, they were not their own; and that the rib might learn to know the head: But husbands shall abuse their authority, if they shall wilfully cross the holy purposes and religious endeavours of their yokefellowes. How much more fit is it for them to cherish all god desires in the weaker vessels? and as we use, when we carry a small light in a wind, to hide it with our lap, or hand, that it may not go out. If the wife be a Vine, the husband should be an Elm to uphold her in all worthy enterprises; else she falls to the ground, and proves fruitless. The year is now come about; and Elkanah calls his family to their holy journey, to go up to jerusalem, for the anniversary solemnity of their sacrifice: Annaes' heart is with them, but she hath a good excuse to stay at home, the charge of her Samuel: her success in the Temple, keeps her haply from the Temple; that her devotion may be doubled, because it was respited. God knows how to dispense with necessities; but if we suffer idle and needles occasions to hold us from the Tabernacle of God, our hearts are but hollow to Religion. Now at last, when the child was weaned from her hand, she goes up, and pays her vow, and with it, pays the interest of her intermission. Never did Anna go up with so glad an heart to Shilo, as now that she carries God this reasonable Present, which himself gave to her, & now she vowed to him; accompanied with the bounty of other sacrifices, more in number & measure, than the Law of God requited of her; and all this is too little for her God, that so mercifully remembered her affliction, and miraculously remedied it. Those hearts which are truly thankful, do no less rejoice in their repayment, then in their receipt; and do as much study, how to show their humble and fervent affections, for what they have, as how to compass favours, when they want them, Their debt is their burden, which when they have discharged, they are at ease. If Anna had repent of her vow, and not presented her son to the Tabernacle, Ely could not have challenged him; He had only seen her lips stir, not hearing the promise of her heart. It was enough, that her own soul knew her vow, and God which was greater than it. The obligation of a secret vow is no less, then if it had ten thousand witnesses. Old Ely could not choose but much rejoice to see this fruit of those lips, which he thought moved with wine; and this good proof, both of the merciful audience of God, and the thankful fidelity of his Handmaid; this sight calls him down to his knees (He worshipped the Lord.) We are unprofitable witnesses of the mercies of God and the graces of men, if we do not glorify him for others sakes, no less then for our own. Ely and Anna grew now better acquainted; neither had he so much cause to praise God for her, as she afterwards for him; For if her own prayers obtained her first child; his blessing enriched her with five more. If she had not given her first son to God, ere she had him; I doubt whether she had not been ever barren; or if she had kept her Samuel at home, whether ever she had conceived again; now that piety which stripped her of her only child, for the service of her God, hath multiplied the fruit of her womb, and gave her five for that one, which was still no less hers, because he was Gods. There is no so certain way of increase, as to lend, or give unto the Owner of all things. ELY and his Sons. IF the conveyance of grace were natural; holy Parents would not be so ill suited with children. What good man would not rather wish his loins dry, then fruitful of wickedness? Now, we can neither traduce goodness, nor choose but traduce sin. If virtue were as well entailed upon us, as sin, one might serve to check the other in our children; but now since grace is derived from heaven on whomsoever it pleases the Giver, and that evil which ours receive hereditarily from us, is multiplied by their own corruption, it can be no wonder that good men have ill children, it is rather a wonder that any children are not evil. The sons of Ely are as lewd, as himself was holy. If the goodness of examples, precepts, education, profession, could have been preservatives from extremity of sin, these sons of an holy Father had not been wicked; now, neither parentage, nor breeding, nor Priesthood can keep the sons of Ely from the sons of Belial. If our children be good, let us thank God for it; this was more than we could give them, if evil, they may thank us, and themselves: us, for their birth-sin; themselves, for the improvement of it to that height of wickedness. If they had not been sons of Ely, yet being Priests of God, who would not have hoped their very calling should have infused some holiness into them? But now, even their white Ephod covers foul sins; yea rather, if they which serve at the Altar degenerate, their wickedness is so much more above others, as their place is holier. A wicked Priest is the worst creature upon earth. Who are Devils, but they which were once Angels of light? Who can stumble at the sins of the Evangelicall Levites, that sees such impurity even before the Ark of God? That God which promised to be the Levites portion, had set forth the portion of his Ministers; he will feast them at his own Altar; The breast & the right shoulder of the peace-offering was their morsel; these bold and covetous Priests will rather have the flesh-hooke their rabiter, than God, whatsoever those three teeth fasten upon, shall be for their tooth, they were weary of one joint, and now their delicacy affects variety; God is not worthy to carve for these men, but their own hands; And this they do not receive, but take; and take violently, unseasonably: It had been fit God should be first served; their presumption will not stay his leisure; ere the fat be burned, ere the flesh be boiled, they snatch more than their share from the Altar; as if the God of heaven should wait on their palate; as if the Israelites had come thither to sacrifice to their bellies; and (as commonly a wanton tooth is the harbinger to luxurious wantonness) they are no sooner fed, than they neigh after the Dames of Israel; Holy women assemble to the door of the Tabernacle; these varlets tempt them to lust, that came thither for devotion; they had wives of their own, yet their unbridled desires rove after strangers, and fear not to pollute even that holy place with abominable filthiness. O sins, too shameful for men; much more for the spiritual guides of Israel! He that makes himself a servant to his tooth, shall easily become a slave to all inordinate affections. That Altar which expeiated other men's sins added to the sins of the sacrificers, Doubtless many a soul was the cleaner for the blood of the sacrifices, which they shed, whiles their own were more impure; And as the Altar cannot sanctify the priest, so the uncleanness of the Minister cannot pollute the offering; because the virtue thereof is not in the agent, but in the institution; in the representation his sin is his own; the comfort of the Sacrament is from God; Our Clergy is no charter for heaven; Even those, whose trade is devotion, may at once show the way to heaven by their tongue, and by their foot lead the way to hell. It is neither a cowl, nor an Ephod that can privilege the soul. The sin of these men was worthy of contempt, yea perhaps their persons; but for the people therefore, to abhor the offerings of the Lord, was to add their evil unto the Priests; and to offend God, because he was offended; There can no offence be justly taken, even at men; much less at God for the sake of men: No man's sins should bring the service of God into dislike; this is to make holy things guilty of our profaneness. It is dangerous ignorance, not to distinguish betwixt the work, and the instrument; whereupon it oft comes to pass, that we fall out with God, because we find cause of offence from men; and give God just cause to abhor us, because we abhor his service unjustly. Although it be true (of great men especially) that they are the last that know the evils of their own house, yet either it could not be, when all Israel rung of the lewdness of Elies' sons, that he only should not know it, or if he knew it not, his ignorance cannot be excused; for a seasonable restraint might have prevented this extremity of debauchedness. Complaints are long muttered of the great, ere they dare break forth to open contestation: public accusations of authority argues intolerable extremities of evil; nothing but age can plead for Ely, that he was not the first accuser of his sons: now when their enormities came to be the voice of the multitude, he must hear it perforce; and doubtless he heard it with grief enough, but not with anger enough: he that was the judge of Israel, should have unpartially judged his own flesh and blood; never could he have offered a more pleasing sacrifice, than the depraved blood of so wicked sons. In vain do we rebuke those sins abroad, which we tolerate at home. That man makes himself but ridiculous, that leaving his own house on fire, runs to quench his neighbours. I heard Ely sharp enough to Anna, upon but a suspicion of sin; and now, how mild I find him to the notorious crimes of his own? Why do you so, my sons? It is no good report; my sons, do no more so: The case is altered with the persons. If nature may be allowed to speak in judgement, and to make difference, not of sins, but offenders, the sentence must needs savour of partiality. Had these men but some little slackened their duty, or heedlessly omitted some rite of the sacrifice, this censure had not been unfit; but to punish the thefts, rapines, sacrileges, adulteries, incests of his sons, why Why do ye so, was no other than to shave that head, which had deserved cutting off. As it is with ill humours, that a weak dose doth but stir, and anger them, not purge them out; so it fareth with sins: An easy reproof doth but encourage wickedness, and makes it think itself so slight, as that censure importeth: A vehement rebuke to a capital evil, is but like a strong shower to a ripe field, which lays that corn which were worthy of a sickle. It is a breach of justice, not to proportionate the punishment to the offence: To whip a man for a murder, or to punish the purse for incest, or to burn treason in the hand, or to award the stocks to burglary, is to patronise evil, in stead of avenging it: Of the two extremes, rigour is more safe for the public weal, because the over-punishing of one offender frights many from sinning. It is bet●er to live in a commonwealth where nothing is lawful, then where every thing. Indulgent parents are cruel to themselves, and their posterity. Ely could not have devised which way to have plagued himself and his house so much, as by his kindness to his children's sins: What variety of judgements doth he now hear of from the messenger of God? First, because his old age (which uses to be subject to choler) inclined now to mis-favour his sons; therefore there shall not be an old man left of his house for ever: and because it vexed him not enough to see his son's enemies to God in their profession, therefore he shall see his enemy in the habitation of the Lord; and because himself forbore to take vengeance of his sons, and esteemed their life above the glory of his Master, therefore God will revenge himself, by killing them both in one day; and because he abused his sovereignty by connivance at sin, therefore shall his house be stripped of his honour, and see it translated to another; and lastly, because he suffered his sons to please their own wanton appetite, in taking meat off from God's trencher, therefore, those which remain of his house, shall come to his successors, to beg a piece of silver, and a morsel of bread; in a word, because he was partial to his sons, God shall execute all this severely upon him and them. I do not read of any fault Ely had, but indulgence; and which of the notorious offenders were plagued more. Parents need no other means to make them miserable, then sparing the rod. Who should be the bearer of these fearful tidings to Ely, but young Samuel, whom himself had trained up? He was now grown past hi● mother's coats, fit for the Message of God. Old Ely rebuked not his young sons, therefore young Samuel is sent to rebuke him. I marvel not whiles the Priesthood was so corrupted, if the Word of God were precious, if there were no public vision, It is not the manner of God to grace the unworthy; The ordinary ministration in the Temple was too much honour for those that rob the Altar, though they had no extraordinary revelations. Hereupon it was, that God lets old Ely sleep, (who slept in his sin) and awakes Samuel, to tell what he would do with his master. He which was wont to be the mouth of God to the people, must now receive the Message of God, from the mouth of another; As great persons will not speak to those, with whom they are highly offended, but send them their checks by others. The lights of the Temple were now dim, and almost ready to give place to the morning, when God called Samuel; to signify perhaps, that those which should have been the lights of Israel, burned no less dimly, and were near their going out, and should be succeeded with one, so much more lightsome than they, as the Sun was more bright than the Lamps: God had good leisure to have delivered this message by day, but he meant to make use of samuel's mistaking; and therefore so speaks, that Ely may be asked for an answer, and perceive himself both omitted, & censured. He that meant to use samuel's voice to Ely, imitates the voice of Ely to Samuel; Samuel had so accustomed himself to obedience, and to answer the call of Ely, that lying in the further cells of the Levites, he is easily raised from his sleep; and even in the night runs for his message to him, who was rather to receive it from him: Thrice is the old man disquieted with the diligence of his servant; and, though visions were rare in his days, yet is he not so unacquainted with God, as not to attribute that voice to him, which himself heard not. Wherefore like a better Tutor than a parent, he teaches Samuel what he shall answer, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. It might have pleased God at the first call to have delivered his message to Samuel, not expecting the answer of a novice unseen in the visions of a God; yet doth he rather defer it till the fourth summons, and will not speak till Samuel confessed his audience. God love's ever to prepare his servants for his employments, and will not commit his errands, but to those, whom he addressed both by wonder, and attention, and humility. Ely knew well the gracious fashion of God, that where he tended a favour, prorogation could be no hindrance; & therefore after the call of God thrice answered with silence, he instructs Samuel to be ready for the fourth: If samuel's silence had been wilful, I doubt whether he had been again solicited; now God doth both pity his error, and requite his diligence by redoubling his name at the last. Samuel had now many years ministered before the Lord, but never till now heard his voice; and now hears it with much terror; for the first word that he hears God speak, is threatening, and that of vengeance to his master. What were these menaces, but so man premonitions to himself that should succeed Ely? God gins early to season their hearts with fear, whom he means to make eminent instruments of his glory. It is his mercy to make us witnesses of the judgements of others, that we may be forewarned, ere we have the occasions of sinning. I do not hear God bid Samuel deliver this message to Ely; He that was but now made a Prophet, knows, that the errands of God intent not silence; and that God would not have spoken to him of another, if he had meant the news should be reserved to himself: Neither yet did he run with open mouth unto Ely, to tell him this vision, unasked. No wise man will be hasty to bring ill tidings to the great; rather doth he stay till the importunity of his Master should wring it from his unwillingness; and then, as his concealment shown his love, so his full relation shall approve his fidelity. If the heart of Ely had not told him this news, before God told it Samuel, he had never been so instant with Samuel, not to conceal it; His conscience did well presage that it concerned himself; Guiltiness needs no Prophet to assure it of punishment. The mind that is troubled, protecteth terrible things: and though it cannot single out the judgement allotted to it, yet it is in a confused expectation of some grievous evil. Surely, Ely could not think it worse than it was; The sentence was fearful, and such as I wonder, the neck, or the heart of old Ely could hold out the report of; That God swears he will judge Elyes house; and that with beggary, with death, with desolation; & that the wickedness of his house shall not be purged with sacrifice, or offerings for ever: And yet this which every Israelites ear should tingle to hear of, when it should be done, old Ely hears with an unmoved patience, and humble submission, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. Oh admirable faith, and more than humane constancy and resolution, worthy of the aged precedent of Shiloh, worthy of an heart sacrificed to that God, whose justice had refused to expiate his sin by sacrifice! If Ely have been an ill father to his sons, yet he is a good son to God, and is ready to kiss the very rod he shall smart withal; It is the Lord, whom I have ever found holy, and just, and gracious, and he cannot but be himself; Let him do what seemeth him good; for whatsoever seemeth good to him, cannot but be good, howsoever it seems to me: Every man can open his hand to God while he blesses; but to expose ourselves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker, and to kneel to him whiles he scourges us, is peculiar only to the faithful. If ever a good heart could have freed a man from temporal punishments, Ely must ned's have escaped: God's anger was appeased by his humble repentance, but his justice must be satisfied: Elies sin and his sons, was in the eye and mouth of all Israel; his therefore should have been much wronged by their impunity. Who would not have made these spiritual guides an example of lawlessness? and have said, What care I how I live, if Elyes sons go away unpunished? As not the tears of Ely, so not the words of Samuel may fall to the ground: We may not measure the displeasure of God by his stripes; many times, after the remission of the sin, the very chastisements of the Almighty are deadly: No repentance can assure us that we shall not smart with outward afflictions; That can prevent the eternal displeasure of God; but still it may be necessary and good we should be corrected: Our care and suit must be, that the evils which shall not be averted, may be sanctified. If the prediction of these evils were fearful, what shall the execution be? The presumption of the il-taught Israelites shall give occasion to this judgement, for being smitten before the Philistims, they send for the Ark into the field. Who gave them authority to command the Ark of God at their pleasure? Here was no consulting with the Ark, which they would fetch; no inquiry of Samuel whether they should fetch it; but an heady resolution of presumptuous Elders to force God into the field, and to challenge success. If God were not with the Ark, why did they send for it, and rejoice in the coming of it? If God were with it, why was not his allowance asked that it should come? How can the people be good, where the Priests are wicked? When the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts that dwells between the Cherubins, was brought into the Host (though with mean and wicked attendance) Israel doth (as it were) fill the heaven, and shake the earth with shouts; as if the Ark and victory were no less unseparable than they had their sins. Even the lewdest men will be looking for favour from that God, whom thy cared not to displease, contrary to the conscience of their deservings. Presumption doth the same in wicked men, which faith doth in the holiest. Those that regarded not the God of the Ark, think themselves safe & happy in the Ark of God: Vain men are transported with a confidence in the outsides of religion, not regarding the substance and soul of it, which only can give them true peace. But rather than God will humour superstition in Israelites, he will suffer his own Ark to fall into the hands of Philistims: Rather will he seem to slacken his hand of protection, than he will be thought to have his hands bound by a formal misconfidence. The slaughter of the Israelites was no plague to this: It was a greater plague rather to them that should survive, and behold it. The two sons of Ely, which had helped to corrupt their brethren, die by the hands of the uncircumcised, & are now too late separated from the Ark of God by Philistims, which should have been before separated by their Father: They had lived formerly to bring God's Altar into contempt, & now live to carry his Ark into captivity: and at last, as those that had made up the measure of their wickedness, are slain in their sin. Ill news doth ever either run, or fly: The man of Benjamin, which ran from the Host, hath soon filled the City with outcries; and Elies ears with the cry of the City. The good old man, after ninety and eight years, sits in the gate, as one that never thought himself too aged to do God service; & hears the news of Israel's discomfiture, and his son's death, though with sorrow, yet with patience; but when the messenger tells him of the Ark of God taken, he can live no longer; that word strikes him down backward from his throne, and kills him in the fall: no sword of a Philistim could have slain him more painfully, neither know I whether his neck or his heart were first broken. Oh fearful judgement, that ever any Israelites ear could tingle withal! The Ark lost? what good man would wish to live without God? Who can choose but think he hath lived too long, that hath over-lived the Testimonies of God's presence with his Church? Yea the very daughter in law of Ely, a woman, the wife of a lewd husband, when she was at once travelling (upon that tidings) & in that travail, dying (to make up the full sum of God's judgement upon that wicked house) as one insensible of the death of her father, of her husband, of herself, in comparison of this los, calls her (then unseasonable) son Ichabod, & with her last breath says, The Glory is departed from Israel; the Ark is taken: what cares she for a posterity, which should want the Ark? what cares she for a son, come into the world, of Israel, when God was gone from it? and how willingly doth she departed from them, from whom God was departed? Not outward magnificence, not state, not wealth, not favour of the mighty, but the presence of God in his Ordinances, are the glory of Israel: the subducing whereof is a greater judgement than destruction. Oh Israel, worse now than no people! a thousand times more miserable than Philistims: Those Pagans went away triumphing with the Ark of God, and victory; and leave the remnants of the chosen people to lament, that they once had a God. Oh cruel and wicked indulgence, that is now found guilty of the death, not only of the Priests, and people, but of Religion! Unjust mercy can never end in less than blood; and it were well, if only the body should have cause to complain of that kind cruelty. FJNIS. Contemplations UPON THE PRINCIPAL PASSAGES OF THE Holy Story. The fourth Volume By I. H. D. D. LONDON, Printed for THO: PAVIER MILES FLESHER, and john Haviland. 1625. Contemplations. THE TWELFTH BOOK. Containing The Ark and Dagon. The Arkes' revenge and return. The remove of the Ark. The meeting of SAUL and SAMVEL. The Jnauguration of SAUL. SAMVELS' contestation. SAULS' sacrifice. JONATHANS' victory and SAULS' oath. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, the Lord Hay, Baron of Saley, One of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council. RIGHT HONOURABLE: Upon how just reason these my Contemplations go forth so late after their Fellows, it were needless to give account to your Lordship, in whose train I had the honour (since my last) to pass both the Sea and the tweed. All my private studies have gladly vailed to the public services of my Sovereign Master: No sooner could I recover the happiness of my quiet thoughts, than I renewed this my divine task: Wherein I cannot but profess to place so much contentment, as that I wish not any other measure of my life, than it; What is this other, than the exaltation of ISAAC'S delight to walk forth into the pleasant fields of the Scriptures, and to meditate of nothing under heaven? Yea, what other than JACOBS' sweet vision of Angels, climbing up and down that sacred Ladder, which God hath set between heaven and earth? Yea, (to rise yet higher) what other then an imitation of holy Moses, in his conversing with God himself, on the Horeb of both Testaments? And if I may call your Lo. forth a little from your great affairs of Court and State, to bless your eyes with this prospect, how happy shall you confess this change of objects? and how unwillingly shall you obtain leave of your thoughts to return unto these sublunary employments? Our last Discourse left God's Ark amongst the Philistims; now we return to see what it doth there, and to fetch it thence: Wherein your Lo. shall find the revenges of God never so deadly, as when he gives most way unto men; The vain confidence of wickedness ending in a late repentance: The fearful plagues of a presumptuous sauciness with God, not prevented with the honesty of good intentions; The mercy of God accepting the services of an humble faithfulness in a meaner dress. From thence you shall see the dangerous issue of an affected innovation, although to the better; The errors of credulity, and blind affection in the holiest Governors, guilty of the people's discontentment; The stubborn headdinesse of a multitude that once finds the reynes slack in their necks, not capable of any pause, but their own fall; The untrusty promises of a fair outside, and a plausible entrance, shutting up in a woeful disappointment. What do I forestall a Discourse so full of choice; your Lorenzo shall find every line useful, and shall willingly confess that the Story of God can make a man not less wise, then good. Mine humble thankfulness knows not how to express itself otherwise, then in these kind of presents, and in my hearty prayers for the increase of your honour, and happiness, which shall never be wanting from Your Lo. sincerely and thankfully devoted, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE TWELFTH BOOK. The Ark and Dagon. IF men did not mistake God, they could not arise to such height of impiety: The acts of his just judgement are imputed to impotence; that God would send his Ark captive to the Philistims, is so construed by them, as if he could not keep it: the wife of Phinehas cried out, that glory was departed from Israel; The Philistims dare say in triumph, that glory is departed from the God of Israel: The Ark was not Israel's, but Gods, this victory reaches higher than to men. Dagon had never so great a day, so many sacrifices, as now that he seems to take the God of Israel prisoner: Where should the captive be bestowed, but in the custody of the victor? It is not love, but insultation, that lodges the Ark close beside Dagon. What a spectacle was this, to see uncircumcised Philistims laying their profane hands upon the Testimony of God's presence? to see the glorious Mercy-seat under the roof of an idol? to see the two Cherubims spreading their wings under a false god? Oh the deep and holy wisdom of the Almighty, which over-reaches all the finite conceits of his creatures, who whiles he seems most to neglect himself, fetches about most glory to his own name; He winks and fits still on purpose, to see what men would do, and is content to suffer indignity from his creature, for a time, that he may be everlastingly magnified in his justice, and power: That honour pleaseth God and men best, which is raised out of contempt. The Ark of God was not used to such Porters; The Philistims carry it unto Ashdod, that the victory of Dagon may be more glorious: What pains Superstition puts men unto, for the triumph of a false cause? And if profane Philistims can think it no toil to carry the Ark where they should not, what a shame is it for us, if we do not gladly attend it where we should? How justly may Gods truth scorn the imparity of our zeal? If the Israelites did put confidence in the Ark, can we marvel that the Philistims did put confidence in that power which (as they thought) had conquered the Ark? The less is ever subject unto the greater; What could they now think but that heaven and earth were theirs? Who shall stand out against them, when the God of Israel hath yielded? Security and presumption attend ever at the threshold of ruin. God will let them sleep in this confidence; in the morning they shall fine how vainly they have dreamt. Now they begin to find they have but gloried in their own plague, and overthrown nothing but their own peace. Dagon hath an house, when God hath but a Tabernacle; It is no measuring of Religion by outward glory: Into this house the proud Philistims come, the next morning, to congratulate unto their god, so great a captive, such divine spoils, and in their early devotions to fall down before him, under whom the God of Israel was fallen: and lo, where they find their god, fallen down on the ground upon his face, before him whom they thought both his prisoner and theirs: Their god is forced to do that, which they should have done voluntarily; although God casts down that dumb rival of his, for scorn, not for adoration. Oh ye foolish Philistims, could ye think that the same house will hold God and Dagon? could ye think a senseless stone, a fit companion and guardian for the living God? Had ye laid your Dagon upon his face, prostrate before the Ark, yet would not God have endured the indignity of such a lodging; but now, that ye presume to set up your carved stone, equal to his Cherubins, go read your folly in the floor of your Temple, and know that he which cast your god so low, can cast you lower. The true God owes a shame to those which will be making matches betwixt himself and Belial. But this perhaps was only a mischance, or a neglect of attendance, lay to your hands, O ye Philistims, and raise up Dagon into his place: It is a miserable god that needs helping up; Had ye not been more senseless than that stone, how could you choose but think, How shall he raise us above our enemies, that cannot rise alone? How shall he establish us in the station of our peace, that cannot hold his own foot? If Dagon did give the foil unto the God of Israel, what power is it, that hath cast him upon his face, in his own Temple? It is just with God, that those which want grace, shall want wit too; it is the power of superstition, to turn men into those stocks and stones which they worship: They that make them are like unto them: Doubtless, this first fall of Dagon was kept as secret, and excused as well as it might, and served rather for astonishment, than conviction; there was more strangeness than horror in that accident: That whereas Dagon had wont to stand, and the Philistims fall down, now Dagon fell down, and the Philistims stood, and must become the patrons of their own god; their god worships them upon his face, and craves more help from them, than ever he could give: But if their sottishness can digest this, all is well. Dagon is set in his place, and now those hands are lift up to him, which helped to lift him up; and those faces are prostrate unto him, before whom he lay prostrate. Idolatry and superstition are not easily put out of countenance; but will the jealousy of the true God put it up thus? Shall Dagon escape with an harmless fall? Surely, if they had let him lie still upon the pavement, perhaps that insensible statue had found no other revenge; but now, they will be advancing it to the roodloft again, and affront God's Ark with it, the event will shame them, and let them know, how much God scorns a partner, either of his own making, or theirs. The morning is fittest for devotion, then do the Philistims flock to the Temple of their god. What a shame is it for us to come late to ours? Although not so much piety as curiosity did now hasten their speed, to see what rest their Dagon was allowed to get in his own roof; and now behold their kind god is come to meet them in the way: some pieces of him salute their eyes upon the threshold. Dagons' head and hands are overrun their fellows, to tell the Philistims how much they were mistaken in a god. This second fall breaks the Idol in pieces, and threats the same confusion to the worshippers of it. Easy warnings neglected end ever in destruction. The head is for devising, the hand for execution: In these two powers of their god, did the Philistims chief trust; these are therefore laid under their feet, upon the threshold, that they might afar off see their vanity, and that (if they would) they might set their foot on that best piece of their god, wherein their heart was set. There was nothing wherein that Idol resembled a man, but in his head, and hands, the rest was but a scaly portraiture of a fish; God would therefore separate from this stone, that part which had mocked man, with the counterfeit of himself; that man might see what an unworthy lump he had matched with himself, and set up above himself: The just quarrel of God is bend upon those means, and that parcel which have dared to rob him of his glory. How can the Philistims now miss the sight of their own folly? how can they be but enough convicted of their mad idolatry, to see their god lie broken to morsels, under their feet? every piece whereof proclaims the power of him that broke it, and the stupidity of those that adored it? Who would expect any other issue of this act, but to hear the Philistims say, We now see how superstition hath blinded us? Dagon is no god for us, our hearts shall never more rest upon a broken statue: That only true God, which hath beaten ours, shall challenge us by the right of conquest: but here was none of this; rather a further degree of their dotage follows upon this palpable conviction: They cannot yet suspect that god, whose head they may trample upon, but in stead of hating their Dagon, that lay broken upon their threshold, they honour the threshold, on which Dagon lay; and dare not set their foot on that place which was hallowed by the broken head and hands of their Deity: Oh the obstinacy of Idolatry, which where it hath got hold of the heart, knows neither to blush, nor yield, but rather gathers strength from that which might justly confound it. The hand of the Almighty, which moved them not in falling upon their god, falls now nearer them upon their persons, and strikes them in their bodies, which would not feel themselves stricken in their Idol: Pain shall humble them whom shame cannot. Those which had entertained the secret thoughts of abominable idolatry within them, are now plagued in the inwardest and most secret part of their bodies, with a loathsome disease; and now grow weary of themselves, in stead of their idolatry. I do not hear them acknowledge it was GOD'S hand, which had stricken Dagon their god, till now, they find themselves stricken: GOD'S judgements are the rack of godless men; If one strain make them not confess, let them be stretched but one wrench higher, and they cannot be silent. The just avenger of sin will not lose the glory of his executions, but will have men know from whom they smart. The Emerods' were not a disease beyond the compass of natural causes, neither was it hard for the wiser sort, to give a reason of their complaint, yet they ascribe it to the hand of God: The knowledge and operation of secondary causes should be no prejudice to the first; They are worse than the Philistims, who when they see the means, do not acknowledge the first Mover; whose active and just power is no less seen in employing ordinary agents, then in raising up extraordinary: neither doth he less smite by a common fever, than a revenging Angel. They judge right of the cause, what do they resolve for the cure? (Let not the Ark of the God of Israel abide with us) where they should have said, Let us cast our Dagon, that we may pacific and retain the God of Israel, they determine to thrust out the Ark of God, that they might peaceably enjoy themselves, and Dagon. Wicked men are upon all occasions glad to be rid of God, but they can with no patience, endure to part with their sins, and whiles they are weary of the hand that punisheth them, they hold fast the cause of their punishment. Their first and only care is to put away him, who is he hath corrected, so can ease them. Folly is never jeparated from wickedness. Their heart told them that they had no right to the Ark. A Council is called of their Princes and Priests. If they had resolved to send it home, they had done wisely; Now they do not carry it away, but they carry it about from Ebenezer to Ashdod, from Ashdod to Gath, from Gath to Ekron: Their stomach was greater than their conscience; The Ark was too sore for them, yet it was too good for Israel; and they will rather dye then make Israel happy. Their conceit, that the change of air could appease the Ark, God useth to his own advantage; for by this means his power is known, and his judgement spread over all the country of the Philistims: What do these men now, but send the plague of God to their fellows? The justice of God can make the sins of men their mutual executioners; It is the fashion of wicked men to draw their neighbours into the partnership of their condemnation. Wheresoever the Ark goes, there is destruction; The best of God's Ordinances, if they be not proper to us, are deadly. The Israelites did not more shout for joy, when they saw the Ark come to them, than the Ekronites cry out for grief to see it brought amongst them: Spiritual things are either sovereign, or hurtful, according to the disposition of the receivers. The Ark doth either save, or kill, as it is entertained. At last, when the Philistims are well weary of pain and death, they are glad to be quit of their sin; The voice of the Princes and people is changed to the better (Send away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to his own place,) God knows how to bring the stubbornest enemy upon his knees, and makes him do that out of fear, which his best child would do out of love and duty. How miserable was the estate of these Philistims? Every man was either dead, or sick: those that were left living (through their extremity of pain) envied the dead, and the cry of their whole Cities went up to heaven. It is happy that God hath such store of plagues and thunderbolts for the wicked: If he had not a fire of judgement, wherewith the iron hearts of men might be made flexible, he would want obedience, and the world peace. The Arkes' revenge and return. IT had wont to be a sure rule, Wheresoever God is among men, there is the Church: Here only it failed: The testimony of God's presence was many months amongst the Philistims, for a punishment to his own people, whom he left; for a curse to those foreigners which entertained it; Israel was seven months without GOD: How do we think faithful Samuel took this absence? How desolate and forlorn did the Tabernacle of GOD look, without the Ark? There were still the Altars of GOD; his Priests, Levites, Tables, Veils, Censers, with all their legal accoutrements: These without the Ark, were as the Sun without light, in the midst of an Eclipse: If all these had been taken away, and only the Ark had been remaining, the loss had been nothing to this, that the Ark should be gone, and they left: For what are all these without God, and how all-sufficient is GOD without these? There are times, wherein GOD withdraws himself from his Church, and seems to leave her without comfort, without protection: Sometimes we shall find Israel taken from the Ark, otherwhiles the Ark is taken from Israel: In either, there is a separation betwixt the Ark and Israel: Heavy times to every true Israelite, yet such as whose example may relieve us in our desertions: Still was this people Israel; the seed of him, that would not be left of God without a blessing; and therefore without the testimony of his presence, was God present with them: It were wide with the faithful, if God were not ofttentimes with them, when there is no witness of his presence. One act was a mutual penance to the Israelites and Philistims, I know not to whether more: Israel grieved for the loss of that, whose presence grieved the Philistims, their pain was therefore no other than voluntary: It is strange; that the Philistims would endure seven months smart with the Ark, since they saw, that the presence of that Prisoner would not requite, no nor mitigate to them, one hours' misery: Foolish men will be struggling with God, till they be utterly either breathless or impotent. Their hope was, that time might abate displeasure, even whiles they persisted to offend: The false hopes of worldly men cost them dear; they could not be so miserable, if their own hearts did not deceive them with mis-expectations of impossible favour. In matters that concern a God, who is so fit to be consulted with, as the Priests? The Princes of the Philistims had before given their voices, yet nothing is determined, nothing is done without the direction and assent of those whom they accounted sacred: Nature itself sends us in divine things, to those persons, whose calling is divine: It is either distrust, or presumption, or contempt, that caries us our own ways in spiritual matters, without advising with them, whose lips God hath appointed to preserve knowledge: There cannot but arise many difficulties in us about the Ark of God, whom should we consult with but those which have the Tongue of the Learned. Doubtless, this question of the Ark did abide much debating: There wanted not fair probabilities on both sides: A wise Philistim might well plead, If God had either so great care of the Ark, or power to retain it, how is it become ours? A wiser than he would reply; If the God of Israel had wanted either care or power, Dagon, and we had been still whole: why do we thus groan, and dye; all that are▪ but within the Air of the Ark, if a divine hand do not attend it? Their smart pleads enough for the dismission of the Ark: The next demand of their Priests and Soothsayers, is, how it should be sent home: Affliction had made them so wise, as to know, that every fashion of parting with the Ark would not satisfy the owner: oftentimes the circumstance of an action mars the substance: In divine matters we must not only look, that the body of our service be sound, but that the clothes be fit: Nothing hinders, but that sometimes good advice may fall from the mouth of wicked men. These superstitious Priests can counsel them not to send away the Ark of God empty, but to give it a sinne-offering: They had not lived so fare from the smoke of the jewish Altars, but that they knew, God was accustomed to manifold oblations, and chief to those of expiation. No Israelite could have said better: Superstition is the Ape of true devotion, and if we look not to the ground of both, many times it is hard by the very outward acts to distinguish them: Nature itself teacheth us, that God love's a full hand: He that hath been so bountiful to us, as to give us all, looks for a return of some offering from us; If we present him with nothing but our sins, how can we look to be accepted? The sacrifices under the Gospel are spiritual, with these must we come into the presence of God, if we desire to carry away remission and favour. The Philistims knew well, that it were bootless for them to offer, what they listed, their next suit is to be directed in the matter of their oblation; Pagans can teach us, how unsafe it is to walk in the ways of Religion without a guide, yet here their best teachers can but guess at their duty, and must device for the people, that, which the people durst not impose upon themselves: The golden Emerods', and Miso, were but conjectural prescripts: With what security may we consult with them which have their directions from the mouth and hand of the Almighty? God struck the Philistims at once in their god, in their bodies, it their land: In their god, by his ruin and dismembering: In their bodies, by the Emerods: In their land, by the Mice: That base vermin did God send among them on purpose to shame their Dagon, and them, that they might see, how unable their god was (which they thought the Victor of the Ark) to subdue the least Mouse, which the true God did create, and command to plague them: This plague upon the fields, began together with that upon their bodies: it was mentioned, not complained of, till they think of dismissing the Ark: Greater crosses do commonly swallow up the less: At least, lesser evils are either silent, or unheard, while the ear is filled with the clamour of the greater. Their very Princes were punished with the Mice, as well as with the Emerods'; God knows no persons in the execution of judgements, the least and meanest of all God's creatures is sufficient to be the revenger of his Creator. GOD sent them Miso, and Emerods of flesh and blood: they return him both these of gold, to imply, both, that these judgements came out from God, and that they did gladly give him the glory of that, whereof he gave them pain and sorrow; and that they would willingly buy off their pain with the best of their substance: The proportion betwixt the complaint and satisfaction is more precious to him, than the Metal. There was a public confession in this resemblance, which is so pleasing unto God, that he rewards it, even in wicked men, with a relaxation of outward punishment. The number was no less significant, than the form: Five golden Emerods', and Mice for the five Princes and divisions of Philistims. As GOD made no difference in punishing, so they make none in their oblation: The people are comprised in them, in whom they are united, their several Princes: They were one with their Prince, their Offering is one with his; as they were Ringleaders in the sin, so they must be in the satisfaction: In a multitude it is ever seen, as in a beast, that the body follows the head. Of all others, great men had need to look to their ways, it is in them, as in figures, one stands for a thousand: One Offering serves not all, there must be five, according to the five heads of the offence. Generalities will not content God; every man must make his several peace, if not in himself, yet in his head: Nature taught them a shadow of that, the substance and perfection whereof is taught us by the grace of the Gospel; every soul must satisfy God, if not in itself, yet in him, in whom we are both one, and absolute: we are the body, whereof Christ is the head, our sin is in ourselves, our satisfaction must be in him. Samuel himself could not have spoken more divinely, than these Priests of Dagon; they do not only talk of giving glory to the God of Israel, but fall into an holy and grave expostulation (wherefore then should ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians, and Pharaoh hardened their hearts, when he wrought wonderfully amongst them? etc.) They confess a supereminent and revenging hand of God over their gods, they parallel their plagues with the Egyptian, they make use of Pharaohs sin, and judgement; What could be better said? All Religions have afforded them that could speak well: These good words left them still both Philistims, and superstitious: How should men be hypocrites, if they had not good tongues? yet (as wickedness can hardly hide itself) these holy speeches are not without a tincture of that Idolatry, wherewith the heart was infected: For they profess care not only of the persons, and lands of the Philistims, but of their gods; (that he may take his hand from you, and from your gods.) Who would think that wisdom and folly could lodge so near together? that the same men should have care both of the glory of the true God, and preservation of the false? That they should be so vain, as to take thought for those gods which they granted to be obnoxious unto an higher Deity? Oft times even one word bewrayeth a whole pack of falsehood, and though Superstition be a cleanly counterfeit, yet some one slip of the tongue discovers it, as we say of devils, which though they put on fair forms, yet are they known by their cloven feet. What other warrant these superstitious Priests had for the main substance of their advice, I know not; sure I am, the probability of the event was fair; that two Kine never used to any yoke, should run from their Calves? (which were newly 〈◊〉 up from them) to draw the Ark home into a contrary way, must needs argue an hand above Nature: What else should overrule bruit creatures to prefer a forced carriage unto a natural burden? What should carry them from their own home, towards the home of the Ark? What else should guide an untamed and untaught Team, in as right a path toward Israel, as their Teachers could have gone? What else could make very beasts more wise, than their Masters? There is a special providence of God, in the very motions of bruit creatures; Neither Philistims nor Israelites saw aught that driven them, yet they saw them so run, as those that were led by a Divine Conduct. The reasonless creatures also do the will of their Maker; every act that is done either be them, or to them, makes up the decree of the Almighty; and if in extraordinary actions and events his hand is more visible, yet it is no less certainly present in the common. Little did the Israelites of Bethshemesh look for such a fight whiles they were reaping their Wheat in the Valley, as to see the Ark of God come running to them, without a Convoy; neither can it be said, whether they were more affected with joy, or with astonishment; with joy at the presence of the Ark, with astonishment at the Miracle of the transportation: Down went their Sickles, and now every man runs to reap the comfort of this better harvest, to meet that Bread of Angels, to salute those Cherubims, to welcome that God, whose absence had been their death: But as it is hard not to over-ioy in a sudden prosperity, and, to use happiness is no less difficult, then to forbear it; These glad Israelites cannot see, but they must gaze; they cannot gaze on the glorious outside, but they must be (whether out of rude jollity, or curiosity, or suspicion of the purloining some of those sacred implements) prying into the secrets of God's Ark: Nature is too subject to extremities, and is ever either too dull in want, or wanton in fruition: It is no easy matter to keep a mean, whether in good or evil. Bethshemesh was a City of Priests, they should have known better how to demean themselves towards the Ark; this privilege doubled their offence. There was no malice in this curious inquisition, the same eyes that looked into the Ark, looked also up to heaven in their Offerings, and the same hands that touched it, offered sacrifice to the God that brought it. Who could expect any thing now but acceptation? who would suspect any danger? It is not a following act of devotion that can make amends for a former sin: There was a death owing them, immediately upon their offence, God will take his own time for the execution; In the mean while, they may sacrifice, but they cannot satisfy, they cannot escape. The Kine are sacrificed, the Cart burns them that drew it: Here was an offering of praise, when they had more need of a trespasse-offering; many an heart is lifted up in a conceit of joy, when it hath just cause of humiliation: God lets them alone with their Sacrifice, but when that is done, he comes over them with a back reckoning for their sin: Fifty thousand and seventy Israelites are struck dead for this unreverence to the Ark: A woeful welcome for the Ark of God into the borders of Israel. It killed them for looking into it, who thought it their life to see it; It dealt blows, and death on both hands; to Philistims, to Israelites; to both of them for profaning it: The one with their Idol, the other with their eyes. It is a fearful thing to use the holy Ordinances of God with an unreverent boldness. Fear and trembling becomes us in our access to the Majesty of the Almighty: Neither was there more state, than secrecy in God's Ark; some things the wisdom of God desires to conceal: The unreverence of the Israelites was no more faulty, than their curiosity; secret things to God, things revealed to us, and to our children. The remove of the Ark. I Hear of the Bethshemites' lamentation, I hear not of their repentance; they complain of their smart, they complain not of their sin; and for aught I can perceive, speak, as if God were curious, rather than they faulty: (Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God, and to whom shall he go from us?) As if none could please that God, which misliked them: It is the fashion of natural men to justify themselves in their own courses; if they cannot charge any earthly thing with the blame of their suffering, they will cast it upon Heaven: That a man pleads himself guilty of his own wrong, is no common work of God's Spirit. Bethshemesh bordered too near upon the Philistims; If these men thought the very presence of the Ark hurtful, why do they send to their neighbours of Kiriath-iearim, that they might make themselves miserable? Where there is a misconceit of God, it is no marvel if there be a defect of Charity: How cunningly do they send their message to their neighbours? They do not say the Ark of God is come to us of it own accord, lest the men of Kiriath-iearim should reply, It is come to you, let it stay with you: They say only, the Philistims have brought it; they tell of the presence of the Ark, they do not tell of the success, lest the example of their judgement should have discouraged the forwardness of their relief: And after all, the offer was plausible; Come ye down and take it up to you; as if the honour had been too great for themselves, as if their modesty had been such, that they would not forestall and engross happiness from the rest of Israel. It is no boot to teach Nature how to tell her own tale, smart and danger will make a man witty: He is rarely constant, that will not dissemble for ease. It is good to be suspicious of the evasions of those which would put off misery. Those of Bethshemesh were not more crafty than these of Kiriath-iearim (which was the ground of their boldness) faithful: So many thousand Bethshemites could not be dead, and no part of the rumour fly to them: They heard how thick, not only the Philistims, but the bordering Israelites fell down dead before the Ark; yet they durst adventure to come, and fetch it, even from amongst the carcases of their brethren: They had been formerly acquainted with the Ark, they knew it was holy, it could not be changeable, and therefore they well conceived this slaughter to arise from the unholiness of men, not from the rigour of God, and thereupon can seek comfort in that, which others found deadly: Gods children cannot by any means be discouraged from their honour, and love to his Ordinances: If they see thousands struck down to Hell by the Sceptre of God's Kingdom, yet they will kiss it upon their knees, and if their Saviour be a rock of offence, and the occasion of the fall of millions in Israel, they can feed temperately of that, whereof others have surfeited to death, etc. Bethshemesh was a City of Priests and Leuits: Kiriath-iearim a City of juda, where we hear but of one Levit, Abinabab; yet this City was more zealous for God, more reverend and conscionable in the entertainment of the Ark, than the other. We heard of the taking down of the Ark by the Bethshemites, when it came miraculously to them; we do not hear of any man sanctified for the attendance of it, as was done in this second lodging of the Ark: Grace is not tied either to number, or means. It is in spiritual matters, as in the estate: Small helps with good thrift enrich us, when great patrimonies lose themselves in the neglect. Shiloh was wont to be the place which was honoured with the presence of the Ark; Ever since the wickedness of Elies' Sons, that was forlorn, and desolate, and now Kiriath-iearim succeeds into this privilege: It did not stand with the royal liberty of God, no not under the Law, to tie himself unto places and persons: Unworthiness was ever a sufficient cause of exchange. It was not yet his time to stir from the jews, yet he removed from one Province to another: Less reason have we to think, that so God will reside amongst us, that none of our provocations can drive him from us, etc. Israel, which had found the misery of God's absence, is now resolved into tears of contrition, and thankfulness upon his return: There is no mention of their lamenting after the Lord, while he was gone, but when he was returned, and settled in Kiriath-iearim: The mercies of God draw more tears from his children, than his judgements do from his enemies: There is no better sign of good nature, or grace, then to be won to repentance with kindness: Not to think of God, except we be beaten unto it, is servile: Because God was come again to Israel, therefore Israel is returned to God; If God had not come first, they had never come: If he, that came to them, had not made them come to him, they had been ever parted. They were cloyed with God, while he was perpetually resident with them, now that his absence had made him dainty, they cleave to him fervently, and penitently in his return: This was it, that God meant in his departure, a better welcome at his coming back. I heard no news of Samuel all this while the Ark was gone: Now when the Ark is returned and placed in Kiriath-iearim, I hear him treat with the people. It is not like, he was silent in this sad desertion of God; but now he takes full advantage of the professed contrition of Israel, to deal with them effectually, for their perfect conversion unto God. It is great wisdom in spiritual matters, to take occasion by the forelock, and to strike while the iron is hot: We may beat long enough at the door, but till God have opened, it is no going in, and when he hath opened, it is no delaying to enter. The trial of sincerity is the abandoning of our wont sins. This Samuel urgeth (If ye be come again unto the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth:) In vain had it been to profess repentance, whilst they continued in idolatry; God will never acknowledge any convert, that stays in a known sin: Graces and Virtues are so linked together, that he, which hath one, hath all: The partial conversion of men unto God is but hateful hypocrisy. How happily effectual is a word spoken in season? samuel's exhortation wrought upon the hearts of Israel, and fetched water out of their eyes, suits, and confessions, and vows out of their lips, and their false gods out of their hands; yet it was not merely remorse, but fear also, that moved Israel to this humble submission. The Philistims stood over them still, and threatened them with new assaults, the memory of their late slaughter, and spoil, was yet fresh in their minds, sorrow for the evils passed, and fear of the future, fetched them down upon their knees: It is not more necessary for men to be cheered with hopes, then to be awed with dangers: where God intends the humiliation of his servants, there shall not want means of their dejection: It was happy for Israel that they had an enemy. Is it possible that the Philistims after those deadly plagues, which they sustained from the God of Israel, should think of invading Israel? those that were so mated with the presence of the Ark, that they never thought themselves safe, till it was out of fight, do they now dare to thrust themselves upon the new revenge of the Ark? It slew them whiles they thought to honour it, and do they think to escape, whilst they resist it? It slew them in their own Coasts, and do they come to it to seek death? yet behold no sooner do the Philistims hear, that the Israelites are gathered to Mizpeh, but the Princes of the Philistims gather themselves against them: No warnings will serve obdurate hearts, wicked men are even ambitious of destruction; judgements need not to go find them out, they run to meet their bane. The Philistims come up, and the Israelites fear; they that had not the wit to fear, whilst they were not friends with God, have not now the grace of fearlessenesse, when they were reconciled to God: Boldness and Fear are commonly misplaced in the best hearts; when we should tremble, we are confident, and when we should be assured, we tremble: Why should Israel have feared, since they had made their peace with the God of Hosts? Nothing should affright those, which are upright with God. The peace, which Israel had made with God, was true, but tender. They durst not trust their own innocency, so much as the prayers of Samuel; Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us. In temporal things nothing hinders, but we may far better for other men's faith, then for our own: It is no small happiness to be interessed in them which are Favourites in the Court of Heaven; one faithful man in these occasions is more worth than millions of the wavering and uncertain. A good heart is easily won to devotion: Samuel cries, and sacrificeth to God; he had done so, though they had entreated his silence, yea his forbearance. Whiles he is offering, the Philistims fight with Israel, and God fights with the Philistims. (The Lord thundered with a great thunder that day upon the Philistims, and scattered them:) Samuel fought more upon his knees, than all Israel beside: The voice of God answered the voice of Samuel, and speaks confusion and death to the Philistims: How were the proud Philistims dead with fear, ere they died, to hear the fearful thunder claps of an angry God against them? to see, that Heaven itself fought against them? He that slew them secretly in the revenges of his Ark, now kills them with open horror in the fields: If presumption did not make wicked men mad, they would never lift their hand against the Almighty; what are they in his hands, when he is disposed to vengeance? The meeting of SAUL and SAMVEL. SAMVEL began his acquaintance with God early, and continued it long: He began it in his long Coats, and continued to his grey hairs: (He judged Israel all the days of his life.) God doth not use to put off his old Servants; their age indeareth them to him the more; If we be not unfaithful to him, he cannot be unconstant to us. At last his decayed age met with ill partners, his Sons for Deputies, and Saul for a King; The wickedness of his Sons gave the occasion of a change: Perhaps Israel had never thought of a King, if samuel's Sons had not been unlike their Father: Who can promise himself holy children, when the loins of a Samuel, and the education in the Temple, yielded monsters? It is not likely, that good Samuel was faulty in that indulgence, for which his own mouth had denounced God's judgement against Hely: yet this holy man succeeds Hely in his cross, as well as his place, though not in his sin; and is afflicted with a wicked succession: God will let us find, that Grace is by gift, not by inheritance. I fear Samuel was too partial to nature in the surrogation of his Sons, I do not hear of God's allowance to this act: If this had been God's choice, as well as his, it had been like to have received more blessing. Now all Israel had cause to rue, that these were the Sons of Samuel; For now the question was not of their virtues, but of their blood; not of their worthiness, but their birth; even the best heart may be blinded with affection. Who can marvel at these errors of Parent's love, when he that so holily judged Israel all his life, misjudged of his own sons. It was Gods ancient purpose to raise up a King to his people; How doth he take occasion to perform it, but by the unruly desires of Israel? even as we say of humane proceed, that ill manners beget good laws. That, Monarchy is the best form of government, there is no question: Good things may be ill desired, so was this of Israel; If an itching desire of alteration had not possessed them, why did they not rather sue for a reformation of their Governors, then for a change of government? Were samuel's sons so desperately evil, that there was no possibility of amendment? Or if they were past hope, were there not some others to have succeeded the justice of Samuel, no less than these did his person? What needed Samuel to be thrust out of place? What needed the ancient form of administration to be altered? He that raised up their judges, would have found time to raise them up Kings: Their curious, and inconstant newfangledness, will not abide to stay it, but with an heady importunity labours to our hasten the pace of God. Where there is a settled course of good government (howsoever blemished with some weaknesses) it is not safe to be overforward to a change, though it should be to the better. He, by whom King's reign, says, They have cast him away, that he should not reign over them, because they desire a King to reign over them: judges were his own institution to his people, as yet Kings were not; after that Kings were settled, to desire the government of judges, had been a much more seditious inconstancy: God hath not appointed to every time & place those forms, which are simply best in themselves, but those, which are best to them, unto whom they are appointed; which we may neither alter, till he begin, nor recall, when he hath altered. This business seemed personally to concern Samuel, yet he so deals in it, not as a party, not as a judge of his own Case, but as a Prophet of God, as a Friend of his opposite; He prays to God for advice, he foretells the state and courses of their future King. Wilful men are blind to all dangers, are deaf to all good counsels. Israel must have a King, though they pay never so dear for their longing: The vain affectation of conformity to other Nations overcomes all discouragements; there is no readier way to error, then to make others examples the rule of our desires, or actions. If every man have not grounds of his own, whereon to stand, there can be no stability in his resolutions or proceed. Since than they choose to have a King, God himself will choose and appoint the King which they shall have. The kingdom shall begin in Benjamin, which was to endure in juda: It was no probability or reason, this first King should prove well, because he was abortive; their humour of innovation deserved to be punished with their own choice: Kish the father of Saul was mighty in estate, Saul was mighty in person, overlooking the rest of the people in stature, no less than he should do in dignity: The senses of the Israelites could not but be well pleased for the time, howsoever their hearts were afterwards; when men are carried with outward shows, it is a sign that God means them a delusion. How fare God fetches his purposes about! The Asses of Kish, saul's father, are strayed away: What is that to the news of a kingdom? God lays these small accidents for the ground of greater designs: The Asses must be lost, none but Saul must go with his father's servant to seek them: Samuel shall meet them in the search: Saul shall be premonished of his ensuing Royalty; Little can we, by the beginning of any action, guess at God's intention in the conclusion. Obedience was a fit entrance into Sovereignty: The service was homely for the son of a great man, yet he refuseth not to go, as a fellow to his father's servant, upon so mean a search: The disobedient and scornful are good for nothing, they are neither fit to be subjects nor governors. Kish was a great man in his country, yet he disdaineth not to send his son Saul upon a thrifty errand, neither doth Saul plead his disparagement from a refusal. Pride and wantonness have marred our times: Great parents count it a disreputation to employ their sons in courses of frugality; and their pampered children think it a shame to do any thing; and so bear themselves, as those that hold it the only glory to be either idle or wicked. Neither doth Saul go fashionably to work, but does this service hearty and painfully, as a man, that desires rather to effect the command, then please the Commander: He passed from Ephraim to the Land of Shalisha, from Shalisha to Salim, from Salim to jemini, whence his House came; from jemini to Zuph, not so much as staying with any of his kindred so long as to victual himself: He that was afterward an ill King, approved himself a good Son. As there are diversity of relations and offices, so there is of dispositions; those, which are excellent in some, attain not to a mediocrity in other: It is no arguing from private virtues to public; from dexterity in one station, to the rest: A several grace belongs to the particular carriage of every place whereto we are called, which if we want, the place may well want us. There was more praise of his obedience in ceasing to seek, then in seeking: he takes care, lest his father should take care for him, that whilst he should seem officious in the less, he might not neglect the greatest. A blind obedience in some cases doth well, but it doth fare better, when it is led with the eyes of discretion; otherwise we may more offend in pleasing, then in disobeying. Great is the benefit of a wise and religious attendant, such an one puts us into those duties and actions which are most expedient, and least thought of. If Saul had not had a discreet Servant, he had returned but as wise as he came; now he is drawn in to consult with the man of God, and hears more than he hoped for. Saul was now a sufficient journey from his father's house, yet his religious servant in this remoteness, takes knowledge of the place, where the Prophet dwells, and how honourably doth he mention him to his master? Behold, in this City is a man of God, and he is an honourable man, all that he saith cometh to pass: Gods Prophets are public persons, as their function, so their notice concerns every man: There is no reason God should abate any of the respect due to his Ministers under the Gospel: Saint Paul's suit is both universal and everlasting; I beseech you, Brethren, know them that labour amongst you. The chief praise is to be able to give good advice; the next is to take it. Saul is easily induced to condescend: He, whose curiosity led him voluntarily at last, to the Witch of Endor, is now led at first by good counsel to the man of God; neither is his care in going, less commendable, than his will to go. For as a man, that had been catechised not to go unto God , he asks, What shall we bring unto the man? What have we? The case is well altered in our times: Every man thinks, what may I keep back? There is no gain so sweet, as of a rob Altar; yet God's charge is no less under the Gospel, Let him that is taught, make his Teacher partaker of all. As this faithful care of Saul was a just presage of success, more than he looked for, or could expect; so the sacrilegious unthankfulness of many, bodes that ruin to their soul and estate, which they could not have grace to fear. He that knew the Prophet's abode, knew also the honour of his place, he could not but know that Samuel was a mixed person; The judge of Israel, and the Seer: yet both Saul and his Servant purpose to present him the fourth part of a shekel, to the value of about our five pence. They had learned, that thankfulness was not to be measured of good men by the weight, but by the will of the Retributor: How much more will God accept the small offerings of his weak Servants, when he sees them proceed from great love? The very maids of the City can give direction to the Prophet, they had listened after the holy affairs, they had heard of the Sacrifice, and could tell of the necessity of samuel's presence: Those that live within the Sunshine of Religion, cannot but be somewhat coloured with those beams: Where there is practice and example of piety in the better sort, there will be a reflection of it upon the meanest: It is no small benefit to live in religious and holy places, we shall be much to blame, if all goodness fall beside us: Yea so skilful were these Damsels in the fashions of their public Sacrifices, that they could instruct Saul and his servant, unasked, how the people would not eat, till Samuel came to bless the Sacrifice, This meeting was not more a Sacrifice, than it was a Feast: These two agree well, we have never so much cause to rejoice in feasting, as when we have duly served our God: The Sacrifice was a feast to God, the other to men: The body may eat and drink with contentment, when the soul hath been first fed, and hath first feasted the maker of both: Go eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy drink with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. The Sacrifice was before consecrated, when it was offered to God; but it was not consecrated to them, till Samuel blessed it, his blessing made that meat holy to the guests, which was formerly hallowed to God: All creatures were made good, and took holiness from him, which gave them being: Our sin brought that curse upon them (which unless our prayers remove it) cleaves to them still, so as we receive them not without a curse. We are not our own friends, except our Prayers help to take that away, which our sin hath brought, that so to the clean all may be clean: It is an unmannerly godlessenesse, to take God's creatures without the leave of their Maker, and well may God withhold his blessing from them, which have not the grace to ask it. Those guests which were so religious, that they would not eat their Sacrifice unblessed, might have blessed it themselves: Every man might pray, though every man might not sacrifice; yet would they not either eat, or bless, whiles they looked for the presence of a Prophet. Every Christian may sanctify his own meat, but where those are present, that are peculiarly sanctified to God, this service is fittest for them: It is commendable to teach Children the practice of Thanksgiving, but the best is ever most meet to bless our tables, and those especially, whose office it is to offer our prayers to God. Little did Saul think, that his coming and his errand was so noted of God, as that it was fore-signified unto the Prophet, and now, behold Samuel is told a day before of the man, time, the place of his meeting. The eye of God's providence is no less over all our actions, all our motions. We cannot go any whither without him, he tells all our steps; since it pleaseth God therefore to take notice of us, much more should we take notice of him, and walk with him, in whom we move. Saul came beside his expectation to the Prophet, he had no thought of any such purpose, till his Servant made this sudden motion unto him of visiting Samuel, and yet God says to his Prophet, I will send thee a man out of the Land of Benjamin. The overruling hand of the Almighty works us insensibly, and all our affairs to his own secret determinations; so as whiles we think to do our own wills, we do his. Our own intentions we may know, God's purposes we know not; we must go the way that we are called, let him lead us to what end he pleaseth; It is our duty to resign ourselves and our ways to the disposition of God, and patiently and thankfully to await the issue of his decrees. The same God that fore-shewed Saul to Samuel, now points to him (See this is the man,) and commands the Prophet to anoint him Governor over Israel: He, that told of Saul before he came, knew before he came into the world, what a man, what a King he would be; yet he chooseth him out, and inioynes his inunction. It is one of the greatest praises of God's wisdom, that he can turn the evil of men to his own glory. Advancement is not ever a sign of love, either to the man, or to the place. It had been better for Saul, that his head had been ever dry: some God raiseth up in judgement, that they may fall the more uneasily; there are no men so miserable, as those that are great and evil. It seems that Samuel bore no great port in his outside, for that Saul not discerning him, either by his habit, or attendants, comes to him, and asks him for the Seer; yet was Samuel as yet the judge of Israel, the substitution of his Sons had not displaced himself: There is an affable familiarity that becometh Greatness; It is not good for eminent persons to stand always upon the height of their state, but so to behave themselves, that as their sociable carriage may not breed contempt, so their over-highnesse may not breed a servile fearfulness in their people. How kindly doth Samuel entertain and invite Saul, yet it was he only that should receive wrong by the future royalty of Saul? Who would not have looked, that aged Samuel should have emulated rather the glory of his young rival, and have looked churlishly upon the man that should rob him of his authority? yet now, as if he came on purpose to gratify him, he bids him to the feast, he honours him with the chief seat, he reserves a select morsel for him, he tells him ingenuously the news of his ensuing Sovereignty, (On whom is set the desire of all Israel, is it not upon thee, and thy father's house?) Wise and holy men, as they are not ambitious of their own burden, so they are not unwilling to be eased, when God pleaseth to discharge them; neither can they envy those whom God lifteth above their heads: They make an idol of honour, that are troubled with their own freedom, or grudge at the promotion of others. Doubtless Saul was much amazed with the strange salutation, and news of the Prophet, and how modestly doth he put it off, as that, which was neither fit, nor likely; disparaging his Tribe in respect of the rest of Israel, his father's Family in respect of the Tribe, and himself in respect of his Father's Family; neither did his humility stoop below the truth: For, as Benjamin was the youngest son of Israel, so he was now by much, the least Tribe of Israel; They had not yet recovered that universal slaughter which they had received from the hands of their brethren, whereby a Tribe was almost lost to Israel; yet even out of the remainder of Benjamin doth God choose the man, that shall command Israel; out of the rubbish of Benjamin doth God raise the Throne. That is not ever the best and fattest which God chooseth, but that which God chooseth is ever the fittest; the strength or weakness of means is neither spur nor bridle to the determinate choices of God, yea rather he holds it the greatest proof of his freedom, and omnipotency, to advance the unlikeliest. It was no hollow and feigned excuse, that Saul makes to put off that, which he would fain enjoy, and to cause honour to follow him the more eagerly: It was the sincere truth of his humility, that so dejected him under the hand of God's Prophet. Fair beginnings are no sound proof of our proceed and ending well: How often hath a bashful childhood ended in an impudence of youth, a strict entrance in licentiousness, early forwardness in Atheism? There might be a civil meekness in Saul, true grace there was not in him; they that be good, bear more fruit in their age. Saul had but five pence in his purse to give the Prophet: The Prophet after much good cheer gives him the Kingdom, he bestows the oil of royal consecration on his head, the kisses of homage upon his face, and sends him away rich in thoughts, and expectation; and now lest his astonishment should end in distrust, he settles his assurance, by forewarnings of those events, which he should find in his way: He tells him whom he shall meet, what they shall say, how himself shall be affected; that all these, and himself, might be so many witnesses of his following coronation; every word confirmed him. For well might he think, He that can foretell me the motions and words of others, cannot fail in mine; especially when (as Samuel had prophesied to him) he found himself to prophesy; His prophesying did enough foretell his Kingdom. No sooner did Samuel turn his back from Saul, but God gave him another heart, lifting up his thoughts and disposition to the pitch of a King: The calling of God never leaves a man unchanged, neither did God ever employ any man in his service, whom he did not enable to the work he set him; especially those, whom he raiseth up to the supply of his own place, and the representation of himself. It is no marvel, if Princes excel the vulgar in gifts, no less then in dignity: Their Crowns and their hearts are both in one and the same hand; If God did not add to their powers, as well as their honours, there would be no equality. The Jnauguration of SAUL. GOD hath secretly destined Saul to the Kingdom; it could not content Israel, that Samuel knew this, the lots must so decide the choice, as if it had not been predetermined; That God, which is ever constant to his own decrees, makes the lots to find him out, whom Samuel had anointed: If once we have notice of the will of God, we may be confident of the issue: There is no chance to the Almighty; even casual things are no less necessary in their first cause, than the natural. So fare did Saul trust the prediction, and oil of Samuel, that he hides him among the stuff: He knew where the lots would light before they were cast: This was but a modest declination of that honour, which he saw must come; His very withdrawing showed some expectation, why else should he have hid himself, rather than the other Israelites? yet could he not hope his subducing himself, could disappoint the purpose of God: He well knew, that he, which found out and designed his name amongst the thousands of Israel, would easily find out his person in a Tent: When once we know God's decree, in vain shall we strive against it: Before we know it, it is indifferent for us to work to the likeliest. I cannot blame Saul for hiding himself from a Kingdom, especially of Israel: Honour is heavy, when it comes upon the best terms: How should it be otherwise, when all men's cares are cast upon one? but most of all in a troubled estate? No man can put to Sea without danger, but he that lancheth out in a tempest, can expect nothing but the hardest event; such was the condition of Israel: Their old enemy the Philistims were stilled with that fearful thunder of God, as finding what it was to war against the Almighty. There were adversaries enough beside in their borders: It was but an hollow truce, that was betwixt Israel and their heathenish neighbours, and Nahash was now at their gates. Well did Saul know the difference between a peaceful government, and the perilous and wearisome tumults of war. The quietest Throne is full of cares, but the perplexed, of dangers. Cares and dangers driven Saul into this corner to hide his head from a Crown: These made him choose rather to lie obscurely among the baggage of his Tent, then to sit gloriously in the Throne of State. This hiding could do nothing but show, that both he suspected lest he should be chosen, and desired he should not be chosen: That God, from whom the hills and the rocks could not conceal him, brings him forth to the light, so much more longed for, as he was more unwilling to be seen, and more applauded, as he was more longed for. Now then when Saul is drawn forth in the midst of the eager expectation of Israel, modesty and godliness shown themselves in his face: The press cannot hide him, whom the stuff had hid; As if he had been made to be seen, he overlookes all Israel in height of stature, for presage of the eminence of his estate, (from the shoulders upward was he higher than any of the people.) Israel sees their lots are fall'n upon a noted man, one, whose person shown, he was borne to be a King, and now all the people shout for joy; they have their longing, and applaud their own happiness, and their King's honour: How easy is it for us to mistake our own estates? to rejoice in that which we shall find the just cause of our humiliation? The end of a thing is better than the beginning; the safest way is to reserve our joy, till we have good proof of the worthiness and fitness of the object. What are we the better for having a blessing, if we know not how to use it? The office and observance of a King was uncowth to Israel: Samuel therefore informs the people of their mutual duties, and writes them in a book, and lays it up before the Lord; otherwise, novelty might have been a warrant for their ignorance, and ignorance for neglect: There are reciprocal respects of Princes and people, which if they be not observed, government languisheth into confusion; these Samuel faithfully teacheth them. Though he may not be their judge, yet he will be their Prophet; he will instruct, if he may not rule; yea he will instruct him that shall rule: There is no King absolute, but he, that is the King of all gods: Earthly Monarches must walk by a rule, which if they transgress, they shall be accountable to him, that is higher than the highest, who hath deputed them. Not out of care of civility, so much as conscience, must every Samuel labour to keep even terms betwixt Kings and Subjects, prescribing just moderation to the one, to the other obedience and loyalty, which who ever endeavours to trouble, is none of the friends of God, or his Church. The most and best applaud their new King, some wicked ones despised him, and said, How shall he save us? It was not the might of his Parents, the goodliness of his person, the privilege of his lot, the fame of his prophesying, the Panegyricke of Samuel, that could shield him from contempt, or win him the hearts of all: There was never yet any man, to whom some took not exceptions; It is not possible either to please or displease all men, while some men are in love with vice, as deeply, as others with virtue, and some (as ill) dislike virtue, if not for itself, yet for contradiction. They well saw, Saul chose not himself, they saw him worthy to have been chosen, if the Election should have been carried by voices, and those voices by their eyes; they saw him unwilling to hold, or yield, when he was chosen; yet they will envy him: What fault could they find in him whom God had chosen? His parentage was equal, his person above them, his inward parts more above them then the outward; Malcontents will rather device than want causes of flying out, and rather than fail, the universal approbation of others is ground enough of their dislike. It is a vain ambition of those, that would be loved of all: The Spirit of God, when he enioynes us peace with all, he adds, [if it be possible] and favour is more than peace; A man's comfort must be in himself, the conscience of deserving well. The neighbouring Ammonites could not but have heard of God's fearful vengeance upon the Philistims, and yet they will be taking up the quarrel against Israel: Nahash comes up against jabesh Gilead: Nothing but grace can teach us to make use of others judgements; wicked men are not moved with aught, that falls beside them; they trust nothing but their own smart: What fearful judgements doth God execute every day? resolute sinners take no notice of them, and are grown so peremptory, as if God had never showed dislike of their ways. The Gileadites were not more base, than Nahash the Ammonite was cruel: The Gileadites would buy their peace with servility, Nahash would sell them a servile peace for their right eyes. jephtha the Gileadite did yet stick in the stomach of Ammon, and now they think their revenge cannot be too bloody: It is a wonder, that he, which would offer so merciless a condition to Israel, would yield to the motion of any delay; He meant nothing but shame and death to the Israelites, yet he condescends to a seven days respite: Perhaps his confidence made him thus careless. Howsoever, it was the restraint of God that gave this breath to Israel, and this opportunity to saul's courage and victory: The enemies of God's Church cannot be so malicious as they would, cannot approve themselves so malicious, as they are; God so holds them in sometimes, that a stander-by would think them favourable. The news of Gileads distress had soon filled and afflicted Israel, the people think of no remedy but their pity and tears: Evils are easily grieved for, not easily redressed: Only Saul is more stirred with indignation than sorrow; That GOD, which put into him a spirit of prophecy, now puts into him a spirit of fortitude: He was before appointed to the Throne, not settled in the Throne; he followed the beasts in the field, when he should have commanded men. Now as one that would be a King no less by merit, than election, he takes upon him, and performs the rescue of Gilead; he assembles Israel, he leads them, he raiseth the siege, breaks the troops, cuts the throats of the Ammonites. When God hath any exploit to perform, he raiseth up the heart of some chosen Instrument with heroical motions for the achievement: When all hearts are cold and dead, it is a a sign of intended destruction. This day hath made Saul a complete King, and now the thankful Israelites begin to inquire after those discontented Mutineers, which had refused allegiance unto so worthy a Commander (Bring those men, that we may slay them:) This sedition had deserved death, though Saul had been foiled at Gilead; but now his happy victory whets the people much more to a desire of this just execution. Saul, to whom the injury was done, hinders the revenge, (There shall no man dye this day, for to day the Lord hath saved Israel) that his fortitude might not go beyond his mercy. How noble were these beginnings of Saul? His Prophecy shown him miraculously wise, his Battle and Victory no less valiant, his pardon of his Rebels, as merciful: There was not more power showed in overcoming the Ammonites, then in overcoming himself, and the impotent malice of these mutinous Israelites. Now Israel sees they have a King, that can both shed blood, and spare it; that can shed the Ammonites blood, and spare theirs: His mercy wins those hearts, whom his valour could not. As in God, so in his Deputies, Mercy and justice should be inseparable: wheresoever these two go asunder, government follows them into distraction, and ends in ruin. If it had been a wrong offered to Samuel, the forbearance of the revenge had not been so commendable, although upon the day of so happy a deliverance, perhaps it had not been seasonable: A man hath reason to be most bold with himself; It is no praise of Mercy (since it is a fault in justice) to remit another man's satisfaction, his own he may. SAMVELS' contestation. EVery one can be a friend to him that prospereth: By this victory hath Saul as well conquered the obstinacy of his own people: Now there is no Israelite that rejoiceth not in saul's Kingdom. No sooner have they done objecting to Saul, than Samuel gins to expostulate with them: The same day wherein they began to be pleased, God shows himself angry: All the passages of their proceed offended him, he deferred to let them know it till now, that the Kingdom was settled, and their hearts lifted up: Now doth God cool their courage and joy, with a back reckoning for their forwardness. God will not let his people run away with the arrearages of their sins, but when they least think of it, calls them to an account: All this while was God angry with their rejection of Samuel; yet (as if there had been nothing but peace) he gives them a victory over their enemies, he gives way to their joy in their election; now he lets them know, that after their peace-offerings, he hath a quarrel with them. God may be angry enough with us, whiles we outwardly prosper: It is the wisdom of God to take his best advantages; He suffers us to go on, till we should come to enjoy the fruit of our sin, till we seem passed the danger, either of conscience or punishment; then (even when we begin to be past the feeling of our sin) we shall begin to feel his displeasure for our sins: This is only where he love's, where he would both forgive and reclaim; he hath now to do with his Israel: But where he means utter vengeance, he lets men harden themselves to a reprobate senselessness, and make up their own measure without contradiction, as purposing to reckon with them but once for ever. Samuel had dissuaded them before, he reproves them not, until now: If he had thus bend himself against them, ere the settling of the election, he had troubled Israel in that, which God took occasion by their sin to establish; His opposition would have favoured of respects to himself, whom the wrong of this innovation chief concerned: Now therefore, when they are sure of their King, and their King of them, when he hath set even terms betwixt them mutually, he lets them see, how they were at odds with God: We must ever dislike sins, we may not ever show it: Discretion in the choice of seasons for reproving, is no less commendable and necessary, than zeal and faithfulness in reproving: Good Physicians use not to evacuate the body in extremities of heat or cold; wise Mariners do not hoist sails in every wind. First doth Samuel begin to clear his own innocence, ere he dare charge them with their sin: He that will cast a stone at an offender, must be free himself, otherwise he condemns, and executes himself in another person: The conscience stops the mouth of the guilty man, and chokes him with that sin, which lies in his own breast, and having not come forth by a penitent confession, cannot find the way out in a reproof; or if he do reprove, he doth more shame himself, then reform another. He that was the judge of Israel, would not now judge himself, but would be judged by Israel; Whose Ox have I taken? whose Ass have I taken? or to whom have I done wrong? No doubt, Samuel found himself guilty before God of many private infirmities, but for his public carriage, he appeals to men: A man's heart can best judge of himself; others can best judge of his actions. As another man's conscience and approbation cannot bear us out before God; so cannot our own before men: For ofttimes that action is censured by the beholders, as wrongful, wherein we applaud our own justice. Happy is that man, that can be acquitted by himself in private, in public by others, by God in both; standers by may see more: It is very safe for a man to look into himself by others eyes; In vain shall a man's heart absolve him, that is condemned by his actions. It was not so much the trial of his carriage, that Samuel appealed for, as his justification, not for his own comfort, so much as their conviction: His innocence hath not done him service enough, unless it shame them, and make them confess themselves faulty. In so many years wherein Samuel judged Israel, it cannot be, but many thousand causes passed his hands, wherein both parties could not possibly be pleased; yet so clear doth he find his heart, and hands, that he dare make the grieved part judges of his judgement: A good conscience will make a man vndauntedly confident, and dare put him upon any trial; where his own heart strikes him not, it bids him challenge all the world, and take up all comers: How happy a thing is it for a man to be his own friend, and patron? He needs not to fear foreign broils, that is at peace at home: Contrarily, he that hath a false and foul heart, lies at every man's mercy; lives slavishly, and is fain to dawb up a rotten peace with the basest conditions. Truth is not afraid of any light, and therefore dare suffer her wares to be carried from a dim shopboard unto the street door: Perfect gold will be but the purer with trying, whereas falsehood being a work of darkness, love's darkness, and therefore seeks where it may work closest. This very appellation cleared Samuel, but the people's attestation cleared him more: Innocency and uprightness becomes every man well, but most public persons, who shall be else obnoxious to every offender. The Throne and the Pulpit (of all places) call for holiness, not more for example of good, then for liberty of controlling evil: All Magistrates swear to do that, which Samuel protested he hath done; if their oath were so verified, as samuel's protestation, it were a shame for the State not to be happy: The sins of our Teachers are the teachers of sin; the sins of Governors do both command, and countenance evil. This very acquitting of Samuel was the accusation of themselves: For how could it be but faulty to cast off a faultless Governor? If he had not taken away an Ox, or an Ass from them, why do they take away his authority? They could not have thus cleared Saul at the end of his reign; It was just with God, since they were weary of a just Ruler, to punish them with an unjust. He that appealed to them for his own uprightness, durst not appeal to them for their own wickedness, but appeals to Heaven from them. Men are commonly flatterers of their own cases: It must be a strong evidence, that will make a sinner convicted in himself: Nature hath so many shifts to cousin itself in this spiritual verdict, that unless it be taken in the manner, it will hardly yield to a truth; either she will deny the fact, or the fault, or the measure; And now in this case they might seem to have some fair pretences: For though Samuel was righteous, yet his sons were corrupt. To cut off all excuses therefore, Samuel appeals to God (the highest judge) for his sentence of their sin, and dares trust to a miraculous conviction. It was now their Wheat Harvest: the hot and dry air of that climate did not wont to afford in that season so much moist vapour, as might raise a cloud, either for rain, or thunder: He that knew God could, and would do both these, without the help of second causes, puts the trial upon this issue. Had not Samuel before consulted with his Maker, and received warrant for his act, it had been presumption and tempting of God, which was now a noble improvement of faith: Rather than Israel shall go clear away with a sin, God will accuse and arraign them from heaven. No sooner hath samuel's voice ceased, than God's voice gins: Every crack of thunder spoke judgement against the rebellious Israelites, and every drop of rain, a witness of their sin; and now they found they had displeased him, which ruleth in the Heaven, by rejecting the man that ruled for him on Earth: The thundering voice of God, that had lately in their sight confounded the Philistims, they now understood to speak fearful things against them. No marvel, if now they fell upon their knees, not to Saul, whom they had chosen, but to Samuel, who being thus cast off by them, is thus countenanced in Heaven. SAULS' Sacrifice. GOD never meant the Kingdom should either stay long in the Tribe of Benjamin, or remove suddenly from the person of Saul; Many years did Saul reign over Israel; yet God computes him but two years a King: That is not accounted of God to be done, which is not lawfully done; when God, which choose Saul, rejected him, he was no more a King, but a Tyrant: Israel obeyed him still, but God makes no reckoning of him, as his Deputy, but as an Usurper. Saul was of good years, when he was advanced to the Kingdom: His Son jonathan, the first year of his Father's Reign, could lead a thousand Israelites into the field, and give a foil to the Philistims: And now Israel could not think themselves less happy in their Prince, then in their King; jonathan is the Heir of his Father's victory, as well as of his valour, and his estate. The Philistims were quiet after those first thunder claps, all the time of samuel's government, now they begin to stir under Saul. How utterly is Israel disappointed in their hopes? That security and protection, which they promised themselves in the name of a King, they found in a Prophet, failed of in a Warrior. They were more safe under the mantle, then under arms: both enmity and safeguard are from heaven, goodness hath been ever a stronger guard than valour: It is the surest policy always to have peace with God. We find by the spoils, that the Philistims had some battles with Israel which are not recorded: After the thunder had scared them into a peace, and restitution of all the bordering Cities, from Ekron to Gath, they had taken new heart, and so be slaved Israel, that they had neither weapon nor Smith left amongst them, yet even in this miserable nakedness of Israel, have they both fought, and overcome. Now might you have seen the unarmed Israelites marching with their Slings, and Plough-staves, and Hooks, and Forks, and other instruments of their husbandry, against a mighty and well furnished enemy, and returning laded both with Arms and Victory. No Armour is of proof against the Almighty, neither is he unweaponed, that caries the revenge of God: There is the same disadvantage in our spiritual conflicts; we are turned naked to principalities and powers; whilst we go under the conduct of the Prince of our peace, we cannot but be bold and victorious. Vain men think to overpower God with munition and multitude: The Philistims are not any way more strong, then in conceit: Thirty thousand Chariots, six thousand Horsemen, Footmen like the sand for number, makes them scorn Israel no less, than Israel fears them. When I see the miraculous success, which had blessed the Israelites, in all their late conflicts with these very Philistims, with the Ammonites, I cannot but wonder, how they could fear: They, which in the time of their sin found God to raise such Trophies over their enemies, run now into Caves, and Rocks, and Pits, to hide them from the faces of men, when they found God reconciled, and themselves penitent. No Israelite but hath some cowardly blood in him: If we had no fear, faith would have no mastery, yet these fearful Israelites shall cut the throats of those confident Philistims? Doubt and resolution are not meet measures of our success: A presumptuous confidence goes commonly bleeding home, when an humble fear returns in triumph. Fear drives those Israelites, which dare show their heads out of the Caves unto Saul, and makes them cling unto their new King: How troublesome were the beginnings of saul's honour? Surely, if that man had not exceeded Israel no less in courage, then in stature, he had now hid himself in a Cave, which before hid himself among the stuff: But now, though the Israelites ran away from him, yet he ran not away from them: It was not any doubt of saul's valour, that put his people to their heels, it was the absence of Samuel: If the Prophet had come up, Israel would never have run away from their King: Whiles they had a Samuel alone, they were never▪ well till they had a Saul, now they have a Saul, they are as fare from contentment, because they want a Samuel; unless both join together, they think there can be no safety. Where the Temporal and Spiritual State combine not together, there can follow nothing but distraction in the people: The Prophets receive and deliver the will of God, Kings execute it: The Prophets are directed by God, the people are directed by their Kings. Where men do not see God before them in his Ordinances, their hearts cannot but fail them, both in their respects to their Superiors, and their courage in themselves. Piety is the Mother of perfect subjection: As all authority is derived from heaven, so is it thence established; Those Governors that would command the hearts of men, must show them God in their faces. No Israelite can think himself safe without a Prophet: Saul had given them good proof of his fortitude, in his late victory over the Ammorites, but then Proclamation was made before the fight through all the Country, that every man should come up after Saul and Samuel: If Samuel had not been with Saul, they would rather have ventured the loss of their oxen, than the h●●●id of themselves. How much less should we presume of any safety in our spiritual combats, when we have not a Prophet to lead us? It is all one (saving that it savours of more contempt) not to have God's Seers, and not to use them: He can be no true Israelite, that is not distressed with the want of a Samuel. As one that had learned to begin his rule in obedience, Saul stays seven days in Gilgal, according to the Prophet's direction, and still he looks long for Samuel, which had promised his presence; six days he expects, and part of the seventh, yet Samuel is not come: The Philistims draw near, the Israelites run away, Samuel comes not, they must fight, God must be supplicated, what should Saul do? rather than God should want a sacrifice, and the people satisfaction, Saul will command that, which he knew Samuel would, if he were present, both command, and execute: It is not possible (thinks he) that God should be displeased with a sacrifice, he cannot but be displeased with indevotion: Why do the people run from me, but for want of means to make God sure? What would Samuel rather wish, then that we should be godly? The act shall be the same, the only difference shall be in the person: If Samuel be wanting to us, we will not be wanting to God; it is but an holy prevention to be devout unbidden: Upon this conceit he commands a sacrifice; saul's sins make no great show, yet are they still heinously taken, the impiety of them was more hidden, and inward from all eyes, but Gods. If Saul were among the Prophets before, will he now be among the Priests? Can there be any devotion in disobedience? O vain man! What can it avail thee to sacrifice to God against God? Hypocrites rest only in formalities; If the outward act be done, it sufficeth them, though the ground be distrust, the manner unreverence, the carriage presumption. What then should Saul have done? Upon the trust of God and Samuel he should have stayed out the last hour, and have secretly sacrificed himself, and his prayers unto that God, which love's Obedience above Sacrifice. Our faith is most commendable in the last act; It is no praise to hold out, until we be hard driven: Then, when we are forsaken of means, to live by faith in our God, is worthy of a Crown: God will have no worship of our devising, we may only do what he bids us, not bid what he commands not. Never did any true piety arise out of the corrupt puddle of man's brain; If it flow not from Heaven, it is odious to Heaven: What was it, that did thus taint the valour of Saul with this weakness, but distrust? He saw some Israelites go, he thought all would go; he saw the Philistims come, he saw Samuel came not, his diffidence was guilty of his misdevotion: There is no sin, that hath not his ground from unbelief; This as it was the first infection of our pure nature, so is the true source of all corruption, man could not sin, if he disinherited not. The Sacrifice is no sooner ended, than Samuel is come: and why came he no sooner? He could not be a Seer, and not know how much he was looked for, how troublesome and dangerous his absence must needs be; He, that could tell Saul, that he should prophesy, could tell, that he would sacrifice; yet he purposely forbears to come, for the trial of him, that must be the Champion of God. Samuel durst not have done thus; but by direction from his Master: It is the ordinary course of God to prove us by delays, and to drive to exigents, that we may show what we are: He that anointed Saul, might lawfully from God control him: There must be discretion, there may not be partiality in our censures of the greatest: God makes difference of sins, none of persons: if we make difference of sins according to persons, we are unfaithful both to God and man. Scarce is Saul warm in his kingdom, when he hath even lost it. samuel's first words after the Inauguration, are of saul's rejection, and the choice and establishment of his Successor: It was ever God's purpose to settle the Kingdom in juda▪ He that took occasion by the people's sin to raise up Saul in Benjamin, takes occasion by saul's sin to establish the Crown upon David. In humane probability the Kingdom was fixed upon Saul, and his more worthy Son: In God's Decree it did but pass through the hands of Benjamin to judah. Besides trouble, how fickle are these earthly glories? Saul doubtless looked upon jonathan, as the Inheritor of his Crown; and behold, ere his peaceable Possession, he hath lost it from himself: Our sins strip us not of our hopes in heaven only, but of our earthly blessings; The way to entail a comfortable prosperity upon our Seed after us, is our conscionable obedience unto God. IONATHANSVictory, and SAULS' Oath. IT is no wonder if saul's courage were much cooled with the heavy news of his rejection: After this he stays under the pomegranate tree in Gibeah: He stirs not towards the Garrison of the Philistims: As Hope is the mother of Fortitude, so nothing doth more breed cowardliness, than despair: Every thing dismays that heart, which God hath put out of protection. Worthy jonathan (which spring from Saul as some sweet Imp grows out of a Crabstocke) is therefore full of valour, because full of faith: He well knew, that he should have nothing, but discouragements from his father's fear; as rather choosing therefore, to avoid all the blocks that might lie in the way, then to leap over them, he departs secretly without the dismission of his Father, or notice of the people; only God leads him, and his Armour bearer follows him. O admirable faith of jonathan, whom neither the steepness of Rocks, not the multitude of Enemies can dissuade from so unlikely an assault! Is it possible, that two men, whereof one was weaponless, should dare to think of encountering so many thousands? O Divine Power of Faith, that in all difficulties and attempts, makes a man more than men, and regards no more armies of men, than swarms of flies! There is no restraint to the Lord (saith he) to save with many, or by few: It was not so great news, that Saul should be amongst the Prophets, as that such a word should come from the Son of Saul. If his Father had had but so much Divinity, he had not sacrificed: The strength of his God, is the ground of his strength in God; The question is not, what jonathan can do, but what God can do, whose power is not in the means, but in himself: That man's faith is well underlayed, that upholds itself by the Omnipotency of God; thus the Father of the faithful built his assurance upon the power of the Almighty. But many things God can do, which he will not do; How knowest thou, jonathan, that God will be as forward, as he is able, to give thee victory? For this (saith he) I have a watchword from God, out of the mouths of the Philistims: If they say, Come up, we will go up; for God hath delivered them into our hands: If they say, Tarry, till we come to you, we will stand still: jonathan was too wise to trust unto a casual presage: There might be some fare fetched conjectures of the event from the word; We will come to you, was a threat of resolution; Come you to us was a challenge of fear; or perhaps, Come up to us, was a word of insultation, from them, that trusted to the inaccessibleness of the place and multitudes of men▪ Insultation is from pride, pride argued a f●ll, but faith hath nothing to do with probabilities, as that, which acknowledgeth no Argument, but demonstration; If there hide not been an instinct from GOD of this assured warrant of success, jonathan had presumed in stead of believing, and had tempted that GOD, whom he professed to glorify by his trust. There can be no faith, where there is no promise, and where there is a promise, there can be no presumption: Words are voluntary; The tongues of the Philistims were as free to say, Tarry, as Come: That God, in whom our very tongues move, overruled them so, as now they shall speak that word, which shall cut their own throats: They knew no more harm in Come, then Tarry; both were alike safe for the sound, for the sense; but he, that put a signification of their slaughter in the one, not in the other, did put that word into their mouth, whereby they might invite their own destruction. The disposition of our words are from the providence of the Almighty: God and our hearts have not always the same meaning in our speeches: In those words, which we speak at random, or out of affectation, God hath a further drift of his own glory, and perhaps our judgement. If wicked men say, Our tongues are our own, they could not say so, but from him, whom they defy in saying so, and who makes their tongue their executioner. No sooner doth jonathan hear this invitation, than he answers it: He, whose hands had learned never to fail his heart, puts himself upon his hands and knees to climb up into this danger: the exploit was not more difficult, than the way, the pain of the passage was equal to the peril of the enterprise; that his faith might equally triumph over both: he doth not say, how shall I get up? much less, which way shall I get down again? but as if the ground were level, and the action dangerless, he puts himself into the view of the Philistims: Faith is never so glorious, as when it hath most opposition, and will not see it: Reason looks ever to the means, Faith to the end; and in stead of consulting, how to effect, resolves what shall be effected. The way to heaven is more steep, more painful: O God how perilous a passage hast thou appointed for thy labouring Pilgrims? If difficulties will discourage us, we shall but climb to fall: When we are lifting up our foot to the last step, there are the Philistims of death, of temptations, to grapple with; give us but faith, and turn us lose to the spite either of Earth or Hell. jonathan is now on the top of the hill, and now, as if he had an army at his heels, he flies upon the host of the Philistims; his hands that might have been weary with climbing, are immediately commanded to fight, and deal as many deaths, as blows, to the amazed enemy: He needs not walk fare for this execution; Himself, and his Armour-bearer in one half acres space have slain twenty Philistims. It is not long since jonathan smote their Garrison in the hill of Geba, perhaps, from that time his name and presence carried terror in it; but sure if the Philistims had not seen and felt more than a man in the face and hands of jonathan, they had not so easily groveled in death: The blows and shrieks cannot but affect the next, who with a ghastly noise ran away from death, and affright their fellows no less than themselves are affrighted. The clamour and fear runs on like fire in a train, to the very foremost ranks; Every man would fly, and thinks there is so much more cause of flight, for that his ears apprehend all, his eyes nothing: Each man thinks his fellow stands in his way, and therefore in stead of turning upon him which was the cause of their flight, they bend their swords upon those whom they imagine to be the hinderers of their flight; and now a miraculous astonishment hath made the Philistims, jonathans' Champions, and Executioners; He follows, and kills those which helped to kill others: and the more he killed, the more they feared, and fled, and the more they killed each other in the flight: and that fear itself might prevent jonathan in killing them, the earth itself trembles under them. Thus doth God at once strike them with his own hand, with jonathans', with theirs, and makes them run away from life, whiles they would fly from an enemy: Where the Almighty purposes destruction to any people, he needs not call in foreign powers, he needs not any hands or weapons, but their own; He can make vast bodies die no other death, than their own weight: We cannot be sure to be friends among ourselves whiles God is our enemy. The Philistims fly fast, but the news of their flight over-runnes them even unto saul's Pomegranate Tree: The Watchmen discern afar off, a flight and execution: search is made, jonathan is found missing; Saul will consult with the Ark: Hypocrites while they have leisure, will perhaps be holy: For some fits of devotion they cannot be bettered. But when the tumult increased, saul's piety decreases: It is now no season to talk with a Priest; withdraw thine hand Ahaiah, the Ephod must give place to Arms: It is more time to fight then to pray; what needs he God's guidance, when he sees his way before him? He that before would needs sacrifice, ere he fought, will now in the other extreme, fight in a wilful indevotion: Worldly minds regard holy duties no further, then may stand with their own carnal purposes: Very easy occasions shall interrupt them in their religious intentions; like unto children, which if a Bird do but fly in their way, cast their eye from their book. But if Saul serve not God in one kind, he will serve him in another, if he honour him not by attending on the Ark, he will honour him by a vow: His negligence in the one, is recompensed with his zeal in the other. All Israel is adjured not to eat any food until the evening: Hypocrisy is ever masked with a blind and thankless zeal: To wait upon the Ark, and to consult with God's Priest in all cases of importance, was a direct commandment of God; To eat no food in the pursuit of their enemies was not commanded: Saul leaves that which he was bidden, and does that which he was not required: To eat no food all day, was more difficult, then to attend an hour upon the Ark; The voluntary services of Hypocrites are many times more painful, than the duties enjoined by God. In what awe did all Israel stand of the Oath even of Saul? It was not their own vow, but saul's for them; yet coming into the Wood, where they saw the Honey dropping, and found the meat as ready as their appetite; they dare not touch that sustenance, and will rather endure famine, and fainting, than an indiscreet curse. Doubtless God had brought those Bees thither on purpose to try the constancy of Israel; Israel could not but think (that which jonathan said) that the vow was unadvised and injurious; yet they will rather dye then violate it: How sacred should we hold the obligation of our own vows, in things just and expedient, when the bond of another's rash vow is thus indissoluble? There was a double mischief followed upon saul's oath, an abatement of the victory, and eating with the blood: For, on the one side, the people were so faint, that they were more likely to dye, then kill; they could neither run, nor strike in this emptiness; Neither hands nor feet can do their office, when the stomach is neglected: On the other, an unmeet forbearance causes a ravenous repast: Hunger knows neither choice, nor order, nor measure: The one of these was a wrong to Israel, the other was a wrong done by Israel to God: saul's zeal was guilty of both: A rash vow is seldom ever free from inconvenience: The heart that hath unnecessarily entangled itself, draws mischief either upon itself or others. jonathan was ignorant of his father's adjuration, he knew no reason why he should not refresh himself in so profitable a service, with a little taste of Honey upon his Spear: Full well had he deserved this unsought dainty; and now behold his Honey is turned into Gall: if it were sweet in the mouth, it was bitter in the soul; if the eyes of his body were enlightened, the light of God's countenance was clouded by this act. After he heard of the oath, he pleads justly against it, the loss of so fair an opportunity of revenge, and the trouble of Israel; yet neither his reasons against the Oath, nor his ignorance of the Oath, can excuse him from a sin of ignorance in violating that, which first he knew not, and then knew unreasonable. Now saul's leisure would serve him to ask counsel of God; As before Saul would not inquire, so now God will not answer: Well might Saul have found sins enough of his own, whereto to impute this silence: He hath grace enough to know that God was offended, and to guess at the cause of his offence: Sooner will an Hypocrite find out another man's sin then his own, and now he swears more rashly to punish with death, the breach of that, which he had sworn rashly: The lots were cast, and Saul prays for the decision, jonathan is taken: Even the prayers of wicked men are sometimes heard, although injustice, not in mercy: Saul himself was punished not a little, in the fall of this lot upon jonathan; Surely Saul sinned more in making this vow, than jonathan in breaking it unwittingly, and now the father smarts for the rashness of his double vow, by the unjust sentence of death upon so worthy a son: God had never singled out jonathan by his lot, if he had not been displeased with his act: Vows rashly made may not be rashly broken; If the thing we have vowed be not evil in itself, or in the effect, we cannot violate it without evil. Ignorance cannot acquit, if it can abate our sin. It is like, if jonathan had heard his father's adjuration, he had not transgressed; his absence at the time of that Oath, cannot excuse him from displeasure: What shall become of those, which may know the charge of their heavenly Father, and will not? which do know his charge, and will not keep it? Affectation of ignorance, and willing disobedience, is desperate. Death was too hard a censure for such an unknown offence: The cruel piety of Saul will revenge the brach of his own charge, so as he would be loath God should avenge on himself the breach of his divine command. If jonathan had not found better friends than his father, so noble a victory had been recompensed with death; He that saved Israel from the Philistims, is saved by Israel from the hand of his Father: Saul hath sworn jonathans' death, the people contrarily swear his preservation; his Kingdom was not yet so absolute, that he could run away with so unmerciful a justice; their Oath that savoured of disobedience, prevailed against his Oath that savoured too strong of cruelty: Neither doubt I, but Saul was secretly not displeased with this loving resistance: So long as his heart was not false to his Oath, he could not be sorry that jonathan should live. Contemplations. THE THIRTEENTH BOOK. Containing SAUL and AGAG. The Rejection of SAUL, and the Choice of DAVID. DAVID called to the Court. DAVID and GOLIATH. JONATHANS' love, and SAULS' envy. michal's Wile. DAVID and ABIMELEC. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, SIR Thomas edmond's KNIGHT, TREASURER OF HIS MAJESTY'S HOUSEHOLD, AND OF HIS MOST Honourable Privy Council. RIGHT HONOURABLE: AFter your long and happy acquaintance with other Courts and Kingdoms, may it please you to compare with them the estate of old Jsrael; You shall find the same hand swaying all Sceptres, and you shall meet with such a proportion of dispositions, and occurrences, that you will say, men are still the same, if their names and faces differ: You shall find Envy and Mutability ancient Courtiers: and shall confess the Vices of men still alive, if themselves die; You shall see God still honouring those that honour him, and both rescuing Jnnocence, and crowning it. It is not for me to anticipate your deeper and more judicious Observations I am bold to dedicate this piece of my Labour to your Honour, in a thankful acknowledgement of those Noble Respects, I have found from you, both in France, and at home. In lieu of all which, I can but pray for your happiness, and vow myself Your Honours in all humble observance, IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. SAUL and AGAG. GOd holds it no derogation from his mercy to bear a quarrel long, where he hates: He, whose anger to the vessels of wrath is everlasting, even in temporal judgement revengeth late: The sins of his own children are no sooner done, and repent of, then forgotten; but the malicious sins of his enemies stick fast in an infinite displeasure. (I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how they laid wait for them by the way, as they came up from Egypt:) Alas, Lord (might Amalek say) they were our forefathers, we never knew their faces, no not their names, the fact was so fare from our consent, that it is almost past the memory of our histories. It is not in the power of time to raze out any of the arerages of God: we may lay up wrath for our posterity: Happy is that child, whose progenitors are in heaven, he is left an inheritor of blessing together with estate, whereas wicked ancestors lose the thank of a rich patrimony, by the curse that attends it: He that thinks, because punishment is deferred, that God hath forgiven, or forgot his offence, is unacquainted with justice, and knows not, that time makes no difference in eternity. The Amalekites were wicked Idolaters, and therefore could not want many present sins, which deserved their extirpation. That God, which had taken notice of all their offences, picks out this one noted sin of their forefathers, for revenge: Amongst all their indignities, this shall bear the name of their judgement: As in legal proceed with malefactors, one indictment found, gives the style of their condemnation. In the lives of those, which are notoriously wicked, God cannot look besides a sin, yet when he draws to an execution, he fastens his sentence upon one evil as principal, others as accessaries, so as at the last, one sin which perhaps we make no account of, shall pay for all. The paganish Idolatries of the Amalekites could not but be greater sins to God, than their hard measure to Israel, yet God sets this upon the file, whiles the rest are not recorded; Their superstitions might be of ignorance, this sin was of malice: Malicious wickednesses of all other, as they are in greatest opposition to the goodness and mercy of God, shall be sure of the payment of greatest vengeance. The detestation of God may be measured by his revenge, (slay both man, and woman, both infant, and suckling, both Ox, and Sheep, Camel, and Ass) not themselves only, but every thing that drew life either from them, or for their use, must dye: When the God of mercy speaks such bloody words, the provocation must needs be vehement: sins of infirmity do but mutter; spiteful sins cry loud for judgement in the cares of God: Prepensed malice in courts of humane justice aggravates the murder, and sharpens the sentence of death. What then was this sin of Amalek, that is called unto this late reckoning? What? but their envious and vnprouoked onsets upon the back of Israel, this was it, that God took so to heart, as that he not only remembers it now by Samuel, but he bids Israel ever to remember it, by Moses: Remember how Amalek met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of you, all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary. Besides this, did Amalek meet Israel in a pitched battle openly, in Rephidim, for that God paid them in the present: The hand of Moses lifted up on the Hill, slew them in the Valley: He therefore repeats not that quarrel, but the cowardly, and cruel attempts upon an impotent enemy, stick still in the stomach of the Almighty: Oppression and wrong upon even terms, are not so heinous unto God, as those, that are upon manifest disadvantage: In the one, there is an hazard of return: In the other, there is ever a tyrannous insultation: God takes still the weaker part, and will be sure therefore to plague them, which seek to put injuries on the unable to resist. This sin of Amalek slept all the time of the judges, those governors were only for rescue, and defence; now so soon as Israel hath a King, and that King is settled in peace, God gives charge to call them to account: It was that, which God had both threatened and sworn, and now he chooses out a fit season for the execution; As we use to say of winter, the judgements of God do never rot in the sky, but shall fall (if late, yet) surely, yet seasonably: There is small comfort in the delay of vengeance, whiles we are sure it shall lose nothing in the way, by length of protraction. The Kenites were the offsprings of Hobad, or jethro, father in law to Moses; the affinity of him, to whom Israel owed their deliverance, and being, was worthy of respect; but it was the mercy of that good and wise Midianite shown unto Israel in the wilderness, by his grave advice, cheerful gratulation, and aid, which won this grateful forbearance of his posterity: He that is not less in mercy, then in justice, as he challenged Amaleks sin of their succeeding generations, so he derives the recompense of Iethroes kindness, unto his far descended issue: Those, that were unborn many ages after Iethroes death, receive life from his dust, and favour from his hospitality; The name of their dead grandfather saves them from the common destruction of their neighbours. The services of our love to God's children are never thankless; when we are dead and rotten, they shall live, and procure blessings to those, which never knew perhaps, not heard of their progenitors: If we sow good works, succession shall reap them, and we shall be happy in making them so. The Kenites dwelled in the borders of Amalek, but in tents, (as did their issue the Rechabites) so as they might remove with ease: They are warned to shift their habitations, lest they should perish with ill neighbours: It is the manner of God, first to separate, before he judge, as a good husband weeds his come, ere it be ripe for the sickle, and goes to the fan, ere he go to the fire: When the Kenites pack up their fardels, it is time to expect judgement; Why should not we imitate God, and separate ourselves that we may not be judged? separate, not one Kenite from another, but every Kenite from among the Amalekites, else if we will needs live with Amalek, we cannot think much to dye with him. The Kenites are no sooner removed, than Saul falls upon the Amalekites: He destroys all the people, but spares their King: The charge of God was universal, for man and beast: In the corruption of partiality, lightly the greatest escape: Covetousness, or mis-affection are commonly guilty of the impunity of those, which are at once most eminent in dignity, and in offence: It is a shameful hypocrisy to make our commodity the measure and rule of our execution of God's command, and under pretence of godliness to pretend gain: The unprofitable vulgar must die; Agag may yeelda rich ransom: The lean and feeble cattle, that would but spend stover, and die alone, shall perish by the sword of Israel, the best may stock the grounds, and furnish the markets. O hypocrites, did God send you for gain, or for revenge? Went you to be purveyors, or executioners? If you plead, that all those wealthy herds had been but lost in a speedy death, think ye that he knew not this, which commanded it? Can that be lost, which is devoted to the will of the owner, and Creator? Or can ye think to gain any thing by disobedience? That man can never either do well, or farewell, which thinks, there can be more profit in any thing, then in his obedience to his Maker: Because Saul spared the best of the men, the people spared the best of the cattle, each is willing to favour other in the sin. The sins of the great command imitation, and do as seldom go without attendants as their persons. Saul knew well, how much he had done amiss, and yet dare meet Samuel, and can say, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord: His heart knew, that his tongue was as false, as his hands had been; and if his heart had not been more false then either of them, neither of them had been so gross in their falsehood: If hypocrisy were not either foolish, or impudent, she durst not show her head to a Seer of God. Can Saul think, that Samuel knew of the asses that were lost, and did not know of the oxen and sheep, that were spared? Can he foretell his thoughts, when it was, and now not know of his open actions? Much less when we have to do with God himself, would dissimulation presume either of safety or secrecy? Can the God that made the heart not know it? Can he, that comprehends all things, be shut out of our close corners? Saul was otherwise crafty enough, yet herein his simplicity is palpable: Sin can besot even the wisest man, and there was never but folly in wickedness. No man brags so much of holiness, as he that wants it: True obedience is joined ever with humility, and fear of unknown errors; Falsehood is bold, and can say, I have fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord: If Saul had been truly obsequious and holy, he had made no noise of it: A gracious heart is not a blab of his tongue, but rests and rejoiceth silently in the conscience of a secret goodness; those vessels yield most sound, that have the least liquor: Samuel had reason to believe the sheep, and oxen above Saul; their bleating and lowing was a sufficient conviction of a denied and out faced disobedience: God opened their mouths to accuse Saul of their life, and his falsehood; but, as sin is crafty, and never wanted a cloak, wherewith both to hide and deck itself; even this very rebellion is holy: First the act, if it were evil, was not mine, but the peoples; and secondly, their intention makes it good; For these Flocks and Herds were preserved, not for gain, but for devotion: What needs this quarrel? If any gain by this act, it is the Lord thy God: His Altars shall smoke with these sacrifices, ye, that serve at them, shall far so much the better; this godly thriftiness looks for thankes rather than censure. If Saul had been in samuel's , perhaps this answer would have satisfied him: Surely, himself stands out in it, as that whereto he dare trust, and after he hears of Gods angry reproof; he avows, and doubles his hold of his innocency; as if the Commanders should not answer for the known sins of the people; as if our intentions could justify us to God, against God. How much ado it is to bring sinners upon their knees, and to make their tongues accuse their hands? But it is no halting with the maker of the heart: He knew, it was covetousness, and not piety, which was accessary to this forbearance; and if it had been as was pretended, be knew it was an odious impiety to raise devotion out of disobedience: Saul shall hear and find, that he hath dealt no less wickedly in sparing an Agag, then in killing an innocent Israelite; in sparing these beasts for sacrifice, then in sacrificing beasts that had been unclean. Why was sacrifice itself good, but because it was commanded? What difference was there betwixt slaughter and sacrifice, but obedience; To sacrifice disobediently, is wilfully to mock God in honouring him. The rejection of SAUL, and the choice of DAVID. EVen when Saul had abandoned God in disobedience, he would not forgo Samuel, yea, though he reproved him; when he had forsaken the substance, yet he would maintain the formality; If he cannot hold the man, he will keep the pledge of his garment, such was the violence of saul's desire, that he will rather rend samuel's coat, than part with his person. Little did Saul think, that he had in his hand the pawn of his own rejection, that this act of kind importunity should carry in it a presage of his judgement, yet so it did: This very rending of the coat was a real prophecy, and did bode no less, than the rending of the Kingdom from him, and his posterity: Wicked men, whiles they think by carnal means to make their peace, plunge themselves deeper into misery. Any slander by would have said, what a good King is this? how dear is God's Prophet unto him? how happy is Israel in such a Prince, as thus love's the messengers of God? Samuel, that saw the bottom of this hollow affection, rejects him, whom God had rejected; he was taught to look upon Saul, not as a King, but as an offender, and therefore refuses with no less vehemency, than Saul entreated: It was one thing, what he might do, as a subject, another what he must do, as a Prophet: Now he knows not Saul any otherwise, then as so much the greater trespasser as his place was higher; and therefore he doth no more spare his greatness, than the God against whom he sinned; Neither doth he countenance that man with his presence, on whom he sees God to frown. There needs no other Character of hypocrisy, than Saul in the carriage of this one business with Agag and Samuel: First, he obeys God where there is no gain in disobedience; then he serves God by halves, and disobeyes, where the obedience might be loss: He gives God of the worst; he doth that in a colour, which might seem answerable to the charge of God: He respects persons in the execution; He gives good words, when his deeds were evil; He protests his obedience against his conscience; He faces out his protestation against a reproof; When he sees no remedy, he acknowledges the fact, denies the sin, yea he justifies the act by a profitable intention; When he can no longer maintain his innocence, he casts the blame from himself upon the people; He confesseth not, till the sin be wrung from his mouth; He seeks his peace out of himself, and relies more upon another's virtue, than his own penitency; He would cloak his guiltiness with the holiness of another's presence; He is more tormented with the danger and damage of his sin, then with the offence; He cares to hold in with men, in what terms soever he stands with God; He fashionably serves that God, whom he hath not cared to reconcile by his repentance: No marvel if God cast him off, whose best was dissimulation. Old Samuel is forced to do a double execution, and that upon no less than two Kings: The one upon Saul, in dividing the Kingdom from him, who had divided himself from God; The other upon Agag, in dividing him in pieces, whom Saul should have divided. Those holy hands were not used to such sacrifices, yet did he never spill blood more acceptably: If Saul had been truly penitent, he had in a desire of satisfaction prevented the hand of Samuel in this slaughter; Now he coldly stands still, and suffers the weak hands of an aged Prophet to be imbrued with that blood, which he was commanded to shed. If Saul might not sacrifice in the absence of Samuel, yet Samuel might kill in the presence of Saul: He was yet a judge of Israel although he suspended the execution: In saul's neglect, this charge reverted to him; God love's just executions so well, that he will hardly take them ill at any hands. I do not find, that the slaughter of Agag troubled Samuel; that other act of his severity upon Saul though it drew no blood, yet struck him in the striking, and fetched tears from his eyes. Good Samuel mourned for him, that had not grace to mourn for himself: No man in all Israel might seem to have so much reason to rejoice in saul's ruin, as Samuel, since that he knew him raised up in despite of his government; yet he mourns more for him, than he did for his sons, for himself: It grieved him to see the plant, which he had set in the garden of Israel, thus soon withered: It is an unnatural senselessness not to be affected with the dangers, with the sins of our Governors: God did not blame this sorrow, but moderated it; How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? It was not the affection he forbade, but the measure: In this is the difference betwixt good men and evil, that evil men mourn not for their own sins, good men do so mourn for the sins of others, that they will hardly be taken off. If Samuel mourn because Saul hath cast away God by his sin, he must cease to mourn, because God hath cast away Saul from reigning over Israel, in his just punishment: A good heart hath learned to rest itself upon the justice of God's Decree, and forgets all earthly respects, when it looks up to heaven. So did God mean to show his displeasure against the person of Saul, that he would show favour to Israel, he will not therefore bereave them of a King, but change him for a better: Either Saul had slandered his people, or else they were partners with him in the disobedience: yet (because it was their Ruler's fault, that they were not overruled) we do not hear of their smarting, any otherwise, then in the subjection to such a King, as was not loyal to God: The loss of Saul is their gain; the government of their first King was abortive, no marvel if it held not. Now was the maturity of that State, and therefore God will bring them forth a kindly Monarchy settled where it should: Kings are of Gods providing, it is good reason he should make choice of his own Deputies: but where goodness meets with sovereignty, both his right, and his gift are doubled: If Kings were merely from the earth, what needs a Prophet to be seen in the choice or inauguration? The hand of Samuel doth not now bear the Sceptre to rule Israel, but it bears the horn for the anointing of him, that must rule: Saul was sent to him, when the time was to be anointed; but now, he is sent to anoint David: Then Israel sought a King for themselves, now God seeks a King for Israel: The Prophet is therefore directed to the house of Ishai the Bethleemite, the grandchild of Ruth; now is the faithful love of that good Moabitesse crowned with the honour of a Kingdom, in the succeeding generation: God fetched her out of Moab, to bring a King unto Israel: Whiles Orpah wants bread in her own Country, Ruth is grown a great Lady in Bethleem, and is advanced to be great Grand mother to the King of Israel. The retributions of God are bountiful; never any man forsook aught for his sake, and complained of an hard bargain. Even the best of God's Saints want not their infirmities: He that never replied, when he was sent to reprove the King, moveth doubts, when he is bidden to go, and anoint his successor. (How can I go? If Saul bear it he will kill me.) Perhaps desire of full direction drew from him this question, but not without a mixture of diffidence; For the manner of doing it, doth not so much trouble him, as the success: It is not to be expected, that the most faithful hearts should be always in an equal height of resolution, God doth not chide Samuel, but instruct him: He, which is Wisdom itself, teacheth him to hide his counsels in an honest policy: (Take an Heifar with thee, and say, I am come to do sacrifice to the Lord.) This was to say true, not to say all: Truth may not be crossed by denials, or equivocations, it may be concealed in a discreet silence: except in the case of an oath, no man is bound to speak all he knows; we are not only allowed, but commanded to be innocently Serpentine. There were doubtless Heifers enough in Bethleem, Ishai had both wealth and devotion enough to have bestowed a Sacrifice upon God, and his Prophet: But to give a more perfect colour to his intention, Samuel must take an Heifar with him: The act itself was serious and necessary: There was no place, no time, wherein it was not fit for a Samuel to offer Peace-offerings unto God; but when a King should be anointed, there was no less than necessity in this service. Those, which must represent God to the world, aught to be consecrated to that Majesty, whom they resemble, by public devotions: Every important action requires a Sacrifice to bless it, much more that act, which imports the whole Church, or Commonwealth. It was great news to see Samuel at Bethleem, he was no gadder abroad, none but necessary occasions could make him stir from Ramah: The Elders of the City therefore, welcome him with trembling, not for that they were afraid of him; but of themselves; they knew, that guest would not come to them for familiarity, straight do they suspect, it was the purpose of some judgement, that drew him thither: Comest thou peaceably? It is a good thing to stand in awe of God's Messengers, and to hold good terms with them upon all occasions: The Bethlemites are glad to hear of no other errand, but a Sacrifice; and now must they sanctify themselves for so sacred a business: We may not presume to sacrifice unto God unsanctified, this were to mar an holy act, and make ourselves more profane, by profaning that, which should be holy. All the Citizens sanctify themselves, but Ishai and his sons were in a special fashion sanctified by Samuel. This business was most theirs, and all Israel in them; the more God hath to do with us, the more holy should we be. With what desire did Samuel look upon the sons of Ishai, that he might see the face of the man, whom God had chosen? And now, when Eliab the eldest son came forth, a man of a goodly presence, whose person seemed fit to succeed Saul, he thinks with himself; This choice is soon made, I have already espied the head, on which I must spend this holy Oil: This is the man, which hath both the privilege of nature in his primogeniture, and of outward goodliness in proportion: Surely the Lords Anointed is before him. Even the holiest Prophet, when he goes without God, runs into error: The best judgement is subject to deceit: It is no trusting to any mortal man, when he speaks of himself: Our eyes can be led by nothing but signs and appearances, and those have commonly in them either a true falsehood, or uncertain truth. That which should have forewarned Samuel, deceived him; he had seen the proof of a goodly stature unanswerable to their hopes, and yet his eye errs in the shape: He, that judges by the inside both of our hearts and actions, checks Samuel in this misconceit: (Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for God seethe not as man seethe:) The King, with whom God meant to satisfy the untimely desires of Israel, was chosen by his stature, but the King with whom God meant to please himself is chosen by the heart. All the seven sons of Ishai are presented to the Prophet, no one is omitted whom their father thought capable of any respect: If either Samuel or Ishai should have chosen, David should never have been King: His father thought him fit to keep sheep, his brethren fit to rule men; yet even David (the youngest son) is fetched from the fold, and by the choice of God destined to the Throne: Nature, which is commonly partial to her own, could not suggest aught to Ishai, to make him think David worthy to be remembered in any competition of honour, yet him hath God singled out to the rule. God will have his Wisdom magnified in the unlikelihoods of his election: David's countenance was ingenuous, and beautiful, but if it had promised so much as Eliabs, or Abinadabs', he had not been in the fields, whiles his brethren were at the Sacrifice: If we do altogether follow our eye, and suffer ourselves to be guided by outward respects in our choice for God or ourselves, we cannot but go amiss. What do we think the brethren of David thought, when they saw the Oil poured upon his head? Surely (as they were envious enough) they had too much repined, if they had either fully apprehended the purpose of the Prophet, or else had not thought of some improbility in the success: Either they understood not, or believed not, what God would do with their brother; They saw him graced with God's Spirit above his wont, but perhaps foresaw not, whither it tended: David (as no whit changed in his condition) returns to his sheep with an humble admiration of God's gracious respect to him, casts himself upon the wise and holy Decree of the Almighty, resigning himself to the disposition of those hands, which had chosen him; when suddenly a Messenger is sent from Saul to call him in all haste, to that Court, whereof he shall once be Master: The occasion is no less from God, than the event. DAVID called to the Court. THat the Kingdom is (in the appointment of God) departed from Saul, it is his least loss; Now the Spirit of God is also departed from him; One spirit is no sooner gone, but another is come; both are from God: Even the worst spirits have not only permission, but commission from Heaven, for the infliction of judgement. He that at first could hide himself among the stuff, that he might not be King, is now so transported with this glory, that he grows passionate with the thought of foregoing it: Satan takes vantage of his melancholic dejection, and turns this passion into frenzy. God will have even evil spirits work by means; A distempered body, and an unquiet mind are fit grounds for Satan's vexation. saul's Courtiers, as men that were more witty, then religious, advice him to Music: They knew the strength of that skill in allaying the fury of passions, in cheering up the dejected spirits of their Master: This was done like some fond Chirurgeon, that when the bone is out of joint, lays some soupling Poultices to the part, for the asswaging of the ache, in the mean time not caring to remedy the luxation. If they had said, Sir, you know this evil comes from that God whom you have offended, there can be no help but in reconcilement; how easy is it for the God of Spirits to take off Satan? labour your peace with him by a serious humiliation; make means to Samuel to further the atonement; they had been wise Counsellors, divine Physicians; whereas now they do but skin over the sore, and leave it rankled at the bottom: The cure must ever proceed in the same steps with the disease, else in vain shall we seem to heal; There is no safety in the redress of evils, but to strike at the root. Yet since it is no better with Saul and his Courtier, it is well it is no worse; I do not hear either the Master, or servants say, This is an ill spirit, send for some Magician, that may countermand him: There are forcible Enchantments for these spiritual vexations; If Samuel will not, there are Witches, that may give ease: But as one, that would rather be ill, then do worse, he contents himself to do that, which was lawful, if unsufficient. It is a shame to say, that he, whom God had rejected for his sin, was yet a Saint to some that should be Christians, who care not, how much they are beholden to the Devil in their distresses, affecting to cast out Devils by BeelZebub: In cases of loss, or sickness they make Hell their refuge, and seek for patronage, but of an enemy: Here is a fearful agreement; Satan seeks to them in his temptations, they in their consultations seek to him, and now they have mutually found each other, if they ever part, it is a miracle. David had lived obscurely in his father's house, his only care and ambition was the welfare of the flock he tended, and now, whiles his father and his brothers neglected him as fit for nothing but the fied, he is talked of at Court: Some of saul's followers had been at Ishai's house, and taken notice of David's skill, and now that harp, which he practised for his private recreation, shall make him of a Shepherd a Courtier: The Music, that he meant only to himself and his sheep, brings him before Kings: The Wisdom of God thought fit to take this occasion of acquainting David with that Court, which he shall once govern. It is good, that our education should perfect our children in all those commendable qualities, whereto they are disposed: Little do we know, what use God means to make of those faculties, which we know not how to employ. Where the Almighty purposes an advancement, obscurity can be no prejudice; small means shall set forward that, which God hath decreed. Doubtless, old Ishai noted (not without admiration) the wonderful accordance of God's proceed, that he, which was sent for out of the field to be anointed; should now be sent for out of the Country into the Court, and now he perceived, God was making way for the execution of that which he purposed; he attends the issue in silence, neither shall his hand fail to give furtherance to the project of God: He therefore sends his son laden with a Present, to Saul: The same God which called David to the Court, welcomes him thither; His comeliness, valour, and skill have soon won him favour in the eyes of Saul. The giver of all graces hath so placed his favours, that the greatest enemies of goodness shall see somewhat in the holiest men, which they shall affect, and for which they shall honour the persons of them, whose virtues they dislike; as contrarily the saints on earth see somewhat to love even in the worst creatures. No doubt David sung to his harp; his harp was not more sweet than his song was holy: Those Psalms alone had been more powerful to chase the evil spirit, than the Music was to calm passions; both together gave ease to Saul; and God gave this effect to both, because he would have Saul train up his Successor: This sacred Music did not more dispel Satan, then wanton Music invites him, and more cheers him, then us: He phyes and danceth at a filthy Song, he sings at an obscure dance: Our sin is his best pastime, whereas Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs are torment unto the Tempter, and Music to the Angels in Heaven, whose trade is to sing Alleluiahs in the Chore of glory. DAVID and GOLIATH. AFter the news of the Philistims Army, I hear no more mention of saul's frenzy: Whether the noise of War diverted those thoughtful passions, or whether God for his people's sake took off that evil spirit; lest Israel might miscarry under a frantic Governor. Now David hath leisure to return to Bethleem: The glory of the Court cannot transport him to ambitious vanity; He had rather be his Father's Shepherd, than saul's Armour-bearer; All the magnificence and state, which he saw, could not put his mouth out of the taste of a retired simplicity; yea rather he love's his hook the better, since he saw the Court; and now his brethren serve Saul in his stead. A good heart hath learned to frame itself unto all conditions, and can change estates without change of disposition, rising and falling according to occasion: The worldly mind can rise easily, but when it is once up, knows not how to descend either with patience, or safety. Forty days together had the Philistims and Israelites faced each other, they pitched on two hills one in the sight of other, nothing but a Valley was betwixt them: Both stand upon defence and advantage; If they had not meant to fight, they had never drawn so near; and if they had been eager of fight, a Valley could not have parted them: Actions of hazard require deliberation; not fury but discretion must be the guide of War. So had joshua destroyed the Giantly Anakims out of the Land of Israel, that yet some were left in Azzah, Gath, and Ashdod: both to show Israel, what Adversaries their forefathers found in Canaan, and whom they mastered; as also that God might win glory to himself by these subsequent executions: Of that race was Goliath, whose heart was as high as his head, his strength was answerable to his stature, his weapons answerable to his strength, his pride exceeded all: Because he saw his head higher, his arms stronger, his sword and spear bigger, his shield heavier than any Israelite, he defies the whole host, and walking between the two Armies, braves all Israel with a challenge; (Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistim? and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me: give me a man that we may fight together.) Carnal hearts are carried away with presumption of their own abilities, and not finding marches to themselves in outward appearance, insult over the impotency of inferiors; and as those, that can see no invisible opposition, promise themselves certainty of success: Insolence and selfe-confidence argues the heart to be nothing, but a lump of proud flesh. The first challenge of Duel, that ever we find, came out of the mouth of an uncircumcised Philistim; yet was that in open war, and tended to the saving of many lives, by adventuring one or two; and whosoever imitateth, nay surpasseth him in challenge to private Duel, in the attempt partaketh of his uncircumcision, though he should overcome; and of his manner of punishment, if in such private combats he cast away his life. For of all such desperate prodigals we may say, that their heads are cut off by their own sword, if not by their own hand. We cannot challenge men, and not challenge God, who justly challengeth to himself both to take vengeance, and to give success. The more Goliath challenges, and is unanswered, the more is he puffed up in the pride of his own power: And is there none of all Israel, that will answer this champion otherwise then with his heels? Where is the courage of him that was higher than all Israel from the shoulders upward? The time was, when Nahash the Ammonite had made that tyrannous demand of the right eyes of the Gileadites, that Saul could ask unasked, What aileth the people to weep? and could hue his oxen in pieces to raise the spirits of Israel, and now he stands still, and sees the host turn their back, and never so much as ask, what aileth the people to fly? The time was, when Saul flew forty thousand Philistims in one day, and perhaps Caliah was in that discomfiture, and now one Philistim is suffered by him to brave a●●●●el forty days; whence is this difference? The Spirit of God, (the spirit of fortitude) was now departed from him: Saul was not more above himself, when God was with him, than he is below others, now that he is left of God; Valour is not merely of nature: Nature is ever like itself; by this rule, he that is once valiant, should never turn coward: But now we see the greatest spirits inconstant, and those, which have given good proofs of magnanimity, at other times, have bewrayed white livers unto their own reproach; He that is the God of hosts, gives and takes away men's hearts at his pleasure: Neither is it otherwise in our spiritual combats, sometimes the same soul dare challenge all the powers of darkness, which otherwhiles gives ground to a temptation; We have no strength, but what is given us, and if the author of all good gifts remit his hand for our humiliation, either we fight not or are foiled. David hath now lain long enough close amongst his flock in the fields of Bethleem, God sees a time to send him to the pichtfield of Israel. Good old Ishai, that was doubtless joyful to think, that he had afforded three sons to the wars of his King, is no less careful of their welfare and provision; and who (amongst all the rest of his seven sons) shall be picked out for this service, but his youngest son David; whose former and almost worn-out acquaintance in Court, and employment under Saul seemed to fit him best for this errand: Early in the morning is David upon his way, yet not so early, as to leave his flock unprovided: If his father's command dismiss him, yet will he stay, till he have trusted his sheep with a careful keeper; we cannot be faithful shepherds, if our spiritual charge be less dear unto us; if when necessity calls us from our flocks, we depute not those, which are vigilant and conscionable. Ere David's speed can bring him to the valley of Elah, both the Armies are on foot ready to join: He takes not this excuse to stay without, as a man daunted with the horror of war, but leaving his present with his servant, he thrusts himself into the thickest of the host, and salutes his brethren which were now thinking of nothing but killing or dying, when the proud champion of the Philistims comes stalking forth before all the troops, and renews his insolent challenge against Israel: David sees the man, and hears his defiance, and looks about him, to see what answer would be given, and when he espies nothing but pale faces & backs turned, he wonders, not so much, that one man should dare all Israel, as that all Israel should run from one man: Even when they fly from Goliath, they talk of the reward, that should be given to that encounter and victory, which they dare not undertake; so those which have not grace to believe, yet can say, There is glory laid up for the faithful. Ever since his anointing, was David possessed with God's Spirit, and thereby filled both with courage, and wisdom: The more strange doth it seem to him, that all Israel should be thus dastardly: Those, that are themselves eminent in any grace, cannot but wonder at the miserable defects of others, and the more shame they see in others imperfections, the more is their zeal in avoiding those errors in themselves. Whiles base hearts are moved by example, the want of example is encouragement enough for an heroical mind: Therefore is David ready to undertake the quarrel, because no man else dare do it: His eyes sparkled with holy anger, and his heart rose up to his mouth, when he heard this proud challenger: (Who is this uncircumcised Philistim, that he should revile the host of the living God?) Even so O Saviour, when all the generations of men ran away affrighted from the powers of death and darkness, thou alone hast undertaken, and confounded them. Who should offer to daunt the holy courage of David, but his own brethren? The envious heart of Eliab construes this forwardness, as his own disgrace: Shall I (thinks he) be put down by this puisne? shall my father's youngest son dare to attempt that, which my stomach will not serve me to adventure? Now therefore he rates David for his presumption; and in stead of answering to the recompense of the victory, (which others were ready to give) he recompenseth the very inquiry of David with a check: It was for his brethren's sake, that David came thither, and yet his very journey is cast upon him by them, for a reproach; Wherefore cam'st thou down hither? and when their bitterness can meet with nothing else to shame him, his sheep are cast in his teeth: Is it for thee, an idle proud boy, to be meddling with our martial matters? doth not yonder Champion look, as if he were a fit match for thee? what makest thou of thyself? or what dost thou think of us? iwis it were fit for thee to be looking to thy sheep, then looking at Goliath; the Wilderness would become thee better than the field●: Wherein art thou equal to any man thou seest, but in arrogancy and presumption? The pastures of Bethlem could not hold thee, but thou thoughtst it a goodly matter to see the wars: I know thee, as if I were in thy bosom; This was thy thought, There is no glory to be got among fleeces, I will go seek it in arms; Now are my brethren winning honour in the troops of Israel, whiles I am basely tending on sheep, why should not I be as forward as the best of them? This vanity would make thee strait of a shepherd, a soldier, and of a soldier a champion; get thee home, foolish stripling, to thy hook, and thy harp; let swords and spears alone to those, that know how to use them. It is quarrel enough amongst many to a good action, that it is not their own; there is no enemy so ready, or so spiteful, as the domestical: The hatred of brethren is so much more, as their blood is nearer: The malice of strangers is simple, but of a brother is mixed with envy: The more unnatural any quality is, the more extreme it is; A cold wind from the South is intolerable: David's first victory is of himself, next of his brother; He overcomes himself in a patiented forbearance of his brother, he overcomes the malicious rage of his brother with the mildness of his answer: If David had wanted spirit, he had not been troubled with the insultation of a Philistim; If he had a spirit to march Goliath, how doth he so calmly receive the affront of a brother? What have I now done? is there not a cause? That which would have stirred the choler of another, allayeth his: It was a brother, that wronged him, and that his eldest; neither was it time to quarrel with a brother, whiles the Philistims swords were drawn, and Goliath was challenging. O that these two motives could induce us to peace: If we have injury in our person, in our cause, it is from brethren, and the Philistims look on: I am deceived, if this conquest were less glorious, than the following: He is fit to be God's Champion, that hath learned to be victor of himself. It is not this sprinkling of cold water, that can quench the fire of David's zeal, but still his courage sends up flames of desire, still he goes on to inquire, and to proffer: He, whom the regard of others envy can dismay, shall never do aught worthy of envy: Never man undertook any exploit of worth, and received not some discouragement in the way: This courageous motion of David was not more scorned by his brother, then by the other Israelites applauded: The rumour flies to the ears of the King, that there is a youngman desirous to encounter the Giant: David is brought forth: Saul, when he heard of a Champion, that durst go into the lists with Goliath, looked for one as much higher than himself, as he was taller than the rest; he expected some stern face, and brawny arm; young and ruddy David is so fare below his thoughts, that he receives rather contempt, than thankes: His words were stout, his person was weak: Saul doth not more like his resolution, then distrust his ability:: (Thou art not able to go against this Philistim to fight with him; for thou art a boy, and he is a man of war from his youth.) Even Saul seconds Eliab in the conceit of this disparity, and if Eliab speak out of envy, Saul speaks out of judgement; both judge (as they were judged of) by the stature: All this cannot weaken that heart, which receives his strength from faith: David's greatest conflict is with his friends: The overcoming of their dissuasions, that he might fight, was more work, then to overcome his enemy in fight: He must first justify his strength to Saul, ere he may prove it upon Goliath: Valour is never made good, but by trial: He pleads the trial of his puissance upon the Bear and the Lion, that he may have leave to prove it upon a worse beast than they; Thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear, therefore this uncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them. Experience of good success is no small comfort to the heart, this gives possibility and hope, but no certainty: Two things there were on which David built his confidence, on Goliahs' sin, and God's deliverance, (Seeing he hath railed on the host of the living God: The Lord that delivered me out of the paws of the Lion and the Bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistim.) Well did David know, that if this Philistims skin had been as hard as the brass of his shield, his sin would make it penetrable by every stroke. After all brags of manhood he is impotent, that hath provoked God: Whiles other labour for outward fortification, happy and safe were we, if we could labour for innocence: He that hath found God present in one extremity, may trust him in the next; Every sensible favour of the Almighty, invites both his gifts and our trust. Resolution thus grounded, makes even Saul himself confident; David shall have both his leave and his blessing: If David came to Saul, as a Shepherd, he shall go toward Goliath, as a Warrior: The attire of the King is not too rich for him, that shall fight for his King and Country: Little did Saul think, that his helmet was now on that head, which should once wear his crown: Now that David was arrayed in the warlike habit of a King, and girded with his sword, he looked upon himself, and thought this outside glorious, but when he offered to walk, and found that the attire was not so strong, as unweeldy, and that it might be more for show, then use, he lays down these accoutrements of honour, and as caring rather to be an homely victor, than a glorious spoil, he craves pardon to go in no clothes, but his own; he takes his staff in stead of the spear, his shepherd's scrip in stead of his brigandine, and in stead of his sword he takes his sling, and in stead of darts and javelins, he takes five smooth stones out of the brook: Let saul's coat be never rich, and his armour never so strong, what is David the better, if they fit him not? It is not to be enquired, how excellent any thing is, but how proper: Those things which are helps to some may be encumbrances to others: An unmeet good may be as inconvenient, as an accustomed evil: If we could wish another man's honour, when we feel the weight of his cares, we should be glad to be in our own cote. Those that depend upon the strength of Faith, though they neglect not means, yet they are not curious in the proportion of outward means to the effect desired: Where the heart is armed with an assured confidence, a sling and a stone are weapons enough; to the unbelieving no helps are sufficient: Goliath, though he were presumptuous enough, yet had one shield carried before him, another he carried on his shoulder; neither will his sword alone content him, but he takes his spear too. David's armour is his plain shepherds russet, and the brook yields him his artillery, and he knows, there is more safety in his cloth, then in the others brass; and more danger in his pebbles, than the others spear. Faith gives both heart and arms. The inward munition is so much more noble, because it is of proof for both soul and body: If we be furnished with this, how boldly shall we meet with the powers of darkness, and go away more than conquerors? Neither did the quality of David's weapons bewray more confidence, than the number: If he will put his life and victory upon the stones of the brook, why doth he not fill his scrip full of them? why will he content himself with five? Had he been furnished with store, the advantage of his nimbleness might have given him hope; If one fail, that yet another might speed: But now this paucity puts the dispatch to a sudden hazard, and he hath but five stones cast either to death or victory; still the fewer helps the stronger faith; David had an instinct from God, that he should overcome, he had not a particular direction, how he should overcome. For had he been at first resolved upon the sling and stone, he had saved the labour of girding his sword: It seems, whiles they were addressing him to the combat, he made account of hand-blowes, now he is purposed rather to send, then bring death to his adversary: In either, or both, he durst trust God with the success, and beforehand (through the conflict) saw the victory: It is sufficient, that we know the issue of our fight: If our weapons and wards vary according to the occasion given by God, that is nothing to the event; sure we are, that if we resist, we shall overcome, and if we overcome we shall be crowned. When David appeared in the lists to so unequal an adversary, as many eyes were upon him, so in those eyes, diverse affections: The Israelites looked upon him with pity and fear, and each man thought; Alas, why is this comely stripling suffered to cast away himself upon such a monster? why will they let him go unarmed to such an affray? Why will Saul hazard the honour of Israel on so unlikely an head? The Philistims, especially their great Champion, looked upon him with scorn, disdaining so base a combitant; (Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staffs?) What could be said more fitly? Hadst thou been any other, than a dog (O Goliath) thou hadst never opened thy foul mouth to bark against the host of God, and the God of hosts: If David had thought thee any other than a very dog, he had never come to thee with a staff and a stone. The last words, that ever the Philistim shall speak, are curses, & brags; (Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the Fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field.) Seldom ever was there a good end of ostentation: Presumption is at once the presage, and cause of ruin: He is a weak adversary, that can be killed with words: That man which could not fear the Giant's hand, cannot fear his tongue: If words shall first encounter, the Philistim receives the first foil, and shall first let in death into his ear, ere it enter into his forehead: (Thou comest to me with a sword, and a spear, and a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts; the God of the host of Israel, whom thou hast railed upon: This day shall the Lord close thee in my hand, and I shall smite thee, and take thine head from thee.) Here is another style, not of a boaster, but of a Prophet: Now shall Goliath know, whence to expect his bane, even from the hands of a revenging God, that shall smite him by David, and now shall learn too late, what it is to meddle with an enemy, that goes under the invisible protection of the Almighty. No sooner hath David spoken, than his foot and hand second his tongue: He runs to fight with the Philistim: It is a cold courage that stands only upon defence: As a man, that saw no cause of fear, and was full of the ambition of victory, he flies upon that monster, and with a stone out of his bag smites him in the forehead: There was no part of Goliath, that was capable of that danger, but the face, and that piece of the face; the rest was defenced with a brazen wall, which a weak sling would have tried to batter in vain: What could Goliath fear to see an adversary come to him without edge or point? And behold, that one part hath God found out for the entrance of death: He that could have caused the stone to pass through the shield and breastplate of Goliath, rather directs the stone to that part, whose nakedness gave advantage: Where there is power or possibility of nature, God uses not to work miracles, but chooses the way that lies most open to his purposes. The forehead was a fair mark, but how easily might the sling have miss it, if there had not been another hand in this cast besides David's? He that guided David into this field, and raised his courage to this combat, guides the stone to his end, and lodges it in that seat of impudence: There now lies the great Defier of Israel, grovelling and grinning in death, and is not suffered to deal one blow for his life, and bites the unwelcome earth for indignation, that he dies by the hand of a Shepherd: Earth and Hell share him betwixt them; such is the end of insolence, and presumption. O God, what is flesh and blood to thee, which canst make a little pebble-stone stronger than a Giant, and when thou wilt, by the weakest means canst strew thine enemies in the dust? Where now are the two shields of Goliath, that they did not bear off this stroke of death? or wherefore serves that Weaver's beam, but to strike the earth in falling? or that sword, but to behead his Master? What needed David load himself with an unnecessary weapon? one sword can serve both Goliath and him; If Goliath had a man to bear his shield, David had Goliath to bear his sword, wherewith that proud blasphemous head is severed from his shoulders: Nothing more honours God, than the turning of wicked men's forces against themselves: There is none of his enemies, but caries with them their own destruction. Thus didst thou, O Son of David, foil Satan with his own weapon, that, whereby he meant destruction to thee and us, vanquished him through thy mighty power, and raised thee to that glorious triumph, and super-exaltation, wherein thou art, wherein we shall be with thee. JONATHANS' Love, and SAULS' Enuy. BEsides the discomsiture of the Philistims, David's victory had a double issue; jonathans' Love, and saul's Envy, which God so mixed, that the one was a remedy of the other: A good son makes amends for a wayward father: How precious was that stone that killed such an enemy as Goliath, and purchased such a friend as jonathan? All saul's Courtiers looked upon David, none so affected him, none did match him but jonathan: That true correspondence, that was both in their faith and valour, hath knit their hearts: If David did set upon a Bear, a Lion, a Giant; jonathan had set upon a whole Host, and prevailed: The same Spirit animated both, the same Faith incited both, the same Hand prospered both: All Israel was not worth this pair of friends, so zealously confident, so happily victorious: Similitude of dispositions and estates ties the fastest knots of affection: A wise soul hath piercing eyes, and hath quickly discerned the likeness of itself in another; as we do no sooner look into the Glass or Water, but face answers to face; and where it sees a perfect resemblance of itself, cannot choose but love it with the same affection, that it reflects upon itself. No man saw David that day, which had so much cause to dis-affect him; none in all Israel should be a loser by David's success, but jonathan: Saul was sure enough settled for his time, only his Successor should forgo all that, which David should gain; so as none but David stands in jonathans' light, and yet all this cannot abate one ior, or dram of his love: Where God uniteth hearts, carnal respects are too weak to dissever them, since that, which breaks off affection, must needs be stronger, then that which conjoineth it. jonathan doth not desire to smother his love by concealment, but professes it in his carriage & actions: He puts off the Robe, that was upon him, and all his garments even to his Sword, and Bow, and Girdle, & gives them unto his new friend: It was perhaps not without a mystery, that saul's fitted not David, but jonathans' fitted him, and these he is as glad to wear, as he was to be disburdened of the other: that there might be a perfect resemblance, their bodies are suited, as well as their hearts: Now the beholders can say, there goes jonathans' other self; If there be another body under those clothes, there is the same soul. Now David hath cast off his russet coat, and his scrip, and is a Shepherd no more; he is suddenly become both a Courtier, and a Captain, and a Companion to the Prince; yet himself is not changed with his habit, with his condition: yea rather (as if his wisdom had reserved itself for his exaltation) he so manageth a sudden Greatness, as that he winneth all hearts: Honour shows the man, and if there be any blemishes of imperfection, they will be seen in the man, that is inexpectedly lifted above his fellows: He is out of the danger of folly; whom a speedy advancement leaveth wise. jonathan loved David, the Soldiers honoured him, the Court favoured him, the people applauded him, only Saul stomached him, and therefore hated him, because he was so happy in all besides himself: It had been a shame for all Israel, if they had not magnified their Champion: saul's own heart could not but tell him, that they did owe the glory of that day, and the safety of himself and Israel, unto the sling of David, who in one man slew all those thousands at a blow. It was enough for the puissant King of Israel to follow the chase, and to kill them, whom David had put to flight; yet he, that could lend his clothes and his armour to this exploit, cannot abide to part with the honour of it to him, that hath earned it so dearly: The holy Songs of David had not more quieted his spirits before, then now the thankful Song of the Israelitish women vexed him: One little Ditty (of Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand) sung unto the Timbrels of Israel, fetched again that evil spirit, which David's Music had expelled: Saul needed not the torment of a worse spirit, than Envy. Oh the unreasonableness of this wicked passion! The women gave Saul more, and David less, than he deserved: For Saul alone could not kill a thousand, and David in that one act of kill Goliath, slew in effect, all the Philistims that were slain that day; and yet because they give more to David then to himself, he that should have indicted, & begun that Song of thankfulness, repines and grows now as mad with envy, as he was before with grief: Truth and justice are no protection against Malice; Envy is blind to all objects, save other men's happiness: If the eyes of men could be contained within their own bounds, and not rove forth into comparisons, there could be no place for this vicious affection; but when they have once taken this lawless scope to themselves, they lose the knowledge of home, and care only to be employed abroad in their own torment. Never was saul's breast so fit a lodging for the evil spirit, as now, that it is dressed up with envy: It is as impossible, that Hell should be free from Devils, as a malicious heart: Now doth the frantic King of Israel renew his old fits, and walks, and talks distractedly; He was mad with David, and who but David must be called to allay his madness? Such as David's wisdom was, he could not but know the terms, wherein he stood with Saul; yet in lieu of the harsh and discordous notes of his master's envy, he returns pleasing Music unto him: He can never be good Courtier, nor good man, that hath not learned to repay, if not injuries with thankes, yet evil with good. Whiles there was a Harp in David's hand, there was a Spear in saul's, wherewith he threatens death, as the recompense of that sweet melody: He said (I will smite David through to the wall.) It is well for the innocent, that wicked men cannot keep their own counsel: God fetcheth their thoughts out of their mouths, or their countenance, for a seasonable prevention, which else might proceed to secret execution: It was time for David to withdraw himself, his obedience did not tie him to be the mark of a furious master; he might ease Saul with his music, with his blood he might not: Twice therefore doth he avoid the Presence, not the Court, not the Service of Saul. One would have thought rather, that David should have been afraid of Saul, because the Devil was so strong with him, then that Saul should be afraid of David, because the Lord was with him; yet we find all the fear in Saul of David, none in David of Saul: Hatred and fear are ordinary companions: David had wisdom and faith to dispel his fears, Saul had nothing but infidelity, and dejected, selfe-condemned, distempered thoughts, which must needs nourish them; yet Saul could not fear any hurt from David, whom he found so loyal, and serviceable: He fears only too much good unto David; and the envious fear is much more than the distrustful: now David's presence gins to be more displeasing, than his Music was sweet; Despite itself had rather prefer him to a remote dignity, then endure him a nearer attendant: This promotion increaseth David's honour and love; and this love and honour aggravates saul's hatred and fear. saul's madness hath not bereft him of his craft: For perceiving how great David was grown in the reputation of Israel, he dares not offer any personal, or direct violence to him, but hires him into the jaws of a supposed death, by no less price, than his eldest Daughter, (Behold mine eldest daughter Merab: her will I give thee to wife, only be a valiant Son to me, and fight the Lords Battles.) Can ever man speak more graciously, more holily? What could be more graciously offered by a King, than his eldest Daughter? What care could be more holy, then of the Lords battles? yet never did Saul intent so much mischief to David, or so much unfaithfulness to God, as when he spoke thus: There is never so much danger of the falsehearted, as when they make the fairest weather: saul's Spear bad David be gone, but his plausible words invite him to danger: This honour was due to David before, upon the compact of his victory: yet he, that twice inquired into the reward of that enterprise, before he undertook it, never demanded it after that achievement; neither had Saul the justice to offer it, as a recompense of so noble an exploit, but as a snare to an envied victory. Charity suspects not: David construes that, as an effect and argument of his Master's love, which was no other but a child of Envy, but a plot of mischief; and though he knew his own desert, and the justice of his claim to Merab; yet he in a sincere humility disparageth himself, and his Parentage with a who am I? As it was not the purpose of this modesty in David to reject, but to solicit the proffered favour of Saul; so was it not in the power of this bashful humiliation to turn back the edge of so keen an envy: It helps not that David makes himself mean, whiles others magnify his worth: Whatsoever the colour was, Saul meant nothing to David but danger and death; and since all those Battles will not effect that which he desired, himself will not effect that which he promised: If he cannot kill David, he will disgrace him; David's honour was saul's disease: It was not likely therefore, that Saul would add unto that honour, whereof he was so sick already: Merab is given unto another; neither do I hear David complain of so manifest an injustice: He knew, that the God, whose battles he fought, had provided a due reward of his patience: If Merab fail, God hath a Michal in store for him, she is in love with David; his comeliness and valour have so won her heart, that she now emulates the affection of her Brother jonathan: If she be the younger Sister, yet she is more affectionate: Saul is glad of the news, his Daughter could never live to do him better service, then to be a new snare to his Adversary: She shall be therefore sacrificed to his envy, and her honest and sincere love shall be made a bait for her worthy and innocent Husband. (I will give him her, that she may be a snare unto him, that the hand of the Philistims may be against him:) The purpose of any favour is more than the value of it: Even the greatest honours may be given with an intent of destruction: Many a man is raised up for a fall. So forward is Saul in the match, that he sends spokes men to solicit David unto that honour, which he hopes will prove the highway to death: The dowry is set; An hundred foreskins of the Philistims; not their heads, but their foreskins, that this victory might be more ignominious; still thinking, why may not one David miscarry, as well as an hundred Philistims? And what doth saul's envy all this while, but enhance David's zeal, and valour, and glory? That good Captain little imagining, that himself was the Philistim, whom Saul maligned, supererogates of his Master, and brings two hundred for one, and returns home safe, and renowned: neither can Saul now fly for shame: There is no remedy but David must be a son, where he was a rival, and Saul must feed upon his own heart, since he cannot see David's: God's blessing graces equally together with man's malice, neither can they device, which way to make us more happy, then by wishing us evil. michal's wile. THis advantage can Saul yet make of David's promotion, that as his Adversary is raised higher, so he is drawn nearer to the opportunity of death: Now hath his envy cast off all shame, and since those crafty plots succeed not, he directly suborns Murderers of his rival: There is none in all the Court that is not set on to be an Executioner: jonathan himself is solicited to imbrue his hand in the blood of his friend, of his Brother. Saul could not but see jonathans' on David's back; he could not but know the league of their love, yet because he knew withal, how much the prosperity of David would prejudice jonathan, he hoped to have found him his son in malice: Those that have the jaundice see all things yellow; those which are overgrown with malicious passions, think all men like themselves. I do not hear of any reply that jonathan made to his father when he gave him that bloody charge; but he waits for a fit time to dissuade him from so cruel an injustice: Wisdom had taught him to give way to rage, and in so hard an adventure to crave aid of opportunity: If we be not careful to observe good moods when we deal with the passionate, we may exasperate in stead of reforming: Thus did jonathan, who knowing how much better it is to be a good friend, than an ill son, had not only disclosed that ill counsel, but when be found his father in the fields, in a calms temper, laboured to divert it: And so fare doth the seasonable and pithy Oratory of jonathan prevail, that Saul is convinced of his wrong, and swears, As God life's, David shall not die; Indeed, how could it be otherwise, upon the plea of David's innocence, and well-deseruing? How could Saul say he should dye, whom he could accuse of nothing but faithfulness? Why should he design him to death, which had given life to all Israel? Oft-times wicked men's judgements are forced to yield unto that truth, against which their affections maintain a rebellion: Even the foulest hearts do sometimes entertain good motions; like as on the contrary, the holiest souls give way sometimes to the suggestions of evil: The flashes of lightning may be discerned in the darkest Prisons. But if good thoughts look into a wicked heart, they stay not there; as those that like not their lodging, they are soon gone; Hardly any thing distinguishes betwixt good and evil, but continuance: The light that shines into an holy heart is constant, like that of the Sun, which keeps due times, and varies not his course for any of these sublunary occasions. The Philistim Wars renew David's victories, and David's victory renews saul's envy, and saul's envy renews the plots of David's death: Vows and Oaths are forgotten: That evil spirit which vexes Saul hath found so much favour with him, as to win him to these bloody machinations against an innocent; His own hands shall first be employed in this execution; The spear, which hath twice before threatened death to David, shall now once again go upon that message: Wise David that knew the danger of an hollow friend, and reconciled enemy, and that found more cause to mind saul's earnest, than his own play, gives way by his nimbleness, to that deadly weapon, and resigning that stroke unto the wall, flies for his life. No man knows how to be sure of an unconscionable man; If either goodness, or merit, or affinity, or reasons, or oaths could secure a man, David had been safe; now if his heels do not more befriend him then all these, he is a dead man. No sooner is he gone then messengers are sped after him: It hath been seldom seen that wickedness wanted Executioners; David's house is beset with Murderers, which watch at all his doors, for the opportunity of blood: Who can but wonder to see how God hath fetch from the loins of Saul a remedy for the malice of saul's heart? His own children are the only means to cross him in the sin, and to preserve his guiltless Adversary; Michal hath more than notice of the plot, and with her subtle with countermines her father, for the rescue of an Husband: She taking the benefit of the night lets David down through a window; He is gone, and disappoints the ambushes of Saul. The messengers begin to be impatient of this delay, and now think it time to inquire after their Prisoner; She whiles them off, with the excuse of David's sickness, (so as now her Husband had good leisure for his escape) and lays a Statue in his bed; Saul likes the news of any evil befallen to David, but fearing he is not sick enough, sends to aid his disease: The messengers return, and rushing into the house with their Swords drawn, after some harsh words to their imagined charge, surprise a sick Statue lying with a Pillow under his head; and now blush to see they have spent all their threats upon a senseless stock; and made themselves ridiculous, whiles they would be serviceable. But how shall Michal answer this mockage unto her furious father? Hitherto shot hath done like David wife; now she gins to be saul's Daughter; (He said to me, Let me go, or else I will kill thee.) She whose wit had delivered her Husband from the Sword of her Father, now turns the edge of her Father's wrath from herself to her Husband. His absence made her presume of his safety: If Michal had not been of saul's plot, he had never expostulated with her in those terms, Why hast thou let mine enemy escape● neither had she framed that answer, He said, Let me go; I do not find any great store of religion in Michal, for both she had an Image in the house, & afterward mocked David for his devotion: yet Nature hath taught her to prefer an Husband to a Father; to chide a Father from whom she could not fly, to save an Husband, which durst not ●ot fly from her: The bonds of matrimonial love are; and should be stronger than those of nature; Those respects are mutual which God appointed in the first institution of Wedlock; That Husband and Wife should leave Father and Mother for each others sake. Treason is ever odious; but so much more in the Marriagebed by how much the obligations are deeper. As she loved her husband better than her Father, so she loved herself better than her husband; she saved her husband by a wile, and now she saves herself by a lie; and loses half the thank of her deliverance, by an officious slander: Her act was good, but she wants courage to maintain it; and therefore seeks to the weak shelter of untruth: Those that do good offices, not out of conscience, but good nature or civility; if they meet an effront of danger, seldom come off cleanly, but are ready to catch at all excuses, though base, though injurious; because their grounds are not strong enough to bear them out in suffering for that, which they have well done. Whither doth David fly but to the Sanctuary of Samuel? He doth not (though he knew himself gracious with the Soldiers) raise forces, or take some strong Fort, and there stand upon his own defence, and at defiance with his King: but he gets him to the College of the Prophets; as a man that would seek the peaceable protection of the King of Heaven against the unjust fury of a King on earth: Only the wing of God shall hide him from that violence. God intended to make David not a Warrior, and a King only, 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. Doubtless (such was David's delight in holy meditations) he never spent his time so contentedly, as when he was retired to that divine Academy, and so full freedom to enjoy God, and to satiate himself with heavenly exercises: The only doubt is how Samuel can give harbour to a man fled from the anger of his Prince; wherein, the very persons of both give abundant satisfaction: for both Samuel knew the council of God, and durst do nothing without it; and David was by Samuel anointed from God: This Unction was a mutual Bond: Good reason had David to sue to him, which had poured the Oil 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 means had chosen; from him whom God had by his sentence rejected: beside, that the cause deserved commiseration: Here was not a Malefactor running away from justice, but an innocent avoiding Murder: not a Traitor countenanced against his Sovereign, but the Deliverer of Israel harboured in a Sanctuary of Prophets till his peace might be made. Even thither doth Saul send to apprehend David: All his rage did not incense him against Samuel as the Abettor of his Adversary; Such an impression of reverence had the person, and calling of the Prophet left in the mind of Saul, that he cannot think of lifting up 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 cruelest hearts a reverend respect to his own image in his Ministers; so as even they that hate them, do yet honour them. saul's messengers came to lay hold on David, God lays hold on them: No sooner do they see a company of Prophets busy in these divine Exercises, under the moderation of Samuel, than they are turned from Executioners to Prophets. It is good going up to Naioth, into the holy Assemblies; who knows how we may be changed beside our intention? Many a one hath come into God's House to carp, or scoff, or sleep, or gaze, that hath returned a Convert. The same heart that was thus disquieted with David's happy success, is now vexed with the holiness of his other Servants. Irangdrs him that God's Spirit could find no other time to seize upon his Agents, then when he had sent them to kill: And now out of an indignation at this disappointment, himself will go and be his own Servant; His guilty soul finds itself out of the danger of being thus surprised; And behold Saul is no sooner come within the smell of the smoke of Naioth, than he also prophesies, The same Spirit that, when he went first from Samuel, enabled him to prophesy, returns in the same effect now that he was going (his last) unto Samuel: This was such a grace as might well stand with rejection; an extraordinary gift of the spirit, but nor sanctifying: Many men have had their mouths opened to prophesy unto others, whose hearts have been deaf to God; But this (such as it was) was fare from saul's purpose, who in stead of expostulating with Samuel, falls down before him; and laying aside his weapons, and his Robes, of a Tyrant proves (for the time) a Disciple: All hearts are in the hand of their maker; how easy is it for him that gave them their being, to frame them to his own bent? Who can be afraid of malice, that knows what hooks God hath in the nostrils of men and Devils? What charms he hath for the most Serpentine hearts? DAVID and AHIMELECH. WHO can ever judge of the Children by the Parents, that knows jonathan was the son of Saul? There was never a falser heart than saul's; there was never a truer friend than jonathan; Neither the hope of a Kingdom, nor the frowns of a Father, not the fear of death can remove him from his vowed amity: No Son could be more officious, and dutiful to a good father; yet he lays down nature at the foot of grace; and for the preservation of his innocent Rival for the Kingdom, crosses the bloody designs of his own Parent: David needs no other Counsellor, no other Advocate, no other Intelligencer than he: It is not in the power of saul's unnatural reproaches, or of his Spear, to make jonathan any other than a friend, and patron of innocence: Even after all these difficulties, doth jonathan shoot beyond David, that Saul may shoot short of him: In vain are those professions of love, which are not answered with action; He is no true friend that (besides talk) is not ready both to do and suffer. Saul is no whit the better for his propecying; he no sooner rises up from before Samuel, than he pursues David. Wicked men are rather the worse for those transitory good motions they have received. If the Swine be never so clean washed, she will wallow again: That we have good thoughts, it is no thank to us; that we answer them not, it is both our sin and judgement. David hath learned not to trust these fits of devotion, but flies from Samuel to jonathan, from jonathan to Ahimelech; when he was hunted from the Prophet, he flies to the Priest, as one that knew justice and compassion should dwell in those breasts which are consecrated unto God. The Ark and the Tabernacle were then separated; The Ark was at Kiriathiealim, the Tabernacle at Nob; God was present with both: Whither should David fly for secure but to the House of that God, which had anointed him? Ahimelech was wont to see David attended with the troops of Israel, or with the Gallants of the Court; it seems strange therefore to him, to see so great a Peer and Champion of Israel come alone; These are the alterations to which earthly Greatness is subject; Not many days are past, since no man was honoured at Court but jonathan and David; now they are both for the time in disgrace; Now dare not the King's Son in law, Brother to the Prince both in Love and Marriage, show his head at the Court; nor any of those that bowed to him, dare stir a foot with him; Princes are as the Sun, and great Subjects are like to Dial's, if the Sun shine not on the Dial, no man will look at it. Even he that overcame the Bear, the Lion, the Giant, is overcome with fear: He that had cut off two hundred foreskins of the Philistims, had not circumcised his own heart of the weak passions that follow Distrust; Now that he is hard driven, he practices to help himself with an unwarrantable shift: Who can look to pass this Pilgrimage without infirmities, when David dissembleth to Ahimelech? A weak man's rules may be better than the best man's actions; God lets us see some blemishes in his holiest Servants, that we may neither be too highly conceited of flesh and blood, nor too much dejected when we have been miscarried into sin. Hitherto hath David gone upright, now he gins to halt with the Priest of God; and under pretence of saul's employment, draws that favour from Ahimelech, which shall afterwards cost him his head. What could Ahimelech have thought too dear for Gods Anointed, for God's Champion? It is not like but that if David had sincerely opened himself to the Priest as he hath done to the Prophet, Ahimelech would have seconded Samuel in some secret and safe succour of so unjust a distress, whereas he is now by a false colour led to that kindness which shall be prejudicial to his life: Extremities of evil are commonly inconsiderate; either for that we have not leisure to our thoughts, or perhaps (so as we may be perplexed) not thoughts to our leisure: What would David have given afterwards to have redeemed this over fight? Under this pretence he craves a double favour of Ahimelech; The one of bread for his sustenance, the other of a Sword for his defence: There was no bread under the hands of the Priest but that which was consecrated to God; and whereof none might taste, but the devoted Servants of the Altar; Even that which was with solemn dedication set upon the holy Table before the face of God; a Sacramental Bread presented to God with Incense, figuring that true Bread that came down from Heaven; Yet even this Bread might in case of necessity become common, and be given by Ahimelech, and received by David and his followers: Our Saviour himself justifies the act of both; Ceremonies must give place to substance; God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice; Charity is the sum and the end of the Law; That must be aimed at in all our actions; wherein it may fall out, that the way to keep the Law may be to break it; the intention may be kept, and the Letter violated; and it may be a dangerous transgression of the Law to observe the words, and neglect the scope of God; That which would have dispensed with David for the substance of the act, would have much more dispensed with him for the circumstance; The touch of their lawful Wives had contracted a legal impurity, not a moral; That could have been no sufficient reason why in an urgent necessity they might not have partaked of the holy Bread: Ahimelech was no perfect Casuist; these men might not famish, if they were ceremonially impure. But this question bewrayed the care of Ahimelech in distributing the holy Bread; There might be in these men a double incapacity, the one, as they were Seculars, the other, as unclean; he saw the one must be, he feared lest the other should be; as one that wished as little indisposition (as possibly might be) in those which should be fed from God's Table. It is strange that David should come to the Priest of God for a Sword; Who in all Israel was so unlikely to furnish him with weapons, as a man of Peace, whose armour was only spiritual? Doubtless David knew well where Goliahs' Sword lay; as the noble relic of God's victorious deliverance, dedicated to the same God, which won it; at this did that suit aim? None could be so fit for David, none could be so fit for it as David: Who could have so much right to that Sword as he against whom it was drawn, and by whom it was taken? There was more in that Sword, than Mettle, and form; David could never cast his eye upon it, but he saw an undoubted monument of the merciful protection of the Almighty; there was therefore more strength in that Sword, than sharpness; neither was David's arm so much strengthened by it as his faith; nothing can overcome him, whiles he caries with him that assured sign of victory: It is good to take all occasions of renewing the remembrance of God's mercies to us, and our obligations to him. Doeg the Master of saul's Herdsmen (for he that went to seek his Father's Asses before he was King, hath herds and droves now that he is a King) was now in the Court of the Tabernacle, upon some occasion of devotion; Though an Israelite in profession, he was an Edomite no less in heart then in blood; yet he hath some vow upon him, and not only comes up to God's House, but abides before the Lord: Hypocrites have equal access to the public places, and means of God's Service: Even he that knows the heart, yet shuts his doors upon none, how much less should we dare to exclude any, which can only judge of the heart by the face? Doeg may set his foot as far within the Tabernacle, as David; he sees the passages betwixt him, and Ahimelech, and lays them up for an advantage; Whiles he should have edified himself by those holy services, he carp at the Priest of God, and (after a lewd misinterpretation of his actions) of an attendant, proves an accuser; To incur favour with an unjust Master, he informs against innocent Ahimelech; and makes that his act, which was drawn from him by a cunning circumvention: When we see our Auditors before us, little do we know with what hearts they are there nor, what use they will make of their pretended devotion: If many come in simplicity of heart to serve their God, some others may perhaps come to observe their Teachers, and to pick quarrels where none are; Only God and the issue can distinguish betwixt a David, and a Doeg, when they are both in the Tabernacle. Honest Ahimelech could little suspect that he now offered a Sacrifice for his Executioner; yea, for the Murderer of all his Family: Oh the wise and deep judgements of the Almighty! God owed a revenge to the House of Eli, and now by the delation of Doeg, he takes occasion to pay it; It was just in God, which in Doeg was most unjust; saul's cruelty, and the treachery of Doeg do not lose one dram of their guilt by the Counsel of God; neither doth the holy Counsel of God gather any blemish by their wickedness; If it had pleased God to inflict death upon them sooner without any pretence of occasion, his justice had been clear from all imputations; now, if Saul and Doeg be in stead of a pestilence or fever, who can cavil? The judgements of God are not open, but are always just; He knows how by one man's sin, to punish the sin of another, and by both their sins and punishments to glorify himself. If his word sleep, it shall not dye; but after long intermissions breaks forth in those effects which we had forgotten to look for, and ceased to fear. O Lord, thou art sure when thou threatnest, and just when thou judgest; Keep thou us from the sentence of death, else in vain shall we labour to keep ourselves from the execution. Contemplations. THE FOURTEENTH BOOK. Containing SAUL in DAVID'S Cave. NABAL and ABIGAIL. DAVID and ACHISH. SAUL and the Witch of Endor. ZIKLAG spoilt and revenged. The death of SAUL. ABNER and JOAB. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, PHILIP EARL OF MONGOMERY, ONE OF THE gentlemans OF HIS MAJESTY'S Bedchamber, and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the GARTER. RIGHT HONOURABLE, AFter some unpleasing intermissions, Ireturne to that task of Contemplation, wherein only my soul findeth rest. If in other employments I have endeavoured to serve God and his Church, yet in none (I must confess) with equal contentment. Me thinks Controversy is not right in my way to Heaven; how ever the importunity of an Adversary may force me to fetch it in: If Truth oppressed by an erroneous Teacher cry (like a ravished Virgin) for my aid, I betray it, if I relieve it not; when I have done, I return gladly to these paths of Peace. The favour which my late polemical labour hath found (beyond merit) from the Learned, cannot divert my love to those wrangling Studies. How earnestly doth my heart rather wish an universal cessation of these Arms; that all the Professors of the dear Name of Christ might be taken up with nothing but holy and peaceable thoughts of Devotion; the sweetness whereof hath so fare affected me, that (if I might do it without danger of misconstruction) I could beg even of an Enemy this leave to be happy. I have already given account to the World, of some expenses of my hours this way, and here I bring more; which if some Reader may censure as poor, none can censure as unprofitable. I am bold to write them under your Honourable Name, whereto I am deeply obliged; that I may leave behind me this mean, but faithful Testimony, of mine humble thankfulness to your Lordship, and your most honoured and virtuous Lady. The noble respects I have had from you both, deserve my Prayers, and best services, which shall never be wanting to you and yours, From your Honours sincerely devoted in all true duty, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. SAUL IN DAVID'S CAVE. IT was the strange lot of David, that those whom he pursued, preserved him from those whom he had preserved; The Philistims, whom David had newly smitten in Keilah, call off Saul from smiting David in the wilderness, when there was but an hillock betwixt him and death: Wicked purposes are easily checked, not easily broken off. saul's Sword is scarce dry from the blood of the Philistims, when it thirsts anew for the blood of David; and now in a renewed chase, hunts him dryfoot thorough every wilderness: The very Desert is too fair a refuge for innocence; The hills and rocks are searched in an angry jealousy; the very wild Goats of the mountains were not allowed to be companions for him, which had no fault but his virtue. Oh the seemingly-unequall distribution of these earthly things! Cruelty and oppression reigns in a Palace, whiles goodness lurks among the Rocks and Caves, and thinks it happiness enough to steal a life. Like a dead man, David is fain to be hid under the earth, and seeks the comfort of protection in darkness: and now the wise providence of God leads Saul to his enemy without blood; He, which before brought them within an hills d●stance without interview, brings them now both within one roof; so as that whiles Saul seeks David and finds him not, he is found of David unsought. If Saul had known his own opportunities, how David and his men had interred themselves, he had saved a triple labour, of chase, of execution, and burial; for had he but stopped the mouth of that Cave, his enemies had laid themselves down in their own Graves: The Wisdom of God thinks fit to hide from evil men, and spirits, those means and seasons, which might be (if they had been taken) most prejudicial to his own: we had been oft foiled, if Satan could but have known our hearts: sometimes we lie open to evils, and happy it is for us that he only knows it, which pities in stead of tempting us. It is not long since Saul said of David (lodged then in Keilah) God hath delivered him into mine hands, for he is shut in, seeing he is come into a city that hath gates and bars; but now contrarily God delivers Saul (ere he was ware) into the hands of David, and without the help of gates and bars, hath enclosed him within the Valley of death: How just is it with God, that those who seek mischief to others; find it to themselves; and even whiles they are spreading nets are ensnared; Their deliberate plotting of evil, is surprised with a sudden judgement. How amazedly must David needs look, when he saw Saul enter into the Cave, where himself was? what is this (thinks he) which God hath done? Is this presence purposed, or casual; is Saul here to pursue, or to tempt me? Where suddenly the action betrays the intent, and tells David that Saul sought secrecy and not him. The superfluity of his maliciousness brought him into the Wilderness, the necessity of nature led him into the Cave: Even those actions wherein we place shame, are not exempted from a providence. The fingers of David's followers itched to seize on their Master's enemy; and that they might not seem led so much by faction, as by faith, they urge David with a promise from God; The day is come whereof the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him, as it shall seem good to thee. This argument seemed to carry such command with it, as that David not only may, but must imbrue his hands in blood, unless he will be found wanting to God and himself; Those temptations are most powerful, which fetch their force from the pretence of a religious obedience: Whereas those which are raised from arbitrary and private respects, admit of an easy dispensation. If there were such a prediction, one clause of it was ambiguous; and they take it at the worst: Thou shalt do to him as shall seem good to thee: that might not seem good to him, which seemed evil unto God. There is nothing more dangerous than to make construction of God's purposes out of eventuall appearances. If carnal probabilities might be the rule of our judgement, what could God seem to intent other than saul's death in offering him naked into the hands of those whom he unjustly persecuted? how could David's soldiers think that God had sent Saul thither on any other errand, than to fetch his bane? and if Saul could have seen his own danger, he had given himself for dead; for his heart guilty to his own bloody desires, could not but have expected the same measure which it meant: But wise and holy David not transported either with misconceit of the event, or fury of passion, or solicitation of his followers, dares make no other use of this accident than the trial of his loyalty, and the inducement of his peace; It had been as easy for him to cut the throat of Saul as his garment; but now his coat only shall be the worse, not his person; neither doth he in the maiming of a cloak seek his own revenge, but a monument of his innocence. Before Saul rend samuel's garment, now David cutteth saul's; both were significant; The rending of the one, signified the Kingdom torn out of those unworthy hands; the cutting of the other, that the life of Saul might have been as easily cut off. Saul needs no other Monitor of his own danger, than what he wears. The upper garment of Saul was laid aside, whiles he went to cover his feet; so as the cut of the garment, did not threaten any touch of the body; yet even the violence offered to a remote garment strikes the heart of David, which finds a present remorse for harmefully touching, that which did once touch the person of his Master: Tender consciences are moved to regret at those actions, which strong hearts pass over with a careless ease. It troubled not Saul to seek after the blood of a righteous servant; there is no less difference of consciences than stomaches; some stomaches will digest the hardest meats and turn over substances, not in their nature edible, whiles others surfeit of the lightest food, and complain even of dainties: Every gracious heart is in some measure scrupulous, and finds more safety in fear, than in presumption: And if it be so straight as to curb itself in from the liberty which it might take in things which are not unlawful, how much less will it dare to take scope unto evil? By how much that state is better, where nothing is allowed, than where all things, by so much is the strict and ●nnorous conscience better than the lawless. There is good likelihood of that man which is any way scrupulous of his ways; but he which makes no bones of his actions, is apparently hopeless. Since David's followers pleaded God's testimony to him as a motive to blood, David appeals the same God for his preservation from blood: The Lord keep me from doing that thing to my Master the Lords Anointed; and now the good man hath work enough to defend both himself and his persecuter; himself, from the importunate necessity of doing violence, and his Master from suffering it. It was not more easy to rule his own hands, than difficult to rule a multitude; David's troop consisted of Malcontents, all that were in distress, in debt, in bitterness of soul, were gathered to him: Many if never so well ordered are hard to command; a few if disorderly, more hard; many and disorderly, must needs be so much the hardest of all, that David never achieved any victory like unto this, wherein he first overcame himself, than his Soldiers. And what was the charm, wherewith David allayed those raging spirits of his followers? No other but this; He is the Anointed of the Lord. That holy Oil was the Antidote for his blood; Saul did not lend David so impearceable an Armour, when he should encounter Goliath, as David now lent him in this plea of his unction. Which of all the discontented Outlaws that lurked in that Cave, durst put forth his hand against Saul, when they once heard, He is the Lords Anointed, Such an impression of awe hath the divine Providence caused his Image to make in the hearts of men, as that it makes Traitors cowards; So as in steed of striking they tremble; How much more lawless than the Outlaws of Israel, are those professed Ringleaders of Christianity; which teach and practise, and encourage, and reward, and canonize the violation of Majesty? It is not enough for those who are commanders of others to refrain their own hands from doing evil, but they must carefully prevent the iniquity of their heels, else they shall be justly reputed to do that by others, which in their own persons they avoided; the Laws both of God and man, presuppose us in some sort answerable for our charge: as taking it for granted, that we should not undertake those raynes, which we cannot manage. There was no reason David should lose the thankes of so noble a demonstration of his loyalty; Whereto he trusts so much, that he dares call back the man by whom he was pursued; and make him judge, whether that fact had not deserved a life. As his act, so his word and gesture imported nothing but humble obedience. neither was there more meekness than force in that seasonable persuasion; Wherein he lets Saul see the error of his credulity, the unjust slanders of maliciousness, the opportunity of his revenge, the proof of his forbearance, the undeniable evidence of his innocence; and after a lowly disparagement of himself, appeals to God for judgement, for protection. So lively and feeling Oratory did Saul find in the lap of his garment, and the lips of David, that it is not in the power of his envy, or ill nature to hold out any longer: Is this thy voice my son David, and Saul lift up his voice and wept, and said: Thou art more righteous than I. He, whose harp had wont to quiet the frenzy of Saul, hath now by his words calmed his fury; so that now he sheds tears in steed of blood: and confesses his own wrong, and David's integrity; And (as if he were new again entered into the bounds of Naioth in Ramath) he prays, and prophesies good to him, whom he maliced for good; The Lord render thee good for that thou hast done to me this day; for now behold, I know that thou shalt be King. There is no heart made of flesh, that sometime or other relents not, even ●lint and marble, will in some weather stand on drops. I cannot think these tears and protestations feigned. Doubtless Saul meant as he said, and passed through sensible fits of good and evil: Let no man think himself the better for good motions; the praise and benefit of those Guests is not in the receipt, but the retention. Who, that had seen this meeting, could but have thought all had been sure on David's side? What can secure us if not Tears, and Prayers and Oaths? Doubtless David's men which knew themselves obnoxious to Laws and Creditors, began to think of some new refuge, as making account this new pieced league would be everlasting; they looked when Saul would take David home to the Court, and dissolve his Army, and recompense that unjust persecution with just honour; when behold in the lose, Saul goes home, but David and his men go up unto the hold. Wise David knows Saul not to be more kind, than untrusty; and therefore had rather seek safety in his hold, than in the hold of an hollow and unsteedie friendship. Hear are good words, but no security, which therefore an experienced man gives the hearing; but stands the while upon his own guard. No Charity binds us to a trust of those, whom we have found faithless; crudelity upon weak grounds after palpable disappointments, is the Daughter of Folly: A man that is Weather-wise, though he find an abatement of the storm, yet will not stir from under his shelter whiles he sees it thick in the wind. Distrust is the just gain of unfaithfulness. NABAL and ABIGAIL. IF innocence could have secured from saul's malice, David had not been persecuted; and yet under that wicked King, aged Samuel dies in his bed. That there might be no place for Envy, the good Prophet had retired himself to the Schools. Yet he that hated David for what he should be, did no less hate Samuel for what he had been. Even in the midst of saul's malignity, there remained in his heart impressions of awfulness unto Samuel: he feared, where he loved not. The restraint of God curbeth the rage of his most violent enemies, so as they cannot do their worst. As good Husbands, do not put all their Corn to the Oven, but save some for seed, so doth God ever in the worst of persecutions. Samuel is dead, David banished, Saul tyrannizeth, Israel hath good cause to mourn; it is no marvel if this lamentation be universal. There is no Israelite that feeleth not the loss of a Samuel. A good Prophet is the common Treasure, wherein every gracious soul hath a share. That man hath a dry heart, which can part with God's Prophet without tears. Nabal was according to his name foolish; yet rich and mighty. Earthly possessions are not always accompanied with wit and grace. Even the Line of faithful Caleb will afford an ill-conditioned Nabal. Virtue is not like unto Lands inheritable. All that is traduced with the seed, is either evil, or not good. Let no man brag with the jews, that he hath Abram to his father; God hath raised up of this stone a son to Caleb. Abigail (which signifieth her father's joy) had sorrow enough to be matched with so unworthy an Husband; If her father had meant, she should have had joy in herself, or in her life, he had not disposed her to an Husband (though rich) yet fond and wicked; It is like he married her to the wealth, not to the man. Many a child is cast away upon riches. Wealth in our matches, should be as some grains or scruples in balance, superadded to the gold of virtuous qualities, to weigh down the scales; when it is made the substancen of the weight, and good qualities the appendance, there is but one earth poised with another; which, wheresoever it is done, it is a wonder, if either the children prove not the Parent's sorrow, or the Parents, theirs. Nabals' Sheepshearing was famous; Three thousand ●eeces must needs require many hands; neither is any thing more plentiful commonly than a Churl's Feast: What a world was this, that the noble Champion and Rescuer of Israel, God's Anointed, is driven to send to a base Carl for victuals? It is no measuring of men by the depth of the purse, by outward prosperity. Servants are ofttimes set on horse back, whiles Princes go on foot. Our estimation must be led by their inward worth, which is not alterable by time, nor diminishable with external conditions. One rag of a David is more worth, than the Wardrobes of a thousand Nabals. Even the best deservings may want. No man may be contemned for his necessity; perhaps he may be so much richer in grace, as he is poorer in estate; neither hath violence or casualty more impoverished a David, than his poverty hath enriched him. He, whose folly hath made himself miserable, is justly rewarded with neglect; but he that suffers for good, deserves so much more honour from others, as his distress is more. Our compassion or respect must be ruled, according to the cause of another's misery. One good turn requires another; in some cases not hurting is meritorious: He that should examine the qualities of David's followers must needs grant it worthy of a see, that Nabals flocks lay untouched in Carmel; but more, that David's Soldiers were Nabals Shepherds; yea, the keepers of his Shepherds, gave them a just interest in that sheep shearing Feast, justly should they have been set at the upper end of the Table. That Nabals' sheep were safe, he might thank his Shepherds; that his Shepherds were safe, he might thank David's Soldiers; It is no small benefit that we receive in a safe protection; well may we think our substance due, where we own ourselves. Yet this churlish Nabal doth not only give nothing to David's Messengers, but which is worse than nothing, ill words; Who is David, or Who is the son of Ishai; There be many servants now adays that breake-away from their Masters. David asked him bread, he giveth him stones. All Israel knew, and honoured their Deliverer; yet this Clown, to save his victuals, will needs make him a man, either of no merits or ill, either an obscure man or a Fugitive. Nothing is more cheap than good words; these Nabal might have given, and been never the poorer; If he had been resolved to shut his hands in a fear of saul's revenge, he might have so tempered his denial, that the repulse might have been free from offence: But now his foule-mouth doth not only deny, but revile. It should have been Nabals glory, That his Tribe yielded such a Successor to the Throne of Israel; now in all likelihood, his envy stirs him up to disgrace that man, who surpassed him in honour and virtue, more than he was surpassed by him in wealth and ease; Many an one speaks fair, that means ill, but when the mouth speaks foul, it argues a corrupt heart; If with Saint james his verbal Benefactors, we say only, Depart in peace, warm yourselves, fill your bellies, we shall answer for hypocritical uncharitableness; but if we rare and curse those needy souls, whom we ought to relieve, we shall give a more fearful account of a savage cruelty in trampling on those whom God hath humbled. If healing with good words be justly punishable, what torment is there for those that wound with evil? David, which had all this while been in the school of patience, hath now his Lesson to seek; He, who hath happily digested all the railing and persecutions of a wicked Master, cannot put off this affront of a Nabal; Nothing can assuage his choler, but blood; How subject are the best of God's Saints to weak passions, and if we have the grace toward an expected blow of temptations, how easily are we surprised with a sudden soil? WHEREFORE serve these recorded weaknesses of holy men, but to strengthen us against the conscience of our infirmities; Not that we should take courage to imitate them in the evil, whereunto they have been miscarried; But we should take heart to ourselves, against the discouragement of our own evils. THE wisdom of God hath so contrived it, that commonly (in Societies) good is mixed with evil, wicked Nabal hath in his House a wise and good Servant, a a prudent and worthy Wife; That wise servant is careful to advertise his Mistress of the danger; his prudent Mistress is careful to prevent it. The lives of all his family were now in hazard: she dares not commit this business to the fidelity of a messenger, but forgetting her sex, puts herself into the errand; Her foot is not slow, her hand is not empty; According to the offence she frames her satisfaction; Her Husband refused to give, she brings a bountiful gift; her Husband gave ill words, she sweetens them with a meek and humble deprecation; Her Husband could say, Who is David, she falls at his feet; her Husband dismisses David's men empty, she brings her Servants laden with provision; as if it had been only meant to ease the repelled Messengers of the carriage, not to scant them of the required benevolence; No wit, no art could device a more pithy and powerful Oratory: As all satisfaction, so hers begins with a confession; wherein she deeply blameth the folly of her Husband: She could not have been a good Wife, if she had not honoured her unworthy head; If a stranger should have termed him fool in her hearing, he could not have gone away in peace: Now to save his life, she is bold to acknowledge his folly: It is a good disparagement that preserveth. There is the same way to our peace in heaven; the only means to escape judgement, is to complain of our own vileness; she pleadeth her ignorance of the fact, and therein, her freedom from the offence; she humbly craveth acceptation of her present, with pardon of the fault; she professeth David's honourable acts and merits; she foretells his future success and glory; she lays before him the happy peace of his soul, in refraining from innocent blood. David's breast, which could not through the seeds of grace, grow to a stubborness in ill resolutions, cannot but relent with these powerful and seasonable persuasions; and now in steed of revenge, he blesseth God for sending Abigail to meet him; he blesseth Abigail for her counsel, he blesseth the counsel for so wholesome efficacy, and now rejoiceth more in being overcome with a wise and gracious advice, than he would have rejoiced in a revengeful victory. A good heart is easily stayed from sinning, and is glad when it finds occasion to be crossed in ill purposes; Those secret checks which are raised within itself, do readily conspire with all outward retentives; It never yielded to a wicked motion, without much reluctation, and when it is overcome, it is but with half a consent; whereas perverse and obdurate Sinners, by reason they take full delight in evil, and have already in their conceit swallowed the pleasure of sin, abide not to be resisted, running on headily, in those wicked courses they have propounded in spite of opposition; and if they be forcibly stopped in their way, they grow sullen and mutinous. David had not only vowed, but deeply sworn the death of Nabal, and all his Family, to the very dog that lay at his door; yet now he praiseth God, that hath given the occasion and grace to violate it. Wicked Vows are ill made, but worse kept. Our tongue cannot tie us to commit sin. Good men think themselves happy, that since they had not the grace to deny sin, yet they had not the opportunity to accomplish it. If Abigail had sit still at home, David had sinned, and she had died: Now her discreet admonition hath preserved her from the sword, and diverted him from bloodshed. And now, what thankes, what benedictions hath she for this seasonable counsel? How should it encourage us to admonish our brethren; to see that if we prevail, we have blessings from them; if we prevail not, we have yet blessings from God, and thankes of our own hearts. How near was Nabal to a mischief, and perceives it not? David was coming to the foot of the hill to cut his throat, while he was feasting in his house without fear; Little do Sinners know, how near their jollity is to perdition. Many times judgement is at the threshold, whiles drunkenness and surfeit are at the board. Had he been any othet than a Nabal, he had not sat down to feast till he had been sure of his peace with David; either not to expect danger, or not to clear it, was sottish; So foolish are carnal men, that give themselves over to their pleasures, whiles there are deadly quarrels depending against them in Heaven. There is nothing wherein wisdom is more seen, than in the temperate use of prosperity. A Nabal cannot abound, but he must be drunk and surfeit; Excess is a true argument of folly: We use to say, that when drink is in, wit is out; but if wit were not out, drink would not be in. It was no time to advice Nabal, while his reason was drowned in a deluge of wine. A beast or a stone is as capable of good counsel as a Drunkard. Oh that the noblest Creature should so fare abase himself; as for a little liquor, to lose the use of those faculties, whereby he is a Man. Those that have to do with drink or frenzy, must be glad to watch times; So did Abigail, who the next morning presents to her Husband, the view of his faults, of his danger; He than sees how near he was to death, and felt it not. That worldly mind is so apprehensive of the death that should have been, as that he dies, to think that he had like to have died; Who would think a man could be so affected with a danger past, and yet so senseless of a future, yea imminent? He that was yester-nighr as a beast, is now as a stone; he was then over-merry, now dead and lumpish; Carnal hearts are ever in extremity. If they be once down, their dejection is desperate, because they have no inward comfort, to mitigate their sorrow. What difference there was betwixt the disposition of David and Nabal? How oft had David been in the valley of the shadow of death, and feared no evil? Nabal is but once put in mind of a death that might have been, and is stricken dead. It is just with God, that they who live without grace, should die without comfort; neither can we expect better, while we go on in our sins. The speech of Abigail smote Nabal into a qualm; that tongue had doubtless oft advised him well, and prevailed not; now, occasions his death, whose reformation it could not effect; she meant nothing but his amendment; God meant to make that loving instrument the means of his revenge: she speaks, and God strikes; and within ten days, that swoon ends in death. And now Nabal pays dear for his uncharitable reproach; for his riotous excess; That God, which would not suffer David to right himself by his own Sword, takes the quarrel of his Servant into his own hand, David hath now his ends without sin; rejoicing in the just executions of God, who would neither suffer him to sin in revenging, nor suffer his Adversaries to sin unrevenged. Our loving God is more angry with the wrongs done to his servants, than themselves can be, and knows how to punish that justly, which we could not undertake without wronging God, more than men have wronged us. He that saith, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, repays ofttimes when we have forgiven, when we have forgotten; and calls to reckoning after our discharges; It is dangerous offending any Favourite of him, whose displeasure and revenge is everlasting. How fare God looks beyond our purposes? Abigail came only to plead for an ill Husband; and now God makes this journey a preparation for a better; So that in one act, she preserved an ill Husband, and won a good one for the future; David well remembers her comely person, her wise speeches, her graceful carriage; and now, when modesty found it seasonable, he sends to sue her, which had been his Suppliant; she entreated for her Husband, David treats with her for his Wife; her request was to escape his Sword, he wisheth her to his bed; It was a fair suit to change a David for a Nabal; to become David's Queen, in stead of Nabals' Drudge; she that learned humility under so hard a Tutor, abaseth herself no less when David offers to advance her; (Let thine Handmaid be a Servant to wash the feet of the Servants of my LORD.) None are so fit to be gre t, as those that can stoop lowest; How could David be more happy in a Wife; he finds at once Piety, Wisdom, Humility, Faithfulness, Wealth, Beauty? How could Abigail be more happy in an Husband, than in the Prophet, the Champion, the Anointed of God? Those Marriages were well made, wherein Virtues are matched, and Happiness is mutual. DAVID and ACHISH. GOod motions that fall into wicked hearts, are like some sparks that fall from the flint and steel, into wet tinder; light some for the time, but soon out. After saul's tears and protestations, yet he is now again, in the wilderness with three thousand men to hunt after innocent David: How invincible is the charity and loialty of an honest heart? The same hand that spared Saul in the cave, spares him sleeping in the field; The same hand that cut away the lap of his Master's garment; carried away his Spear; that Spear, which might as well have carried away, the life of the owner; is only borne away, for a proof of the fidelity of the bearer. Still Saul is strong, but David victorious, and triumphs over the malice of his persecutor; Yet still the victor flieth, from him whom he hath overcome. A man that sees, how fare Saul was transported with his rancorous envy, cannot but say, that he was never more mad than when he was sober; For even after he had said (Blessed art thou my son David, thou shalt do great things and also prevail; yet still he pursues him, whom he grants assured to prevail; what is this but to resolve to lose his labour in sinning, and in spite of himself to offend? How shameful is our inequality of disposition to good? We know we cannot miss of the reward of well doing, and yet do it not; whiles wicked men cast away their endeavours upon those evil projects, whereof they are sure to fail, sin blinds the eyes and hardens the heart, and thrusts men into wilful mischiefs, how ever dangerous, how ever impossible; and never leaves them till it have brought them to utter confusion. The overlong continuance of a tentation, may easily weary the best patience: and may attain that by protraction, which it could never do by violence; David himself at last begins to bend under this trial; and resolves so to fly from Saul, as he runs from the Church of God; and whiles he will avoid the malice of his Master, joins himself with God's enemies. The greatest Saints upon earth, are not always upon the same pitch of spiritual strength; He that sometimes said (I will not be afraid of ten thousands, now says, I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul) He had wont to consult with God, now he says thus in his own heart. How many evident experiments had David of God's deliverances; how certain and clear predictions of his future Kingdom; how infallible earnest was the holy Oil, wherewith he was anointed, of the Crown of Israel? And yet (David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul:) The best faith, is but like the twilight, mixed with some degrees of darkness, and infidelity; We do utterly misreckon the greatest earthly holiness, if we exempt it from infirmities; It is not long since David told Saul, that those wicked enemies of his, which cast him out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, did as good as bid him; Go serve other gods, yet now is he gone from the inheritance of God, into the Land of the Philistims; That Saul might seek him no more, he hides himself out of the lists of the Church, where a good man would not look for him: Once before had David fled to this Achish, when he was glad to scrabble on the doors, and let his spittle fall upon his beard, in a semblance of madness, that he might escape; yet now in a semblance of friendship, is he returned to save that life, which he was in danger to have lost in Israel. Goliath the Champion of the Philistims, whom David slew, was of Gath; yet David dwells with Achish King of the Philistims in Gath; even amongst them whose foreskins he had presented to Saul, by two hundreds at once, doth David choose to reside for safety: Howsoever it was a weakness in David, thus by his league of amity to strengthen the enemies of God, yet doth not God take advantage of it for his overthrow, but gives him protection, even where his presence offended; and gives him favour where himself bore just hatred; Oh the infinite patience and mercy of our God, who doth good to us for our evil, and in the very act of our provocation upholdeth, yea, blesseth us with preservation! COULD Saul have rightly considered it, he had found it no small loss and impairing to his Kingdom, that so valiant a Captain, attended with six hundred able Soldiers, and their Families, should forsake his Land, and join with his enemies; yet he is not quiet till he have abandoned his own strength: The world hath none so great enemy to a wicked man, as himself, his hands cannot be held from his own mischief; he will needs make his friends, enemies; his enemies, victors; himself, miserable. DAVID was too wise, to cast himself into the hands of a Philistim King, without assurance; What assurance could he have but promises? Those, David had from Saul abundantly, and trusted them not; He dares trust the fidelity of a Pagan, he dares not trust the vows of a King of Israel; There may be fidelity without the Church, and falsehood within: It need not be any news to find some Turks true, and some Christians faithless. EVEN unwise men are taught by experience, how much more they, who have wit to learn without it? David had well found, what it was to live in a Court; He therefore, whom Envy driven from the Court of Israel, voluntarily declines the Philistim Court; and sues for a Country-habitation; It had not been possible for so noted a stranger, after so much Philistim-bloud shed, to live long in such eminency, amongst the press of those, whose sons, or brothers, or fathers, or allies, he had slaughtered, without some perilous machination of his ruin; therefore he makes suit for an early remove: (For why should thy servant dwell in the chief City of the Kingdom with thee?) Those that would stand sure, must not affect too much height, or conspicuity; The tall Cedars are most subject to winds and lightnings, whiles the shrubs of the Valleys stand unmoved; Much greatness doth but make a fairer mark for evil; There is true firmness and safety in mediocrity. How rarely is it seen, that a man loseth by his modesty? The change fell out well to David of Ziklag, for Gath; Now he hath a City of his own; All Israel, where he was anointed, afforded him not so much possession: Now the City, which was anciently assigned to judah, returns to the just Owner; and is by this means entailed to the Crown of David's Successors. Besides, that now might David live out of the fight, and hearing of the Philistim Idolatries, and enjoy God no less in the walls of a Philistim-Citie, than in an Israelitish wilderness; withal, an happy opportunity was now opened to his friends of Irael, to resort unto his aid; the heads of the thousands that were of Menasseh, and many valiant Captains of the other Tribes, fell daily to him, and raised his six hundred followers to an army, like the host of God. The deserts of Israel could never have yielded David so great an advantage: That God, whose the earth is, makes room for his own every where; and ofttimes provideth them a foreign home, more kindly than the native: It is no matter for change of our soil, so we change not our God; If we can everywhere acknowledge him, he will no where be wanting to us. IT was not for God's Champion to be idle; no sooner is he free from saul's sword, than he begins ●n offensive war against the Amalekites, Girzites, Geshurites; He knew these Nations branded by God to destruction; neither could his increasing Army be maintained with a little; By one act therefore, he both revenges for God, and provides for his Host. Had it not been for that old quarrel, which God had with this people, David could not be excused from a bloody cruelty, in killing whole Countries, only for the benefit of the spoil: Now his Soldiers were at once, God's Executioners, and their own Foragers. The intervention of a command from the Almighty, altars the state of any act; and makes that worthy of praise, which else were no better than damnable. It is now justice, which were otherwise Murder; The will of God is the rule of good; what need we inquire into other reasons, of any act or determination, when we hear it comes from Heaven? How many hundred years, had this brood of Canaanites lived securely in their Country; since God commanded them to be rooted out, and now promised themselves the certainest peace? The Philistims were their friends, if not their LORDS; The Israelites had their hands full, neither did they know any grudge betwixt them and their Neighbours, when suddenly the Sword of David cuts them off, and leaves none alive to tell the news. THERE is no safety in protraction; with men, delay causeth forgetfulness, or abates the force of anger; as all violent motions are weakest at the furthest; but with him, to whom all times are present, what can be gained by prorogation? Alas, what can it prevail any of the cursed seed of Canaan, that they have made a truce with Heaven, and a league with Hell? Their day is coming, and is not the further off, because they expect it not. MISERABLE were the straits of David; while he was driven, not only to maintain his Army by spoil, but to colour his spoil by a sinful dissimulation; He tells Achish, that he had been roving against the South of judah, and the South of the jerahmelites, and the South of the Kenites; either falsely, or doubtfully, so as he meant to deceive him, under whom he lived, and by whom he was trusted: If Achish were a Philistim, yet he was David's friend, yea his Patron; and if he had been neither, it had not becomne David to be false. The infirmities of God's children never appear, but in their extremities. It is hard for the best man, to say, how far he will be tempted. If a man will put himself among Philistims, he cannot promise to come forth innocent. How easily do we believe that which we wish? The more credit Achish gives unto David, the more sin it was to deceive him, And now the conceit of this engagement, procures him a further service. The Philistims are assembled to fight with Israel; Achish dares trust David on his side; yea, to keep his head for ever; neither can David do any less than promise his aid against his own flesh: Never was David, in all his life, driven to so hard an exigent: never was he so extremely perplexed; For what should he do now? To fight with Achish, he was tied by promise, by merit; Not to fight against Israel, he was tied by his calling, by his unction: Not to fight for Achish, were to be unthankful; To fight against Israel, were to be unnatural; Oh what an inward battle must David needs have in his breast, when he thinks of this battle of Israel, and the Philistims! How doth he wish now, that he had rather stood to the hazard of saul's persecution, than to have put himself upon the favour of Achish; He must fight on one side, and on whether side soever he should fight, he could not avoid to be treacherous; a condition worse than death, to an honest heart; which way he would have resolved, if it had comen to the execution, who can know, since himself was doubtful? either course had been no better than desperate. How could the Israelites ever have received him for their King, who in the open field, had fought against them? And contrarily, if he would have fought against his friend, for his enemy; against Achish for Saul; he was now environed with jealous Philistims; and might rather look for the punishment of his Treason, than the glory of a Victory. HIS heart had led him into these straits; the Lord finds a way to lead him out: The suggestions of his enemies do herein befriend him; The Princes of the Philistims (whether of envy, or suspicion) plead for David's dismission, (Send this fellow back, that he may go again to his place, which thou hast appointed him: and let him not go down to the battle, lest he be an Adversary to us.) No Advocate could have said more, himself durst not have said so much. Oh the wisdom and goodness of our God, that can raise up an Adversary to deliver out of those evils, which our friends cannot; That by the sword of an enemy can let out that Apostume, which no Physician could tell how to cure: It would be wide with us sometimes, if it were not for others malice. There could not be a more just question, than this of the Philistim Princes, What do these Hebrews here? An Israelite is out of his element, when he is in an Army of Philistims. The true servants of God are in their due places, when they are in opposition to his enemies. Profession of hostility becomes them better than leagues of amity. Yet Achish likes David's conversation and presence so well, that he professeth himself pleased with him, as with an Angel of God; How strange is it to hear, that a Philistim should delight in that holy man, whom an Israelite abhors, and should be loath to be quit of David, whom Saul, hath expelled? Terms of civility be equally open to all religions, to all professions: The common graces of God's children, are able to attract love from the most obstinate enemies of goodness; If we affect them for by-respects of Valour, Wisdom, Discourse, Wit, it is their praise, not ours; But if for divine Grace and Religion, it is our praise with theirs. Such now was David's condition, that he must plead for that he feared, and argue against that which he desired: (What have I done? & what hast thou found in thy servant, that I may not go, and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King?) Never any news could be more cordial to him than this, of his dismission; yet must he seem to strive against it, with an importunate profession of his forwardness to that act, which he most detested. One degree of Dissimulation draws on another; those which have once given way to a faulty course, cannot easily, either stop or turn back; but are in a sort forced to second their ill beginnings, with worse proceed. It is a dangerous and miserable thing, to cast ourselves into those actions, which draw with them a necessity, either of offending, or miscarriage. SAUL and the Witch of Endor. EVen the worst men may sometimes make head against some sins. Saul hath expelled the Sorcerers out of the Land of Israel; and hath forbidden Magic upon pain of death. He that had no care to expel Satan out of his own heart, yet will seem to drive him out of his Kingdom. That we see wicked then oppose themselves to some sins, there is neither marvel, nor comfort in it: No doubt Satan made sport at this Edict of Saul; what cares he to be banished in Sorcery, whiles he is entertained in malice? He knew and found Saul his, whiles he resisted; and smiled to yield thus fare unto his Vassal: If we quit not all sins, he will be content we should either abandon or persecute some. Where is no place for holy fear, there will be place for the servile; The graceless heart of Saul was astonished at the Philistims; yet was never moved at the frowns of that God whose anger sent them, nor of those sins of his which procured them. Those that cannot fear for love, shall tremble for fear: and how much better is awe than terror? prevention than confusion? There is nothing more lamentable than to see a man laugh when he should fear; God shall laugh when such an one's fear cometh. Extremity of distress, will send even the profanest man to God; like as the drowning man, reacheth out his hand to that bough, which he contemned whiles he stood safe on the bank; Saul now asketh counsel of the Lord; whose Prophet he hated, whose Priests he slew, whose Anointed he persecutes; Had Saul consulted with God when he should, this evil had not been; but how, if this evil had not been; he had consulted with God; The thank of this Act is due, not to him; but to his affection; A forced piety is thankless, and unprofitable; God will not answer him neither by Dreams, nor by Vrim, nor by Prophets. Why should God answer that man by Dreams, who had resisted him waking? Why should he answer him by Vrim, that had slain his Priests? Why should he answer him by Prophets, who hated the Father of the Prophets, rebelled against the word of the Prophets? It is an unreasonable unequality to hope to find God at our command, when we would not be at his; To look that God should regard our voice in trouble, when we would not regard his in peace. Unto what mad shifts are men driven by despair? If God will not answer, Satan shall; (Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit.) If Saul had not known this course Devilish, why did he decree to banish it, to mulct it with death? yet now against the stream of his conscience, he will seek to those whom he had condemned; There needs no other judge of saul's act than himself; had he not before opposed this sin, he had not so heinously sinned in committing it; There cannot be a more fearful sign of an heart given up to a reprobate sense, than to cast itself wilfully into those sins, which it hath proclaimed to detest. The declinations to evil are many times insensible, but when it breaks forth into such apparent effects, even others eyes may discern it; What was Saul the better to foreknow the issue of his approaching battle? If this consultation could not have strengthened him against his enemies, or promoted his victory, there might have been some colour for so foul an act; Now, what could he gain, but the satisfying of his bootless curiosity, in foreseeing that, which he should not be able to avoid? Foolish men give away their souls for nothing; The itch of impertinent and unprofitable knowledge, hath been the hereditary disease of the sons of Adam, Eve; How many have perished to know that which hath procured their perishing? How ambitious should we be to know those things, the knowledge whereof is eternal Life! Many a lewd Office are they put to which serve wicked Masters; one while saul's servants are set to kill innocent David; another while, to shed the blood of God's Priests; and now they must go seek for a Witch: It is no small happiness to attend them, from whom we may receive precepts and examples of virtue. Had Saul been good, he had needed no disguise; Honest actions never shame the doers; Now that he goeth about a sinful business, he changeth himself; he seeks the shelter of the night, he takes but two followers with him; It is true, that if Saul had come in the port of a King, the Witch had as much dissembled her condition, as now he dissembleth his; yet it was not only desire to speed, but guiltiness that thus altered his habit; such is the power of conscience, that even those who are most affected to evil, yet are ashamed to be thought such as they desire to be. Saul needed another face to fit that tongue, which should say (Conjecture to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whom I shall name unto thee;) An obdurate heart can give way to any thing: NOTWITHSTANDING the peremptory edict of Saul, there are still Witches in Israel; Neither good Laws, nor careful executions, can purge the Church from Malefactors; There will still be some that will jeopard their heads upon the grossest sins; No Garden can be so curiously tended, that there should not be one Weed left in it. Yet so fare can good Statutes, and due inflictions of punishment upon offenders, prevail, that mischievous persons are glad to pull in their heads, and dare not do ill, but in disguise and darkness. It is no small advantage of justice, that it affrights sin, if it cannot be expelled, As contrarily, woeful is the condition of that place, where is a public profession of wickedness. This Witch was no less crafty than wicked; she had before (as is like) bribed Officers to escape indictment, lurk in secrecy; and now she will not work her fears without security; her suspicion projects the worst; (Wherefore seekest thou to take we in a snare, to cause me to dye?) Oh vain Sorceress, that could be wary us avoid the punishment of Saul, careless to avoid the judgement of God; Can we forethink what our sin would cost us, we durst not, but be innocent: This is a good and seasonable answer for us, to make unto Satan, when he solicits us to evil (wherefore seekest thou to take me in a snare, to cause me to dye?) Nothing is more sure than this intention in the tempter, than this event in the issue; Oh that we could but so much fear the eternal pains, as we do the temporary, and be but so careful to save our souls from torment, as our bodies. No sooner hath Saul sworn her safety, than she addresseth her to her Sorcery; Hope of impunity draws on sin with boldness; were it not for the delusions of false promises, Satan should have no Clients. Can Saul be so ignorant, as to think that Magic had power over God's deceased Saints to raise them up; yea, to call them down from their rest? Time was, when Saul was among the Prophets. And yet now, that he is in the impure lodge of Devils, how senseless he is, to say, Bring me up Samuel? It is no rare thing, to lose even our wit and judgement together with graces; How justly are they given over to fottishnesse, that have given themselves over to sin? The Sorceress (it seems) exercising her conjurations in a room apart, is informed by her Familiar, who it was that set her on work; she can therefore find time, in the midst of her Exorcisms, to bind the assurance of her own safety, by expostulation, (She cried with a loud voice, why hast thou deceived me, for thou art Saul,) The very name of Saul was an accusation; Yet is he so fare from striking his breast, that doubting lest this fear of the Witch, should interrupt the desired work, he encourages her, whom he should have condemned; (Be not afraid;) He that had more cause to fear, for his own sake, in an expectation of just judgement, cheers up her, that feared nothing but himself: How ill doth it become us to give that counsel to others, whereof we have more need and use in our own persons! As one that had more care to satisfy his curiosity, than her suspicion, he asks, what sawest thou?) Who would not have looked, that saul's hair should have stared, on his head, to hear of a spirit raised? His sin hath so hardened him, that he rather pleases himself in it, which hath nothing in it but horror; So fare is Satan content to descend to the service of his servants, that he will approve his feigned obedience to their very outward senses; What form is so glorious, that he either cannot or dare not undertake? Here Gods ascend out of the Earth; Elsewhere Satan transforms him into an Angel of light; What wonder is it, that his wicked Instruments appear like Saints in their hypocritical dissimulation? if we will be judging by the appearance, we shall be sure to err: No eye could distinguish betwixt the true Samuel, and a false spirit. Saul, who was well worthy to be deceived, seeing those grey hairs, and that Mantle, inclines himself to the ground, and bows himself; He that would not worship God in Samuel alive, now worships Samuel in Satan; and no marvel; Satan was now become his refuge in steed of God; his vrim was darkness, his Prophet a Ghost: Every one that consults with Satan, worships him, though he bow not, neither doth that evil spirit desire any other reverence, than to be sought to. How cunningly doth Satan resemble, not only the habit and gesture, but the language of Samuel, Wherefore hast thou disquieted me, and wherefore dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemy? Nothing 〈…〉 pleasing to that evil one, than to be solicited, yet in the person of Samuel, he can say; Why hast thou disquitted w●●e? Had not the Lord been gone from Saul; he had never co●ne to the Devilish Oracle of Endor, and yet the counterfeiting spirit can say; Why dost thou ark of 〈◊〉, seeing the Lord is gone from thee? Satan cares not how little he is known to be himself; he love's to pass under any son, rather than his own. The more holy the person is, the more carefully doth Satan act him, that by his stale he may ensnare us. In every motion it is good to try the spirits, whether they be of God; Good words are no means, to distinguish a Prophet from a Devil; Samuel himself, whiles he was alive, could not have spoken more gravely, more severely, more divinely, than this evil ghost, For the Lord will rend thy Kingdom out of thy hand, and give it to thy neighbour David; because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord not executedst his fierce wrath upon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this unto thee this day: When the Devil himself puts on gravity and religion, who can marvel at the hypocrisy of men? Well may lewd men be good Preachers, when Satan himself can play the Prophet; Where are those Ignorants, that think charitably of charms and spells, because they find nothing in them, but good words? What Prophet could speak better words, than this Devil in samuel's Mantle? Neither is there at any time so much danger of that evil spirit, as when he speaks best. I could wonder to hear Satan preach thus prophetically, if I did not know, that as he was once a good Angel, so he can still act what he was; Whiles Saul was in consultation of sparing Agag, we shall never find that Satan would lay any block in his way? Yea than he was a prompt Orator, to induce him into that sin; now that it is past and gone, he can lad Saul with fearful denunciations of judgement; Till we have sinned, Satan is a parasite; when we have sinned, he is a Tyrant: What cares he to flatter any more, when he hath what he would? Now his only work is to terrify, and confound, that he may enjoy what he hath won; How much better is it serving that Master, who when we are most dejected with the conscience of evil, heartens us with inward comfort, and speaks peace to the soul in the midst of tumult? Ziklag spoilt and revenged. HAd not the King of the Philistims sent David away early, his Wives, and his people and substance, which he left at Ziklag, had been utterly lost; Now Achish did not more pleasure David in his entertainment, than in his dismission. Saul was not David's enemy more in the persecution of his person, than in the forbearance of God's enemies; Behold, thus late doth David feel the smart of saul's sin, in sparing the Amalekites; who, if God's sentence had been duly executed, had not now survived, to annoy this parcel of Israel. As in spiritual respects our sins are always hurtful to ourselves, so in temporal, ofttimes prejudicial to posterity; A wicked man deserves ill of those, he never lived to see. I cannot marvel at the Amalekites assault made upon the Israelites of Ziklag; I cannot but marvel at their clemency; how just it was, that while David would give aid to the enemies of the Church, against Israel, the enemies of the Church should rise against David, in his peculiar charge of Israel: But whilst David roving against the Amalekites, not many days before, left neither man nor woman alive, how strange is it, that the Amalekites invading and surprising Ziklag (in revenge) kill neither man nor woman? Shall we say that mercy is fled from the breasts of Israelites, and rests in Heathens? Or shall we rather ascribe this to the gracious restraint of God, who having designed Amalek to the slaughter of Israel, and not Israel to the slaughter of Amalek, moved the hand of Israel, and held the hands of Amalek; This was that alone, that made the Heathens take up with an unbloudy revenge; burning only the w●●es, and leading away the persons. Israel crossed the revealed 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 advantages; upon their first coming out of Egypt, when they were weary, weak, and unarmed, 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 upon the Coasts of both; and goes away laded with the spoil: No other is to be expected of our spiritual Adversaries, who are ever readiest to assail, when we are the unreadiest to defend. It was a woeful spectacle for David and his Soldiers upon their return to find mines and ashes in stood of houses, and in steed of their Families, solitude; Their City was vanished into smoke, their households into captivity; neither could they know whom to accuse, or where to inquire for redress; whiles they made account that their home should recompense their tedious journey with comfort, the miserable desolation of their home doubles the discomfort of their journey; what remained there but tears and lamentations? They lifted up their voices, and wept, till they could weep no more. Hear was plenty of nothing but misery and sorrow. The heart of every Israelite was brim full of grief; David's ran over; for besides that his cross was the same with theirs, all theirs was his alone; each man look on his fellow as a partner of affliction, but every one looked upon David as the cause of all their affliction; and (as common displeasure is never but fruitful of revenge) they all agree to stone him as the Author of their undoing, whom they followed all this while, as the hopeful means of their advacements. Now David's loss is his least grief; neither (as if every thing had conspired to torment him) can he look besides the aggravation of his sorrow and danger; Saul and his Soldiers had hunted him out of Israel; the Philistim Courtiers, had hunted him from the favour of Achish; the Amalekites spoilt him in Ziklag; yet all these are easy adversaries in comparison of his own; his own followers are so far from pitying his participation of the loss, that they are ready to kill him, because they are miserable with him. Oh the many and grievous perplexities of the man after Gods own heart! If all his train had joined their best helps for the mitigation of his grief, their Cordials had been too weak, but now the vexation that arises from their fury and malice, drowneth the sense of their loss, and were enough to distract the most resolute heart; why should it be strange to us, that we meet with hard trials, when we see the dear Anointed of God thus plunged into evils? What should the distressed son of Ishai now do? Whither should he think to turn him? to go back to Israel he durst not; to go to Achish he might not; to abide amongst those waste heaps he could not; or if there might have been harbour in those walls, yet there could be no safety to remain with those mutinous spirits. (But David comforted himself in the Lord his God;) oh happy and sure refuge of a faithful soul! The earth yielded him nothing, but matter of disconsolation, and heaviness; he lifts his eyes above the hills, whence cometh his salvation; It is no marvel that God remembreth David in all his troubles, since David in all his troubles did thus remember his God; he knew that though no mortal eye of reason, or sense could discern any evasion from these intricate evils, yet that the eye of divine Providence had descried it long before; and that though no humane power could make way for his safety, yet that the overruling hand of his God, could do it with ease; His experience had assured him of the fidelity of his Guardian in Heaven; and therefore he comforted himself in the Lord his God. In vain is comfort expected from God, if we consult not with him. Abieth●r the Priest is called for; David was not in the Court of Achish, without the Priest by his side; nor the Priest without the Ephod; Had these been left behind in Ziklag, they had been miscarried with the rest, and David had now been hopeless. How well it succeeds to the Great, when they take God with them in his Ministers, in his Ordinances? As contrarily, when these are laid by, as superfluous, there can be nothing but uncertainty of success, or certainty of mischief. The presence of the Priest and Ephod, would have little availed him without their use; by them he asks counsel of the Lord in these straits. The mouth and ears of God, which were shut unto Saul, are open unto David; no sooner can he ask, than he receives answer; and the answer that he receives is full of courage and comfort: (Fellow, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and recover all.) That God of truth, never disappointed any man's trust. David now finds, that the eye which waited upon God was not sent away weeping. David therefore, and his men, are now upon their march after the Amalekites: It is no lingering, when God bids us go; They which had promised rest to their weary limbs, after their return from Achish, in their harbour of Zi●lag, are glad to forget their hopes, and to put their stiff joints unto a new task of motion; It is no marvel, if two hundred of them were so overtired with their former toil, that they were not able to pass over the River Besor. David was a true Type of Christ. We follow him in these holy Wars, against the spiritual Amalekites; All of us are not of an equal strength; Some are carried by the vigour of their faith, through all difficulties; Others, after long pressure, are ready to languish in the way; Our Leader is not more strong than pitiful; neither doth he scornfully cashier those, whose desires are hearty, whiles their abilities are unanswerable; How much more should our charity pardon the Infirmities of our brethren; and allow them to fit by the stuff, who cannot endure the march? The same Providence, which appointed David to follow the Amalekites; had also ordered an Egyptian to be cast behind them. This cast Servant, whom his cruel Master had left to faintness and famine, shall be used as the means of the recovery of the Israelites loss, and of the revenge of the Amalekites. Had not his Master neglected him, all these Rovers of Amalek, had gone away with their life and booty; It is not safe to despise the meanest vassal upon earth. There is a mercy and care due to the most despicable piece of all humanity; wherein we cannot be wanting without the offence, without the punishment of God. Charity distinguisheth an Israelite from an Amalekite. David's followers are strangers to this Egyptian; an Amalekite was his Master; His Master leaves him to dye (in the field) of sickness and hunger, these strangers relieved him: and ere they know, whether they might by him receive any light in their pursuit, they refresh his dying spirits with Bread and Water; with Figs and Raisins; Neither can the haste of their way be any hindrance to their compassion; He hath no Israelitish blood in him, that is utterly merciless; Perhaps, yet David's followers might also, in the hope of some intelligence, show kindness to this forlorn Egyptian. Worldly wisdom teacheth us, to sow small courtesies, where we may reap large Harvests of recompense: No sooner are his spirits recalled, than he requites his food with information. I cannot blame the Egyptian, that he was so easily induced to descry these unkind Amalekites, to merciful Israelites; those that gave him over unto death, to the restorers of his life; much less, that ere he would descry them; he requires an oath of security, from so bad a Master; Well doth he match death with such a servitude; Wonderful is the providence of God, even over those, which are not in the nearest bonds, his own; Three days, and three nights, had this poor Egyptian Slave lain sick and hunger-starved in the fields, and looks for nothing but death, when God sends him secure from the hands of those Israelites, whom he had helped to spoil, though not so much for his sake, as for Israel's, is this heathenish Straglet 〈◊〉 It pleases God, to extend his common favours to all his creatures; but in miraculous preservations, he hath still wont to have respect to his own. By this means therefore, are the Israelites brought to the sight of their late spoilers; whom they find scattered abroad, upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing in triumph, for the great prey they had taken. It was three days at least, since this gainful foraging of Amalek; and now, seeing no fear of any pursuer, and promising themselves safety, in so great and vp●●aded a distance, they make themselves merry with so rich and easy a victory; and now suddenly, when they began to think of enjoying the beauty and wealth they had gotten; the sword of David was upon their throats. Destruction is never nearer, than when security hath chased away fear. With how sad faces and hearts, had the Wives of David, and the other Captives of Israel, looked upon the triumphal Revels of Amalek; and what a change, do we think, appeared in them, when they saw their happy and valiant Rescuers, flying in upon their insolent Victors, and making the death of the Amalekites, the ransom of their captivity; They mourned even now at the dances of Amalek; now in the shrieks and death of Amalek, they shout and rejoice; The mercy of our God forgets not to interchange our sorrows with joy, and the joy of the wicked with sorrow. The Amalekites have paid a dear loan for the goods of Israel, which they now restore with their own lives; and now their spoil hath made David richer than he expected: that booty which they had swept from all other parts accrued to him. Those Israelites that could not go on to fight for their share, are comen to meet their brethren with gratulation. How partial are we wont to be unto our own causes? Even very Israelites will be ready to fall out for matter of profit: where self-love hath bred a quarrel, every man is subject to flatter his own case. It seemed plausible, and but just to the actors in this rescue, that those which had taken no part in the pain, and hazard of the journey, should receive no part of the commodity. It was favour enough for them to recover their wives and children, though they shared not in the goods. Wise and holy David (whose praise was no less, to overcome his own in time of peace, than his enemies in war) calls his contending followers from Law to equity, and so order the matter, that since the Plaintiffs were detained not by will, but by necessity; and since their forced stay was useful in guarding the stuff, they should partake equally of the prey with there fellows. A sentence wel-beseeming the justice of Gods Anointed. Those that represent God upon earth, should resemble him in their proceeding. It is the just mercy of our God, to measure us by our wills, not by our abilities; to recompense us graciously, according to the truth of our desires, and endeavours; and to account that performed by us, which he only letteth us from performing. It were wide with us, if sometimes purpose did not supply actions. Whiles our heart faulteth not, we that through spiritual sickness are fain to abide by the stuff, shall share both in grace and glory with the Victors. The death of SAUL. THe Witch of Endor had half slain Saul before the Battle it is just that they who consult with Devils, should go away with discomfort: He hath eaten his last bread, at the hand of a Sorceress: and now necessity draws him into that field, where he sees nothing but despair. Had not Saul believed the ill news of the counterfeit Samuel, he had not been strooke down on the ground with words: Now his belief made him desperate; Those actions which are not sustained by hope, must needs languish: and are only promoted by outward compulsion: Whiles the mind is uncertain of success, it relieves itself with the possibilities of good: in doubts there is a comfortable mixture: but when it is assured of the worst event, it is utterly discouraged and dejected. It hath therefore pleased the wisdom of God to hide from wicked men, his determination of their final estate, that their remainders of hope, may hearten them to good. In all likelihood one self-same day, saw David a victor over the Amalekites, and Saul discomfited by the Philistims; How should it be otherwise? David consulted with God, and prevailed; Saul with the Witch of Endor, and perisheth. The end is commonly answerable to the way; It is an idle injustice when we do ill to look to speed well. The slaughter of Saul and his sons, was not in the first Scene of this Tragical field, that was rather reserved by God, for the last act, that saul's measure might be full: God is long ere he strikes, but when he doth, it is to purpose; First, Israel flees and falls down wounded in Mount Gilboa; They had their part in saul's sin: they were actors in David's persecution: justly therefore do they suffer with him, whom they had seconded in offence. As it is hard to be good under an evil Prince, so it is as rare, not to be enwrapped in his judgements: It was no small addition to the anguish of saul's death, to see his sons dead, to see his people fleeing, and slain before him; They had sinned in their King, and in them is their King punished. The rest were not so worthy of pity; but whose heart would it not touch to see jonathan, the good son of a wicked father, involved in the common destruction? Death is not partial: All dispositions, all merits are alike to it: if valour, if holiness, if sincerity of heart could have been any defence against mortality, jonathan had survived: Now by their wounds and death, no man can discern which is jonathan; The soul only finds the difference, which the body admitteth not; Death is the common gate both to Heaven and Hell; we all pass that, ere our turning to either hand: The sword of the Philistims fetcheth jonathan through it with his fellows: no sooner is his foot over that threshold, than God conducteth him to glory: The best cannot be happy but through their dissolution; Now therefore hath jonathan no cause of complaint, he is by the rude and cruel hand of a Philistim, but removed to a better Kingdom than he leaves to his brother: and at once is his death both a temporal affliction to the son of Saul, and an entrance of glory to the friend of David. The Philistim-archers shot at random: God directs their arrows into the body of Saul: Lest the discomfiture of his people, and the slaughter of his sons should not be grief enough to him, he feels himself wounded, and sees nothing before him but horror and death; and now as a man forsaken of all hopes, he begs of his Armour-bearer that deaths-blow, which else he must (to the doubling of his indignation) receive from a Philistim. He begs this bloody favour of his servant, and is denied: Such an awfulness hath God placed in sovereignty, that no entreaty, no extremity, can move the hand against it: What metal are those men made of that can suggest or resolve; and attempt the violation of Majesty? Wicked men care more for the s●●●e of the World, than the danger of their soul: Desp●●●● Saul will now supply his Armor-bearer; and as a man that 〈◊〉 arms against himself, he falls upon his ow●● Sword. What if he had died by the 〈◊〉 of a Philistin? So did his sin jonathan, and lost no glory: These conceits of disreputation prevail with carnal hearts above all spiritual respects: There is no greater murderer 〈◊〉 glory: Nothing more argues an heart void of grace, than to be transport on● idle popularity into actions preiudicia●●● to the Soul! Evil examples, especially of the great, never escaped imitation; the A●●●or-beate● of Saul follows his Master: and came do that to himself, which to his King he durst not as if their own Swords had being more familiar executions 〈◊〉 they yielded unto them, what they grudged to their pursuers. From the beginning was saul's ever his own enemy, neither did any hands hurt him but his own to and now his death is suitable 〈◊〉 his life: his own hand pays his ●●●ard of all his wickedness. The end of Hypocrites, and envious men is commonly fearful. Now is the blood of God's Priests, which Saul shed, and of David, which he would have shed, required, and requited. The evil spirit had said the evening before, To ●●rrow thou shalt be with me: and now Saul hasteth to make the Devil no Liem●●●●●er than fail, he gives himself his own Mittimus: Oh the woeful extremities of a despairing soul, plunging him ever into a greater mischief to avoid the less: He might ha●● been a patiented in another's violence, and faultiness; now whiles he will needs act the Philistines part upon himself, he lived and died a Murderer; The case is deadly, when the Prisoner breaks the jail, and will not stay for his delivery: and though we may not pass sentence upon such a soul, yet upon the fact we may: the soul may possibly repent in the parting, the act is heinous, and such as without repentance, kills the soul. It was the next day, ere the Philistims knew how much they were victors; then finding the dead corpse of Saul and his sons, they begin their triumphs: The head of King Saul is cut off in lieu of Goliahs', and now all their Idol temples ring of their success; Foolish Philistims, if they had not been more beholden to saul's sins, than their gods, they had never carried away the honour of those Trophies: In stead of magnifying the justice of the true God, who punished Saul with deserved death, they magnify the power of the false: Superstition is extremely injurious to God: It is no better than Theft, to ascribe unto the second causes that honour which is due unto the first: but to give God's glory to those things which neither act, nor are, it is the highest degree of spiritual robbery. Saul was none of the best Kings: yet so impatient are his subjects of the indignity offered to his dead corpse, that they will rather leave their own bones amongst the Philistims, than the carcase of Saul: Such a close relation there is betwixt a Prince and Subject, that the dishonour of either is inseparable from both: How willing should we be to hazard our bodies or substance for the vindication either of the person, or name of a good King, whiles he life's to the benefit of our protection: It is an unjust ingratitude in those men, which can endure the disgrace of them, under whose shelter they live; but how unnatural is the villainy of those Miscreants, that can be content to be actors in the capital wrongs offered to sovereign authority? It were a wonder, if after the death of a Prince, there should want some Pickthank, to insinuate himself into his Successor: An Amalekite young man rides post to Ziklag, to find out David, whom even common rumour ●ad notified for the anointed Heir to the Kingdom of Israel; to be the first Messenger of that news, which he thought could be no other than acceptable; the death of Saul: and that the tidings might be so much more meritorious, he adds to the report, what he thinks might carry the greatest retribution: In hope of reward, or honour, the man is content to belly himself to David: It was not the Spear, but the Sword of Saul, that was the instrument of his death: neither could this stranger find Saul, but dying, since the Armour bearer of Saul saw him dead, ere he offered that violence to himself: The hand of this Amalekite therefore was not guilty, his tongue was: Had not this Messenger measured David's foot, by his own Last, he had forborn this piece of the news; and not hoped to advantage himself by this falsehood: Now he thinks; The tidings of a Kingdom cannot but please: None but Saul and jonathan stood in David's way: He cannot choose, but like to hear of their removal: Especially, since Saul did so tyrannously persecute his innocence. If I shall only report the fact done by another, I shall go away but with the recompense of a ●●ckie Post; whereas, if I take upon me the action, I am the man, to whom David is beholden for the Kingdom: he cannot but honour and require me, as the Author of his deliverance and happiness. Worldly minds think no man can be of any other, than their own diet; and because they find the respects of self-love, and private profit, so strongly prevailing with themselves, they cannot conceive, how these should be capable of a repulse from others. How much was this Amalekite mocked of his hopes: whiles he imagined, that David would now triumph, and feast in the assured expectation of the Kingdom, and Possession of the Crown of Israel, he finds him renting his clothes, and wring his hands, and weeping, and mourning: as if all his comfort had been dead with Saul and jonathan: and yet perhaps he thought: This sorrow of David is but fashionable, such as great heirs make show of in the fatal day they have longed for; These tears will soon be dry; the sight of a Crown will soon breed a succession of other passions: But this error is soon corrected: For when David had entertained this Bearer, with a sadfast all the day, he calls him forth in the evening to execution: (How wast thou not afraid (saith he) to put forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of the Lord?) Doubtless, the Amalekite made many fair pleas for himself, out of the grounds of his own report: Alas, Saul was before fall'n upon his own Spear. It was but mercy to kill him; that was half dead, that he might die the shorter: Besides, his entreaty and importunate prayers, moved me to hasten him, through those painful gates of death: had I stricken him as an enemy, I had deserved the blow I had given; now I lent him the hand of a friend: why am I punished for obeying the voice of a King? and for perfiting what himself begun, and could not finish: And if neither his own wound, nor mine, had dispatched him, the Philistims were at his heels, ready to do this same act with insultation, which I did in favour: and if my hand had not prevented them, where had been the Crown of Israel, which I now have here presented to thee: I could have delivered that to King Achish, and have been rewarded with honour: let me not dye for an act well meant to thee, how ever construed by thee: But no pretence can make his own tale not deadly: (Thy blood be upon thine own head, for thine own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lords Anointed.) It is a just supposition, that every man is so great a Favourer of himself, that he will not misreport his own actions, nor say the worst of himself: In matter of confession, men may without injury be taken at their words: If he did it, his fact was capital; If he did it not, his lie: It is pity any other recompense should befall those false Flatterers, that can be content to father a sin, to get thankes. Every drop of royal blood is sacred: For a man to say that he hath shed it, is mortal. Of how fare different spirits from this of David, are those men, which suborn the death of Princes, and celebrate and canonize the Mutherers! Into their secret, let not my soul come, my glory, be thou not joined to their Assembly. ABNER and JOAB. HOw merciful and seasonable are the provisions of God? Zildag was now nothing but ruins and ashes: David might return to the soil where it stood, to the roofs and walls he could not: No sooner is he disappointed of that harbour, than God provides him Cities of Hebron: Saul shall die to give him elbowroom: Now doth David find the comfort that his extremity sought in the Lord his God: Now are his clouds for a time passed over: and the Sun breaks gloriously forth: David shall reign after his sufferings. So shall we, if we endure to the end, find a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give us at that day: But though David well knew that his head was long before anointed, and had heard Saul himself confidently avouching his Succession: yet he will not stir from the heaps of Ziklag, till he have consulted with the Lord: It did not content him, that he had Gods warrant for the Kingdom, but he must have his instructions for the taking possession of it: How safe and happy is the man that is resolved to do nothing without God? Neither will generalities of direction be sufficient; even particular circumstances must look for a word: still is God a Pillar of fire, and cloud to the eye of every Israelite: neither may there be any motion or stay but from him; That action cannot but succeed, which proceeds upon so sure a warrant. God sends him to Hebron a City of judah: Neither will David go up thither alone, but he takes with him all his men with their whole households: they shall take such part as himself: As they had shared with him in his misery, so they shall now in his prosperity: Neither doth he take advantage of their late mutiny (which was yet fresh and green) to cashier those unthankful, and ungracious followers; but pardoning their secret rebellions, he makes them partakers of his good success. Thus doth our heavenly Leader (whom David prefigured) take us to reign with him who hath suffered with him: passing by our manifold infirmities, as if they had not been, he removeth us from the Land of our banishment, and the ashes of our forlorn Ziklag, to the Hebron of our Peace and glory: The expectation of this day must (as it did with David's Soldiers) digest all our sorrows. Never any calling of God was so conspicuous, as not to find some Opposites: What Israelite did not know David, appointed by God to the succession of the Kingdom? Even the Amalekite, could carry the Crown to him as the true Owner: yet there want not an Abner to resist him, and the Title of an Ishbosheth to colour his resistance: If any of saul's house could have made challenge to the Crown, it should have been Mephibosheth the son of jonathan: Who, it seems, had too much of his Father's blood to be a Competitor with David: the question is not, who may claim the most right, but who may best serve the faction; Neither was Ishbosheth any other than Abners Stolen: Saul could not have a fit Courtier: whether in the imitation of his Master's envy, or the ambition of ruling under a borrowed name, he strongly opposed David: there are those who strive against their own hearts, to make a side, with whom conscience is oppressed by affection: An ill quarrel once undertaken shall be maintained, although with blood: Now, not so much the blood of Saul, as the engagement of Abner makes the War. The sons of Zerniah stand fast to David: It is much, how a man placeth his first interest: If Abner had been in joabs' room, when saul's displeasure driven David from the Court, or joab in Abners, these actions, these events had been changed with the persons: It was the only happiness of joab that he fell on the better side. Both the Commanders under David and Ishbosheth were equally cruel: both are so injured to blood, that they make but a sport of killing. Custom makes sin so ●●miliar, that the horror of it, is to some turned into pleasure. (Come let the young m●n play before us.) ABNER is the Challenger, and speeds thereafter: for though in the matches of Duel both sides miscarried, yet in the following conflict, Abner and his men are beaten: By the success of those single Combats no man knows the better of the cause: Both sides perish, to show, how little God liked either the offer, or the acceptation of such a trial; but when both did their best, God punisheth the wrong part with discomfiture. Oh, the misery of civil dissension! Israel and judah were brethren? Our carried the name of the Father, the other of the Son: judah was but a branch of Israel, Israel was the root of judah: yet judah and Israel must fight, and kill each other; only upon the quarrel of an ill Leaders ambition. The speed of Asahel was not greater than his courage: It was a mind fit for one of David's Worthies, to strike at the head, to match himself with the best: He was both swift and strong: but the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong: If he had gone never so slowly, he might have overtaken death: now he runs to fetch it. So little lust had Abner to shed the blood of a son of Zerniah. that he twice advices him to retreat from pursuing his own peril: Asahels' cause was so much better as Abners' success: Many a one miscarries in the rash prosecution of a good quarrel, when the Abettors of the worst part go away with victory. Heat of zeal, sometimes in the undiscreet pursuit of a just Adversary, proves mortal to the agent, prejudicial to the service. ABNER, whiles he kills, yet he flies, and runs away from his own death, whiles he inflicts it upon another: David's followers had the better of the field and day; The Sun, as unwilling to see any more Israelitish blood shed by brethren, hath withdrawn himself: and now both parts having got the advantage of an hill under them, have safe convenience of parley: Abner begins, and persuades joab to surcease the fight (Shall the sword devour for ever? Knowest thou not, that it will be bitterness in the end? How long shall it be, ere thou bid the people return from following their Brethren?) It was his fault, that the sword devoured at all: and why was not the beginning of a civil War bitterness? Why did he call forth the people to skirmish, and invite them to death? Had Abner been on the winning hand, this motion had been thankworthy: It is a noble disposition in a Victor, to call for a cessation of Arms: whereas necessity wrings this suit from the overmastered. There cannot be a greater praise, to a valiant and wise Commander, than a propension to all just terms of peace: For war as it is sometimes necessary, so it is always evil; and if fight have any other end proposed besides peace, it proves murder. Abner shall find himself no less overcome, by joab in clemency, than power; He says not, I will not so easily leave the advantage of my victory: since the Dice of war run on my side, I will follow the chase of my good success: Thou shouldest have considered of this before thy provocation: It is now too late, to move unto forbearance: But, as a man that meant to approve himself equally free from cowardice, in the beginning of the conflict, and from cruelty in the end; he professeth his forwardness, to entertain any pretence of sheathing up the swords of Israel; and swears to Abner, that if it had not been for his proud irritation, the people had in the morning before ceased from that bloody pursuit of their brethren. As it becomes public persons to be lovers of peace, so they must show it upon all good occasions: letting pass no opportunity of making spare of blood. Ishbosheth was (it seems) a man of no great spirits, for being no less than forty years old, when his father went into his last field against the Philistims, he was content to stay at home; Abner hath put ambition into him; and hath easily raised him to the head of a faction, against the anointed Prince of God's people. If this usurped Crown of saul's Son, had any worth or glory in it, he cannot but acknowledge, to owe it all unto Abner; yet how forward is unthankful Ishbosheth to receive a false suggestion against his chief Abettor: (Wherefore hast thou gone in, to my father's Concubine?) He that made no conscience of an unjust claim to the Crown, and a maintenance of it with blood, yet seems scrupulous of a less sin that carried in it the colour of a disgrace; The touch of her, who had been honoured by his father's bed, seemed an intolerable presumption, and such as could not be severed from his own dishonour: Self-love sometimes borrows the face of honest zeal. Those, who out of true grounds, dislike sins, do hate them all indifferently, according to their heinousness; Hypocrites are partial in their detestation, bewraying ever most bitterness, against those offences, which may most prejudice their persons and reputations. It is as dangerous as unjust for Princes, to give both their ears and their heart to misgrounded rumours of their innocent followers: This wrong hath stripped Ishbosheth of the Kingdom; Abner in the mean time cannot be excused from a treacherous inconstancy; If saul's son had no true Title to the Crown, why did he maintain it; If he had, why did he forsake the cause and person? Had Abner out of remorse, for furthering a false claim taken off his hand, I know not wherein he could be blamed, except for not doing it sooner; But now to withdraw his professed allegiance, upon a private revenge, was to take a lewd leave of an ill action: If Ishbosheth were his lawful Prince, no injury could warrant a revolt; Even betwixt private persons, a return of wrongs is both uncharitable, and unjust, how ever this go currant for the common justice of the World; how much more should we learn from a supreme hand, to take hard measures with thankes? It had been Abners duty, to have given his King a peaceable and humble satisfaction, and not to fly out in a snuff. If the spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place, for yielding pacifieth great offences; now, his impatient falling, although to the right side, makes him no better than traitorously honest. So soon as Abner hath entertained a resolution of his rebellion, he persuades the Elders of Israel to accompany him in the change: and whence doth he fetch his main motive, but from the Oracle of God? (The Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David, will I save my people Israel, out of the hand of the Philistims, and out of the hand of all their enemies;) Abner knew this full well before, yet then was well content to smother a known truth for his own turn, and now the publication of it may serve for his advantage, he wins the heart of Israel, by showing God's Charter for him, whom he had so long opposed: Hypocrites make use of God for their own purposes; and care only to make divine authority a colour for their own designs; No man ever heard Abner godly till now; neither had he been so at this time, if he had not intended a revengeful departure from Ishbosheth: Nothing is more odious, than to make Religion a stalking horse to Policy. WHO can but glorify God in his justice, when he sees the bitter end of this treacherous dissimulation? David may upon considerations of State, entertain his new Guest with a Feast; and well might he seem to deserve a welcome, that undertakes to bring all Israel to the league and homage of David: but God never meant to use so unworthy means, for so good a work. joab returns from pursuing a troop, and finding Abner dismissed in peace and expectation of a beneficial return, follows him, and whether out of envy, at a new rival of honour, or out of the revenge of Asahel, he repaies him both dissimulation and death. God doth most justly by joab, that which joab did for himself most unjustly; I know not (setting the quarrel aside) whether we can worthily blame Abner for the death of Asahel, who would needs after fair warnings, run himself upon Abners Spear: yet this fact shall procure his payment for worse. Now is Ishbosheths wrong revenged by an enemy; we may not always measure the justice of God's proceed, by present occasions; He needs not make us acquainted, or ask us leave when he will call for the arrearages of forgotten sins. Contemplations. THE FIFTEENTH BOOK Containing VzZAH and the Ark, DAVID with MEPHIBOSHETH and ZIBA. HANUN and DAVID'S Ambassadors. DAVID with BATHSHEBA and VRIAH. NATHAN and DAVID. AMON and THAMAR. ABSALOMS' return and conspiracy. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MY VERY GOOD LORD, William LORD BURLEIGH, ALL GRACE AND Happiness. RIGHT HONOURABLE, THere are but two Books wherein we can read God; The one is his Word, his Works the other; This is the bigger Volume, that the more exquisite. The Characters of this are more large, but dim; of that smaller, but clearer. Philosophers have turned over this, and erred; That, Divines and studious Christians, not without full and certain information. In the Works of God we see the shadow, or footsteps of the Creator, in his Word we see the face of God in a glass. Happiness consists in the Vision of that infinite Majesty: and if we be perfectly happy above in seeing him face to face, our happiness is well forward below, in seeing the lively representation of his face in the glass of Scriptures. We cannot spend our eyes too much upon this Object; For me, the more I see, the more I am amazed, the more I am ravished with this glorious beauty. With the honest Lepers, I cannot be content to enjoy this happy sight alone; there is but one way to every man's Felicity. May it please your Lordship to take part with many your Peers in these my weak, but not unprofitable Contemplations; which shall hold themselves not a little graced with your Honourable Name; Whereto, together with your right Noble and most Worthy Lady, I have gladly devoted myself, to be Your Lordships in all dutiful observance, IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. VzZAH, AND THE ARK REMOVED. THe house of Saul is quiet, the Philistims beaten, victory cannot end better than in devotion; David is no sooner settled in his house at jerusalem, than he fetcheth God to be his guest there; the thousands of Israel go now in an holy march, to bring up the Ark of God, to the place of his rest: The tumults of War afforded no opportunity of this service; only peace is a friend to Religion, neither is peace ever our friend, but when it is a servant of Piety: The use of War is not more pernicious to the body, than the abuse of peace is to the soul; Alas, the Riot bred of our long ease, rather drives the Ark of God from us; so the still sedentary life, is subject to diseases, and standing waters putrify. It may be just with God, to take away the blessing which we do so much abuse, and to scour off our rust with bloody War, etc. The Ark of God had now many years, rested in the obscure lodge of Abinadab, without the honour of a Tabernacle. David will not endure himself glorious, and the Ark of God contemptible; his first care is to provide a fit room for God, in the head of the Tribes, in his own City. The chief care of good Princes, must be the advancement of Religion; What should the Deputies of God rather do, than honour him whom they represent? It was no good that Israel could learn of Philistims; Those Pagans had sent the Ark back in a new Cart; the Israelites saw God blessed that conduct, and now they practise it at home: But that which God will take from Philistims, he will not brook from Israel: Aliens from God are no fit patterns for children: Divine institution had made this a carriage for the Levites, not for oxen: Neither should those sons of Abinadab have driven the Cart, but carried that sacred burden. God's businesses must be done after his own forms, which if we do with the best intentions alter, we presume. It is long, since Israel saw so fair a day as this, wherein they went in this holy Triumph to fetch the Ark of God; Now their Warlike Trumpets are turned into Harps and Timbrils; and their hands in stead of wielding the Sword and Spear, strike upon those musical strings whereby they might express the joy of their hearts; Hear was no noise but of mirth, no motion but pleasant: Oh happy Israel that had a God to rejoice in, that had this occasion of rejoicing in their God, and an heart that embraced this occasion. There is nothing but this wherein we may not joy immoderately, unseasonably; this spiritual joy can never be either out of time, or out of measure: Let him that rejoiceth, rejoice in the Lord. But now when the Israelites were in the midst of this Angellike jollity, their hearts lifted up, their hands playing, their feet moving, their tongues singing and shouting, God sees good to strike them into a sudden dump by the death of Vzzah: They are scarce set into the tune when God mars their Music, by a fearful judgement; and changes their mirth into astonishment, and confusion. There could not be a more excellent work than this they were about; there could not be more cheerful hearts in the performing of it, yet will the most holy God rather dash all this solemn service, than endure an act of presumption or infidelity. Abinadab had been the faithful Host of God's Ark, for the space of twenty years: even in the midst of the terrors of Irael, who were justly affrighted with the vengeance inflicted upon Beth-shemesh, did he give harbour unto it; Yet even the son of Abinadab is stricken dead, in the first departing of that blessed guest: The Sanctity of the Parent cannot bear out the sin of his Son: The Holy one of Israel will be sanctified in all that come near him: He will be served like himself. WHAT then was the sin of Vzzah? What was the capital crime, for which he so fearfully perished? That the Ark of God was committed to the Cart, it was not his device only, but the common act of many; That it was not carried on the shoulders of Levites, was no less the fault of Ahio, and the rest of their Brethren; only Vzzah is stricken: The rest sinned in negligence, he in presumption; the Ark of God shakes with the agitation of that carriage; he puts forth his hand to hold it steady; Humane judgement would have found herein nothing heinous: God sees not with the eyes of men; None but the Priests should have dared to touch the Ark; It was enough for the Levites to touch the bars that carried it; An unwarranted hand cannot so lightly touch the Ark, but he strikes the God that dwells in it: No marvel if God strike that man with death, that strikes him with Presumption; There was well-near the same quarrel against the thousands of Bethshemesh, and against Vzzah; They died for looking into the Ark, he for touching it; lest Israel should grow into a contemptuous familiarity with this Testimony of God's presence, he will hold them in awe with judgements: The revenging hand of the Almighty, that upon the return of the Ark stayed at the House of Abinadab, upon the remooue of the Ark begins there again: Where are those that think God will take up with a careless and slubbered service? He whose infinite mercy uses to pass by our sins of infirmity, punisheth yet severely our bold faults: If we cannot do any thing in the degrees that he requireth, yet we must learn to do all things in the form that he requireth; Doubtless Vzzah meant no otherwise than well in putting forth his hand to stay the Ark; He knew the sacred Utensils that were in it, the Pot of Manna, the Tables of the Law, the Rod of Aaron, which might be wronged by that over-rough motion: to these he offers his aid, and is stricken dead; The best intention cannot excuse; much less warrant us in unlawful actions: where we do aught in faith, it pleaseth our good God to wink at, and pity our weaknesses; but if we dare to present God with the wel-meant services of our own making, we run into the indignation of God; There is nothing more dangerous, than to be our own carvers in matter of Devotion. I marvel not if the countenance of David were suddenly changed, to see the pale face of death in one of the chief Actors in this holy Procession: He that had found God so favourable to him in actions of less worth, is troubled to see this success of a business so hearty directed unto his God; and now he begins to look thorough Vzzah at himself, and to say, (How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me?) Then only shall we make a right use of the judgements of God upon others, when we shall fear them in ourselves, and finding our sins at least equal, shall tremble at the expectation of the same deserved punishments. God intends not only revenge in his execution, but reformation; As good Princes regard not so much the smart of the evil past, as the prevention of the future; which is never attained, but when we make applications of God's hand; and draw common causes out of God's particular proceed. I do not hear David say; Surely, this man is guilty of some secret sin, that the World knows not; God hath met with him; thereiss no danger to us; why should I be discouraged to see God just? we may go on safely and prosper; But here his foot stays, and his hand falls from his Instrument, and his tongue is ready to tax his own unworthiness, (How shall the Ark of the Lord came unto me?) That heart is carnal and proud, that thinks any man worse than himself; David's fear stays his progress; Perhaps he might have proceeded with good success, but he dares not venture, where he sees such a deadly check: It is better to be too fearful, than too forward in those affairs, which do immediately concern God; As it is not good to refrain from holy businesses, so it is worse to do them ill; awfulness is a safe Interpreter of God's secret actions, and a wise guide of ours. THIS event hath helped Obed-Edom to a guest he looked not for, God shall now sojourn in the house of him, in whose heart he dwelled before by a strong faith; else the man durst not have undertaken to receive that dreadful Ark, which David himself feared to harbour; Oh the courage of an honest and faithful heart! Obed-Edom knew well enough what slaughter the Ark had made among the Philistims, and after that amongst the Bethshemites, and now he saw Vzzah lie dead before him, yet doth he not make any scruple of entertaining it, neither doth he say; My Neighbour Abinadab was a careful and religious host to the Ark, and is now paid with the blood of his son; how shall I hope to speed better? but he opens his doors with a bold cheerfulness, and notwithstanding all those terrors, bids God welcome: Nothing can make God not amiable to his own; Even his very justice is lovely: Holy men know how to rejoice in the Lord with trembling, and can fear without discouragement. THE God of Heaven will not receive any thing from men on free cost; he will pay liberally for his lodging, a plentiful blessing upon Obed-Edom, and all his household. It was an honour to that zealous Gittite, that the Ark could come under his roof; yet God rewards that honour with benediction: Never man was a loser by true godliness. The house of Obad-Edom cannot this while want observation; the eyes of David, and all Israel were never off from it, to see how it fared with this entertainment. And now, when they find nothing, but a gracious acceptation and sensible blessing, the good King of Israel takes new heart, and hastens to fetch the Ark into his royal City. The view of God's favours upon the godly, is no small encouragement to confidence and obedience; Doubtless, Obed-Edom was not free from some weaknesses; If the Lord should have taken the advantage of judgement against him, what Israelites had not been disheartened from attending the Ark? Now David and Israel was not more affrighted with the vengeance upon Vzzah, than encouraged by the blessing of Obed-Edom; The wise God doth so order his just and merciful proceed, that the awfulness of men may be tempered with love. Now the sweet singer of Israel revines his holy Music; and adds both more spirit and more pomp to so devout a business: I did not before hear of Trumpets; nor dancing, nor shouting, nor sacrifice, nor the linen Ephod; The sense of Gods passed displeasure, doubles our care to please him, and our joy in his recovered approbation; we never make so much of our health, as after sickness, nor never are so officious to our friend, as after an unkindness. In the first setting out of the Ark, David's fear was at least an equal match to his joy; therefore after the first six paces he offered a sacrifice, both to pacify God, and thank him: but now when they saw no sign of dislike, they did more freely let themselves lose to a fearless joy; and the body striven to express the holy affection of the soul; there was no li●●the, no part that did not profess their mirth by mot●on, no noise of voice, or instrument wanted to assist their spiritual jollity; David led the way, dancing with all his might in his linen Ephod; Vzzah was still in his eye; he durst not usurp upon a garment of Priests; but will borrow their colour to grace the solemnity, though he dare not the fashion; White was ever the colour of joy, and linen was light for use; therefore he covers his Princely Robes with white linen, and means to honour himself by his conformity to God's Ministers. Those that think there is disgrace in the Ephod, are fare from the spirit of the man after Gods own heart; Neither can there be a greater argument of a soul soul, than a dislike of the glorious calling of God: Barren Nical hath too many sons that scorn the holy habit and exercises: she looks through her window, and seeing the attire and gestures of her devout husband, despiseth him in her heart, neither can she conceal her contempt, but like saul's Daughter cast it proudly in his face (Oh how glorious was the King of Israel this day; which was uncovered to day in the eyes of the Maidens of his Servants, as a Fool uncovereth himself.) Worldly hearts can see nothing in actions of zeal, but folly and madness: Piety hath no relish to their palate but distasteful. DAVID'S heart did never swell so much at any reproach, as this of his Wife; his love was for the time lost in his anger; and as a man impatient of no affront so much as in the way of his devotion, he returns a bitter check to his MICAL; (It was before the Lord, which those me rather than thy Father, and all his house, etc.) Had not Mical twitted her Husband with the shame of his zeal, she had not heard of the shameful rejection of her father; now since she will be forgetting, whose Wife she was, she shall be put in mind whose Daughter she was. Contumelies that are cast upon us in the causes of God, may safely be repared. If we be mealemouthed in the scorns of Religion, we are not patiented, but zealelesse: Here we may not forbear her, that lies in our bosom. If David had not loved Mical dear, he had never stood upon those points with Abner; He knew that if Abner came to him, the Kingdom of Israel would accompany him, and yet he sends him the charge of not seeing his face, except he brought Mical, saul's daughter with him; as if he would not regard the Crown of Israel, whiles he wanted that Wife of his: Yet here he takes her up roundly, as if she had been an enemy, not a partner of his bed. All relations are aloof off, in comparison of that betwixt God, and the soul; He that love's Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Child, better than me (saith our Saviour) is not worthy of me. Even the highest delights of our hearts must be trampled upon, when they will stand out in rivality with God. Oh happy resolution of the royal Prophet, and Prophetical King of Israel, (I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be low in mine own sight:) he knew this very abasement Heroical; and that the only way to true glory, is, not to be ashamed of our lowest humiliation unto God: Well might he promise himself honour from those, whose contempt she had threatened; The hearts of men are not their own, he that made them, overrules them, and inclines them to an honourable conceit of those that honour their Maker; So as holy men have oft times inward reverence, even where they have outward indignities. David came to bless his house, Mical brings a curse upon herself; Her scorns shall make her childless to the day of her death; Barrenness was held in those times; none of the least judgements; God doth so revenge David's quarrel upon Mical, that her sudden disgrace, shall be recompensed with perpetual: She shall not be held worthy to bear a son, to him whom she unjustly contemned; How just is it with God to provide whips for the back of scorners? It is no marvel if those that mock at goodness, be plagued with continual fruitlessness. MEPHIBOSHETH and ZIBA. SO soon as ever David can but breathe himself from the public cares, he casts back his thoughts to the dear remembrance of his jonathan. saul's servant is likely to give him the best intelligence of saul's sons; The question is therefore moved to Ziba; Remaineth there yet none of the house of Saul? and suspicion might conceal the remainders of an emulous live in fear of revenge intended, he adds: On whom I may show the mercy of God for jonathans' sake? O friendship worthy of the Monuments of Eternity; fit only to requite him, whose love was more than the love of women; He doth not say, Is there any of the house of jonathan, but of Saul, that for his friend's sake he may show favour to the Posterity of his Persecutor. jonathans' love could not be greater than saul's malice, which also survived long in his issue; from whom David found a busy and stubborn rivality for the Crown of Israel; yet as one that gladly buried all the hostility of saul's house in jonathans' grave, he asks, Is there any man left of saul's house, that I may show him mercy for jonathans' sake? It is true love, that overliving the person of a friend, will be inherited of his seed; but to love the posterity of an enemy in a friend, it is the miracle of friendship: The formal amity of the World is confined to a face; or to the possibility of recompense, languishing in the disability, and dying in the decease of the party affected: That love was ever false, that is not ever constant, and then most operative, when it cannot be either known, or requited. To cut off all unquiet competition for the Kingdom of Israel, the providence of God had so ordered, that there is none left of the house of Saul (besides the sons of his Concubines) save only young and lame Mephihosheth; so young, that he was but five years of age, when David entered upon the Government of Israel; so lame, that if his age had fitted, his impotence had made him unfit for the Throne. Mephibosheth was not borne a Cripple, it was an heedless Nurse that made him so: She hearing of the death of Saul and jonathan, made such haste to flee, that her young Master was lamed with the fall: Yw is there needed no such speed to run away from David; whose love pursues the hidden son of his brother jonathan: How often doth our ignorant mistaking, cause us to run from our bestfriends, and to catch knocks and maims of them that profess our protection? MEPHIBOSHETH could not come otherwise than fearfully, into the presence of David, whom he knew so long, so spitefully opposed by the house of Saul: he could not be ignorant, that the fashion of the World is to build their own security upon the blood of the opposite faction; neither to think themselves safe, whiles any branch remains springing out of that root of their emulation: Seasonably doth David therefore first, expel all those unjust doubts, ere he administer his further cordials; (Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness, for jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.) David can see neither saul's blood, nor lame legs in Mephibosheth, whiles he sees in him the features of his friend jonathan; how much less shall the God of mercies regard our infirmities, or the corrupt blood of our sinful Progenitors, whiles he beholds us in the face of his Son, in whom he is well pleased. Favours are wont so much more to affect us, as they are less expected by us; Mephibosheth as over-ioyed with so comfortable a word, and confounded in himself at the remembrance of the contrary-deseruing of his Family, bows himself to the earth, and says (What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead Dog as I am?) I find no defect of wit, (though of limbs) in Mepihbesheth, he knew himself the Grandchild of the King of Israel, the son of jonathan, the lawful heir of both, yet in regard of his own impotency, and the trespass and rejection of his house, he thus abaseth himself unto David; Humiliation is a right use of God's affliction; What if he were borne great? If the sin of his Grandfather hath lost his estate, and the hand of his Nurse hath deformed and disabled his person, he now forgets what he was, and calls himself worse than he is, A Dog; Yet a living Dog, is better than a dead Lion; there is dignity and comfort in life, Mephibosheth is therefore a dead Dog unto David. It is not for us to nourish the same spirits in our adverse estate, that we found in our highest prosperity; What use have we made of God's hand, if we be not the lower with ourfall? God intends we should carry our cross, not make a fire of it to warm us; It is no bearing up our sails in a tempest; Good David cannot disesteem Mephibosheth ever the more for disparaging himself; he love's and honours this humility, in the Son of jonathan; There is no more certain way to glory and advancement, than a lowly dejection of ourselves: He that made himself a Dog, and therefore fit only to lie under the table, yea a dead Dog, and therefore fit only for the ditch, is raised up to the table of a King; his seat shall be honourable, yea, royal, his fare delicious, his attendance noble. How much more will our gracious God lift up our heads, unto true honour before men and Angels, if we can be sincerely humbled in his sight? If we miscall ourselves in the meanness of our conceits to him, he gives us a new name, and sets us at the Table of his glory; It is contrary with GOD and men; if they reckon of us as we set ourselves, he values us according to our abasements. Like a Prince truly munificent and faithful, David promises and performs at once; Ziba saul's servant hath the charge given him, of the execution of that royal word; He shall be the Bailiff of this great Husbandry of his Master MEPHIBOSHETH; The Land of Saul, how ever forfeited, shall know no other Master than saul's Grandchild; As yet, saul's servant had sped better than his son: I read of twenty servants of Ziba, none of Mephibosheth; Earthly possessions, do not always admit of equal divisions; The Wheel is now turned up; Mephibosheth is a Prince, Ziba is his Officer; I cannot but pity the condition of this good son of jonathan; Into ill hands did honest Mephibosheth fall, first, of a careless Nurse, then of a treacherous servant; She maimed his body, he would have overthrown his estate; After some years of ey-seruice to Mephibosheth, wicked Ziba intends to give him a worse fall than his Nurse. Never any Court was free from Detractors, from Delators, who if they see a man to be a Cripple, that he cannot go to speak for himself, will be telling Tales of him, in the ears of great; such an one was this perfidious Ziba; who taking the opportunity of David's flight from his son Absolom, follows him with a fair present, and a false Tale, accusing his impotent Master of a soul and traitorous ingratitude; labouring to tread upon his lame Lord to raise himself to honour: Truehearted Mephibosheth had as good a will as the best; if he could have commanded legs, he had not been left behind David: now that he cannot go with him; he will not be well without him, and therefore puts himself to a wilful and sullen penance, for the absence and danger of his King; he will not so much as put on clean clothes for the time, as he that could not have any joy in himself, for the want of his Lord David; Unconscionable Miscreants care not how they collogue, whom they slander for a private advantage; Lewd Ziba comes with a Gift in his hand, and a smooth Tale in his mouth; Oh Sir, you thought you had a jonathan at home; but you will find a Saul; It were pity but he should be set at your Table, that would sit in your Throne; you thought saul's Land would have contented Mephibosheth, but he would have all yours; though he be lame, yet he would be climbing; would you have thought that this Cripple could be plotting for your Kingdom, now that you are but gone aside? Ishbosheth will never dye while Mephibosheth life's: How did he now forget his impotence, and raised up his spirits in hope of a day; and durst say, that now the time was come, wherein the Crown should revert to saul's true Heir. Oh Viper: if a Serpent bite in secret when he is not charmed, no better is a Slanderer; Honest Mephibosheth in good manners made a dead Dog of himself, when David offered him the favour of his board, but Ziba would make him a very Dog indeed, an ill natured Cur, that when David did thus kindly feed him at his own Table, would not only bite his fingers, but fly at his throat. But what shall we say to this? Neither earthly Sovereignty, nor holiness can exempt men from humane infirmity. Wise and good David hath now but one ear; and that misled with credulity; His Charity in believing Ziba, makes him uncharitable in distrusting, in censuring Mephibosheth. The Detractor hath not only sudden credit given him, but saul's Land; jonathans' Son hath lost (unheard) that inheritance which was given him unsought. Hearsay is no safe ground of any judgement; Ziba slanders, David believes. Mephibosheth suffers. Lies shall not always prosper, God will not abide the truth to be ever oppressed; At last jonathans' lame Son shall be found as sound in heart, as lame in his body; He whose Soul was like his Father jonathans' Soul, whose body was like to his Grandfather saul's Soul, meets David (as it was high time) upon his return; bestirs his tongue, to discharge himself of so foul a slander; The more horrible the crime had been, the more villainous was the unlust suggestion of it, and the more necessary was a just Apology; Sweetly therefore, and yet passionately doth he labour to greaten David's favours to him; his own obligations and vileness; showing himself more affected with his wrong, than with his loss; welcomming David home with a thankful neglect of himself, as not caring that Ziba had his substance, now that he had his King. David is satisfied, Mephibosheth restored to favour and Lands; here are two kind hearts well met. David is full of satisfaction from Mephibosheth; Mephibosheth runs over with joy in David: David, like a gracious King, gives Mephibosheth (as before) saul's Lands to halves with Ziba; Mephibosheth, like a King, gives all to Ziba for joy that God had given him David; All had been well, if Ziba had fared worse; Pardon me O holy and glorious Soul of a Prophet, of a King, after Gods own heart, I must needs blame thee for mercy: A fault that the best and most generous natures are most subject to: It is pity, that so good a thing should do hurt, yet we find that the best, misused is most dangerous: Who should be the pattern of Kings but the King of God? Mercy is the goodliest Flower in his Crown, much more in theirs, but with a difference. God's mercy is infinite, theirs limited; he says, I will have mercy on whom I will: they must say, I will have mercy on whom I should. And yet he, for all his infinite mercy, hath vessels of wrath, so must they; of whom his justice hath said; Thine eye shall not spare them: A good man is pitiful to his beast, shall be therefore make much of Toads and Snakes? Oh that Ziba should go away with any Possession, save of shame and sorrow; that he should be coupled with a Mephibosheth in a partnership of Estates: Oh that David had changed the word a little. A division was due here indeed; but of Siba's ears from his head, or his head from his shoulders, for going about so maliciously, to divide David from the Son of jonathan; An Eye for an Eye, was God's Rule; If that had been true, which Ziba, suggested against Mephibosheth, he had been worthy to lose his head with his Lands; being false, it had been but reason, Ziba should have changed heads with Mephibosheth; Had not holy David himself been so stung with venomous tongues, that he cries out in the bitterness of his soul; What reward shall be given thee, O thou false tongue? even sharp Arrows with hot burning coals. He that was so sensible of himself in Doegs wrong, doth he feel so little of Mephibosheth in Zibaes'? Are these the Arrows of David's Quiver; are these his hot burning coals (Thou and ZIBA divide?) He that had said, their tongue is a sharp sword, now that the Sword of just revenge is in his hand, is this the blow he gives, Divide the Possession? I know not whether, excess, or want of mercy may prove most dangerous in the great; the one discourage good intentions with fear; the other may encourage wicked practices through presumption; Those that are in eminent place must learn the midway betwixt both; so pardoning faults, that they may not provoke them; so punishing them, that they may not dishearten virtuous and wel-meant actions; they must learn to sing that absolute Ditty (whereof David had here forgotten one part) of Mercy and judgement. HANUN and DAVID'S Ambassadors. IT is not the meaning of Religion, to make men uncivil; If the King of Ammon were heathenish, yet his kindness may be acknowledged, may be returned by the King of Israel. I say not, but that perhaps David might maintain too straight a league with that forbidden Nation; A little friendship is enough to an Idolater; but even the savage Cannibals may receive an answer of outward courtesy: If a very Dog fawn upon us, we struck him on the head, and clap him on the side; much less is the common band of humainitie untied by Grace: Disparity in spiritual Professions, is no warrant for Ingratitude: He therefore, whose good nature proclaimed to show mercy to any branch of saul's house, for jonathans' sake, will now also show kindness to Hanun, for the sake of Nahash his Father. It was the same Nahash, that offered the cruel condition to the men of jabesh Gilead, of thrusting out their right eyes for the admission into his covenant. He that was thus bloody in his Designs against Israel, yet was kind to David; perhaps for no cause so much as saul's opposition; And yet even this favour is held worthy both of memory, and retribution: where we have the Acts of courtesy, it is not necessary we should enter into a strict examination of the grounds of it; whiles the benefit is ours, let the intention be their own; What ever the hearts of men are, we must look at their hands, and repay, not what they meant, but what they did. Nahash is dead, David sends Ambassadors to condole his loss, and to comfort his Son Hanun. No Ammonite but is sadly affected with the death of a Father, though it gain him a Kingdom: Even Esau could say, the days of mourning for my Father will come; No earthly advantage can fill up the gap of nature: Those Children are worse than Ammonites: that can think either gain, or liberty, worthy to countervail a parent's loss. Carnal men are wont to measure another's foot, by their own Last; their own falsehood makes them unjustly suspicious of others. The Princes of Ammon, because they are guilty to their own hollowness and doubleness of heart, are ready so to judge of David and his Messengers (Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy Father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee. Hath not David rather sent his own Servants to thee, to search the City, and to spy it out, to overthrew it;) It is hard for a wicked heart to think well of any other; because it can think none better than itself, and knows itself evil: The freer a man is from vice himself, the more charitable he uses to be unto others. Whatsoever David was particularly in his own person, it was ground enough of prejudice, that he was an Israelite; It was an hereditary and deep settled hatred, that the Ammonites had conceived against their brethren of Israel: neither can they forget that shameful and fearful foil, which they received from the rescuers of jabesh Gilead; and now still do they stomach at the name of Israel; Malice once conceived in worldly hearts, is not easily extinguished, but upon all occasions, is ready to break forth into a flame of revengeful actions. Nothing can be more dangerous, than for young Princes, to meat with ill Counsel in the entrance of their Government; for both than are they most prone to take it, and most difficultly recovered from it; if we be set out of our way in the beginning of our journey, we wander all the day; How happy is that State, where both the Counselors are faithful, to give only good advice; and the King wise to discern good advice from evil: the young King of Ammon is easily drawn to believe his Peers, and to mistrust the messengers; and having now in his conceit turned them into spies, entertains them with a scornful disgrace; he shaves off one half of theirs beards, and cuts off one half of their garments; exposing them to the derision of all beholders. The Israelites were forbidden either a shaved beard; or a short garment; in despite, perhaps, of their Law, these Ambassadors are sent away with both: certainly in a despite of their Master, and a scorn of their persons. King David is not a little sensible of the abuse of his Messengers, and of himself in them; First, therefore he desires to hide their shame, then to revenge it. Man hath but a double ornament of body, the one of nature, the other of Art; The natural ornament is the hair, the artificial is apparel; David's Messengers are deformed in both; The one is easily supplied by a new suit, the other can only be supplied out of the Wardrobe of time; Tarry at jericho till your beards be grown. How easily had this deformity been removed, if as Hanun had shaved one side of their faces; so they had shaved the other; what had this been but to resemble their younger age, or that other sex, in neither of which, do we use to place any imagination of unbeseeming; neither did there want some of their neighbour Nations, whose faces age itself had not wont to cover with this shade of hair: But so rerespective is good David, and his wise Senators, of their Countrie-formes; that they shall by appointment rather t●rie abroad, till time have wrought their conformity, than from the received fashions of their own people. Alas, into what a licentious variety of strange disguises are we fall'n? The glory of Attire is sought in novelty, in mishapennesse, in monstrousness: There is much latitude, much liberty in the use of these indifferent things; but because we are free, we may not run wild; and never think we have scope enough, unless we outrun modesty. It is lawful for public persons, to feel their own indignities, and to endeavour their revenge. Now David sends all the host of the mighty men to punish Ammon, for so fearie an abuse; Those that received the Messengers of his love, with scorn and insolency, shall now be severely saluted with the Messengers of his wrath. It is just both with God and men, that they, who know not how to take favours aright, should smart with judgements. Kindness repulsed, breaks forth into indignation, how much more when it is repaid with an injurious affront? David cannot but feel his own cheeks shaved, and his own Coat cut in his Ambassadors; They did but carry his person to Hanun; neither can he therefore but appropriate to himself the Kindness, or injury offered unto them; He that did so take to heart the cutting off but the lap of King saul's Garment, when it was laid aside from him, how must he needs be affected with this disdainful haluing of his hair and Robes, in the person of his deputies? The name of Ambassadors hath been ever sacred, and by the universal Law of Nations, hath carried in it sufficient protection, from all public wrongs, neither hath it ever been violated, without a revenge. Oh God, what shall we say to those notorious contempts which are daily cast upon thy spiritual Messengers? Is it possible thou shouldst not feel them, thou shouldst not avenge them? We are made a gazing stock to the World, to Angels and to men, we are despised and trodden down in the dust; Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? How obstinate are wicked men in their perverse resolutions. These foolish Ammonites had rather hire Syrians to maintain a War against Israel in so foul a quarrel, besides the hazard of their own lives, than confess the error of their jealous misconstruction. It is one of the mad principles of wickedness, that it is a weakness to relent, and rather to Die than yield; Even ill causes once undertaken, must be upheld although with blood; whereas the gracious heart finding his own mistaking, doth not only remit of an ungrounded displeasure, but studies to be revenged of itself, and to give satisfaction to the offended. The mercenary Syrians are drawn to venture their lives for a fee; twenty thousand of them are hired into the field against Israel; Fond Pagans that know not the value of a man; their blood cost them nothing, & they care not to sell it good cheap; How can we think those men have Souls, that esteem a little white earth above themselves? That never inquire into the justice of the quarrel, but the rate of the pay, that can rifle for dams of silver, in the bowels of their own flesh, and either kill or die for a day's wages? joab the wise General of Israel soon finds, where the strength of the battle lay, and so marshal's his troops, that the choice of his men shall encounter the vanguard of the Syrians. His brother Abishai leads the rest against the children of Ammon; with this covenant of mutual assistance, (If the Syrians be too strong for me, than thou shalt help me; but if the children of AMMON be too strong for thee, then will I come and help thee;) It is an happy thing, when the Captains of God's people join together as brethren, and lend their hand to the aid of each other against the common adversary. Concord in defence, or assault, is the way to victory; as contrarily, the division of the Leaders is the overthrow of the Army. Set aside some particular actions, joab was a worthy Captain, both for wisdom and valour. Who could either exhort or resolve better than he, (Bee of good courage, and let us play the men, for our people, and for the Cities of our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him good?) It is not either private glory or profit that whets his fortitude, but the respect to the cause of God and his people; That Soldier can never answer it to God, that strikes not more as a justicer, than as an enemy; Neither doth he content himself with his own courage, but he animates others. The tongue of a Commander fights more than his hand; it is enough for private men to exercise what life and limbs they have, a good Leader must out of his own abundance, put life and spirits into all others; If a Lion lead sheep into the field, there is hope of victory: Lastly, when he hath done his best, he resolves to depend upon God for the issue: not trusting to his sword, or his bow, but to the providence of the Almighty for success; as a man religiously awful, and awfully confident, whiles there should be no want in their own endeavours: he knew well that the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, therefore he looks up above the hills whence cometh his salvation All valour is cowardice to that which is built upon Religion. I marvel not to see joab victorious, while he is thus godly; The Syrians flee before him, like flocks of sheep, the Ammonites follow them; The two sons of Zeruiah have nothing to do, but to pursue and execute; The throats of the Amonites are cut, for cutting the Beards and Coats of the Israelitish messengers; Neither doth this revenge end in the field; Rabath the royal City of Ammon is strongly beleaguered by joab; The City of waters (after well-near a year's siege) yields; the rest can no longer hold out; Now joab, as one that desireth more to approve himself, a loyal, and careful subject, than a happy General, sends to his Master David that he should come personally, and encamp against the City, and take it; Lest (saith he) I take it, and it be called after my name. Oh noble and imitable fidelity of a dutiful Servant, that prefers his Lord to himself, and is so fare from stealing honour from his Master's deserts, that he willingly remits of his own, to add unto his. The War was not his; he was only employed by his Sovereign; The same person that was wronged in the Ambassadors, revengeth by his Soldiers; The praise of the act shall (like Fountain Water) return to the Sea, whence it Originally came; To seek a man's own glory is not glory. Alas, how many are there, who being sent to sue for God, woo for themselves. Oh God, it is a fearful thing to rob thee of that which is dearest to thee, Glory; which as thou wilt not give to any Creature; so much less wilt thou endure that any Creature should filch it from thee, and give it to himself: Have thou the honour of all our actions, who givest a being to our actions and us, and in both hath most justly regarded thine own praise. DAVID with BATHSHEBA and VRIAH. WIth what unwillingness, with what fear, do I still look upon the miscarriage of the man after Gods own heart? O holy Prophet, who can promise himself always to stand, when he sees thee fall'n and maimed in the fall? Who can assure himself of an immunity from the foulest sins, when he see thee offending so heinous, so bloodily? Let profane eyes behold thee contentedly, as a pattern, as an excuse of sinning; I shall never look at thee but through tears, as a woeful spectacle of humane infirmity. Whiles joab and all Israel were busy in the War against Ammon, in the siege of Rabbah, Satan finds time to lay siege to the secure heart of David; Who ever found David thus tempted, thus foiled in the days of his buzie Wars? Now only do I see the King of Israel, rising from his bed in the evening; The time was, when he rose up in the morning to his early devotions; when he broke his nightly rest with public cares, with the business of State; all that while he was innocent, he was holy; but now that he wallows in the bed of idleness, he is fit to invite a tentation. The industrious man hath no leisure to sin. The idle hath neither leisure nor power to avoid sin; Exercise is not more wholesome for the body, than for the Soul, the remission whereof breeds matter of disease in both: The water that hath been heated: soon freezeth; the most actilie spirit soon tyreth with slackening; The Earth stand still, and is all dregges; the Heavens ever move, and are pure. We have no reason to complain of the assiduity of work; the toil of action is answered by the benefit; If we did less, we should suffer more; Satan like an idle companion, if he find us busy, flies back and sees it no time to entertain vain purposes with us; We cannot please him better than by casting away our work, to hold that with him; we cannot yield so fare and be guiltless. Even David's eyes have no sooner the sleep rubbed ●ut of them, than they rove to wanton prospects; He walks upon his roof, and sees Bathsheba washing herself; inquires after her, sends for her, solicits her to uncleanness. The same spirit that shut up his eyes in on unseasonable sleep, opens them upon an enticing object; whiles sin hath such a Solicitor, it cannot want either means, or opportunity: I cannot think Bathsheba could be so immodest, as to wash herself openly, especially from her natural uncleanness; Lust is quicksighted; David hath espied her, where she could espy no beholder: His eyes recoil upon his heart, and have smitten him with sinful desire. There can be no safety to that Soul, where the senses are let lose. He can never keep his covenant with God, that makes not a covenant with his eyes: It is an idle presumption to think the outward man may be free, whiles the inward is safe: He is more than a man, whose heart is not led by his eyes, he is no regenerate man, whose eyes are not restrained by his heart. Oh Bathsheba, how wert thou washed from thine uncleanness, when thou yeeldedst to go into an adulterous bed? never wert thou so foul, as now when thou wert new washed; The worst of Nature, is cleanliness, to the best of sin: thou hadst been clean if thou hadst not washed; yet for thee, I know how to plead infirmity of sex; and the importunity of a King; But what shall I say for thee, O thou royal Prophet, and Prophetical King of Israel; where shall I find aught to extenuate that crime, for which God himself hath noted thee? Did not thine holy Profession teach thee to abhor such a sin more than death? Was not thy justice wont to punish this sin with no less than death? Did not thy very calling call thee to a protection and preservation of justice, of Chastity in thy subjects? Didst thou want store of Wives of thine own? wert thou restrained from taking more? Was there no beauty in Israel, but in a Subject's Marriagebed? Wert thou overcome by the vehement solicitations of an Adulteress? Wert thou not the Tempter, the Prosecutor of this uncleanness? I should accuse thee deeply, if thou hadst not accused thyself; Nothing wanted to greaten thy sin, or our wonder, and fear. O God, whither do we go if thou stay us not? Who ever amongst the millions of thy Servants could find himself furnished with stronger preservatives against sin? Against whom could such a sin find less pretence of prevailing? Oh keep thou us that presumptuous sins prevail not over us; So only shall we be free from great offences. The Suits of Kings are Imperative; Ambition did now prove a Bawd to Lust. Bathsheba yields to offend God, to dishonour her Husband, to clog and wound her own Soul, to abuse her body: Dishonesty grows bold, when it is countenanced with greatness. Eminent persons had need be careful of their demands; they sin by authority, that are solicited by the mighty. Had Bathsheba been mindful of her Matrimonial fidelity, perhaps, David had been soon checked in his inordinate desire; her facility furthers the sin. The first motioner of evil is most faulty, but as in quarrels, so in offences, the second blow (which is the consent) makes the fray. Good joseph was moved to folly, by his great and beautiful Mistress, this fire fell upon wet Tinder, and therefore soon went out. Sin is not acted alone; if but one party be wise, both escape. It is no excuse to say I was tempted, though by the great, though by the holy and learned,; Almost all sinners are misled by that transformed Angel of light; The action is that we must regard, not the person; Let the mover be never so glorious, if he stir us to evil, he must be entertained with defiance. The God that knows how to raise good out of evil, blesses an adulterous copulation with that increase, which he denies to the chaste embracements of honest Wedlock: Bathsheba hath conceived by David; and now at once conceives a sorrow and care how to smother the shame of her Conception; He that did the fact, must hide it. Oh David, where is thy Repentance? Where is thy tenderness and compunction of heart? Where are those holy Meditations, which had wont to take up thy Soul? Alas, in steed of clearing thy sin, thou labourest to cloak it; and spendest those thoughts in the concealing of thy wickedness, which thou shouldest rather have bestowed in preventing it: The best of God's Children may not only be drenched in the waves of sin, but lie in them for the time, and perhaps sink twice to the bottom; what Hypocrite could have done worse, than study how to cover the face of his sin from the eyes of men, whiles he regarded not the sting of sin in his Soul? As there are some Acts, wherein the Hypocrite is a Saint, so there are some, wherein the greatest Saint upon Earth may be an Hypocrite; Saul did thus go about to colour his sin, and is cursed; The Vessels of Mercy and Wrath, are not ever distinguishable by their actions. He makes the difference that will have mercy on whom he will, and whom he will, he hardeneth. It is rare and hard to commit a single sin; David hath abused the Wife of Vriah, now he would abuse his person, in causing him to father a false seed: That worthy Hittite is sent for from the Wars; and now after some cunning, and fare fetched Questions, is dismissed to his house, not without a present of favour; David could not but imagine, that the beauty of his Bathsheba, must needs be attractive enough to an Husband, whom long absence in Wars, had withheld all that while from so pleasing a Bed; neither could he think, that since that face, and those breasts had power to allure himself to an unlawful lust, it could be possible, that Vriah should not be invited by them, to an allowed and warrantable fruition. That David's heart might now the rather strike him, in comparing the chaste resolutions of his Servant, with his own light incontinence; good Vriah sleeps at the door of the King's Palace, making choice of a stony Pillow, under the Canopy of Heaven, rather than the delicate Bed of her, whom he thought as honest, as he knew fair. The Ark (saith he) and Israel, and judah, dwell in Tents, and my Lord joab, and the Servants of my Lord, abide in the open Fields; shall I then go into my house to eat, and drink, and lie with my Wife? by thy life, and by the life of thy soul, I will not do this thing. Who can but be astonished at this change, to see a Soldier austere, and a Prophet wanton? And how doth that Soldier's austerity, shame the Prophet's wantonness? Oh zealous, and mortified Soul, worthy of a more faithful Wife, of a more just Master, how didst thou overlook all base sensuality, and hatedst to be happy alone? War and Lust had wont to be reputed friends; thy breast is not more full of courage than chastity, and is so fare from wand'ring after forbidden pleasures, that it refuseth lawful. There is a time to laugh, and a time to mourn; a time to embrace, and a time to be fare from embracing; even the best actions are not always seasonable, much less the indifferent: He that ever takes liberty to do what he may, shall offend no less, than he that sometimes takes liberty to do what he may not. If any thing, the Ark of GOD is fittest to lead our times; according as that is either distressed, or prospereth, should we frame our mirth, or mourning. To dwell in seeled Houses, whiles the Temple lies waste, is the ground of God's just quarrel. How shall we sing a Song of the Lord in a strange Land; If I forget thee, O jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning, If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem to my chief joy. As every man is a limb of the Community, so must he be affected with the estate of the universal body, whether healthful, or languishing; It did not more aggravate David's sin, that whiles the Ark and Israel was in hazard and distress, he could find time to lose the reines to wanton desires, and actions, than it magnifies the religious zeal of Vriah, that he abandons comfort, till he see the Ark and Israel victorious. Common dangers, or calamities must (like the rapt motion) carry our hearts contrary to the ways of our private occasions. He that cannot be moved with words, shall be tried with Wine: Vriah had equally protested against feasting at home, and society with his wife; To the one, the authority of a King forceth him abroad, in hope that the excess thereof shall force him to the other: It is like, that holy Captain intended only to yield so much obedience, as might consist with his course of austerity. But Wine is a mocker, when it goes plausibly in, no man can imagine how it will rage and tyrannize; he that receives that Traitor within his gates, shall too late complain of surprisal. Like unto that ill spirit, it insinuates sweetly, but in the end, it bites like a Serpent, and hurts like a Cockatrice. Even good Vriah is made drunk; the holiest soul may be overtaken; It is hard gainsaying, where a King begins an health to a subject; Where, oh where, will this wickedness end? David will now procure the sin of another, to hide his own; Vriahs' drunkenness is more David's offence, than his. It is weakly yielded to of the one, which was wilfully intended of the other. The one was as the Sinner, the other as the Tempter. Had not David known, that Wine was an inducement to Lust, he had spared those superfluous Cups. Experience had taught him, that the eye debauched with Wine, will look upon strange women: The Drunkard may be any thing save good. Yet in this the aim failed; Grace is stronger than Wine; Whiles that withholds, in vain shall the fury of the Grape attempt to carry Vriah to his own Bed. Sober David is now worse than drunken Vriah. Had not the King of Israel been more intoxicate with sin; than Vriah with drink, he had not in a sober intemperance climbed up into that Bed, which the drunken temperance of Vriah refused. If David had been but himself, how had he loved, how had he honoured this honest and religious zeal, in his so faithful Servant; whom now he cruelly seeks to reward with death? That fact which Wine cannot hide, the Sword shall; Vriah shall bear his own Mittimus unto joab; Put ye Vriah in the forefront of the strength of the Battle, and recoil back from him, that he may be smitten, and dye.) What is becomne of thee, O thou good spirit, that hadst wont to guide thy chosen Servant in his former ways? Is not this the man, whom we lately saw so heart smitten, for but cutting off the lap of the Garment of a Wicked Master, that is now thus lavish of the blood of a gracious and well-deserving Servant? Can it be likely, that so worthy a Captain could fall alone? Can David have expiated this sin with his own blood, it had been but well spent; but to cover his sin with the innocent blood of others, was a crime above astonishment. Oh the deep deceitfulness of sin; If the Devil should have comen to David, in the most lovely form of Bathsheba herself, and at the first should have directly, and in terms, solicited him to murder his best Servant; I doubt not, but he would have spat scorn in that face, on which he should otherwise have doted; now, by many cunning windings, Satan rises up to that tentation, and prevails; that shall be done for a colour of guiltiness, whereof the foul would have hated to be immediately guilty; Even those, that find a just horror, in leaping down from some high Tower, yet may be persuaded to descend by stairs to the bottom. He knows not where he shall stay, that hath willingly flipt into a known wickedness. How many doth an eminent offender draw with him into evil? It could not be, but that diverse of the Attendants both of David and Bathsheba must be conscious to that adultery; Great men's sins are seldom secret; And now joab must be fetched in, as accessary to the murder: How must this example needs harden joab against the conscience of Abners' blood? Whiles he cannot but think, David cannot avenge that in me, which he acteth himself. Honour is pretended to poor Vriah, death is meant. This man was one of the Worthies of David; their courage sought glory in the difficultest exploits. That reputation had never been purchased without attempts of equal danger; Had not the Leader and Followers of Vriah been more treacherours, than his Enemies were strong, he had come off with Victory; Now he was not the first or last that perished by his friends. David hath forgotten, that himself was in like sort betrayed in his Master's intention, upon the dowry of the Philistims-fore-skinnes. I fear to ask, Who ever noted so foul a plot in David's rejected Predecessor; Vriah must be the Messenger of his own death, joab must be a Traitor to his friend, the host of God must shamefully turn their backs upon the Ammonites; all that Israelitish blood must be shed, that murder must be seconded with dissimulation, and all this to hide one adultery. O God, thou hadst never suffered so dear a Favourite of thine to fall so fearfully, if thou hadst not meant to make him an universal example to Mankind; of not presuming, of not despairing; How can we presume of not sinning, or despair for sinning, when we find so great a Saint thus fallen, thus risen. NATHAN and DAVID. YEt Bathsheba mourned for the death of that Husband, whom she had been drawn to dishonour: How could she bestow tears enough upon that Funeral, whereof her sin was the cause? If she had but a suspicion of the plot of his death, the Fountains of her eyes could not yield water enough to wash off her Husband's blood; Her sin was more worthy of sorrow, than her loss. If this grief had been right placed, the hope of hiding her shame and the ambition to be a Queen had not so soon mitigated it; neither had she upon any terms been drawn into the Bed of her husband's murderer. Every gleam of earthly comfort can dry up the tears of worldly sorrow. Bathsheba hath soon lost her grief at the Court; The remembrance of an Husband is buried in the ioyliltie and state of a Princess. David securely enjoys his ill-purchased love, and is content to exchange the conscience of his sin, for the sense of his pleasure. But the just and holy God will not put it up so; he that hates sin so much the more, as the offender is more dear to him, will let David feel the bruise of his fall. If Gods best Children have been sometimes suffered to sleep in a sin, at last he hath awakened them in a fright. David was a Prophet of God, yet he hath not only stepped into these foul sins, but sojourns with them; If any profession or state of life could have privileged from sin; the Angels had not sinned in Heaven, nor man in Paradise. Nathan the Prophet is sent to the Prophet David, for reproof, for conviction; Had it been any other man's case, none could have been more quick sighted than the Princely Prophet, in his own he is so blind, that God is fain to lend him others eyes Even the Physician himself when he is sick, sends for the counsel of those whom his health did mutually aid with advice. Let no man think himself too good to learn; Teachers themselves may be taught that in their own particular, which in a generality they have often taught others; It is not only ignorance that is to be removed, but mis-affection. Who can prescribe a just period to the best man's repentance? About ten months are passed since David's sin; in all which time I find no news of any serious compunction; It could not be but some glances of remorse must needs have passed through his Soul long ere this; but a due and solemn contrition was not heard of till nathan's message, and perhaps had been further adjourned, if that Monitor had been longer deferred; Alas, what long and dead sleeps may the holiest Soul take in fearful sins; Were it not for thy mercy, O God, the best of us should end our spiritual Lethargy in sleep of death. It might have pleased God as easily to have sent Nathan to check David in his first purpose of sinning; So had his eyes been restrained, Bathsheba honest, Vriah alive with honour; now the wisdom of the Almighty known how to win more glory by the permission of so foul an evil, than by the prevention; yea, he knew how by the permission of one sin, to prevent millions; how many thousand had sinned in a vain presumption on their own strength, if David had not thus offended; how many thousand had despiared in the conscience of their own weaknesses, if these horrible sins had not received forgiveness? It is happy for all times, that we have so holy a Sinner, so sinful a penitent; It matters not how bitter the Pill is, but how well wrapped; so cunningly hath Nathan conveyed this dose, that it gins to work ere it be tasted: there is no one thing wherein is more use of wisdom, than the due contriving of a reprehension, which in a discreet delivery helps the dis●●se, in an unwise, destroys Nature. Had not Nathan been used to the possession of David's care, this complaint had been suspected. It well beseems a King to take information by a Prophet. Whiles wise Nathan was querulously discoursing, of the cruel rich man that had forceably taken away the only Lamb of his poor Neighbour, how willingly doth David listen to the Story, and how sharply (even above Law) doth he censure the fact? As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye.) Full little did he think that he had pronounced sentence against himself; It had not been so heavy if he had not known on whom it should have light; We have open ears and quick tongues to the vices of others; How severe justicers we can be to our very own crimes in others persons? How flattering Parasites to another's crime in ourselves? The life of doctrine is in application; Nathan might have been long enough in his narration, in his invective, ere David would have been touched with his own guiltiness; but now that the Prophet brings the Word home to his bosom, he cannot but be affected. We may take pleasure, to hear men speak in the Clouds, we never take profit till we find a propriety in the exhortation, or reproof; There was not more cunning in the Parable than courage in the application (Thou art the man.) If David be a King, he may not look, not to hear of his faults; Gods messages, may be no other than unpartial. It is a treacherous flattery in divine errands to regard greatness: If Prophets must be mannerly in the form, yet in the matter of reproof, resolute: The words are not their own; They are but the Heralds of the King of Heaven, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. How thunder-stricken do we think David did now stand? How did the change of his colour bewray the confusion in his Soul; whiles his conscience said the same within, which the Prophet sounded in his ear? And now lest aught should be wanting to his humiliation, all Gods former favours shall be laid before his eyes, by way of exprobration: He is worthy to be vpbrayded with mercies, that hath abused mercies unto wantonness; whiles we do well, God gives and says nothing, when we do ill, he lays his benefits in our dish, and casts them in our teeth, that our shame may be so much the more; by how much our obligations have been greater. The blessings of God in our unworthy carriage prove but the aggravations of sin, and additions to judgement. I see all God's Children falling into sin, some of them lying in sin; none of them maintaining their sin; David cannot have the heart, or the face to stand out against the message of God, but now as a man confounded, and condemned in himself, he cries out in the bitterness of a wounded Soul; (I have sinned against the lord) It was a short word, but passionate; and such as came from the bottom of a contrite heart; The greatest griefs are not most verbal: Saul confessed his sin more largely, less effectually; God cares not for phrases, but for affections. The first piece of our amends to God for sinning, is the acknowledgement of sin; He can do little that in a just offence cannot accuse himself. If we cannot be so good as we would, it is reason we should do God so much right, as to say, how evil we are. And why was not this done sooner? It is strange to see how easily sin gets into the heart, how hardly it gets out of the mouth; Is it because sin, like unto Satan, where it hath got possession is desirous to hold it; and knows that it is fully ejected by a free confession? or, because in a guiltiness of deformity, it hides itself in the breast where it is once entertained, and hates the light? or because the tongue is so feed with self-love, that it is loath to be drawn unto any verdict against the heart, or hands? or, is it out of an idle misprision of shame, which whiles it should be placed in offending is misplaced in disclosing of our offence? However, sure I am, that God hath need even of racks to draw out confessions, and scarce in death itself, are we wrought to a discovery of our errors. There is no one thing, wherein our folly shows itself more than in these hurtful concealments: Contrary to the proceed of humane justice, it is with God, Confess and live; no sooner can David say, I have sinned, than Nathan infers; The Lord also hath put away thy sin. He that hides his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy. Who would not accuse himself, to be aquittted of God; O God who would not tell his wickedness to thee, that knowest it better than his own heart, that his heart may be eased of that wicednesse, which being not told, killeth? Since we have sinned, why should we be niggardly of that action, wherein we may at once give glory to thee, and relief to our souls? David had sworn in a zeal of justice, that the rich Oppressor, for but taking his poor Neighbour's Lamb, should dye the death; God, by Nathan, is more favourable to David, than to take him at his word; Thou shalt not dye: O the marvelous power of repentance; Besides adultery, David had shed the blood of innocent Vriah; The strict Law was Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, He that smiteth with the Sword, shall perish with the Sword; Yet as if a penitent confession had dispensed with the rigour of justice, now God says, Thou shalt not dye. David was the voice of the Law, awarding death unto sin; Nathan was the voice of the Gospel, awarding life unto the repentance for sin. Whatsoever the sore be, never any soul applied this remedy, and died, never any soul escaped death, that applied it not. David himself shall not dye for this fact; but his misbegotten child shall dye for him; He that said, The Lord hath put away thy sin, yet said also, The Sword shall not departed from thine house. The same mouth, with one breath, pronounces the sentence both of absolution, and death, Absolution to the Person, Death to the Issue. Pardon may well stand with temporal afflictions. Where God hath forgiven, though he doth not punish, yet he may chastise, and that unto blood; neither doth he always forbear correction, where he remits revenge. So long as he smites us not as an angry judge, we may endure to smart from him, as a loving Father. Yet even this Rod did David deprecate with tears: How fain would he shake off so easy a load? The Child is stricken; the Father fasts and prays, and weeps, and lies all night upon the Earth, and abhors the noise of comfort; That Child, which was the fruit and monument of his odious adultery, whom he could never have looked upon, without recognition of his sin; in whose face he could not but have still read the records of his own shame, is thus mourned for, thus sued for; It is easy to observe that good man over-passionately affected to his Children. Who would not have thought, that David might have held himself well appayd, that his soul escaped an eternal death, his body a violent: though God should punish his sin, in that Child, in whom he sinned: Yet even against this cross, he bends his Prayers, as if nothing had been forgiven him: There is no Child that would be scourged, if he might escape for crying; No affliction is for for the time other than grievous; neither is therefore yielded unto, without some kind of reluctation. Fare yet was it from the heart of David, to make any opposition to the will of God; he sued, he struggled not; There is no impatience in entreaties; He well knew, that the threats of temporal evils, ran commonly with a secret condition, and therefore might perhaps be avoided by humble importunity: if any means under Heaven can avert judgements, it is our Prayers. God could not choose, but like well the boldness of David's saith, who after the apprehension of so heavy a displeasure, is so far from doubting of the forgiveness of his sin, that he dares become a Suitor unto God for his sick child. Sin doth not make us more strange, than Faith confident. But, it is not in the power of the strongest Faith, to preserve us from all afflictions; After all David's prayers and tears, the Child must dye. The careful servants dare but whisper this sad news: They who had found their Master so averse from the motion of comfort, in the sickness of the Child, feared him uncapable of comfort in his death. Suspicion is quickwitted; Every occasion makes us misdoubt that event, which we fear; This secrecy proclaims, that which they were so loath to utter; David perceives his Child dead, and now he rises up from the Earth whereon he lay, and washes himself, and changeth his apparel, and goes first into God's House to worship, and into his own to eat; now he refuses no comfort, who before would take none; The issue of things doth more fully show the will of God, than the prediction; God never did any thing, but what he would; he hath sometimes foretold that for trial, which his secret will intended not; he would foretell it, he would not effect it, because he would therefore foretell it, that he might not effect it; His predictions of outward evils are not always absolute, his actions are; David well sees by the event, what the Decree of God was, concerning his Child; which now he could not strive against, without a vain impatience; Till we know the determinations of the Almighty, it is free for us to strive in our prayers, to strive with him, not against him; when once we know them, it is our duty to sit down in a silent contentation. (Whiles the Child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the Child may live; but now he is dead, Wherefore should I fast? Cani bring him back again?) The grief that goes before an evil for remedy, can hardly be too much, but that which follows an evil, past remedy, cannot be too little: Even in the saddest accident, Death, we may yield something to nature, nothing to impatience: immoderation of sorrow, for losses past hope of recovery, is more sullen, than useful; our stomach may be bewrayed by it, not our wisdom. AMNON and TAMAR. IT is not possible, that any word of God should fall to the ground: David is not more sure of forgiveness, than smart: Three main sins passed him in this business of Vriah; Adultery, Murder, Dissimulation: for all which, he receives present payment; for Adultery, in the deflowering of his Daughter Thamar; for Murder, in the kill of his Son Amnon; for Dissimulation in the contriving of both. Yet all this was but the beginning of evils. Where the Father of the Family brings sin home to the house, it is not easily swept our: Unlawful Lust propagates itself by example; How justly is David scourged by the sin of his Sons, whom his Act taught to offend? Maacha was the Daughter of an Heathenish King; By her, had David that beautiful, but unhappy Issue, Absalon, and his no less fair Sister, Thamar: Perhaps, thus late doth David feel the punishment of that unfit choice: I should have marvelled, if so holy a man had not found crosses in so unequal a match, either in his person, or at least in his seed. Beauty, if it be not well disciplined, proves not a Friend, but a Traitor, three of David's Children are undone by it at once; What else was guilty of Amnons' incestuous love, Tamars' ravishment, Absoloms' pride? It is a blessing to be fair, yet such a blessing, as if the soul answer not to the face, may lead to a curse; How commonly have we seen the fo●●lest soul dwell fairest? It was no fault of Tamars', that she was beautiful; the Candle offends not in burning, the foolish fly offends in scorching itself in the flame; yet it is no small misery to become a tentation unto another; and to be made but the occasion of others ruin. Amnon is lovesick of his sister Tamar, and languishes of that unnatural heat. Whither will not wanton lust carry the inordinate minds of pampered and vngouerned youth; None but his half sister, will please the eyes of the young Prince of Israel: Ordinary pleasures will not content those whom the conceit of greatness, youth, and ease, have let lose to their appetite. Perhaps, yet this unkindly flame, might in time, have gone out alone, had not there been a jonadab, to blow these coals with ill counsel. It were strange, if great Princes should want some Parasitical Followers, that are ready to feed their ill humours. Why art thou, the King's Son, so lean from day to day? As if it were unworthy the Heir of a King, to suffer either Law, or Conscience; to stand in the way of his desires: Whereas wise Princes know well, that their places give them no privilege of sinning: but call them in rather to so much more strictness, as their example may be more prejudicial. jonadab was the Cousin German of Amnon: Ill advice is so much more dangegerous, as the interest of the giver is more; Had he been a true friend, he had bend all the forces of his dissuasion, against the wicked motions of that sinful lust; and had showed the Prince of Israel how much those lewd desires provoked God, and blemished himself; and had lent his hand to strangle them in their first Conception. There cannot be a more worthy improvement of friendship, than in a fervent opposition to the sins of them, whom we profess to love: No enemy can be so mortal to great Princes, as those officious Clients, whose flattery soothes them up in wickedness; These are Traitors to the Soul, and by a pleasing violence kill the best part eternally. How ready at hand is an evil suggestion? Good counsel is like unto Wel-water, that must be drawn up with a Pump, or Bucket; Ill counsel is like to Conduit-water, which if the cock be but turned, runs out alone; jonadab hath soon projected how Amnon shall accomplish his lawless purpose. The way must be to feign himself sick in body, whose mind was sick of lust; and under this pretence to procure the presence of her, who had wounded, and only might cure him. The daily increasing languor, and leanness, and paleness of lovesick Amnon might well give colour to a Kerchief, and a pallet. Now is it soon told David that his eldest Son is cast upon his sick bed; there needs no suit for his visitation; The careful Father hasten● to his Bedside, not without doubts and feats: He that was lately so afflicted with the sickness of a Child that scarce lived to see the light, how sensible must we needs think he would be, of the indisposition of his first borne Soon, in the prime of his age and hopes? It is not given to any Prophet to foresee all things, Happy had it been for David, if Amnon had been truly sick, and sick unto death; yet who could have persuaded this passionate Father to have been content with this succession of losses, this early loss of his Successor: How glad is he to hear, that his Daughter Tamars' skill might be likely to fit the diet of so dearer patient. Conceit is word to rule much both in sickness, and the cure. Tamar is sent by her Father to the house of Amnon; Her hand only must dress that Dish, which may please the nice Palace of her sick Brother. Even the Children of Kings, in those homely●r Time's, did not scorn to put their fingers, to some works of huswifrie: (She took flower and did knead it, and did make Cakes in his sight, and did bake the Cakes and took a Pan, and poured them out before him.) Had she not been sometimes used to such domestic employments, she had been now to seek; neither had this been required of her, but upon the knowledge of her skill: She doth not plead the impairing of her beauty by the scorching of the fire; nor thinks her hand too dainty for such mean Services, but settles to the work, as one that had rather regard the necessities of her Brother, than her own state: Only pride and idleness have banished honest and thrifty diligence, out of the houses of the great. This was not yet the Dish that Amnon longed for. It was the Cook, and not the Cates which that wanton eye affected. Unlawful Acts seek for secrecy; The company is dismissed, Tamar only stays; Good meaning suspects nothing; Whiles she presents the meat she had prepared, to her sick Brother, herself is made a prey to his outrageous Lust. The modest Virgin entreats, and persuades in vain; she lays before him the sin, the shame, the danger of the fact; and since none of these can prevail, fain would win time by the suggesting of impossible hopes; Nothing but violence can stay a resolved sinner; What he cannot by entreaty, he will have by force. If the Devil were not more strong in men, than nature, they would never seek pleasure in violence. Amnon hath no sooner fulfilled his beastly desires, than he hates Tamar more than he loved her. Inordinate lust never ends but in discontentment; Loss of spirits, and remorse of soul make the remembrance of that Act tedious, whose expectation promised delight. If we could see the back of sinful pleasures, ere we behold their face, our hearts could not but be forestalled with a just detestation. Brutish Amnon, it was thyself whom thou shouldst have hated for this villainy; not thine innocent sister; Both of you lay together, only one committed incest: What was she but a patiented in that impotent fury of lust? How unjustly do carnal men mis-place their affections? No man can say whether that love, or this hatred were more unreasonable: Fraud drew Tamar into the house of Amnon, force entertained her within; and driven her out. Feign would she have hid her shame where it was wrought, and may not be allowed it; That roof under which, she came with honour, and in obedience and love, may not be lent her for the time as a shelter of her ignominy. Never any savage could be more barbarous: Shechem had ravished Dinah, his offence did not make her odious; his affection so continued, that he is willing rather to draw blood of himself and his people, than forgo her whom he had abused; Amnon in one hour is in the excess of love and hate; and is sick of her, for whom he was ficke: She that lately kept the keys of his heart, is now locked out of his doors. Unruly passions run ever into extremities, and are then best apaied, when they are furthest off from reason and moderation. What could Amnon think, would be the event of so soul a fact, which as he had not the grace to prevent, so he hath not the care to conceal? If he looked not so high as Heaven, what could he imagine would follow hereupon, but the displeasure of a Father, the danger of Law, the indignation of a Brother, the shame and outcries of the World; All which he might have hoped to avoid by secrecy, and plausible courses of satisfaction. It is the just judgement of God upon presumptuous offenders, that they lose their wit, together with their honesty; and are either so blinded, that they cannot foresee the issue of their actions, or so besotted that they do not regard it. Poor Tamar can but bewail that which she could not keep, her Virginity, not lost, but torn from her by a cruel violence: She rends her Princely Robe, and knies ashes on her head, and laments the shame of another's sin; and life's more desolate than a widow, in the house of her brother Absalon. In the mean time, what a corosive must this news needs be to the heart of good David, whose fatherly command had out of love, cast his Daughter into the jaws of this Lion? What an insolent affront, must he needs construe this, to be offered by a Son to a Father; that the Father should be made the Pander of his own Daughter to his Son? He that lay upon the ground weeping for, but the sickness of an Infant, How vexed do we think he was with the villainy of his Heir, with the ravishment of his Daughter, both of them worse than many deaths? What revenge can he think of, for so heinous a crime less than death; and what less than death is it to him, to think of a revenge? Rape was by the Law of God, capital, how much more, when it is seconded with Incest? Anger was not punishment enough for so high an offence; Yet this is all that I hear of, from so indulgent a Father, saving that he makes up the rest with sorrow, punishing his Son's outrage in himself; The better-natured, and more gracious a man is, the more subject he is to the danger of an over-remissenesse, and the excess of favour and mercy: The mild injustice is no less perilous to the Commonwealth, than the cruel. If David (perhaps out of the conscience of his own late offence) will not punish this fact, his son Absalon shall: not out of any care of justice, but in a desire of revenge. Two whole years, hath this sly Courtier smothered his indignation, and feigned kindness; else his invitation of Amnon in special, had been suspected. Even gallant Absalon was a great Sheep-master; The bravery and magnificence of a Courtier, must be built upon the grounds of frugality; David himself is bidden to this bloody Sheepshearing; It was no otherwise meant, but that the Father's eyes should be the witnesses, of the Tragical execution of one Son by another; Only David's love kept him from that horrible spectacle. He is careful not to be chargeable to that Son, who cares not to over charge his Father's stomach with a Feast of Blood. AMNON hath so quite forgot his sin, that he dares go to feast in that House where Tamar was mourning; and suspects not the kindness of him, whom he had deserved, of a Brother to make an enemy; Nothing is more unsafe to be trusted, than the fair looks of a festered heart: Where true Charity or just satisfaction, have not wrought a sound reconciliation, malice doth but lurk for the opportunity of an advantage. It was not for nothing, that Absalon deferred his revenge; which is now so much the more exquisite, as it is longer protracted: What could be more fearful, than when Amnons' heart was merry with Wine, to be suddenly stricken with death? As if this execution had been no less intended to the Soul, than to the body; How wickedly soever this was done by Absalon, yet how just was it with God, that he, who in two year's impunity would find no leisure of repentance, should now receive a punishment without possibility of Repentance? O God, thou art righteous to reckon for those sins, which humane partiality or negligence hath omitted, and whiles thou punishest sin with sin, to punish sin with death; If either David had called Amnon to account for this villainy, or Amnon had called himself, the revenge had not been so desperate; Happy is the man that by an unfeigned Repentance acquits his soul from his known evils, and improves the days of his peace to the prevention of future vengeance; which if it be not done, the hand of God shall as surely overtake us in judgement, as the hand of Satan hath overtaken us in miscarriage unto sin. ABSALOMS' Return and Conspiracy. ONE Act of injustice draws on another; The injustice of David, in not punishing the rape of Amnon, procures the injustice of Absalon, in punishing Amnon with Murder: That which the Father should have justly revenged, and did not; the Son revenges unjustly, The Rape of a Sister was no less worthy of death, than the Murder of a Brother; Yea, this latter sin was therefore the less, because that Brother was worthy of death, though by another hand; whereas that Sister was guilty of nothing but modest beauty: yet he that knew this Rape passed over (whole two years) with impunity, dares not trust the mercy of a Father, in the pardon of his Murder; but for three years hides his head in the Court of his Grandfather, the King of Geshur. Doubtless, that Heathenish Prince gave him a kind welcome, for so meritorious a revenge of the dishonour done to his own Loins. No man can tell, how Absalon should have sped from the hands of his otherwise over-indulgent Father, if he had been apprehended in the heat of the fact. Even the largest love may be over-strayned, and may give a fall in the breaking; These fearful effects of lenity, might perhaps have whetted the severity of David, to shut up these outrages in blood; Now this displeasure was weakened with age: Time and thoughts have digested this hard morsel; David's heart told him, that his hands had a share in this offence; that Absalon did but give that stroke, which himself had wrongfully forborn; that the unrecoverable loss of one Son, would be but woefully relieved with the loss of another; He therefore, that in the news of the deceased Infant could change his clothes, and wash himself, and cheer up his spirits, with the resolution of, I shall go to him, he shall not return to me, comforts himself concerning Amnon; and gins to long for Absalon. THOSE three year's banishment seemed not so much a punishment to the Son, as to the Father; Now David begins to forgive himself; yet out of his wisdom, so inclines to favour, that he conceals it; and yet so conceals it, that it may be descried by a cunning eye; If he had cast out no glances of affection, there had been no hopes for his Absalon: if he had made profession of love after so foul an Act, there had been no safety for others; now he lets fall so much secret grace, as may both hold up Absalon in the life of his hopes, and not hearten the presumption of others. GOOD Eyes see light thorough the smallest chink; The wit of joab hath sooone discerned David's reserved affection; and knows how to serve him in that which he would, and would not accomplish: and now devices how to bring into the light, that birth of Desire, whereof he knew David was both big, and ashamed. A woman of Tekoah, (that Sex hath been ever held more apt for wiles) is suborned to personate a mourner, and to say that, by way of Parable, which in plain terms would have sounded too harshly; and now whiles she lamentably lays forth the loss and danger of her Sons, she shows David his own; and whiles she moves compassion to her pretended Issue, she wins David to a pity of himself, and a favourable sentence for Absalon. We love ourselves better than others, but we see others better than ourselves; who so would perfectly know his own case, let him view it in another's person. PARABLES sped well with David; One drew him to repent of his own sin; another, to remit Absaloms' punishment; And now, as glad to hear this Plea, and willing to be persuaded unto that, which if he durst, he would have sought for, he gratifies joab with the grant of that suit, which joab more gratified him in suing for; Go, bring again the young man ABSALON. How glad is joab, that he hath light upon one Act, for which the Sun, both setting and rising, should shine upon him? and now he speeds to Geshur, to fetch back Absalon to jerusalem: he may bring the long-banished Prince to the City; but to the Court he may not bring him. (Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.) THE good King hath so smarted with mercy; that now he is resolved upon austerity; and will relent but by degrees; It is enough for Absalon that he life's, and may now breathe his native air; David's face is no object for the eyes of a Murderer: What a Darling this Son was to his Father, appears in that, after an unnatural and barbarous rebellion, passionate David wishes to have changed lives with him; yet now, whiles his bowels yearned, his brow frowned; The face may not be seen, where the heart is set. THE best of God's Saints may be blinded with affection; but when they shall once see their errors, they are careful to correct them. Wherefore serves the power of Grace, but to subdue the insolences of nature? It is the wisdom of Parents, as to hide their hearts from their best children, so to hide their countenances from the ungracious: Fleshly respects may not abate their rigour to the ill deserving. For the Child to see all his Father's love, it is enough to make him wanton, and of wanton, wicked: For a wicked Child, to see any of his Father's love, it emboldens him in evil, and draws on others. ABSALOMS' house is made his Prison; justly is he confined to the place which he had stained with blood; Two years doth he live in jerusalem, without the happiness of his Father's sight; It was enough for David and him, to see the smoke of each others Chimneys. In the mean time, how impatient is Absalon of this absence? He sends for joab, the Solicitor of his return; So hard an hand, doth wise and holy David carry over his reduced Son, that his friendly Intercessor, joab, dares not visit him. HE, that afterwards kindled that seditious fire over all Israel, sets fire now on the field of joab; whom love cannot draw to him, fear and anger shall; Continued displeasure hath made Absalon desperate; Five years are passed, since he saw the face of his Father; and now is he no less weary of his life, than of this delay; (Wherefore am I come down from Geshur? It had been better for me, to have been there still: Now therefore let me see the King's face, and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.) Either banishment, or death, seemed as tolerable to him, as the debarring of his Father's sight. WHAT a torment shall it be to the wicked, to be shut out for ever, from the presence of a God, without all possible hopes of recovery? This was but a Father of the flesh, by whom, if Absalon lived at first, yet in him he lived not, yea, not without him only, but against him that Son found he could live; God is the Father of Spirits, in whom we so live, that without him can be no life, no being; to be ever excluded from him, in whom we live and are, what can it be but an eternal dying, an eternal perishing? If in thy presence, O God, be the fullness of joy, in thine absence, must needs be the fullness of horror and torment; Hid not thy face from us, O Lord, but show us the light of thy countenance, that we may live, and praise thee. EVEN the fire of joabs' field, warmed the heart of David, whiles it gave him proof of the heat of Absaloms' filial affection. As a man therefore inwardly weary of so long displeasure, at last he receives Absalon to his sight, to his favour; and seals his pardon with a kiss: Natural Parents, know not how to retain an everlasting anger towards the fruit of their loins; how much less shall the GOD of mercies, be unreconcileably displeased with his own; and suffer his wrath to burn like fire that cannot be quenched? He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever; His wrath endureth but a moment, in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a Night, but joy cometh in the Morning. ABSALON is now as great, as fair; Beauty and Greatness make him proud; Pride works his ruin; Great spirits will not rest content with a moderate prosperity: Ere two years be run out, Absalon runs out into a desperate plot of rebellion; None but his own Father was above him in Israel; None was so likely, in humane expectation, to succeed his Father; If his ambition could but have contained itself for a few years, (as David was now near his period) dutiful carriage might have procured, that by succession, which now ●e sought by force. An aspiring mind is ever impatient, and holds Time itself an enemy, if it thrust itself importunately betwixt the hopes and fruition: Ambition is never but in travel, and can find no intermission of painful throws, till-shee have brought forth her abortive Desires: How happy were we, if our affectation could be so eager of spiritual and heavenly promotions; Oh that my Soul could find itself so restless, till it feel the weight of that Crown of Glory. OUTWARD Pomp, and unwonted shows of Magnificence, are wont much to affect the light minds of the vulgar. Absalon therefore to the incomparable comeliness of his person, adds the unusual state of a more than Princely Equipage. His Charets rattle, and his Horses trample proudly in the Streets; Fifty Footmen run before their glittering Master; jerusalem rings of their glorious Prince; and is ready to adore these continual Triumphs of Peace. Excess and Novelty, of exspensive Bravery and Ostentation in public persons, gives just cause to suspect either vanity, or a plot; Truehearted David can misdoubt nothing in him, to whom he had both given life, and forgiven this. Love's construed all this, as meant to the honour of a Father's Court, to the expression of joy and thankfulness for his reconcilement: The eyes and tongues of men are thus taken up; now hath Absalon laid snares for their hearts also; He rises early, and stands beside the way of the gate; Ambition is no niggard of her pains; seldom ever is good meaning so industrious; The more he shined in Beauty and Royal Attendance, so much more glory it was to neglect himself, and to prefer the care of justice to his own ease; Neither is Absalon more painful than plausible; his ear is open to all Plaintives, all Petitioners: there is no cause which he flatters not, See, thy matters are good and right; his hand flatters every comer with a salutation, his lips with a kiss. All men, all matters are soothed, saving the state and government; the censure of that is no less deep, than the applause of all others, (There is none deputed of the King to hear thee.) What insinuations could be more powerful; No Music can be so sweet to the ears of the unstable multitude, as to hear well of themselves, ill of their Governors; Absalon needs not to wish himself upon the Bench; Every man says, Oh, what a courteous Prince is Absolom? What a just and careful Ruler would Absalon be? How happy were we, if we might be judged by Absalon? Those qualities which are wont single to grace others, have conspired to meet in Absalon; Goodliness of Person, Magnificence of State, gracious Affability, unwearied Diligence, Humility in Greatness, feeling Pity, love of justice, care of the Commonwealth; The World hath not so complete a Prince as Absalon; Thus the hearts of the people are not won, but stolen by a close Traitor from their lawfully Anointed Sovereign. Ouer-faire shows are a just Argument of unsoundness; no natural Face hath so clear a White and Red, as the painted: Nothing wants now but a clo●e of Religion, to perfect the Treachery of that ungracious Son, who carried Peace in his Name, War, in his heart: and how easily is that put on? Absalon hath an holy Vow to be paid in Hebron; The devout man had made it long since, whiles he was exiled in Syria, and now he hastes to perform it, (If the Lord shall bring me back again to jerusalem, than I will serve the Lord;) wicked Hypocrites, care not to play with God that they may mock men. The more deformed any Act is, the fairer Visor it still seeketh. How glad is the good old King, that he is blessed with so godly a Son; whom he dismisseth laden with his causeless blessings: What trust is there in flesh and blood, when David is not safe from his own Loins? The Conspiracy is now fully forged, there lacked nothing but this guilt of Piety to win favour and value in all eyes; and now it is a wonder, that but two hundred honest Citizens go up with Absalon from jerusalem: The truehearted lie most open to Credulity; How easy it is to beguile harmless intentions? The name of David's Son carries them against the Father of Absalon, and now these simple Israelites, are unwittingly made loyal Rebels. Their hearts are free from a plot, and they mean nothing, but fidelity in the attendance of a Traitor. How many thousands are thus ignorantly misled into the train of Error; Their simplicity is as worthy of pity, as their misguidance of indignation. Those that will suffer themselves to be carried with semblances of truth and faithfulness, must needs be as fare from safety, as innocence. Contemplations, UPON THE HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. The fifth Volume. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. Contemplations, UPON THE HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. The first Book. Containing The Angel and ZACHARY. The Annunciation. The Birth of CHRIST. The Sages and the Star. The Purification. HEROD and the Infants. TO MY MUCH HONOURED, AND RIGHT WORSHIPFUL FRIEND, SIR Henry Yeluerton KNIGHT, ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HIS Majesty. RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, IT is not out of any satiety, that I change from the old Testament to the new; These two, as they are the Breasts of the Church, so th●y yield Milk equally wholesome, equally pleasant unto able Nurselings. Herein I thought good to have respect unto my Reader, in whose strength there may be difference. That other Breast perhaps, doth not let down this nourishing liquor, so freely, so easily: Even so small a variety ●●fres●eth a weak Infant; Neither will there perhaps want some palates▪ which will find a more quick & pleasing relish in this fresher sustenance▪ these I thought good to please with a taste, ere they come to sat themselves with a full Meal of this divine nourishment; in emulation of the good Scribe, that brings forth both old and new. If it please God to enable my life and opportunities, I hope at last, to present his Church, with the last service of the History of either Page: wherein my Joy, and my Crown shall be the edification of many. In the mean time, I dedicate this part unto your Name, whom I have so much cause to observe, and honour. The blessing of that God (whose Church you have ever made your chief Client) be still upon your head, and that honourable Society which rejoices in so worthy a Leader. To it, and yourself, I shall be ever (as I have cause) humbly and unfeignedly devoted IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. THE ANGEL AND ZACHARIE. WHen things are at the worst, then God begins a change: The state of the jewish Church was extremely corrupted, immediately before the news of the Gospel; yet, as bad as it was, not only the Priesthood, but the courses of attendance continued, even from David's time till Christ's: It is a desperately depraved condition of a Church, where no good orders are left: judea passed many troubles, many alterations, yet this orderly combination endured above an eleven hundred years: A settled good will not easily be defeated, but in the change of persons will remain unchanged, and if it be forced to give way, leaves memorable footsteps behind it: If David foresaw the perpetuation of this holy Ordinance, how much did he rejoice in the knowledge of it? who would not be glad to do good, on condition, that it may so long outlive him? The successive turns of the Legal ministration held on in a Line never interrupted: Even in a forlorn and miserable Church, there may be a personal succession: How little were the jews better for this, when they had lost the Vrim and Thummim, sincerity of Doctrine and Manners? This stayed with them even whiles they and their Sons crucified Christ; What is more ordinary, than wicked Sons of holy Parents? It is the succession of Truth and Holiness, that makes or institutes a Church, what ever become of the persons: Never time's were so barren, as not to yield some good: The greatest dearth affords some few good Ears to the Gleaners: Christ would not have come into the World, but he would have some faithful to entertain him: He; that had the disposing of all times and men, would cast some holy ones into his own times: There had been no equality, that all should either overrun, or follow him, and none attend him. Zachary and Elizabeth are just; both of Aaron's blood, and john Baptist of theirs: whence should an holy Seed spring, if not of the Loins of Levi? It is not in the power of Parents to traduce Holiness to their Children: It is the blessing of God, that feoffs them in the virtues of their Parents, as they feoff them in their sins: There is no certainty, but there is likelihood, of an holy Generation, when the Parents are such: Elizabeth was just, as well as Zachary, that the forerunner of a Saviour might be holy on both sides: If the stock and the griffe be not both good, there is much danger of the fruit: It is an happy match, when the Husband and the Wife are one, not only in themselves, but in God, not more in flesh, than in the spirit: Grace makes no difference of sexes, rather the weaker carries away the more honour, because it hath had less helps: It is easy to observe, that the New Testament affordeth more store of good women, than the old: Elizabeth led the ring of this mercy, whose barrenness ended in a miraculous fruit both of her body, and of her time. This religious pair made no less progress in virtue, than in age, and yet their virtue could not make their best age fruitful: Elizabeth was barren. A just soul and a barren womb may well agree together: Amongst the jews barrenness was not a defect only, but a reproach, yet while this good woman was fruitful of holy obedience, she was barren of children: as john, which was miraculously conceived by man, was a fi● forerunner of him, that was conceived by the Holy Ghost, so a barren Matron was meet to make way for a Virgin. None, but a son of Aaron, might offer incense to God in the Temple; and not every son of Aaron, and not any one at all seasons: God is a God of order, and hates confusion no less than irreligion: Albeit he hath not so straitened himself under the Gospel, as to tie his service to persons, or places, yet his choice is now no less curious, because it is more large: He allows none, but the authorised; He authoriseth none but the worthy. The Incense doth ever smell of the hand, that offers it; I doubt not but that perfume was sweeter, which ascended up from the hand of a just Zacharie: The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to God: There were courses of ministration in the legal services: God never purposed to burden any of his creatures with devotion: How vain is the ambition of any soul, that would load itself with the universal charge of all men? How thankless is their labour, that do wilfully over-spend themselves in their ordinary vocations? As Zacharie had a course in God's house, so he carefully observed it; The favour of these respites doubled his diligence: The more high and sacred our calling is, the more dangerous is our neglect: It is our honour, that we may be allowed to wait upon the God of heaven in these immediate services: Woe be to us, if we slacken those duties, wherein God honours us more, than we can honour him. Many sons of Aaron, yea of the same family, served at once in the Temple, according to the variety of employments: To avoid all difference, they agreed by lot to assign themselves to the several offices of each day; The lot of this day called Zacharie to offer Incense in the outer Temple: I do not find any prescription they had from God of this particular manner of designment: Matters of good order in holy affairs may be ruled by the wise institution of men, according to reason and expediency. It fell out well, that Zacharie was chosen by lot to this ministration, that God's immediate hand might be seen in all the passages, that concerned his great Prophet, that as the person, so the occasion might be of Gods own choosing: In lots and their seeming casual disposition, God can give a reason, though we can give none: Morning and Evening, twice a day their Law called them to offer Incense to God, that both parts of the day might be consecrate to the maker of time: The outer Temple was the figure of the whole Church upon earth, like as the holy of holiest represented heaven: Nothing can better resemble our faithful prayers, than sweet perfume: These, God looks, that we should (all his Church over) send up unto him Morning and Evening: The elevations of our hearts should be perpetual, but if twice in the day we do not present God with our solemn invocations, we make the Gospel less officious, than the Law. That the resemblance of prayers and incense might be apparent, whiles the Priest sends up his incense within the Temple, the people must send up their prayers without: Their breath and that incense, though remote in the first rising, met, ere they went up to heaven: The people might no more go into the Holy place to offer up the incense of prayers unto God, than Zacharie might go into the Holy of holies: Whiles the partition wall stood betwixt jews and Gentiles, there were also partitions betwixt the jews, and themselves: Now every man is a Priest unto God; Every man (since the veil was rend) prays within the Temple▪ What are w● the b●●ter for our greater freedom of access to God under the Gospel, if we do not make use of our privilege? Whiles they were praying to God, he sees an Angel of God; as Gede●●s Angel went up in the smoke of the sacrifice, so did Zacharies Angel (as it were) come down in the fragrant smoke of his incense: It was ever great news to see an Angel of God, but now more; because God had long withdrawn from them all the meane● of his supernatural revelations: As this wicked people were strangers to their God in their conversation, so was God grown a stranger to them in his apparitions; yet now, that the season of the Gospel approached, he visited them with his Angels, before he visited them by his Son: He sends his Angel to men in the form of man, before he sends his Son to take humane form: The presence of Angels is no novelty, but their apparition; they are always with us, but rarely seen, that we may awfully respect their messages, when they are seen; In the mean time our faith may see them, though our senses do not; their assumed shapes do not make them more present, but visible. There is an order in that heavenly Hierarchy, though we know it not: This Angel, that appeared to Zacharie, was not with him in the ordinary course of his attendances, but was purposely sent from God with this message: Why was an Angel sent? and why this Angel? It had been easy for him to have raised up the prophetical spirit of some Simeon to this prediction; the same Holy Ghost; which revealed to that just man, that he should not see death, ere he had seen the Messiah, might have as easily revealed unto him the birth of the forerunner of Christ, and by him to Zacharie: But God would have this voice, which should go before his Son, come with a noise; He would have it appear to the world, that the harbinger of the Messiah should be conceived by the marvelous power of that God, whose coming he proclaimed: It was fit the first Herald of the Gospel begin in wonder: The same Angel, that came to the blessed Virgin with the news of Christ's conception, came to Zacharie with the news of john's, for the honour of him, that was the greatest of them which were borne of women, and for his better resemblance to him, which was the seed of the woman: Both had the Gospel for their errand, one as the messenger of it, the other as the Author; Both are foretold by the same mouth. When could it be more fit for the Angel to appear unto Zacharie, than when prayers and incense were offered by him? Where could he more fitly appear, than in the Temple? In what part of the Temple more fitly, than at the Altar of Incense? and where about rather, than on the right side of the Altar? Those glorious spirits as they are always with us, so most in our devotions, and as in all places, so most of all in God's house: They rejoice to be with us, whiles we are with God, as contrarily they turn their faces from us, when we go about our sins. He that had wont to live, and serve in the presence of the master, was now astonished at the presence of the servant; so much difference there is betwixt our faith, and our senses, that the apprehension of the presence of the God of spirits by faith goes down sweetly with us, whereas the sensible apprehension of an Angel dismays us; Holy Zacharie, that had wont to live by faith, thought he should die, when his sense began to be set on work; It was the weakness of him, that served at the Altar without horror, to be daunted with the face of his fellow servant: In vain do we look for such Ministers of God, as are without infirmities, when just Zacharie was troubled in his devotions with that, wherewith he should have been comforted: It was partly the suddenness, and partly the glory of the apparition, that affrighted him: The good Angel was both apprehensive, and compassionate of Zacharies weakness, and presently incourages him with a cheerful excitation: (Fear not ZACHARIAS.) The blessed spirits, though they do not often vocally express it, do pity our humane frailties, and secretly suggest comfort unto us, when we perceive it not: Good and evil Angels as they are contrary in estate, so also in disposition; The good desire to take away fear, the evil to bring it: It is a fruit of that deadly enmity, which is betwixt Satan and us, that he would, if he might, kill us with terror; whereas the good spirits affecting our relief and happiness, take no pleasure in terrifying us, but labour altogether for our tranquillity and cheerfulness. There was not more fear in the face, than comfort in the speech; Thy prayer is heard▪ No Angel could have told him better news; Our desires are uttered in our prayers: What can we wish, but to have what we would? Many good suits had Zachary made, and amongst the rest for a son: Doubtless it was now some space of years, since he made that request: For he was now stricken in age, and had ceased to hope; yet had God laid it up all the while, and when he thinks not of it, brings it forth to effect: Thus doth the mercy of our God deal with his patient, and faithful suppliants: In the thruout of their expectation he many times holds them off, and when they lea●● think of it, and have forgotten their own suit, he graciously condescends: Delay of effect may not discourage our faith; It may be God hath long granted, ere we shall know of his grant. Many a father reputes him of his fruitfulness, and hath such sons, as he wishes unborn: But to have so gracious, and happy a son as the Angel foretold, could not be less comfort, than honour to the age of Zacharie: The proof of children makes them either the blessings, or crosses of their parents: To hear what his son should be before he was; to hear that he should have such a son; A son, whose birth should concern the joy of many; A son, that should be great in the sight of the Lord, A son, that should be sacred to God, filled with God, beneficial to man; An harbinger to him, that was God and man, was news enough to prevent the Angel, and to take away that tongue with amazement, which was after lost with incredulity. The speech was so good, that it sound not a sudden belief: This good news surprised Zacharie; If the intelligence had taken leisure, that his thoughts might have had time to debate the matter, he had easily apprehended the infinite power of him that had promised; the pattern of Abraham and Sara; and would soon have concluded the appearance of the Angel more miraculous than his prediction: Whereas now, like a man maskered with the strangeness of that he saw and heard, he misdoubts the message, and asks: How shall I know? Nature was on his side, and alleged the impossibility of the event, both from age and barrenness; Supernatural tidings at the first hearing astonish the heart, and are entertained with doubts by those, which upon further acquaintance give them the best welcome. The weak apprehensions of our imperfect faith are not so much to be censured, as pitied: It is a sure way for the heart, to be prevented with the assurance of the omnipotent power of God, to whom nothing is impossible: so shall the hardest points of faith go down easily with us: If the eye of our mind look upward, it shall meet with nothing to avert, or interrupt it; but if right forward, or downward, or round about, every thing is a block in our way. There is a difference betwixt desire of assurance, and unbelief, we cannot be too careful to raise up to ourselves arguments to settle our faith; although it should be no faith, if it had no feet to stand upon, but discursive: In matters of faith, if reasons may be brought for the conviction of the gainsayers, it is well; if they be helps, they cannot be grounds of our belief: In the most faithful heart there are some sparks of infidelity; so to believe, that we should have no doubt at all, is scarce incident into flesh and blood: It is a great perfection, if we have attained to overcome our doubts. What did mislead Zacharie, but that, which uses to guide others, Reason? (I am old, and my wife is of great age,) As if years, and dry loins could be any let to him, which is able of very stones to raise up children unto Abraham: Faith and reason have their limits; where reason ends, faith gins; and if reason will be encroaching upon the bounds of faith, she is straight taken captive by infidelity: We are not fit to follow Christ, if we have not denied ourselves; and the chief piece of ourselves is our reason; We must yield God able to do that, which we 〈◊〉 comprehend, and we must 〈◊〉 that by 〈◊〉 faith; which is disclaimed by reason; Hagar must be driven out of doors, that Sara may rule alone. The authority of the reporter, makes way for belief in things, which are otherwise hard to pass; although in the matters of God, we should not so much care, who speaks, as what is spoken, and from whom: The Angel tells his name, place, office, unasked, that Zacharie might no● think any news impossible, that was brought him by an heavenly messenger: Even where there is no use of language, the spirits are distinguished by names, and each knows his own appellation, and others▪ He that gave leave unto man his image, to give names unto all his visible and inferior creatures, did himself put names unto the spiritual; and as their name is, so are they mighty and glorious: But lest Zacharie should no less doubt of the style of the messenger, than of the errand itself: He is at once both confirmed, and punished with dumbness: That tongue, which moved the doubt, must be tied up: He shall ask no more questions for forty weeks, because he asked this one distrustfully. Neither did Zacharie lose his tongue for the time, but his ears also, he was not only mute, but deaf; For otherwise, when they came to ask his allowance for the name of his Son, they needed not to have demanded it by signs, but by words: God will not pass over slight offences, and those which may plead the most colourable pretences in his best children, without a sensible check: It is not our holy entireness with God, that can bear us out in the least sin; yea rather the more acquaintance we have with his Majesty, the more sure we are of correction, when we offend: This may procure us more favour in our welldoing, not less justice in evil. ZACHARIE stayed, and the people waited; whether some longer discourse betwixt the Angel and him, than needed to be recorded, or whether astonishment at the apparition and news, withheld him; I inquire not; the multitude thought him long, yet though they could but see a fare off, they would not departed, till he returned to bless them: Their patiented attendance without, shames us, that are hardly persuaded to attend within, whiles both our senses are employed in our divine services, and we are admitted to be coagents with our Ministers. At last Zacharie comes out speechless, and more amazes them with his presence, than with his delay. The eyes of the multitude, that were not worthy to see his vision, yet see the signs of his vision, that the world might be put into the expectation of some extraordinary sequel: God makes way for his voice, by silence; His speech could not have said so much, as his dumbness: Zacharie would fain have spoken, and could not; with us too many are dumb, and need not: Negligence, Fear, Partiality stop the mouths of many, which shall once say, Woe to me, because I held my peace. His hand speaks that, which he cannot with his tongue, and he makes them by signs to understand that, which they might read in his face; Those powers we have, we must use: But though he have ceased to speak, yet he ceased not to minister; He takes not this dumbness for a dismission, but stays out the eight days of his course, as one, that knew the eyes, and hands, and heart would be accepted of that God, which had bereft him of his tongue: We may not straight take occasions of withdrawing ourselves from the public services of our God, much less under the Gospel: The Law, which stood much upon bodily perfection, dispensed with age for attendance. The Gospel, which is all for the soul, regards those inward powers, which whiles they are vigorous, exclude all excuses of our ministration. The Annunciation of CHRIST. THe Spirit of God was never so accurate in any description, as that which concerns the Incarnation of God: It was 〈◊〉 no circumstance should be omitted in that Story, whereon the faith and salvation of all the World dependeth: We cannot so much as doubt of this truth, and be saved; no not the number of the month, not the name of the Angel is concealed: Every particle imports not more certainty, than excellence: The time is the sixth month after john's Conception, the prime of the Spring: Christ was conceived in the Spring, borne in the Solstice: He in whom the World received a new life, receives life in the same season, wherein the World received his first life from him; and he which stretches out the days of his Church, and lengthens them to Eternity, appears after all the short and dim light of the Law; and inlightens the World with his glory; The Messenger is an Angel; A man was too mean to carry the news of the Conception of God: Never any business was conceived in Heaven, that did so much concern the earth, as the Conception of the God of Heaven in Womb of earth: No less than an Archangel was worthy to bear this tidings, and never any Angel received a greater honour, than of this Embassage. It was fit our reparation should answer our fall; an evil Angel was the first motioner of the one to Eve a Virgin, then espoused to Adam in the Garden of Eden: A good Angel is the first reporter of the other to Mary a Virgin espoused to joseph, in that place, which (as the Garden of Galilee,) had a name from flourishing: No good Angel could be the Author of our restauration, as that evil Angel was of our ruin; But that, which those glorious spirits could not do themselves, they are glad to report as done by the God of Spirits: Good news rejoices the bearer; With what joy did this holy Angel bring the news of that Saviour, in whom we are redeemed to life, himself established in life and glory? The first Preacher of the Gospel was an Angel; that office must needs be glorious, that derives itself from such a Predecessor: God appointed his Angel to be the first Preacher, and hath since called his Preachers Angels: The message is well suited; An Angel comes to a Virgin, Gabriel to Mary; He that was by signification the strength of God, to her that was by signification exalted by God, to the conceiving of him, that was the God of strength: To a Maid but espoused; a Maid for the honour of Virginity, espoused for the honour of Marriage: The marriage was in a sort made, not consummate, through the instinct of him, that meant to make her not an example, but a miracle of women: In this whole work God would have nothing ordinary; It was fit, that she should be a married Virgin, which should be a Virgin-mother: He that meant to take man's nature without man's corruption, would be the Son of man without man's seed, would be the seed of the woman without man; and amongst all women, of a pure Virgin; but amongst Virgins, of one espoused, that there might be at once a Witness, and a Guardian of her fruitful Virginity; If the same God had not been the author of Virginity and Marriage, he had never countenanced Virginity by Marriage. Whither doth this glorious Angel come to find the Mother of him that was God, but to obscure Galilee? A part, which even the jews themselves despised, as forsaken of their privileges, (Out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet.) Behold; an Angel comes to that Galilee, out of which no Prophet comes, and the God of Prophets and Angels descends to be conceived in that Galilee, out of which no Prophet ariseth: He that filleth all places, makes no difference of places; It is the person, which gives honour and privilege to the place, not the place to the person; as the presence of God makes the Heaven, the Heaven doth not make the honour glorious: No blind corner of Nazareth can hide the blessed Virgin from the Angel; The favours of God will find out his children, wheresoever they are withdrawn. It is the fashion of God to seek out the most despised, on whom to bestow his honours, we cannot run away as from the judgements, so not from the mercies of our God: The cottages of Galilee are preferred by God to the famous Palaces of jerusalem, he cares not how homely he converse with his own: Why should we be transported with the outward glory of places, whiles our God regards it not? We are not of the Angel's diet, if we had not rather be with the blessed Virgin at Nazareth, than with the proud Dames in the Court of jerusalem: It is a great vanity to respect any thing above goodness, and to disesteem goodness for any want. The Angel salutes the Virgin, he prays not to her; He salutes her as a Saint, he prays not to her as a Goddess: For us to salute her, as he did, were gross presumption; For neither are we, as he was, neither is she, as she was: If he that was a spirit saluted her, that was flesh and blood here on earth, it is not for us, that are flesh and blood to salute her, which is a glorious spirit in Heaven: For us, to pray to her in the Angel's salutation, were to abuse the Virgin, the Angel, the Salutation. But how gladly do we second the Angel in the praise of her, which was more ours, than his? How justly do we bless her, whom the Angel pronounceth blessed? How worthily is she honoured of men, whom the Angel proclaimeth beloved of God? O blessed Mary, he cannot bless thee, he cannot honour thee too much, that deifies thee not: That which the Angel said of thee, thou hast prophesied of thyself, we believe the Angel, and thee: All Generations shall call thee blessed, by the fruit of whose womb all Generations are blessed: If Zachary were amazed with the sight of this Angel, much more the Virgin: That very Sex hath more disadvantage of fear: if it had been but a man, that had come to her in that secrecy and suddenness, she could not but have been troubled; how much more, when the shining glory of the person doubled the astonishment. The troubles of holy minds end ever in comfort: joy was the errand of the Angel, and not terror. Fear (as all passions) disquiets the heart, and makes it for the time unfit to receive the messages of God: Soon hath the Angel cleared these rroublesome mists of passions; and sent out the beams of heavenly consolation in the remotest corner of her soul by the glad news of her Saviour: How can joy, but enter into her heart, out of whose womb shall come salvation? What room can fear find in that breast, that is assured of favour? Fear not MARY; for thou hast found favour with God: Let those fear, who know they are in displeasure, or know not they are gracious: Thine happy estate calls for confidence, and that confidence for joy: What should, what can they fear, who are favoured of him, at whom the Devils tremble? Not the presence of the good Angels, but the temptations of the evil strike many terrors into our weakness; we could not be dismayed with them, if we did not forget our condition. We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, but the spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father: If that Spirit (O God) witness with our spirits, that we are thine, how can we fear any of those spiritual wickednesses? Give us assurance of thy favour, and let the powers of Hell do their worst. It was no ordinary favour, that the Virgin found in Heaven: No mortal Creature was ever thus graced, that he should take part of her nature, that was the God of nature; that he, which made all things, should make his humane body of hers; that her womb should yield that flesh, which was personally united to the Godhead; that she should bear him, that upholds the world: Lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a Son, and shalt call his name jesus. It is a question, whether there be more wonder in the Conception, or in the Fruit; the Conception of the Virgin; or jesus conceived: Both are marvelous, but the former doth not more exceed all other wonders, than the latter exceedeth it. For the child of a virgin is the reimprovement of that power, which created the World: but that God should be incarnate of a Virgin, was an abasement of his Majesty, and an exaltation of the creature beyond all example. Well was that Child worthy to make the Mother blessed; Here was a double Conception; one in the womb of her body, the other of the soul: If that were more miraculous, this was more beneficial; That was here privilege, the was her happiness: If that were singular to her, this is common to all his chosen: There is no renewed heart, wherein thou, O Saviour, art not form again. Blessed be thou, that hast herein made us blessed. For what womb can conceive thee, and not partake of thee? Who can partake of thee, and not be happy? Doubtless the Virgin understood the Angel, as he meant, of a present Conception, which made her so much more inquisitive into the manner and means of this event: How shall this be, since I know not a man? That she should conceive a Son by the knowledge of man after her Marriage consummate, could have been no wonder: But how then should that Son of hers be the Son of God? This demand was higher, how her present Virginity should be instantly fruitful, might be well worthy of admiration, of inquiry: Here was desire of information, not doubts of infidelity; yea rather this question argues Faith: It takes for granted, that, which an unbelieving heart would have stuck at: She says not, who and whence art thou? what Kingdom is this, where and when shall it be erected? But smoothly supposing all those strange things would be done, she insists only in that, which did necessarily require a further intimation, and doth not distrust, but demand: Neither doth she say, this cannot be, nor how can this be; but how shall this be? so doth the Angel answer; as one, that knew he needed not to satisfy curiosity, but to inform judgement, and uphold faith: He doth not therefore tell her of the manner, but of the Author of this act; The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall over-shaddow thee: It is enough to know, who is the undertaker, and what he will do: O God, what do we seek a clear light, where thou wilt have a shadow? No Mother knows the manner of her natural Conception; what presumption shall it be for flesh and blood, to search how the Son of God took flesh and blood of his Creature? It is for none, but the Almighty to know those works, which he doth immediately concerning himself; those that concern us, he hath revealed: Secrets to God, things revealed to us. This answer was not so full, but that a thousand difficulties might arise out of the particularities of so strange a message, yet after the Angel's Solution, we hear of no more Objections, no more Interrogations: The faithful heart, when it once understands the good pleasure of God, argues no more, but sweetly rests itself in a quiet expectation; Behold the Servant of the Lord, be it to me according to thy Word. There is not a more noble proof of our Faith, than to captivated all the powers of our understanding and will to our Creator, and without all sciscitations to go blindfold, whither he will lead us: All disputations with God (after his will known) arise from infidelity: Great is the Mystery of godliness, and if we will give Nature leave to cavil, we cannot be Christians. O God, thou art faithful, thou art powerful: It is enough, that thou hast said it; In the humility of our obedience we resign ourselves over to thee: Behold the Servants of the Lord, be it unto us, according to thy Word. How fit was her womb to conceive the flesh of the Son of God by the power of the Spirit of God, whose breast had so soon by the power of the same Spirit conceived an assent to the will of God; and now of an Handmaid of God, she is advanced to the Mother of God: No sooner hath she said (be it done) than it is done, the Holy Ghost over-shaddowes her, and forms her Saviour in her own body. This very Angel, that talks with the blessed Virgin, could scarce have been able to express the joy of her heart in the sense of this divine burden: Never any mortal Creature had so much cause of exultation: How could she, that was full of God be other than full of joy in that God? Grief grows greater by concealing; joy by expression: The Holy Virgin had understood by the Angel, how her Cousin Elizabeth was no less of kin to her in condition; the fruitfulness of whose age did somewhat suit the fruitfulness of her Virginity: Happiness communicated, doubles itself; Here is no straining of courtesy; The blessed Maid whom vigour of age had more fitted for the way, hastens her journey into the Hill-countrey to visit that gracious Matron, whom God had made a sign of her miraculous Conception: Only the meeting of Saints in Heaven can parallel the meeting of these two Cousins: The two Wonders of the World are met under one roof, and congratulate their mutual happiness: When we have Christ spiritually conceived in us, we cannot be quiet, till we have imparted our joy: Elizabeth that holy Matron did no sooner welcome her blessed Cousin, than her Babe wel-comes his Saviour; Both in the retired Closets of their Mother's Womb are sensible of each others presence; the one by his omniscience, the other by instinct. He did not more forerun Christ, than overrun Nature: How should our hearts leap within us, when the Son of God vouchsafes to come into the secret of our souls, not to visit us, but to dwell with us, to dwell in us! THe birth of CHRIST. AS all the actions of men, so especially the public actions of public men are ordered by God to other ends than their own: This Edict went not so much out from Augustus, as from the Court of Heaven. What, did Caesar know joseph and Mary? His charge was universal to a world of subjects, through all the Roman Empire: God intended this Cension only for the blessed Virgin and her Son, that Christ might be borne, where he should: Caesar meant to fill his Coffers, God meant to fulfil his Prophecies, and so to fulfil them, that those, whom it concerned might not feel the accomplishment: If God had directly commanded the Virgin to go up to Bethleem, she had seen the intention, and expected the issue; but that wise Moderator of all things, that works his will in us, love's so to do it, as may be least with our foresight, and acquaintance, and would have us fall under his Decrees unawares, that we may so much the more adore the depths of his Providence: Every Creature walks blindfold, only he that dwells in light, sees whither they go. DOUBTLESS, blessed Mary meant to have been delivered of her divine burden at home, and little thought of changing the place of Conception for another of her Birth: That house was honoured by the Angel, yea, by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost, none could equally satisfy her hopes, or desires: It was fit, that he, which made choice of the Womb, wherein his Son should be conceived, should make choice of the place, where his Son should be borne: As the work is all his, so will he alone contrive all the circumstances to his own ends: O the infinite Wisdom of God in casting all his Designs! There needs no other proof of Christ, than Caesar and Bethleem, and of Caesar's, than Augustus; his Government, his Edict pleads the truth of the Messiah: His Government, now was the deep peace of all the World under that quiet Sceptre, which made way for him, who was the Prince of Peace: If Wars be a sign of the time of his second coming, Peace was a sign of his first: His Edict, now was the Sceptre departed from juda: It was the time for Shilo to come; No power was left in the jews, but to obey: Augustus is the Emperor of the World, under him Herod is the King of judea; Cyrenius is Precedent of Syria; jury hath nothing of her own. For Herod if he were a King, yet he was no jew, and if he had been a jew, yet he was no otherwise a King, than tributary and titular: The Edict came out from Augustus, was executed by Cyrenius; Herod is no actor in this service: Gain and glory are the ends of this taxation, each man professed himself a subject, and paid for the privilege of his servitude: Now their very heads were not their own, but must be paid for to the head of a foreign State: They which before stood upon the terms of their immunity, stoop at the last: The proud suggestions of judas the Galilean might shed their blood, and swell their stomaches, but could not case their yoke, neither was it the meaning of God, that holiness (if they had been as they pretended) should shelter them from subjection: A Tribute is imposed upon God's free people: This act of bondage brings them liberty: Now when they seemed most neglected of God, they are blessed with a Redeemer; when they are most pressed with foreign Sovereignty, God sends them a King of their own, to whom Caesar himself must be a subject: The goodness of our God picks out the most needful times of our relief, and comfort: Our extremities give him the most glory. Whither must joseph & Mary come to be taxed, but unto Bethleem David's City? The very place proves their descent: He that succeeded David in his Throne, must succeed him in the place of his Birth: so clearly was Bethleem designed to this honour by the Prophets, that even the Priests and the Scribes could point Herod unto it, and assured him, the King of the jews could be no where else borne. Bethleem justly the house of bread, the bread that came down from Heaven is there given to the World; whence should we have the bread of life, but from the house of bread? O holy David, was this the Well of Bethleem, whereof thou didst so thirst to drink of old, when thou saidst; O that one would give me drink of the water of the Well of Bethleem! Surely that other water, when it was brought thee by thy Worthies, thou powredst it on the ground, and wouldst not drink of it: This was that living Water, for which thy soul longed, whereof thou saidst elsewhere; As the Hart brayeth after the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after thee O God: My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. It was no less than four day's journey from Nazareth to Bethleem: How just an excuse might the blessed Virgin have pleaded for her absence? What woman did ever undertake such a journey so nearlier delivery? and doubtless joseph, which was now taught of God to love and honour her, was loath to draw forth a dear Wife in so unwieldy a case, into so manifest hazard: But the charge was peremptory, the obedience exemplary; The desire of an inoffensive observance even of Heathenish authority, digests all difficulties: We may not take easy occasions to withdraw our obedience to supreme commands; yea how didst thou (O Saviour) by whom Augustus reigned, in the womb of thy Mother yield this homage to Augustus: The first lesson, that ever thy example taught us, was obedience. After many steps are joseph and Mary come to Bethleem: The plight, wherein she was, would not allow any speed, and the forced leisure of the journey causeth disappointment: the end was worse than the way, there was no rest in the way, there was no room in the Inn: It could not be, but that there were many of the kindred of joseph and Mary at that time in Bethleem: For both there were their Ancestors borne, if not themselves; and thither came up all the Cousins of their blood: yet there and then doth the holy Virgin want room to lay either her head, or her burden. If the house of David had not lost all mercy & good nature, a Daughter of David could not so near the time of her travel, have been destitute of lodging in the City of David. Little did the Bethleemites think what a guest they refused. Else they would gladly have opened their doors to him, which was able to open the gates of heaven to them. Now their in hospitality is punishment enough to itself: They have lost the honour and happiness of being host to their God: Even still, O blessed Saviour, thou standest at our doors and knockest; Every motion of thy good Spirit tells us, thou art there: Now thou comest in thy own name, and there thou standest, whiles thy head is full of dew, and thy locks wet with the drops of the night: If we suffer carnal desires, and worldly thoughts to take up the lodging of our heart, and revel within us, whiles thou waytest upon our admission, surely our judgement shall be so much the greater, by how much better we know, whom we have excluded. What do we cry shame on the Bethleemites, whilst we are wilfully more churlish, more unthankful? There is no room in my heart for the wonder at this humility: He, for whom heaven is too straight, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, l●es in the straight of the womb, and when he would enlarge himself for the world, is not allowed the room of an Inn: The many mansions of heaven were at his disposing, the earth was his, and the fullness of it, yet he suffers himself to be refused of a base cottage, and complaineth not: What measure should discontent us wretched men; when thou (O God) farest thus from thy creatures? How should we learn both to want and abound, from thee, which abounding with the glory and riches of heaven, wouldst want a lodging in thy first welcome to the earth? Thou camest to thine own, a● thy own received thee not: How can it trouble us to be rejected of the world, which is not ours? what wonder is it, if thy servants wandered abroad in sheep's skins, and goat's skins, destitute and afflicteth, when their Lord is denied harbour? how should all the world blush at this indignity of Bethleem? He that came to save men, is sent for his first lodging to the beasts: The stable it become his Inn, the cratch his bed: O strange cradle of that great King, which heaven itself may envy! O Saviour, thou that wert both the Maker and Owner of heaven, of earth, couldst have made thee a Palace without hands, couldst have commanded thee an empty room in those houses, which thy creatures had made? When thou didst but bid the Angels avoid their first place, they fell down form heaven like lightning; and when in thine humbled estate thou didst but say, I am he, who was able to stand before thee? How easy had it been for thee to have made place for thyself in the throngs of the stateliest Courts? Why couldst thou be thus homely; but that by contemning worldly glories, thou mightst teach us to contemn them? that thou mightst sanctify poverty to them, whom thou callest unto want that since thou which hadst the choice of all earthly conditions, wouldst be borne poor and despised, those which must want out of necessity, might not think their poverty grievous. Here was neither friend to entertain, nor servant to attend, nor place wherein to be attended, only the poor beasts gave way to the God of all the world: It is the great mystery of godliness, that God was manifested in the flesh, and seen of Angels: but here, which was the top of all wonders, the very beasts might see their Maker: For those spirits to see God in the flesh, it was not so strange, as for the brute creatures to see him, which was the God of spirits: He, that would be led into the wilderness amongst wild beasts to be tempted, would come into the house of beasts to be borne, that from the height of his divine glory his humiliation might be the greater: How can we be abased low enough for thee (O Saviour) that hast thus neglected thyself for us? That the visitation might be answerable to the homeliness of the place, attendants, provision, who shall come to congratulate his birth, but poor shepherds? The kings of the earth rest at home, and have no summons to attend him, by whom they reign: God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty: In an obscure time (the night) unto obscure men (shepherds) doth God manifest the light of his Son, by glorious Angels: It is not our meanness (O God) that can exclude us from the best of thy mercies; yea thus far dost thou respect persons, that thou hast put down the mighty, and exalted them of low degree. If these shepherds had been snorting in their beds, they had no more seen Angels, nor heard news of their Saviour, than their neighbours; Their vigilancy is honoured with this heavenly vision: those which are industrious in any calling, are capable of further blessings, whereas the idle are fit for nothing but temptation. No less than a whole Chore of Angels are worthy to sing the hymn; of Glory to God for the incarnation of his Son: What joy is enough for us, whose nature he took, and whom he came to restore by his incarnation? If we had the tongues of Angels, we could not raise this note high enough to the praise of our glorious Redeemer. No sooner do the shepherds hear the news of a Saviour, than they run to Bethleem to seek him: Those that left their beds to tend their flocks, leave their flocks to inquire after their Saviour: No earthly thing is too dear to be forsaken for Christ: If we suffer any worldly occasion to stay us from Bethleem, we care more for our sheep, than our souls: It is not possible that a faithful heart should hear where Christ is, & not labour to the sight, to the fruition of him. Where art thou, O Saviour, but at home in thine own house, in the assembly of thy Saints? Where art thou to be found, but in thy Word and Sacraments? yea there thou seekest for us: if there we haste not to seek for thee, we are worthy to want thee, worthy that our want of thee here, should make us want the presence of thy face for ever. The Sages and the Star. THe shepherds and the cratch accorded well; yet even they saw nothing which they might not contemn; neither was there any of those shepherds that seemed not more like a king, than that King, whom they came to see. But oh the Divine Majesty, that shined in this baseness! There lies the Babe in the stable, crying in the manger, whom the Angels came down from heaven to proclaim, whom the Sages come from the East to adore, whom an heavenly Star notifies to the world, that now men might see, that heaven and earth serves himthat neglected himself. Those lights that hang low, are not far seen, but those which are high placed, are equally seen in the remotest distances. Thy light, o Saviour, was no less than heavenly: The East saw that, which Bethleem might have seen: oft times those which are nearest in place, are farthest off in affection: Large objects, when they are too close to the eye, do so overfill the sense, that they are not discerned. What a shame is this to Bethleem? the Sages came out of the East to worship him, whom that village refused: The Bethleemites were jews; The wisemen Gentiles: This first entertainment of Christ was a pr●sage of the sequel; The Gentiles shall come from far to adore Christ, whiles the jews reject him. Those Easterlings were great searchers of the depths of nature, professed Philosophers, them hath God singled out to the honour of the manifestation of Christ: Humane learning well improved makes us capable of divine: There is no knowledge, whereof God is not the Author; he would never have bestowed any gift, that should lead us away from himself; It is an ignorant conceit, that inquiry into nature should make men Atheous: No man is so apt to see the Star of Christ, as a diligent disciple of Philosophy: doubtless this light was visible unto more, only they followed it, which knew it had more than nature: He is truly wise, that is wise for his own soul: If these wise men had been acquainted with all the other stars of heaven, & had not seen the Star of Christ, they had had but light enough to lead them into utter darkness: Philosophy without the star, is but the wisp of error. These Sages were in a mean between the Angels and the shepherds: God would in all the ranks of intelligent creatures have some to be witnesses of his Son: The Angels direct the shepherds, the Star guides the Sages; the duller capacity hath the more clear & powerful helps: the wisdom of our good God proportions the means unto the disposition of the persons: their Astronomy had taught them, this star was not ordinary, whether in sight, or in brightness, or in motion. The eyes of nature might well see, that some strange news was portended to the world by it: but that this star designed the birth of the Messiah, there needed yet another light: If the star had not beside had the commentary of a revelation from God, it could have led the wise men only into a fruitless wonder: give them to be the offspring of Balaam, yet the true prediction of that false prophet was not enough warrant: If he told them, the Messiah should arise, as a star out of jacob, he did not tell them, that a star should arise far from the posterity of jacob, at the birth of the Messiah: He that did put that Prophecy into the mouth of Bala●m, did also put this illumination into the heart of the Sages: the Spirit of God is free to breathe where he listeth: Many shall come from the East and the West to seek Christ, when the Children of the Kingdom shall be shut out: even then God did not so confine his election to the pale of the Church, as that he did not sometimes look out for special instruments of his glory. Whither do these Sages come, but to jerusalem? where should they hope to hear of the new King, but in the mother City of the Kingdom? The conduct of the star was first only general to judea: the rest is for a time left to enquiry: They were not brought thither for their own sakes, but for jewries, for the worlds; that they might help to make the jews inexcusable, and the world faithful: That their tongues therefore might blazon the birth of Christ, they are brought to the head City of judea, to report, and inquire: their wisdom could not teach them to imagine, that a King could be borne to judea, of that note and magnificence, that a Star from heaven should publish him to the earth, and that his subjects should not know it: and therefore as presupposing a common notice, they say, Where is he, that is burn King of the jews? There is much deceit in probabilities, especially when we meddle with spiritual matters. For God uses still to go a way by himself. If we judge according to reason and appearance, who is so likely to understand heavenly truths, as the profound Doctors of the world? these God passeth over, and reveals his will to babes? Had these Sages met with the shepherds of the villages near Bethleem, they had received that intelligence of Christ, which they did vainly seek from the learned Scribes of Jerusalem: The greatest clarks are not always the wisest in the affairs of God; these things go not by discourse, but by revelation. No sooner hath the Star brought them within me noise of jerusalem, than it is vanished out of sight: God would have their eyes lead them so fare, as till their tongues might be set on work to win the vocal attestation of the chief Priests and Scribes, to the fore-appointed place of our Saviour's nativity: If the Star had carried them directly to Bethleem, the learned jews had never searched the truth of those prophecies, wherewith they are since justly convinced: God never withdraws our helps, but for a further advantage: Howsoever our hopes seem crossed, where his Name may gain, we cannot complain of loss. Little did the Sages think, this question would have troubled Herod; they had (I fear) concealed their message, if they had suspected this event: Sure, they thought it might be some Son, or grandchild of him, which then held the Throne, so as this might win favour from Herod, rather than an unwelcome fear of rivality. Doubtless they went first to the Court; where else should they ask for a King? The more pleasing this news had been, if it had fall'n upon Herod's own loins, the more grievous it was to light upon a stranger: If Herod had nor overmuch affected greatness, he had not upon those indirect terms aspired to the Crown of jewry; so much the more therefore did it trouble him to hear the rumour of a successor, and that not of his own. Settled greatness cannot abide either change, or partnership: If any of his subjects had moved this question, I fear, his head had answered it. It is well, that the name of foreigners could excuse these Sages: Herod could not be brought up among the jews, and not have heard many and confident reports of a Messiah, that should ere long arise out of Israel; and now when he hears the fame of a King borne, whom a Star from heaven signifies and attends; he is nettled with the news: Every thing affrights the guilty: Usurpation is full of jealousies, and fear, no less full of projects and imaginations; it makes us think every bush a man, and every man a thief. Why art thou troubled (O Herod?) A King is borne, but such a King, as whose Sceptre may ever concur with lawful sovereignty; yea such a King, as by whom Kings do hold their Sceptres, not lose them: If the wisemen tell thee of a King, the Star tells thee, he is heavenly: Here is good cause of security, none of fear: The most general enmities and oppositions to good, arise from mistake; If men could but know, how much safety and sweetness there is in all divine truth, it could receive nothing from them but welcomes and gratulations: Misconceits have been still guilty of all wrongs, and persecutions. But if Herod were troubled (as Tyranny is still suspicious) why was all jerusalem troubled with him? jerusalem which now might hope for a relaxation of her bonds, for a recovery of her liberty, and right? jerusalem, which now only had cause to lift up her drooping head in the joy and happiness of a redeemer? yet not Herod's Court, but even jerusalem was troubled; so had this miserable City been over-toyled with change, that now they were settled in a condition quietly evil, they are troubled with the news of better: They had now got an habit of servility, and now they are so acquainted with the yoke, that the very noise of liberty, (which they supposed would not come with ease) began to be unwelcome. To turn the causes of joy into sorrow, argues extreme dejectedness, and a distemper of judgement no less than desperate: Fear puts on a visor of devotion; Herod calls his learned council, and as not doubting, whether the Messiah should be borne, he asks, where he shall be borne? In the disparition of that other light, there is a perpetually fixed Star, shining in the writings of the Prophets, that guides the chief Priests and Scribes directly unto Bethleem: As yet envy, and prejudice had not blinded the eyes, and perverted the hearts of the jewish teachers; so as now, they clearly justify that Christ, whom they afterwards condemn, and by thus justifying him, condemn themselves in rejecting him: The water, that is untroubled, yields the visage perfectly▪ If God had no more witness, but from his enemies, we have ground enough of our faith. Herod feared, but dissembled his fear, as thinking it a shame, that strangers should see, there could any power arise under him, worthy of his respect or awe: Out of an unwillingness therefore to discover the impotency of his passion, he makes little ado of the matter, but only, after a privy inquisition into the time, imploies the informers in the search of the person; Go, and search diligently for the Babe, etc. It was no great journey from jerusalem to Bethleem: how easily might Herod's cruelty have secretly suborned some of his bloody Courtiers to this enquiry, and execution? If God had not meant to mock him, before he found himself mocked of the wise men, he had rather sent before their journey, than after their disappointment: But that God, in whose hands all hearts are, did purposely besot him, that he might not find the way to so horrible a mischief. There is no villainy so great, but it will mask itself under a show of piety: Herod will also worship the Babe; The courtesy of a false Tyrant is death; A crafty hypocrite never means so ill, as when he speaks fairest: the wise men are upon their way, full of expectation, full of desire; I see no man either of the City, or Court to accompany them; Whether distrust, or fear hindered them, I inquire not: but of so many thousand jews, no one stirs his foot to see that King of theirs, which strangers came so fare to visit: yet were not these resolute Sages discouraged with this solitariness, and small respect, nor drawn to repent of their journey, as thinking, What do we come so fare to honour a King, whom no man will acknowledge? What mean we to travel so many hundred miles to see that, which the inhabitants will not look out to behold? but cheerfully renew their journey to that place, which the ancient light of prophecy had designed; And now behold, God incourages their holy forwardness from heaven, by sending them their first guide, as if he had said, What need ye care for the neglect of men, when ye see heaven honours the King whom ye seek? What joy these Sages conceived, when their eyes first beheld the re-appearance of that happy Star, they only can tell, that after a long and sad night of tentation, have seen the loving countenance of God shining forth upon their souls: If with obedience and courage we can follow the calling of God, in difficult enterprises, we shall not want supplies of comfort. Let not us be wanting to God, we shall be sure, he cannot be wanting to us. He that led Israel by a Pillar of fire into the Land of Promise, leads the wisemen by a Star, to the Promised seed: All his directions partake of that light, which is in him; For God is light: this Star moves both slowly and low, as might be fittest for the pace, for the purpose of these Pilgrims. It is the goodness of God, that in those means wherein we cannot reach him, he descends unto us. Surely when the Wisemen saw the Star stand still, they looked about to see, what Palace there might be near unto that station, fit for the birth of a King, neither could they think that sorry shed was it, which the Star meant to point out, but finding their guide settled over that base roof, they go in to see, what guest it held. They enter, and, O God, what a King do they find! how poor? how contemptible? wrapped in clouts, laid in straw, cradled in the manger, attended with beasts! what a sight was this, after all the glorious promises of that Star, after the predictions of Prophets, after the magnificence of their expectation? All their way afforded nothing so despicable, as that Babe, whom they came to worship: But as those, which could not have been wisemen, unless they had known, that the greatest glories have arisen from mean beginnings, they fall down, and worship that hidden majesty: This baseness hath bred wonder in them, not contempt; they well knew, the Star could not lie: they which saw his Star a far off in the East, when he lay swaddled in Bethleem, do also see his royalty further off, in the despised estate of his infancy: A royalty more than humane: They well knew, that stars did not use to attend earthly Kings; and if their aim had not been higher, what was a jewish King to Persian strangers? answerable therefore hereunto was their adoration. Neither did they lift up empty hands to him, whom they worshipped, but presented him with the most precious commodities of their country, Gold, Incense, Myrrh; not as thinking to enrich him with these, but by way of homage acknowledging him the Lord of these: If these Sages had been Kings, and had offered a Princely weight of gold, the blessed Virgin had not needed in her purification to have offered two young pigeons, as the sign of her penury: As God love's not empty hands, so he measures fullness by the affection: Let it be Gold, or Incense, or Mirth, that we offer him, it cannot but please him, who doth not use to ask, how much, but how good. The Purification. THere could be no impurity in the Son of God, and if the best substance of a pure Virgin, carried in it any taint of Adam, that was scoured away by sanctification in the womb, and yet the Son would be circumcised, and the Mother purified: He that came to be sin for us, would in our persons be legally unclean, that by satisfying the law, he might take away our uncleanness: Though he were exempted from the common condition of our birth, yet he would not deliver himself from those ordinary rites, that implied the weakness, and blemishes of humanity: He would fulfil one law to abrogate it, another to satisfy it; He that was above the Law, would come under the Law, to free us from the Law: Not a day would be changed, either in the Circumcision of Christ, or the Purification of Mary. Here was neither convenience of place, nor of necessaries for so painful a work, in the stable of Bethleem; yet he that made, and gave the Law, will rather keep it with difficulty, than transgress it with ease. Why wouldst thou, O blessed Saviour, suffer that sacred foreskin to be cut off, but that by the power of thy circumcision, the same might be done to our souls, that was done to thy body? we cannot be therefore thine, if our hearts be uncircumcised: Do thou that in us, which was done to thee for us; cut off the superfluity of our maliciousness, that we may be holy in, and by thee, which for us wert content to be legally impure. There was shame in thy birth, there was pain in thy circumcision: After a contemptible welcome into the world, that a sharp razor should pass thorough thy skin for our sakes, (which can hardly endure to bleed for our own) it was the praise of thy wonderful mercy, in so early humiliation: What pain, or contempt should we refuse for thee, that hast made no spare of thyself for us? Now is Bethleem left with too much honour, there is Christ borne, adored, circumcised: No sooner is the blessed virgin either able, or allowed to walk, than she travels to jerusalem, to perform her holy Rites for herself, for her Son; to purify herself, to present her Son: She goes not to her own house at Nazareth, she goes to God's House at jerusalem: If purifying were a shadow, yet thanksgiving is a substance: Those whom God hath blessed with fruit of body, and safety of deliverance, if they make not their first journey to the Temple of God, they partake more of the unthankfulness of Eve, than Mary's devotion. Her forty days therefore were no sooner out, than Mary comes up to the holy City: The rumour of a new King borne at Bethleem, was yet fresh at jerusalem, since the report of the wisemen: and what good news had this been for any pickthank to carry to the Court, Here is the Babe, whom the Star signified, whom the Sages inquired for, whom the Angels proclaimed, whom the Shepherds talked of, whom the Scribes and high Priests notified, whom Herod seeks after? Yet unto that jerusalem, which was troubled at the report of his Birth, is Christ come, and all tongues are so locked up, that he, which sent from jerusalem to Bethleem to seek him, finds him not, who (as to countermine Herod) is come from Bethleem to jerusalem. Dangers that are aloof of, and but possible, may not hinder us from the duty of our devotion: God saw it not yet time to let lose the fury of his adversaries, whom he holds up, like some eager mastiffs, and then only lets go, when they shall most shame themselves, and glorify him. Well might the blessed Virgin have wrangled with the Law, and challenged an immunity from all ceremonies of purification; what should I need purging, which did not conceive in sin? This is for those mothers, whose births are unclean, mine is from God, which is purity itself: The law of Moses reaches only to those women, which have conceived seed, I conceived not this seed, but the Holy Ghost in me: The law extends to the mothers of those sons, which are under the law, mine is above it. But as one, that cared more for her peace, than her privilege, and more desired to be free from offence, than from labour and charge, she dutifully fulfils the Law of that God, whom she carried in her womb, and in her arms: Like the mother of him, who though he knew the children of the Kingdom free: yet would pay tribute unto Caesar: Like the Mother of him, whom it behoved to fulfil all righteousness: And if she were so officious in ceremonies, as not to admit of any excuse in the very circumstance of her obedience, how much more strict was she in the main duties of morality? That soul is fit for the Spiritual conception of Christ, that is conscionably scrupulous in observing all God's Commandments, whereas he hates all alliance to a negligent, or froward heart. The law of Purification proclaims our uncleanness: The Mother is not allowed after her childbirth to come unto the Sanctuary, or to touch any hallowed thing, till her set time be expired; What are we whose very birth infects the mother that bears us? At last, she comes to the Temple, but with sacrifices, either a Lamb; and a Pigeon, or Turtle, or (in the meaner estate) two Turtle doves, or young Pigeons: Whereof one is for a offering, the other for a sin-offering: The one for thanksgiving, the other for expiation: For expiation of a double sin, of the mother, that conceived, of the child, that was conceived. We are all born sinners, and it is a just question, whether we do more infect the world, or the world us? They are gross flatterers of nature, that tell her, she is clean: If our lives had no sin, we bring enough with us; the very infant, that life's not to sin as Adam, yet he sinned in Adam, and is sinful in himself. But oh, the unspeakable mercy of our God we provide the sin, he provides the remedy: Behold an expiation well-near, as early, as our sin; the blood of a young lamb, or dove, yea rather the blood of Him, whose innocence was represented by both, cleanseth us presently from our filthiness. First, went circumcision, than came the sacrifice, that by two holy acts, that which was naturally unholy, might be hallowed unto God: Under the Gospel our Baptism hath the force of both: It does away our corruption by the water of the Spirit; It applies to us the sacrifice of Christ's blood, whereby we are cleansed: Oh that we could magnify this goodness of our God, which hath not left our very infancy without redress, but hath provided such helps, as whereby we may be delivered from the danger of our hereditary evils. Such is the favourable respect of our wise God, that he would not have us undo ourselves with devotion: the service be requires of us, is ruled by our abilities: Every poor mother was not able to bring a lamb for her offering: there was none so poor, but might procure a pair of turtles or pigeons. These doth God both prescribe, and accept from poorer hands, no less, than the beasts of a thousand mountains: He looks for somewhat of every one, not of every one alike: Since it is he, that makes differences of abilities (to whom it were as easy to make all rich) his mercy will make no difference in the acceptation: The truth and heartiness of obedience is that, which he will crown in his meanest servants: A mite from the poor widow, is more worth to him, than the talents of the wealthy. After all the presents of those Eastern worshippers (who intended rather homage, than ditation) the blessed Virgin comes in the form of poverty with her two doves unto God; she could not without some charge lie all this while at Bethleem, she could not without charge travel from Bethleem to jerusalem; Her offering confesseth her penury; The best are not ever the wealthiest: Who can despise any once for want, when the mother of Christ was not rich enough to bring a lamb for her purification? We may be as happy in russet, as in tissue. While the blessed Virgin brought her Son into the Temple, with that pair of doves, here were more doves than a pair: They, for whose sake that offering was brought, were more doves, than the doves that were brought for that offering: Her Son, for whom she brought that dove to be sacrificed, was that sacrifice, which the done represented: There was nothing in him, but perfection of innocence, and the oblation of him is that, whereby all mothers and sons are fully purified. Since in ourselves we cannot be innocent, happy are we, if we can have the spotless Dove sacrificed for us, to make us innocent in him. The blessed Virgin had more business in the Temple than her own; she came, as to purify herself, so to present her Son: Every male, that first opened the womb, was holy unto the Lord; He that was the Son of God by eternal generation before times, and by miraculous conception in time, was also by common course of nature consecrate unto God: It is fit the holy mother should present God with his own: Her first borne was the first borne of all creatures: It was he, whose Temple it was, that he was presented in, to whom all the first borne of all creatures were consecrated, by whom they were accepted; and now is he brought in his mother's arms to his own house, and as man, is presented to himself as God: If Moses had never written Law of God's special propriety in the first borne, this Son of God's Essence and Love had taken possession of the Temple; His right had been a perfect law to himself: Now his obedience to that law, which himself had given, doth no less call him thither, than the challenge of his peculiar interest. He that was the Lord of all creatures (ever since he strooke the first borne of the Egyptians) requires the first male of all creatures, both man and beast, to be dedicated to him; wherein God caused a miraculous event to second nature, which seems to challenge the first and best for the Maker: By this rule, God should have had his service done only by the heirs of Israel: But since God, for the honour and remuneration of Levi, had chosen out that Tribe to minister unto him, now the first borne of all Israel must be presented to God, as his due, but by allowance redeemed to their parents: As for beasts, the first male of the clean beasts must be sacrificed, of unclean exchanged for a price: So much morality is there in this constitution of God, that the best of all kinds is fit to be consecrated to the Lord of all. Every thing we have is too good for us, if we think any thing we have too good for him. How glorious did the Temple now seem, that the Owner was within the walls of it? Now was the hour, and guest come, in regard whereof the second Temple should surpass the first: this was his house built for him, dedicated to him: There had he dwelled long in his spiritual presence, in his typical: There was nothing either placed, or done within those walls, whereby be was not resembled, and now the body of those shadows is come, and presents himself, where he had been ever represented: jerusalem is now every where: There is no Church, no Christian heart, which is not a Temple of the living God: There is no Temple of God wherein Christ is not presented to his Father: Look upon him (O God) in whom thou art well pleased, and in him, and for him be well pleased with us. Under the Gospel we are all first borne, all heirs: Every soul is to be holy unto the Lord, we are a royal generation, an holy Priesthood: Our baptism as it is our circumcision, and our sacrifice of purification, so is it also our presentation unto God: Nothing can become us but holiness. O God, to whom we are devoted, serve thyself of us, glorify thyself by us, till we shall by thee be glorified with thee. HEROD and the Jnfants. WEll might these wise men have suspected Herod's secrecy; If he had meant well, what needed that whispering? That which they published in the streets, he asks in his privy chamber; yet they not misdoubting his intention, purpose to fulfil his charge: It could not in their apprehension but be much honour to them, to make their success known, that now both King and people might see, it was not fancy that led them, but an assured revelation: That God, which brought them thither, diverted them, and caused, their eyes shut, to guide them the best way home. These Sages made a happy voyage: for now they grew into further acquaintance with God: They are honoured with a second messenger from heaven: They saw the star in the way, the Angel in their bed: The star guided their journey unto Christ, the Angel directed their return: They saw the star by day, a vision by night: God spoke to their eyes by the star, he speaks to their heart by a dream: No doubt, they had left much noise of Christ behind them: they that did so publish his birth by their inquiry at jerusalem, could not be silent when they found him at Bethleem: If they had returned by Herod, I fear they had come short home; He that meant death to the Babe for the name of a King, could mean no other to those that honoured and proclaimed a new King, and erected a Throne besides his: they had done what they came for; and now that God, whose business they came about, takes order at once for his Son's safety, and for theirs: God, which is perfection itself, never begins any business, but he makes an end, and ends happily; When our ways are his, there is no danger of miscarriage. Well did these wisemen know the difference, as of stars, so of dreams; they had learned to distinguish between the natural and divine; and once apprehending God in their sleep, they follow him waking, and return another way. They were no subjects to Herod, his command pressed them so much the less, or if the being within his dominions had been no less bound, than native subjection, yet where God did countermand Herod, there could be no question, whom to obey. They say not, We are in a strange country, Herod may meet with us, It can be no less than death to mock him in his own territories; but cheerfully put themselves upon the way, and trust God with the success: Where men command with God, we must obey men for God, and God in men; when against him, the best obedience is to deny obedience, and to turn our backs upon Herod. The wisemen are safely arrived in the East, and fill the world full of cxpectation, as themselves are full of wonder: joseph and Mary are returned with the Babe to that jerusalem, where the wise men had inquired for his birth. The City was doubtless still full of that rumour, and little thinks, that he whom they talk of, was so near them: From thence they are, at least in their way to Nazareth, where they purpose their abode: God prevents them by his Angel, and sends them for safety into Egypt; joseph was not wont to be so full of visions: It was not long since the Angel appeared unto him to justify the innocency of the mother, and the Deity of the Son; now he appears for the preservation of both, and a preservation by flight: Can joseph now choose, but think, Is this the King, that must save Israel, that needs to be saved by me? If he be the Son of God, how is he subject to the violence of men? How is he Almighty, that must save himself by flight? or how much he fly to save himself out of that land, which he comes to save? But faithful joseph having been once tutored by the Angel, and having heard, what the wisemen said of the Star, which Simeon and Anna said in the Temple, labours not so much to reconcile his thoughts, as to subject them; and 〈◊〉 o●●, that knew it safer to suppress doubts, than to assoil them, can believe, what he understands not, and can wonder, where he cannot comprehend. Oh strange condition of the King of all the world! He could not be borne in a base● estate, yet even this he cannot enjoy with safety. There was no room for him in Bethleem, there will be no room for him in judea: He is no sooner come to his own; than he must fly from them; that he may save them, he must avoid them: Had it not been easy for the● (O Saviour) to have acquit thyself from Herod, a thousand ways? What could an arm of flesh have done against the God of spirits? What had it been for thee to have sent Herod five years sooner unto his place? what to have commanded fire from heaven on those, that should have come to apprehend thee? or to have bidden the earth to receive them alive, whom she meant to swallow dead? We suffer misery, because we must; thou, because thou wouldst: The same will that brought thee from heaven into earth, sends thee from jury to Egypt; as thou wouldst be borne mean and miserable, so thou wouldst live subject to humane vexations, that thou, which hast taught us how good it is to bear the yoke even in our youth, mightst sanctify to us early afflictions. Or whether (O Father) since it was the purpose of thy wisdom to manifest thy Son by degrees unto the world, was it thy will thu● to hide him for a time, under our infirmity? and what other is our condition? we are no sooner borne thine, than we are persecuted. If the Church travel, and bring forth a male, she is in danger of the Dragon's streams: What do the members complain of the same measure, which was offered to the Head? Both our births are accompanied with tears. Even of those, whose mature age is full of trouble, yet the infancy is commonly quiet, but here life and toil began together. O blessed Virgin! even already did the sword begin to pierce thy soul: thou which wert forced to bear thy Son in thy womb, from Nazareth to Bethleem, must now bear him in thy arms from jury into Egypt; yet couldst thou not complain of the way, whilst thy Saviour was with thee: His presence alone was able to make the stable a Temple, Egypt a Paradise, the way more pleasing than rest. But whither then? O whither dost thou carry that blessed burden, by which thyself and the world are upholden? To Egypt, the slaughter house of God's people, the furnace of Israel's ancient affliction, the sink of the world: Out of Egypt have I called my Son (saith God.) That thou called'st thy Son out of Egypt, O God, is no marvel; It is a marvel, that thou called'st him into Egypt; but that we know, all earth's are thine, and all places and men are like figures upon a table, such as thy disposition makes them: What a change is here? Israel the first borne of God, flies out of Egypt into the promised Land of judea; Christ the First borne of all creatures, flies from judea into Egypt: Egypt is become the Sanctuary, judea the Inquisition-house of the Son of God: He, that is every where the same, makes all places alike to his: He makes the fiery furnace a gallery of pleasure, the Lion's den an house of defence, the Whale's belly a lodging chamber, Egypt an harbour. He flees that was able to preserve himself from danger, to teach us, how lawfully we may flee from those dangers, we cannot avoid otherwise: It is a thankless fortitude, to offer our throat unto the knife: He, that came to die for us, fled for his own preservation, and hath bid us follow him; When they persecute you in one City, flee into another: We have but the use of our lives, and we are bound to husband them to the best advantage of God and his Church: God hath made us, not as Butts to be perpetually shot at, but as the marks of rovers movable, as the wind and sun may best serve. It was warrant enough for joseph and Mary that God commands them to flee, yet so familiar is God grown with his approved servants, that he gives them the reason of his commanded flight: (For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him:) What wicked men will do, what they would do, is known unto God before hand: He that is so infinitely wise to know the designs of his enemies before they are, could as easily prevent them, that they might not be, but he lets them run on in their own courses, that he may fetch glory to himself out of their wickedness. Good joseph having this charge in the night, stays not till the morning; no sooner had God said Arise, than he starts up and sets forward: It was not diffidence, but obedience that did so hasten his departure; The charge was direct, the business important: He dares not linger for the light, but breaks his rest for the journey, and taking vantage of the dark, departs toward Egypt: How knew he this occasion would abide any delay? We cannot be too speedy in the execution of God's commands, we may be too late: Here was no treasure to hide, no hangings to take down, no lands to secure; The poor Carpenter needs do no more but lock the doors, and away: He goes lightly that wants a load: If there be more pleasure in abundance, there is more security in a mean estate: The Bustard or the Ostrich, when he is pursued, can hardly get upon his wings, whereas the Lark mounts with ease. The rich hath not so much advantage of the poor in the enjoying, as the poor hath of the rich in leaving. Now is joseph come down into Egypt: Egypt was beholden to the name, as that whereto it did owe no less than their universal preservation: Well might it repay this act of Hospitality to that name and blood: the going down into Egypt had not so much difficulty, as the staying there: Their absence from their country was little better than a banishment; but what was this other, than to serve a prenticeship in the house of bondage? to be any where save at home, was irksome: but to be in Egypt so many years amongst idolatrous Pagans, must needs be painful to religious hearts: The Command of their God, and the Presence of Christ makes amends for all: How long should they have thought it to see the Temple of God, if they had not had the God of the Temple with them? How long to present their sacrifices at the Altar of God, if they had not had him with them, which made all sacrifices accepted, and which did accept the sacrifice of their hearts? Herod was subtle in mocking the wisemen, whiles he promised to worship him whom he meant to kill; now God makes the wise men to mock him, in disappointing his expectation: It is just with God to punish those, which would beguile others with illusion: Great spirits are so much more impatient of disgrace; How did Herod now rage, and fret, and vainly wish to have met with those false spies, and tells, with what torments he would revenge their treachery, and curses himself for trusting strangers in so important a business? The Tyrant's suspicion would not let him rest long: Ere many days he sends to inquire of them, whom he sent to inquire of Christ. The notice of their secret departure increaseth his jealousy, and now his anger runs mad, and his fear proves desperate: All the infants of Bethleem shall bleed for this one; And (that he may make sure work) he cuts out to himself large measures both of time, and place: It was but very lately that the Star appeared, that the wisemen re-appeared not: They asked for him that was borne, they did not name when he was borne: Herod for more security over-reaches their time, and fetches into the slaughter all the children of two yeears' age: The Priests and Scribes had told him, the town of Bethleem must be the place of the Messiah's nativity: He fetches in all the children of the coasts adjoining; yea his own shall for the time be a Bethleemite: A tyrannous guiltiness never thinks itself safe, but ever seeks to assure itself in the excess of cruelty. Doubtless he, which so privily inquired for Christ, did as secretly brew this massacre: The mothers were set with their children on their laps, feeding them with the breast, or talking to them in the familiar language of their love, when suddenly the Executioner rushes in, and snatches them from their arms, and at once pulling forth his Commission and his knife, without regard to shrieks or tears, murders the innocent babe, and leaves the passionate mother in a mean between madness and death. What cursing of Herod? what wring of hands? what condoling? what exclaiming was now in the streets of Bethleem? O bloody Herod, that couldst sacrifice so many harmless lives to thine ambition! What could those infants have done? If it were thy person, whereof thou wert afraid, what likelihood was it, thou couldst live, till those sucklings might endanger thee? This news might affect thy successors, it could not concern thee, if the heat of an impotent and furious envy had not made thee thirsty of blood: It is not long, that thou shalt enjoy this cruelty; After a few hateful years, thy soul shall feel the weight of so many innocents, of so many just curses. He, for whose sake thou killed'st so many, shall strike thee with death; and then what wouldst thou have given to have been as one of those infants whom thou murtheredst? In the mean time, when thine executioners returned, and told thee of their unpartial dispatch, thou smiledst to think, how thou had defeated thy rival, and beguiled the star, and deluded the prophecies, whiles God in heaven, and his Son on earth laugh thee to scorn, and make thy rage an occasion of further glory to him, whom thou meantest to suppress. He that could take away the lives of others, cannot protract his own. Herod is now sent home; The coast is clear for the return of that holy family; Now God calls them from their exile: Christ and his Mother had not stayed so long out of the confines of the reputed visible Church, but to teach us continuance under the Cross: Sometimes God sees it good for us not to sip of the cup of affliction, but to make a dict-drinke of it, for constant and common use: If he allow us no other liquor for many years, we must take it off cheerfully, and know, that it is but the measure of our betters. joseph and Mary stir not without a command; their departure, stay, remoovall is ordered by the voice of God: If Egypt had been more tedious unto them, they durst not move their foot, till they were bidden: It is good in our own business to follow reason, or custom: but in God's business, if we have any other guide but himself, we presume, and cannot expect a blessing. O the wonderful dispensation of God in concealing of himself from men! Christ was now some five years old; he bears himself as an infant, and knowing all things, neither takes nor gives notice of aught concerning his remoovall and disposing, but appoints that to be done by his Angel, which the Angel could not have done, but by him: Since he would take our nature, he would be a perfect child, suppressing the manifestation and exercise of that Godhead, whereto that infancy-nature was conjoined. Even so, O Saviour, the humility of thine infancy was answerable to that of thy birth: The more thou hidest and abasest thyself for us, the more should we magnify thee, the more should we deject ourselves for thee. Unto Thee, with the Father and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. FJNJS. Contemplations UPON THE HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. The second Book. Containing Christ among the Doctors. Christ Baptised. Christ Tempted. Simon Called. The Marriage in Cana. The good Centurion. By IOS. HALL.. SIC ELEVABITUR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI: Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624. TO THE HONOURABLE GENERAL, SIR EDWARD CECIL KNIGHT, all honour and happiness. Most Honoured Sir, THe store of a good Scribe is (according to our Saviour) both old and new; I would (if I durst) be ambitious of this only honour; having therefore drawn forth these not-frivolous thoughts, out of the old Testament, I fetch these following from the new; God is the same in both; as the body differs not with the age of the suit, with the change of robes: The old and new wine of holy Truth, came both out of one vineyard; yet here may we safely say to the Word of his Father, as was said to the Bridegroom of Cana, Thou hast kept the best wine till the last; The authority of both is equally sacred; the use admits no less difference, than is betwixt a Saviour foreshadowed, and come. The intermission of those military employments, which have won you just honour, both in foreign nations, and at home, is in this only gainful, that it yields you leisure to these happy thoughts, which shall more fully acquaint you with him that is at once the God of Hosts, & the Prince of Peace: To the furtherance whereof these my poor labours shall do no thankless offices. In lieu of your noble favours to me both at home, and where you have merited command, nothing can be returned but humble acknowledgements, and hearty prayers for the increase of your Honour, and all happiness to yourself, and your thrice-worthy and virtuous Lady, by him that is deeply obliged, and truly devoted to you both, IOS. HALL.. CONTEMPLATIONS. THE SECOND BOOK. Christ among the Doctors. EVen the Spring shows us what we may hope for of the tree in Summer; In his nonage therefore, would our Saviour give us a taste of his future proof, left, if his perfection should have showed itself without warning to the world, it should have been entertained with more wonder, than belief; now this act of his Childhood shall prepare the faith of men by fore-expectation: notwithstanding all this early demonstration of his divine graces, the incredulous jews could afterwards say, Whence hath this man his wisdom and great works? What would they have said, if he had suddenly leapt forth into the clear light of the world. The Sun would dazzle all eyes, if he should break forth at his first rising into his full strength; now he hath both the daystar to go before him, and to b●k●e● look for that glorious body, and the lively colours of the day, to publish his approach; the eye is comforted; not hurt by his appearance. The Parents of Christ went up yearly to jerusalem at the feast of the Passeover; the law was only for the ma●es: I do not find the blessed Virgin bound to this voyage, the weaker sex received indulgence from God: yet she knowing the spiritual profit of that journey, takes pains voluntarily to measure that long way every year; Pie● regards not any distinction of sexes or degrees, neither yet doth God's acceptation; rather doth i● please the mercy of the highest, more to reward that service, which, though he like in all, yet out of favour he will not impose upon all. It could not be, but that she whom the holy Ghost ouershaddowed, should be zealous of God's service: those that will go no further than they are dragged in their religious exercises, are no whit of kin to her whom all generations shall call blessed. The child jesus in the minority of his age, went up with his Parents to the holy solemnity, not this year only; but in all likelihood others also; he, in the power of whose Godhead, and by the motion of whose Spirit ●●ll others ascended thither, would not himself stay at home. In all his examples he meant our instruction▪ this pious act of hi● nonage intended to lead our first years into timely devotion. The first liquor seasons the vessel for a long time after: It is every way good for a man to bear God's yoke, even from his infancy: it is the poli●ie of the Devil to discourage early holiness ●he that goes out betimes in the morning, is more like to dispatch his journey, than he that lingers till the day be spent. This blessed Family came not to look at the feast and be gone; but they duly stayed out all the appointed days of unleavened bread▪ they and the rest of Israel could not want household businesses at home; those secular affairs could not either keep them from repairing to jerusalem, or send them away immaturely; Worldly ears must give place to the sacred▪ Except we will deport unblessed; we must attend God's services till we may receive his dismission. It was the fashion of those times and places, that they went up, and so returned by troops, to those set meetings of their holy festivals. The whole Parish of Nazareth went and came together: Good fellowship doth no way so well, as in the passage to Heaven: much comfort is added by society to that journey, which is of itself pleasant; It is an happy word, Come, let us go up to the House of the Lord. Mutual encouragement is none of the least benefits of our holy assemblies: Many sticks laid together, make a good fire, which if they lie single, lose both their light and heat. The feast ended, what should they do but 〈◊〉 to Nazareth? God's services may not be so attended, as that we should neglect our particular callings: Himself calls us from his own House to ours, and takes pleasure to see a painful Client: They are foully mistaken, that think God cares for no other trade but devotion: Piety and diligence must keep meet changes with each other; neither doth God less accept of our return to Nazareth, than our going up to jerusalem. I cannot think that the blessed Virgin, or good joseph, could be so negligent of their divine charge, as not to call the child jesus, to their setting forth from jerusalem: But their back was no sooner turned upon the Temple, than this face was towards it; he had business in that place, when theirs was ended: there he was both worshipped and represented: He, in whom the Godhead dwelled bodily, could do nothing without God: his true Father led him away from his supposed: Sometimes the affairs of our ordinary vocation, may not grudge to yield unto spiritual occasions: The Parents of Christ knew him well, to be of a disposition, not strange, nor sullen and stoical, but sweet and sociable: and therefore they supposed, he had spent the time and the way, in company of their friends and neighbours: They do not suspect him wandered into the solitary fields: but when evening came, they go to seek him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. If he had not wont to converse formerly with them, he had not now been sought amongst them: Neither as God, nor man, doth he take pleasure in a stern froward austerity, and wild retiredness: but in a mild affableness, and amiable conversation. But, O blessed Virgin, who can express the sorrows of they perplexed soul, when all that evening-search could afford thee no news of thy Son jesus? Was not this one of those swords of Simeon, which should pierce thorough thy tender breast? How didst thou chide thy credulous neglect, in not observing so precious a charge, and blame thine eyes, for once looking beside this object of thy love? How didst thou, with thy careful husband, spend that restless night, in mutual expostulations, and bemoning of your loss? How many suspicious imaginations did that while rack thy grieved spirit? Perhaps thou mightest doubt, lest they which laid for him, by Herod's command, at his birth, had now by the secret instigation of Archelaus, surprised him in his childhood: or it may be, thou thoughtst thy divine Son had now withdrawn himself from the earth, and returned to his heavenly Glory, without warning: or peradventure, thou studiedst with thyself, whether any carelessness on thy behalf, had not given occasion to this absence. O dear Saviour, who can miss and not mourn for thee? Never any foul conceived thee by faith, that was less afflicted with the sense of thy desertion, than comforted with the joy of thy presence: Just is that sorrow, and those tears seasonable, that are bestowed upon thy loss; What comfort are we capable of, whiles we want thee? What relish is there in these earthly delights without thee? What is there to mitigate our passion are discomforts, if not from thee? Let thyself lose, O my soul, to the fullness of joy, and deny to receive comfort from any thing, save from his return. In vain is Christ sought among his kindred, according to the flesh: So fare are they still from giving us their aid, to find the true Messiah, that they lead us from him: Back again therefore are joseph and Mary gone, to seek him at jerusalem: She goes about in the City, by the streets and by the open places, & seeks him wh●● her soul loveth: she sought him for the time; and found him not. Do we think she spared her search? The evening of her return, she hastes to the I●●e, where she had left him, where missing him, she inquires of every one she met, Have you not seen him, whom my soul loveth? At last, the third day, she finds him in the Temple: One day was spent in the journey towards Galilee; another in the return to jerusalem: The third day recovers him: He, who would rise again the third day, and be found amongst the living, now also would the third day be found of his Parents, after the sorrow of his absence. But where wert thou, O blessed jesus, for the space of these three days? where didst thou bestow thyself, or who tended thee, whiles thou wert thus alone at jerusalem? I know, if jerusalem should have been as unkind to thee as Bethleem; thou couldst have commanded the Heavens to harbour thee, and if men did not minister to thee, thou couldst have commanded the service of Angels; but since the form of a servant called thee to a voluntary homeliness, whether it pleased thee to exercise thyself thus early with the difficulties of a stranger, or to provide miraculously for thyself; I inquire not, since thou reuealest not; only this I know, that hereby thou intendedst to teach thy Parents, that thou couldst live without them, and that not of any indigency, but out of a gracious dispensation, thou wouldst ordinarily depend upon their care. In the mean time, thy divine wisdom could not but foreknow all these corroding thoughts, wherewith the heart of thy dear mother must needs bleed, through this sudden dereliction; yet wouldst thou leave her for the time to her sorrow: Even so, O Saviour, thou thoughtest fit to visit her, that bore thee with this early affliction; Never any loved thee, whom thou dost not sometimes exercise with the grief of missing thee, that both we may be more careful to hold thee, and more joyful in recovering thee. Thou hast said, and canst not lie, I am with you to the end of the world: but even whiles thou art really present; thou thinkest good to be absent unto our apprehensions: yet if thou leave us, thou wilt not forsake us; if thou leave us for our humiliation, thou wilt not forsake us to our final discomfort; thou mayest for three days hide thyself, but then we shall find thee in the Temple; None ever sought thee with a sincere desire, of whom thou wert not found: Thou wilt not be either so little absent, as not to whet our appetites, nor so long, as to fainten the heart. After three days we shall find thee; and where should we rather hope to find thee than in the Temple? There is the habitation for the God of Israel, there is thy resting place for ever; Oh all ye that are grieved with the want of your Saviour, see where you must seek him: In vain shall ye hope to find him in the streets, in the Taverns, in the theatres: seek him in his holy Temple: Seek him with piety, seek him with faith, there shall ye meet him, there shall ye recover him. Whiles children of that age were playing in the streets, Christ was found fitting in the Temple, not to gaze on the outward glory of that house, or on the golden Candlesticks, or Tables, but to hear and appose the Doctors; He, who as God, gave them all the wisdom they had, as the Son of man hearkens to the wisdom he had given them: He, who sat in their hearts, as the Author of all learning and knowledge, sits in the midst of their school, as an humble Disciple: That by learning of them, he might teach all the younger sort humility, and due attendance upon their Instructours, he could at the first have taught the great Rabbins of Israel the deep mysteries of God; but because he was not yet called by his Father, to the public function of a Feather, he contents himself to hear with diligence, and to ask with modesty, and to search only by insinuation. Let ●hose consider this, which will needs run as soon as they can go: and when they find ability, think they need not stay for a further vocation of God or men. Open your eyes, ye rather ripe invaders of God's Chair: and see your Saviour in his younger years, not sitting in the eminent pulpits of the Doctors, but in the lowly floors of the Auditors: See him that could have taught the Angels, listening in his minority to the voice of men; Who can think much to learn of his Ancients, when he looks upon the Son of God, sitting at the feet of the Doctors of Israel? First he hears, than he asks: how much more doth it concern us to be hearers, ere we offer to be teachers of others? he gathers that hears, he spends that teacheth; if we spend before we gather, we shall soon prove bankrupts. When he hath heard, he asks; and after that, he answers: doubtless those very questions were instructions, and meant to teach more than to learn: Never had these great Rabbins heard the voice of such a tutor: in whom they might see the wisdom of God so concealing itself, that yet it would be known to be there: No marvel then if they all wondered at his understanding and answers: Their eyes saw nothing but humane weakness, their ears heard divine sublimity of matter; betwixt what they saw, and what they heard, they could not but be distracted with a doubting admiration. And why did ye not (O ye jewish teachers) remember, That to us a Child is borne, and unto us a Son is given, and the government is upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace? Why did ye not now bethink yourselves, what the Star, the Sages, the Angels, the Shepherds, Zachary, Simeon, Anna, had premonished you? Fruitless is the wonder that endeth not in faith; No light is sufficient where the eyes are held through unbelief or prejudice. The Doctors were not more amazed to hear so profound a childhood, than the parents of Christ were to see him among the Doctors; the joy of finding him, did strive with the astonishment of finding him thus: And now, not joseph, (he knew how little right he had to that divine Son) but Mary breaks forth into a loving expostulation (Son, why hast thou dealt so with us?) that she might not seem to take upon her as an imperious Mother; it is like she reserved this question till she had him alone▪ wherein she meant rather to express grief than correption. Only herein the blessed Virgin offended, that her inconsideration did not suppose (as it was) that some higher respects, than could be due to flesh and blood, called away the Son of God from her, that was the daughter of man: She that was but else mother of humanity; should not have thought that the business of God must for her sake be neglected: We are all partial to ourselves naturally, and prone to the regard of our own rights; questionless this gracious Saint would not for all the world, have willingly preferred her own attendance, to that of her God: through heedlesnesses she doth so: her son and Saviour is her monitor, out of his divine love reforming her natural: How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must go about my Father's business? Immediately before the blessed Virgin had said, Thy father and I sought thee with heavy hearts: Wherein both according to the supposition of the world, she called joseph the Father of Christ, and according to the fashion of a dutiful wife, she names her joseph, before herself. She well knew that joseph had nothing but a name in this business, she knew how God had dignified her beyond him; yet she says: Thy father and I sought thee; The Son of God stands not upon contradiction to his mother, but leading her thoughts from his supposed father, to his true; from earth to heaven, he answers, (Knew ye not that I must go about my Father's businesses) It was honour enough to her, that he had vouchsafed to take flesh of her; It was his eternal honour, that he was God of God, the everlasting Son of the heavenly Father: good reason therefore was it, that the respects to flesh should give place to the God of Spirits: How well contented was holy Mary with so just an answer? how doth she now again in her heart, renew her answer to the Angels, Behold the servant of the Lord, be it according to thy word? We are all the Sons of God in another kind. Nature and the world thinks we should attend them; we are not worthy to say, we have a Father in heaven, if we cannot steal away from these earthly distractions, and employ ourselves in the services of our God. Christ's Baptism. IOhn did every way foren●e Christ, not so much in the time of his Birth, as in his office; neither was there more unlikeness in their disposition and carriage, that similitude in their function; both did preach and baptise; only john baptised by himself, our Saviour by his Disciples; our Saviour wrought miracles by himself, by his Disciples; john wrought none by either; Wherein Christ meant to show himself a Lord, and john a servant; and john meant to approve himself a true servant to him, whose harbinger he was; he that leapt in the womb of his mother, when his Saviour (than newly conceived) came in presence, bestirred himself, when he was brought forth into the light of the Church, to the honour and service of his Saviour: he did the same before Christ, which Christ charged his Disciples to do after him, Preach and Baptise. The Gospel ran always in one tenor, and was never but like itself; So it became the Word of him in whom there is no shadow by turning, and whose Word it is, I am jehova, I change not. It was fit, that he which had the Prophets, the star, the Angels to foretell his coming into the world; should have his Usher to go before him, when he would notify himself to the world: john was the Voice of a Crier: Christ was the Word of his Father, it was fit this Voice should make a noise to the world, ere the Word of the Father should speak to it; john's note was still Repentance; The Axe to the root, the Fan to the floor, the Chaff to the fire; as his raiment was rough, so was his tongue; and if his food were wild Honey, his speech was stinging Locusts: Thus must the way be made for Christ in every heart: Plausibility is no fit preface to regeneration: if the heart of man had continued upright, God might have been entertained without contradiction; but now violence must be offered to our corruption, ere we can have room for grace; if the great Way-maker do not cast down hills, and raise up valleys in the bosoms of men, there is no passage for Christ; never will Christ come into that soul, where the Herald of repentance hath not been before him. That Saviour of ou●s, who from eternity lay hid in the Counsel of God, who in the fullness of time so came, that he lay hid in the womb of his mother, for the space of forty weeks; after he was come, thought fit to lie hid in Nazareth, for the space of thirty years, now at last gins to show himself to the world, and comes from Galilee to jordan. He that was God always, and might have been perfect man in an instant, would by degrees rise to the perfection both of his Manhood, and execution of his mediator-ship; to teach us, the necessity of leisure in spiritual proceed; that many Suns, and successions of seasons and means must be stayed for, ere we can attain our maturity; and that when we are ripe for the employments of God, we should no less willingly leave our obscurity, than we took the benefit of it for our preparation. He that was formerly circumcised would now be baptised; what is Baptism, but an Evangelicall circumcision? What was circumcision, but a legal baptism? One both supplied and succeeded the other; yet the Author of both will undergo both; He would be circumcised, to sanctify his Church that was, and baptised, to sanctify his Church that should be; that so in both Testaments he might open a way into heaven. There was in him neither filthiness, nor foreskin of corruption, that should need either knife, or water; He came not to be a Saviour for himself, but for us: we are all uncleanness, and uncircumcision: he would therefore have that done to his most pure body, which should be of force to clear our impure souls; thus making himself sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. His baptism gives virtue to ours. His last action (or rather passion) was his baptising with blood; his first was his baptization with water; both of them wash the world from their sins. Yea, this latter did not only wash the souls of men, but washeth that very water, by which we are washed; from hence is that made both clean and holy, and can both cleanse and hollow us; And if the very handkerchief which touched his Apostles, had power of cure, how much more that Water, which the sacred body of Christ touched? Christ comes fare, to seek his baptism: to teach us (for whose sake he was baptised) to wait upon the ordinances of God, and to sue for the favour of spiritual blessings; They are worthless commodities, that are not worth seeking for, it is rarely seen, that God is found of any man unsought for: that desire which only makes us capable of good things, cannot stand with neglect. john durst not baptise unbidden: his Master sent him to do this service, and behold, the Master comes to his servant, to call for the participation of that privilege, which he himself had instituted, and enjoined; how willingly should we come to our spiritual Superiors, for our part in those mysteries, which God hath left in their keeping; yea, how gladly should we come to that Christ, who gives us these blessings, who is given to us in them! This seemed too great an honour for the modesty of john to receive; If his mother could say, when her blessed cousin the Virgin Mary came to visit her (Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?) how much more might he say so, when the divine Son of that mother came to call for a favour from him? I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me? O holy Baptist, if there were not a greater borne of women than thou; yet thou couldst not be borne of a woman, and not need to be baptised of thy Saviour. He baptised with fire, thou with water; Little would thy water have availed thee without his fire: If he had not baptised thee, how wert thou sanctified from the womb? There can be no flesh without filthiness; neither thy supernatural conception, nor thy austere life could exempt thee from the need of baptism: Even those, that have not lived to sin after the similitude of Adam, yet are they so tainted with Adam, that unless the second Adam cleanse them by his baptism, they are hopeless; There is no less use of baptism unto all, than there holy a man is, the more sensible he is of his unholiness; No carnal man could have said (I have need to be baptised of thee;) neither can he find, what he is the better for a little Font-water. The sense of our wretchedness, and the valuation of our spiritual helps, is the best trial of our regeneration: Our Saviour doth not deny, that either john hath need to be baptised of him, or that it is strange, that he should come to be baptised of john, but he will needs thus fare both honour john, and disparage himself, to be baptised of his Messenger; he that would take flesh of the Virgin, cducation from his Parents, sustenance from his creatures, will take baptism from john: It is the praise of his mercy, that he will stoop so low, as to be beholden to his creatures, which from him receive their being and power, both to take and give. Yet not so much respect to john, as obedience to his Father, drew him to this point of humiliation, (Thus it behoves us to fulfil all righteousness.) The Counsels & Appointments of God, are righteousness itself; There needs no other motive, either to the servant, or the Son, than the knowledge of those righteous purposes. This was enough to lead a faithful man thorough all difficulties and inconveniences; neither will it admit of any reply, or any demur: john yields to this honour, which his Saviour puts upon him, in giving baptism to the Author of it: He baptised others to the remission of their sins: now he baptises him, by whom they are remitted both to the Baptizer, and to others. No sooner is Christ baptised, than he comes forth of the water: The element is of force, but during the use: It turns common, when that is past, neither is the water sooner poured on his head, than the Heavens are opened, and the Holy Ghost descendeth upon that Head which was baptised: The Heavens are never shut, whiles either of the Sacraments is duly administered, and received: neither do the Heavens ever thus open, without the descent of the Holy Ghost: But now that the God of Heaven is baptised, they open unto him, which are opened to all the faithful by him: and that Holy Ghost which proceeded from him, together with the Father, joins with the Father in a sensible testimony of him; that now the world might see what interest he had in the Heavens, in the Father, in the holy Spirit, and might expect nothing but divine from the entrance of such a Mediator. Christ tempted. NO sooner is Christ comen out of the water of Baptism, than he enters into the fire of tentation: No sooner is the holy Spirit descended upon his head, in the form of a Dove, than he is led by the Spirit to be tempted. No sooner doth God say, (This is my Son) than Satan says, (If thou be the Some of GOd.) It is not in the power, either of the gift or seals of Grace, to deliver us from the assaults of Satan; they may have the force to repel evil suggestions, they have none to prevent them; yea, the more we are engaged unto God by our public vows, and his pledges of favour, so much more busy and violent is the rage of that evil one, to encounter us; We are no sooner stepped forth into the field of God, than he labours to wrest our weapons out of our hands, or to turn them against us. The voice from Heaven acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God; this divine Testimony did not allay the malice of Satan, but exasperated it: Now that venomous Serpent swells with inward poison, and hastes to assail him, whom God hath hounoured from Heaven. O God, how should I look to escape the suggestions of that wicked one, when the Son of thy love cannot be free? when even grace itself draws on enmity? That enemy, that spared not to strike at the Head, will he forbear the weakest and remotest limb? Arm thou me therefore, with an expectation of that evil I cannot avoid; Make thou me as strong, as he is malicious; Say to my soul also (Thou art my Son) and let Satan do his worst. All the time of our Saviour's obscurity I do not find him set upon; Now, that he looks forth to the public execution of his divine Office, Satan bends his forces against him: Our privacy, perhaps, may sit down in peace, but never man did endeavour a common good without opposition. It is a sign, that both the work is holy, and the Agent faithful, when we meet with strong affronts. We have reason to be comforted with nothing so much, as with resistance; If we were not in a way to do good, we should find no rubs; Satan hath no cause to molest his own, and that whiles they go about his own service; He desires nothing more, than to make us smooth paths to sin; but when we would turn our feet to holiness, he blocks up the way with tentations. Who can wonder enough at the sauciness of that bold spirit, that dares to set upon the Son of the everliving God? who can wonder enough at thy meekness and patience, O Saviour, that wouldst be tempted? He wanted not malice and presumption to assault thee; thou wantedst not humility to endure those assaults. I should stand amazed at this voluntary dispensation of thine, but that I see the susception of our humane nature, lays thee open to this condition. It is necessarily incident to manhood to be liable to tentations; Thou wouldst not have put on flesh, if thou hadst meant utterly to put off this consequence of our infirmity: If the state of innocence could have been any defence against evil motions, the first Adam had not been tempted, much less the second. It is not the presenting of tentations that can hurt us, but their entertainment. Ill counsel is the fault of the Giver, not of the Refuser; We cannot forbid lewd eyes to look in at our windows, we may shut our doors against their entrance; It is no less our praise to have resisted, than Satan's blame to suggest evil. Yea, O blessed Saviour, how glorious was it for thee, how happy for us, that thou were tempted? Had not Satan tempted thee, how shouldest thou have overcome? Without blows there can be no victory, no triumph: How had thy power been manifested, if no adversary had tried thee? The first Adam was tempted and vanquished; the second Adam, to repay and repair that foil, doth vanquish in being tempted. Now have we not a Saviour, and High Priest, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but such an one, as was in all things tempted in like sort, yet without sin; how boldly therefore may we go unto the Throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace of help in time of need? Yea, this Duel was for us; Now we see by this conflict of our Almighty Champion, what manner of Adversary we have, how he fights, how he is resisted, how overcomne. Now our very temptation affords us comfort, in that we see, the dearer we are unto God, the more obnoxious we are to this trial; neither can we be discouraged by the heinousness of those evils, whereto we are moved, since we see the Son of God solicited to infidelity, covetousness, idolatry; How glorious therefore was it for thee, O Saviour, how happy for us that thou were tempted? Where then wast thou tempted, O blessed jesus; or whither goest thou to meet with our great adversary? I do not see thee led into the marketplace, or any other part of the city, or thy home-sted of Nazareth, but into the vast wilderness, the habitation of beasts; a place that carrieth in it, both horror and opportunity; why wouldst thou thus retire thyself from men? but as confident Champions are wont to give advantage of ground or weapon, to their Antagonist, that the glory of their victory may be the greater: So wouldst thou, O Saviour, in this conflict with our common enemy, yield him his own terms for circumstances, that thine honour and his foil may be the more. Solitariness is no small help to the speed of a tentation: Woe to him that is alone, for if he fall, there is not a second to lift him up. Those that out of an affectation of holiness seek for solitude in rocks and caves of the deserts, do no other than run into the mouth of the danger of tentation, whiles they think to avoid it. It was enough for thee, to whose divine power the gates of hell were weakness, thus to challenge the Prince of darkness; Our care must be always to eschew all occasions of spiritual danger; and (what we may) to get us out of the reach of tentations. But, O the depth of the Wisdom of God How camest thou, O Saviour, to be thus tempted? That Spirit whereby thou wast conceived, as man, and which was one with thee and the Father, as God, led thee into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan; Whiles thou taughtest us to pray to thy Father, Lead us not temptation, thou meantest to instruct us, that if the same Spirit led us not into this perilous way, we go not into it; We have still the same conduct; Let the path be what it will, how can we miscarry in the hand of a Father? Now may we say to Satan, as thou didst unto Pilate; Thou couldst have no power over me, except it were given thee from above; The Spirit led thee, it did not drive thee; here was a sweet invitation, no compulsion of violence. So absolutely conformable was thy will to thy Deity, as if both thy natures had but one volition; In this first draught of thy bitter potion, thy soul said in a real subjection, Not may will, but thy will be done. We imitate thee, O Saviour, though we cannot reach to thee; All thine are led by thy Spirit; Oh teach us to forget that we have wills of our own. The Spirit led thee; thine invincibie strength did not animate thee into this combat uncalled. What do we weaklings so far presume upon our abilities, or success, as that we dare thrust ourselves upon temptations unbidden, unwarranted? Who can pity the shipwreck of those Mariners, which will needs put forth, and hoist sails in a tempest? Forty days did our Saviour spend in the wilderness, fasting, and solitary, all which time was worn out in temptation; how ever the last brunt, because it was most violent, is only expressed; Now could not the adversary complain of disadvantage, whiles he had the full scope both of time and place to do his worst; And why did it please thee, O Saviour, to fast forty days, and forty nights; unless as Moses fasted forty days at the delivery of the Law, and Elias at the restitution of the Law; So thou thoughtest fit at the accomplishment of the Law, and the promulgation of the Gospel to fulfil the time of both these Types of thine, Wherein thou intendest our wonder, not our imitation; Not our imitation of the time, though of the act. Here were no faulty desires of the flesh, in thee to be tamed, no possibility of a freer & more easy assent of the soul to God, that could be affected of thee, who wast perfectly united unto God; but as for us thou wouldst suffer death, so for us thou wouldst suffer hunger; that we might learn by fasting, to prepare ourselves for tentations: In fasting so long thou intendest the manifestation of thy power; in fasting no longer, the truth of thy manhood; Moses & Elias, through the miraculous sustentation of God, fasted so long, without any question made of the truth of their bodies; So long therefore thou thoughtest good to fast, as by the reason of these precedents, might be without prejudice of thine humanity; which if it should have pleased thee to support, as thou couldst without means, thy very power might have opened the mouth of cavils against the verity of thine humane nature; That thou mightest therefore well approve, that there was no difference betwixt thee and us, but sin, thou that couldst have fasted without hunger, and lived without meat, wouldst both feed, and fast, and hunger. Who can be discouraged with the scantiness of friends, or bodily provisions, when he sees his Saviour thus long destitute of all earthly comforts, both of Society and sustenance. Oh the policy and malice of that old Serpent, when he sees Christ bewray some infirmity of nature in being hungry, than he lays sorest at him by temptations; His eye was never off from our Saviour, all the time of his sequestration; and now that he thinks he espies any one part to lie open, he drives at it with all his might; We have to do with an Adversary, no less vigilant than malicious, who will be sure to watch all opportunities of our mischief, and where he sees any advantage of weakness, will not neglect it. How should we stand upon our guard for prevention; that both we many not give him occasions of our hurt, nor take hurt by those we have given. When our Saviour was hungry, Satan tempts him in matter of food; not then, of wealth or glory; He well knows both what baits, to fish withal, and when, and how to lay them; How safe and happy shall we be, if we shall bend our greatest care where we discern the most danger? In every temptation there is an appearance of good; whether of the body; of mind, or estate; The first is the lust of the flesh, in any carnal desire; the second the pride of heart, and life; the third the lust of the eyes; To all these, the first Adam is tempted, and in all miscarried; the second Adam is tempted to them all, and overcometh; The first man was tempted, to carnal appetite by the forbidden fruit; to pride by the suggestion of being as God; To covetousness, in the ambitious desire of knowing good and evil; Satan having found all the motions so successful with the first Adam in his innocent estate, will now tread the same steps in his temptations of the second; The stones must be made bread; there is the motion to a carnal appetite; The guard and attendance of Angels must be presumed on, there is a motion to pride; The Kingdoms of the Earth, and glory of them must be offered, there to covetousness and ambition. Satan could not but have heard God say This is my well-beloved son, he had heard the Message and the Carol of the Angels; he saw the Star, and the journey, and Offerings, of the Sages, he could not but take notice of the gratulations of Zachary, Simeon, Anna; he well knew the Predictions of the Prophets; yet now that he saw Christ ●s●ting with hunger, as not comprehending how infirmities could consist with a Godhead, he can say, (If thou be the Son of God;) Had not Satan known that the Son of God was to come into the World, he had never said (If thou be the Son of God.) His very supposition convinces him; The ground of his temptation, answers itself; If therefore Christ seemed to be a mere man, because after forty days he was hungry, why was he not confessed more than a man, in that for forty days he hungered not? The motive of the temptation is worse than the motion, (If thou be the Son of God) Satan could not choose another suggestion of so great importance. All the work of our Redemption, of our Salvation, depends upon this one Truth, Christ is the Son of God; How should he else have ransomed the World, how should he have done, how should he have suffered that, which was satisfactory to his Father's wrath? How should his actions, or passion been valuable to the sins of all the World? What marvel is it if we that are sons by Adoption, be assaulted with the doubts of our interest in God, when the natural Son, the Son of his Essence is thus tempted? Since all our comfort consists in this point, here must needs be laid the chief battery; and here must be placed our strongest defence. To turn stones into bread, had been no more faulty in itself, than to turn Water into Wine; But to do this in a distrust of his Father's Providence, to abuse his power and liberty in doing it, to work a miracle of Satan's choice, had been disagreeable to the Son of God: There is nothing more ordinary with our spiritual enemy, than by occasion of want to move us to unwarrantable courses; Thou art poor, steal; Thou canst not rise by honest means, use indirect; How easy had it been for our Saviour, to have confounded Satan by the power of his Godhead? But he rather chooses to vanquish him by the Sword of the Spirit, that he might teach us how to resist and overcome the powers of darkness? If he had subdued Satan by the Almighty power of the Deity, we might have had what to wonder at, not what to imitate; now he useth that weapon, which may be familiar unto us, that he may teach our weakness how to be victorious; Nothing in Heaven or Earth can beat the forces of Hell, but the Word of God; How carefully should we furnish ourselves with this powerful munition; how should our hearts and mouths be full of it? Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes; O take not from me the words of Truth; Let them be my Songs in the house of my pilgrimage; So shall I make answer to my Blasphemers. What needed Christ to have answered Satan at all, if it had not been to teach us, that temptations must not have their way; but must be answered by resistance; and resisted by the Word. I do not hear our Saviour aver himself to be a God; against the blasphemous insinuation of Satan; neither do I see him working this miraculous Conversion, to prove himself the Son of God; but most wisely he takes away the ground of the temptation; Satan had taken it for granted, that man cannot be sustained without bread; and therefore infers the necessity of making bread of stones; Our Saviour shows him from an infallible Word, that he had mislayed his suggestion; That man life's not by usual food only, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God; He can either sustain without bread, as he did Moses and Elias, or with a miraculous bread, as the Israelites with Manna, or send ordinary means miraculously, as food to his Prophet by the Ravens, or miraculously multiply ordinary means, as the Meal and Oil to the Sareptan Widow: All things are sustained by his Almighty Word: Indeed we live by food, but not by any virtue that is without God; without the incurrence of whose Providence, bread would rather choke, than nourish us; Let him withdraw his hand from his creature, in their greatest abundance we perish; Why do we therefore bend our eyes on the means, and not look up to the hand that gives the blessing? What so necesary dependence hath the blessing upon the creature, if our Prayers hold them not together; As we may not neglect the means, so we may not neglect the procurement of a blessing upon the means, nor be unthankful to the hand that hath given the blessing. In the first assault Satan moves Christ to doubt of his Father's Providence, and to use unlawful means to help himself: in the next, he moves him to presume upon his Father's protection, and the service of his blessed Angels; He grounds the first upon a conceit of want, the next of abundance; If he be in extremes, it is all to one end, to mislead unto evil: If we cannot be driven drown to despair, he labours to lift us up to presumption; It is no one foil 〈…〉 put this bold spirit out of countenance: Temptations like waves; break one in the ●eke of another▪ Whil●● we are in this warfare, we must make account, that the repulse of one temptation doth but more to another. That blessed Saviour of ours; that was content to be led from: jordan into the Wilderness, for the advantage of the first temptation, yields to be 〈◊〉 from the Wilderness to jerusalem, for the advantage of the second, The place doth not a little avail to the act, The Wilderness was fit for a temptation, ari● from want, it was not fit for a temptation moving to vainglory. The populous City was the fittest for such a motion; jerusalem was the glory of the World, the Temple was the glory of jerusalem, the Pinnacles, the highest peace of the Pinnacle, there is Christ content to be set for the opportunity of tentation: O Saviour of men; how can we wonder enough at this humility of thine, that thou worthless so f●rre abas● thyself, as to suffer thy pure and sacred Body to be transported by the presumptuous and malicious hand of that unclean spirit? It was not his power, it was thy patience, that deserves our admiration, Neither can this seem 〈◊〉 strange to us, when we consider, that if Satan be the head of wicked men, wicked men 〈◊〉 the members of Satan; What was Pilate, or the jews that persecuted thine innocence, but limbs of this Devil? and why are we then amazed, to see thee touched, and locally transported by the head, when we see thee yielding thyself over, to be crucified by the members? If Satan did the work and greater mediately by their hands, no marvel if he do the less and easier, immediately by his own, yet neither of them without thy voluntary dispensation. He could not 〈◊〉 looked n● thee, without thee; And if the Son of God, did thus suffer his own holy and precious Body, to be carried by Satan, what wonder is it; if that Enemy have sometimes power given him, over the sinful bodies of the adopted Sons of God? It is not the strength of faith that can secure us from the outward violences of that evil one. This difference I find betwixt his spiritual and bodily assaults: those are beaten back by the shield of faith, there advice not of such repulse; As the best man may be lame, blind, diseased, so through the permission of God, he may be bodily vexed by an old Ma●yer; Grace was never given us for a Target against external afflictions. Me thinks, I see Christ, hoist upon the highest Battlements of the Temple whose very roof was an hundred and thirty Cubits high; and Satan standing by him with this speech in his mouth, Well then, since in the matter of nourishments thou will needs depend upon thy Father's Providence, that he can without means sustain thee, take now further trial of that Providence, in thy miraculous preservation; Cast thyself down from this height, Behold, thou art hereiin jerusalem, the famous and holy City of the World; here thou art on the top of the pinnacle of that Temple, which is dedicated to thy Father, and, if thou be God, to thyself▪ the eyes of all men, are now fixed upon thee, there cannot be devised a more ready way to spread thy glory, and to proclaim thy Deity, than by casting thyself head long to the Earth. All the World will say, there is more in thee, than a man; and for danger, there can be none; What can hurt him, that is the Son of God? and wherefore serves that glorious Guard of Angels, which have by divine Commission, taken upon them the charge of thine humanity? since therefore in contract, them mayest be both safe, and celebrated, trust thy Father, and those thy serviceable spirits with thine assured preservation, Cast thyself down. And why didst thou not, O thou malignant spirit, endeavour to cast down my Saviour, by those same presumptuous hands, that brought him up, since the descent is more easy than the raising up? was it for that, it had not been so great an advantage to thee, that he should fall by thy means, as by his own falling into sin, was more than to fall from the pinnacle; still thy care and suit is, to make us An● to ourselves of evil, thou gainest nothing by our bodily hurt, if the soul be safe: Or was it rather for that, thou couldst not? I doubt not, but thy malice, could as well have served, to have offered this measure to himself, as to his holy Apostle soon after, but he that bounded thy power, tethered thee shorter; Thou couldst not, thou canst not do what thou wouldst. He that would permit thee to carry him up, binds thy hands from casting him down: And woe were it for us if thou wer● not ever stinted. Why did Satan carry up Christ so high, but on purpose, that his fall might be the more deadly; so deals he still with us, he exalts us, that we may be dangerously abased; He puffs them up with swelling thoughts of their own worthiness, that they may be vile in the eyes of God, and fall into condemnation: It is the manner of God, to cast down, that he may raise, to abase that he may exalt; Contrarily, Satan raises up, that he may throw down, and intends nothing but our dejection, in our advancement. Height of place gives opportunity of tentation: Thus busy is that wicked one, in working against the members of Christ. If any of them be in eminence above others, those he labours most to ruinated; They had need to stand fast, that stand high; Both there is more danger of their falling, and more hurt in their fall. He that had presumed thus fare, to tempt the Lord of Life, would feign now draw him also to presume upon his Deity; If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down. There is not a more tried shaft in all his quiver, than this; a persuasion to men, to bear themselves too bold upon the favour of God; Thou art the Elect and Redeemed of God; sin, because grace hath abounded, sin, that it may abound; Thou art safe enough, though thou offend, be not too much an adversary to thine own liberty: False spirit, it is no liberty to sin, but servitude rather, there is no liberty, but in the freedom from sin; Every one of us, that hath the hope of Sons, must purge himself, even as he is pure, that hath redeemed us: We are bought with a price, therefore must we glorify God in our bodies and spirits, for they are Gods; Our Sonship teaches us awe and obedience; and therefore, because we are Sons, we will not cast ourselves down into sin. How idly do Satan and wicked men measure God, by the crooked line of their own misconceit: Iwis, Christ cannot be the Son of God, unless he cast himself down from the Pinnacle; unless he come down from the Cross. God is not merciful unless he honour them in all their desires; not just, unless he take speedy vengeance, where they require it; But when they have spent their folly upon these vain imaginations, Christ is the Son of God, though he stay on the top of the Temple, God will be merciful, though we miscarry, and just though sinners seem lawless. Neither will he be any other than he is: or measured by any rule, but himself. But what is this I see, Satan himself with a Bible under his arm, with a Text in his mouth, It is written, He shall give his Angels charge over thee? How still in that wicked One doth subtlety strive with Presumption? Who could not, but over-wonder at this, if he did not consider, that since the Devil dare to touch the sacred Body of Christ with his hand, he may well touch the Scriptures of God with his tongue? Let no man henceforth marvel, to hear Heretics or Hypocrites, quote Scriptures, when Satan himself hath not spared to cite them; what are they the worse for this, more than that holy Body, which is transported? Some have been poisoned by their meats and drinks, yet either these nourish us, or nothing: It is not the Letter of the Scripture that can carry it, but the Sense, if we divide these two, we profane and abuse that word we allege. And wherefore doth this foul spirit urge a Text, but for imitation, for prevention, and for success? Christ had alleged a Scripture unto him, he re-alledges Scripture unto Christ: At leastwise, he will counterfeit an imitation of the Son of God; Neither is it in this alone; what one act ever passed the Hand of God, which Satan did not apishly attempt to second? If we follow Christ in the outward action, with contrary intentions, we follow Satan, in following Christ. Or, perhaps, Satan meant to ma●e Christ hereby weary of this weapon; As we see fashions, when they are taken up of the Unworthy, are cast off by the Great; It was, doubtless, one cause, why Christ afterward forbade the Devil even to confess the Truth, because his mouth was a flander. But chief doth he this, for a better colour of his tentation: He g●ds over this false mettle with Scripture, that it may pass current; Even now is Satan transformed into an Angel of light, and will seem godly for a mischief; If Hypocrites make a fair show to deceive with a glorious lustre of holiness, we see whence they borrowed it: How many thousand souls are betrayed by the abuse of what word, whose use is sovereign and saving. No Devil is so dangerous as the religious Devil. If good meat turn to the nourishment, not of nature, but of the disease, we may not forbear to feed, but endeavour to purge the body of those evil humours, which cause the stomach to work against itself. O God, thou that hast given us light, give us clear and sound eyes, that we may take comfort of that light thou hast given us; Thy Word is holy, make our hearts so, and than shall they find that Word; not more true than cordial; Let not this divine Table of thine, be made a snare to our souls. What can be a better act than to speak Scripture? It were a wonder if Satan should do a good thing well; He cities Scripture then, but with mutilation, and distortion; it comes not out of his mouth, but maimed and perverted; One piece is left out, all mis-applyed; Those that wrist or mangle Scripture for their own turn, it is easy to see from what School they come. Let us take the word from the Author, not from the Usurper: David would not doubt to eat that sheep, which he pulled out of the mouth of the Bear or Lion; (He shall give his Angels charge over thee:) Oh comfortable assurance of our protection; God's children never go unattended; Like unto great Princes we walk ever in the midst of our guard, though invisible, yet true, careful, powerful; What creatures are so glorious as the Angels of heaven, yet their Maker hath set them to serve us: Our adoption makes us at once great and safe; We may be contemptible and ignominious in the eyes of the world, but the Angels of God observe us the while, and scorn not to wait upon us in our homeliest occasions; The Sun, or the light may we keep out of our houses, the air we cannot; much less these Spirits, that are more simple and immaterial: No walls, no bolts, can sever them from our sides: they accompany us in dungeons, they go with us into our exile; How can we either fear danger, or complain of solitariness, whiles we have so unseparable so glorious Companions? Is our Saviour distasted with Scripture, because Satan misse-layes it in his dish? Doth he not rather snatch this sword out of that impure hand, and beat Satan with the weapon which he abuseth; (It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God;) The Scripture is one, as that God, whose it is; Where it carries an appearance of difficulty or inconvenience, it needs no light to clear it, but that, which it hath in itself. All doubts that may arise from it, are fully answered by collation; It is true that God hath taken this care, and given this charge of his own; he will have them kept, not in their sins; they may trust him, they may not tempt him; here meant to encourage their faith, not their presumption. To cast ourselves upon an immediate providence, when means fail not, is to disobey, in stead of believing God; we may challenge God on his Word, we may not strain him beyond 〈◊〉; we may make account of what he promised, we may not subject his promises to unjust dominations; and where no need is, make trial of his Power, justice, Mercy, by devices of our own. All the Devils in hell, could not elude the force of this divine answer; and now Satan sees how vainly he tempteth Christ to tempt God. Yet again for all this, do I see him setting upon the Son of God: Satan is not foiled when he is resisted: neither diffidence, nor presumption can fasten upon Christ, he shall be tried with honour; As some expert Fences that challenges at all weapons, so doth this great enemy; in vain shall we plead our skill in some, if we fail in any; It must be our wisdom to be prepared for all kind of assaults: As those that hold Towns and Forts do, not only defend themselves from incursions, but from the Canon and the Pioneer; still doth that subtle Serpent traverse his ground for an advantage; The Temple is not high enough for his next tentation; He therefore carry up Christ to the top of an exceeding high mountain; All enemies in pitched fields strive for the benefit of the Hill, or River, or Wind, or Sun; That which his servant ●●ac did by his instigation, himself doth now immediately, change places in hope of prevailing. If the obscure Country will not move us, he tries what the Court can do, if not our home, the Tavern, if not the field, our closet; As no place is left free by his malice, so no place must be made prejudicial by our carelessness; and as we should always watch over ourselves, so than most, when the opportunity caries cause of suspicion. Wherefore is Christ carried up so high but for prospect? If the Kingdoms of the earth and their glory, were only to be represented to his imagination; the valley would have served; If to the outward sense, no hill could suffice; Circular bodies though small, cannot be seen at once. This show was made to both, diverse kingdoms lying round about judea were represented to the eye; The glory of them to the imagination; Satan meant the eye could tempt the fancy; no less than the fancy could tempt the will. How many thousand souls have died of the wound of the eye; If we do not let in sin at the window of the eye, or the door of the ear, it cannot enter into our hearts. If there be any pomp, majesty, pleasure, bravery in the world, where should it be but in the Courts of Princes, whom God hath made his Images, his deputies on earth? There is soft raiment, sumptuous feasts, rich jewels, honourable attendance, glorious triumphs, royal state, those Satan lays out to the fairest show: But Oh, the craft of that old Serpent; Many a care attends greatness; No Crown is without thorns: High seats are never but uneasy; all those infinite discontentments, which are the shadow of earthly Sovereignty, he hides out of the way; nothing may be seen, but what may both please and allure, Satan is still and ever like himself; If tentations might be but turned about and shown on both sides, the kingdom of darkness would not be so populous. Now whensoever the Tempter sets upon any poor soul, all sting of conscience, wrath judgement, torment is concealed, as if they were not; Nothing may appear to the eye but pleasure, profit, and a seeming happiness in the enjoying our desires; those other woeful objects are reserved for the farewell of sin; that our misery may be seen and felt at once; When we are once sure, Satan is a Tyrant, till then, he is a Parasite: There can be no safety, if we do not view as well the back as the face of tentations. But oh presumption and impudence, that hell itself may be ashamed of; The Devil dares say to Christ, All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me; That beggarly spirit, that hath not an ●ich of earth, can offer the whole world to the maker; to the owner of it; The slave of God, would be adored of his Creator; How can we hope he should be sparing of false boasts, and of unreasonable promises unto us, when he dares offer kingdoms to him by whom King's reign? Tentations on the right hand are most dangerous; how many that have been hardened with fear, have melted with honour; There is no doubt of that soul that will not bite at the golden hook. False liars and vainglorious boasters, see the top of their pedigree; If I may not rather say, that Satan doth borrow the use of their tongues for a time; Whereas faithful is he that hath promised, who will also do it. Fdelitie and truth is issue of the heaven. If Idolatry were not a dear sin to Satan, he would not be so importunate to compass it; It is miserable to see how he draws the world insensibly into this sin, which they profess to detest; Those that would rather hazard the furnace, than worship Gold in a statue, yet do adore it in the stamp, and find no saint with themselves. If our hearts be drawn to stoop unto an over high respect of any creature, we are Idolaters. O God, it is no marvel if thy jealousy be kindled at the admission of any of thine own works, into a competition of honour with their Creator. Never did our Saviour say, Avoid Satan, till now; It is a just indignation, that is conceived at the motion of a rivality with God; Neither yet did Christ exercise his divine power in this command, but by the necessary force of Scripture, drives away that impure Tempter; It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve: The rest of our Saviour's answers were more full and direct, than that they could admit of a reply, but this was so flat and absolute, that it utterly daunted the courage of Satan, and put him to a shameful flight, and made him for the time, weary of his trade. The way to be rid of the troublesome solicitations of that wicked one, is continued resistance. He that forcibly driven the tempter from himself, takes him off from us, and will not abide his assaults perpetual; It is our exercise and trial, that he intends, not our confusion. SIMON called. AS the Sun in his first rising, draws all eyes to it; So did this Sun of righteousness, when he first shone forth into the world; His miraculous cures drew Patients, his divine doctrine drew Auditors, both together drew the admiring multitude by troops after him. And why do we not still follow thee, O Saviour, thorough deserts and mountains, over land and Seas, that we may be both healed, and taught. It was thy word, that when thou wert lift up, thou wouldst draw all men unto thee; Behold thou art lift up long since, both to the tree of shame, and to the throne of heavenly glory, Draw us, and we shall run after thee; Thy word is still the same, though proclaimed by men, thy virtue is still the same, though exercised upon the spirits of men; Oh give us, to hunger after both, that by both our souls may be satisfied. I see the people not only following Christ, but pressing upon him; even very unmannerliness finds here both excuse and acceptation; they did not keep their distances in an awe to the Majesty of the speaker, whiles they were ravished with the power of the speech, yet did not our Saviour check their unreverent thronging, but rather incourages their forwardness. We cannot offend thee, O God, with the importunity of our desires; It likes thee well, that the Kingdom of heaven should suffer violence. Our slackness doth ever displease thee, never our vehemency. The throng of Auditors forced Christ to leave the shore, and to make Peter's ship his pulpit; Never were there such nets cast out of that fisher-boate before; whiles he was upon the land, he healed the sick bodies by his touch; now that he was upon the Sea, he cured the sick souls by his doctrine; and is purposely severed from the multitude, that he may unite them to him. He that made both Sea and land, causeth both of them to conspire to the opportunities of doing good. Simon was busy, washing his nets: Even those nets that caught nothing, must be washed, no less than if they had sped well: The night's toil doth not excuse his day's work: Little did Simon think of leaving those nets, which he so carefully washed, and now Christ interrupts him with the favour and blessing of his gracious presence; Labour in our calling (how homely soever) makes us capable of divine benediction. The honest fisherman, when he saw the people flock after Christ, and heard him speak with such power, could not but conceive a general and confuse apprehension of some excellent worth in such a Teacher, and therefore is glad to honour his ship with such a guest; and is first Christ's host by sea, ere he is his Disciple by land; An humble and serviceable entertainment of a Prophet of God, was a good foundation of his future honour; He that would so easily lend Christ his hand, and his ship, was likely soon after to bestow himself upon his Saviour. SIMON hath no sooner done this service to Christ, than Christ is preparing for his reward; when the Sermon is ended, the ship-roome shall be paid for abundantly; Neither shall the Host expect any other paymaster than himself: Launch forth into the deep, and let down your Nets to make a draught: That ship which lent Christ an opportunity of catching men upon the shore, shall be requited with a plentiful draught of fish in the deep: It had been as easy for our Saviour, to have brought the fish to Peter's ship, close to the shore, yet as choosing rather to have the ship carried to the shoal of fish, he bids (Launch fort into the deep:) In his miracles, he love's ever to meet nature in her bounds; and when she hath done her best, to supply the rest by his overruling power; The same power therefore, that could have caused the fishes to leap upon dry land, or to leave themselves forsaken of the waters, upon the sands of the Lake, will rather find them in a place natural to their abiding (Launch out into the deep.) Rather in a desire to gratify and obey his guest, than to pleasure himself, will Simon bestow one cast of his net; Had Christ enjoined him an harder task, he had not refused; yet not without an allegation of the vnlikelyhood of success, (Master we have travailed all night, and caught nothing; yet at thy word I will let down the Net.) The night was the fittest time for the hopes of their trade not unjustly might Simon misdoubt his speed by day, when he had worn out the night in unprofitable labour: Sometimes God crosseth the fairest of our expectations, and gives a blessing to those times and means whereof we despair. That pains cannot be cast away which we resolve to lose for Christ. Oh God, how many do I see casting out their Nets in the great Lake of the world, which in the whole night of their life have caught nothing; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity; They hatch Cockatrice's eggs, and wove the Spider's web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is trodden upoh, breaketh out into a Serpent; Their webs shall be no garment, neither shall they cover themselves with their labours. Oh ye sons of men, how long will ye love vanity, and follow after lies? Yet if we have thus vainly misspent the time of our darkness; Let us at the command of Christ, cast out our new-washen nets; our humble and penitent obedience, shall come home laden with blessings, (And when they had so done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, so that their Net broke:) What a difference there is betwixt our own voluntary acts, and those that are done upon command; not more in the grounds of them, than in the issue? those are ofttimes fruitless, these ever successful: Never man threw out his Net at the word of his Saviour, and drew it back empty; who would not obey thee, O Christ, since thou dost so bountifully requite our weakest services? It was not mere retribution that was intended in this event, but instruction also: This act was not without a mystery; He that should be made a fisher of men, shall in this draught foresee his success; the kingdom of heaven is like a draw-net, cast into the Sea, which when it is full, men draw to land; The very first draught that Peter made after the compliment of his Apostleship, enclosed no less than three thousand souls. Oh powerful Gospel, that can fetch sinful men from out of the depths of natural corruption: Oh happy souls, that from the blind and muddy cells of our wicked nature, are drawn forth to the glorious liberty of the sons of God Simons Net breaks with the store; abundance is sometimes no less troublesome than want; the Net should have held, if Christ had not meant to over-charge Simon both with blessing and admiration: How happily is that Net broken, whose rapture draws the fisher to Christ. Though the Net broke, yet the fish escaped not; He that brought them thither to be taken, held them there till they were taken, (They beckoned to their partners in the other ship, that they should come and help them;) There are other ships in partnership with Peter, he doth not fish all the Lake alone; There cannot be a better improvement of society, than to help us gain, to relieve us in our profitable labours; to draw up the spiritual draught into the vessel of Christ, and his Church: wherefore hath God given us partners, but that we should because to them for their aid in our necessary occasions? Neither doth Simon slacken his hand, because he had assistants. What shall we say to those lazy fishers, who can set others to the Drag, whiles themselves look on at ease; caring only to feed themselves with the fish; not willing to wet their hands with the Net? What shall we say to this excess of gain? The Nets break, the ships sink with their burden: Oh happy complaint of too large a capture! O Saviour, if those Apostolical vessels of thy first rigging, were thus over-laide, ours float and totter with a ballasted lightness: Thou, who art no less present in these bottoms of ours, lad them with an equal freight of converted souls, and let us praise thee for thus sinking. SIMON was a skilful Fisher, and knew well the depth of his trade, and now perceiving more than Art or nature in this draught, he falls down at the knees of jesus, saying, (Lord, go from me, for I am a sinful man.) Himself is caught in this Net: He doth not greedily fall upon so unexpected & profitable a booty, but he turns his eyes from the draught to himself, from the act to the Author, acknowledging vileness in the one, in the other Majesty; (Go from me Lord▪ for I am a sinful man.) It had been pity the honest Fisherman should have been taken at his Word: Oh Simon, thy Saviour is come into thine own ship to call thee; to call others by thee unto blessedness, and dost thou say, Lord go from me? As if the patient should say to the Physician; Depart from me, for I am sick. It was the voice of astonishment, not of dislike; the voice of humility, not of discontentment: yea, because thou art a sinful man, therefore hath thy Saviour need to come to thee, to stay with thee; and because thou art humble in the acknowledgement of thy sinfulness, therefore Christ delights to abide with thee, and will call thee to abide with him; No man ever fared the worse for abasing himself to his God; Christ hath left many a soul, for froward and unkind usage, never any for the disparagement of itself, and entreaties of humility Simon could not device how to hold Christ faster, than by thus suing to him to be gone, than by thus pleading his unworthiness. O my soul be not weary of complaining of thine own wretchedness, disgrace thyself to him that knows thy vileness; be astonished at those mercies which have shamed thine ill deservings; Thy Saviour hath no power to go away from a prostrate heart; He that resists the proud, heartens the lowly. (Fear not, for I will make thee henceforth a Fisher of men.) Lo, this Humility is rewarded with an Appstleship: What had the Earth ever more glorious, than a Legacy from Heaven? He that bade Christ go from him, shall have the honour to go fast● this happy errand; This was a Trade that Simon had no skill of; it could not but be enough to him, That Christ said, I will make thee; the miracle shown him able to make good his word; he that hath power to command the Fishes to be taken, can easily enable the hands to take them. What is this divine Trade of ours then, but a spiritual Piscation? The World is a Sea, Souls like Fishes swim at liberty in this Deep, the Nets of wholesome Doctrine, draw up some to the shore of Grace and Glory; How much skill, and toil, and patience, is requisite in this Art? Who is sufficient for these things? This Sea, these Nets, the Fishers, the Fish, the Vessels are all thine, O God; do what thou wilt in us, and by us; Give us ability and grace to take, give men will and grace to be taken, and take thou glory by that which thou hast given. The marriage in Cana. WAs this then thy first miracle, O Saviour, that thou wroughts in Cana of Galilee? And could there be a greater miracle than this, that having been thirty years upon earth, thou didst no miracle till now? That thy divinity did hide itself thus long in flesh; that so long thou wouldst lie obscure in a corner of Galilee; unknown to that world thou camest to redeem? That so long thou wouldst strain the patiented expectation of those, who ever since thy Star, waited upon the revelation of a Messiah? We silly wretches, if we have but a dram of virtue, are ready to set it out to the best show; thou who receivedst not the Spirit by measure, wouldst content thyself with a willing obscurity, and concealedst that power that made the world, in the roof of an humane breast, in a cottage of Nazareth. O Saviour, none of thy miracles is more worthy of astonishment, than thy not doing of miracles. What thou didst in private, thy wisdom thought fit for secrecy; but if thy blessed Mother had not been acquainted with some domestical wonders, she had not now expected a miracle abroad; The Stars are not seen by day; the Sun itself is not seen by night: As it is no small art to hide Art, so is it no small glory to conceal glory; Thy first public miracle graceth a marriage; It is an ancient and laudable institution, that the Rights of matrimony should not want a solemn celebration; When are feasts in season, if not at the recovery of our lost rib? If not at this main change of our estate, wherein the joy of obtaining, meets with the hope of further comforts? The Son of the Virgin, and the Mother of that Son are both at a wedding; It was in all likelihood some of their kindred, to whose nuptial feast they were invited so fare; yet was it more the honour of the act, than of the person, that Christ intended: He that made the first marriage in Paradise, bestows his first miracle upon a Galilean marriage: He that was the Author of matrimony and sanctified it, doth by his holy presence, honest the resemblance of his eternal union with his Church: How boldly may we spit in the faces of all the impure adversaries of wedlock, when the Son of God pleases to honour it? The glorious Bridegroom of the Church, knew well how ready men would be to place shame, even in the most lawful conjunctions; and therefore his first work shall be to countenance his own Ordinance. Happy is that wedding, where Christ is a guest; O Saviour, those that marry in thee, cannot marry without thee; There is no holy Marriage whereat thou art not (how ever invisible) yet truly present, by thy Spirit, by thy gracious benediction. Thou makest marriages in heaven, thou blessest them from heaven. Oh thou, that hast betrothed us to thyself in Truth and Righteousness, do thou consummate that happy marriage of ours in the highest heavens. It was no rich or sumptuous Bridal, to which Christ with his mother, and Disciples vouchsafed to come, from the further parts of Galilee; I find him not at the magnificent feasts or triumphs of the Great; the proud pomp of the World, did not agree with the state of a servant; This poor needy Bridegroom wants drink for his guests. The blessed Virgin (though a stranger to the house) out of a charitable compassion, and a friendly desire, to maintain the decency of an Hospital entertainment, inquires into the wants of her Host; pities them, bemoans them, where there was power of redress, (When the wine failed, the mother of jesus said unto him, They have no wine.) How well doth it beseem the eyes of piety and Christian love, to look into the necessities of others? She that conceived the God of mercies, both in her heart and in her womb, doth not fix her eyes upon her own trencher, but searcheth into the penury of a poor Israelite, and feels those wants, whereof he complains not: They are made for themselves, whose thoughts are are only taken up with their own store, or indigence. There was wine enough for a meal, though not for a feast: and if there were not wine enough, there was enough water; yet the holy Virgin complains of the want of wine; and is troubled with the very lack of superfluity: The bounty of our God reaches not to our life only, but to our contentment; neither hath he thought good to allow us only the bread of sufficiency, but sometimes of pleasure. One while that is but necessary, which some other time were superfluous. It is a scrupulous injustice to scant ourselves; where God hath been liberal. To whom should we complain of any want, but to the Maker and Giver of all things? The blessed Virgin knew to whom she sued; She had good reason to know the divine nature and power of her Son: Perhaps the Bridegroom was not so needy, but if not by his purse, yet by his credit, he might have supplied that want; or, it were hard if some of the neighbour-ghests (had they been duly solicited) might not have furnished him with so much wine, as might suffice for the last service of a dinner, but blessed Mary knew a nearer way, she did not think best to lad at the shallow Channel, but runs rather to the Wellhead, where she may dip, and fill the Firkins at once with ease. It may be she saw that the train of Christ (which unbidden followed unto that feast, and unexspectedly added to the number of the guests) might help forward that defect, and therefore she justly solicits her Son JESUS for a supply: Whether we want Bread, or Water, or Wine; necessaries or comforts, whither should we run, O Saviour, but to that infinite munificence of thine, which neither denyeth, nor upbraideth any thing? We cannot want, we cannot abound, but from thee; Give us what thou wilt, so thou give us contentment with what thou givest. But what is this I hear? A sharp answer to the suit of a Mother? (Oh woman, what have I to do with thee?) He whose sweet mildness and mercy, never sent away any suppliant discontented, doth he only frown upon her that bore him? He that commands us to honour Father and Mother; doth he disdain her whose flesh he took? God forbidden: Love and duty doth not exempt Parents from due admonition. She solicited Christ as a Mother, he answers her as a Woman: If she were the Mother of his flesh, his Deity was eternal: She might not so remember herself to be a Mother, that she should forget she was a Woman; nor so look upon him as a Son, that she should not regard him as a God: He was so obedient to her as a Mother; that withal she must obey him as her God; That part which he took from her shall observe her; She must observe that Nature which came from above, and made her both a Woman and a Mother. Matter of miracle concerned the Godhead only; Supernatural things were above the sphere of fleshly relation: If now the blessed Virgin will be prescribing, either time or form unto divine acts, O Woman, What have I to do with thee, my hour is not come. In all bodily actions his style was, O Mother: In spiritual and heavenly, O Woman. Neither is it for us in the holy affairs of God, to know any faces, yea, if we have known Christ heretofore according to the flesh, henceforth know we him so no more. O blessed Virgin, if in that heavenly glory wherein thou art, thou canst take notice of these earthly things, with what indignation dost thou look upon the presumptuous superstition of vain men, whose suits make thee more than a Solicitor of divine favours? Thine humanity's is not lost in thy Motherhood, nor in thy Glory: The respects of Nature reach not so high as heaven; It is fare from thee to abide that honour which is stolen from thy Redeemer. There is a marriage, whereto we are invited; yea, wherein we are already interessed, not as the Guests only, but as the Bride; in which there shall be no want of the wine of gladness: It is marvel, if in these earthly banquets there be not some lack: In thy presence, O Saviour, there is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Blessed are they that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Even in that rough answer, doth the blessed Virgin descry cause of hope. If his hour were not yet come, it was therefore coming; when the expectation of the guests, and the necessity of the occasion had made fit room for the miracle, it shall come forth and challenge their wonder. Faithfully therefore and observantly, doth she turn her speech from her Son to the Waiters, (Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.) How well doth it beseem the Mother of Christ to agree with his Father in heaven, whose voice from heaven, said, This is my well beloved Son, hear him: She that said of herself, Be it unto me according to thy Word; says unto others, Whatsoever be saith to you, do it. This is the way to have miracles wrought in us, obedience to his Word. The power of Christ did not stand upon their officiousness; he could have wrought wonders in spite of them, but their perverse refusal of his commands, might have made them uncapable of the favour of a miraculous action: He that can (when he will) convince the obstinate, will not grace the disobedient. He that could work without us, or against us, will not work for us, but by us. This very poor house was furnished with many and large vessels, for outward purication; As if sin had dwelled upon the skin, that superstitious people sought holiness in frequent washings; Even this rinsing fouled them, with the uncleanness of a traditional will-worship. It is the soul which needs scouring; and nothing can wash that, but the blood, which they desperately wished upon themselves and their children; for guilt, not for expiation. Purge thou us, O Lord, with hyssop, and we shall be clean, wash us, and we shall be whiter than snow. The Waiters could not but think strange of so unseasonable a command; (Fill the water pots.) It is wine that we want, what do we go to fetch water, Doth this holy man mean thus to quench our feast, and cool our stomaches? If there be no remedy, we could have sought this supply unbidden; yet so fare hath the charge of Christ's Mother prevailed, that in stead of carrying flagons of wine to the table, they go to fetch pailes-full of water, from the Cisterns. It is no pleading of vnlikelyhoods against the command of an Almighty power. He that could have created wine immediately in those vessels, will rather turn water into wine; In all the course of his miracles, I do never find him making aught of nothing, all his great works are grounded upon former existences, he multiplied the bread, he changed the water, he restored the withered limbs, he raised the dead; and still wrought upon that which was; and did not make that which was not: What doth he in the ordinary way of nature, but turn the watery juice that arises up from the root into wine; he will only do this now suddenly, and at once, which he doth usually by sensible degrees. It is ever duly observed by the Son of God, not to do more miracle than he needs. How liberal are the provisions of Christ? If he had turned but one of those vessels, it bade been a just proof of his power, and perhaps that quantity had served the present necessity; now he furnisheth them with so much wine, as would have served an hundred and fifty guests for an entire feast; Even the measure magnifies at once, both his power and mercy. The munificent hand of God regards not our need only, but our honest affluence: It is our sin and our shame, if we turn his favour into wantonness. There must be first a filling ere there be a drawing out: Thus, in our vessels, the first care must be of our receipt; the next, of our expense: God would have us Cisterns, not Channels. Our Saviour would not be his own ●aster, but he sends the first draught to the Governor of the feast. He knew his own power, they did not; Neither would he bear witness of himself, but fetch it out of others mouths; They that knew not the original of that wine, yet praised the taste; (Every man at the beginning, doth set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now;) The same bounty that expressed itself in the quantity of the Wine, shows itself no less in the excellence: Nothing can fall from that divine hand not exquisite: That liberality hated to provide crab-wine for his guests. It was fit, that the miraculous effects of Christ, (which came from his immediate hand) should be more perfect, than the natural. O blessed Saviour, how delicate is that new Wine, which we shall one day drink with thee, in thy Father's Kingdom. Thou shalt turn this water of our earthly affliction, into that Wine of gladness, wherewith our souls shall be satiate for ever. Make haste, O my Beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the Mountain of Spices. The good Centurion. EVen the bloody trade of War yielded worthy Clients to Christ: This Roman Captain had learned to believe in that jesus, whom many jews despised: No Nation, no Trade, can shut out a good heart from God: If he were a Foreigner for birth; yet he was a Domestic in heart; He could not change his blood, he could overrule his affections; He loved that Nation, which was chosen of God; and if he were not of the Synagogue, yet he built a Synagogue; where he might not be a Party, he would be a Benefactor; Next to being good, is a favouring of goodness; We could not love Religion, if we utterly want it. How many true jews were not so zealous? Either will, or ability lacked in them, whom duty more obliged; Good affections do many times more than supply nature; Neither doth God regard whence, but what we are: I do not see this Centurion come to Christ, as the Israelitish Captain came to Elias in Carmel, but with his Cap in his hand, with much suit, much submission, by others, by himself; he sends first the Elders of the jews whom he might hope, that their Nation and place, might make gracious: then, lest the employment of others might argue neglect, he seconds them in person; Cold and fruitless are the motions of friends, where we do wilfully shut up our own lips: Importunity cannot but speed well in both. Can we but speak for ourselves, as this Captain did for his Servant, what could we possibly want? What marvel is it if God be not forward to give where we care not to ask, or ask, as if we cared not to receive? Shall we yet call this a suit, or a complaint? I hear no one word of entreaty; The less is said, the more is concealed, it is enough to lay open his want; He knew well, that he had to deal with so wise and merciful a Physician, as that the opening of the malady was a craving of cure: If our spiritual miseries be but confessed, they cannot fail of redress. Great variety of Suitors resorted to Christ; One comes to him for a Son, another for a Daughter, a third for himself: I see none come for his Servant, but this one Centurion; Neither was he a better man than a Master: His Servant is sick; he doth not drive him out of doors, but lays him at home; neither doth he stand gazing by his beds-side, but seeks forth; He seeks forth, not to Witches, or Charmers, but to Christ; he seeks to Christ, not with a fashionable relation, but with a vehement aggravation of the disease. Had the Master been sick, the faithfullest Servant could have done no more: He is unworthy to be well served, that will not sometimes wait upon his followers. Conceits of inferiority, may not breed in us a neglect of charitable offices; so must we look down upon our Servants, here on earth, as that we must still look up to our Master, which is in Heaven. But why didst thou not, O Centurion, rather bring thy Servant to Christ for cure, than sue for him absent? There was a Paralyticke, whom Faith and Charity brought to our Saviour, and let down thorough the uncovered roof, in his Bed; why was not thine so carried, so presented? Was it out of the strength of thy faith, which assured thee, thou needest not show thy Servant to him, that saw all things? One and the same grace, may yield contrary effects; They because they believed, brought the Patient to Christ, thou broughtest not thine to him, because thou beleevedest; their act argued no less desire, thin● more confidence; Thy labour was less, because thy faith was more▪ Oh, that I could come thus to my Saviour, and make such more to him for myself: Lord, my soul is sick of unbelief; sick of self-love, sick of inordinate desires, I should not need to say more; Thy mercy, O Saviour, would not then stay byf●● my suit, but would prevent me (as here) with a gracious engagement, I will come and heal thee. I did not hear the Centurion say, Either come, or heal him; The one he meant, though he said not, the other, he neither said nor meant: Christ over gives, both his words and intentions; It is the manner of that divine munificence, where he meets with a faithful Suitor, to give more than is requested; to give when he is not requested. The very insinuations of our necessities are no less violent, than successful: We think the measure of humane bounty runs over; when we obtain but what we ask with importunity: that infinite goodness keeps within bounds, when it overflows the desires of our hearts. As he said so he did; The word of Christ either is his act, or concurres with it; He did not stand still when he said, I will come, but he went as he spoke. When the Ruler entreated him for his son. (I Come down ere he die) our Saviour shird not a foot: The Centurion did but complain of the sickness of his Servant, and Christ unasked says, I will come and heal him. That he might be fare from so much as seeming to honour wealth, and despise meanness, he that came in the shape of a Servant, would go down to the sick Servants pallet, would not go to the Bed of the rich Rulers Son; It is the basest motive of respect, that ariseth merely from outward greatness. Either more grace, or more need, may justly challenge our favourable regards no less than private Obligations. Even so, O Saviour, that which thou offenedst to do for the Centurion's Servant, hast thou done for us; We were sick unto death; So fare had the dead palsy of sin overtaken us, that there was no life of grace left in us; When thou wert not content to sit still in heaven, and say, I will cure them; but addedst also, I will come and cure them; Thyself came down accordingly to this miserable World, and hast personally healed us, So as now we shall not dye but live, and declare thy works, O Lord; And oh! that we could enough praise that love and mercy, which hath so graciously abased thee, and could be but so low dejected before thee, as thou hast stooped low unto us; that we could be but as lowly subjects of thy goodness, as we are unworthy. Oh admirable return of Humility: Christ will go down to visit the sick Servant; the Master of that Servant says, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: The jewish Elders, that went before to mediate for him, could say, (He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him; but the Centurion, when he comes to speak for himself (I am not worthy.) They said, He was worthy of Christ's miracle; He says he is unworthy of Christ's presence: There is great difference betwixt others valuations, and our own; Sometimes the world under-rates him that finds reason to set an high price upon himself; Sometimes again, it over values a man that knows just cause of his own humiliation; If others mistake us, this can be no warrant for our error; We cannot be wise, unless we receive the knowledge of ourselves by direct beams, not by reflection; unless we have learned to contemn unjust applauses; and scorning the flattery of the World, to frown upon our own vileness, Lord, I am not worthy. Many a one if he had been in the Centurion's coat, would have thought well of it, A Captain, a man of good ability and command, a founder of a Synagogue, a Patron of Religion: yet he overlookes all these, and when he casts his eye upon the divine worth of Christ, and his own weakness, he says, I am not worthy; Alas, Lord, I am a Gentile, an Alien, a man of blood; thou art holy, thou art omnipotent. True Humility will teach us to find out the best of another, and the worst piece of ourselves: Pride contrarily shows us nothing, but matter of admiration in ourselves, in others, of contempt. Whiles he confessed himself unworthy of any favour; he approved himself worthy of all. Had not Christ been before in his heart, he could not have thought himself unworthy to entertain that Guest within his house; Under the low roof of an humble breast, doth God ever delight to dwell; The state of his Palace may not be measured by the height, but by the depth: Brags and boldfaces do ofttimes carry it away with men, nothing prevails with God, but our voluntary deiections. It is fit the foundations should be laid deep, where the building is high. The Centurion's Humility was not more low, than his faith was lofty; that reaches up into Heaven, and in the face of humane weakness descries Omnipotence; Only say the word, and my Servant shall be whole. Had the Centurion's roof been Heaven itself, it could not have been worthy to be come under, of him, whose Word was Almighty, and who was the Almighty Word of his Father; Such is Christ confessed by him that says, Only say the word; none but a divine Power is unlimited; neither hath Faith any other bounds than God himself. There needs no footing to remove Mountains, or Devils, but a word; do but say the word; O Saviour my sin shall be remitted; my soul shall be healed, my body shall be raised from dust; both soul and body shall be glorious. Whereupon then was the steady confidence of the good Centurion? ●ee saw how powerful his own word was with those, that were under his command, (though himself were under the command of another) the force whereof extended even to absent performances; well therefore might he argue, that a free and unbounded power, might give infallible commands, and that the most obstinate Disease, must therefore needs yield to the beck of the God of nature: weakness may show us what is in strength; By one drop of water we may see what is in the main Ocean; I marvel not if the Centurion were kind to his Servants, for they were dutiful to him; he can but say, Do this, and it is done; these mutual respects draw on each other; cheerful and diligent service in the one, calls for a due and favourable care in the other▪ they that neglect to please cannot complain to be neglected. Oh that I could be but such a Servant to mine heavenly Master; Alas, every of his commands, says, Do this, and I do it not; Every of his inhibitions says, Do it not, and I do it; He says, go from the World, I run to it; he says, Come to me, I run from him▪ Woe is me, this is not service, but enmity; How can I look for favour, whiles I return rebellion; It is a gracious Master whom we serve; there can be no duty of ours, that he sees not, that he acknowledges not, that he crownes not; we could not but be happy, if we could be officious. What can be more marvelous than to see Christ marvel? All marvelling supposes an ignorance going before, and acknowledge following some accident unexpected▪ now who wrought this Faith in the Centurion, but he that wondered at it? He knew well what he wrought, because he wrought what he would; yet he wondered at what he both wrought, and knew, to teach us, much more to admire that which h●e at once knows and holds admirable. He wrought this faith as God; he wondered at it as man, God wrought, and man admired; he that was both, did both; to teach us where to bestow our wonder. I never find Christ wondering at Gold, or Silver, at the costly and curious works of humane skill or industry; Yea, when the Disciples wondered at the magnificence of the Temple, he rebuked them rather: I find him not wondering at the frame of Heaven and Earth, nor at the orderly disposition of all creatures and events; the familiarity of these things intercepts the admiration; But when he sees the grace or acts of faith, he so approves them, that he is ravished with wonder; He that rejoiced in the view of his Creation, to see that of nothing, he had made all things good, rejoices no less in the reformation of his Creature, to see, that he hath made good of evil: Behold thou art fair, my Love, behold thou art fair, and there is no spot in thee; My Sister, my spouse, thou hast wounded my heart, thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes. Our Wealth, Beauty, Wit, Learning, Honour, may make us accepted of men; but it is our Faith only, that shall make God in love with us; And why are we of any other save God's Diet, to be more affected with the least measure of Grace in any man, than with all the outward glories of the World? There are great men whom we justly pity, we can admire none but the gracious. Neither was that plant more worthy of wonder in itself, than that it grew in such a soil, with so little help of Rain and Sun; The weakness of means, adds to the praise and acceptation of our proficiency: To do good upon a little is the commendation of thrift; it is small thank to be full handed in a large estate; As contrarily, the strength of means doubles the revenge of our neglect: It is not more the shame of Israel, than the glory of the Centurion; that our Saviour says, I have not found so great faith in Israel; Had Israel yielded any equal faith, it could not have been unespied of those Allseeing eyes; yet were their helps so much greater, than their faith was less; and God never gives more than he requires: Where we have laid our Tillage, and Compost, and Seed, who would not look for a Crop? but if the uncultured fallow yield more, how justly is that unanswerable ground near to a curse? Our Saviour did not mutter this censorious testimony to himself, nor whisper it to his Disciples, but he turned him about to the people, and spoke it in their ears, that he might at once work their shame and emulation: In all other things, except spiritual, our self-love makes us impatient of equals, much less can we endure to be outstripped by those, who are our professed inferiors. It is well, if any thing can kindle in us holy ambitions: Dull and base are the spirits of that man, that can abide to see another overtake him in the way, and outrun him to Heaven. He that both wrought this faith, and wondered at it, doth now reward it, Go thy ways, and 〈◊〉 thou hast believed, so be it unto thee; Never was any faith unseen of Christ, never was any seen without allowance, never was any allowed without remuneration: The measure of our receipts in the matter of favour, is the proportion of our belief; The infinite Mercy of God (which is ever like itself) follows but one rule in his gifts to us, the faith that he gives us: Give us, O God, to believe, and be it to us as thou wilt, it shall be to us above that we will. The Centurion sues for his Servant, and Christ says, So be it unto thee; The Servant's health is the benefit of the Master; and the Master Faith is the health of the Servant; And if the Prayers of an earthly Master, prevailed so much with the Son of God, for the recovery of a Servant, how shall the intercession of the Son of God, prevail with his Father in Heaven, for us that are his impotent Children and Servants upon Earth? What can we want, O Saviour, whiles thou suest for us? He that hath given thee for us, can deny thee nothing for us, can deny us nothing for thee; In thee we are happy, and shall be glorious; To thee, O thou mighty Redeemer of Israel, with thine eternal Father, together with thy blessed Spirit, one God infinite, and incomprehensible, be given all praise, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. FINIS. Contemplations, THE SIXTH Volume. By I.H. D.D. LONDON, Printed for Nathaniel Butter. 1625. Contemplations. THE SIXTEENTH BOOK. Containing Shimei cursing. Achitophel. The death of Absalon. Shebaes' Rebellion. The Gibeonites revenged. The numbering of the People. By IOS: HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND TRULY NOBLE LORD, FRANCIS, Lord RUSSEL, Baron of Thornbaugh, all increase of Honour and Happiness. Right Honourable: YOu shall not need to impute it to any other reason besides your virtues, that I have presumed to shroud this piece of my Labours under your Noble Patronage. The world hath taken just notice how much the Gospel is graced by your real profession; whom neither honour hath made overlie, nor wealth lavish, nor charge miserable, nor greatness; licentious. Go on happily in these safe and gainful steps of goodness; and still honour the God that hath honoured you; In the mean time, accept from my unworthy hands these poor Meditations, more high for their subject, then mean for their author; Wherein Shimeys curses shall teach you how unable either greatness, or innocence is to bear off the blows of ill tongues; and how baseness ever moulds itself according to the advantage of times. Achitophel's depth compared with his end shall show how witless and insensate craft is, when it strives against honesty; and how justly are they forsaken of their reason, that have abandoned God; The blood of Absalon and Sheba proclaim the inevitable revenge of rebellion, which neither in woods nor walls can find safety. The late famine of Jsrael for the forgotten violence offered to the Gibeonites, shows what note God takes of our oaths, and what sure vengeance of their violation. David's muster seconded with the plague of Israel teache● how highly God may be offended with sins of the least appearance, how severe to his own, how merciful in that severity. If these my thoughts shall be approved beneficial to any soul, I am rich. I shall vow my prayers to their success; and to the happiness of your honourable Family, both in the root and branches; Whereto I am in all Humble duty devoted, IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. SHIMEI cursing. WIth an heavy heart, and a covered head, and a weeping eye, and bare feet, is David gone away from Jerusalem; never did he with more joy come up to his City, than now he left it with sorrow: how could he do otherwise, whom the insurrection of his own Son driven out from his house, from his throne, from the Ark of God? and now, when the depth of this grief deserved nothing but compassion, the foul mouth of Shimei entertains David with curses: There is no small cruelty in the picking out of a time for mischief; That word would scarce gall at one season, which at another killeth. The same shaft flying with the wind pierces deep, which against it, can hardly find strength to stick upright. The valour, and justice of children condemns it for injuriously cowardly to strike their adversary when he is once down. It is the murder of the tongue to insult upon those, whom God hath humbled, and to draw blood of that back, which is yet blue from the hand of the Almighty. If Shimei had not presumed upon David's dejection, he durst not have been thus bold; now he that perhaps durst not have looked at one of those Worthies single, defies them all at once, and doth both cast, and speak stones against David, and all his army. The malice of base spirits sometimes caries them further than the courage of the valiant. In all the time of David's prosperity, we heard no news of Shimei; his silence and colourable obedience made him pass for a good subject; yet all that while was his heart unsound and traitorous. Peace and good success hides many a false heart; (like as a Snow-drift covers an heap of dung) which once melting away descries the rottenness that lay within: Honour and welfare are but flattering glasses of men's affections: adversity will not deceive us, but will make a true report as of our own powers, so of the disposition of others. He that smiled on David in his throne, curseth him in his flight: if there be any quarrels, any exceptions to be taken against a man, let him look to have them laid in his dish when he fares the hardest. This practice have wicked men learned of their master, to take the utmost advantages of our afflictions; He that suffers had need to be double armed, both against pain, and censure. Every word of Shimei was a slander; He that took saul's spear from his head, and repent to have but cut the lap of his garment, is reproached as a man of blood: The man after Gods own heart is branded for a man of Belial. He that was sent for out of the fields to be anointed, is taxed for an usurper: If David's hands were stained with blood, yet not of saul's House; It was his servant, not his master that bled by him; yet is the blood of the Lords anointed cast in David's teeth, by the spite of a false tongue. Did we not see David (after all the proofs of his humble loyalty) shedding the blood of that Amalakite who did but say he shed saul's? Did we not hear him lament passionately for the death of so ill a master, chiding the mountains of Gilboa on which he fell; and angrily wishing that no dew might fall where that blood was poured out; and charged the daughters of Israel to weep over Saul, who had clothed them in scarlet? Did we not hear and see him enquiring for any remainder of the House of Saul, that he might show him the kindness of God? Did we not see him honouring lame Mephibosheth with a princely seat at his own table? Did we not see him revenging the blood of his rival Ishbosheth, upon the heads of Rechab and Baanah? What could any living man have done more to wipe off these bloody aspersions? Yet is not a Shimei ashamed to charge innocent David with all the blood of the House of Saul. How is it likely this clamorous wretch had secretly traduced the name of David, all the time of his government, that dares thus accuse him to his face, before all the mighty men of Israel, who were witnesses of the contrary? The greater the person is, the more open do his actions lie to misinterpretation, and censure. Every tongue speaks partially according to the interest he hath in the cause, or the patiented. It is not possible that eminent persons should be free from imputations; Innocence can no more protect them, than power. If the patience of David can digest this indignity, his train cannot; their fingers could not but itch to return iron for stones. If Shimei rail on David, Abishai ralies on Shimei; Shimei is of saul's Family, Abishai of David's; each speaks for his own: Abishai most justly bends his tongue against Shimei, as Shimei against David, most unjustly: Had Shimei been any other than a dog, he had never so rudely barked at an harmless passenger; neither could he deserve less than the loss of that head which had uttered such blasphemies against Gods anointed: The zeal of Abishai doth but plead for justice, and is checked; What have I to do with you ye sons of Zeruiah? David said not so much to his reviler, as to his abettor: He well saw that a revenge was just, but not seasonable; he found the present a fit time to suffer wrongs, not to right them: he therefore gives way rather meekly to his own humiliation, then to the punishment of another: There are seasons wherein lawful motions are not fit to be cherished; Anger doth not become a mourner; One passion at once is enough for the soul. Unadvised zeal may be more prejudicial, than a cold remissness. What if the Lord for the correction of his servant have said unto Shimei, Curse David; yet is Shimeies' curse no less worthy of Abishaies' sword; the sin of Shimeies' curse was his own, the smart of the curse was Gods; God wils that as David's chastisement, which he hates as Shimeies' wickedness; That lewd tongue moved from God, it moved lewdly from Satan. Wicked men are never the freer from guilt, or punishment, for that hand which the holy God hath in their offensive actions; Yet David can say, Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him; as meaning to give a reason of his own patience, rather than Shimeies impunity: the issue shown how well David could distinguish betwixt the act of God, and of a traitor; how he could both kiss the rod, and burn it: There can be none so strong motive of our meek submission to evils, as the acknowledgement of their original; He that can see the hand of God striking him by the hand or tongue of an enemy, shall more awe the first mover of his harm, then malign the instrument. Even whiles David laments the rebellion of his son, he gains by it; and makes that the argument of his patience, which was the exercise of it. Behold, my son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life; how much more now may this Beniamite do it? The wickedness of an Absalon may rob his father of comfort, but shall help to add to his father's goodness: It is the advantage of great crosses, that they swallow up the less; One man's sin cannot be excused by another's, the lesser by the greater; If Absalon be a traitor, Shimei may not curse and rebel: But the passion conceived from the indignity of a stranger may be abated by the harder measure of our own; If we can therefore suffer because we have suffered, we have profited by our affliction. A weak heart faints with every addition of succeeding trouble; the strong recollects itself, and is grown so skilful that it bears off one mischief with another. It is not either the unnatural insurrection of Absalon, nor the unjust curses of Shimei, that can put David quite out of heart. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and will requite good for his cursing, this day. So well was David acquainted with the proceed of God, that he knew cherishing was ever went to follow stripes; after vehement evacuation, cordials; after a dark night, the clear light of the morning: Hope therefore doth not only uphold, but cheer up his heart, in the midst of his sorrow; If we can look beyond the cloud of our affliction, and see the Sunshine of comfort on the other side of it, we cannot be so discouraged with the presence of evil, as heartened with the issue; As on the contrary, let a man be never so merry within, and see pain and misery waiting for him at the door, his expectation of evil shall easily daunt all the sense of his pleasure; the retributions of temporal favours go but by peradventures; It may be the Lord will look on mine affliction; of eternal, are certain and infallible; If we suffer, we shall reign; why should not the assurance of reigning make us triumph in suffering? David's patience draws on the insolence of Shimei. Evil natures grow presumptuous upon forbearance: In good dispositions, injury unanswered grows weary of itself, and dies in a voluntary remorse; but in those dogged stomaches, which are only capable of the restraints of fear, the silent digestion of a former wrong provokes a second; Mercy had need to be guided with wisdom, left it prove cruel to itself. Oh the base minds of inconstant Timeservers! Stay but a while, till the wheel be a little turned, you shall see humble Shimei fall down on his face before David, in his return over jordan; now his submission shall equal his former rudeness; his prayers shall requite his curfes, his tears make amends for his stones, Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me; neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely, the day that my Lord the King went out of jerusalem, that the King should take it to heart; for thy servant doth know that I have sinned; Falsehearted Shimei, had Absalon prospered, thou hadst not sinned, thou hadst not repent; then hadst thou bragged of thine insultation over his miseries, whose pardon thou now beggest with tears. The changes of worldly minds are thankless; since they are neither wrought out of conscience nor love, but only by a slavish fear of a just punishment. David could say no more to testify his sorrow (for his heinous sins against God) to Nathan, than Shimei says of himself to David; whereto may be added the advantage of a voluntary confession in this offender, which in David was extorted by the reproof of a Prophet; yet is David's confession seriously penitent, Shemies craftily hypocritical; Those alterations are justly suspected, which are shaped according to the times and outward occasions: the true penitent looks only at God, and his sin, and is changed when all other things are themselves. Great offences had need of answerable satisfactions; As Shimei was the only man of the House of Benjamin that came forth and cursed David in his flight, so is he the first man (even before those of the House of joseph, though nearer in situation) that comes to meet David in his return with prayers and gratulation: Notorious offenders may not think to sit down with the task of ordinary services; The retributions of their obedience must be proportiable to their crimes. ACHITOPHEL. SO soon as David heard of Achitophel's hand in that conspiracy, he falls to his prayers, O Lord, I pray thee turn the counsel of Achitophel into foolishness; The known wisdom of his revolted counsellor made him a dangerous and dreadful adversary: Great parts misemployed cannot but prove most mischievous: when wickedness is armed with wit, and power, none but a God can defeat it; when we are matched with a strong and subtle enmity, it is high time (if ever) to be devout; If the bounty of God have thought good to furnish his creatures with powers to war against himself, his wisdom knows how to turn the abuse of those powers to the shame of the owners, and the glory of the giver. Oh the policy of this Machiavelli of Israel, no less deep than hell itself: Go in to thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and when all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father, the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong. The first care must be to secure the faction: There can be no safety in siding with a doubtful rebel: if Absalon be a traitor, yet he is a Son; Nature may return to itself; Absalon may relent, David may remit; where than are we that have helped to promote the conspiracy? the danger is ours, whiles this breach may be peeced; There is no way but to engage Absalon in some further act, uncapable of forgiveness; Besides the throne, let him violate the bed of his Father; unto his treason let him add an incest, no less unnatural; now shall the world see that Absalon neither hopes nor cares for the reconciliation of a father; Our quarrel can never have any safe end but victory; the hope whereof depends upon the resolution of our followers; they cannot be resolute, but upon the unpardonable wickedness of their Leader: Neither can this villainy be shameful enough, if it be secret. The closeness of evil argues fear, or modesty; neither of which can beseem him that would be a successful traitor: Set up a Tent on the top of the house, and let all Israel be witnesses of thy sin, and thy Father's shame: Ordinary crimes are for vulgar offenders; Let Absalon sin eminently; and do that which may make the world at once to blush, and wonder. Who would ever have thought that Achitophel had lived at Court, at the Council-table of a David? Who would think that mouth had ever spoken well? Yet had he been no other than as the Oracle of God to the religious Court of Israel; even whiles he was not wise enough to be good: Policy and grace are not always lodged under one roof: This man whiles he was one of David's deep Counsellors, was one of David's fools that said in their hearts, There is no God; else he could not have hoped to make good an evil with worse, to build the success of treason upon incest. Profane hearts do so contrive the plots of their wickedness, as if there were no overruling power to cross their designs, or to revenge them: He that sits in heaven laughs them to scorn, and so fare gives way to their sins, as their sins may prove plagues unto themselves. These two Sons of David met with pestilent counsel; Amnon is advised to incest with his sister; Absalon is advised to incest with his father's Concubines: That by jonadab, this by Achitophel: Both prevail: It is as easy at least to take ill counsel, as to give it: Proneness to villainy in the great, cannot want either projectors to device, or parasites to execute the most odious and unreasonable sins. The Tent is spread (lest it should not be conspicuous enough) on the top of the house. The act is done; in the fight of all Israel: The filthiness of the sin was not so great, as the impudence of the manner: When the Prophet Nathan came with that heavy message of reproof, and menace to David, after his sin with Bathsheba, he could say from God, Behold I will raise up evil against thee, out of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives, in the sight of this Sun: For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before this Sun. The counsel of Achitophel, and the lust of Absalon, have fulfilled the judgement of God. Oh the wisdom of the Almighty, that can use the worst of evils, well; and most justly make the sins of men his executioners! It was the sin of Reuben that he defiled his father's bed; yet not in the same height of lewdness: what Reuben did in a youthful wantonness, Absalon did in a malicious despite: Reuben sinned with one, Absalon with ten; Reuben secretly, Absalon in the open eyes of heaven and earth; yet old jacob could say of Reuben, Thou shalt not excel; thy dignity is gone; whiles Achitophel says to Absalon, Thy dignity shall arise from incest; Climb up to thy father's bed, if thou wilt sit in his throne; If Achitophel were a politician, jacob was a Prophet; if the one spoke from carnal sense, the other from divine revelation. Certainly, to sin is not the way to prosper; what ever vain fools promise to themselves, there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. After the rebellion is secured for continuance, the next care is that it may end in victory; this also hath the working head of Achitophel projected. Wit & experience told him, that in these cases of assault, celerity uses to bring forth the happiest dispatch: whereas protraction is no small advantage to the defendant. Let me (saith he) choose out now twelve thousand men, and I will up, and follow after David this night; and I will come upon him while he is weary and weakhanded. No advice could be more pernicious: For▪ besides the weariness and unreadiness of David and his army, the spirits of that worthy leader were daunted, and dejected with sorrow, and offered way to the violence of a sudden assault. The field had been half won ere any blow stricken. Achitophel could not have been reputed so wise, if he had not learned the due proportion betwixt actions and times: He that observeth every wind shall never sow; but he that observes no wind at all, shall never reap. The likeliest devices do not always succeed; The God that had appointed to establish David's throne, and determined Solomon to his succession, finds means to cross the plot of Achitophel by a lesse-probable advice: Hushai was not sent back for nothing: where God hath in his secret will decreed any event, he inclines the wills of men to approve that which may promote his own purposes: Neither had Hushai so deep an head; neither was his counsel so sure, as that of Achitophel, yet his tongue shall refel Achitophel, and divert Absalon: The pretences were fairer, though the grounds were unfound; First, to sweeten his opposition, he yields the praise of wisdom to his adversary in all other counsels, that he may have leave to deny it in this; His very contradiction in the present insinuates a general allowance. Then, he suggests certain apparent truths concerning David's valour, and skill, to give countenance to the inferences of his improbabilities. Lastly, he cunningly feeds the proud humour of Absaloza, in magnifying the power and extent of his commands, and ends in the glorious boasts of his forepromised victory; As it is with faces, so with counsel, that is fair that pleaseth. He that gives the uttrance to words, gives also their speed: Favour both of speech and men is not ever according to desert, but according to fore-ordination: The tongue of Hushai, & the heart of Absalon is guided by a power above their own; Hushai shall therefore prevail with Absalon, that the treason of Absalon may not prevail; He that worketh all in all things, so disposeth of wicked men and spirits, that whiles they do most oppose his revealed will, they execute his secret, and whiles they think most to please, they overthrew themselves. When Absalon first met Hushai returned to Jerusalem, he upbraided him pleasantly with the scoff of his professed friendship to David; Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Sometimes there is more truth in the mouth then in the heart, more in jest then in earnest; Hushai was a friend, his stay was his kindness; and now he hath done that for which he was left at Jerusalem, disappointed Achitophel, preserved David; Neither did his kindness to his friend rest here, but (as one that was justly jealous of him, with whom he was allowed to temporize) he mistrusts the approbation of Absalon; and not daring to put the life of his master upon such an hazard, he gives charge to Zadok and Abiathar, of this intelligence unto David: we cannot be too suspicious when we have to do with those that are faithless: We cannot be too curious of the safety of good Princes. Hushai fears not to descry the secrets of Absaloms' counsel; to betray a traitor is no other than a commendable work: Zadok and Abiathar are fast within the gates of Jerusalem; their sons lay purposely abroad in the fields; this message that concerned no less than the life of David, and the whole kingdom of Israel, must be trusted with a Maid: Sometimes it pleaseth the wisdom of God, who hath the variety of heaven and earth before him, to single out weak instruments for great services: and they shall serve his turn, as well as the best: No councillor of State could have made this dispatch more effectually: jonathan and Ahimaaz are sent, descried, pursued, preserved: The fidelity of a maid instructed them in their message, the suttlety of a woman saved their lives. At the Well of Rogel they received their message, in the Well of Bahurim was their life saved: The sudden wit of a woman hath choked the mouth of her Well with dried corn, that it might not bewray the messengers: and now David hears safely of his danger, and prevents it: and though weary with travel, and laden with sorrow, he must spend the night in his remove. God's promises of his deliverance, and the confirmation of his kingdom may not make him neglect the means of his safety: If he be faithful, we may not be careless; since our diligence and care are appointed for the factors of that divine providence; The acts of God must abate nothing of ours; rather must we labour, by doing that which he requireth, to further that which he decreeth. There are those that have great wits for the public, none for themselves: Such was Achitophel, who whiles he had powers to govern a State, could not tell how to rule his own passions: Never till now do we find his counsel balked, neither was it now rejected as ill, only Hushays was allowed for better: he can live no longer now that he is beaten at his own weapon: this alone is cause enough to saddle his Ass, and to go home, and put the halter about his own neck. Pride causes men both to misinterpret disgraces, and to overrate them: Now is David's prayer heard, Achitophel's counsel is turned into foolishness: Desperate Achitophel, what if thou be not the wisest man of all Israel? Even those that have not attained to the highest pitch of wisdom, have found contentment in a mediocrity: what if thy counsel were despised? A wise man knows to live happily in spite of an unjust contempt: what madness is this to revenge another man's reputation upon thyself? And whiles thou strivest for the highest room of wisdom, to run into the grossest extremity of folly? Worldly wisdom is no protection from shame and ruin. How easily may a man, though naturally wise, be made weary of life? A little pain, a little shame, a little loss, a small affront can soon rob a man of all comfort, and cause his own hands to rob him of himself: If there were not higher respects than the world can yield, to maintain us in being; it should be a miracle if indignation did not kill more than disease: now, that God, by whose appointment we live here, for his most wise and holy purposes, hath found means to make life sweet, and death terrible. What a mixture do we find here of wisdom and madness? Achitophel will needs hang himself, there is madness; He will yet set his house in order; there is an act of wisdom: And could it be possible that he, who was so wise as to set his house in order, should be so mad as to hang himself? That he should be careful to order his house, who regarded not to order his impotent passions? That he should care for his house, who cared not for either body or soul? How vain it is for a man to be wise, if he be not wise in God? How preposterous are the cares of idle worldlings, that prefer all other things to themselves, and whiles they look at what they have in their coffers, forget what they have in their breasts? The Death of ABSALON. THE same God that raised enmity to David from his own loins, procured him favour from forainers; Strangers shall relieve him, whom his own son persecutes; Here is not a loss, but an exchange of love: Had Absalon been a son of Ammon, and Shobi a son of David, David had found no cause of complaint: If God take with one hand, he gives with another: whiles that divine bounty serves us in, good meat, though not in our own dishes, we have good reason to be thankful. No sooner is David come to Mahanaim, than Barzillai, Machir, and Shobi refresh him with provisions. Who ever saw any child of God left utterly destitute? Whosoever be the messenger of our aid, we know whence he comes; Heaven shall want power, and earth means, before any of the household of faith shall want maintenance. He that formerly was forced to employ his arms for his defence against a tyrannous father in law, must now buckle them on against an unnatural son: Now therefore he musters his men, and ordains his Commanders, and marshals his troops; and, since their loyal importunity will not allow the hazard of his person, he at once incourages them by his eye, and restrains them with his tongue, Deal gently with the young man Absalon, for my sake: How unreasonably favourable are the wars of a father? O holy David, what means this ill placed love, this unjust mercy? Deal gently with a Traitor? but of all traitors with a Son? of all sons with an Absalon, the graceless darling of so good a father; and all this for thy sake, whose Crown, whose blood he hunts after? For whose sake should Absalon be pursued, if he must be forborn for thine? He was still courteous to thy followers, affable to suitors, plausible to all Israel, only to thee he is cruel: Wherefore are those arms if the cause of the quarrel must be a motive of mercy? Yet thou sayest, Deal gently with the young man Absalon, for my sake: Even in the holiest Parents nature may be guilty of an injurious tenderness, of a bloody indulgence. Or, whether shall we not rather think this was done in type of that unmeasurable mercy of the true King, and redeemer of Israel, who prayed for his persecutors, for his murderers; and even whiles they were at once scorning and killing him, could say, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do? If we be sons, we are ungracious, we are rebellious, yet still is our heavenly Father thus compassionately regardful of us: David was not sure of the success; there was great inequality in the number; Absaloms' forces were more than double to his; It might have come to the contrary issue, that David should have been forced to say, Deal gently with the Father of Absalon; but, in a supposition of that victory, which only the goodness of his cause bade him hope for, he saith, Deal gently with the young man Absalon. As for us, we are never but under mercy; our God needs no advantages to sweeps us from the earth, any moment, yet he continues that life, and those powers to us, whereby we provoke him, and bids his Angels deal kindly with us, and bear us in their arms, whiles we lift up our hands, and bend our tongues against heaven. O mercy past the comprehension of all finite spirits, and only to be conceived by him whose it is: Never more resembled by any earthly affection then by this of his Deputy and Type, Deal gently with the young man Absalon, for my sake. The battle is joined; David's followers are but an handful to Absaloms'. How easily may the fickle multitude be transported to the wrong side? What they wanted in abettors, is supplied in the cause. Unnatural ambition draws the sword of Absalon, David's, a necessary and just defence. They that in simplicity of heart followed Absalon, cannot in malice of heart, persecute the father of Absalon: with what courage could any Israelite draw his sword against a David? or on the other side, who can want courage to fight for a righteous Sovereign, and father, against the conspiracy of a wicked son? The God of Hosts, with whom it is all one to save with many or with few, takes part with justice, and lets Israel feel what it is to bear arms for a traitorous usurper. The sword devours twenty thousand of them, and the wood devours more than the sword; It must needs be a very universal rebellion, wherein so many perished; What virtue or merits can assure the hearts of the vulgar, when so gracious a Prince finds so many revolters? Let no man look to prosper by rebellion, the very thickets, and stakes, and pits, and wild beasts of the wood shall conspire to the punishment of traitors; Amongst the rest, see how a fatal Oak hath singled out the ringleader of this hateful insurrection; and will at once serve for his hangman and gallows; by one of those spreading arms snatching him away to speedy execution. Absalon was comely, and he knew it well enough; His hair was no small piece of his beauty, nor matter of his pride: It was his wont to cut it once a year; not for that it was too long, but too heavy; his heart could have borne it longer, if his neck had not complained; And now, the justice of God hath plaited an halter of those locks; Those tresses had formerly hanged loosely disheveled on his shoulders, now he hangs by them; He had wont to weigh his hair, and was proud to find it so heavy; now his hair poiseth the weight of his body, and makes his burden his torment: It is no marvel if his own hair turned traitor to him, who durst rise up against his father. That part which is misused by man to sin, is commonly employed by God to revenge; The revenge that it worketh for God, makes amends for the offence, whereto it is drawn against God; The very beast whereon Absalon sat, as weary to bear so unnatural a burden, resigns over his load to the tree of justice; There hangs Absalon between heaven and earth, as one that was hated, and abandoned both of earth and heaven: As if God meant to prescribe this punishment for Traitors, Absalon, Achitophel, and judas dye all one death: So let them perish that dare lift up their hand against Gods anointed. The honest soldier sees Absalon hanging in the Oak, and dares not touch him; his hands were held with the charge of David, Beware that none touch the young man Absalon; joab, upon that intelligence● sees him, and smites him, with no less than three darts; What the soldier forbore in obedience, the Captain doth in zeal: not fearing to prefer his Sovereign's safety, to his command; and more tendering the life of a King, and peace of his Country, than the weak affection of a father; I dare not sit judge betwixt this zeal and that obedience; betwixt the Captain and the Soldier; the one was a good subject, the other a good Patriot: the one loved the King, the other loved David; and out of love disobeyed; the one meant as well, as the other sped: As if God meant to fulfil the charge of his Anointed, without any blame of his subjects, it pleased him to execute that immediate revenge upon the rebel, which would have dispatched him without hand, or dart: only the Mule and the Oak conspired to this execution; but that death would have required more leisure, than it was safe for Israel to give; and still life would give hope of rescue; to cut off all fears, joab lends the Oak three darts to help forward so needful a work of justice: All Israel did not afford so firm a friend to Absalon, as joab had been; who but joab had suborned the witty widow of Tekoah, to sue for the recalling of Absalon, from his three years exile? Who but he went to fetch him from Geshur to jerusalem? Who but he fetched him from his house at jerusalem (whereto he had been two years confined) to the face, to the lips of David? Yet now he that was his solicitor for the King's favour, is his executioner against the King's charge: With honest hearts all respects either of blood or friendship cease in the case of Treason▪ well hath joab forgotten himself to be friend to him who had forgotten himself to be a son. Even civilly, the King is our common father, our Country our common mother; Nature hath no private relations which should not gladly give place to these; He is neither father, nor son, nor brother, nor friend, that conspires against the common parent: Well doth he who spoke parables for his master's son, now speak darts to his King's enemy; and pierces that heart which was false to so good a father: Those darts are seconded by joabs' followers; each man tries his weapon upon so fair a mark. One death is not enough for Absalon; he is at once hanged, shot, mangled, stoned: justly was he lift up to the Oak, who had lift up himself against his father, and sovereign; justly is he pierced with darts, who had pierced his father's heart with so many sorrows; justly is he mangled, who hath dismembered and divided all Israel; justly is he stoned, who had not only cursed, but pursued his own parent. Now joab sounds the retreat; and calls off his eager troops from execution; however he knew what his rebellious Countrymen had deserved in following an Absalon; Wise Commanders know how to put a difference betwixt the heads of a faction, and the misguided multitude; and can pity the one; whiles they take revenge on the other. So did Absalon esteem himself, that he thought it would be a wrong to the world, to want the memorial of so goodly a person. God had denied him sons; How just it was that he should want a son, who had robbed his father of a son, who would have robbed himself of a father, his father of a Kingdom? It had been pity so poisonous a plant should have been fruitful; His pride shall supply nature, he rears up a stately pillar in the King's dale, and calls it by his own name, that he might live in dead stones, who could not survive in living issue; and now, behold this curious pile ends in a rude heap, which speaks no language, but the shame of that carcase which it covers: Hear this ye glorious fools, that care not to perpetuate any memory of yourselves to the world, but of ill-deserving greatness; the best of this affectation is vanity; the worst, infamy and dishonour; whereas the memorial of the just shall be blessed: and if his humility sh●ll refuse an Epitaph, and chose to hide himself under the bare earth, God himself shall engrave his name upon the pillar of eternity. There now lies Absalon in the pit, under a thousand grave-stones, in every of which is written his everlasting reproach: well might this heap over-live that pillar, for when that ceased to be a pillar, it began to be an heap, neither will it cease to be a monument of Absaloms' shame, whiles there are stones to be found upon earth, Even at this day very Pagans and Pilgrims that pass that way, cast each man a stone unto that heap, and are wont to say in a solemn execration, Cursed be the parricide Absalon, and cursed be all unjust persecutors of their parents, for ever: Fasten your eyes upon this woeful spectacle, O all ye rebellious and ungracious children, which rise up against the loins and thighs from which ye fell: and know that it is the least part of your punishment, that your carcases rot in the earth, and your name in ignominy; these do but shadow out those eternal sufferings, of your souls, for your foul and unnatural disobedience. Absalon is sped; who shall report it to his father? Surely joab was not so much afraid of the fact, as of the message; There are busy spirits that love to carry news, though thankless, though purposelesse; such was AhimaaZ, the son of Zadock; who importunately thrust himself into this service; wise joab, who well saw, how unwelcome tidings must be the burden of the first post, dissuades him in vain; he knew David too well to employ a friend in that errand. An Ethiopian servant was a fit bearer of such a message, than the son of the Priest. The entertainment of the person doth so follow the quality of the news, that David could argue a far off, He is a good man, he cometh with good tidings. Oh how welcome deserve those messengers to be that bring us the glad tidings of salvation, that assure us of the foil of all spiritual enemies, and tell us of nothing but victories, and Crowns, and Kingdoms; If we think not their feet beautiful, our hearts are foul with infidelity, and secure worldliness. So wise is Ahimaaz grown by joabs' intimation, that though he outwent Cushi in his pace, he suffers Cushi to outgo him in his tale, cunningly suppressing that part, which he knew must be both necessarily delivered, and unpleasingly received. As our care is wont to be where our love is; David's first word is not, how fares the host, but how far●● the young man Absalon: Like a wise, and faithful messenger, Cushi answers by honest insinuation, The enemies of my Lord the King, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is; implying both what was done, and, why David should approve it being done; How is the good King thunder strooke with that word of his Black-more? who, as if he were at once bereft of all comfort, and cared not to live, but in the name of Absalon, goes and weeps, and cries out, O my son Absalon, my son, my son Absalon, Would God I had died for thee, O Absalon, my son, my son. What is this we hear? that he whose life Israel valued at ten thousand of theirs, should be exchanged with a traitors? that a good King, whose life was sought, should wish to lay it down for the preservation of his murderer? The best men have not wont to be the least passionate; But what shall we say to that love of thine, O Saviour, who hast said of us wretched traitors, not, Would God I had died for you; But I will dye, I do dye, I have died for you; Oh love, like thyself, infinite, incomprehensible, whereat the Angels of Heaven stand yet amazed; wherewith thy Saints are ravished, Turn away thine eyes from me, for they overcome me, Oh thou that dwellest in the Gardens, the companions harken to thy voice; cause us to hear it; that we may in our measure answer thy love, and enjoy it for ever. SHEBAES' Rebellion. IT was the doom which God passed upon the man after his own heart by the mouth of Nathan, that the sword should never departed from his house, for the blood of Vriah; After that wound healed by remission, yet this scar remains; Absalon is no sooner cast down into the pit, than Sheba the son of Bichri is up in arms; If David be not plagued, yet he shall be corrected; First by the rod of a son, then of a subject: He had lift up his hand against a faithful subject; now a faithless dares to lift up his hand against him. Malice like some hereditary sickness runs in a blood; Saul and Shimei, and Sheba were all of an house; That ancient grudge was not yet dead; The fire of the house of jemini was but raked up, never thoroughly out; and now, that which did but smoke in Shemei, flames in Sheba; Although even through this chastisement it is not hard to discern a Type, of that perpetual succession of enmity, which should be raised against the true King of Israel. O Son of David, when didst thou ever want enemies? How wert thou designed by thine eternal Father, for a sign that should be spoken against? How did the Gentiles rage, and the people imagine vain things? The Kings of the earth assembled, and the Rulers came together against thee? Yea, how do the subjects of thine own kingdom daily conspire against thee? Even now whiles thou enjoyest peace, and glory at thy Father's right hand, as soon shalt thou want friends, as enemies upon earth. No eye of any traitor could espy a just quarrel in the government of David, yet Sheba blows the trumpet of rebellion; and whiles Israel and judah are striving who should have the greatest part in their reestablished Sovereign, he sticks not to say, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Ishai; and whiles he says, Every man to his tents O Israel, he calls every man to his own; So in proclaiming a liberty from a just and loyal subjection, he invites Israel to the bondage of an usurper. That a lewd Conspirator should breathe Treason, it is no wonder; but is it not wonder and shame, that upon every mutinous blast, Israel should turn Traitor to Gods anointed? It was their late expostulation with David, why their brethren the men of judah should have stolen him from them; now might David more justly expostulate, why a rebel of their brethren should have stolen them from him: As nothing is more unstable than the multitude, so nothing is more subject distastes, than Sovereignty; for as weak minds seek pleasure in change; so every light conceit of irritation seems sufficient colour of change; Such as the false dispositions of the vulgar are, love cannot be security enough for Princes, without the awfulness of power, What hold can there be of popularity, when the same hands that even now fought for David to be all theirs, now fight against him, under the son of Bichri, as none of theirs? As Bees when they are once up in a swarm, are ready to light upon every bow, so the Israelites, being stirred by the late commotion of Absalon, are apt to follow every Sheba. It is unsafe for any State, that the multitude should once know the way to an insurrection; the least tract in this kind is easily made a path, Yet, if Israel rebel, judah continues faithful; neither shall the son of David ever be left destitute of some true subjects in the worst of Apostasies: He that could command all hearts, will ever be followed by some; God had rather glorify himself by a remnant. Great Commanders must have active thoughts; David is not so taken up with the embroiled affairs of his state, as not to intent domestic justice; His ten concubines, which were shamelessly defiled by his incestuous son, are condemned to ward, and widowhood. Had not that constupration been partly violent, their punishment had not been so easy; had it not also been partly voluntary, they had not been so much punished; But how much so ever the act did partake of either force, or will, justly are they sequestered from David's bed; Absalon was not more unnatural in his rebellion, then in his lust; If now David should have returned to his own bed, he had seconded the incest: How much more worthy of separation are they, who have stained the marriage-bed with their wilful sin? Amasa was one of the witnesses, and abettors of Absaloms' filthiness, yet is he (out of policy) received to favour and employment, whiles the concubine suffer; Great men yield many times to those things, out of reasons of state, which if they were private persons could not be easily put over; It is no small wisdom to engage a new reconciled friend, that he may be confirmed by his own act: Therefore is Amasa commanded to levy the forces of judah: joab after many great merits and achievements lies rusting in neglect: he that was so entire with David as to be of his counsel for Vriahs' blood; and so firm to David, as to lead all his battles against the house of Saul, the Ammonites, the Aramites, Absalon, is now cashiered, & must yield his place to a stranger, late an enemy: Who knows not that this son of Zeruiah had shed the blood of war in peace? But if the blood of Absalon had not been louder than the blood of Abner, I fear this change had not been; Now joab smarteth for a loyal disobedience; How slippery are the stations of earthly honours, and subject to continual ●●ueability? Happy are they who are in favour with him, in whom there is no shadow of change. Where men are commonly most ambitious to please with their first employments, Amasa slackens his pace; The least delay in matters of rebellion is perilous, may be inrecoverable; The sons of Zeruiah are not sullen, Abishai is sent, joab goes unsent to the pursuit of Sheba. Amasa was in their way; whom no quarrel but their en●y had made of a brother an enemy, Had the heart of Amasa been privy to any cause of grudge, he had suspected the Kiss of joab; now his innocent eyes look to the lips, not to the hand of his secret enemy; The lips were smooth, Art thou in health, my brother? the hand was bloody, which smote him under the fift rib; That unhappy hand knew well this way unto death; which with one wound hath let out the Souls of two great Captains, Abaer and Amasa; both they were smitten by joab, both under the fift rib, both under a pretence of friendship. There is no enmity so dangerous as that which comes masked with love; Open hostility calls us to our guard; but there is no fence against a trusted treachery: We need not be bidden to avoid an enemy, but who would run away from a friend? Thus spiritually deals the world with our souls; it kisses us, and stabs us at once; If it did not embrace us with one hand, it could not murder us with the other; Only God deliver us from the danger of 〈◊〉 trust, and we shall be safe. joab is gone, and leaves Amasa wallowing in blood; That spectacle cannot but stay all passengers; The death of great persons draws ever many eyes; Each man says, Is not this my Lord Amasa? Wherefore do we go to fight, whiles our General lies in the dust? What a sad presage is this of our own miscarriage; The wit of joabs' followers hath therefore soon both removed Amasa out of the way, and covered him, not regarding so much the loss, as the eyesore of Israel. Thus wicked Politics care not so much for the commission of villainy, as for the notice; Smothered evils are as not done; If oppressions, if murders, if treasons may be hid from view, the obdured heart of the offender complains not of remorse. Bloody joab, with what face, with what heart canst thou pursue a Traitor to thy King, whiles thyself art so foul a Traitor to thy friend, to thy cousin-german, and (in so unseasonable a slaughter) to thy Sovereign, whose cause thou professest to revenge? If Amasa were now in an act of loyalty, justly (on God's part) paid for the arerages of his late rebellion, yet that it should be done by thy hand, then and thus, it was flagitiously cruel; Yet, behold joab runs away securely with the fact, ha●●●ing to plague that in another, whereof himself was no less guilty; So vast are the gorges of some consciences, that they can swallow the greatest crimes, and find no strain in the passage. It is possible for a man to be faithful to some one person, and perfidious to all others; I do not find joab other then firm and loyal to David, in the midst of all his private falsehoods, whose just quarrel he pursues against Sheba, through all the Tribes of Israel. None of all the strong Forts of revolted Israel can hide the Rebel from the zeal of his revenge; The City of Abel lends harbour to that conspirator; whom all Israel would, and cannot protect; joab casts up a Mount against it, and having environed it with a siege, gins to work upon the wall; and now, after long chase, is in hand to dig out that Vermin, which hath earthed himself in this borough of Bethmaachah. Had not the City been strong and populous, Sheba had not cast himself for succour within those walls, yet of all the inhabitants, I see not any one man move for the preservation of their whole body: Only a woman undertakes to treat with joab, for their safety: Those men whose spirits were great enough to maintain a Traitor against a mighty King, scorn not to give way to the wisdom of a matron; There is no reason that sex should disparage, where the virtue and merit is no less than masculine: Surely the soul acknowledgeth no sex, neither is varied according to the outward frame; How oft have we known female hearts in the breasts of Men, and contrarily manly powers in the weaker vessels? It is injurious to measure the act by the person, and not rather to esteem the person for the act. She, with no less prudence than courage challengeth joab for the violence of his assault; and lays to him that law which he could not be an Israelite, and disavow; the Law of the God of peace, whose charge it was, that when they should come near to a City to fight against it, they should offer it peace; and if this tender must be made to forainers, how much more to brethren? So as they must inquire of Abel, ere they battered it; War is the extreme act of vindicative justice; neither doth God ever approve it for any other than a desperate remedy, and if it have any other end then peace, it turns into public murder. It is therefore an inhuman cruelty to shed blood, where we have not proffered fair conditions of peace: the refusal whereof is justly punished with the sword of revenge. joab was a man of blood, yet when the wise woman of Abel charged him with going about to destroy a mother in Israel; and swallowing up the inheritance of the Lord, with what vehemency doth he deprecate that challenge, God forbidden, God forbidden it me, that I should devour, or destroy it; Although that city with the rest had engaged itself in Shebaes' sedition, yet how ●ealously doth joab remove from himself the suspicion of an intended vastation? How fearful shall their answer be, who upon the quarrel of their own ambition have not spared to waste whole Tribes of the Israel of God? It was not the fashion of David's Captains to assault any City ere they summoned it; here they did; There be some things that in the very ●act carry their own conviction. So did Abel in the entertaining, and abetting a known conspirator; joab challenges them for the offence, and requires no other satisfaction than the head of Sheba, This Matron had not deserved the name of Wise, and faithful in Israel, if she had not both apprehended the justice of the condition, and commended it to her Citizens; whom she hath easily persuaded to spare their own heads, in not sparing a Traitors; It had been pity those walls should have stood if they had been to hie to throw a Traitor's head over. Spiritually, the case is ours: Every man's breast is as a City enclosed; Every sin is a Traitor, that lurks within those walls; God calls to us for Shebaes' head; neither hath he any quarrel to our person, but for our sin: If we love the head of our Traitor, above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish in the vengeance we cannot be more willing to part with our sin, than our merciful God is to withdraw his judgements. Now is joab returned with success, and hopes by Shebaes' head to pay the price of Amasaes' blood; David hates the murder, entertains the man, defers the revenge; joab had made himself so great, so necessary, that David may neither miss, nor punish him: Policy led the King to connive at that which his heart abhorred; I dare not commend that wisdom which holds the hands of Princes from doing justice; Great men have ever held it a point of worldly state, not always to pay where they have been conscious to a debt of either favour, or punishment; but to make Time their servant for both; Solomon shall once defray the arerages of his father; In the mean time joab commands and prospers; and David is fain to smile on that face, whereon he hath in his secret destination written the characters of Death. The Gibeonites revenged. THE reign of David was most troublesome towards the shutting up; wherein both war and famine conspire to afflict him; Almost forty years had he sat in the throne of Israel, with competency, if not abundance of all things; now at last are his people visited with a long death; we are not at first sensible of common evils; Three years drought and scarcity are gone over ere David consults with God, concerning the occasion of the judgement, now he found it high time to seek the face of the Lord; The continuance of an affliction sends us to God, and calls upon us to ask for a reckoning; Whereas like men strucken in their sleep, a sudden blow cannot make us to find ourselves; but rather astonisheth, then teacheth us. David was himself a Prophet of God, yet had not the Lord all this while acquainted him with the grounds of his proceed against Israel; this secret was hid from him, till he consulted with the Vrim; Ordinary means shall reveal that to him, which no vision had descried; And if God will have Prophets to have recourse unto the Priests, for the notice of his will; how much more must the people? Even those that are the inwardest with God must have use of the Ephod. justly is it presupposed by David that there was never judgement from God, where hath not been a provocation from men; therefore when he sees the plague, he inquires for the sin. Never man smarted causelessely from the hand of divine justice; Oh that when we suffer, we could ask what we have done; and could guide our repentance to the root of our evils. That God whose counsels are secret, even where his actions are open, will not be close to his Prophet; to his Priest: without inquiry we shall know nothing; upon inquiry nothing shall be concealed from us, that is fit for us to know. Who can choose but wonder at once, both at David's slackness in consulting with God, and God's speed in answering so slow a demand? He that so well knew the way to God's Oracle, suffers Israel to be three years pinched with famine, ere he asks why they suffer; Even the best hearts may be overtaken with dulness in holy duties; But oh the marvelous mercy of God, that takes not the advantage of our weaknesses. David's question is not more slow, than his answer is speedy, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. Israel was full of sins, besides those of saul's house; saul's house was full of sins, besides those of blood; Much blood was shed by them, besides that of the Gibeonites; yet the justice of God singles out this one sin of violence offered to the Gibeonites (contrary to the league made by joshua, some four hundred years before) for the occasion of this late vengeance. Where the causes of offence are infinite, it is just with God to pitch upon some; it is merciful not to punish for all: Wellnear forty years are passed betwixt the commission of the sin, and the reckoning for it. It is a vain hope that is raised from the delay of judgement; No time can be any prejudice to the ancient of days; When we have forgotten our sins, when the world hath forgotten us, he sues us afresh for our arerages. The slaughter of the Gibeonites was the sin not of the present, but rather the former generation; and now posterity pays for their forefathers; Even we men hold it not unjust to sue the heirs and executors of our debtors; Eternal payments God uses only to require of the person, temporary ofttimes of succession. As Saul was higher by the head and shoulders than the rest of Israel, both in stature and dignity, so were his sins more conspicuous than those of the vulgar. The eminence of the person makes the offence more remarkable to the eyes both of God and men. Neither Saul nor Israel were faultless in other kinds; yet God fixes the eye of his revenge upon the massacre of the Gibeonites. Every sin hath a tongue, but that of blood over-cryes, and drowns the rest. He who is mercy itself abhors cruelty in his creature above all other inordinateness; That holy soul which was heavy pressed with the weight of an heinous adultery, yet cries out, Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness. If God would take account of blood, he might have entered the action upon the blood of Vriah spilt by David; or (if he would rather insist in saul's house) upon the blood of Abimelech the Priest; and fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen Ephod; but it pleased the wisdom and justice of the Almighty rather to call for the blood of the Gibeonites, though drudges of Israel, and a remnant of Amorites. Why this? There was a perjury attending upon this slaughter; It was an ancient Oath wherein the Princes of the congregation had bound themselves (upon Ioshua's league) to the Gibeonites, that they would suffer them to live; an oath extorted by fraud, but solemn, by no less ●●me, than the Lord God of Israel; Saul will now thus late either not acknowledge it, or not keep it; out of his zeal therefore to the children of Israel, and judah; he roots ●ut some of the Gibeonites, whether in a zeal of revenge of their first imposture, or in a zeal of enlarging the possessions of Israel, or in a zeal of executing God's charge upon the brood of Canaanites, he that spared Agag whom he should have smitten, smites the Gibeonites whom he should have spared: Zeal and good intention is no excuse, much less a warrant for evil; God holds it an high indignity that his name should be sworn by, and violated Length of time cannot dispense with our oaths, with our vows; The vows and oaths of others may bind us, how much more our own? There was a famine in Israel; a natural man would have ascribed it unto the drought; and that drought perhaps to some constellations; David knows to look higher; and sees a divine hand scourging Israel for some great offence; and overruling those second causes to his most just executions▪ Even the most quicksighted worldling is purblind to 〈◊〉 all objects; and the weakest eyes of the regenerate pierce the heavens, and espy God in all earthly occurrences. So well was David acquainted with God's proceed, that he knew the removal of the judgement must begin at the satisfaction of the wronged▪ At once therefore doth he pray unto God, and treat with the Gibeonites; What shall I do for you, and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that I may bless the inheritance of the Lord? In vain should David (though a Prophet) bless Israel at the Gibeonites did not 〈…〉 less them: Injuries done us on earth give us power in heaven; The oppressor is in no man's mercy but his whom he hath trampled upon. Little did the Gibeonites think that God had so taken to heart their wrongs, that for their sakes all Israel should suffer. Even when we think not of it, is the righteous judge avenging our unrighteous vexations; Our hard measures cannot be hid from him, his returns are hid from us; It is sufficient for us▪ that God can be no more neglective, then ignorant of our sufferings. It is now in the power of these despised Hivites to make their own terms with Israel; Neither Silver, nor Gold will savour with them towards their satisfaction; Nothing can expiate the blood of their fathers, but the blood of seven sons of their deceased persecutor; Here was no other than a just retaliation; Saul had punished in them the offence of their predecessors; they will now revenge saul's sin in his children. The measure we meet unto others, is with much equity re-measured unto ourselves. Every death would not content them, of saul's sons, but a cursed and ignominious, hanging on the Tree; Neither would that death content them, unless their own hands might be the executioners; Neither would any place serve for the execution but Gibeah, the Court of Saul; neither would they do any of this for the wreaking of their own fury, but for the appeasing of God's wrath, We will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul. David might not refuse the condition: He must deliver, they must execute: He chooses out seven of the sons, and grandchildren of Saul; That house had raised long an unjust persecution against David, now God pays it upon another's score. David's love and oath to jonathan, preserves lame Mephibosheth: How much more shall the Father of all mercies do good unto the children of the faithful, for the covenant made with their Parents? The five sons of Adriel the Meholathite, David's ancient rival in his first love, which were borne to him by Merab, saul's Daughter, and brought up by her barren sister Michol the wife of David, are yielded up to death; Merab was after a promise of marriage to David, unjustly given away by Saul, to Adriel; Michol seems to abet the match in breeding the children; now in one act (nor of David's seeking) the wrong is thus late avenged upon Saul, Adriel, Merab, Michol, the children: It is a dangerous matter to offer injury to any of God's faithful ones; If their meekness have easily remitted it, their God will not pass it over without a severe retribution. These five, together with two sons of Rizpah, saul's Concubine, are hanged up at once before the Lord; yea and before the eyes of the World; No place but an Hill will serve for this execution; The acts of justice as they are intended for example, so they should be done in that eminent fashion that may make them both most instructive, and most terrifying; unwarrantable courses of private revenge seek to hide their heads in secrecy; The beautiful face of justice both affects the light, and becomes it. It was the general charge of God's Law that no corpse should remain all night upon the gibbet; The Almighty hath power to dispense with his own command; so doubtless he did in this extraordinary case; these carcases did not defile, but expiate. Sorrowful Rizpah spreads her a Tent of Sackcloth upon the Rock, for a sad attendance upon those sons of her womb; Death might bereave her of them, not them of her love; This spectacle was not more grievous to her, then pleasing to God, and happy to Israel. Now the clouds drop ●●messe, and the earth runs forth into plenty. The Gibeonites are satisfied, God reconciled, Israel relieved. How blessed a thing it is for any Nation that justice is unpartially executed even upon the mighty. A few drops of blood have procured large showers from Heaven. A few carcases are a rich compost to the earth; The drought and dearth remove away with the breath of those pledges of the offender; judgements cannot tyrannize where justice reigns: as contrarily, there can be no peace where blood cries unheard, unregarded. The numbering of the people. ISrael was grown wanton and mutinous; God pulls them down first by the sword, then by famine, now by pestilence; Oh the wondrous, & yet just ways of the Almighty! Because Israel hath sinned, therefore David shall sinne, that Israel may be punished; Because God is angry with Israel, therefore David shall anger him more, and strike himself in Israel, and Israel through himself. The spirit of God elsewhere ascribes this motion to Satan, which here it attributes to God; Both had their hand in the work; God by permission, Satan by suggestion; God as a judge, Satan as an enemy: God as in a just punishment for sin, Satan as in an act of sin; God in a wise ordination of it to good; Satan in a malicious intent of confusion. Thus at once God moved, and Satan moved; Neither is it any excuse to Satan or David, that God moved; neither is it any blemish to God, that Satan moved; The ruler's sin is a punishment to a wicked people: though they had many sins of their own, whereon God might have grounded a judgement, yet as before he had punished them with dearth for saul's sin, so now he will not punish them with plague, but for David's sin; If God were not angry with a people, he would not give up their governors to such evils as whereby he is provoked to vengeance; and if their governors be thus given up, the people cannot be safe; The body drowns not whiles the head is above the water; when that once sinks, death is near; justly therefore are we charged to make prayers and supplications, as for all, so especially for those that are in eminent authority; when we pray for ourselves, we pray not always for them, but we cannot pray for them, and not pray for ourselves; the public weal is not comprised in the private, but the private in the public. What then was David's sin? He will needs have Israel and judah numbered: Surely there is no malignity in numbers; Neither is it unfit for a Prince to know his own strength; this is not the first time that Israel hath gone under a reckoning: The act offends not, but the mis-affection; The same thing had been commendably done out of a Princely providence, which now through the curiosity, pride, misconfidence of the doer, proves heinously vicious; Those actions which are in themselves indifferent, receive either their life, or their bane from the intentions of the agent. Moses numbereth the people with thankes, David with displeasure: Those sins which carry the smoothest foreheads, and have the most honest appearances, may more provoke the wrath of God, than those which bear the most abomination in their faces. How many thousand wickednesses passed through the hands of Israel, which we men would rather have branded out for a judgement, than this of David's? The righteous judge of the world censures sins, not by their ill looks, but by their foul hearts. Who can but wonder to see joab the Saint, and David the trespasser? No Prophet could speak better than that man of blood; The Lord thy God increase the people an hundredfold more than they be, and that the eyes of my Lord the King may see it; but why doth my Lord the King desire this thing? There is no man so lewd as not to be sometimes in good moods, as not to dislike some evil: contrarily no man on earth can be so holy, as not sometimes to overlash: It were pity that either joab or David should be tried by every act; How commonly have we seen those men ready to give good advice to others for the avoiding of some sins, who in more gross outrages have not had grace to counsel their own hearts? The same man that had deserved death from David for his treacherous cruelty, dissuade David from an act that carried but a suspicion of evil; It is not so much to be regarded who it is that admonisheth us, as what he brings; Good counsel is never the worse for the foul carriage; There are some dishes that we may eat even from sluttish hands. The purpose of sin in a faithful man is odious, much more the resolution: Notwithstanding joabs' discreet admonition David will hold on his course; and will know the number of the people, only that he may know it; joab and the Captains address themselves to the work: In things which are not in themselves evil, it is not for subjects to dispute but to obey; That which authority may sinne in commanding, is done of the inferior, not with safety only, but with praise. Nine months and twenty days is this general muster in hand; at last the number is brought in; Israel is found eight hundred thousand strong, judah five hundred thousand; the ordinary companies which served by course for the royal guard (four and twenty thousand each month) needed not be reckoned; the addition of them with their several Captains raises the sum of Israel to the rate of eleven hundred thousand. A power able to puff up a carnal heart; but how can an heart that is more than flesh trust to an arm of flesh? Oh holy David, whither hath a glorious vanity transported thee? Thou which once didst sing so sweetly, Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the son of man▪ for that is no help in him. His breath departeth, and he returneth to his earth, than his thought perish. Blessed is he that hath the God of jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God; How canst thou now stoop to so unsafe and unworthy a confidence? As some stomachful horse that will not be stopped in his career with the sharpest ●it, but runs on hea●ily till he come to some wall, or ditch, and their stands still and trembles; so did David; All the dissuasions of joab could not restrain him from his intended course; almost ten months doth he run on impetuously, in a way of his own rough and dangerous, at last his heart smites him; the conscience of his offence, and the fear of judgement have fetched him upon his knees, O Lord I have sinned exceedingly in that I have done; therefore now, Lord, I beseech thee take away the trespass of thy servant for I have done very foolishly. It is possible for a sin not to bait only, but to sojourn in the holiest soul: but though it sojourn there as a stranger, it shall not dwell there as an owner. The renewed heart after some rovings of error will once (ere overlong) return home to itself, and fall out with that ill guide, wherewith it was misled, and with itself for being misled; and now it is resolved into tears, and breathes forth nothing but sighs, and confessions, and deprecations. Here needed no Nathan by a parabolical circumlocution to fetch in David to a sight, and acknowledgement of his sin; the heart of the penitent supplied the Prophet▪ no others tongue could smite him so deep as his own thoughts, But though his reines chastised him in the night yet his Seer scourges him in the morning, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things▪ choose thee which of them I shall do unto thee. But what shall we say to this? When upon the Prophet's reproof for an adultery clokey with murder, David did but say, I have sinned, it was presently returned, God hath put away thy sin; neither did any smart follow, but the death of a misbegotten infant; and now when he voluntarily reproved himself for but a needless muster, and sought for pardon unbidden with great humiliation, God sends him three terrible scourges▪ Famine, Sword, or Pestilence; that he may choose with which of them he had rather to bleed, he shall have the favour of an election, not of a remission, God is more angered with a spiritual, and immediate affront offered to his Majesty, in our pride, and false confidence in earthly things, then with a fleshly cri●● though heinously seconded. It was an hard and woeful choice; of three year's famine added to three forepast; or of three months flight from the sword of an enemy, or three days pestilence; The Almighty that had foredetermined his judgement, refers it to David's will as fully, as if it were utterly undetermined; God hath resolved, yet David may choose; That infinite wisdom hath foreseen the very will of his creature; which whiles it freely inclines itself to what it had rather, unwittingly wils that which was fore appointed in heaven. We do well believe thee, O David, that thou wert in a wonderful strait; this very liberty is no other than fetters; Thou needst not have famine, thou needst not have the sword, thou needst not have pestilence; one of them thou must have; There is misery in all, there is misery in any; thou and thy people can die but once; and once they must dye, either by famine, war, or pestilence. Oh God, how vainly do we hope to pass over our sins with impunity, when all the favour that David and Israel can receive is to choose their bane? Yet behold, neither sins, nor threats, nor fears can bereave a true penitent of his faith, Let us fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great. There can be no evil of punishment wherein God have not an hand; there could be no famine, no sword without him, but some evils are more immediate from a divine stroke; such was that plague into which David is unwillingly willing to fall: He had his choice of days, months, years in the same number; and though the shortness of time prefixed to the threatened pestilence might seem to offer some advantage for the leading of his election, yet God meant (and David knew it) herein to proportion the difference of time to the violence of the plague; neither should any fewer perish by so few day's pestilence, then by so many year's famine: The wealthiest might avoid the dearth, the swiftest might run away from the sword; no man could promise himself safety from that pestilence▪ In likelihood God's Angel would rather strike the most guilty; However therefore David might well look to be enwrapped in the common destruction, yet he rather chooseth to fall into that mercy which he had abused, and to suffer from that justice which he had provoked; Let us now fall into the hands of the Lord. Humble confessions, and devout penance cannot always avert temporal judgements; Gods Angel is abroad, and within that short compass of time sweeps away seventy thousand Israelites; David was proud of the number of his subjects, now they are abated; that he may see cause of humiliation in the matter of his glory; In what we have offended, we commonly smart; These thousands of Israel were not so innocent; that they should only perish for David's sin; Their sins were the motives both of this sin, and punishment; besides the respect of David's offence, they die for themselves. It was no ordinary pestilence that was thus suddenly and universally mortal; Common eyes saw the botch, and the marks, saw not the Angel, David's clearer sight hath espied him (after that kill peragration through the Tribes of Israel) shaking his sword over jerusalem, and hover over Mount Zion; and now he who doubtless had spent those three dismal days in the saddest contrition, humbly casts himself down at the feet of the avenger, and lays himself ready for the fatal stroke of justice; It was more terror that God intended in the visible shape of his Angel, and deepe● humiliation; and what he meant, he wrought; Never soul could be more dejected, more anguished with the sense of a judgement; in the bitterness whereof he cries out, Behold I have sinned, yea I have done wickedly; But these Sheep what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee be against me, and against my father's house. The better any man is the more sensible he is of his own wretchedness▪ Many of those Sheep were Wolves to David; What had they done? They had done that which was the occasion of David's sin, and the cause of their own punishment; But that gracious penitent knew his own sin, he knew not theirs; and therefore can say, I have sinned, What have they done? It is safe accusing, where we may be boldest, and are best acquainted ourselves. Oh the admirable charity of David, that would have engrossed the plague to himself, and his house, from the rest of Israel; and sues to interpose himself betwixt his people and the vengeance; He that had put himself upon the paws of the Bear, and Lion, for the rescue of his Sheep, will now cast himself upon the sword of the Angel, for the preservation of Israel; There was hope in those conflicts; in this yeeldance there could be nothing but death; Thus didst thou, O son of David, the true and great Shepherd of thy Church, offer thyself to death for them who had their hands in thy blood; who both procured thy death, and deserved their own. Here he offered himself that had sinned for those whom he professed to have not done evil, thou that didst no sin, vouchsavest to offer thyself for us that were all sin; He offered and escaped, thou offeredst, and diedst; and by thy death we live, and are freed from everlasting destruction. But O Father of all mercies, how little pleasure dost thou take in the blood of sinners? it was thine own pity that inhibited the Destroyer; Ere David could see the Angel, thou hadst restrained him; It is sufficient, hold now thy hand; If thy compassion did not both withhold and abridge thy judgements, what place were there for us out of hell? How easy and just had it been for God to have made the shutting up of that third evening red with blood? his goodness reputes of the slaughter; and calls for that Sacrifice wherewith he will be appeased; An Altar must be built in the threshing floor of Araunah the jebusite; Lo, in that very Hill where the Angel held the sword of Abraham from killing his Son, doth God now hold the Sword of the Angel from killing his people; Upon this very ground shall the Temple after, stand; here shall be the holy Altar, which shall send up the acceptable oblations of God's people in succeeding generations. O God, what was the threshing-floore of a jebusite to thee above all other soils? What virtue, what merit was in this earth? As in places, so in persons, it is not to be heeded what they are, but what thou wilt; That is worthiest which thou pleasest to accept. Rich and bountiful Araunah is ready to meet David in so holy a motion; and munificently offers his Zion for the place, his Oxen for the Sacrifice, his Carts & Ploughs, and other Utensils of his Husbandry for the wood; Two frank hearts are well met; David would buy, Araunah would give; The jebusite would not sell, David will not take: Since it was for God, and to David, Araunah is loath to bargain: Since it was for God, David wisheth to pay dear, I will not offer burnt-offering to the Lord my God, of that which doth cost me nothing: Heroical spirits do well become eminent persons; He that knew it was better to give then receive, would not receive but give; There can be no devotion in a niggardly heart; As unto dainty palates, so to the godly soul, that tastes sweetest, that costs most; Nothing is dear enough for the Creator of all things. It is an heartless piety of those baseminded Christians, that care only to serve God good cheap. Contemplations. THE SEVENTEENTH BOOK. Adonijah defeated. David's end and Salomons beginning. The execution of joab and Shimei. Salomons choice, with his judgement upon the two Harlots. The Temple. Solomon with the Queen of Sheba. Salomons defection. BY IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO MY WORTHILY MUCH HONOURED FRIEND, SIR HENRY MILDMAY KNIGHT, MASTER OF THE JEWELL-HOUSE; ALL GRACE AND PEACE. SIR, Besides all private obligations, your very name challengeth from me all due services of love, and honour; If I have received mercy to bear any fruit, next under heaven, I may thank the stock wherein I was ymped; which was set by no other than the happy hand of your Right Honourable Grandfather; How have I so long forborn the public Testimony of my just gratulations, and thankful respects to so true an heir of his noble Virtues. Pardon me that I pay this debt so late; and accept of this parcel of my well-meant labours; Wherein you shall see Solomon both in his rising and setting; his rising hopeful and glorious, his declination fearful; You shall see the proofs of his early graces; of mercy, in sparing Adonijah, and Abiathar; of justice, in punishing that rival of his, with joab, and Shimei: of wisdom, in his award betwixt the two Harlots, and the administration of his Court, and State: of piety, in building and hallowing the Temple; all dashed in his fall, repaired in his repentance. I have no cause to misdoubt either the acceptation, or use of these mine high pitched thoughts; which, together with yourself, and your worthy and virtuous Lady, I humbly commend to the care and blessing of the highest; who am bound by your worth and merits to be ever Your sincerely, and thankfully devoted in all observance, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. THE SEVENTEENTH BOOK. ADONIJAH Defeated. DAVID had not so carefully husbanded his years, as to maintain a vigorous age; he was therefore what through wars, what with sorrows, what with sickness, decrepit betimes; By that time he was seventy years old, his natural heat was so wasted, that his clothes could not warm him; how many have we known of more strength, at more age? The holiest soul dwells not in an impregnable fort; If the revenging Angel spared David, yet age and death will not spare him; Neither his new altar, nor his costly sacrifice can be of force against decay of nature; Nothing but death can prevent the weaknesses of age. None can blame a people if when they have a good King, they are desirous to hold him; David's servants and subjects have commended unto his bed a fair young Virgin; not for the heat of lust, but of life; that by this means they might make an outward supply of fuel for that vital fire which was well-near extinguished with age. As it is in the market, or the stage, so it is in our life; One goes in, another comes out; when David was withering, Adonijah was in his blossom; That son, as he was next to Absalon both in the beauty of his body, and the time of his birth, so, was he too like him in practice; He also taking advantage of his father's infirmity, will be carving himself of the Kingdom of Israel; That he might no whit vary from his pattern, he gets him also Chariots and Horsemen, and fifty men to run before him: These two Absalon and Adonijah were the darlings of their father; Their father had not displeased them from their childhood, therefore they both displeased him in his age; Those children had need to be very gracious, that are not marred with pampering; It is more than God owes us, if we receive comfort in those children whom we have over-loved; The indulgence of parents at last pays them home in crosses. It is true that Adonijah was David's eldest son now remaining, and therefore might seem to challenge the justest title to the Crown; But the Kingdom of Israel (in so late in erection) had not yet known the right of succession: God himself that had ordained the government, was as yet the immediate elector; He fetched Saul from among the stuff, and David from the sheepfold; and had now appointed Solomon from the ferule, to the Sceptre. And if Adonijah (which is unlike) had not known this, yet it had been his part to have taken his father with him in this claim of his succession; and not so to prevent a brother, that he should shoulder out a father; and not so violently to preoccupate the throne, that he should rather be a rebel, than an heir. As Absalon, so Adonijah wants not furtherers in this usurpation, whether spiritual, or temporal; joab the General, and Abiathar the Priest give both counsel, and aid to so unseasonable a challenge; These two had been firm to David in all his troubles, in all insurrections; yet now finding him fastened to the bed of age, and death, they show themselves thus slippery in the lose: Outward happiness and friendship are not known till our last act. In the impotency of either our revenge or recompense, it will easily appear who loved us for ourselves, who for their own ends. Had not Adonijah known that Solomon was designed to the Kingdom both by God, and David, he had never invited all the rest of the King's sons, his brethren, and left our Solomon; who was otherwise the most unlikely to have been his rival in this honour; all the rest were elder than he; and might therefore have had more pretence for their competition: Doubtless the Court of Israel could not but know, that immediately upon the birth of Solomon, God sent him by Nathan the Prophet, a name and message of love; neither was it for nothing that God called him jedidiah; and forepromised him the honour of building an house to his Name; and (in return of so glorious a service) the establishment of the throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever; Notwithstanding all which, Adonijah backed by the strength of a joab, and the gravity of an Abiathar, will underworke Solomon, and justle into the not-yet-vacant seat of his father David. Vain men, whiles like proud and yet brittle clay, they will be knoking their sides against the solid, and eternal decree of God, break themselves in pieces. I do not find that Adonijah sent any message of threats, or unkindness to Zadok the Priest, or Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah the son of jehoiada, and the other worthies; only he invited them not to his feast with the King's sons, and servants; Sometimes a very omission is an affront, and a menace. They well knew that since they were not called as guests, they were counted as enemies; Ceremonies of courtesy, though they be in themselves sleight, and arbitrary, yet the neglect of them in some cases may undergo a dangerous construction. Nathan was the man by whom God had sent that errand of grace to David, concerning Solomon, assuring him both to reign, and prosper; yet now when Adonijahs plot was thus on foot, he doth not fit still, and depend upon the issue of God's decree, but he bestirs him in the business, and consults with Bathsheba how at once to save their lives, and to advance Solomon, and defeat Adonijah; God's pre-determination includes the means as well as the end; the same providence that had ordained a Crown to Solomon, a repulse to Adonijah, preservation to Bathsheba and Nathan, had fore-appointed the wise and industrious endeavours of the Prophet to bring about his just, and holy purposes; If we would not have God wanting to us, we must not be wanting to ourselves: Even when we know what God hath meant to us, we may not be negligent. The Prophets of God did not look for revelation in all their affairs, in some things they were left to the counsel of their own hearts; the policy of Nathan was of use as well as his prophecy: that alone hath turned the stream into the right channel: Nothing could be more wisely contrived then the sending in of Bathsheba to David, with so seasonable & forceable an expostulation, and the seconding of hers with his own. Though lust were dead in David, yet the respects of his old matrimonial love lived still; the very presence of Bathsheba pleaded strongly; but her speech more; the time was, when his affection offended in excess towards her being then another's; he cannot now neglect her being his own; and if either his age, or the remorse of his old offence should have set him off, yet she knew his oath was sure; My Lord thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne; His word had been firm, but his oath was inviolable; we are engaged if we have promised, but if we have sworn, we are bound. Neither heaven nor earth hath any gyves for that man that can shake off the fetters of an oath; for he cares not for that God whom he dares invoke to a falsehood; and he that cares not for God, will not care for man. Ere Bathsheba can be over the threshold, Nathan (upon compact) is knocking at the door. God's Prophet was never but welcome to the bedchamber of King David; In a seeming strangeness he falls upon the same suit, upon the same complaint with Bathsheba: Honest policies do not misbecome the holiest Prophets; She might seem to speak as a woman, as a mother, out of passion; the word of a Prophet could not be misdoubted; He therefore that had formerly brought to David that chiding and bloody message concerning Bathsheba, comes now to David, to sue for the life and honour of Bathsheba, and he that was sent from God (to David) to bring the news of a gracious promise of favour unto Solomon, comes now to challenge the execution of it from the hands of a father, and he whose place freed him from suspicion of a faction, complains of the insolent demeanour and proclamation of Adonijah; what he began with an humble obeisance, shutting up in a lowly and loving expostulation, Is this thing done by my Lord the King, and thou hast not showed thy servant who should sit on the Throne of my Lord the King after him? As Nathan was of God's Counsel unto David, so was he of David's Counsel both to God, and the State; As God therefore upon all occasions told Nathan what he meant to do with David, so had David wont to tell Nathan what he meant to do in his holy and most important civil affairs. There are cases wherein it is not unfit for God's Prophets to meddle with matters of State; It is no disparagement to religious Princes to impart their counsels unto them, who can requite them with the counsels of God. That wood which a single iron could not rive, is soon split with a double wedge; The seasonable importunity of Bathsheba and Nathan, thus seconding each other, hath so wrought upon David, that now his love to Adonijah gives place to indignation, nature to an holy fidelity; and now he renews his ancient oath to Bathsheba with a passionate solemnity; As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, even as I swore unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; so will I certainly do this day; In the decay of David's body I find not his intellective powers any whit impaired: As one therefore that from his bed could with a perfect (if weak) hand steer the government of Israel; he gives wise and full directions for the inauguration of Solomon; Zadok the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, and Benaiah the Captain receive his grave and Princely charge for the carriage of that so weighty a business. They are commanded to take with them the royal guard, to set Solomon upon his father's Mule, to care him down in state to Gihen, to anoint him with the holy oil of the Tabernacle, to sound the trumpets and proclaim him in the streets, to bring him back with triumph and magnificence to the Court, and to set him in the royal Throne with all the due ceremonies of Coronation. How pleasing was this command to them who in salomon's glory saw their own safety? Benaiah applauds it, and not fearing a father's envy, in David's presence wisheth salomon's throne exalted above his; The people are ravished with the joy of so hopeful a succession; and break the earth, and fill the heaven with the noise of their Music and shoutings. Salomons guests had now at last better cheer than Adonijahs, whose feast (as all wickedmens') ended in horror; no sooner are their bellies full of meat, than their ears are full of the sound of those trumpets, which at once proclaim Salomons triumph, and their confusion; Ever after the meal is ended comes the reckoning; God could as easily have prevented this jollity, as marred it; But he willingly suffers vain men to please themselves for the time in the conceited success of their own projects, that afterwards their disappointment may be so much the more grievous; No doubt, at this feast there was many an health drunken to Adonijah, many a confident boast of their prospering design, many a scorn of the despised faction of Solomon; & now for their last dish is served up astonishment, and fearful expectation of a just revenge. jonathan the son of Abiathar the Priest, brings the news of salomon's solemn and joyful enthronization; now all hearts are cold, all faces pale; and every man hath but life enough to run away; How suddenly is this braving troop dispersed? Adonijah their new Prince flies to the horns of the Altar, as distrusting all hopes of life, save the Sanctity of the place, and the mercy of his rival. So doth the wise and just God befool proud and insolent sinners in those secret plots, wherein they hope to undermine the true son of David, the Prince of Peace; he suffers them to lay their heads together, and to feast themselves in a jocund security, and promise of success; at last, when they are at the height of their joys, and hopes, he confounds all their devices, and lays them open to the scorn of the world, and to the anguish of their own guilty hearts. DAVID'S end, and SALOMON'S beginning. IT well became Solomon to begin his Reign in peace. Adonijah receives pardon upon his good behaviour, and finds the Throne of Solomon, as safe as the Altar. David life's to see a wise son warm in his seat; and now he that had yielded to succession, yields to nature. Many good counsels had David given his Heir; now he sums them up in his end. Dying words are wont to be weightiest; The Soul when it is entering into glory breathes nothing but divine. I go 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 Sovereignty doth not reach to the affairs of nature? Though a King, he neither expects, nor desires an immunity from dissolution; making not account to go in any other than the common tract, to the universal home of mankind, the house of age; Whither should earth but to earth? and why should we grugde to do that, which all do? Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; Even when his spirit was going out, he puts spirit into his Son; Age puts life into youth, and the dying animates the vigorous. He had well found that strength was requisite to government, that he had need to be no less than a man that should rule over men; If greatness should never receive any opposition, yet those world's powers. A weak man may obey, none but the strong can govern. Graceless courage were but the whetstone of tyranny; Take heed therefore to the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his Statutes. The best legacy that David bequeathes to his heir, is the care of piety; himself had found the sweetness 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 goodness, our hearts are not upright. Here was the father a King, charging the King his son to keep the Statutes of the King of Kings; as one that knew greatness could neither exempt from obedience, nor privilege sin; as one that knew the least deviation in the greatest and highest Orb, is both most sensible, and most dangerous: Neither would he have his son to look for any prosperity, save only from well-doing; That happiness is built upon sands or Ice, which is raised upon any foundation besides virtue. If Solomon were wise, David was good; and if old Solomon had well remembered the counsel of old David, he had not so foully miscarried. After the precepts of piety, follow those of justice; distributing in a due recompense, as revenge to joab and Shimei, so favour to the house of Barzillai. The bloodiness of joab had lain long upon David's heart▪ the hideous noise of those treacherous murders, as it had pierced heaven, so it still filled the ears of David; He could abhor that villainy, though he could not revenge it; What he cannot pay, he will owe, and approve himself at last a faithful debtor: Now he will defray it by the hand of Solomon. The slaughter was of Abner, and Amasa, David appropriates it; Thou knowest what joab did to me: The Sovereign is smitten in the Subject; Neither is it other then just, that the arraignment of mean malefactors runs in the style of wrong to the King's Crown and dignity: How much more 〈◊〉 thou, O Son of David, take to thyself those insolences which are done to thy poorest subjects, servants, sons, members here upon earth? No Saul can touch a Christian here below, but thou feelest it in heaven, and complainest. But, what shall we think of this? David was a man of War, Solomon a King of Peace; yet David refers this revenge to Solomon: How just it was that he who shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, should have his blood shed in peace, by a Prince of peace; Peace is fittest to rectify the outrages of War; Or whether is not this done in type of that divine administration, wherein thou, O father of heaven, hast committed all judgement unto thine eternal Son? Thou who couldst immediately either plague, or absolve sinners, wilt do neither but by the hand of a Mediator. Solomon learned betimes what his ripeness taught afterwards, Take away the wicked from the King, and his Throne shall be established in righteousness; Cruel joab, and malicious Shimei, must be therefore upon the first opportunity removed, The one lay open to present justice, for abetting the conspiracy of Adonijah; neither needs the help of time for a new advantage; The other went under the protection of an oath from David, and therefore must be fetched in upon a new challenge. The hoar head of both must be brought to the grave with blood, else David's head could not be brought to his grave in peace; Due punishment of malefactors is the debt of authority; If that holy King have run into arerages; yet as one that hates and fears to break the bank, he gives order to his paymaster; It shall be defrayed, if not by him, yet for him. Generous natures cannot be unthankful: Barzillai had showed David some kindness in his extremity; and now the good man will have posterity to inherit the thankes. How much more bountiful is the Father of mercies; in the remuneration of our poor unworthy services? Even successions of generations shall far the better for one good parent. The dying words and thoughts of the man after Gods own heart did not confine themselves to the straits of these particular charges, but enlarged themselves to the care of God's public service; As good men are best at last, David did never so busily, and carefully marshal the affairs of God, as when he was fixed to the bed of his age and death. Then did he load his son Solomon with the charge of building the house of God; then did he lay before the eyes of his son the model and pattern of that whole sacred work, whereof if Solomon bear the name, yet David no less merits it: He now gives the platform of the Courts, and buildings; He gives the gold and silver for that holy use; an hundred thousand talents of gold, a thousand thousand talents of silver; besides brass and iron passing weight; He weighs out those precious metals for their several designments; Every future vessel is laid out already in his poise, if not in his form; He excites the Princes of Israel to their assistance, in so high a work; He takes notice of their bountiful offerings; He numbers up the Levites for the public service, and sets them their tasks. He appoints the Singers, and other Musicians to their stations; the Porters to the Gates that should be; And now when he hath set all things in a desired order, and forwardness, he shuts up with a zealous blessings of his Solomon, and his people, and sleeps with his fathers. Oh blessed soul, how quiet a possession hast thou now taken (after so many tumults) of a better Crown! Thou that hast prepared all things for the house of thy God, how happily art thou now welcomed to that house of his, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens! Who now shall envy unto good Princes the honour of overseeing the businesses of God, and his Church; when David was thus punctual in these divine provisions? What fear can be of usurpation where they have so glorious a precedent? Now is Solomon the second time crowned King of Israel, and now in his own right (as formerly in his fathers) sits peaceably upon the Throne of the Lord; His awe and power com● on faster than his years; Envy and ambition where it is once kindled, may sooner be hid in the ashes, than quite put out; Adonijah yet hangs after his old hopes; He remembers how sweet he found the name of a King; and now hath laid a new plot for the setting up of his cracked title; He would make the bed a step to the throne; His old complices are sure enough; His part would gather much strength, if he might enjoy Abishag the relict of his father, to wife; If it were not the jewish fashion (as is pretended) that a King's widow should marry none but a King; yet certainly the power both of the alliance, and friendship of a Queen must needs not a little advance his purpose; The crafty rival dare not either move the suit to Solomon, or effect the marriage without him; but would cunningly undermine the son by the suit of that mother, whose suit had undermined him. The weaker vessels are commonly used in the most dangerous suggestions of evil. Bathsheba was so wise a woman that some of her counsels are canonised for divine, yet she saw not the depth of this drift of Adonijah; therefore she both entertains the suit, and moves it: But what ever were the intent of the suitor, could she choose but see the unlawfulness of so incestuous a match? It is not long since she saw her late husband David abominating the bed of those his Concubines, that had been touched by his son Absalon; and can she hold it lawful that his son Adonijah should climb up to the bed of his father's wife? Sometimes even the best eyes are dim and discern not those things which are obvious to weaker sights: Or whether did not Bathsheba well see the foulness of the suit, and yet in compassion of Adonijahs late repulse (wherein she was the chief agent) and in a desire to make him amends for the loss of the Kingdom, she yields even thus to gratify him. It is an injurious weakness to be drawn upon any by-respects to the furtherance of faulty suits, of unlawful actions. No sooner doth Bathsheba come in place, than Solomon her son rises from his chair of State and meets her and bows to her, and sets her on his right hand; as not so remembering himself to be a King, that he should forget he was a son. No outward dignity can take away the rights and obligations of nature; Had Bathsheba been as mean as Solomon was mighty, she had carried away this honour from a gracious son: Yet for all these due compliments Bathsheba goes away with a denial; Reverence she shall have, she shall not have a condescent. In the acts of Magistracy, all regards of natural relations must give way; That which she propounded as a small request, is now, after a general and confused engagement rejected as unreasonable. It were pity we should be heard in all our suits. Bathsheba makes a petition against herself, and knows it not; her safety and life depends upon salomon's reign, yet she unwittingly moves for the advancement of Adonijah. Solomon was to dutiful too check his mother, and too wise to yield to her: In unfit supplications we are most heard when we are repelled. Thus doth our God many times answer our prayers with merciful denials: and most blesseth us in crossing our desires. Wise Solomon doth not find himself perplexed with the scruple of his promise; he that had said Ask on, for I will not say thee nay, can now swear, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life: His promise was according to his supposition; his supposition was of no other than of a suit, honest, reasonable, expedient; now he holds himself free from that grant, wherein there was at once both sin and danger, No man can be entangled with general words against his own just and honest intentions. The policies of wicked men befool them at last; this intercession hath undone Adonijah, and in stead of the Throne hastens his grave: The sword of Benaiah puts an end to that dangerous rivality. joab and Abiathar still held Champerty with Adonijah, Their hand was both in his claim of the Kingdom, and in the suit of Abishag; There are crimes wherein there are no accessories, such is th●● of treason. Abiathar may thank his burden that he life's; Had he not borne the Ark of the Lord before David, he had not now carried his head upon his shoulders; Had he not been afflicted with David, he had perished with Adonijah; now though he were, in his own merit, a man of death, yet he shall survive his partners, Get thee to Anathoth unto thine own fields. The Priesthood of Abiathar, as it aggravated his crime, so it shall preserve his life: Such honour have good Princes given to the Ministers of the Sanctuary, that their very coat hath been defence enough against the sword of justice, how much more should it be of proof against the contempt of base persons? Besides his function, respect is had to his sufferings, The father and brethren of Abiathar were slain for David's sake, therefore for David's sake Abiathar (though worthy of death) shall live; He had been now a dead man, if he had not been formerly afflicted; Thus doth our good God deal with us; by the rod he prevents the sword, and therefore will not condemn us for our sins, because we have suffered. If Abiathar do not forfeit his life, yet his office he shall, he must change jerusalem for Anathoth, and the Priesthood for a retired privacy. It was fourscore years ago since the sentence of judgement was denounced against the house of Eli; now doth it come to execution; This just quarrel against Abiathar (the last of that line) shall make good the threatened judgement: The wickedness of Elies' house was neither purged by sacrifice, nor obliterated by time: If God pay slowly, yet he pays sure: Delay of most certain punishment is neither any hindrance to his justice, nor any comfort to our miseries. The Execution of JOAB, and SHIMEI. ABiathar shall live though he serve not; It is in the power of Princes to remit (at least) those punishments which attend the breach of humane Laws; good reason they should have power to dispense with the wrongs done to their own persons. The news of Adonijahs death, and Abiathars' removal cannot but affright joab; who now runs to Gibeon, and takes sanctuary in the Tabernacle of God; all his hope of defence is in the horns of the Altar. Fond joab, hadst thou formerly sought for counsel from the Tabernacle, thou hadst not now needed to seek to it for refuge; if thy devotions had not been wanting to that Altar, thou hadst not needed it for a shelter: It is the fashion of our foolish presumption to look for protection, where we have not cared to yield obedience. Even a joab clings fast to God's Altar in his extremity, which in his ruff and welfare he regarded not; The worst men would be glad to make use of God's ordinances, for their advantage; Necessity will drive the most profane and lawless man to God; But what do these bloody hands touching the holy Altar of God? Miserable joab, what help canst thou expect from that sacred pile: Those horns that were besprinkled with the blood of beasts, abhor to be touched by the blood of men, that Altar was for the expiation of sin by blood; not for the protection of the sin of blood. If Adonijah fled thither and escaped, it is murder that pursues thee more than conspiracy; God hath no sanctuary for a wilful Homicide. Yet such respect doth Benaiah give to that holy place, that his sword is unwilling to touch him that touches the Altar: Those horns shall put off death for the time; and give protraction of the execution though not preservation of life; How sweet is life even to those who have been prodigal of the blood of others? that joab shifts thus to hold it but some few hours? Benaiah returns with joabs' answer, in stead of his head; Nay, but I will die here; as not daring to unsheathe his sword against a man sheltered in God's tabernacle, without a new commission. Young Solomon is so well acquainted with the Law of God, in such a case, that he sticks not at the sentence: he knew that God had enacted, If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine Altar, that he may die: He knew joabs' murders had not been more presumptuous, then guileful, and therefore he sends Benaiah to take away the offender, both from God, and men, from the Altar, and the world. No subject had merited more than joab; When proclamation was made in Israel, that who ever should smite the jebusites first, he should be the Chief and Captain; joab was the man; When David built some part of jerusalem, joab built the rest; so as jerusalem owes itself to joab, both for recovery, and reparation; No man held so close to David; no man was more intent to the weal of Israel, none so successful in victories; yet now is he called to reckon for his old sins, and must repay blood to Amasa, and Abner: It is not in the power of all our deserts to buy off one sin, either with God or man: where life is so deeply forfeited, it admits of no redemption. The honest simplicity of those times knew not of any infamy in the execution of justice. Benaiah, who was the great Marshal under Solomon, thinks not his fingers defiled with that fatal stroke. It is a foolish niceness to put more shame in the doing of justice, then in the violating of it. In one act Solomon hath approved himself both a good Magistrate, and a good son, fulfilling at once the will of a father and the charge of God; concluding upon this just execution, that, upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his Throne, there shall be peace for ever from the Lord; and inferring, that without this there could have been no peace. Blood is a restless suitor, and will not leave clamoring for judgement, till the mouth be stopped with revenge. In this case favour to the offender is cruelty to the favourer. Now hath joab paid all his arerages by the sword of Benaiah; there is no suit against his corpse; that hath the honour of a burial fit for a Peer of Israel, for the near cousin to the King. Death puts an end to all quarrels; Solomon strikes off the score, when God is satisfied; The revenge that survives death and will not be shut up in the Coffin, is barbarous and unbeseeming true Israelites. Only Shimei remains upon the file; his course is next, yet so, as that it shall be in his own liberty to hasten his end; Upon David's remission, Shimei dwells securely in Bahurim, a town of the Tribe of Benjamin; Doubtless, when he saw so round justice done upon Adonijah, and joab, his guilty heart could not think Salomons message portended aught but his execution; and now he cannot but be well pleased with so easy conditions, of dwelling at jerusalem, and not passing over the brook Kidron; What more delightful place could he choose to live in, then that city, which was the glory of the whole earth? What more pleasing bounds could he wish then the sweet banks of Kidron? jerusalem could be no prison to him, whiles it was a Paradise to his betters; and if he had a desire to take fresh air, he had the space of six furlongs to walk from the city to the brook; He could not complain to be so delectably confined; And beside, thrice every year he might be sure to see all his friends without stirring his foot. Wise Solomon whiles he cared to seem not too severe an exactor of that, which his father had remitted; prudently lays insensible twigs for so foul an offender; Besides the old grudge, no doubt Solomon saw cause to suspect the fidelity of Shimei; as a man who was ever known to be hollow to the house of David; The obscurity of a Country life would easily afford him more safe opportunities of secret mischief; Many eyes shall watch him in the city; he cannot look out unseen, he cannot whisper unheard: Upon no other terms shall he enjoy his life, which the least straying shall forfeit. Shimei feels no pain in this restraint; How many Nobles of Israel do that for pleasure, which he doth upon command? Three years hath he lived within compass; limited both by salomon's charge and his own oath; It was still in his power (notwithstanding David's Caveat) to have laid down his hoare-head in the grave, without blood; The just God infatuates those whom he means to plague; Two of Shimeies' servants are fled to Gath; and now he saddles his Ass and is gone to fetch them back, Either (he thinks) this word of Solomon is forgotten, or in the multitude of greater affairs, not heeded; or this so small an occurrence will not come to his ear: Covetousness and presumption of impunity are the destruction of many a soul; Shimei seeks his servants, and loses himself; How many are there who cry out of this folly, and yet imitate it; These earthly things either are our servants, or should be, how commonly do we see men run out of the bounds, set by God's law, to hunt after them, till their souls incur a fearful judgement? Princes have thousands of eyes & ears; If Shimei will for more secrecy saddle his own Ass, and take (as is like) the benefit of night, for his passage; his journey cannot be hid from Solomon; How wary had those men need to be which are obnoxious? Without delay is Shimei complained of, convented, charged with violation both of the oath of God, and the injunction of Solomon; and that all these might appear to be but an occasion of that punishment, whose cause was more remote, now is all that old venom laid before him, which his malice had long since spit at Gods anointed: Thou knowest all the wickedness, whereto thine heart is privy, that thou didst to David my father. Had this old tally been stricken off; yet could not Shimei have pleaded aught for his life; For, had he said; Let not my Lord the King be thus mortally displeased for so small an offence: Who ever died for passing over Kidron? What man is the worse for my harmless journey? It had soon been returned, If the act be small, yet the circumstances are deadly; The commands of Sovereign authority make the sleightest duties weighty; If the journey be harmless, yet not the disobedience; It is not for subjects to poise the Prince's charge in the scales of their weak constructions; but they must suppose it ever to be of such importance, as is pretended by the Commander. Besides the precept, here was a mutual adjuration; Shimei swore not to go; Solomon swore his death if he went; the one oath must be revenged, the other must be kept: If Shimei were false in offending, Solomon will be just in punishing. Now therefore, that which Abishai the son of Zeruiah wished to have done in the greenness of the wound, and was repelled; after long festering Benaiah is commanded to do: The stones that Shimei threw at David, struck not so deep, as Benaiahs' sword; The tongue that cursed the Lords anointed hath paid the head to boot. Vengeance against rebels may sleep, it cannot die; A sure, if late, judgement attends those that dare lift up either their hand, or tongue against the sacred persons of Gods Vice-gerents. How much less will the God of heaven suffer unrevenged the insolences, and blasphemies against his own divine Majesty? It is a fearful word, he should not be just, if he should hold these guiltless. SALOMON'S Choice, with his judgement upon the two Harlots. AFter so many messages and proofs of grace, Solomon gins doubtfully, both for his match, and for his devotion: If Pharaohs daughter were not a Proselyte, his early choice was (besides unwarrantable) dangerous: The high places not only stood, but were frequented, both by the people, and King; I do not find David climbing up those mis-hallowed hills, in an affectation of the variety of Altars; Solomon doth so, and yet love's the Lord, and is loved of God again: Such is the mercy of our God, that he will not suffer our well-meant weaknesses to bereave us of his favours: he rathers pities, then plague's us for the infirmities of upright hearts. Gibeon was well worthy to be the chief, yea the only high place; There was the allowed Altar of God, there was the Tabernacle, though (as then) severed from the Ark; thither did young Solomon go up; and, as desiring to begin his reign with God, there he offers no less than a thousand sacrifices. Solomon worships God by day; God appears to Solomon by night; Well may we look to enjoy God, when we have served him; The night cannot but be happy whose day hath been holy. It was no unusual course with God to reveal himself unto his servants by dreams; So did he here to Solomon; who saw more with his eyes shut, than ever they could see open, even him that was invisible: The good King had offered unto God a thousand sacrifices, and now God offereth him his option, Ask what I shall give thee: He whose the beasts are on a thousand mountains: graciously accepts a small return of his own. It stands not with the munificence of a bountiful God to be indebted to his creature, we cannot give him aught unrecompensed; There is no way wherein we can be so liberal to ourselves, as by giving to the possessor of all things. And art thou still, O God, less free unto us thy meaner servants under the Gospel? Hast thou not said, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, it shall be given you? Only give us grace not to be wanting unto thee, and we know thou canst not suffer any thing to be wanting unto us. The night follows the temper of the day; and the heart so useth to sleep, as it wakes: Had not the thoughts of Solomon been intent upon wisdom by day, he had not made it his suit in his dream: There needs no leisure of deliberation; The heart was so forestalled with the love, and admiration of wisdom, that not abiding the least motion of a competition, it fastens on that grace it had longed for; Give unto thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people. Had not Solomon been wise before, he had not known the worth of wisdom, he had not preferred it in his desires; The dunghill cocks of the World cannot know the price of this pearl; those that have it, know that all other excellencies are but trash, and rubbish unto it. Solomon was a great King, and saw that he had power enough, but withal, he found that royalty, without wisdom, was no other than eminent dishonour; There is no trade of life whereto there belongs not a peculiar wisdom; without which there is nothing but a tedious unprofitableness; much more to the highest, and busiest vocation, the regiment of men; As God hath no reason to give his best favours unasked; so hath he no will to withhold them where they are asked. He that in his cradle had the title of Beloved of God, is now beloved more in the throne for the love & desire of wisdom; this soil could never have born this fruit alone; Solomon could not so much as have dreamt of wisdom, if God had not put it into him; and now God takes the suit so well, as if he were beholden to his creature for wishing the best to itself: and because Solomon hath asked what he should, he shall now receive both what he asked, and what he asked not: Riches and honour shall be given him in to the match. So doth God love a good choice, and he recompenses it with over-giving: Can we but first seek the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, all these earthly things should be superadded to us; Had Solomon made wealth his boon, he had failed both of riches and wisdom; now he asks the best, and speeds of all; They are in a fair way of happiness that can pray well; It was no dis-comfort to Solomon, that he awaked and found it a dream; for he knew this dream was divine, and oracular; and he already found in his first waking, the real performance of what was promised him sleeping: Such illumination did he sensibly find in all the rooms of his heart, as if God had now given him a new soul: No marvel if Solomon now returning from the Tabernacle to the Ark, testified his joy & thankfulness by burnt-offerings, and peace offerings, and public feastings; The heart that hath found in itself the lively testimonies of God's presence, and favour, cannot contain itself from outward expressions. God likes not to have his gifts lie dead where he hath conferred them; Israel shall soon witness that they have a King enlightened from heaven; in whom wisdom did not stay for heirs; did not admit of any parallel in his predecessors; The alwise God will find occasions to draw forth those graces to use, and light, which he hath bestowed on man. Two Harlots come before young Solomon with a difficult plea; It is not like the Prince's ear was the first that heard this complaint; there was a subordinate course of justice for the determination of these meaner incidences: the hardness of this decision brought the matter, through all the benches of inferior judicature, to the Tribunal of Solomon; The very Israelitish Harlots were not so unnatural as some now adays that counterfeit honesty; These strive for the fruit of their womb, ours to put them off; One son is yet alive, two mothers contend for him. The children were alike for features, for age; the mothers were alike for reputation, here can be no evidence from others eyes; Whethers now is the living Child, and whethers is the dead? Had Solomon gone about to wring forth the truth by tortures, he had perhaps plagued the innocent, and added pain to the misery of her loss; the weaker had been guilty, and the more able to bear, had carried away both the child, and the victory: The countenance of either of the mothers bewrayed an equality of passion; Sorrow possessed the one, for the son she had lost; and the other, for the son she was in danger to lose: Both were equally peremptory, and importunate in their claim; It is in vain to think that the true part can be discerned by the vehemence of their challenge, Falsehood is ofttimes more clamorous than truth; No witnesses can be produced; They two dwelled apart under one roof: and if some neighbours have seen the children at their birth, and circumcision; yet how little difference, how much change is there in the favour of infants? how doth death alter more confirmed lines? The impossibility of proof makes the guilty more confident, more impudent; the true mother pleads that her child was taken away at midnight by the other; but in her sleep; she saw it not, she felt it not; and if all her senses could have witnessed it, yet, here was but the affirmation of the one, against the denial of the other, which in persons alike credible do but counterpoise. What is there now to lead the judge, since there is nothing either in the act, or circumstances, or persons, or plea, or evidence that might sway the sentence? Solomon well saw that when all outward proofs failed, there was an inward affection, which if it could be fetched out, would certainly bewray the true mother; he knew sorrow might more easily be dissembled then natural love; both sorrowed for their own; both could not love, one, as theirs; To draw forth then this true proof of motherhood, Solomon calls for a sword; Doubtless, some of the wiser hearers smiled upon each other; and thought in themselves, What, will the young King cut these knotty causes in pieces? Will he divide justice with edge tools? will he smite at hazard before conviction? The actions of wise Princes are riddles to vulgar constructions; neither is it for the shallow capacities of the multitude to fathom the deep projects of Sovereign authority▪ That sword which had served for execution, shall now serve for trial; Divide ye the living child in twain, and give the one half to the one, and the other half to the other; Oh divine oracle of justice, commanding that which it would not have done, that it might find out that which could not be discovered; Neither God, nor his Deputies may be so taken at their words, as if they always intended their commands for action, and not sometimes for probation. This sword hath already pierced the breast of the true mother; and divided her heart with fear, and grief, at so killing a sentence; There needs no other rack to discover nature; and now she thinks, woe is me that came for justice, and am answered with cruelty; Divide ye the living child? Alas, what hath that poor infant offended that it survives, and is sued for? How much less miserable had I been, that my child had been smothered in my sleep, then mangled before mine eyes? If a dead carcase could have satisfied me, I needed not to have complanied; What a woeful condition am I fall'n into, who am accused to have been the death of my supposed child already, and now shall be the death of my own? If there were no loss of my child, yet how can I endure this torment of mine own bowels? How can I live to see this part of myself sprawling under that bloody sword? And whiles she thinks thus, she sues to that suspected mercy of her just judge, Oh my Lord, give her the living child, and slay him not: as thinking, if he live, he shall but change a mother; if he die, his mother loseth a son; Whiles he life's, it shall be my comfort that I have a son, though I may not call him so; dying, he perisheth to both; it is better he should live to a wrong mother, then to neither: Contrarily, her envious competitor, as holding herself well satisfied that her neighbour should be as childless, as herself, can say, Let it be neither mine, nor thine, but divide it; Well might Solomon, and every hearer conclude, that either she was no mother, or a monster, that could be content with the murder of her child, and that if she could have been the true mother, and yet have desired the blood of her infant, she had been as worthy to be stripped of her child for so foul unnaturallnesse, as the other had been worthy to enjoy him for her honest compassion. Not more justly then wisely therefore doth Solomon trace the true mother by the footsteps of love, and pity; and adjudgeth the child to those bowels that had yearned at his danger. Even in morality it is thus also; Truth as it is one, so it love's entireness; falsehood, division: Satan that hath no right to the heart, would be content with a piece of it; God that made it all, will have either the whole, or none; The erroneous Church strives with the true, for the living child of saving doctrine; each claims it for her own: Heresy conscious of her own injustice, could be content to go away with a leg, or an arm of sound principles, as hoping to make up the rest with her own mixtures: Truth cannot abide to part with a joint, and will rather endure to lose all by violence; then a piece through a willing connivency. The Temple. IT is a weak and injurious censure that taxeth salomon's slackness in founding the house of God; Great bodies must have but slow motions; He was wise that said, the matters must be all prepared without, ere we build within; And if David have laid ready a great part of the metals and timber, yet many a tree must be felled and squared, and many a stone hewed and polished, ere this foundation could be laid; neither could those large Cedars be cut, sawn, seasoned in one year; Four years are soon gone in so vast a preparation: David had not been so entire a friend to Hiram, if Hiram had not been a friend to God; salomon's wisdom hath taught him to make use of so good a neighbour, of a father's friend; he knows that the Tyrians skill was not given them for nothing; Not Iewes only, but Gentiles must have their hand in building the Temple of God; Only jews meddled with the Tabernacle, but the Temple is not built without the aid of Gentiles; They, together with us, make up the Church of God. Even Pagans have their Arts from heaven; how justly may we improve their graces to the service of the God of Heaven; if there be a Tyrian that can work more curiously in gold, in silver, in brass, in iron, in purple, and blue silk, than an Israelite, why should not he be employed about the Temple? Their heathenism is their own; their skill is their Makers: Many a one works for the Church of God, that yet hath no part in it. Solomon raises a tribute for the work; not of money, but of men: Thirty thousand Israelites are levied for the service; yet not continuedly, but with intermission, their labour is more generous, and less pressing: it is enough if they keep their courses one month in Lebanon, two at home; so as ever ten thousand work, whiles twenty thousand breath. So favourable is God to his creature, that he requires us not to be over-toyled in the works of his own service. Due respirations are requisite in the holiest acts. The main stress of the work lies upon Proselytes; whose both number, and pains was herein more than the Natives: An hundred and fifty thousand of them are employed in bearing burdens, in hewing stones; besides their three thousand, three hundred overseers: Now were the despised Gibeonites of good use, and in vain doth Israel wish that the zeal of Saul had not rob them of so serviceable drudges. There is no man so mean but may be some way useful to the House of God; Those that cannot work in gold, and silver, and silk, yet may cut and hue; and those that can do neither, yet may carry burdens: Even the services that are more homely, are not less necessary: Who can dishearten himself in the conscience of his own insufficiency, when he sees God can as well serve himself of his labour, as of his skill. The Temple is framed in Lebanon, and set up in Zion; Neither hammer nor axe was heard in that holy structure; There was nothing but noise in Lebanon, nothing in Zion but silence and peace; What ever tumults are abroad, it is fit there should be all quietness and sweet concord in the Church; Oh God, that the axes of schism, or the hammers of furious contentions should be heard within thy Sanctuary! Thine house is not built with blows, with blows it is beaten down: Oh knit the hearts of thy servants together in the unity of the spirit, and the bond of peace; that we may mind and speak the same things, that thou who art the God of peace, mayst take pleasure to dwell under the quiet roof of our hearts. Now is the foundation laid, and the walls rising of that glorious fabric, which all Nations admired, and all times have celebrated; Even those stones which were laid in the Base of the building were not ragged and rude, but hewed and costly the part that lies covered with earth from the eyes of all beholders, is no less precious, than those that are most conspicuous: God is not all for the eye, he pleaseth himself with the hidden value of the living stones of his spiritual Temple; How many noble graces of his servants have been buried in obscurity; not discerned so much as by their own eyes? which yet as he gave, so he crowneth: Hypocrites regard nothing but show; God nothing but truth. The matter of so goodly a frame strives with the proportion, whether shall more excel: Here was nothing but white Marble without; nothing but Cedar and Gold within: Upon the Hill of Zion stands that glittering and snowy pile, which both inviteth and dazzleth the eyes of passengers a fare off; so much more precious within, as Cedar is better than stone, gold then Cedar; No base thing goes to the making up of God's House: If Satan may have a dwelling, he cares not though he patch it up of the rubbish of stone, or rotten sticks, or dross of metals: God will admit of nothing that is not pure and exquisite; His Church consists of none but the faithful, his habitation is in no heart but the gracious. The fashion was no other than that of the Tabernacle; only this was more costly, more large, more fixed; God was the same that dwelled in both, he varied not; the same mystery was in both; Only it was fit there should be a proportion betwixt the work and the builder: The Tabernacle was erected in a popular estate, the Temple in a Monarchy; it was fit this should savour of the munificence of a King, as that of the zeal of a multitude; That was erected in the flitting condition of Israel in the desert: this, in their settled residence in the promised Land; it was fit therefore that should be framed for motion, this for rest. Both of them were distinguished into three remarkable divisions, whereof each was more noble, more reserved than other. But what do we bend our eyes upon stone, and wood, and metals? God would never have taken pleasure in these dead materials for their own sakes, if they had not had a further intendment: Me thinks I see four Temples in this one. It is but one in matter, as the God that dwells in it is but one; three yet more in resemblance: according to the division of them in whom it pleases God to inhabit; For where ever God dwells, there is his Temple; Oh God, thou vouchsafest to dwell in the believing heart; as we thy silly creatures have our being in thee, so thou the Creator of heaven & earth hast thy dwelling in us. The heaven of heavens is not able to contain thee, and yet thou disdainest not to dwell in the straight lodgings of our renewed soul. So then, because God's children are many, and those many divided in respect of themselves, though united 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 Majesty: And for that the most general division of the Saints is in their place and estate; some struggling, and toiling in this earthly warfare, others triumphing in heavenly glory; therefore hath God two other, more universal Temples; One the Church of his Saints on earth; the other, the highest heaven of his Saints glorified. In all these, O God, thou dwellest for ever, and this material house of thine is a clear representation of these three spiritual; Else what were a temple made with hands unto 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 living Temple of the holy Ghost, which is our body? What is the Temple of this body of ours, to the Temple of Christ's body which is his Church? And what is the Temple of God's Church on earth, to that which triumpheth gloriously in heaven? How easily do we see all these in this one visible Temple: which as it had three distinctions of rooms; the Porch, the Holy-place, the Holy of Holies, so is each of them answered spiritually: In the Porch we find the regenerate soul entering 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 entered once a year) the glorious heaven, into which our true high-Priest, Christ jesus, entered once for all to make an atonement betwixt God, and man. In all these what a mere correspondence there is both in proportion, matter, situation? In proportion; The same rule that skilful carvers observe in the cutting out of the perfect statue of a man, that the height be thrice the breadth, and the breadth one third of the height, was likewise only observed in the fabric of the Temple: whose length was double to the height, and triple to the breadth, as being sixty cubits long, thirty high, and twenty broad; How exquisite a symmetry hast thou ordained (O God) betwixt the faithful heart, and thy Church on earth, with that in heaven: how accurate in each of these, in all their powers and parts compared with other; So hath God ordered the believing soul that it hath neither too much shortness 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 necessary inequality, without any disproportion; an height of government, a length of extent, a breadth of jurisdiction duly answerable to each other; So hath he ordered his triumphant Church above, that it hath a length of eternity, 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 beautiful, costly, insensible of age; The gold pure and glittering; So are the graces of God's children, excellent in their nature, dear in their acceptation, eternal in their use: So are the ordinances of God in his Church, holy, comfortable, irrefragable. So is the perfection of his glorified Saints incomparable, unconceivable. In situation; the outer parts were here more common, the inner more holy, and peculiarly reserved: I find one Court of the Temple open to the unclean, to the uncircumcised: Within that, another open only to the Israelites; and of them, to the clean; within that, yet another, proper only to the Priests and Levites; where was the Brazen Altar for sacrifice, and the Brazen sea for washings; The eyes of the Laity might follow their oblations in hither, their feet might not. Yet more, in the covered rooms of the Temple, there is, whither the Priests only may enter, not the Levites; there is, whither the high Priest only may enter, not his brethren. It is thus in every renewed man, the individual temple of God; the outward parts are allowed common to God and the world; the inwardest and secretest, which is the heart, is reserved only for the God that made it. It is thus in the Church visible, the false and foule-hearted hypocrite hath access to the holy ordinances of God, and treads in his Courts; only the true Christian hath entire and private conversation with the holy One of Israel: He only is admitted into the Holy of Holies, and enters within the glorious veil of heaven. If from the walls we look unto the furniture; What is the Altar whereon our sacrifices of prayer and praises are offered to the Almighty but a contrite heart? What the golden Candlesticks, but the illumined understanding, wherein the light of the knowledge of God, and his divine will shineth for ever? What the Tables of Shewbread, but the sanctified memory, which keepeth the bread of life continually? Yea, if we shall presume so fare as to enter into the very closet of God's Oracle; Even there, O God, do we find our unworthy hearts so honoured by thee, that they are made thy very Ark, wherein thy Royal law, and the pot of thine heavenly Manna is kept for ever; and from whose propitiatory, shaded with the wings of thy glorious Angels, thou givest thy gracious Testimonies of thy good spirit, witnessing with ours, that we are the children of thee the living God. Behold, if Solomon built a Temple unto thee, thou hast built a Temple unto thyself in us; We are not only through thy grace living stones in thy Temple, but living Temples in thy Zion: Oh do thou ever dwell in this thine house; and in this thy house let us ever serve thee: Wherefore else hast thou a Temple, but for thy presence with us, and for our worshipping of thee? The time was, when, as thy people, so thyself, didst lodge in flitting Tents, ever shifting, ever moving; thence thou thoughtest best to sojourn both in Shilo; and the roof of Obed-Edom; After that, thou condescendedst to settle thine abode with men, and wouldst dwell in an house of thine own, at thy jerusalem. So didst thou in the beginning lodge with our first Parents in a Tent; Sojourn with Israel under the law; and now makest a constant residence under the Gospel, in the hearts of thy chosen children; from whence thou wilt remove no more, they shall remove from the world, from themselves, thou shalt not remove from them. Wheresover thou art, O God, thou art worthy of adoration; Since thou ever wilt dwell in us, be thou ever worshipped in us: Let the Altars of our clean hearts send up ever to thee the sweetly perfumed smokes of our holy meditations and faithful prayers, and cheerful thanks-givings: Let the pure lights of our faith, and godly conversation shine ever before thee, and men, and never be put out: Let the bread of life stand ever ready upon the pure, and precious tables of our hearts. Lock up thy Law, and thy Manna within us; and speak comfortably to us from thy Mercy-seat. Suffer nothing to enter in hither that is unclean: Sanctify us unto thyself, and be thou sanctified in us. SALOMON, and the Queen of Sheba. GOd hath no use of the dark lanterns of secret, and reserved perfections; We ourselves do not light up Candles to put them under bushels. The great lights whether of heaven or earth, are not intended to obscurity; but as to give light unto others, so to be seen themselves; Dan and Beersheba were too straight bounds for the same of Solomon; which now hath flown over all lands and seas, and raised the world to an admiration of his more than humane wisdom. Even so, O thou everlasting King of Peace, thy Name is great among the Gentiles; There is no speech nor language, where the report of thee is not heard; The sound of thee is gone forth through all the earth; Thy name is an ointment poured out, therefore the virgins love thee. No doubt many from all coasts came to learn and wonder; none with so much note as this noble daughter of Cham: Who herself deserves the next wonder to him whom she came to hear, and admire; That a woman, a Princess, a rich and great Queen, should travel from the remotest South, from Saba, a region famous for the greatest delicacies of nature, to learn wisdom, is a matchless example. We know Merchants that venture to either Indies for wealth; Others we know daily to cross the seas for wanton curiosity: Some few Philosophers we have known to have gone fare for learning, and amongst Princes it is no unusual thing to send their Ambassadors to fare distant kingdoms, for transaction of businesses either of State, or commerce; but that a royal Lady should in person undertake and overcome so tedious a journey, only to observe, and inquire into the mysteries of nature, art, religion, is a thing past both parallel, and imitation; Why do we think any labour great, or any way long, to hear a greater than Solomon? How justly shall the Queen of the South rise up in judgement, and condemn us, who may hear wisdom crying in our streets, and neglect her? Certainly so wealthy a Queen, and so great a lover of wisdom could not want great scholars at home; them she had first opposed with her enigmatical demands; and now finding herself unsatisfied she takes herself to this Oracle of God; It is a good thing to doubt, better to be resolved: The mind that never doubts shall learn nothing; the mind that ever doubts shall never profit by learning: Our doubts only serve to stir us up to seek truth; Our resolutions settle us in the truth we have found. There were no pleasure in resolutions if we had not been formerly troubled with doubts; There were nothing but discomfort and disquietness in doubts, if it were not for the hope of resolution: It is not safe to suffer doubts to dwell too long upon the heart; there may be good use of them as passengers, dangerous as inmates: Happy are we if we can find a Solomon to remove them. Fame as it is always a blab, so ofttimes a liar. The wise Princess found cause to distrust so uncertain an informer, whose reports are still either doubtful, or fabulous; and like winds, or streams, increase in passing: If very great things were not spoken of Solomon, fame should have wronged him; and if but just rumours were spread of his wisdom, there needed much credulity to believe them. This great Queen would not suffer herself to be lead by the ears; but comes in person to examine the truth of foreign relations. How much more unsafe is it in the most important businesses of our souls, to trust the opinions and reports of others? Those ears and eyes are ill bestowed that do not serve to choose and judge for their owners. When we come to a rich treasure, we need not be bidden to carry away what we are able. This wise Lady as she came fare for knowledge, so finding the plenty of this vein, she would not departed without her full load: there was nothing wherein she would leave herself unsatisfied: she knew that she could not every day meet with a Solomon; and therefore she makes her best use of so learned a Master; Now she empties her heart of all her doubts, and fills it with instruction. It is not good neglecting the opportunities of furnishing our souls with profitable, with saving knowledge. There is much wisdom in moving a question well, though there be more in assoiling it: What use do we make of salomon's Teacher, if sitting at the feet of Christ we leave our hearts either ignorant, or perplexed? As if the errand of this wealthy Queen had been to buy wisdom, she came with her Camels laden with gold, and precious stones, and rich odours: Though to a mighty King she will not come to school : If she came to fetch an invaluable treasure, she finds it reason to give thankes unto him that kept it. As he is a fool that hath a price in his hand to get wisdom, and wants an heart: So is he unthankful that hath an heart to get wisdom, and hath no price in his hand; A price, not countervailable to what he seeks, but retributorie to him of whom he seeks. How shameful is it to come always with close hands to them that teach us the great mysteries of salvation. Expectation is no better than a kind enemy to good deserts. We lose those objects which we overlook. Many had been admired if they had not been overmuch befriended by fame; who now in our judgement are cast as much below their rank, as they were fore-imagined above it. This disadvantage had wise Solomon with this stranger; whom rumour had bid to look for incredible excellencies; yet so wonderful were the graces of Solomon, that they overcame the highest expectation, and the liberallest belief: So as when she saw the architecture of his buildings, the provisions of his tables, the order of his attendants, the religion of his sacrifices, she confessed both her unjust incredulity in not believing the report of his wisdom, and the injury of report, in understanding it. I believed not the words till I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and lo the one half was not told me. Her eyes were more sure informers than her ears. She did not so much hear as see Salomons wisdom in these real effects. His answers did not so much demonstrate it, as his prudent government. There are some whose speeches are witty, whiles their carriage is weak, whose deeds are incongruities, whiles their words are Apothegms. It is not worth the name of wisdom that may be heard only, and not seen: Good discourse is but the froth of wisdom; the pure and solid substance of it is in well-framed actions; if we know these things, happy are we if we do them. And if this great person admired the wisdom, the buildings, the domestic order of Solomon, and chief his stately ascent into the House of the Lord; how should our souls be taken up with wonder at thee, O thou true son of David, and Prince of everlasting peace, who receivedst the spirit not by measure? who hast built this glorious house, not made with hands, even the heaven of heavens? whose infinite providence hath sweetly disposed of all the family of thy creatures, both in heaven and earth; and who lastly didst ascend up on high, and ledst captivity captive, and gavest gifts to men? So well had this studious Lady profited by the Lectures of that exquisite Master, that now she envies, she magnifies none but them who may live within the air of salomon's wisdom: Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that bear thy wisdom; As if she could have been content to have changed her Throne for the footstool of Solomon. It is not easy to conceive how great a blessing it is to live under those lips, which do both preserve knowledge, and utter it: If we were not glutted with good counsel, we should find no relish in any worldly contentment in comparison hereof: But, he that is full, despiseth an honeycomb. She, whom her own experience had taught how happy a thing it is to have a skilful Pilot sitting at the stern of the State, blesseth Israel for Solomon, blesseth God for Israel, blesseth Solomon and Israel mutually in each other; Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee, to set thee on the Throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he the King to do judgement and justice. It was not more salomon's advancement to be King of Israel, than it was the advancement of Israel to be governed by a Solomon. There is no earthly proof of God's love to any Nation comparable to the substitution of a wise and pious governor: to him we own our peace, our life, and which is deservedly dearer, the life of our souls, the Gospel. But, oh God, how much hast thou loved thine Israel for ever, in that thou hast set over it that righteous Branch of jesse, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace: in whose days judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely? Sing O heaven, and rejoice, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains, for God hath comforted his people, and will have everlasting mercy upon his afflicted. The Queen of Sheba did not bring her gold and precious stones to look on, or to recarie, but to give to a wealthier than herself. She gives therefore to Solomon an hundred and twenty talents of gold, besides costly stones and odours. He that made silver in Jerusalem as stones, is yet richly presented on all hands. The rivers still run into the Sea; To him that hath shall be given: How should we bring unto thee, O thou King of Heaven, the purest gold of thine own graces, the sweetest odours of our obediences? Was not this withal a type of that homage which should be done unto thee, O Saviour, by the heads of the Nations? The Kings of Tarshish and the Isles bring presents; the Kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts; yea all Kings shall worship thee, all Nations shall serve thee. They cannot enrich themselves but by giving unto thee. It could not stand with salomon's magnificence to receive rich courtesies without a return; The greater the person was, the greater was the obligation of requital; The gifts of mean persons are taken but as tributes of duty; it is dishonourable to take from equals, and not to retribute: there was not therefore more freedom in her gift, then in her receipt: Her own will was the measure of both; She gave what she would, she received whatsoever she would ask; And she had little profited by salomon's school, if she had not learned to ask the best: She returns therefore more richly laden than she came: she gave to Solomon as a thankful Client of wisdom; Solomon returns to her as a munificent Patron, according to the liberality of a King: We shall be sure to be gainers by whatsoever we give unto thee, O thou God of wisdom and peace: Oh that we could come from the remote regions of our infidelity, and worldliness, to learn wisdom of thee, who both teachest and givest it abundantly, without upbraiding, without grudging; & could bring with us the poor presents of our faithful desires, and sincere services: how wouldst thou receive us with a gracious acceptation, and send us away laden with present comfort, with eternal glory? SALOMON'S defection. SInce the first man Adam, the world hath not yielded either so great an example of wisdom, or so fearful an example of apostasy as Solomon: What humane knowledge Adam had in the perfection of nature by creation, Solomon had by infusion; both fully, both from one fountain: If Adam called all creatures by their names, Solomon spoke from the Cedars of Lebanon, to the moss that springs out of the wall; and besides these vegetables, there was no Beast, nor Fowl, nor Fish, nor creeping thing that escaped his discourse. Both fell, both fell by one means; as Adam, so might Solomon have said, The woman deceived me: It is true indeed, that Adam fell as all; Solomon as one; yet so as that this one is the pattern of the frailty of all. If knowledge could have given an immunity from sin, both had stood: Affections are those feet of the soul, on which it either stands, or falls; Solomon loved many outlandish women; I wonder not if the wise King miscarried; Every word hath bane enough for a man: Women, many women, outlandish, idolatrous, and those not only had, but doted on; Sex, multitude, nation, condition, all conspired to the ruin of a Solomon: If one woman undid all mankind, what marvel is it if many women undid one? yet had those many been the daughters of Israel, they had tempted him only to lust, not to mis-devotion; now they were of those Nations, whereof the Lord had said to the children of Israel, Go not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods; to them did Solomon join in love; who can marvel if they disjoined his heart from God? Satan hath found this bait to take so well, that he never changed it since he crept into Paradise. How many have we known whose heads have been broken with their own rib? In the first world the sons of God saw the daughters of men, and took them wives of all they liked; they multiplied not children, but iniquities: Balaam knew well if the dames of Moab could make the Israelites wantoness, they should soon make them Idolaters: All lies open where the covenant is not both made with the eye, and kept. It was the charge of God to the Kings of Israel, before they were, that they should not multiply Wives. Solomon hath gone beyond the stakes of the law, and now is ready to lose himself amongst a thousand bedfellows: Who so lays the reines in the neck of his carnal appetite, cannot promise where he will rest. Oh Solomon, where was thy wisdom, whiles thine affections run away with thee into so wild a voluptuousness? What boots it thee to discourse of all things, whiles thou misknowest thyself? The perfections of speculation do not argue the inward powers of selfe-government; The eye may be clear whiles the hand is palsied. It is not so much to be heeded how the soul is informed, as how it is disciplined; The light of knowledge doth well, but the due order of the affections doth better: Never any mere man since the first, knew so much as Solomon, many that have known less have had more command of themselves: A competent estate well husbanded, is better than a vast patrimony neglected. There can be no safety to that soul where is not a straight curb upon our desires; If our lusts be not held under as slaves; they will rule as tyrants. Nothing can prevent the extremity of our miscarriage but early and strong denials of our concupiscence: Had Solomon done thus, delicacy and lawless greatness had not led him into these bogs of intemperance. The ways of youth are steep and slippery, wherein as it is easy to fall, so it is commonly relieved with pity; but the wanton inordinations of age are not more unseasonable than odious; yet behold salomon's younger years were studious, and innocent, his over-hastened age was licentious and misgoverned; For, when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods: If any age can secure us from the danger of a spiritual fall, it is our last; and if any man's old-age might secure him, it was salomons; the beloved of God, the Oracle, the miracle of wisdom; who would have looked but that the blossoms of so hopeful a spring, should have yielded a goodly and pleasant fruit, in the Autumn of age? yet behold even salomon's old age vicious. There is no time wherein we be safe, whiles we can carry this body of sin about us; Youth is impetuous, mid-age stubborn, old age weak, all dangerous; Say not now; The fury of my youthful flashes is over, I shall henceforth find my heart calm and impregnable; whiles thou seest old Solomon doting upon his Concubines, yea upon their Idolatry. It is no presuming upon time, or means, or strength: how many have begun and proceeded well, who yet have shamed themselves in their last stage? If God uphold us not, we cannot stand: If God uphold us, we cannot fall; when we are at our strongest, it is best to be weak in ourselves; and when at our weakest, strong in him, in whom we can do all things. I cannot yet think so hard of Solomon, that he would project his person to Ashteroth the goddess of the Sidonians, or Milchom the Idol of the Ammonites, or Chemosh the abomination of Moab: He that knew all things from the shrub of the Cedar, could not be ignorant that these statues were but stocks, and stones, or metals, and the powers resembled by them, Devils. It is not like he could be so insensate to adore such Deities; but so fare was the uxorious King blinded with affection, that he gave not passage only to the Idolatry of his heathenish wives, but furtherance. So did he dote upon their persons, that he humoured them in their sins: Their act is therefore his, because his eyes winked at it; his hand advanced it; He that built a Temple to the living God, for himself and Israel in Zion, built a Temple to Chemosh in the mount of Scandal, for his Mistresses of Moab, in the very face of God's House: No hill about jerusalem was free from a Chapel of Devils; Each of his dames had their Puppets, their Altars, their Incense; Because Solomon feeds them in their superstition, he draws the sin home to himself, and is branded for what he should have forbidden. Even our very permission appropriates crimes to us; We need no more guiltiness of any sin, than our willing toleration. Who can but yearn, and fear to see the woeful wrack of so rich and goodly a vessel: O Solomon, wert not thou he whose younger years God honoured with a message and style of love? To whom God twice appeared; and in a gracious vision renewed the Covenant of his favour? Whom he singled out from all the generation of men to be the founder of that glorious Temple which was no less clearly the Type of heaven, than thou wert of Christ the Son of the everliving God? Wert not thou that deep Sea of wisdom which God ordained to send forth rivers and fountains of all divine, and humane knowledge to all Nations, to all ages? Wert not thou one of those select Secretaries, whose hand it pleased the Almighty to employ in three pieces of the divine monuments of sacred Scriptures? Which of us dares ever hope to aspire unto thy graces? Which of us can promise to secure ourselves from thy ruins? We fall, O God, we fall to the lowest hell, if thou prevent us not, if thou sustain us not: Uphold thou me according to thy Word that I may live, and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. All our weakness is in ourselves, all our strength is in thee. O God be thou strong in our weakness, that our weak knees may be ever steady in thy strength. But in the midst of the horror of this spectacle (able to affright all the sons of men) behold some glimpse of comfort: was it of Solomon that David his father prophesied; Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand? If sensible grace, yet final mercy was not taken from that beloved of God; In the hardest of this winter, the sap was gone down to the root, though it shown not in the branches: Even whiles Solomon removed, that word stood fast, He shall be my son, and I will be his Father. He that foresaw his sin, threatened and limited his correction. If he break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit his transgression with a rod, and his iniquity with stripes; Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail; My Covenant will I not break; nor altar the thing that is gone out of my mouth; Behold the favour of God doth not depend upon salomon's obedience: If Solomon shall suffer his faithfulness to fail towards his God; God will not requite him with the failing of his faithfulness to Solomon; If Solomon break his Covenant with God; God will not break his Covenant with the father of Solomon, with the son of David: He shall smart, he shall not perish. Oh gracious word of the God of all mercies, able to give strength to the languishing, comfort to the despairing, to the dying, life. Whatsoever we are, thou wilt be still thyself, O holy One of Israel, true to thy Covenant, constant to thy Decree; The sins of thy chosen can neither frustrate thy counsel, nor outstrip thy mercies. Now I see Solomon of a wanton lover, a grave Preacher of mortification; I see him quenching those inordinate flames with the tears of his repentance. Me thinks I hear him sighing deeply betwixt every word of that his solemn penance which he would need enjoin himself before all the world, I have applied my heart to know the wickedness of folly, even the foolishness of madness; and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares; and her hands as bands: Who so pleaseth God shall be delivered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. Solomon was taken as a sinner, delivered as a penitent. His soul escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare was broken, and he delivered: It is good for us that he was both taken, and delivered; Taken, that we might not presume; and that we might not despair, delivered. He sinned, that we might not sin; he recovered, that we may not sink under our sin. But, oh the justice of God inseparable from his mercy; salomon's sin shall not escape the rod of men; Rather then so wise an offender shall want enemies, God shall raise up three adversaries unto Solomon; Hadad the Edomite; Rezon the King of Aram, jeroboam the son of Nebat; whereof two were foreign, one domestical: Nothing but love and peace sounded in the name of Solomon; nothing else was found in his reign, whiles he held in good terms with his God: But when once he fell foul with his Maker, all things began to be troubled. There are whips laid up against the time of salomon's foreseen offence, which are now brought forth for his correction: On purpose was Hadad the son of the King of Edom hid in a corner of Egypt from the sword of David and joab, that he might be reserved for a scourge to the exorbitant son of David: God would have us make account that our peace ends with our innocence: The same sin that sets debate betwixt God and us, arms the creatures against us; It were pity we should be at any quiet whiles we are fall'n out with the God of peace. Contemplations. UPON THE PRINCIPAL HISTORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. THE THIRD BOOK. Containing The Widow's son raised. The Ruler's son healed. The dumb Devil ejected. MATTHEW called. Christ among the Gergesens; or Legion, and the Gaderene Herd. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO MY RIGHT WORTHY AND WORSHIPFUL FRIEND, MASTER JOHN GIFFORD of Lancrasse in Devon, Esquire, All Grace and Peace. SIR, I hold it (as I ought) one of the rich mercies of GOD, that he hath given me favour in some eyes which have not seen me; but none, that I know, hath so much demerited me, unknown, as your worthy Family: Ere therefore you see my face, see my hand willingly professing my thankful Obligations: Wherewith may it please you to accept of this parcel of thoughts, not unlike those fellows of theirs, whom you have entertained above their desert. These shall present unto you our bountiful SAVIOUR, magnifying his mercies to men, in a sweet variety; healing the diseased, raising the dead, casting out the Devil, calling in the Publican, and shall raise your heart to adore that infinite goodness; Every help to our devotion deserves to be precious; So much more, as the decrepit age of the World declines to an heartless coldness of Piety: That GOD, to whose honour these poor labours are meant, bless them in your hands, and from them, to all Readers. To his protection I hearty commend you, and the right virtuous Gentlewoman, your worthy wife, with all the pledges of your happy affection, as whom you have deserved to be Your truly thankful and officious friend, IOS. HALL.. The Widow's Son raised. THE favours of our beneficent Saviour were at the least contiguous. No sooner hath he raised the Centurion's servant from his bed, than he raises the Widow's Sea from his Beer. The fruitful clouds are not ordained to fall all in one field; Nain must partake of the bounty of Christ as well as Cana, or Capernaum: And if this Sun were fixed in one Orb, yet it diffuseth heat, and light to all the world; It is not for any place to engross the messengers of the Gospel, whose errand is universal; This immortal seed may not fall all in one furrow. The little City of Nain stood under the hill of Hermon, near unto Tabor; but now it is watered with better dews from above, the doctrine & miracles of a Saviour. Not for state, but for the more evidence of the work, is our Saviour attended with a large train; so entering into the gate of that walled City; as if he meant to besiege their faith by his power, and to take it; His providence hath so contrived his journey, that he meets with the sad pomp of a funeral; A woeful widow attended with her weeping neighbours is following her only son to the grave; There was nothing in this spectacle that did not command compassion. A young man in the flower, in the strength of his age swallowed up by death; Our decrepit age both expects death, and solicits it; but vigorous youth, looks strangely upon that grim sergeant of God; Those mellow apples that fall alone from the tree we gather up with contentment; we chide to have the unripe unseasonably beaten down with cudgels. But more, a young man, the only son, the only child of his mother: No condition can make it other then grievous for a well natured mother to part with her own bowels; yet surely store is some mitigation of loss: Amongst many children one may be more easily miss; for still we hope the surviving may supply the comforts of the dead; but when all our hopes and joys must either live or die in one, the loss of that one admits of no consolation. When God would describe the most passionate expression of sorrow that can fall into the miserable, he can but say, Oh daughter of my people gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in the ashes, make lamentation and bitter mourning, as for thine only son: Such was the loss, such was the sorrow of this disconsolate mother; neither words, nor tears can suffice to discover it. Yet more, had she been aided by the counsel and supportation of a loving yoke-fellow, this burden might have seemed less intolerable; A good husband may make amends for the loss of a son, had the root been left to her entire, she might better have spared the branch; now both are cut up, all the stay of her life is gone; and she seems abandoned to a perfect misery. And now when she gave herself up for a forlorn mourner, past all capacity of redress, the God of comfort meets her, pities her, relieves her; Here was no solicitor but his own compassion; In other occasions he was sought, and sued to; The Centurion comes to him for a servant, the Ruler for a son, jairus for a daughter, the neighbours for the Paralyticke; here he seeks up the patiented, and offers the cure unrequested; Whiles we have to do with the Father of mercies, our afflictions are the most powerful suitors. No tears, no prayers can move him so much as his own commiseration. Oh God, none of our secret sorrows, can be either hid from thine eyes or kept from thine heart: and when we are passed all our hopes, all possibilities of help; then art thou nearest to us for deliverance. Here was a conspiration of all parts to mercy. The heart had compassion, the mouth said, Weep not, the feet went to the Beer, the hand touched the coffin, the power of the Deity raised the dead: What the heart felt was secret to itself, the tongue therefore expresses it in words of comfort, Weep not; Alas what are words to so strong and just passions? To bid her not to weep that had lost her only son, was to persuade her to be miserable, and not feel it: to feel, and not regard it: to regard, and yet to smother it; Concealment doth not remedy but aggravate sorrow: That with the counsel of not weeping therefore, she might see cause of not weeping; his hand seconds his tongue: He arrests the Coffin, and frees the Prisoner; Youngman I say unto thee, arise: The Lord of life, and death, speaks with command; No finite power could have said so without presumption, or with success: That is the voice that shall one day call up our vanished bodies from those elements, into which they are resolved, and raise them out of their dust: Neither sea, nor death, nor hell can offer to detain their dead, when he charges them to be delivered: Incredulous nature, what dost thou shrink at the possibility of a resurrection, when the God of nature undertakes it? It is no more hard for that almighty Word which gave being unto all things, to say, Let them be repaired, then, Let them be made. I do not see our Saviour stretching himself upon the dead corpse, as Elias, and Elisha, upon the sons of the Sunamite, and Sareptan, nor kneeling down, and praying by the Beer, as Peter did to Dorcas, but I hear him so speaking to the dead, as if he were alive, and so speaking to the dead that by the word he makes him alive, I say unto thee, arise; Death hath no power to bid that man lie still, whom the Son of God bids Arise. Immediately he that was dead sat up. So at the sound of the last trumpet by the power of the same voice, we shall arise out of the dust, and stand up glorious; this mortal shall put on immortality; this corruptible, incorruption; This body shall not be buried, but sown; and at our day shall therefore spring up with a plentiful increase of glory; How comfortless, how desperate should be our lying down, if it were not for this assurance of rising? And now, behold, lest our weak faith should stagger at the assent to so great a difficulty, he hath already by what he hath done, given us tastes of what he will do: The power that can raise one man, can raise a thousand, a million, a world: no power can raise one but that which is infinite; and that which is infinite admits of no limitation: Under the old Testament, God raised one by Elias, another by Elisha living, a third by Elisha dead: By the hand of the Mediator of the New Testament he raised here the son of the Widow, the daughter of jairus, Lazarus, and, in attendance of his own resurrection he made a gaole-delivery of holy prisoners, at jerusalem. He raises the daughter of jairus from her bed; this widow's son from his Coffin, Lazarus from his grave, the dead Saints of jerusalem from their rottenness, that it might appear no degree of death can hinder the efficacy of his overruling command: He that keeps the keys of death cannot only make way for himself through the common Hall, and outer-roomes, but through the inwardest, and most reserved closerts of darkness. Me thinks I see this young man who was thus miraculously awaked from his deadly sleep, wiping and rubbing those eyes that had been shut up in death; and descending from the Beer, wrapping his winding sheet about his loins, cast himself down in a passionate thankfulness, at the feet of his Almighty restorer; adoring that divine power which had commanded his soul back again to her forsaken lodging; & though I hear not what he said, yet I dare say they were words of praise & wonder, which his returned soul first uttered; It was the mother whom our Saviour pitied in this act, not the son; (who now forced from his quiet rest must twice pass through the gates of death.) As for her sake therefore he was raised so to her hands was he delivered; that she might acknowledge that soul given to her, not to the possessor: Who cannot feel the amazement and ecstasy of joy that was in this revived mother, when her son now salutes her from out of another world? And both receives and gives gratulations of of his new life? How suddenly were all the tears of that mournful train dried up with a joyful astonishment? How soon is that funeral banquet turned into a new Birthday feast? What striving was here to salute the late carcase of their returned neighbour? What awful and admiring looks were cast upon that Lord of life, who seeming homely, was approved omnipotent? How gladly did every tongue celebrate both the work and the author? A great Prophet is raised up amongst us, and God hath visited his people. A Prophet was the highest name they could find for him whom they saw like themselves in shape, above themselves in power; They were not yet acquainted with God manifested in the flesh: This miracle might well have assured them of more than a Prophet; but he that raised the dead man from the Beer would not suddenly raise these dead hearts from the grave of Infidelity; they shall see reason enough to know that the Prophet who was raised up to them, was the God that now visited them, and at last should do as much for them, as he had done for the young man, raise them from death to life, from dust to glory. The Ruler's Son cured. THe bounty of God so exceedeth man's, that there is a contrariety in the exercise of it: We shut our hands because we have opened them; God therefore opens his, because he hath opened them: Gods mercies are as comfortable in their issue, as in themselves; Seldom ever do blessings go alone; where our Saviour supplied the Bridegroom's wine, there he heals the Ruler's son; He had not in all these coasts of Galilee done any miracle but here: To him that hath shall be given. We do not find Christ oft attended with Nobility; here he is; It was some great Peer, or some noted Courtier that was now a suitor to him for his dying son: Earthly greatness is no defence against afflictions: We men forbear the mighty: Disease and death know no faces of Lords, or Monarches: Can these be bribed, they would be too rich; why should we grudge not to be privileged, when we see there is no spare of the greatest? This noble Ruler, listens after Christ's return into Galilee; The most eminent amongst men will be glad to hearken after Christ in their necessity: Happy was it for him that his son was sick; he had not else been acquainted with his Saviour, his soul had continued sick of ignorance, and unbelief: Why else doth our good God send us pain, losses, opposition, but that he may be sought to? Are we afflicted, whither should we go but to Cana, to seek Christ? whither but to the Cana of heaven, where our water of sorrow is turned to the wine of gladness, to that omnipotent Physician, who healeth all our infirmities; that we may once say, It is good for me that I was afflicted. It was about a day's journey from Capernaum to Cana; Thence hither did this Courtier come for the cure of his son's Fever; What pains even the greatest can be content to take for bodily health? No way is long, no labour tedious to the desirous: Our souls are sick of a spiritual fever, labouring under the cold fit of infidelity, and the hot fit of self-love; and we sit still at home, and see them languish unto death. This Ruler was neither faithless, nor faithful: Had he been quite faithless, he had not taken such pains to come to Christ. Had he been faithful, he had not made this suit to Christ, when he was come, Come down and heal my son, ere he die. Come down, as if Christ could not have cured him absent; Ere he die, as if that power could not have raised him being dead; how much difference was here betwixt the Centurion, and the Ruler; That came for his servant, this for his son. This son was not more above that servant, than the faith which sued for that servant surpassed that which sued for the son; The one can say, Master come not under my roof, for I am not worthy, only speak the word, and my servant shall be whole; The other can say, Master, either come under my roof, or my son cannot be whole. Heale my son, had been a good suit, for Christ is the only Physician for all diseases; but, Come down, and heal him, was to teach God how to work. It is good reason that he should challenge the right of prescribing to us, who are every way his own: it is presumption in us to stint him unto our forms: An expert workman cannot abide to be taught by a novice; how much less shall the alwise God endure to be directed by his creature? This is more than if the patient should take upon him to give a Recipe to the Physician: That God would give us grace is a beseeming suit, but to say, Give it me by prosperity, is a saucy motion. As there is faithfulness in desiring the end, so modesty and patience in referring the means to the author. In spiritual things God hath acquainted us with the means whereby he will work, even his own Sacred ordinances: Upon these, because they have his own promise, we may call absolutely for a blessing: In all others, there is no reason that beggars should be choosers: He who doth whatsoever he will, must do it how he will: It is for us to receive, not to appoint. He who came to complain of his son's sickness, hears of his own, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. This noble man was (as is like) of Capernaum; There had Christ often preached; there was one of his chief residencies: Either this man had heard our Saviour oft, or might have done; yet because Christ's miracles came to him only by hearsay (for as yet we find none at all wrought where he preached most) therefore the man believes not enough; but so speaks to Christ as to some ordinary Physician, Come down and heal: It was the common disease of the jews, incredulity; which no receipt could heal but wonders: A wicked and adulterous generation seeks signs. Had they not been wilfully graceless, there was already proof enough of the Messiah: the miraculous conception and life of the forerunner, Zacharies dumbness, the attestation of Angels, the apparition of the Star, the journey of the Sages, the vision of the Shepherds, the testimonies of Anna and Simeon, the prophesies fulfilled, the voice from heaven at his baptism, the divine words that he spoke; and yet they must have all made up with miracles; which though he be not unwilling to give at his own times yet he thinks much to be tied unto, at theirs: Not to believe without signs, was a sign of stubborn hearts. It was a foul fault, and a dangerous one, Ye will not believe: What is it that shall condemn the world but unbelief? What can condemn us without it? No sin can condemn the repentant; Repentance is a fruit of faith, where true faith is then, there can be no condemnation: as there can be nothing but condemnation without it. How much more foul in a noble Capernaite, that had heard the Sermons of so divine a Teacher? The greater light we have, the more shame it is for us to stumble. Oh what shall become of us, that reel and fall into the clearest Sunshine that ever looked forth upon any Church? Be merciful to our sins, O God, and say any thing of us, rather, then, Ye will not believe. Our Saviour tells him of his unbelief; he feels not himself sick of that disease: All his mind is on his dying for; As easily do we complain of bodily griefs, as we are hardly affected with spiritual. Oh the meekness and mercy of this Lamb of God: When we would have looked that he should have punished this suitor for not believing, he condescends to him, that he may believe: Go thy way, thy son liveth. If we should measure our hopes by our own worthiness, there were no expectation of blessings, but if we shall measure them by his bounty, and compassion, there can be no doubt of prevailing. As some tender mother that gives the breast to her unquiet child, in stead of the rod, so deals he with our perversnesses. How God differences men according to no other conditions, then of their faith! The Centurion's servant was sick, the Ruler's son; The Centurion doth not sue unto Christ to come; only says, My servant is sick of a Palsy; Christ answers him, I will come, and heal him: The Ruler sues unto Christ that he would come, and heal his son, Christ will not go; only says, Go thy way, thy son life's; Outward things carry no respect with God; The Image of that divine Majesty shining inwardly in the graces of the soul, is that which wins love from him in the meanest estate; The Centurion's faith therefore could do more than the Ruler's greatness; and that faithful man's servant hath more regard than this great man's son. The Ruler's request was, Come and heal; Christ's answer was, Go thy way, thy son life's; Our merciful Saviour meets those in the end, whom he crosses in the way: How sweetly doth he correct our prayers, and whiles he doth not give us what we ask, gives us better than we asked. justly doth he forbear to go down with this Ruler, lest he should confirm 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 son liveth; giving a greater demonstration of his omnipotency then was craved; How oft doth he not hear to our will; that he may hear us to our advantage? The chosen vessel would be rid of tentations, he hears of a supply of grace; The sick man asks release, receives patience: life, and receives glory: Let us ask what we think best, let him give what he knows best. With one word doth Christ heal two Patients, the son, and the father, the sons fever, the father's unbelief; That operative word of our Saviour was not without the intention of a trial; Had not the Ruler gone home satisfied with that intimation of his son's life, and recovery, neither of them had been blessed with success: Now the news of performance meets him one half of the way; and he that believed somewhat ere he came, and more when he went, grew to more faith in the way; and when he came home, enlarged his faith to all the skirts of his family; A weak 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 believe. Great men cannot want clients, their example sways some, their authority more; they cannot go to either of the other world's alone; In vain do they pretend power over others, who labour ●ut to draw their families unto God. The Dumb Devil ejected. THat the Prince of our Peace might approve his perfect victories, wheresoever he met with the Prince of darkness he foiled him, he ejected him; He found him in heaven, thence did he throw him headlong, and verified his Prophet, I have cast thee out of mine holy mountain; And if the Devils left their first habitation, it was because (being Devils) they could not keep it; Their estate indeed they might have kept, and did not; their habitation they would have kept, and might not; How art thou fall'n from heaven O Lucifer? He found him in the heart of man; (for in that closet of God did the evil spirit after his exile from heaven shroud himself; Sin gave him possession, which he kept with a willing violence) thence he casts him by his word, and spirit; He found him tyrannising in the bodies of some possessed men, and with power commands the unclean spirits to departed. This act is for no hand but his: When a strong man keeps possession, none but a stronger can remove it: In voluntary things the strongest may yield to the weakest; Samson to a Dalilah; but in violent, ever the mightiest caries it; A spiritual nature must needs be in rank above a bodily; neither can any power be above a spirit, but the God of spirits. No otherwise is it in the mental possession; Where ever sin is, there Satan is; As on the contrary, whosoever is borne of God, the seed of God remains in him; That evil one not only is, but rules in the sons of disobedience: in vain shall we try to eiect him, but by the divine power of the Redeemer; For this cause the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil; Do we find ourselves haunted with the familiar Devils of Pride, self-love, sensual desires, unbelief? None but thou, O Son of the everliving God, can free our bosoms of these hellish guests; Oh cleanse thou me from my secret sins, and keep me that presumptuous sins prevail not over me. O Saviour, it is no Paradox to say that thou castest out more Devils now, than thou didst whiles thou wert upon earth; It was thy word, When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto me; Satan weighs down at the feet, thou pullest at the head, yea at the heart; In every conversion which thou workest, there is a dispossession. Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted; I know thy means are now no other than ordinary; if we expect to be dispossessed by miracle, it would be a miracle, if ever we were dispossessed; Oh let thy Gospel have the perfect work in me, so only shall I be delivered from the powers of darkness. Nothing can be said to be dumb, but what naturally speaks; nothing can speak naturally, but what hath the instruments of speech; which because spirits want, they can no otherwise speak vocally, then as they take voices to themselves, in taking bodies; This devil was not therefore dumb in his nature, but in his effect; The man was dumb by the operation of that devil, which possessed him; and now the action is attributed to the spirit, which was subiectively in the man; It is not you that speak, saith our Saviour, but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. As it is in bodily diseases, that they do not infect us alike, some seize upon the humours, others upon the spirits; some assault the brain, others the heart, or lungs; so in bodily and spiritual possessions; In some the evil spirit takes away their senses; in some their limbs; in some, their inward faculties; like as spiritually they affect to move us unto several sins; One to lust, another to covetousness, or ambition, another to cruelty; and their names have distinguished them according to these various effects: This was a dumb Devil, which yet had possessed not the tongue only of this man, but his ear; not that only, but (as it seems) his eyes too. O subtle and tyrannous spirit, that obstructs all ways to the soul: that keeps out all means of grace both from the doors, and windows of the heart; yea that stops up all passages whether of ingress, or egress; Of ingress at the eye, or ear, of egress at the mouth; that there might be no capacity of redress. What holy use is there of our tongue but to praise our Maker, to confess our sins, to inform our brethren? How rife is this Dumb Devil everywhere, whiles he stops the mouths of Christians from these useful and necessary duties? For what end hath man those two privileges above his fellow creatures, Reason, and Speech, but, that, as by the one he may conceive of the great works of his Maker, which the rest cannot, so by the other he may express what he conceives to the honour of the Creator, both of them, and himself▪ And why are all other creatures said to praise God, and bidden to praise him, but because they do it by the apprehension, by the expression of man? If the heavens declare the glory of God, how do they it but to the eyes, and by the tongue of that man, for whom they were made? It is no small honour whereof the envious spirit shall rob his Maker, if he 〈◊〉 close up the mouth of his only rational, and vocal creature, and turn the best of his workmanship into a dumb Idol, that hath a mouth and speaks not, Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. Praise is not more necessary than complaint; praise of God than complaint of ourselves, whether to God or men; The only amends we can make to God what we have not had the grace to avoid sin is to confess the sin we have not avoided: This is the sponge that wipes out all the blots and blurs of our lives; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That cunning knows there is no way to purge the sick soul, but upward by casting out the vicious humour wherewith it is clogged, and therefore holds the lips close, that the heart may not dis-burden itself by so wholesome evacuation. When I kept silence, my bones consumed; For day and night thy band O Lord was heavy upon me; my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer; O let me confess against myself my wickedness unto thee, that thou mayst forgive the punishment of my sin. We have a tongue for God, when we praise him; for ourselves, when we pray, and confess; for our brethren, when we speak the truth for their information; which if we hold back in unrighteousness, we yield unto that dumb Devil: where do we not see that accursed spirit? He is on the Bench, when the mute, or partial judge speaks 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; He is at the bar, when irreligious jurors dare lend an oath to fear, to hope, to gain: He is in the market, when godless chapmen for their penny sell the truth, and their soul; He is in the common conversation of men, when the tongue belies the heart, flatters the guilty, balketh reproofs even in the foulest crimes: O thou, who only art stronger than that strong one, cast him out of the hearts, and mouths of men; It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have destroyed thy Law. That it might well appear this impediment was not natural; so soon 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 Son of God do but remove our spiritual possession, we shall presently break forth into the praise of God, into the confession of our vileness, into the profession of truth. But, what strange variety do I see in the spectators of this miracle, some wondering, others censuring, a third sort tempting, a fourth applauding; There was never man or action, but was subject to variety of constructions: What man could be so holy, as he that was God? What act could be more worthy than the dispossession of an evil spirit? yet this man, this act passeth these differences of interpretation: What can we do to undergo but one opinion? If we give alms, and fast; some will magnify our charity, and devotion, others will tax our hypocrisy: If we give not, some will condemn our hardheartedness, others will allow our care of justice; if we preach plainly, to some it will savour of a careless 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 marvel is it, if it be thus with our imperfection, when it fared not otherwise with him that was purity, and righteousness itself? The austere forerunner of Christ came neither eating nor drinking, they say, He hath a Devil; The son 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 justice, of charity; and then let the world have leave to spend their glosses at pleasure. It was an heroical resolution of the chosen vessel, I pass very little to be judged of you, or of man's day. I marvel not if the people marvelled; for here were four wonders in one; The blind saw, the deaf heard, the dumb spoke, the demoniac is delivered; Wonder was due to so rare, and powerful a work, and, if not this, nothing; We can cast away admiration upon the poor devices, or activities of men, how much more upon the extraordinary works of omnipotency? Who so knows the frame of Heaven and earth, shall not much be affected with the imperfect effects of frail humanity; but shall with no less ravishment of soul acknowledge the miraculous works of the same Almighty hand. Neither is the spiritual eiection worthy of any meaner entertainment; Rarity and difficulty are wont to cause wonder; There are many things which have wonder in their worth, and lose it in their frequency; there are some which have it in their strangeness, and lose it in their facility; Both meet in this. To see men haunted, yea possessed with a dumb Devil is so frequent, that it is a just wonder to find a man free; but to find the dumb spirit cast out of a man, and to hear him praising God, confessing his sins, teaching others the sweet experiments of mercy, deserves just admiration. If the Cynic sought in the market for a man amongst men, well may we seek amongst men, for a convert. Neither is the difficulty less than the rareness: The strong man hath the possession, all passages are blocked up, all helps barred, by the treachery of our nature; If any soul be rescued from these spiritual wickednesses, it is the praise of him that doth wonders alone. But whom do I see wondering? The multitude; The unlearned beholders follow that act with wonder, which the learned Scribes entertain with obloquy: God hath revealed those things to babes, which he hath hid from the wise, and prudent. With what scorn did those great Rabbins speak of these sons of the earth, This people that knows not the Law is accursed? Yet the mercy of God makes an advantage of their simplicity; in that they are therefore less subject to cavillation, and incredulity; as contrarily, his justice causes the proud knowledge of the other to lie as a block in their way, to the ready assent unto the divine power of the Messiah; Let the pride of glorious adversaries disdain the poverty of the clients of the Gospel; it shall not repent us to go to heaven with the vulgar, whiles their great ones go in state to perdition. The multitude wondered; Who censured but Scribes great Doctors of the Law, of the divinity of the jews? What Scribes, but those of jerusalem, the most eminent Academy of judea? These were the men, who out of their deep reputed judgement cast these foul aspersions upon Christ. Great wits ofttimes misled both the owners and followers; How many shall once wish they had been borne dullards, yea idiots, when they shall find their wit to have barred them out of heaven? Where is the Scribe, where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made the wisdom of the world foolishness? Say the world what it will, a dram of holiness is worth a pound of wit; Let others censure with the Scribes, let me wonder with the multitude. What could malice say worse, He casteth out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of Devils? The jews well knew that the Gods of the heathen were no other than Devils; 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 aid implored against the infestation of those swarms) was held the chief, therefore they style him, The Prince of Devils. There is a subordination of spirits; some hire in degree, some inferior to others; Our Saviour himself tells us of the Devil, and his Angels; Messengers are inferior to those that send them: The seven Devils that entered into the swept and garnished house, were worse than the former; Neither can Principalities, and Powers, and Governors, and Princes of the darkness of this World design other then several ranks of evil Angels; There can be no being, without some kind of order, there can be no order in parity; If we look up into heaven, there is The King of Gods, The Lord of Lords; higher than the highest? If to the earth, There are Monarches, Kings, Princes, Peers, people; If we look down to hell, There is the Prince of Devils; They labour for confusion that call for parity; What should the Church do with such a form, as is not exemplified in heaven, in earth, in hell? One devil (according to their supposition) may be used to cast out another: How far the command of one spirit over another may extend, it is a sector of internal state; too deep for the inquiry of men: The thing itself is apparent; upon compact, and precontracted composition, one gives way to other for the common advantage; As we see in the Commonwealth 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 revealer; but divides with him that cunning spoil. One malicious miscreant sets the Devil on work to the inflicting of disease, or death; another upon agreement, for a further spiritual gain, takes him off; There is a Devil in both; And if there seem more bodily favour, there is no less spiritual danger in the latter; In the one Satan wins the agent, the suitor in the other; It will be no cause of discord in hell, that one devil gives ease to the body which another tormented, that both may triumph in the gain of a soul. O God, that any creature which bears thine Image, should not abhor to be beholden to the powers of hell for aid, for advice? Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that men go to inquire of the God of Ekron? Can men be so sottish to think that the vowed enemy of their souls can offer them a bait, without an hook? What evil is there in the City which the Lord hath not done, what is there which he cannot as easily redress: He wounds, he heals again; And if he will not, it is the Lord, let him do what seems good in his eyes; If he do not deliver us, he will crown our faithfulness in a patiented perseverance. The wounds of a God no better than the salves of Satan. Was it possible that the wit of Envy could device so high a slander? Beelzebub was a God of the heathen; therefore herein they accuse him for an Idolater; Beelzebub was a Devil to the jews, therefore they accuse him for a conjurer; Beelzebub was the chief of Devils, therefore they accuse him for an Archexorcist, for the worst kind of Magician; Some professors of this black Art, though their work be devilish, yet they pretend to do it in the name of jesus; and will presumptuously seem to do that by command, which is secretly transacted by agreement; the Scribes accuse Christ of a direct compact with the Devil; and suppose both a league and familiarity, which by the law of Moses (in the very hand of Saul) was no other than deadly; Yea so deep doth this wound reach, that our Saviour, searching it to the bottom, finds no less in it then the sin against the Holy Ghost; inferring hereupon that dreadful sentence of the irremissiblenesse of that sin unto death: And if this horrible crimination were cast upon thee, O Saviour, in whom the Prince of this world found nothing, what wonder is it if we thy sinful servants be branded on all sides with evil tongues? Yea (which is yet more) how plain is it that these men forced their tongue to speak this slander against their own heart? Else, this blasphemy had been only against the son of man, not against the holy Ghost; but now, that the searcher of hearts finds it to be no less then against the blessed Spirit of God, the spite must needs be obstinate; their malice doth wilfully cross their conscience. Envy never regards how true, but how mischievous; So it may gall, or kill, it cares little, whether with truth, or falsehood; For us, Blessed are we when men revile us, and say all manner of evil of us, for the name of Christ; For them: What reward shall be given to thee, thou false tongue? Even sharp arrows with hot burning coals; Yea those very coals 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 Satanical operation, they confess it good, but not enough; and therefore urge Christ to a further proof; Though thou hast cast out this dumb Devil, yet this is no sufficient argument of thy divine power; We have yet seen nothing from thee like those ancient miracles of the times of our forefathers. joshua caused the Sun to stand still; Elias brought fire down from heaven; Samuel astonished the people with thunder and rain in the midst of harvest; If thou wouldst command our belief, do somewhat like to these; The casting out of a Devil, shows thee to have some power over hell; show us now that thou hast no less power over heaven. There is a kind of unreasonableness of desire, and insatiableness in infidelity; it never knows when it hath evidence enough, This which the jews over-looked, was a more irrefragable demonstration of divinity, then that which they desired. A Devil was more than a Meteor, or a parcel of an element; to cast out a Devil by command, more than to command fire from heaven: Infidelity ever love's to be her own carver. No son can be more like a father, than these jews to their progenitors in the desert, that there might be no fear of degenerating into good, they also of old tempted God in the Wilderness: First, they are weary of the Egyptian bondage, and are ready to fall out with God, and Moses, for their stay in those fornaces: By ten miraculous plagues they are freed, and going out of those confines, the Egyptians follow them, the Sea is before them: now they are more afflicted with their liberty, than their servitude: The Sea yields way the Egyptians are drowned▪ and now, that they are safe on the other shore, they tempt the providence of God for water: The Rock yields it them, then, no less for bread and meat, God sends them Manna, and Quails, they cry out of the food of Angels; Their present enemies in the way are vanquished, they whine at the men of measures, in the heart of Canaan: Nothing from God but mercy; nothing from them but temptations. Their true brood both in nature and sin had abundant proofs of the Messiah; if curing the blind, lame, diseased, deaf, dumb, eiecting devils, overruling the elements, raising the dead could have been sufficient; yet still they must have a sign from heaven; and shut up in the style of the Tempter, If thou be the Christ. The gracious heart is credulous, Even where it sees not, it believes; and where it sees out a little, it believes a great deal; Neither doth it presume to prescribe unto God what, and how he shall work, but takes what it finds, and unmoveably rests in what it takes. Any miracle, no miracle serves enough for their assent, who have built their faith upon the Gospel of the Lord jesus. Matthew called. THE number of the Apostles was not yet full, One room is left void for a future occupant; who can but expect, that it is reserved for some eminent person? and behold, Matthew the Publican is the man: Oh the strange election of Christ; Those other disciples, whose calling is recorded, were from the Fisherboat, this from the Tole booth; They were unlettered, this infamous; The condition was not in itself sinful, but as the taxes which the Romans imposed on God's free people, were odious, so the Collectors, the Farmers of them abominable; Besides, that it was hard to hold that seat without oppression, without exaction; One that best knew it, branded it with poling, and sycophancy: And now, behold a griping Publican called to the family, to the Apostle-ship, to the Secretary-ship of God; Who can despair in the conscience of his unworthiness; when he sees this pattern of the free bounty of him that calleth us? Merits do not carry it in the gracious election of God, but his mere favour. There sat Matthew the Publican busy in his Countinghouse, reckoning up the sums of his Rentals; raking up his arerages, and wrangling for denied duties, & did so little think of a Saviour, that he did not so much as look at his passage, but, jesus, as he passed by, saw a man sitting at the receipt of custom, named Matthew: As if this prospect had been sudden and casual, jesus saw him in passing by; Oh Saviour, before the world was, thou sawest that man sitting there, thou sawest thine own passage; thou sawest his call in thy passage; and now thou goest purposely that way, that thou mightest see, and call: Nothing can be hid from that piercing eye, one glance whereof hath discerned a Disciple in the of a Publican; That habit that shop of extortion cannot conceal from thee a vessel of election: In all forms thou knowest thine own, and in thine own time shalt fetch them out of the disguises of their foul sins, or unfit conditions: What sawest thou, O Saviour, in that Publican, that might either allure thine eye, or not offend it? What but an hateful trade, an evil eye, a gripple hand, bloody tables, heaps of spoil? yet now thou saidst, Fellow me; Thou that saidst once to jerusalem, Thy birth and nativity is of the land of Canaan; Thy father was an Amorite, thy mother an Hittite; Thy navel was not cut, neither wert thou washed in water, to supple thee, thou wast not salted at all; thou wast not swaddled at all: None eye pitied thee, but thou must cast out in the open fields, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast borne: And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, Live, yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live: Now also, when thou passed it by, and sawest Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, saidst to him, Fellow me: The life of this Publican was so much worse, than the birth of that forlorn Amorite, as, Fellow me, was more then, Live; What canst thou see in us, O God, but ugly deformities, horrible sins, despicable miseries, yet doth it please thy mercy to say unto us, both, Live, and, Fellow me? The just man is the first accuser of himself; whom do we hear to blazon the shame of Matthew, but his own mouth? Matthew the Evangelist tells us of Matthew the Publican: His fellows call him Levi, as willing to lay their finger upon the spot of his unpleasing profession; himself will not smother, nor blanch it a whit, but publishes it to all the world, in a thankful recognition of the mercy that called him; as liking well that his baseness should serve for a fit foil to set off the glorious lustre of his grace by whom he was elected; What matters it how vile we are, O God, so thy glory may rise in our abasement? That word was enough, Fellow me; spoken by the same tongue, that said to the corpse, at Nain, Young man I say to thee, Arise: He that said, at first, Let there be light, says now, Fellow me: That power sweetly inclines which could forcibly command: the force is not more unresistable, than the inclination: When the Sun shines upon the Icicles, can they choose but melt, and fall? When it looks into a dungeon, can the place choose but be enlightened? Do we see the jet drawing up straws to it, the Loadstone iron, and do we marvel if the omnipotent Saviour, by the influence of his grace, attract the heart of a Publican? He arose and followed him. We are all naturally averse from thee, O God; do thou but bid us Fellow thee; draw us by thy powerful word, and we shall run after thee. Alas, thou speakest, and we sit still: thou speakest by thine outward Word to our ear, and we stir not, speak thou by the secret, and effectual word of thy spirit, to our heart: The world cannot hold us down, Satan cannot stop our way, we shall arise, and follow thee. It was not a more busy than gainful trade that Matthew abandoned to follow Christ into poverty: and now he cast away his Counters, and struck his Tallies, and crossed his books, and contemned his heaps of cash in comparison of that better treasure, which he foresaw lie open in that happy attendance. If any commodity be valued of us too dear to be parted with, for Christ, we are more fit to be Publicans, than Disciples; Our Saviour invites Matthew to a Discipleship; Matthew invites him to a feast. The joy of his call makes him to begin his abdication of the world, in a banquet. Here was not a more cheerful thankfulness in the inviter, than a gracious humility in the guest: The new servant bids his Master, the Publican his Saviour, and is honoured with so blessed a presence. I do not find where jesus was ever bidden to any table, and refused; If a Pharisee, if a Publican invited him, he made not dainty to go: Not for the pleasure of the dishes, what was that to him who began his work in a whole Lent of days? But (as it was his meat and drink to do the will of his Father) for the benefit of so winning a conversation: If he sat with sinners, he converted them; If with converts, he confirmed and instructed them; If with the poor, he fed them; If with the rich in substance, he made them richer in grace. At whose board did he ever fit, and left not his host a gainer? The poor Bridegroom entertains him, and hath his water-pots filled with Wine: Simon the Pharisee entertains him, and hath his table honoured with the public remission of a penitent sinner, with the heavenly doctrine of remission: Zacheus entertains him, salvation came that day to his house, with the author of it; that presence made the Publican a son of Abraham; Matthew is recompensed for his feast with an Apostleship: Martha, and Mary entertain him, and beside divine instruction receive their brother from the dead; O Saviour, whether thou feast us, or we feast thee, in both of them is blessedness. Where a Publican is the Feast-master, it is no marvel if the guests be Publicans, and sinners, whether they came alone out of the hope of that mercy, which they saw their fellow had found; or whether Matthew invited them to be partners of that plentiful grace, whereof he had tasted, I inquire not: Publicans and sinners will flock together; the one, hateful for their trade, the other for their vicious life. Common contempt hath wrought them to an unanimity, and sends them to seek mutual comfort in that society, which all others held loathsome and contagious. Moderate correction humbleth, and shameth the offender: whereas a cruel severity makes men desperate, and drives them to those courses, whereby they are more dangerously infected: How many have gone into the prison faulty, and returned flagitious? If Publicans were not sinners, they were no whit beholden to their neighbours. What a table full was here? The Son of God beset with Publicans, and sinners: O happy Publicans, and sinners, that had found out their Saviour: O merciful Saviour, that disdained not Publicans and sinners. What sinner can fear to kneel before thee, when he sees Publicans and sinners sit with thee? Who can fear to be despised of thy meekness, and mercy, which didst not abhor, to converse with the outcasts of men? Thou didst not despise the Thief confessing upon the Cross, nor the sinner weeping upon thy feet, nor the Canaanite crying to thee in the way, not the blushing adulteress, nor the odious Publican, nor the forswearing Disciple, nor the persecutor of Disciples, nor thine own executioners, how can we be unwelcome to thee, if we come with tears in our eyes, faith in our hearts, restitution in our hands? Oh Saviour, our breasts are too oft shut upon thee, thy bosom is ever open to us; we are as great sinners as the consorts of these Publicans, why should we despair of a room at thy Table? The squint-eid Pharisees look across at all the actions of Christ; where they should have admired his mercy, they cavil at his holiness; They said to his Disciples; why eateth your Master with Publicans, and sinners? They durst not say thus to the Master, whose answer (they knew) would soon have convinced them; This wind (they hoped) might shake the weak faith of the Disciples; They speak where they may be most likely to hurt: All the crew of Satanical instruments have learned this craft of their old Tutor in Paradise: We cannot reverence that man, whom we think unholy; Christ had lost the hearts of his followers, if they had entertained the least suspicion of his impurity; which the murmur of these envious Pharisees would fain insinuate; He cannot be worthy to be followed that is unclean; He cannot but be unclean that eateth with Publicans and sinners: Proud & foolish Pharisees, ye fast whiles Christ eateth; ye fast in your houses, whiles Christ eateth in other men's; ye fast with your own, whiles Christ feasts with sinners: but if ye fast in pride, whiles Christ eats in humility: if ye fast at home, for merit, or popularity, whiles Christ feasts with sinners for compassion, for edification, for conversion, your fast is unclean, his feast is holy, ye shall have your portion with hypocrites, when those Publicans and sinners shall be glorious. When these censurers thought the Disciples had offended, they speak not to them but to their Master; Why do thy Disciples that which is not lawful? now, when they thought Christ offended, they speak not to him, but to the Disciples; Thus, like true make-bates they go about to make a breach in the family of Christ, by setting off the one from the other; The quick eye of our Saviour hath soon espied the pack of their fraud, and therefore he takes the words out of the mouths of his Disciples, into his own: They had spoke of Christ to the Disciples; Christ answers for the Disciples concerning himself, The whole need not the Physician but the sick. According to the two qualities of pride, scorn, and overweening, these insolent Pharisees overrated their own holiness, contemned the noted unholiness of others; As if themselves were not tainted with secret sins, as if others could not be cleansed by repentance; The searcher of hearts meets with their arrogance, and finds those justiciaries sinful, those sinners just: The spiritual Physician finds the sickness of those sinners wholesome, the health of those Pharisees desperate: that, wholesome, because it calls for the help of the Physician, this, desperate, because it needs not. Every soul is sick; those most, that feel it not; Those that feel it, complain; those that complain, have cure; those that feel it not shall find themselves dying ere they can wish to recover. Oh blessed Physician, by whose stripes we are healed, by whose death we live, happy are they that are under thy hands, sick, as of sin, so of sorrow for sin; it is as impossible they should dye, as it is impossible for thee to want either skill, or power, or mercy: Sin hath made us sick unto death, make thou us but as sick of our sins, we are as safe, as thou are gracious. Christ among the Gergesens, or Legion, and the Gaderene Herd. I Do not any where find so furious a Demoniac, as amongst the Gergesens; Satan is most tyrannous, where he is obeyed most. Christ no sooner sailed over the lake, than he was met with two possessed Gadarenes: The extreme rage of the one hath drowned the mention of the other: Yet in the midst of all that cruelty of the evil spirit, there was sometimes a remission, if not an intermission, of vexation: If, ofttimes Satan caught him, then, sometimes, in the same violence, he caught him not. It was no thank to that malignant one, who as he was indefatigable in his executions, so unmeasurable in his malice; but, to the merciful overruling of God, who in a gracious respect to the weakness of his poor creatures, limits the spiteful attempts of that immortal enemy; and takes off this Mastiff, whiles we may take breath: He who in his justice gives way to some onsets of Satan, in his mercy restrains them: so regarding our deservings, that withal he regards our strength: If way should be given to that malicious spirit, we could not subsist: no violent thing can endure; & if Satan might have his will, we should no moment be free; He can be no more weary of doing evil to us, than God is of doing good: Are we therefore preserved from the malignity of these powers of darkness, Blessed be our strong helper that hath not given us over to be a prey unto their teeth: Or if some scope have been given to that envious one, to afflict us, hath it been with favourable limitations, it is thine only mercy, O God, that hath chained and muzzled up this band-dog, so as that he may scratch us with his paws, but cannot pierce us with his fangs. Fare, fare is this from our deserts, who had too well merited a just abdication from thy favour, and protection, and an interminable seizure by Satan, both in soul and body. Neither do I here see more matter of thankes to our God, for our immunity from the external injuries of Satan, than occasion of serious inquiry into his power over us, for the spiritual. I see some that think themselves safe from this ghostly tyranny, because they sometimes find themselves in good moods, free from the suggestions of gross sins, much more from the commission: Vain men, that feed themselves with so false and frivolous comforts; will they not see Satan, through the just permission of God, the same to the soul, in mental possessions, that he is to the body, in corporal? The worst demoniac hath his lightsome respites; not ever tortured, not ever furious; betwixt whiles he might look soberly, talk sensibly, move regularly: It is a woeful comfort that we sinne not always: There is no Master so barbarous as to require of his Slave a perpetual unintermitted toil; yet, though he sometimes eat, sleep, rest, he is a vassal still: If that wicked one have drawn us to a customary perpetration of evil, and have wrought us to a frequent iteration of the same sin, this is gage enough for our servitude, matter enough for his tyranny, and insultation: He that would be our tormenter always, cares only to be sometimes our Tempter. The possessed is bound, as with the invisible fetters of Satan, so with the material chains of the inhabitants; What can bodily force prevail against a spirit? Yet they endeavour this restraint of the man, whether out of charity, or justice: Charity, that he might not hurt himself; justice, that he might not hurt others: None do so much befriend the Demoniac as those that bind him; Neither may the spiritually possessed be otherwise handled; for though this act of the enemy be plausible, and, to appearance, pleasant, yet there is more danger in this dear, and smiling tyranny: Two sorts of chains are fit for outrageous sinners; Good laws, unpartial executions; That they may not hurt, that they may not be hurt to eternal death. These iron chains are no sooner fast, then broken: There was more th●n an humane power in this disruption: It is not hard to conceive the utmost of nature, in this kind of actions: Samson doth not break the cords, and ropes like a thread of tow, but God by Samson: The man doth not break these chains, but the spirit. How strong is the arm of these evil angels, how fare transcending the ordinary course of nature? They are not called Powers for nothing; what flesh and blood could but tremble at the palpable inequality of this match, if herein the merciful protection of our God did not the rather magnify itself, that so much strength, met with so much malice, hath not prevailed against us: In spite of both we are in safe hands: He that so easily broke the iron fetters, can never break the adamantine chain of our faith: In vain do the chafing billows of hell beat upon that Rock, whereon we are built; And though these brittle chains of earthly metal be easily broken by him, yet the sure tempered chain of God's eternal Decree he can never break, that almighty Arbiter of Heaven, and Earth, and Hell, hath chained him up in the bottomless pit, and hath so restrained his malice, that (but, for our good) we cannot be tempted; we cannot be foiled, but for a glorious victory. Alas, it is no otherwise with the spiritually possessed: The chains of restraint are commonly broken by the fury of wickedness: What are the respects of civility, fear of God, fear of men, wholesome laws, careful executions to the desperately licentious, but as cobwebs to an harnet? Let these wild Demoniacs know, that God hath provided chains for them, that will hold, even everlasting chains under darkness; these are such as must hold the Devil's themselves (their masters) unto the judgement of the great Day, how much more those impotent vassals? Oh that men would suffer themselves to be bound to their good behaviour, by the sweet, and easy recognizances of their duty to their God, and the care of their own souls, that so they might rather be bound up in the bundle of life. It was not for rest, that these chains were torn off, but for more motion: This prisoner runs away from his friends, he cannot run away from his jailor: He is now carried into the Wilderness; Not by mere external force, but by internal impulsion; Carried by the same power that unbound him, for the opportunity of his Tyranny, for the horror of the place, for the affamishment of his body, for the avoidance of all means of resistance. Solitary deserts are the delights of Satan; It is an unwise zeal that moves us to do that to ourselves, in an opinion of merit, and holiness, which the Devil wishes to do to us for a punishment, and conveniency of tentation. The evil spirit is for solitariness; God is for society: He dwells in the assembly of his Saints, yea, there he hath a delight to dwell: Why should not we account it our happiness that we may have leave to dwell, where the author of all happiness love's to dwell? There cannot be any misery incident into us, whereof our gracious Redeemer is not both conscious, and sensible; without any entreaty therefore of the miserable Demoniac, or suit of any friend; the God of spirits takes pity of his distress; and, from no motion but his own, commands the ill spirit to come forth of the man: O admirable precedent of mercy, preventing our requests, exceeding our thoughts, forcing favours upon our impotence; doing that for us, which we should, and yet cannot desire. If men upon our instant solicitations would give us their best aid, it were a just praise of their bounty, but it well became thee, O God of mercy, to go without force, to give without suit: And do we think thy goodness is impaired by thy glory? If thou wert thus commiserative upon earth, art thou less in heaven? How dost thou now take notice of all our complaints, of all our infirmities? How doth thine infinite pity take order to redress them? What evil can befall us which thou knowest not, feelest not, relievest not? How safe are we that have such a Guardian, such a Mediator in heaven? Not long before had our Saviour commanded the winds, and waters, and they could not but obey him: now, he speaks in the same language to the evil spirit; he entreats not, he persuades not, he commands: Command argues superiority; He only is infinitely stronger than the strong one in possession: Else, where powers are matched, though with some inequality, they tug for the victory; and without a resistance yield nothing. There are no fewer sorts of dealing with Satan, then with men: Some have dealt with him by suit, as the old Satanian heretics, and the present Indian Savages, sacrificing to him, that he hurt not: Others by covenant, conditioning their service upon his assistance, as Witches and Magicians: Others by insinuation of implicit compact, as charmers and Figure-casters: Others by abduration, as the sons of Scena, and modern Exorcists, unwarrantably charging him by an higher name than their own: None ever offered to deal with Satan by a direct and primary command, but the God of spirits; the great Archangel, when the strife was about the body of Moses, commanded not, but imprecated rather, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan: It is only the God that made this spirit an Angel of light, that can command him; now that he hath made himself the Prince of darkness. If any created power dare to usurp a word of command, he laughs at their presumption; and knows them his vassals whom he dissembles to fear as his Lords: It is thou only, O Saviour, at whose beck those stubborn Principalities of hell yield, and tremble: no wicked man can be so much a slave to Satan, as Satan is to thee; the interposition of the grace may defeat that dominion of Satan: thy rule is absolute, and capable of no let. What need we to fear, whiles we are under so omnipotent a Commander? The waves of the deep rage horribly, yet the Lord is stronger than they: Let those Principalities and Powers do their worst: Those mighty adversaries are under the command of him, who loved us so well as to bleed for us: What can we now doubt off? His power, or his will? How can we profess him a God, and doubt of his power? How can we profess him a Saviour, and doubt of his will? He, both, can, and will command those infernal powers: we are no less safe, than they are malicious. The Devil saw jesus by the eyes of the Demoniac; For the same saw, that spoke; but it was the ill spirit, that said, I beseech thee torment me not: It was sore against his will that he saw so dreadful an object: The overruling power of Christ dragged the foul spirit into his presence. Guiltiness would fain keep out of sight: The limbs of so woeful an head shall once call on the Hills, and Rocks to hide them from the face of the Lamb; such Lion-like terror is in that mild face, when it looks upon wickedness: Neither shall it be one day the least part of the torment of the damned, to see the most lovely spectacle that heaven can afford: He, from whom they fled in his offers of grace, shall be so much more terrible, as he was, and is more gracious: I marvel not therefore that the Devil, when he saw jesus cried out; I could marvel that he fell down, that he worshipped him: That which the proud spirit would have had Christ to have done to him, in his great Duel, the same he now doth unto Christ, fearfully, servilely, forcedly: Who shall henceforth brag of the external homage he performs to the Son of God, when he sees Satan himself fall down and worship? What comfort can there be in that, which is common to us with Devils; who as they believe, and tremble, so they tremble, and worship? The outward bowings is the body of the action, the disposition of the soul is the soul of it; therein lies the difference from the counterfeit stoop of wicked men, and spirits: The religious heart serves the Lord in fear, and rejoices in him with trembling: What it doth is in way of service; In service to his Lord, whose sovereignty is his comfort and protection; In the fear of a son, not of a slave; In fear tempered with joy; In a joy but allayed with trembling; whereas the prostration of wicked men, and devils, is only an act of form, or of force; as to their judge, as to their Tormentor, not as to their Lord; in mere servility, not in reverence, in an uncomfortable dulness, without all delight: in a perfect horror, without capacity of joy: These worship without thankes, because they fall down without the true affections of worship. Who so marvels to see the Devil upon his knees, would much more marvel to hear what came from his mouth; jesus the son of the most high God; A confession, which if we should hear without the name of the Author, we should ask, from what Saint it came. Behold, the same name given to Christ by the Devil, which was formerly given him by the Angel, Thou shalt call his name jesus; That awful name, whereat every knee shall bow, in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, is called upon, by this prostrate Devil: and lest that should not import enough, (since others have been honoured by this name in Type,) he adds, for full distinction, The Son of the most High God,: The good Syrophenecian, and blind Bartemeus could say, The Son of David: It was well to acknowledge the true descent of his pedigree, according to the flesh: but this infernal spirit looks aloft, and fetcheth his line out of the highest heavens. The Son of the most high God: The famous confession of the prime Apostle (which honoured him with a new name to immortality,) was no other then, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God; and what other do I hear from the lips of a fiend? None more divine words could fall from the highest Saint: Nothing hinders but that the veriest miscreant on earth, yea the foulest Devil in Hell may speak holily: It is no passing of judgement upon lose sentences: So Peter should have been cast for a Satan, in denying, forswearing, cursing; and the Devil should have been set up for a Saint, in confessing, jesus the Son of the most high God: Fond hypocrite, that pleasest thyself, in talking well, hear this Devil; and when thou canst speak better than he look to far better; but in the mean time know, that a smooth tongue, and a foul heart, caries away double judgements. Let curious heads dispute, whether the Devil knew Christ to be God: In this I dare believe himself, though in nothing else, he knew what he believed, what he believed what he confessed, jesus the Son of the most high God; To the confusion of those semi-Christians, that have either held doubtfully, or ignorantly mis-knowne; or blasphemously denied what the very Devils have professed. How little can a bare speculation avail us in these cases of Divinity? So fare this Devil hath attained, to no ease, no comfort. Knowledge alone doth but puff up; it is our love that edifies: If there be not a sense of our sure interest in this jesus, a power to apply his merits, and obedience, we are no w●●t the safer, no whit the better; only we are so much the wiser, to understand who shall condemn us. The piece of the clause was spoken like a Saint, jesus the Son of the most high God: the other piece, like a Devil, What have I to do with thee? If the disclamation were universal, the latter words would impugn the former: for whiles he confesses jesus to be the Son of the most high God, he withal confesses his own inevitable subjection. Wherefore would he beseech, if he were not obnoxious; He cannot, he dare not say, What hast thou to do with me: but, What have I to do with thee: Others indeed I have vexed, thee I fear, in respect then of any violence, of any personal provocation, What have I to do with thee? And dost thou ask, O thou evil spirit, what thou hast to do with Christ, whiles thou vexest a servant 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 concerns his own person? Hear that great, and just judge sentencing upon his dreadful Tribunal: In as much as thou didst it unto one of these little ones, thou didst it unto me: It is an idle misprision to sever the sense of an injury done to any of the members, from the head. He that had humility enough to kneel to the Son of God, hath boldness enough to expostulate, Art thou come to torment us before our time? Whether it were, that Satan, who useth to enjoy the torment of sinners, whose music it is to hear our shrieks, and gnash, held it no small piece of his torment, to be restrained in the exercise of his tyranny: Or, whether the very presence of Christ were his rack: For, the guilty spirit, proiecteth terrible things, and cannot behold the judge, or the executioner without a renovation of horror: Or, whether that (as himself professeth) he were now in a fearful expectation of being commanded down into the deep, for a further degree of actual torment, which he thus deprecates. There are tortures appointed to the very spiritual natures of evil Angels: Men, that are led by sense, have easily granted the body subject to torment, who yet, have not so readily conceived this incident to a spiritual substance: The holy Ghost hath not thought it fit to acquaint us with the particular manner of these invisible acts, rather willing that we should herein fear, then inquire; but, as all matters of faith, though they cannot be proved by reason (for that they are in an higher sphere) yet afford an answer able to stop the mouth of all reason, that dares bark against them, (since truth cannot be opposite to itself) so, this of the sufferings of spirits: There is therefore both an intentional torment incident to spirits, and a real: For, as in blessedness the good spirits find themselves joined unto the chief good; and, hereupon feel a perfect love of God, and unspeakable joy in him, and rest in themselves, so contrarily, the evil spirits perceive themselves eternally excluded from the presence of God, and see themselves settled in a woeful darkness; and from the sense of this separation arises an horror not to be expressed, not to be conceived: How many men have we known to torment themselves with their own thoughts? There needs no other gibbet then that, which their troubled spirit hath erected in their own heart: and if some pains begin at the body, and from thence afflict the soul in a copartnership of grief, yet others arise immediately from the soul, and draw the body into a participation of misery: Why may we not therefore conceive mere and separate spirits capable of such an inward excruciation? Besides which, I hear the judge of men and Angels say, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil, and his Angels, I hear the Prophet say, Tophet is prepared of old; If with fear, and without curiosity we may look upon those flames: Why may we not attribute a spiritual nature to that more than natural fire? In the end of the world, the elements shall be dissolved by fire: and if the pure quintessential matter of the sky, and the element of fire itself, shall be dissolved by fire, than that last fire shall be of another nature, then that which it consumeth: what hinders then but that the omnipotent God hath from eternity created a fire of another nature proportionable even to spiritual essences? Or why may we not distinguish of fire, as it is itself, a bodily creature, and, as it is an instrument of God's justice, so working, not by any material virtue, or power of it own, but by a certain height of supernatural efficacy, to which it is exalted by the omnipotence of that supreme and righteous judge? Or lastly, why may we not conceive that though spirits have nothing material in their nature, which that fire should work upon, yet by the judgement of the almighty Arbiter of the world, justly willing their torment, they may be made most sensible of pain, and, by the obedible submission of their created nature, wrought upon immediately by their appointed tortures: Besides, the very horror, which ariseth from the place, whereto they are everlastingly confined: For if the incorporeal spirits of living men may be held in a loathed or painful body, and conceive sorrow to be so imprisoned: Why may we not as easily yield that the evil spirits of Angels, or men, may be held in those direful flames, and much more abhor therein to continue for ever? Tremble rather, O my soul, at the thought of this woeful condition of the evil Angels; who, for one only act of Apostasy from God, are thus perpetually tormented, whereas we sinful wretches multiply many, and presumptuous offences against the Majesty of our God: And withal admire; and magnify that infinite mercy to the miserable generation of man; which, after this holy severity of justice to the revolted Angels, so graciously forbears our heinous iniquities, and both suffers us to be free for the time, from these hellish torments, and gives us opportunity of a perfect freedom from them for ever: Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy Name, who for giveth all thy sins, and healeth all thine infirmities: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and compassions. There is no time wherein the evil spirits are not tormented: there is a time wherein they expect to be tormented yet more: Art thou come to torment us before our time? They knew that the last Assizes are the prefixed term of their full execution; which they also understood to be not yet come: For though they knew not when the Day of judgement should be; (a point concealed from the glorious Angels of heaven) yet they knew when it should not be; and therefore they say, Before the time. Even the very evil spirits confess, and fearfully attend a set day of universal Sessions; They believe less than Devils, that either doubt of, or deny that day of final retribution. Oh the wonderful mercy of our God, that both to wicked men, and spirits, respites the utmost of their torment: He might upon the first instant of the fall of Angels, have inflicted on them the highest extremity of his vengeance: He might upon the first sins of our youth (yea of our nature) have swept us away, and given us our portion in that fiery lake; he stays a time for both: Though, with this difference of mercy to us men, that here, not only is a delay, but, may be, an utter prevention of punishment, which to the evil spirits is altogether impossible; They do suffer, they must suffer; and though they have now deserved to suffer all they must, yet they must once suffer more than they do. Yet so doth this evil spirit expostulate, that he sues, I beseech thee torment me not. The world is well changed, since Satan's first onset upon Christ: Then, he could say, If thou be the Son of God; now, jesus, the Son of the most high God; then, All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down, and worship me; now, I beseech thee torment me not: The same power, when he lists, can change the note of the Tempter, to us; How happy are we that have such a Redeemer as can command the Devils to their chains? Oh consider this ye lawless sinners, that have said, Let us break his bonds, and cast his cords from us: How ever the Almighty suffers you, for a judgement to have free scope to evil and ye can now impotently resist the revealed will of your Creator, yet the time shall come, when ye shall see the very masters, whom ye have served, (the powers of darkness) unable to avoid the revenges of God; How much less shall man strive with his Maker; man, whose breath is in his nostrils, whose house is clay, whose foundation is the dust? Nature teaches every creature to wish a freedom from pain: the foulest spirits cannot but love themselves; and this love must needs produce a deprecation of evil: Yet, what a thing is this, to hear the devil at his prayers: I beseech thee torment me not: Devotion is not guilty of this, but fear: There is no grace in the suit of Devils, but nature; no respect of glory to their Creator, but their own ease; They cannot pray against sin, but against torment for sin. What news is it now, to hear the profanest mouth, in extremity, imploring the Sacred Name of God, when the Devils do so? The worst of all creatures hates punishment, and can say, Led me not into pain; only the good heart can say, Lead me not into temptation: If we can as hearty pray against sin, for the avoiding of displeasure, as against punishment, when we have displeased, there is true grace in the soul: Indeed, if we could fervently pray against sin, we should not need to pray against punishment; which is no other than the inseparable shadow of that body; but if we have not laboured against our sins, in vain do we pray against punishment; God must be just; and the wages of sin is death. It pleased our holy Saviour, not only to let fall words of command upon this spirit, but to interchange some speeches with him: All Christ's actions are not for example: It was the error of our Grandmother to hold chat with Satan: That God, who knows the craft of that old Serpent, and our weak simplicity, hath charged us not to inquire of an evil spirit: surely, if the Disciples returning to jacobs' Well, wondered to see Christ talk with a woman, well may we wonder to see him talking with an unclean Spirit: Let it be no presumption, O Saviour, to ask upon what grounds thou didst this, wherein we may not follow thee: We know, that sin was excepted in thy conformity of thyself to us; we know there was no guile found in thy mouth, no possibility of taint in thy nature, in thine actions: Neither is it hard to conceive how the same thing may be done by thee without sin, which we cannot but sin in doing. There is a vast difference in the intention, in the Agent; For, on the one side, thou didst not ask the name of the spirit, as one that knew not, and would learn by enquiring; but, that by the confession of that mischief, which thou pleasedst to suffer, the grace of the cure might be the more conspicuous, the more glorious; so, on the other, God and man might do that safely, which mere man cannot do, without danger; thou mightest touch the leprosy, and not be legally unclean, because thou touchedst it to heal it, didst not touch it with possibility of infection; So mightest thou, who by reason of the perfection of thy divine nature, wert uncapable of any stain, by the interlocution with Satan, safely confer with him, whom corrupt man, pre-disposed to the danger of such a parley, may not meddle with, without sin, because not without peril: It is for none but God to hold discourse with Satan: Our surest way is to have as little to do with that evil one, as we may; and if he shall offer to maintain conference with us by his secret tentations, to turn our speech unto our God, with the Archangel, The Lord rebuke thee Satan. It was the presupposition of him that knew it, that not only men but spirits have names: This than he asks; not out of an ignorance, or curiosity; nothing could be hid from him who calleth the stars, and all the hosts of heaven by their names; but, out of a just respect to the glory of the miracle he was working; whereto the notice of the name would not a little avail: For, if without inquiry, or confession, our Saviour had erected this evil spirit, it had passed for the single dispossession of one only Devil, whereas now, it appears there was a combination and hellish champerty in these powers of darkness, which were all forced to veil unto that almighty command. Before, the Devil had spoken singularly of himself, What have I to do with thee; and, I beseech thee torment me not: Our Saviour yet, knowing that there was a multitude of Devils lurking in that breast, who dissembled their presence, wrists it out of the Spirit by this interrogation, What is thy name? Now can those wicked ones no longer hide themselves: He that asked the question, forced the answer, My name is Legion. The author of discord hath borrowed a name of war: from that military order of discipline (by which the jews were subdued) doth the Devil fetch his denomination: They were many, yet they say, My name, not, Our name; though many, they speak as one, they act as one, in this possession: There is a marvelous accordance even betwixt evil spirits; that Kingdom is not divided, for than it could not stand; I wonder not that wicked men do so conspire in evil; that there is such unanimity in the broachers, and abettors of errors, when I see those Devils, which are many in substance, are one in name, action, habitation: Who can brag too much of unity, when it is incident into wicked spirits? All the praise of concord is in the subject; if that be holy, the consent is Angelical, if sinful devilish. What a fearful advantage have our spiritual enemies against us? If armed troops come against single stragglers, what hope is there of life, of victory? How much doth it concern us to band our hearts together, in a communion of Saints? Our enemies come upon us like a torrent: Oh let not us run asunder like drops in the dust: All our united forces will be little enough, to make head against this league of destruction. Legion imports Order; number, conflict. Order, in that there is a distinction of regiment, a subordination of Officers: Though in hell there be confusion of faces, yet not confusion of degrees; Number: Those that have reckoned a Legion at the lowest, have counted it six thousand: others, have more than doubled it, though here it is not strict, but figurative, yet the letter of it implies multitude: How fearful is the consideration of the number of Apostate Angels? And if a Legion can attend one man, how many must we needs think are they, who, all the world over, are at hand, to the punishment of the wicked, the exercise of the good, the tentation of both? It cannot be hoped there can be any place, or time, wherein we may be secure from the onsets of these enemies: Be sure, ye lewd men, ye shall want no furtherance to evil, no torment for evil: Be sure, ye godly, ye shall not want combatants to try your strength, and skill: Awaken your courages to resist, and stir●e up your hearts make sure the means of your safety: There are more with us then against us: The God of heaven is with us, if we be with him: and our Angels behold the face of God: If every devil were a Legion, we are safe: Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil: Thou, O Lord, shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of our enemies, and thy right hand shall save us. Conflict: All this number is not for sight, for rest; but for motion, for action; Neither was there ever hour, since the first blow given to our first Parents, wherein there was so much as a truce betwixt these adversaries. As therefore strong frontier Towns, when there is a peace concluded on both parts, break up their garrison, open their gates, neglect their Bulwarks: but, when they hear of the enemy mustering his forces, in great and unequal numbers, than they double their guard: keep Sentinel, repair their Sconces, so must we, upon the certain knowledge of our numerous, and deadly enemies, in continual array against us, address ourselves always to a wary and strong resistance. I do not observe the most to think of this ghostly hostility. Either they do not find there are tentations, or those tentations hurtful; they see no worse than themselves: and if they feel motions of evil, arising in them, they impute it to fancy, or unreasonable appetite; to no power, but natures; and, those motions they follow, without sensible hurt; neither see they what harm it is to fin: Is it any marvel that carnal eyes cannot discern spiritual objects? That the world who is the friend, the vassal of Satan, is in no war with him? Elisha's servant, when his eyes were opened saw troops of spiritual soldiers, which before he discerned not: If the eyes of our souls be once enlightened by supernatural knowledge, and the clear beams of faith, we shall as plainly descry the invisible powers of wickedness, as now our bodily eyes see heaven, and earth. They are, though we see them not, we cannot be safe from them, if we do not acknowledge, not oppose them. The Devils are now become great suitors to Christ: That he would not command them into the deep; that he would permit their entrance into the swine. What is this deep but hell? both for the utter separation from the face of God; and for the impossibility of passage to the region of rest and glory? The very evil spirits, then, fear, and expect a further degree of torment; they know themselves reserved in those chains of darkness for the judgement of the great day: There is the same wages due to their sins, and to ours; neither are the wages paid till the work be done: they, tempting men to sin, must needs sin grievously in tempting, as with us men those that misled into sin, offend more than the actors; not till the upshot therefore of their wickedness shall they receive the full measure of their condemnation: This day, this deep they tremble at: what shall I say of those men that fear it not? It is hard for men to believe their own unbelief: If they were persuaded of this fiery dungeon, this bottomless deep, wherein every sin shall receive an horrible portion with the damned, durst they stretch forth their hands to wickedness? No man will put his hand into a fiery crucible to fetch gold thence, because he knows it will burn him: Did we as truly believe the everlasting burning of that infernal fire, we durst not offer to fetch pleasures, or profits, out of the midst of those flames. This degree of torment they grant in Christ's power to command, they knew his power unresistible, had he therefore but said, Back to hell whence he came, they could no more have stayed upon earth, than they can now climb into heaven. O the wonderful dispensation of the Almighty, who though he could command all the evil spirits down to their dungeons in an instant; so as they should have no more opportunity of temptation, yet thinks fit to retain them upon earth: It is not out of weakness, or improvidence of that divine hand, that wicked spirits tyrannize here upon earth, but out of the most wise, and most holy ordination of God, who knows how to turn evil into good; how to fetch good out of evil; and by the worst instruments, to bring about his most just decrees: Oh that we could adore that awful, and infinite power, and cheerfully cast ourselves upon that providence, which keeps the Keys even of hell itself, and either lets out, or returns the Devils to their places. Their other suit hath some marvel in moving it, more in the grant; That they might be suffered to enter into the Herd of Swine. It was their ambition of some mischief, that brought forth this desire: that since they might not vex the body of man, they might yet afflict men in their goods: The malice of these envious spirits reacheth from us, to ours: It is sore against their wills, if we be not every way miserable: if the Swine were legally unclean for the use of the table, yet they were naturally good: Had not Satan known them useful for man, he had never desired their ruin: But as Fencers will seem to fetch a blow at the leg, when they intent it at the head, so doth this Devil; whiles he drives at the Swine, he aims at the souls of these Gadarens: by this means, he hoped well (and his hope was not vain) to work in these Gergesens a discontentment at Christ, an unwillingness to entertain him, a desire of his absence; he meant to turn them into Swine, by the loss of their Swine: It was not the rafters, or stones of the house of jobs children, that he bore the grudge to, but to the owners; nor to the lives of the children so much, as the soul of their father: There is no affliction wherein he doth not strike at the heart; which, whiles it holds free, all other damages are light; but a wounded spirit (whether with sin or sorrow) who can bear? What ever becomes of goods, or limbs, happy are we if (like wise soldiers) we guard the vital parts; whiles the soul is kept sound from impatience, from distrust, our enemy may afflict us, he cannot hurt us. 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 fearful to think how great things evil spirits can do with permission: it is comfortable to think how nothing they can do without permission: We know they want not malice to destroy the whole frame of God's work; but of all, man; of all men, Christians: but if without leave they cannot set upon an hog, what can they do to the living Images of their Creator? They cannot offer us so much as a suggestion, without the permission of our Saviour: And can he that would give his own most precious blood for us, to save us from evil, wilfully give us over to evil? It is no news that wicked spirits wish to do mischief, it is news that they are allowed it: If the owner of all things should stand upon his absolute command, who can challenge him for what he thinks fit to do with his creature? The first Foal of the Ass is commanded, under the law, to have his neck broken, what is that to us? The creatures do that they were made for, if they may serve any way to the glory of their Maker: But, seldom ever doth God leave his actions unfurnished with such reasons, as our weakness may reach unto. There were sects amongst these jews that denied spirits, they could not be more evidently, more powerfully convinced then by this event: Now shall the Gadarens see from what a multitude of devils they were delivered; and how easy it had been for the same power to have allowed those spirits to seize upon their persons, as well as their Swine: Neither did God this without a just purpose of their castigation: His judgements are righteous, where they are most secret; though we cannot accuse these inhabitants of aught, yet he could; and thought good thus to mulct them: And if they had not wanted grace to acknowledge it, it was no small favour of God, that he would punish them in their Swine, for that, which he might have avenged upon their bodies, and souls: Our goods are furthest off us: If but in these we smart, we must confess to find mercy. Sometimes it pleaseth God to grant the suits of wicked men, and spirits, in no favour to the suitors: He grants an ill suit, and withholds a good: He grants an ill suit in judgement, and holds back a good one, in mercy: The Israelites ask meat; he gives Quails to their mouths, and leanness to their souls: The chosen vessel wishes Satan taken taken off, and hears only, My grace is sufficient for thee: We may not evermore measure favour by condescent; These Devils doubtless receive more punishment for that harmful act, wherein they are heard. If we ask what is either unfit to receive, or unlawful to beg, it is a great favour of our God to be denied. Those spirits which would go into the Swine by permission, go out of the man by command; they had stayed long, and are ejected suddenly: The immediate works of God are perfect in an instant, and do not require the aid of time for their maturation. No sooner are they cast out of the man, than they are in the Swine: They will lose no time, but pass without intermission from one mischief to another: If they hold it a pain not to be doing or of evil; Why is not our delight to be ever doing good? The impetuousness was no less, than the speed, The Herd was carried with violence from a steep down place into the lake, and was choked. It is no small force that could do this; but if the Swine had been so many mountains, these spirits, upon God's permission, had thus transported them: How easily can they carry those souls (which are under their power,) to destruction? Unclean beasts that wallow in the mire of sensuality, brutish drunkards, transforming themselves by excess, even they, are the Swine, whom the Legion caries headlong to the pit of perdition. The wicked spirits have their wish; The Swine are choked in the waves; What ease is this to them? Good God; that there should be any creature that seeks contentment in destroying, in tormenting the good creatures of their Maker! This is the diet of hell: Those fiends feed upon spite, towards man so much more, as he doth more resemble his Creator: Towards all other living substances; so much more as they may be more useful to man. The Swine ran down violently, what marvel is it if their Keepers fled; that miraculous work which should have drawn them to Christ, drives them from him: They run with the news: the country comes in with clamour: The whole multitude of the country about, besought him to departed: The multitude is a beast of many heads; every head hath a several mouth, and every mouth with a several tongue, and every tongue a several accent: Every head hath a several brain, and every brain thoughts of their own; so as it is hard to find a multitude, without some division: At least seldom ever hath a good motion found a perfect accordance; it is not not so infrequent for a multitude to conspire in evil: Generality of assent is no warrant for any act: Common error caries away many; who inquire not into the reason of aught, but the practice: The way to hell is a beaten road through the many feet that tread it; when vice grows into fashion, singularity is a virtue. There was not a Gadarene found, that either dehorted their fellows, or opposed the motion: it is a signe of people given up to judgement, when no man makes head against projects of evil. Alas, what can one strong man do against a whole throng of wickedness? Yet this good comes of an unprevailing resistance, that God forbears to plague, where he finds but a sprinkling of faith: happy are they, who (like unto the celestial bodies, which being carried about, with the sway of the highest sphere, yet creep on their own ways) keep on the courses of their own holiness, against the swinge of common corruptions: They shall both deliver their own souls, and help to withhold judgement from others. The Gadarenes sue to Christ for his departure: It is too much favour to attribute this to their modesty, as if they held themselves unworthy of so divine a guest: Why then did they fall upon this suit in a time of their loss? Why did they not tax themselves, and intimate a secret desire of that, which they durst not beg? It is too much rigour to attribute it to the love of their hogs, and an anger at their loss: then, they had not entreated, but expelled him; It was their fear that moved this harsh suit: A servile fear of danger to their persons, to their goods: Lest he that could so absolutely command the Devils, should have set these tormentors upon them: Lest their other Demoniacs should be dispossessed with like loss. I cannot blame these Gaderens that they feared: This power was worthy of trembling at; Their fear was unjust; They should have argued, This man hath power over men, beasts, devils, it is good having him to our friend; his presence is our safety and protection: Now they contrarily mis-inferre, Thus powerful is he, it is good he were further off; What miserable and pernicious misconstructions do men make of God; of divine attributes, and actions? God is omnipotent, able to take infinite vengeance of sin, Oh that he were not; He is provident, I may be careless; He is merciful, I may sinne; He is holy, Let him departed from me, for I am a sinful man: How witty sophisters are natural men to deceive their own souls, to rob themselves of a God? Oh Saviour, how worthy are they to want thee that wish to be rid of thee? Thou hast just cause to be weary of us, even whiles we sue to hold thee: but when once our wretched unthankfulness grows weary of thee, who can pity us to be punished with thy departure? Who can say it is other then righteous, that thou shouldest regest one day upon us, Depart from me ye wicked. Contemplations UPON THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. The seventh Volume, In two Books. By I.H. D.D. LONDON, Printed for THO: PAVIER MILES FLESHER, and john Haviland. 1625. Contemplations. UPON THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE EIGHTEENTH BOOK. Wherein are REHOBOAM. JEROBOAM. The seduced Prophet. IEROBOAMS Wife. ASA. ELIJAH with the Sareptan. ELIJAH with the Baalites. ELIJAH running before AHAB, flying from IEzEBEL. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, JAMES LORD HAY, BARON OF Saley, Viscount Doncaster, Earl of Carlisle, one of the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council. RIGHT HONOURABLE: I Cannot but thus gratulate to you your happy return from your many, and noble employments; which have made you, some years, a stranger at home; and sorenowned abroad, that all the better parts of Europe know and honour your name, no less, then if you had been borne theirs; Neither is any of them so savage, as not to say, when they hear mention of your worth, that Virtue is a thousand Escutcheons. If now your short breathing-time may allow your Lordship the freedom of quiet and holy thoughts, cast your eyes upon Jsrael and Judah, upon the Kings and Prophets of both, in such beneficial variety as profane history shall promise in vain. Your Lordship shall see Rehoboam following Solomon in nothing but his seat, and his fall, as much more wilful than his father, as less wise; all head, no heart; losing those ten Tribes with a churlish breath, whom he would (and might not) recover with blood. jeroboam as crafty, as wicked; plotting a revolt, creating a religion to his state, marring Jsraelites to make subjects, branded in his name, smitten in his hand, in his loins. You shall see a faithful messenger of God, after miraculous proof of his courage, fidelity, power, good nature, paying dear for a little circumstance of credulous disobedience; The Lion is sent to call for his blood, as the price of his forbidden harbour; You shall see the blind Prophet descrying the disguise of a Queen, the judgement of the King, the removal of a Prince, too good for jeroboam heir. You shall see the right stock of Royal succession flourishing in Asa, whiles that true heir of David (though not without some blemishes of infirmity) inherits a perfect heart; purges his Kingdom of Sodomy, of Jdolatry, not balking sin, even where he honoured nature. You shall see the wonder of Prophets, Elijah, opening and shutting heaven, as his private chest; catored for by the Ravens, nor less miraculously catoring for the Sareptan, contesting with Ahab, confronting the Baalites, speaking both fire and water (from heaven) in one evening; meekly lacquaying his Sovereign, weakly flying from jezabel, fed supernaturally by Angels, hid in the rock of Horeb, confirmed by those dreadful apparitions, that had confounded some other; casting his mantle upon his homely successor, and by the touch of that garment, turning him from a ploughman, to a Prophet. But what do I withhold your Lordship in the bare heads of this ensuing discourse? In all these, your piercing eyes shall easily see beyond mine, and make my thoughts but a station for a further discovery. Your Lordship's observation hath studied men, more than books; here it shall study God, more than men; That of books hath made you full, that of men, judicious, this of God shall make you holy, and happy; Hitherto shall ever tend the wishes and endeavours of Your Lordships humbly devoted in all faithful observance, IOS: HALL.. Contemplations. REHOBOAM. WHO would not but have looked that seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, should have furnished salomon's Palace with choice of heirs, and have peopled Israel with royal issue? and now behold, Solomon hath by all these but one Son; and him by an Ammonitesse: Many a poor man hath an house-full of children by one wife; whiles this great King hath but one son by many house-fulls of wives: Fertility is not from the means, but from the author; It was for Solomon that David sung of old; Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward; How oft doth God deny this heritage of heirs, where he gives the largest heritage of lands; and gives most of these living possessions, where he gives least of the dead? that his blessings may be acknowledged free unto both; entailed upon neither. As the greatest persons cannot give themselves children, so the wisest cannot give their children wisdom; Was it not of Rehoboam that Solomon said; I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun; because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me; and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool; Yet shall he rule over all my labour, wherein I have laboured, and shown myself wise under the Sun? All Israel found that salomon's wit was not propagated; Many a fool hath had a wiser son, than this wisest father; Amongst many sons it is no news to find some one defective; Solomon hath but one son, and he no miracle of wisdom; God gives purposely so eminent an instance, to teach men to look up to heaven, both for heirs and graces. Solomon was both the King of Israel, & the father of Rehoboam, when he was scarce out of his childhood; Rehoboam enters into the Kingdom at a ripe age; yet Solomon was the man, and Rehoboam the child; Age is no just measure of wisdom; There are beardless sages, and gray-headed children; Not the ancient are wise, but the wise is ancient: Israel wanted not for thousands that were wiser than Rehoboam: Yet because they knew him to be the son of Solomon, no man makes question of his government; In the case of succession into Kingdoms we may not look into the qualities of the person, but into the right. So secure is Solomon of the people's fidelity to David's seed, that he follows not his father's example in setting his son by him, in his own throne; here was no danger of a rivality to enforce it; no eminency in the son to merit it; It sufficeth him to know that no bond can be surer than the natural allegiance of subjects; I do not find that the following Kings stood upon the confirmation of their people; but as those that knew the way to their throne, ascended those steps without aid; As yet the sovereignty of David's house was green, and unsettled; Israel therefore doth not now come to attend Rehoboam, but Rehoboam goes up to meet Israel. They come not to his jerusalem, but he goes to their Shechem: To Shechem were all Israel come to make him King; If loyalty drew them together, why not rather to jerusalem? there the majesty of his father's Temple, the magnificence of his palace, the very stones in those walls, (besides the strength of his guard) had pleaded strongly for their subjection; Shechem had been many ways fatal, was every way incommodious: It is an infinite help or disadvantage that arises from circumstances; The very place puts Israel in mind of a rebellion; There Abimelec had raised up his treacherous usurpation over, and against his brethren; There Goal against Abimelec; There was joseph sold by his brethren: As if the very soil had been stained with perfidiousness. The time is no less ill chosen; Rehoboam had ill counsel ere he bewrayed it; For had he speedily called up Israel, before jeroboam could have been sent for out of Egypt, he had found the way clear; A little delay may lief a great deal of opportunity; what shall we say of both, but that misery is led in by infatuation. Had not Israel been somewhat predisposed to a mutiny, they had never sent into Egypt for such a spokesman as jeroboam; a fugitive, a traitor to Solomon; long had that crafty conspirator lurked in a foreign Court; The alliances of Princes are not ever necessary bonds of friendship: The brother in law of Solomon harbours this snake in his bosom, and gives that heat, which is repaid with a sting to the posterity of so near an ally: And now salomon's death calls him back to his native soil: That Israel would entertain a rebel, it was an ill sign; worse yet that they would countenance him; worst of all that they would employ him: Nothing doth more bewray evil intentions, than the choice of vicious Agents: Those that mean well will not hazard either the success, or credit of their actions upon offensive instruments; None but the sluttish will wipe their faces with foul clothes. Upright hearts would have said, as David did to God, so to his anointed; Do not I hate them that hate thee? Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred. jeroboam head had been a fit present to have tendered unto their new King; and now in stead thereof they tender themselves to jeroboam, as the head of their faction. Had not Rehoboam wanted spirits, he had first (after Salomons example) done justice to his father's traitor, and then have treated of mercy towards his subjects; The people soon found the weakness of their new Sovereign, else they durst not have spoken to him by so obnoxious a tongue; Thy father made our yoke grienous, make thou it lighter and we will serve thee; Doubtless the crafty head of jeroboam was in this suit, which his mouth uttered in the name of Israel; Nothing could have been more subtle; It seemed a promise, it was a threat; that which seemed a supplication was a complaint: humility was but a veil for discontentment; One hand held a paper, the other a sword: Had they said, Free us from Tributes, the capitulation had been gross, and strongly savouring of sedition; now they say Ease us, they profess his power to impose, and their willingness to yield; only craving favour in the weight of the imposition; If Rehoboam yield, he blemisheth his father; If he deny, he endangers his kingdom; His wilfulness shall seem worthily to abandon his sceptre, if he stick at so reasonable a suit; Surely Israel came with a purpose to cavil; jeroboam had secretly troubled these waters, that he might fish more gainfully; One malcontent is enough to embroile a whole Kingdom. How harshly must it needs sound in the ears of Rehoboam, that the first word he hears from his people, is a querulous challenge of his father's government; Thy father made our yoke grienous; For ought I see the suggestion was not more spiteful than unjust: where was the weight of this yoke, the toil of these services? Here were none of the turmoils of war; no trainings, marchings, encamp, entrenching, watchings, minings, sieges, fortifications; none of that tedious world of work that attends hostility; Solomon had not his name for nought; All was calm during that long reign: And if they had paid dear for their peace, they had no cause to complain of an hard march; The warlike times of Saul and David had exhausted their blood, together with their substance, what ingratitude was this to cry out of ease? Yea but that peace brought forth costly and laborious buildings: God's house, and the Kings, the walls of jerusalem, Hazar, Megiddo, and Gezer, the Cities of store, the cities of defence, could not rise without many a shoulder: True, but not of any Israelites; The remainders of Amorites, Hittites, Penzzites, Hivites, and jebusites, were put to all the drudgery of these great works; the tasks of Israel were easy, and ingenuous; free from servility, free from painfulness. But the charge was theirs, whose-soever was the labour: The diet of so endless a retinue, the attendance of his Seraglio, the purveyance for his forty thousand stables, the cost of his sacrifices, must needs weigh heavy; Certainly, if it had laid on none but his own; But wherefore went salomon's Navy every three years to Ophira to what use served the six hundred threescore and six Talents of Gold, that came in one year to his Exchequer? wherefore served the large tributes of foreign nations? How did he make silver to be in jerusalem as stones if the exactions were so pressive? The multitude is ever prone to pick quarrels with their Governors; and whom they feared alive, to censure dead; The benefits of so quiet and happy a reign are passed over in silence; the grievances are recounted with clamour; Who can hope that merit or greatness can shield him from obloquy, when Solomon is traduced to his own loins? The proposition of Israel puts Rehoboam to a deliberation; Depart ye for three days; then come again to me: I hear no other word of his that argued wisdom; Not to give sudden resolutions in cases of importance was a point that might well befeeme the son of Solomon; I wonder that he who had so much wit as to call for leisure in his answer, should show so little wit in the improving of that leisure, in the return of that answer; Who cannot but hope well to see the grey heads of salomon's secret Counsel called to Rehoboams Cabinet? As Counsellors, as ancient, as salomon's, they cannot choose but see the best, the safest course for their new Sovereign: They had learned of their old master, that a soft anger appeaseth wrath; wisely therefore do they advice him. If thou wilt be aseruant to this people this day, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever; It was an easy condition; with one mouthful of breath to purchase an everlasting homage: with one gentle motion of his tongue, to bind all people's hearts to his allegiance for ever. Yet (as if the motion had been unfit) a new Counsel Table is called: well might this people say; What will not Rehoboam grudge us, if he think much to give good words for a Kingdom. There is not more wisdom in taking variety of advice, where the matter is doubtful, than folly, when it is plain: The young heads are consulted; This very change argues weakness; Some reason might be pleaded for passing from the younger Counsel to the aged; none, for the contrary; Age brings experience; and, it is a shame, if with the ancient be not wisdom: Youth is commonly rash, heady, insolent, vngouerned, wedded to will, led by humour, a rebel to reason, a subject to passion, fit to execute then to advice: Green wood is ever shrinking and warping, whereas the well-seasoned holds a constant firmness: Many a life, many a soul, many a flourishing state hath been ruined by undisciplined Monitors: Such were these of Rehoboam; whose great stomach tells them that this conditionating of subjects, was no other than an affront to their new master, and suggests to them, how unfit it is for Majesty to brook so saucy a treaty; how requisite and Princely, to crush this presumption in the egg; As scorning therefore to be braved by the base Vulgar, they put words of greatness, and terror into their new Prince, My little finger shall be thicker than thy father's loins; My father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke; My father hath chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with Scorpions. The very words have stings, Now must Israel needs think, How cruel will this man's hands be, when he thus draws blood with his tongue? Men are not wont to speak out their worst; who can endure the hopes of him that promiseth tyranny? There can be no good use of an indefinite profession of rigour and severity; Fear is an unsafe guardian of any state, much less of an unsettled. Which was yet worse, not the sins of Israel were threatened, nor their purses, but their persons; neither had they desired a remission of justice, but of exactions; and now, they hear of nothing but burdens, and scourges, and Scorpions. Here was a Prince and people well met; I do not find them sensible of aught, save their own profit; They do not say, Religion was corrupted in the shutting up of thy father's days; Idolatry found the free favour of Priests, and Temples, and Sacrifices; Begin thy reign with God; purge the Church, demolish those piles of abomination; abandon those Idol-mongers, restore devotion to her purity; They are all for their penny, for their ease; He on the other side, is all for his will, for an imperious Sovereignty; without any regard either of their reformation or satisfaction; They were worthy of load that cared for nothing but their backs; and he worthy of such subjects, who professed to affect their misery and torment. Who would not but have looked any whither for the cause of this evil, rather than to heaven? yet, the holy God challenges it to himself; The cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying by Abijah, the Shilonite to jeroboam; As sin is a punishment of sin, it is a part of justice; The holy One of Israel doth not abhor to use even the grossest sins to his own just purposes: whiles our wills are free to our own choice, his decrees are as necessary, as just; Israel had forsaken the Lord, and worshipped Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Chemosh, and Milchom: God owes them, and Solomon a whipping; The frowardness of Rehoboam shall pay it them; I see jeroboam plot, the people's insolence, the young men's mis-aduice, the Prince's unseasonable austerity, meeting together (through the wise Providence of the Almighty) unwittingly to accomplish his most just decree; All these might have done otherwise for any force that was offered to their will; all would no more do otherwise, then if there had been no predetermination in heaven; that God may be magnified in his wisdom, and justice, whiles man wittingly perisheth in his folly. That three day's expectation had warmed these smoking Israelites, and made them ready for a combustion; upon so peremptory a resolution of rigour, the flame bursts out, which all the waters of the Well of Bethlehem could never quench; The furious multitude flies out into a desperate revolt; What portion have we in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of less; To your Tents O Israel; now, see to thine own house David. How durst these seditious mouths mention David in defiance? One would have thought that very name had been able to have tempered their fury, and to have contained them within the limits of obedience; It was the father of Rehoboam, and the son of David that had led Israel into Idolatry; Solomon hath drawn contempt upon his father, and upon his son: If Israel have cast off their God, is it marvel that they shake off his anointed? Irreligion is the way to disobedience; There can be no true subjection but out of conscience; They cannot make conscience of civil duties, who make none of divine. In vain shall Rehoboam hope to prevail by his Officer, when himself is rejected: The persons of Princes carry in them characters of Majesty; when their presence works not, how should their message? If Adoram solicit the people too late with good words, they answer him with stones. Nothing is more untractable and violent, than an enraged multitude; It was time for Rehoboam to betake himself to his Chariot; he saw those stones were thrown at him, in his Adoram: As the messenger suffers for his master; so the master suffers in his messenger; Had Rehoboam been in Adorams clothes, this death had been his: Only flight can deliver him from those that might have been subjects: jerusalem must be his refuge against the conspiracy of Shechem. Blessed be God for lawful government: Even a mutinous body cannot want an head: If the rebellious Israelites have cast off their true Sovereign, they must choose a false: jereboam the son of Nebat must be the man: He had need be skilful, and fit sure, that shall back the horse which hath cast his Rider: Israel could not have any where met with more craft and courage, than they found in this Leader. Rehoboam returns to jerusalem lighter by a crown than he went forth; judah and Benjamin stick still fast to their loyalty: the example of a general rebellion cannot make them unfaithful to the house of David: God will ever reserve a remnant free from the common contagion: Those tribes, to approve their valour, no less than their fidelity, will fight against their brethren, for their Prince; and will hazard their lives to reduce the crown to the son of Solomon: An hundred and fourscore thousand of them are up in arms, ready to force Israel to their denied subjection: No noise sounded on both parts but military; no man thought of any thing but blood; when suddenly God sends his Prophet to forbid the battle: Shemaiah comes with a message of cessation: Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren, the children of Israel, return every man to his house, for this thing is from me, saith the Lord: The word of one silly Prophet dismisses these mighty armies: He that would not lay down the threats of his rigour, upon the advice of his ancient Counsellors, will lay down his sword, upon the word of a Seer: Shall we envy, or shame to see how much the Prophets of the Old Testament could do; how little those of the new? If our commission be no less from the same God, the difference of success cannot go away unrevenged. There was yet some grace in Rehoboam, that he would not spurn against that, which God challenged as his own work: Some godless Ruffian would have said; whosoever is the Author, I will be revenged on the instruments: Rehoboam hath learned this lesson of his Grandfather; I held my peace because thou Lord hast done it: If he might strive with the multitude, he knew it was no striving with his Maker: quietly therefore doth he lay down his arms, not daring after that prohibition to seek the recovery of his kingdom by blood. Where Gods purposes are hid from us, we must take the fairest ways of all lawful remedies; but where God hath revealed his determinations, we must sit down in an humble submission; our struggling may aggravate, cannot redress our miseries. JEROBOAM. AS there was no public and universal conflict betwixt the ten Tribes, and the two, so no peace: Either King found reason to fortify the borders of his own territories: Shechem was worthy to be dear to jeroboam; a City as of old seasoned with many treasons, so now auspicious to his new usurpation. The civil defection was soon followed by the spiritual: As there are near respects betwixt God, and his anointed, so there is great affinity betwixt treason and idolatry: there is a connexion betwixt, Fear God, and Honour the King; and no less betwixt the neglects of both: In vain shall a man look for faith in a mis-religious heart. Next to Achitophel, I do not find that Israel yielded a craftier head than jeroboam: so hath he plotted this conspiracy, that (what ever fall) there is no place for a challenge; not his own intrusion, but Israel's Election hath raised him to their Throne: neither is his cunning less in holding a stolen Sceptre: Thus he thinks in himself: If Israel have made me their King, it is but a pang of discontentment; these violent thoughts will not last always: sudden fits have commonly sudden recoveries; their return to their loyalty shall forfeit my head together with my Crown: They cannot return to God, and hold off from their lawful Sovereign: They cannot return to jerusalem, and keep off from God, from their loyalty: Thrice a year will their devotion call them up thither; besides the exigence of their frequent vows: How can they be mine, whiles that glorious Temple is in their eye; whiles the magnificence of the royal Palace of David and Solomon, shall admonish them of their native allegiance: whiles (besides the solicitation of their brethren) the Priests and Levites shall preach to them the necessity of their due obedience, and the abomination of their sacrifices in their wilful disobedience; whiles they shall (by their presence) put themselves upon the mercy, or justice of their lawful, and forsaken Prince: Either therefore I must divert them from jerusalem, or else I cannot live and reign. It is no diverting them by a direct restraint; such prohibition would both endanger their utter distaste, and whet their desire to more eagerness: I may change Religion, I may not inhibit it; so the people have a God, it sufficeth them; they shall have so much formality as may content them: their zeal is not so sharp, but they can be well pleased with ease: I will proffer them both a more compendious, and more plausibie worship: jerusalem shall be supplied within mine own borders: naturally men love to see the objects of their devotion: I will therefore feed their eyes with two golden representations of their God, nearer home; and what can be more proper than those, which Aaron devised of old to humour Israel. Upon this pestilent ground, jeroboam sets up two calves in Dan and Bethel, and persuades the people; It is too much for you to go up to jerusalem, behold thy Gods O Israel, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt. Oh the mischief that comes of wicked infidelity: It was God's Prophet that had rend jeroboam garment into twelve pieces, and had given ten of them to him; in token of his sharing the ten Tribes; who with the same breath also told him that the cause of this distraction was their Idolatry: Yet now will he institute an Idolatrous service for the holding together of them, whom their Idolatry had rend from their true Sovereign to him: He says not; God hath promised me this Kingdom, God hath conferred it, God shall find means to maintain his own act; I will obey him, let him dispose of me: The God of Israel is wise and powerful enough, to fetch about his own designs: but, (as if the devices of men were stronger than God's providence, and ordination) he will be working out his own ends by profane policies: jeroboam being borne an Israelite, and bred in the Court of a Solomon, could not but know the express charge of God against the making of Images, against the erecting of any rival altars, to that of jerusalem: yet now that he sees both these may avail much to the advancing of his ambitious project, he sets up those Images, those Altars: Wicked men care not to make bold with God in cases of their own commodity: If the laws of their Maker lie in the way of their profit, or promotion, they either spurn them out, or tread upon them at pleasure: Aspiring minds will know no God but honour. Israe● sojourned in Egypt, and brought home a golden calf: jeroboam sojourns there, and brought home two; It is hard to dwell in Egypt untainted; not to savour of the sins of the place we live in, is no less strange, then for wholesome liquor tuned up in a musty vessel, not to smell of the cask: The best body may be infected in a contageous air: Let him beware of Egypt that would be free from Idolatry. No sooner are jeroboams calves up, than Israel is down on their knees: their worship follows immediately upon the erection: How easily is the unstable vulgar carried into whatsoever religion of authority? The weathercock will look which way soever the wind blows: It is no marvel if his subjects be brutish, who hath made a calf his god. Every accessary to sin is filthy, but the first authors of sin are abominable: How is jeroboam branded in every of these sacred leaves? How do all ages ring of his fact, with the accent of dishonour, and indignation: jeroboam the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin? It was a shame for Israel that it could be made to sin by a jeroboam: but, O cursed name of jeroboam that would draw Israel to sin; The followers and abettors of evil are worthy of torment, but no hell is too deep for the leaders of public wickedness. Religion is clothed with many requisite circumstances: As a new King would have a new god; so that new God must have new Temples, Altars, Services, Priests, Solemnities: All these hath jeroboam instituted: all these hath he cast in the same mould with his golden calves: False devotion doth not more cross, then imitate the true: Satan is no less a counterfeit then an enemy of God: He knows it more easy to adulterate religion, then to abolish it. That which God ordained for the avoidance of Idolatry, is made the occasion of it; a limitation of his holy services to jerusalem: How mischievously do wicked men pervert the wholesome institutions of God to their sin, to their bane? jeroboam could not be ignorant how fearfully this very act was revenged upon Israel, in the Wilderness; yet he dares renew it in Dan and Bethel: No example of judgement can affright wilful offenders. It is not the metal that makes their gods, but the worship; the sacrifices: What sacrifices could there be without Priests? No religion could ever want sacred masters of Divine ceremonies: God's Clergy was select and honourable; branches of the holy stem of Aaron; jeroboam rakes up his Priests out of the channel of the multitude; all Tribes, all persons were good enough for his spurious devotion; Leaden Priests are well fitted to golden Deities. Religion receives either much honour, or blemish, by the quality of those that serve at her Altars; We are not worthy to profess ourselves servants of the True God, if we do not hold his service worthy of the best. jeroboam Calves must have sacrifices, must have solemn festivities; though in a day, and month of his own devising: In vain shall we pretend to worship a god, if we grudge him the just days, and rites of his worship. It is strange that he who thought the dregs of the vulgar good enough for that Priesthood, would grace those gods, by acting their Priest himself: and yet behold where the new King of Israel stands before his new Altar, with a Sceptre in one hand, and a Censer in the other, ready to sacrifice to his new gods; when the man of God comes from juda, with a message of judgement: Oh desperate condition of Israel, that was so fare gone with impiety, that it yielded not one faithful monitor to jeroboam: The time was, that the erecting of but a new altar (for memory, for monument) on the other side of jordan, bred a challenge to the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasses; and had cost much Israelitish blood, if the quarrelled Tribes had not given a seasonable and pious satisfaction; and now, lo, how the stronger stomach of degenerated Israel can digest new Altars, new Temples, new Gods: What a difference there is betwixt a Church and Kingdom newly breathing from affliction, and settled upon the lees of a misused peace? But oh the patience, and mercy of our long-suffering God, that will not strike a very jeroboam unwarned: judgement hovers over the heads of sinners, ere it light: If Israel afford not a bold reprover of jeroboam, juda shall: When the King of Israel is in all the height both of his State, and superstition, honouring his solemn day with his richest devotion, steps forth a Prophet of God, and interrupts that glorious service, with a loud inclamation of judgement. Doubtless the man wanted not wit to know what displeasure, what danger must needs follow so unwelcome a message: yet dares he (upon the commission of God) do this affront to an Idolatrous King; in the midst of all his awful magnificence. The Prophets of God go upon many a thankless errand: He is no messenger for God that either knows, or fears the faces of men. It was the Altar, not the person of jeroboam, which the Prophet thus threatens; Yet not the stones are stricken, but the founder; in both their apprehensions: So dear as the devices of our own brain to us, as if they were incorporated into ourselves; There is no opposition whereof we are so sensible, as that of religion. That the royal Altar should be thus polluted by dead men's bones, and the blood of the Priests, was not more unpleasing, then that all this should be done by a child of the house of David; for jeroboam well saw that the throne and the altar must gand, or fall together; that a son of David could not have such power over the Altar, without an utter subversion of the government; of the succession; therefore is he thus galled with this comminatory prediction; The rebellious people who had said, What portion have we in David, hear now, that David will perforce have a portion in them: and might well see, what beasts they had made themselves, in worshipping the image of a beast; and sacrificing to such a God, as could not preserve his own Altar from violation and ruin. All this while I do not see this zealous Prophet laying his hand to the demolition of this Idolatrous Altar; or threatening a knife to the Author of this depravation of religion; Only his tongue smites both; not with foul, but sharp words; of menace, not of reproach: It was for josias a King, to shed the blood of those sacrificers, to deface those Altars: Prophets are for the tongue, Princes for the hand; Prophets must only denounce judgement; Princes execute. Future things are present to the Eternal; It was some two hundred and sixty years, ere this prophecy should be fulfilled; yet the man of God speaks of it as now in acting; What are some Centuries of years to the Ancient of days? How slow, and yet how sure is the pace of God's revenge? It is not in the power of time to frustrate God's determinations; There is no less justice, nor severity in a delayed punishment. What a perfect Record there is of all names in the roll of Heaven; before they be, after they are passed? what ever seeming contingency there is in their imposition, yet they fall under the certainty of a decree; and are better known in heaven, ere they be, then on earth whiles they are. He that knows what names we shall have, before we or the world have a being, doth not oft reveal this piece of his knowledge to his creature; here he doth; naming the man that should be two hundred years after; for more assurance of the event; that Israel may say, this man speaks from a God who knows what shall be: There cannot be a more sure evidence of a true Godhead, than the foreknowledge of those things, whose causes have yet no hope of being; But because the proof of this prediction was not more certain, then remote; a present demonstration shall convince the future; The Altar shall rend in pieces, the ashes shall be scattered: How amazedly must the seduced Israelites needs look upon this miracle; and why do they not think with themselves; whiles these stones rend, why are our hearts whole? Of what an overruling power is the God whom we have forsaken, that can thus tear the Altars of his corrivals? How shall we stand before his vengeance, when the very stones break at the word of his Prophet? Perhaps, some beholders were thus affected; but jeroboam, whom it most concerned, in stead of bowing his knees for humiliation, stretcheth forth his hand for revenge, and cries, Lay hold on him: Resolute wickedness is impatient of a reproof, and in stead of yielding to the voice of God, rebelleth: Just and discreet reprehension doth not more reform some sinners than exasperated others. How easy is it for God to cool the courage of proud jeroboam? the hand which his rage stretches out, dries up, and cannot be pulled back again: and now stands the King of Israel like some antic statue, in a posture of impotent endeavour; so disabled to the hurt of the Prophet, that he cannot command that piece of himself; What are the great Potentates of the world, in the powerful hand of the Almighty? Tyrant's cannot be so harmful as they are malicious. The strongest heart may be brought down with affliction; Now the stout stomach of jeroboam is fallen to an humble deprecation; Entreat now the face of the Lord thy thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. It must needs be a great straight that could drive a proud heart to beg mercy, where he bent his persecution: so doth jeroboam, holding it no scorn to be beholden to an enemy: In extremities, the worst men can be content to sue for favour, where they have spent their malice. It well becomes the Prophets of God to be merciful: I do not see this Seer to stand upon terms of exprobration, and overly contestations with jeroboam, to say, Thine intentions to me were cruel; Had thine hand prevailed, I should have sued to thee in vain: Continue ever a spectacle of the fearful justice of thy Maker, whom thou hast provoked by thine Idolatry, whom thou wouldst have smitten in my perfection: but he meekly sues for jeroboams release: and (that God might abundantly magnify both his power and mercy) is heard and answered with success: We do no whit savour of heaven, if we have not learned to do good for evil. When both wind and Sun, the blasts of judgement, and the beams of favour met together to work upon jeroboam, who would not look that he should have cast off this cumbrous, and mis-beseeming cloak of his Idolatry; and have said, Lord thou hast stricken me in justice, thou hast healed me in mercy; I will provoke thee no more: This hand which thou hast restored shall be consecrated to thee in pulling down these bold abominations: Yet now, behold he goes on in his old courses, and, as if God had neither done him good nor evil, lives, and dies idolatrous: No stone is more hard or insensate than a sinful heart: The changes of judgement and mercy do but obdure it, in stead of melting. The seduced Prophet. IEroboams hand is amended, his soul is not; that continues still dry, and inflexible; Yet whiles he is unthankful to the Author of his recovery, he is thankful to the instrument: he kindly invites the Prophet, whom he had threatened, and will remunerate him whom he endeavoured to punish: The worst men may be sensible of bodily favours: Civil respects may well stand with gracelessenesse: Many a one would be liberal of their purses, if they might be allowed to be niggardly of their obedience. As God, so his Prophet cares not for these waste courtesies, where he sees main duties neglected: More piety would have done well, with less compliment: The man of God returns a blunt and peremptory denial to so bounteous an offer: If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread or drink water in this place. Kindness is more safely done to an Idolater, then taken from him; that which is done to him obligeth him, that which is taken from him obligeth us: his obligation to us may be an occasion of his good, our obligation to him may occasion our hurt; the surest way is to keep aloof from the infectiously wicked. The Prophet is not uncivil, to reject the favour of a Prince without some reason: He yields no reason of his refusal but the command of his God: God hath charged him, Eat no bread, nor drink no water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest: It is not for a Prophet to plead humane, or carnal grounds for the actions of his function: He may not move but upon a divine warrant: would this Seer have looked with the eyes of flesh and blood, he might have found many arguments of his yeeldance. He is a King that invites me; his reward, by enriching me, may benefit many: and who knows how much my further conversation may prevail to reform him? how can he be but well prepared for good counsel by miraculous cute? how gainfully should my receipt of a temporal courtesy be exchanged with a spiritual to him? All Israel will follow him either into Idolatry, or reformation; which way can be devised of doing so great service to God and the Church, as by reclaiming him: what can yield so great likelihood of his reclamation, as the opportunity of my further entireness with him? But the Prophet dares not argue cases, where he had a command; what ever become of jeroboam, and Israel, God must be obeyed; Neither profit, nor hopes may carry us cross to the word of our Maker. How safe had this Seer been, if he had kept him ever upon this sure ward; which he no sooner leaves, than he miscarries. So deeply doth God detest Idolatry, that he forbids his Prophet to eat the bread, to drink the water of a people infected with this sin; yea to tread in those very steps which their feet have touched. If this inhibition were personal, yet the grounds of it are common. No pestilence should be more shunned than the conversation of the mis-religious, or openly scandalous: It is no thank to us if their familiarity do not enfeoff us of their wickedness. I know not what to think of an old Prophet that dwells in Bethel, within the air of jeroboams Idol, within the noise of his sacrifices; that life's where the man of God dares not eat; that permitted his sons to be present at that Idolatrous service: If he were a Prophet of God, what did he now in Bethel? why did he wink at the sin of jeroboam? what needed a Seer to come out of juda, for the reproof of that sin, which was acted under his nose? why did he lie? why did his family partake with Idolaters? If he were not a Prophet of God; how had he true visions, how had he true messages from God: why did he second the menacing word of that Prophet, whom he seduced? why did he desire that his own bones-might be honoured with his Sepulchre? Doubtless he was a Prophet of God, but corrupt, resty, vicious: Prophecy doth not always presuppose sanctification; many a one hath had visions from God, who shall never enjoy the vision of God. A very Balaam in his ecstasies, hath so clear a Revelation of the Messiah to come, as scarce ever any of the holiest Prophets; yea, his very Ass hath both her mouth miraculously opened, and her eyes; to see and notify that Angel, which was hid from her Master: Yea, Satan himself sometimes receives notice from God of his future actions; which else that evil Spirit could neither foretell, nor foresee. These kinds of graces are both rare, and common: rare, in that they are seldom given to any: common, in that they are indifferently given to the evil, and to the good: A little holiness is worth much illumination. Whether out of envy, to hear that said by the Seer of juda, which he either knew not or smothered; to hear that done by another, which he could not have effected, and could not choose but admire: or whether out of desire to make trial of the fidelity of so powerful a Messenger, the old Prophet hastens to overtake, to recall that man of God, who had so defied his Bethel; whom he finds sitting fame and weary under an Oak, in the way; taking the benefit of that shade which he hated to receive from those contagious groves that he had left behind him: His habit easily bewrayed him, to a man of his own trade: neither doth his tongue spare to profess himself. The old Prophet of Bethel invites him to a return, to a repast: and is answered with the same words, wherewith jeroboams offer was repelled; The man of God varies not a fyllable from his message: It concerns us to take good heed of our charge, when we go on God's errand. A denial doth but invite the importunate; what he cannot do by entreaty, the old man tries to do by persuasion, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an Angel spoke to me, by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread, and drink water: There is no tentation so dangerous, as that which comes shrouded under a veil of holiness, and pretends authority from God himself: jeroboam threatens, the Prophet stands undaunted; jeroboam fawns, and promises; the Prophet holds constant; now comes a gray-headed Seer, and pleads a counter-message from God, the Prophet yields, and transgresses. Satan may affright us as a fiend, but he seduces us as an Angel of light. Who would have looked for a liar under hoary hairs, and an holy mantle? who would not have trusted that gravity, when there was no colour of any gain in the untruth? Nothing is so apt to deceive as the fairest semblances, as the sweetest words. We cannot err if we believe not the speech for the person, but the person for the speech: Well might this man of God think, an aged man, a Prophet, an old Prophet, will not (sure) belly God unto a Prophet; No man will forge a lie, but for an advantage; What can this man gain by this match, but the entertainment of an unprofitable guest: Perhaps though God would not allow me to feast with jeroboam, yet, pitying my faintness, he may allow me to eat with a Prophet: Perhaps now that I have approved my fidelity in refusing the bread of Bethel. God thinks good to send me a gracious release of that strict charge: Why should I think that God's revelations are not as free to others, as to me? and if this Prophet have received a countermand from an Angel of God, how shall I not disobey God, if I do not follow him? Upon this ground he returns with this deceitful host, & when the meat was now in his mouth, receives the true message of death, from the same lips that brought him the false message of his invitation; Thus saith the Lord, for as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, & hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, but camest back and hast eaten bread, and drunk water in the place forbidden thee, thy carcase shall not come to the Sepulchre of thy fathers. Oh woeful Prophet, when he looks on his host he sees his executioner, whiles he is feeding of his body, he hears of his carcase; at the table, he hears of his denied Sepulchre; and all this, for eating and drinking where he was forbidden by God, though bidden as from God: The violation of the least charge of a God is mortal: No pretences can warrant the transgression of a divine command: A word from God is pleaded on both sides: The one was received immediately from God, the other related mediately by man: One the Prophet was sure of, the other was questionable: A sure word of God may not be left for an uncertain: An express charge of the Almighty admitteth not of any check: His will is but one, as himself is; and therefore it is out of the danger of contradiction. Me thinks I see the man of God change countenance at this sharp sauce of his pleasing morsels; his face beforehand is died with the paleness of death: me thinks I hear him urging many unkind expostulations with his injurious host; who yet dismisses him better provided for the ease of his journey, than he found him. Perhaps, this officiousness was our of desire to make some amends for his late seducement. It is a poor recompense when he hath betrayed his life, and wronged the soul, to cast some courtesies upon the body. This old Bethelite that had taken pains to come and fetch the man of God into sin, will not now go back with him to accompany his departure: Doubtless he was afraid to be in wrapped in the judgement, which he saw hanged over that obnoxious head: Thus the mischievous guides of wickedness leave a man, when they have led him to his bane; as familiar Devils forsake their Witches, when they have brought them once into fetters. The man of God returns alone, careful (no doubt) and pensive for his offence, when a Lion out of the wood meets him, assaults him, kills him: Oh the just and severe judgements of the Almighty, who hath brought this fierce beast out of his wild ranges, into the high way, to be the executioner of his offending servant: Doubtless this Prophet was a man of great holiness, of singular fidelity, else he durst not have been God's Herald to carry a message of defiance to jeroboam, King of Israel, in the midst of all his royal magnificence; yet now, for varying from but a circumstance of God's command (though upon the suggestion of a divine warrant) is given for a prey to the Lion: Our interest in God, is so fare from excusing our sin, that it aggravates it; Of all others the sin of a Prophet shall not pass unrevenged. The very wild beasts are led by a providence; Their wise and powerful Creator knows how to serve himself of them. The Lion's guard one Prophet, kill another, according to the commission received from their Maker: What sinner can hope to escape unpunished, when every creature of God is ready to be an avenger of evil? The beasts of the field were made to serve us, we to serve our Creator: When we forsake our homage to him that made us, it is no marvel if the beasts forget their duty to us, and deal with us not as Masters, but as rebels: When an holy man abvyes so dear such a sleight frailty, of a credulous mistaking, what shall become of our heinous and presumptuous sins? I cannot think but this Prophet died in the favour of God, though by the teeth of the Lion; His life was forfeited for example, his foul was safe: Yea his very carcase was left though torn, yet fair after those deadly grasps; as if God had said, I will only take thy breath from thee, as the penalty of thy disobedience, a Lion shall do that which an apoplexy, or fever might do: I own thee no further revenge than may be satisfied with thy blood. Violent events do not always argue the anger of God; Even death itself is, to his servants, a fatherly castigation. But oh the unsearchable ways of the Almighty! The man of God sins, and dies speedily: the lying Prophet that seduced him survives; Yea wicked jeroboam enjoys his Idolatry, and treads upon the grave of his reprover: There is neither favour in the delay of stripes, nor displeasure in the haste; Rather whom God love's, he chastises, as sharply, so speedily; whiles the rest prosper to condemnation: Even the rod of a loving father may draw blood: How much happier is it for us that we die now to live for ever, then that we live a while, to die ever? Had this Lion set upon the Prophet for hunger, why did he not devour as well as kill him? Why did he not rather kill the beast than the man? since we know the nature of the Lion such, that he is not wont to assail man, save in the extreme want of other prey. Certainly the same power that employed those fangs, restrained them, that the world might see, it was not appetite that provoked the beast to this violence, but the overruling command of God: Even so, O Lord, thy powerful hand is over that roaring Lion, that goes about continually, seeking whom he may devour? thine hand withholds him, that though he may shed the blood of thine elect, yet he cannot hurt their souls; and whiles he doth those things which thou permittest, and orderest to thy just ends, yet he cannot do lesser things, which he desireth, and thou permittest not. The fierce beast stands by the carcase; as to avow his own act, and to tell who sent him: so to preserve that body, which he hath slain: Oh wonderful work of God, the Executioner is turned Guardian; and (as the Officer of the highest) commands all other creatures to stand aloof from his charge: and commands the fearful Ass, that brought this burden thither, not to stir thence, but stand ready pressed, to recarie it to the Sepulchre: and now, when he hath sufficiently witnessed to all passengers, that this act was not done upon his own hunger, but upon the quarrel of his Maker, he delivers up his charge to that old Prophet; who was no less guilty of this blood than himself. This old Seducer hath so much truth, as both to give a right Commentary upon God's intention, in this act, for the terror of the disobedient, and to give his voice to the certainty of that future judgement, which his late guest had threatened to Israel: (sometimes it pleased the wisdom of God to express and justify himself even by the tongues of faulty Instruments.) Withal, he hath so much faith and courage, as to fetch that carcase from the Lion; so much piety and compassion, as to weep for the man of God, to inter him in his own Sepulchre; so much love, as to wish himself joined in death, to that body, which he had hastened unto death: It is hard to find a man absolutely wicked: Some grace will bewray itself in the most forsaken breasts. It is a cruel courtesy to kill a man, and then to help him to his grave; to betray a man with our breath and then to bedew him with our tears: The Prophet had needed no such friend, if he had not met with such an enemy: The mercies of the wicked are cruel. IEROBOAMS Wife. IT is no measuring of God's favour by the line of outward welfare: jeroboam the idolatrous usurper of Israel prospers better, than the true heirs of David; He life's to see three successions in the throne of juda; Thus the Iuy life's, when the oak is dead. Yet could not that misgotten crown of his keep his head always from aching: He hath his crosses too: God whips sometimes more than his own: His enemy's smart from him, as well as his children: his children in love, his enemies in judgement: Not simply the rod argues love, but the temper of the hand, that weelds it, and the back that feels it: First jeroboam hand was stricken, now his Son: Abijah the eldest, the best son of jeroboam, is smitten with sickness: As children are but the pieces of their Parents in another skin, so Parents are no less stricken in their children, then in their natural limbs, jeroboam doth not more feel his arm, than his son: Not wicked men only, but beasts may have natural affections: It is no thank to any creature, to love his own. Nature wrought in jeroboam, no grace: He is enough troubled with his son's disgrace, no whit bettered: I would have heard him say; God follows me with his afflictions, it is for mine impiety: what other measure can I expect from his justice? Whiles mine Idols stand, how can I look that my house should prosper? I will turn from my wickedness, O God, turn thou from thy wrath; These thoughts were too good for that obdured heart: His son is sick, he is sorrowful; but (as an amazed man seeks to go forth at the wrong door) his distraction sends him to a false help: He thinks not of God, he thinks of his Prophet: He thinks of the Prophet that had foretold him he should be a King; he thinks not of the God of that Prophet who made him a King: It is the property of a carnal heart to confine both his Obligations, and his hopes to the means, neglecting the Author of good. Vain is the respect that is given to the servant, where the Master is contemned. Extremity draws jeroboams thoughts to the Prophet; whom else he had not cared to remember-The King of Israel had Divines enough of his own: Else, he must needs have thought them miserable gods that were not worth a Prophet: And beside, there was an old Prophet (if he yet survived) dwelling within the smoke of his Palace, whose visions had been too well approved: why would jeroboam send so fare to an Ahijah? Certainly, his heart despised those base Priests of his high places; neither could trust either to the gods, or the Clergy of his own making: His conscience rests upon the fidelity of that man, whose doctrine he had forsaken: How did this Idolater strive against his own heart, whiles he inwardly despised those, whom he professed to honour; and inwardly honoured them, whom he professed to despise? Wicked breasts are false to themselves; neither trusting to their own choice, nor making choice of that, which they may dare to trust. They will set a good face upon their secretly-unpleasing sins, and had rather be selfe-condemned, then wise and penitent: As for that old Seer, it is like jeraboam knew his skill, but doubted of his sincerity; that man was too much his neighbour to be good s Ahijahs truth had been tried in a case of his own: He whose word was found just in the prediction of his Kingdom, was well worthy of credit in the news of his son: Experience is a great encouragement of our trust: It is a good matter to be faithful; this loadstone of our fidelity shall draw to us even hearts of iron, & hold them to our reliance: As contrarily deceit doth both argue, and make a bankrupt; who can trust where he is disappointed? O God, so oft, so ever, have we found thee true in all thy promises, in all thy performances, that if we do not seek thee, if we do not trust thee in the sequel, we are worthy of our loss, worthy of thy desertions. Yet I do not see that jeroboam sends to the Prophet for his aid, but for intelligence: Curiosity is guilty of this message, and not devotion; he calls not for the prayers, not for the benediction of that holy man, but for mere information of the event. He well saw what the prayers of a Prophet could do: That which cured his hand, might it not have cured his son? Yet he that said to a man of God. Entreat the face of the Lord thy God, that he may restore my hand: says not now, in his message to Ahijah, Entreat thy God to restore my Son: Sin makes such a strangeness betwixt God and man, that the guilty heart either thinks not of suing to God or fears it; What a poor contentment it was to foreknow that evil which he could not avoid, and whose notice could but hasten his misery? Yet, thus fond is our restless curiosity, that it seeks ease in the drawing on of torment: He is worthy of sorrow that will not stay till it comes to him, but goes to fetch it. Whom doth jeroboam send on this message, but his wife, & how, but disguised? Why her, and why thus? Neither durst he trust this errand with another, nor with her in her own form: It was a secret that jeroboam sends to a Prophet of God; none might know it but his own bosom, and she that lay in it; if this had been noised in Israel, the example had been dangerous: Who would not have said, the King is glad to leave his counterfeit deities, and seek to the true: Why should we adhere to them whom he forsakes? As the message must not be known to the people: so she that bears it must not be known to the Prophet, her name, her habit must be changed: she must put off her robes, and put on a russet coat; she must put off the Queen, and put on the peasant: in stead of her Sceptre, she must take up a basket, and go a masked pilgrimage to Shiloh: Oh the fondness of vain men that think to juggle with the Almighty, & to hide their counsels from that allseeing eye! If this change of habit were necessary at Bethel, yet what needs it at Shiloh; though she would hide her face from her subjects, yet why should she not pull off her muffler, and show herself to the Prophet? Certainly, what policy began, guiltiness must continue: Well might she think, there can be no good answer expected of the wife of jeroboam; my presence will do no less, then solicit a reproof: No prophet can speak well to the consort of a founder of Idolatry; I may perhaps hear good as another, though as myself I can look for nothing, but tidings of evil: Wicked hearts know they deserve ill at God's hands, and therefore they do all they can to avoid the eyes of his displeased justice, and if they cannot do it by colours of dissimulation, they will do it by imploration of shelter; they shall say to the Rocks, Fall on us, and cover us. But oh the gross folly mixed with the craft of wickedness! could jeroboam think that the Prophet could know the event of his son's disease, & did he think that he could not know the disguise of his Wife? the one was present, the other future; this was but wrapped in a clout, that event was wrapped up in the counsel of God. Yet this politic head presumes that the greater shall be revealed, where the lesser shall be hid: There was never wicked man that was not infatuate, and in nothing more than in those things wherein he hoped most to transcend the reach of others. Ahijah shunning the iniquity of the times, was retired to a solitary corner of Shiloh; no place could be too private for an honest Prophet, in so extreme depravedness: Yet even there doth the King of Israel take notice of his reclusion, & sends his wife to that poor cell, laden with presents; presents that dissembled their bearer: had she offered jewels, or gold, her greatness had been suspected: now she brings loaves, and cracknels, and honey, her hand answers her back: She gives as she seems, not as she is: Something she must give, even when she acts the poorest client. The Prophets of God were not wont to have empty visitations: they who hated bribes, yet refused not tokens of gratitude: Yea the God of heaven who neither needs our goods, nor is capable of our gratifications, yet would have no man to come to him giftlesse: Woe to those sacrilegious hands, that in stead of bringing to the Prophets carry from them. jeroboam was a bad man, yet, as he had a towardly son, so he had an obedient wife; else she had not wanted excuses to turn off both the journey, and the disguise; against the disguise she had pleaded the unbeseemingnesse for her person and state; against the journey, the perils of so long and solitary a walk; perhaps a Lion might be in the way; the Lion that tore the Prophet in pieces; perhaps robbers; or if not they, perhaps her chastity might be in danger: an unguarded solitariness in the weaker fexe might be a provocation to some forced uncleanness: she casts off all these shifting projections of fear, according to the will of her husband, she changes her raiment, she sets upon the journey, and overcomes it: What needed this disguise to an old Prophet whose dim eyes were set with age? All , all faces were alike to a blind Seer: The visions of Ahijah were inward; neither was his bodily sight more dusky, than the eyes of his mind were clear & piercing: It was not the common light of men whereby he saw, but divine illumination; things absent, things future were no less obvious to those spiritual beams, then present things are to us: Ere the quick eyes of that great Lady can discern him, he hath espied her; and so soon as he hears the sound of her feet, she hears from him the sound of her name, Come in thou Wife of jeroboam: How God laughs in heaven at the frivolous fetches of crafty politicians, and when they think themselves most sure, shames them with a detection, with a defeat? What an idleness it is for foolish Hypocrites to hope they can dance in a net unseen of heaven? Never before was this Queen troubled to hear of herself; now she is; her very name struck her with astonishment; and prepares her for the assured horror of following judgements, I am sent to thee with heavy tidings; Go tell jeroboam; Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Can this Lady less wonder at the mercy of this style of God, then tremble at the sequel of his justice? Lo Israel had forsaken God, yet God still owns Israel. Israel had gone a whoring, yet God hath not divorced her: Oh the infinite goodness of our long-suffering God, whom our foulest sins cannot rob of his compassions. By how much dearer Israel was to God, so much more odious is jeroboam that hath marred Israel: Terrible is that vengeance which God thunders against him by his Prophet; whose passionate message upbraids him with his promotions, chargeth him with his sins, and lastly denounceth his judgements: No mouth was fit to cast this royalty in the teeth of jeroboam, then that, by which it was first foretold, forepromised; Every circumstance of the advancement aggravates the sin, I exalted thee; Thou couldst not rise to honour alone. I exalted thee from among the people; not from the Peers; thy rank was but common, before this rise: I exalted thee from among the people to be a Prince; subordinate height was not enough for thee, no seat would serve thee but a throne; Yea, to be a Prince of my people Israel: No Nation was for thee, but my chosen one; none but my royal inheritance; Neither did I raise thee into a vacant throne; a forlorn and forsaken Principality might be thankless: but I rend the Kingdom away from another for thy sake, yea from what other but the grand child of David? out of his hands did I wrest the Sceptre, to give it into thine: Oh what high favours doth God sometimes cast away upon unworthy subjects? How do his abused bounties double both their sin, and judgement? The sin of this Prince were no less eminent than his obligations, therefore his judgements shall be no less eminent than his sins: How bitterly doth God express that, which shall be more bitter in the execution: Behold, I will bring evil upon the house of jeroboam, and will cut off from jeroboam, him that pisseth against the wall; and him that is shut up, and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone: Him that dieth of jeroboam in the City shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field, shall the fowls of the air eat: Oh heavy load that this disguised Princess must carry to her Husband; but because these evils, though grievous, yet might be remote, therefore for a present handsel of vengeance, she is dismissed with the sad tidings of the death of her son; When thy feet enter into the City, the child shall dye; It is heavy news for a mother that she must lose her son, but worse yet that she may not see him; In these cases of our final departures, our presence gives some mitigation to our grief: might she but have closed the eyes, and have received the last breath of her dying son, the loss had been more tolerable; I know not how our personal farewell eases our heart, even whiles it increases our passion; but now she shall no more see, nor be seen of her Abijah: She shall no sooner be in the City, than he shall be out of the world: Yet more, to perfect her sorrow, she hears that in him alone there is found some good; the rest of her issue, are graceless; she must lose the good, and hold the graceless; he shall die to afflict her, they shall live to afflict her. Yet what a mixture is here of severity and favour in one act? favour to the son severity to the father: Severity to the father, that he must lose such a son, favour to the son that he shall be taken from such a father: jeroboam is wicked, and therefore he shall not enjoy an Abijah; Abijah hath some good things, therefore he shall be removed from the danger of the depravation of jeroboam: Sometimes God strikes in favour, but more often forbears out of severity: The best are fittest for heaven; the earth is fittest for the worst; this is the region of sin, and misery, that of immortality: It is no argument of disfavour to be taken early from a well-led life; as not of approbation to age in sin. As the soul of Abijah is favoured in the removal, so is his body with a burial; he shall have alone both tears and tomb; all the rest of his brethren shall have no grave but dogs and fowls; no sorrow but for their life: Though the carcase be insensible of any position, yet honest Sepulture is a blessing; It is fit the body should be duly respected on earth, whose soul is glorious in heaven. ASA. THe two houses of juda, and Israel grow up now together in an ambitious rivality; this split plant branches out so severally, as if it had forgotten that ever it was joined in the root. The throne of David oft changeth the possessors; and more complaineth of their iniquity, than their remove; Abijam inherits the sins of his father Rehoboam, no less than his Crown; and so spends his three years, as if had been no whit of kin to his grandfathers virtues. It is no news that grace is not traduced, whiles vice is: Therefore is his reign short because it was wicked: It was a sad case when both the Kings of judah and Israel (though enemies) yet conspired in sin; Rehoboam (like his father Solomon) began graciously, but fell to Idolatry; as he followed his father, so his son, so his people followed him. Oh, what a face of a Church was here, when Israel worshipped jeroboam calves, when judah built them high places, and Images, and groves on every high Hill, and under every green tree; On both hands GOD is forsaken, his Temple neglected, his: worship adulterate; and this, not for some short brunt, but during the succession of two Kings; For, after the first three years Rehoboam changed his father's Religion (as his shields) from gold to brass; the rest of his seventeen years were led in impiety: His son Abijam trod in the same mierie steps; and judah with them both: If there were any (doubtless there were some) faithful hearts, yet remaining in both Kingdoms, during these heavy times, what a corrosive it must needs have been to them, to see so deplored, and miserable a depravation? There was no visible Church upon earth, but here; and this what a one? Oh God, how low dost thou sometimes suffer thine own flock to be driven? What woeful wanes, and eclipses hast thou ordained for this heavenly body? Yet at last, an Asa shall arise from the loins, from the grave of Abijam; he shall re●iue David and reform judah: The gloomy times of corruption shall not last always: The light of truth and peace shall at length break out, and bless the sad hearts of the righteous. It is a wonder how Asa should be good; of the seed of Abijam; of the soil of Maachah; both wicked, both Idolatrous; God would have us see that grace is from heaven, neither needs the helps of these earthly conveyances: Should not the children of good parents sometimes be evil, and the children of evil parents, good, virtue would seem natural, and the giver would lose his thankes: Thus we have seen a fair flower spring out of dung; and a well-fruited tree rise out of a four stock; Education hath no less power to corrupt, than nature; It is therefore the just praise of Asa that being trained up under an Idolatrous Maachah, he maintained his piety; As contrarily, it is a shame for those that have been bred up in the precepts and examples of virtue and godliness, to fall off to lewnesse, or superstition; There are four principal monuments of Asaes' virtue, as so many rich stones in his Diadem: He took away Sodomy, and Idols, out of judah; Who cannot wonder more that he found them there, then that he removed them? What a strange incongruity is this; Sodom in jerusalem? Idols in judah? Surely debauched profession proves desperate; Admit the Idols, ye cannot doubt of the Sodomy; If they have changed the glory of the uncorruptible God, into an Image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things, it is no marvel, if God give them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies, between themselves; If they changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever, no marvel, if God give them to vile affections, to change the natural use into that which is against nature; burning in lust one towards another, men with men working that which is unseemly. Contrarily, admit the Sodomy, ye cannot doubt of the Idols; Unnatural beastliness in manners, is punished justly with a sottish dotage in religion; bodily pollution with spiritual; How should the soul care to be chaste, that keeps a stews in the body? Asa gins with the banishment of both; scouring judah of this double uncleanness: In vain should he have hoped to restore God to his Kingdom, whiles these abominations inhabited it; It is justly the main care of worthy, and religious Princes, to clear their Coasts of the foulest sins; Oh the unpartial zeal of Asa; There were Idols that challenged a prerogative of favour; the Idols that his father had made; all these he defaces; the name of a father cannot protect an Idol: The duty to his Parent cannot win him to a liking, to a forbearance of his misdevotion; Yea, so much the more doth the heart of Asa rise against these puppets, for that they were the sin, the shame of his father: Did there want (think we) some Courtier of his Father's retinue, to say; Sir, favour the memory of him that begot you; you cannot demolish these statues, without the dishonour of their Erector; Hid your dislike at the least; It will be your glory to lay your finger upon this blot of your father's reputation; If you list not to allow his act, yet wink at it; The godly zeal of Asa turns the deaf ear to these monitors; and lets them see, that he doth not more honour a father, then hate an Idol; No dearness of person should take off the edge of our detestation of the sin. Nature is worthy of forgetfulness, and contempt, in opposition to the God of Nature; Upon the same ground, as he removed the Idols of his father Abijam, so for Idols he removed his Grandmother Maachah; she would not be removed from her obscene Idols, she is therefore removed from the station of her honour; That Princess had aged, both in her regency, and superstition; Under her rod was Asa bruought up; and schooled in the rudiments of her Idolatry, whom she could not infect, she hoped to over-awe; so, as if Asa will not follow her gods, yet she presumes that she may retain her own; Doubtless, no means were neglected for her reclamation; none would prevail; Religious Asa gathers up himself, and gins to remember that he is a King, though a son; that she, though a mother, yet is a subject: that her eminence could not but countenance Idolatry, that her greatness suppressed religion; which he should in vain hope to reform, whiles her superstition swayed; forgetting therefore the challenges of nature, the awe of infancy, the custom of reverence, he strips her of that command, which he saw prejudicial to his Maker; All respects of flesh and blood must be trampled on, for God; Can that long-setled Idolatry want abettors? Questionless, some or other would say; This was the religion of your father Abijam, this of your Grandfather Rehoboam, this of the latter days of your wise and great Grandfather Solomon, this of your Grandmother Maachah, this of your great Grandmother Naamah; why should it not be yours? Why should you suspect either the wisdom, or piety, or salvation of so many Predecessors? Good Asa had learned to contemn prescription against a direct law; He had the grace to know it was no measuring truth by so modeme antiquity; his eyes scorning to look so low, raise up themselves to the uncorrupt times of Solomon, to David, to Samuel, to the judges, to joshua, to Moses, to the Patriarches, to Noah, to the religious founders of the first world, to the first father of mankind; to Paradise, to heaven: In comparison of these, Maachahs' God cannot overlook yesterday; the ancientest error is but a novice, to Truth; And if never any example could be pleaded for purity of religion; it is enough that the precept is express: He knew what God said in Sinai, and wrote in the Tables; Thou shalt not make to thyself any graved image, nor any similitude; Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them; If all the world had been an Idolater, ever since that word was given; he knew how little that precedent could avail for disobedience: Practice must be corrected by law, and not the law yield to practice; Maachah therefoe goes down from her seat; her Idols from their grove; she to retiredness, they to the fire, and from thence to the water; Woeful deities that could both burn, and drown. Neither did the zeal of Asa more magnify itself in these privative acts of weeding out the corruptions of Religion, then in the positive acts of an holy plantation; In the falling of those Idolatrous shrines, the Temple of God flourishes; That doth he furnish with those sacred treasures, which were dedicated by himself, by the Progenitors; Like the true son of David, he would not serve God, cost-free; Rehoboam turned salomon's gold into brass; Asa turns Rehoboams brass into gold: Some of these vessels (it seems) Abijam (Asaes' father) had dedicated to God; but after his vow, inquired; yea with held them; Asa, like a good son, pays his father's debts, and his own. It is a good sign of a well-meant devotion, when we can abide it chargeable; as contrarily in the affairs of God a niggardly hand argues a cold, and hollow heart. All these were noble and excellent acts, the extirpation of Sodomy, the demolition of Idols, the removal of Maachah, the bounteous contribution to the Temple; but that which gives true life unto all these, is a sound root; Asaes' heart was perfect with the Lord all his days; No less laudable works then these have proceeded from Hypocrisy; which whiles they have carried away applause from men, have lost their thankes with God; All Asaes' gold was but dross to his pure intentions. But oh what great, and many infirmities may consist with uprightness? What allays of imperfection will there be found in the most refined soul? Four no small faults are found in truehearted Asa; First the high-places stood still, unremoved; What high places? There were some dedicated to the worship of false gods; these Asa took away; There were some misdevoted to the worship of the true God; these he lets stand; There was gross Idolatry in the former; there was a weak will-worship in the latter; whiles he opposes impiety, he winks at mistake; yet even the variety of altars was forbidden by an express charge from God, who had confined his service to the Temple: With one breath doth God report both these; The high-places were not removed, yet nevertheless Asaes' heart was perfect. God will not see weaknesses, where he sees truth; How pleasing a thing is sincerity, that in favour thereof the mercy of our just God digests many an error: Oh God, let our hearts go upright, though our feet slide, the fall cannot (through thy grace) be deadly; however it may shame or pain us. Besides, to confront his rival of Israel, Baasha, this religious King of judah fetches in Benhadad the King of Syria into God's inheritance, upon too dear a rate; the breach of his league, the expilation of the Temple. All the wealth wherewith Asa had endowed the House of the Lord, was little enough to 〈◊〉 an Edomite, to betray his fidelity, and to invade Israel: Leagues may be made with Infidels; not at such a price, upon such terms: There can be no warrant for a wilful subornation of perfidiousness: In these cases of outward things, the mercy of God dispenceth with our true necessities, not with the affected: O Asa where was thy piety, whiles thou robbest God, to corrupt an Infidel for the, daughter of Israelites? O Princes, where is your piety, whiles ye hire Turks to the slaughter of Christians? to the spoil of God's Church? Yet (which was worse) Asa doth not only employ the Syrian, but relies on him, relies not on God; A confidence less sinful cost his Grandfather David dear: And when Hanani God's Seer, the Herald of heaven, came to denounce war against him for these sins, Asa in stead of penitence, breaks into choler: Fury sparkles in those eyes, which should have gushed out with water; Those lips that should have called for mercy, command revenge; How ill do these two agree, The heart of David, the tongue of jeroboam? That holy Grandfather of his would not have done so; when God's messenger reproved him for sin, he condemned it, and himself for it; I see his tears, I do not hear his threats: It ill becomes a faithful heart to rage, where it should sorrow; and in stead of submission, to persecute: Sometimes no difference appears betwixt a son of David, and the son of Nebat: Any man may do ill, but to defend it, to outface it, is for rebels; yet even upright Asa imprisons the Prophet, and crusheth his gainsayers. It were pity that the best man should be judged by every of his actions, and not by all; The course of our life must either allow or condemn us, not these sudden eruptions. As the Life, so the Deathbed of Asa wanted not infirmities; Long and prosperous had his reign been; now after forty year's health and happiness, he that imprisoned the Prophet, is imprisoned in his bed; There is more pain in those fetters which God put upon Asa, than those which Asa puts upon Hanani: And now, behold, he that in his war seeks to Benhadad, not to God, in his sickness seeks not to God, but to Physicians: We cannot easily put upon God a greater wrong, than the alienation of our trust: Earthly means are for use, not for confidence, We may, we must employ them; we may not rely upon them: Well may God challenge our trust, as his peculiar, which if we cast upon any creature, we deify it: Whence have herbs, and drugs, and Physicians, their being, and efficacy, but from that divine hand? No marvel then if Asaes' gout struck to his heart, and his feet carried him to his grave, since his heart was miscarried for the cure of his feet, to an injurious misconfidence in the means, with neglect of his Maker. ELIJAH with the SAREPTAN. WHo should be match with Moses in the hill of Tabor, but Elijah? Surely next after Moses, there was never any Prophet of the old Testament more glorious than he: None more glorious, none more obscure; The other Prophets are not mentioned without the name of their Parent, for the mutual honour both of the father, and the son; Elijah, (as if he had been a son of the earth) comes forth with the bare mention of the place of his birth; Meanness of descent is no block in God's way to the most honourable vocations; It matters not whose son he be whom God will grace with his service: In the greatest honours that humane nature is capable of, God forgets our parents: As when we shall be raised up to a glorious life, there shall be no respect had to the loins whence we came; so it is proportionally in these spiritual advancements. These once were fit for an Elijah; an Elijah was fit for them; The eminentest Prophet is reserved for the corruptest age; Israel had never such a King as Ahab, for impiety; never so miraculous a Prophet, as Elijah; This Elijah is addressed to this Ahab; The God of Spirits knows how to proportion men to the occasions; and to raise up to himself such witnesses, as may be most able to convince the world: A mild Moses was for the low estate of afflicted Israel; mild of spirit, but mighty in wonders; mild of spirit, because he had to do with a persecuted, and yet a tetchy and perverse people; mighty in wonders, because he had to do with a Pharaoh: A grave and holy Samuel was for the quiet consistence of Israel; A fierie-spirited Elijah was for the desperatest declination of Israel: and if in the late times of the depraved condition of his Church, God have raised up some spirits that have been more warm, and stirring, than those of common mould, we cannot censure the choice, when we see the service. The first word that we hear from Elijah, is an oath, and a threat to Ahab, to Israel: As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew, nor rain, these years but according to my word: He comes in like a Tempest, who went out in a whirlwind; Doubtless he had spoken fair, and peaceable invitations to Israel (though we hear them not;) This was but the storm which followed his repulse, their obstinacy; After many solicitations, and warnings, Israel is stricken by the same tongue that had prayed for it; Elijah dares avouch these judgements to their head, to Ahab: I do not so much wonder at the boldness of Elijah, as at his power; Yea, who so sees his power, can no whit wonder at his boldness: How could he be but bold to the face of a man, who was thus powerful with God? As if God had lent him the keys of heaven to shut it up, and open it at pleasure; he can say, There shall be neither dew, nor rain, these years but according to my word; Oh God, how fare it hath pleased thee to communicate thyself to a weak man? What Angel could ever say thus? Thy hand, O Lord, is not shortened; Why art thou not thus marvelous in the ministers of thy Gospel? Is it for that their miracles were ours? Is it for that thou wouldst have us live by faith, not by sense? Is it for that our task is more spiritual, and therefore more abstracted from bodily helps? we cannot command the Sun with joshua, nor the Thunder with Samuel, nor the Rain with Elijah; It shall content us if we can fix the Sun of righteousness in the soul, if we can thunder out the judgements of God against sin, if we can water the earthen hearts of men with the former, and latter rain of heavenly doctrine. Elijahs mantle cannot make him forget his flesh; whiles he knows himself a Prophet, he remembers to be a man; he doth not therefore arrogate his power, as his own, but publisheth it as his masters; This restraint must be according to his word; and that word was from an higher mouth, than his: He spoke from him by whom he swore; whose word was as sure as his life; and therefore he durst say, As the Lord liveth, there shall be no rain: Man only can denounce what God will execute; which when it is once revealed, can no more fail, than the Almighty himself. He that had this interest and power in heaven, what needed he flee from an earthly pursuit? Can his prayers restrain the clouds, and not hold the hands of flesh and blood? Yet behold Elijah must flee from Ahab, and hide him by the brook Cherith; The wisdom of God doth not think fit so to make a beaten path of miracles; as that he will not walk beside it; He will have our own endeavours concur to our preservation; Elijah wanted neither courage of heart, nor strength of hand, and yet he must trust to his feet for safety; How much more lawful is it for our impotency to flee from persecution? Even that God sends him to hide his head, who could as easily have protected, as nourished him: He that wilfully stands still to latch dangers, tempteth God in stead of trusting him. The Prophet must be gone; not without order taken for his purveyance; Oh the strange Cators for Elijah, I have commanded the Ravens to feed thee there; I know not whether had been more miraculous, to preserve him without meat, or to provide meat by such mouths: The Raven, a devouring and ravenous fowl, that uses to snatch away meat from others, brings it to him: He that could have fed Elijah by Angels, will feed him by Ravens; There was then in Israel an hospital Obadiah, that kept a secret Table in two several caves, for an hundred Prophets of God; There were seven thousand faithful Israelites (in spite of the Devil) who had never bowed knee to Baal; Doubtless, any of these would have had a trencher ready for Elijah, and have thought himself happy to have defrauded his own maw, for so noble a Prophet; God rather choses to make use of the most unlikely fowls of the air, than their bounty; that he might give both to his Prophet, and us a pregnant proof of his absolute command over all his creatures, and win our trust in all extremities. Who can make question of the provisions of God, when he sees the very Ravens shall forget their own hunger, and purvey for Elijah? Oh God, thou that providest meat for the fowls of the air, wilt make the fowls of the air provide meat for man, rather than his dependence on thee shall be disappointed; Oh let not our faith be wanting to thee, thy care can never be wanting to us. Elijah might have lived for the time with bread and water; neither had his fare been worse than his fellows in the caves of Obadiah; but the munificence of God will have his meals better furnished; The Ravens shall bring him both bread, and flesh twice in the day; It is not for a persecuted Prophet to long after delicates; God gives order for competency, not for wantonness; Not out of the dainty compositions in Iezebels kitchen, not out of the pleasant Wines in her cellar; would God provide for Elijah, but the Ravens shall bring him plain, and homely victuals, and the river shall afford him drink; If we have wherewith to sustain nature (though not to pamper it) we own thankes to the giver; Those of God's family may not be curious, not disdainful: Ill doth it become a servant of the highest, to be a slave to his palate. Doubtless, one bit from the mouth of the Raven was more pleasing to Elijah, than a whole Tablefull of Ahab: Nothing is more comfortable to God's children, then to see the sensible demonstrations of the divine care, and providence. The brook Cherith cannot last always; that stream shall not for Elijahs sake be exempted from the universal exsiccation; Yea the Prophet himself feels the smart of this drought, which he had denounced; It is no unusual thing with God to suffer his own dear children to be in wrapped in the common calamities of offenders: He makes difference in the use, and issue of their stripes, not in the infliction; The corn is cut down with the weeds, but to a better purpose. When the brook fails God hath a Zarephath for Elijah; In stead of the Ravens, a Widow shall there feed him; yea herself by him: Who can enough wonder at the pitch of this selective providence of the Almighty; Zarephath was a town of Sidon, and therefore without the pale of the Church; Poverty was the best of this Widow, she was a Pagan by birth, heathnishly superstitious by institution; Many Widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah when the heaven was shut up three years, and six months, when great famine was throughout all the Land, but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto this Sarepta, a City of Sidon, unto a woman that was a Widow; He that first fed the Prophet by the mouth of unclean fowls, will now feed him by the hand of an heathenish Hostess; His only command sanctifies those creatures which by a general charge were legally impure. There were other birds besides Ravens, other Widows besides this Sareptan; none but the Ravens, none but the Sareptan shall nourish Elijah. God's choice is not led in the string of humane reasons, his holy will is the guide, and the ground of all his elections. It is not in him that wils, nor in him that runs, but in God that shows mercy. The Prophet follows the call of his God; the same hand that brought him to the gate of Sarepta, led also this poor widow out of her doors; she shall then go to seek her sticks, when she shall be found of Elijah; she thought of her hearth, she thought not of a Prophet; when the man of God calls to her, Fetch me a little water (I pray thee) in a vessel, that I may drink. It was no easy suit in so droughty a season; and yet, at the first sight, the Prophet dares second it with a greater; Bring me a morsel of bread in thine hand; That long drought had made every drop, every crumb precious; yet the Prophet is emboldened by the charge of God to call for both water and bread; He had found the Ravens so officious, that he cannot make doubt of the Sareptan: She sticks not at the water; she would not stick at the bread, if necessity had not pressed her: As the Lord thy God lineth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse; and behold I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and dye. If she knew not the man, how did she know his God? and if she knew not the God of Elijah how did she swear by him? Certainly though she were without the bounds of Israel, yet she was within the borders; so much she had gained by her neighbourhood; to know an Israelite, a Prophet by his habit; to know the only living God was the God of the Prophet, the God of Israel; and if this had not been, it is no marvel if the widow knew Elijah, since the Ravens knew him. It was high time for the Prophet to visit the Sareptan; poor soul, she was now making her last meal; after one mean morsel she was yielding herself over to death. How opportunely hath God provided succours to our distresses? It is his glory to help at a pinch; to begin where we have given over: that our relief might be so much the more welcome, by how much it is less looked for. But oh, what a trial is this of the faith of a weak Proselyte, if she were so much; Fear not, go do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first; and bring it to me, and after make for thee, and thy son; For, thus saith the God of Israel; The barrel of meal shall not waste, nor the cruse of oil fail till the day that God send rain upon the earth; She must go spend upon a stranger part of that little she hath, in hope of more which she hath not, which she may have; she must part with her present food, which she saw, in trust of future which she could not see; she must rob her sense in the exercise of her belief; & shorten her life in being, upon the hope of a protraction of it, in promise; she must believe God will miraculously increase what she hath yielded to consume; she must first feed the stranger with her last victuals, and then after herself, and her son: Some sharp dame would have shaken up the Prophet, and have sent him away with an angry repulse: Bold Israelite, there is no reason in this request; wert thou a friend, or a brother, with what face couldst thou require to pull my last bit out of my mouth? Had I superfluity of provision, thou mightest hope for this effect of my charity; now, that I have but one morsel for myself, and my son, this is an injurious importunity; what can induce thee to think thy life (an unknown traveller) should be more dear to me, than my sons, than my own? How uncivil is this motion that I should first make provision for thee, in this dying extremity? It had been too much to have begged my last scraps; Thou tellest me the meal shall not waste, nor the oil fail; how shall I believe thee? Let me see that done, before thou eatest; In vain should I challenge thee when the remainder of my poor store is consumed; If thou canst so easily multiply victuals, how is it that thou wantest? Do that beforehand, which thou promisest shall be afterwards performed, there will be no need of my little. But this good Sareptan was wrought by God not to mistrust a Prophet; she will do what he bids, and hope for what he promises; she will live by faith rather than by sense; and give away the present, in the confidence of a future remuneration; first, she bakes Elijahs cake, than her own; not grudging to see her last morsels go down another's throat, whiles herself was famishing. How hard precepts doth God lay where he intends bounty; Had not God meant her preservation, he had suffered her to eat her last cake alone, without any interpellation; now the mercy of the Almighty purposing as well this miraculous favour to her, as to his Prophet, requires of her this task, which flesh and blood would have thought unreasonable. So we are wont to put hard questions to those scholars, whom we would promote to higher forms. So in all achievements the difficulty of the enterprise makes way for the glory of the actor. Happy was it for this widow, that she did not shut her hand to the man of God; that she was no niggard of her last handful; Never corn or olive did so increase in growing, as here in consuming; This barrel, this cruse of hers had no bottom; the barrel of meal wasted not, the cruse of oil failed not; Behold, not getting, not saving, is the way to abundance, but giving. The mercy of God crownes our beneficence with the blessing of store; who can fear want by a merciful liberality, when he sees the Sareptan had famished, if she had not given, and by giving abounded? With what thankful devotion must this woman every day needs look upon her barrel, and cruse, wherein she saw the mercy of God renewed to her continually? Doubtless her soul was no less fed by faith, than her body with this supernatural provision. How welcome, a guest must Elijah needs be to this widow, that gave her life and her sons to her, for his board? yea, that in that woeful famine gave her and her son their board for his house room. The dearth thus overcome, the mother looks hopefully upon her only son, promising herself much joy in his life and prosperity; when an inexpected sickness surpriseth him, and doth that which the famine but threatened; When can we hold ourselves see●re from evils? no sooner is one of these Sergeants compounded withal, than we are arrested by another. How ready we are to mistake the grounds of our afflictions, and to cast them upon false causes. The pasionate mother cannot find whither to impute the death of her son, but to the presence of Elijah; to whom she comes distracted with perplexity, not without an unkind challenge of him from whom she had received both that life she had lost, and that she had; What ha●ed to do with thee, O thou man of God; Art thou come to me to call my sin to remembrance, and to stay my son? As if her son could not have died if Elijah had not been her guest; when as her son had died, but for him; why should she think that the Prophet had saved him from the famine, to kill him with sickness? As if God had not been free in his actions; and must needs strike by the same hands, by which he preserved; She had the grace to know that her affliction was for her sin; yet was so unwise, to imagine the are rages of her iniquities had not been called for, if Elijah had not been the remembrancer; He, who had appeased God towards her, is suspected to have incensed him; This wrongful misconstruction was enough to move any patience; Elijah was of an hot spirit; yet his holiness kept him from fury; This challenge rather increased the zeal of his prayer, than stirred his choler to the offendent: He takes the dead child out of his mother's bosom, and lays him upon his own bed, and cries unto the Lord; Oh Lord my God, hast thou brought evil also upon the Widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? In stead of chiding the Sareptan, out of the fervency of his soul, he humbly expostulates with his God: His only remedy is in his prayer; that which shut heaven for rain, must open it for life. Every word enforceth; First he pleads his interest in God, Oh Lord my God; then the quality of the patiented; a Widow, and therefore, both most distressed with the loss, and most peculiar to the charge of the Almighty. Then, his interest, as in God, so in this patiented; with whom I sojourn; as if the stroke were given to himself, through her sides; and lastly, the quality of the punishment, By slaying her son, the only comfort of her life; and in all these implying the scandal, that must needs arise from this event, where ever it should be noised, to the name of his God, to his own; when it should be said; Lo how Elijahs entertainment is rewarded; Surely the Prophet is either impotent, or unthankful. Neither doth his tongue move thus only; Thrice doth he stretch himself upon the dead body; as if he could wish to infuse of his own life into the child; and so often calls to his God for the restitution of that soul: What can Elijah ask to be denied? The Lord heard the voice of his Prophet, the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived: What miracle is impossible to faithful prayers? There cannot be more difference betwixt Elijahs devotion, and ours, then betwixt supernatural and ordinary acts; If he therefore obtained miraculous favours by his prayers, do we doubt of those which are within the sphere of nature, and use? What could we want, if we did not slack to ply heaven with our prayers? Certainly Elijah had not been premonished of this sudden sickness, and death of the child; He who knew the remote affairs of the world, might not know what God would do within his own roof; The greatest Prophet must content himself with so much of God's counsel, as he will please to reveal; and he will sometimes reveal the greater secrets, and conceal the less, to make good both his own liberty, and man's humiliation. So much more unexpected as the stroke was, so much more welcome is the cure; How joyfully doth the man of God take the revived child into his arms, and present him to his mother? How doth his heart leap within him, at this proof of God's favour to him, mercy to the widow, power to the child. What life and joy did now show itself in the face of that amazed mother, when she saw again the eyes of her son fixed upon hers; when she felt his flesh warm, his motions vital? Now she can say to Elijah; By this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth; Did she not till now know this? Had she not said before, What have I to do with thee O thou man of God? Were not her cruse, and her barrel sufficient proofs of his divine commission? Doubtless what her meal and oil had assured her of, the death of her son made her to doubt; and now the reviving did re-ascertaine. Even the strongest faith sometimes sluggereth, and needeth new acts of heavenly supportation; the end of miracles is confirmation of truth; It seems had this widow's son continued dead, her belief had been buried in his grave: notwithstanding her meal and her oil, her soul had languished: The mercy of God is fain to provide new helps for our infirmities, and graciously condescends to our own terms, that he may work out our faith and salvation. ELIJAH with the Baalites. THree years and an half, did Israel lie gasping under a patrhing drought, and miserable famine: No creature was so odious to them, as Elijah, to whom they ascribed all their misery; Me thinks I hear how they railed on, and cursed the Prophet; How much envy must the servants of God undergo for their masters? Nothing but the tongue was Elijahs, the hand was Gods; the Prophet did but say what God would do: I do not see them fall out with their sins, that had deserved the judgement, but with the messenger that denounced it; Baal had no fewer servants then if there had been both rain, and plenty: Elijah safely spends this storm under the lee of Sarepta, Some three years hath he lain close in that obscure corner, and lived upon the barrel, and cruse which he had multiplied: At last, God calls him forth, Go show thyself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth; no rain must fall till Elijah were seen of Ahab; He carried away the clouds with him, he must bring them again: The King, the people of Israel, shall be witnesses that God will make good the word, the oath of his Prophet; Should the rain have fall'n in Elijahs absence, who could have known it was by his procurement? God holds the credit of his messengers precious, and neglects nothing that may grace them in the eyes of the world; Not the necessity of seven thousand religious Israelites could crack the word of one Elijah; There is nothing wherein God is more tender, then in approving the veracity of himself in his ministers. Lewd Ahab hath an holy Steward; As his name was, so was he, a servant of God, whiles his Master was a slave to Baal. He that reserved seven thousand in the Kingdom of Israel, hath reserved an Obadiah in the Court of Israel: and, by him, hath reserved them: Neither is it likely there had been so many free hearts in the country, if Religion had not been secretly backed in the Court; It is a great happiness when God gives favour, and honour to the Virtuous. Elijah did not lie more close in Sarepta, than Obadiah did in the Court; He could not have done so much service to the Church, if he had not been as secret, as good; Policy and religion do as well together, as they do ill asunder: The Dove without the Serpent is easily caught; the serpent without the Dove stings deadly; Religion without policy is too simple to be safe: Policy, without religion, is too subtle to be good; Their match makes themselves secure, and many happy. Oh degenerated estate of Israel; any thing was now lawful there, saving piety; It is well if God's Prophets can find an hole to hide their heads in; They must needs be hard driven when fifty of them are fain to crowd together into one cave; There they had both shade and repast: Good Obadiah hazards his own life to preserve theirs; and spends himself in that extreme dearth, upon their necessary diet; Bread and water was more now, than other whiles wine, and delicates; Whether shall we wonder more at the mercy of God in reserving an hundred Prophets, or in thus sustaining them being reserved; When did God ever leave his Israel unfurnished of some Prophets? When did he leave his Prophet's vnprouided of some Obadiah? How worthy art thou, O Lord, to be trusted with thine own charge? whiles there are men upon earth, or birds in the air, or Angels in heaven, thy messengers cannot want provision. Goodness caries away trust, where it cannot have imitation. Ahab divides with Obadiah the survey of the whole land; They two set their own eyes on work, for the search of water, of pasture, to preserve the horses, and mules alive: Oh the poor and vain cares of Ahab; He casts to kill the Prophet, to save the cattle; he never seeks to save his own soul, to destroy Idolatry; he takes thought for grass, none for mercy: Carnal hearts are ever either grovelling on the earth, or delving into it; no more regarding God, or their souls, then if they either were not, or were worthless. Elijah hears of the progress, and offers himself to the view of them both; Here was wisdom in this courage; First, he presents himself to Obadiah, ere he will be seen of Ahab; that Ahab might upon the report of so discreet an informer, digest the expectation of his meeting; Then he takes the opportunity of Ahabs' presence, when he might be sure jezebel was away. Obadiah meets the Prophet, knows him, and (as if he had seen God in him) falls on his face to him, whom he knew his master persecuted: Though a great Peer, he had learned to honour a prophet. No respect was too much for the precedent of that sacred college; To the poor boarder of the Sareptan, here was no less, than a prostration, and My Lord Elijah, from the great High Steward of Israel; Those that are truly gracious cannot be niggardly of their observances to the messengers of God. Elijah receives the reverence, returns a charge; Go tell thy Lord, Behold Elijah is here: Obadiah finds this load too heavy; neither is he more stricken with the boldness, then with the unkindness of this command; boldness in respect of Elijah; unkindness in respect of himself: For, thus he thinks, If Elijah do come to Ahab, he dies; If he do not come, I die; If it be known that I met him, and brought him not, it is death; If I say that he will come voluntarily, and God shall alter his intentions, it is death: How unhappy a man am I, that must be either Elijahs executioner, or my own: were Ahabs' displeasure but smoking, I might hope to quench it, but now that the flame of it hath broken forth to the notice, to the search of all the Kingdoms and Nations round about, it may consume me, I cannot extinguish it; This message were for an enemy of Elijah; for a client of Baal; As for me, I have well approved my true devotion to God, my love to his Prophets: What have I done, that I should be singled out either to kill Elijah, or to be killed for him? Many an hard plunge must that man needs be driven to, who would hold his conscience together with the service, and favour of a Tyrant: It is an happy thing to serve a just master; there is no danger, no strain in such obedience. But, when the Prophet binds his resolution with an oath, and clears the heart of Obadiah from all fears, from all suspicions, the good man dares be the messenger of that, which he saw was decreed in heaven? Doubtless Ahab startled to hear of Elijah coming to meet him; as one that did not more hate, then fear the Prophet. Well might he think, thus long, thus far have I sought Elijah, Elijah would not come to seek me, but under a sure guard, and with some strange commission; His course mantle hath the advantage of my robe and Sceptre; If I can command a piece of the earth, I see he can command heaven: The edge of his revenge is taken off with a doubtful expectation of the issue: and now when Elijah offers himself to the eyes of Ahab, He who durst not strike, yet durst challenge the Prophet, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? jeroboam hand was still in Ahabs' thoughts; he holds it not so safe to smite, as to expostulate: He, that was the head of Israel, speaks out that which was in the heart of all his people, that Elijah was the cause of all their sorrow: Alas, what hath the righteous Prophet done? He taxed their sin, he foretold the judgement; he deserved it not, he inflicted it not; yet he smarts, and they are guilty: As if some fond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the cause of their war; or as if some ignorant peasant, when he sees his fowls bathing in his pond, should cry out of them, as the causes of soul weather. Oh the heroical Spirit of Elijah! he stand alone amids all the train of Ahab, and dares not only repel this charge, but retort it; I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim. No earthly glory can daunt him who hath the clear and heartening visions of God; This holy Seer discerns the true cause of our sufferings, to be our sins; Foolish men are plagued for their offences; and it is no small part of their plague that they see it not; The only common disturber of men, Families, Cities, Kingdoms, worlds, is sin; There is no such traitor to any state, as the wilfully wicked; The quietest and most plausible offender is secretly seditious, and stirreth quarrels in heaven. The true messengers of God carry authority even where they are maligned; Elijah doth at once reprove the King, and require of him the improvement of his power, in gathering all Israel to Carmel, in fetching thither all the Prophets of Baal. Baal was rich in Israel, whiles God was poor; Whiles God hath but one hundred Prophets, hid closely in Obadiahs' caves, Baal hath eight hundred and fifty; four hundred and fifty dispersed oven the villages and towns of Israel, four hundred at the Court; God's Prophets are glad of bread and water, whiles the four hundred Trencher Prophets of jezebel feed on her dainties: They lurk in caves, whiles these Lord it in the pleasantest groves. Outward prosperity is a false note of truth: All these with all Israel, doth Elijah require Ahab to summon unto Carmel. It is in the power of Kings to command the Assembly of the Prophets; the Prophet sues to the Prince for the indiction of this Synod: They are injurious to Sovereignty who arrogate this power to none but spiritual hands. How is it that Ahab is as ready to perform this charge, as Elijah to move it? I dare answer for his heart, that it was not drawn with love: Was it out of the sense of one judgement, and fear of another? he smarted with the dearth and drought, and well thinks Elijah would not be so round with him, for nothing: Was it out of an expectation of some miraculous exploit which the Prophet would do in the sight of all Israel? Or, was it out of the overruling power of the Almighty; The heart of Kings is in the hand of God, and he turns it which way soever he pleaseth. Israel is met together, Elijah rates them, not so much for their superstition, as for their unsettledness, and irresolution: One Israelite serves God, another Baal; yea the same Israelite perhaps serves both God and Baal. How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him; Nothing is more odious to God than a profane neutrality in main oppositions of religion: To go upright in a wrong way, is a less eyesore to God, then to halt betwixt right & wrong; The Spirit wisheth that the Laodicean were either hot or cold; either temper would be better borne, then neither, then both; In reconcileable differences nothing is more safe than indifferency both of practice and opinion; but in cases of so necessary hostility, as betwixt God, and Baal, he that is on neither side is the deadlyest enemy to both; Less hateful are they to God that serve him not at all, than they that serve him with a rival. Whether out of guiltiness, or fear, or uncertainty, Israel is silent; yet whiles their mouth was shut, their ears were open: It was a fair motion of Elijah; I am only remaining a Prophet of the Lord, Baal's Prophets are four hundred & fifty; Let them choose one bullock, let me choose another; Their devotion shall be combined, mine single; The God that consumes the sacrifice by fire from heaven, let him be God; Israel cannot but approve it; the Prophets of Baal cannot refuse it; they had the appearance of the advantage, in their number, in the favour of King and people. Oh strange disputation, wherein the argument which must be used is fire; the place whence it must be fetched, heaven; the mood and figure, devotion; the conclusion, death to the overcomne. Had not Elijah, by divine instinct, been assured of the event, he durst not have put religion upon such hazard; That God commanded him this trial, who meant confusion to the authors of Idolatry, victory to the truth; His power shall be approved both by fire and by water; first by fire, then by water; There was no less terror in the fire, than mercy in the rain; It was fit they should be first humbled by his terrors, that they might be made capable of his mercy; and by both, might be won to repentance. Thus still the fears of the law make way for the influences of grace, neither do those sweet and heavenly dews descend upon the soul, till way be made for them by the terrible flashes of the law. justly doth Elijah urge this trial: Gods sacrifices were used to none but heavenly fires; whereas the bale and earthly religion of the heathen contented itself with gross and natural flames. The Prophets of Baal durst not (though with faint and guilty hearts) but embrace the condition; they dress their bullock, and lay it ready upon the wood; and send out their cries to Baal from morning until midday; O Baal hear us: What a yelling was here, of four hundred and fifty throats, tearing the skies for an answer? What leaping was here upon the altar, as if they would have climbed up to fetch that fire, which would not come down alone? Mount Carmel might give an Echo to their voice, heaven gave none; In vain do they roar out, and weary themselves in imploring a dumb a deaf deity; Grave and austere Elijah holds it not too light to flout their zealous devotion; he laughs at their tears, and plays upon their earnest; Cry aloud, for he is a God, either be is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is travelling, or he is sleeping, and must be awaked. Scorns and taunts are the best answers for serious Idolatry; Holiness will bear us out in disdainful scoffs, and bitterness against wilful superstition; No less in the indignation at these insulting frumps, than zeal of their own safety, and reputation, do these Idolatrous Prophets now rend their throats with inclamations, and that they may assure the beholders, they were not in jest, they cut, and slash themselves, with knives, and lancers, and solicit the fire with their blood; How much painfulness there is in mis-religion? I do not find that the true God ever required or accepted the selfe-tortures of his servants, He love's true inward mortification of our corruptions, he love's the subduing of our spiritual insurrections, by due exercises of severe restraint; he takes no pleasure in our blood, in our carcases: They mistake God that think to please him by destroying that nature, which he hath made; and measure truth by rigour of outward extremities; Elijah drew no blood of himself, the Priests of Baal did: How fain would the Devil (whom these Idolaters adored) have answered the suit of his suppliants? What would that ambitious spirit have given, that as he was cast down from heaven like lightning, so now he might have fall'n down in that form upon his altar? God forbids it: All the powers of darkness can no more show one flash of fire in the air, then avoid the unquenchable fire in hell: How easy were it for the power of the Almighty to cut short all the tyrannical usurpations of that wicked one; if his wisdom and justice did not find the permission thereof useful to his holy purposes. These Idolaters now towards evening, grew so much more vehement, as they were more hopeless; and at last when neither their shrieks, nor their wounds, nor their mad motions could prevail, they sit down hoarse and weary; tormenting themselves afresh with their despairs, and with the fears of better success of their adversary; when Elijah calls the people to him, (the witnesses of his sincere proceed) and taking the opportunity both of the time, (the just hour of the evening sacrifice) and of the place, a ruined Altar of God, now by him repaired, convinces Israel with his miracle, and more cuts these Baalites with envy, than they had cut themselves with their lancers. Oh holy Prophet, why didst thou not save this labour? what needed these unseasonable reparations? Was there not an altar, was there not a sacrifice ready prepared to thine hand? that which the Prophets of Baal had addressed, stood still waiting for that fire from thee, which the founder's threatened in vain: the stones were not more impure, either for their touch, or their intentions: yet such was thy detestation of Idolatry, that thou abhorredst to meddle with aught, which their wickedness had defiled: Even that altar, whose ruins thou didst thus repair, was mis-erected; though to the name of the True God; yet didst thou find it better to make up the breaches of that altar, which was mis-consecrated to the service of thy God, then to make use of that pile, which was idolatrously devoted to a false god: It cannot be but safe to keep aloof from participation with Idolaters, even in those things which not only in nature, but in use are unclean. Elijah lays twelve stones in his repaired altar, according to the number of the Tribes of the sons of jacob: Alas, ten of these were perverted to Baal: The Prophet regards not their present Apostasy; he regards the ancient covenant, that was made with their father Israel; he regards their first station, to which he would reduce them: he knew that the unworthiness of Israel could not make God forgetful: he would by this monument put Israel in mind of their own degeneration, and forgetfulness. He employs those many hands for the making a large trench round about the altar; and causes it to be filled with those precious remainders of water, which the people would have grudged to their own mouths; neither would easily have parted with, but (as those that pour down a pail full into a dry pump) in the hope of fetching more. The altar, the trench is full: A barrel full is poured out for each of the Tribes, that every Tribe might be afterwards replenished. Ahab and Israel are no less full of expectation; and now, when Gods appointed hour of the evening sacrifice was come, Elijah comes confidently to his altar, and looking up into heaven, says, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Let it be known this day, that thou art God in Israel; and that I am thy Servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word: Hear me, O Lord hear me; that this people may know that thou art the Lord God; & that thou hast turned their hearts back again. The Baalites prayers were not more tedious, than Elijahs was short; and yet more pithy than short; charging God with the care of his covenant, of his truth, of his glory. It was Elijah that spoke loud; Oh strong cries of faith, that pierce the heavens, and irresistably make their way to the throne of grace: Israel shall well see that Elijahs God whom they have forsaken, is neither talking, nor pursuing, nor travelling, nor sleeping: Instantly, the fire of the Lord falls from heaven & consumes the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, & licks up the water that was in the trench: With what terror must Ahab and Israel needs see this fire rolling down out of the sky, and alighting with such fury so near their heads; heads no less fit for this flame, than the sacrifice of Elijah: Well might they have thought, How easily might this fire have dilated itself, and have consumed our bodies, as well as the wood and stone, and have licked up our blood, as well as that water? I know not whether they had the grace to acknowledge the mercy of God, they could do no less than confess his power, The Lord is God, The Lord is God. The iron was now hot with this heavenly fire; Elijah stays not till it cool again, but strikes immediately: Take the Prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. This wager was for life: Had they prevailed in procuring this fire, and Elijah failed of effect; his head had been forfeited to them: now, in the contrary success, theirs are lost to him. Let no man complain that those holy hands were bloody: This sacrifice was no less pleasing to God, than that other. Both the man and the act were extraordinary, and led by a peculiar instinct: Neither doth the Prophet this without the assent of the supreme Magistrate; who was now so affected with this miraculous work, that he could not in the heat of that conviction, but allow the justice of such sentence. Fare be it from us to accuse God's commands or executions of cruelty: It was the ancient and peremptory charge of God, that the authors of Idolatry and seduction should dye the death; no eye, no hand might spare them: The Prophet doth but move the performance of that Law, which Israel could not without sin have omitted. It is a merciful and thankworthy severity to rid the world of the Ringleaders of wickedness. ELIjAH running before AHAB, Flying from IEzEBEL. I Hear no news of the four hundred Prophets of the Groves: They lie close under the wing of jezebel under their pleasing shades: neither will be suffered to undergo the danger of this trial; the carkeises of their fellows help to fill up the haife-dry channel of Kishon: justice is no sooner done than Ahab hears news of mercy from Elijah: Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain: Their meeting was not more harsh, than their parting was friendly: It seems Ahab had spent all that day fasting in an eager attendance of those conflicting Prophets: It must needs be late, ere the execution could be done, Elijahs part began not till the evening: So fare must the King of Israel be from taking thought for the massacre of those four hundred and fifty Baalites, that now, he may go eat his bread with joy, and drink his wine with a cheerful heart: for God accepteth this work, and testifies it in the noise of much rain: Every drop of that Idolatrous blood was answered with a shower of rain, with a stream of water, and plenty poured down in every shower: A sensible blessing follows the unpartial strokes of severe justice: Nothing is more cruel than an unjust pity. No ears but Elijahs could as yet perceive a sound of rain; the clouds were not yet gathered, the vapours were not yet risen, yet Elijah hears that which shall be: Those that are of God's Council can discern either favours or judgements afar off; the slack apprehensions of carnal hearts make them hard to believe that, as future, which the quick and refined senses of the faithful perceive as present. Ahab goes up to his repast; Elijah goes up to his prayers: That day had been painful to him, the vehemence of his spirit draws him to a neglect of his body: The holy man climbs up to the top of Carmel, that now he may talk with his God alone: neither is he sooner ascended, than he casts himself down upon the earth: He bows his knees to God, and bows his face down to his knees: by this humble posture acknowledging his awful respects to that Majesty which he implored: We cannot prostrate our bodies, or souls, too low to that infinitely glorious Deity, who is the Creator of both. His thoughts were more high than his body was low: what he said we know not, we know that what he said opened the heavens, that for three years and an half had been shut up: God had said before, I will send rain upon the earth; yet Elijah must pray for what God did promise; The promises of the Almighty do not discharge our prayers, but suppose them; he will do what he undertakes, but we must sue for that which we would have him do: Our petitions are included in the decrees, in the engagements of God. The Prophet had newly seen and caused the fire to descend immediately out of heaven, he doth not look the water should do so; he knew that the rain must come from the clouds, and that the clouds must arise from vapours, and those vapours from the Sea, thence doth he expect them: But as not willing that the thoughts of his fixed devotion should be distracted, he doth not go himself, only sends his servant to bring him the news of his success: At the first sight nothing appears: Seven times must he walk to that prospect; and not till his last view can discern aught: All that while is the Prophet in his prayers, neither is any whit daunted with that delay: Hope holds up the head of our holy desires, and perseverance crownes it: If we receive not an answer ●o our suits at the sixth motion, we may not be out of countenance, but must try the seventh: At last, a little cloud arises out of the Sea, of an hand bread●●: So many, so fervent prayers cannot but pull water out of heaven as well as fire: Those sighs reflect upon the earth, and from the earth reflect upon heaven, ●om heaven rebound upon the Sea, and raise vapours up thence to heaven again: If we find that our prayers are heard for the substance, we may not cavil at the quantity: Even an hand broad cloud contents Eliah, and fills his heart full of joy and thankfulness: He knew well this meteor was not at the biggest, it was newly borne of the womb of the waters, and in some minutes of age must grow to a large stature: stay but a while, and Heaven is covered with it: From how small beginnings have great matters arisen? It is no otherwise in all the gracious proceed of God with the soul, scarce sensible are those first works of his spirit in the heart, which grow up at last to the wonder of men, and applause of Angels. Well did Elijah know that God, who is perfection itself, would not defile his hand with an inchoate and scanted favour, as one therefore that foresaw the face of heaven overspread with this cloudy spot, he sends to Ahab to hasten his Chariot, that the rain stop him not: It is long since Ahab feared this let; never was the news of a danger more welcome: Doubtless the King of Israel whiles he was at his diet, looked long for Elijahs promised showers; where is the rain whose sound the Prophet heard? how is it that his ears were so much quicker, than our eyes? We saw his fire to our terror, how gladly would we see his Waters? When now the servant of Elijah brings him news from heaven, that the clouds were setting forward, and (if he hastened not) would be before him: The wind arises, the clouds gather, the sky thickens; Ahab betakes him to his Chariot; Elijah girds up his loins, and runs before him: Surely the Prophet could not want the offer of more ease in his passage; but he will be for the time Ahabs lackey, that the King and all Israel may see his humility no less than his power, and may confess that the glory of those miracles hath not made him insolent. He knew that his very sight was monitory: neither could Ahabs' mind be beside the miraculous works of God, whiles his eye was upon Elijah: neither could the King's heart be otherwise then well-affected towards the Prophet, whiles he saw that himself, and all Israel, had received a new Life by his procurement. But what news was here for jezebel? Certainly Ahab minced nothing of the report of all those astonishing accidents: If but to salve up his own honour, in the death of those Baalites, he made the best of Elijahs merits; he told of his challenge, conflict, victory, of the fire that fell down from Heaven, of the conviction of Israel, of the unavoidable execution of the Prophets, of the prediction and fall of those happy showers, and lastly of Elijahs officious attendance. Who would not have expected that jezebel should have said; It is no striving, no dallying with the Almighty: No reasonable creature can doubt, after so prodigious a decision; God hath won us from Heaven, he must possess us: justly are our seducers perished: None but the God that can command fire and water shall be ours; There is no Prophet but his: But she contrarily, in stead of relenting, rageth; and sends a message of death, to Elijah, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life, as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time: Neither scourges, nor favours can work any thing with the obstinately wicked; All evil hearts are not equally dis-affected to good: Ahab and jezebel were both bad enough, yet Ahab yields to that work of God, which jezebel stubbornly opposeth: Ahab melts with that water, with that fire, wherewith jezebel is hardened: Ahab was bashfully, jezebel audaciously impious. The weaker sex is ever commonly stronger in passion; and more vehemently carried with the sway of their desires, whether to good or evil: She swears, and stamps at that whereat she should have trembled. She swears by those gods of hers, which were not able to save their Prophets, that she will kill the Prophet of God, who had scorned her gods, and slain her Prophets. It is well that jezebel could not keep counsel: Her threat pre●e●ted him, whom she had meant to kill: The wisdom and power of God could ●●ue found evasions for his Prophet, in her greatest secrecy: but now, he needs no other means of rescue, but her own lips: She is no less vain; then the gods she swears by. In spite of her fury, and her oath, and her gods, Elijah shall live: At once shall she find herself frustrate, and forsworn: She is now ready to bite her tongue, to eat her heart for anger, at the disappointment of her cruel Vow. It were no living for godly men, if the hands of Tyrants were allowed to be as bloody as their hearts. Men and Devils are under the restraint of the Almighty; neither are their designs more lavish, than their executions short. Holy Elijah flees for his life; we hear not of the command of God, but we would willingly presuppose it: So divine a Prophet should do nothing without God: His heels were no new refuge; As no where safe within the ten Tribes, he flees to Beersheba, in the Territories of judah, as not there safe, from the machinations of jezebel, he flees alone (one days journey) into the wilderness; there he sits him down under a juniper tree, and (as weary of life, no less then of his way) wishes to rise no more. It is enough now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my Fathers: O strange and uncouth mutation: What is this we hear? Elijah fainting and giving up? that heroical spirit dejected, and prostrate? He that durst say to Ahabs' face, It is thou, and thy father's house that troubleth Israel; he that could raise the dead, open and shut the Heavens, fetch down both fire, and water, with his prayers; he that durst chide and contest with all Israel, that durst kill the four hundred and fifty Baalites, with the sword; doth he shrink at the frowns and threats of a woman? doth he wish to be rid of his life, because he feared to lose it? Who can expect an undaunted constancy from flesh and blood, when Elijah fails? The strongest and holiest Saint upon earth is subject to some qualms of fear, and infirmity: To be always and unchangeably good, is proper only to the glorious Spirits in heaven. Thus the wise and holy God will have his power perfited in our weakness: It is in vain for us, whiles we carry this flesh about us, to hope for so exact health, as not to be cast down sometimes with fits of spiritual distemper. It is no new thing for holy men to wish for death: Who can either marvel at, or blame the desire of advantage? For the weary traveller to long for rest, the prisoner for liberty, the banished for home, it is so natural, that the contrary disposition were monstrous: The benefit of the change is a just motive to our appetition: but to call for death, out of a satiety of life, out of an impatience of suffering, is a weakness unbeseeming a Saint: It is not enough, O Elijah; God hath more work yet for thee: thy God hath more honoured thee, than thy fathers, and thou shalt live to honour him. Toil and sorrow have lulled the Prophet asleep, under his juniper tree; that wholesome shade was well chosen, for his repose: whiles death was called for, the cousin of death comes unbidden: The Angel of God waits on him in that hard lodging: no wilderness is too solitary for the attendance of those blessed spirits: As he is guarded, so is he awaked by that Messenger of God; and stirred up from his rest, to his repast; whiles he slept, his breakfast is made ready for him, by those spiritual hands; There was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head: Oh the never-ceasing care and providence of the Almighty, not to be barred by any place, by any condition; when means are wanting to to us, when we are wanting to ourselves, when to God, even than doth he follow us with his mercy, and cast favours upon us, beyond, against expectation: What variety of purveyance doth he make for his servant? One while the Ravens, than the Sareptan, now the Angel shall be his Cator; none of them without a miracle. Those other provided for him waking, this sleeping: O God, the eye of thy providence is not dimmer, the hand of thy power is not shorter; only teach thou us to serve thee, to trust thee. Needs must the Prophet eat, and drink, and sleep with much comfort, whiles he saw that he had such a guardian, attendant, purveyor; and now the second time is he raised, by that happy touch, to his meal, and his way: Arise, and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. What needed he to travel further, sith that divine power could as well protect him in the Wilderness, as in Horeb? What needed he to eat, since he that meant to sustain him forty days with one meal, might as well have sustained him without it? God is a most free Agent, neither will be tied to the terms of humane regularities: It is enough that he knows, and approves the reasons of his own choice, and commands: once in forty days and nights shall Elijah eat, to teach us what God can do with little means: and but once, to teach us what he can do without means: Once shall the Prophet eat, Man life's by bread; and but once, Man life's not by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God; Moses, Elijah, our Saviour fasted each of them forty days, and forty nights: the three great fasters met gloriously in Tabor: I find not where God ever honoured any man for feasting: It is abstinence, not fullness, that makes a man capable of heavenly visions, of divine glory. The journey was not of itself so long; the Prophet took those ways, those hours which his heart gave him: In the very same Mount where Moses first saw God, shall Elijah see him: one and the same cave (as is very probable) was the receptacle to both: It could not be but a great confirmation of Elijah, to renew the sight of those sensible monuments of God's favour, and protection, to his faithful predecessor. Moses came to see God in the Bush of Horeb: God came to find Elijah in the Cave of Horeb: What dost thou here, Elijah? The place was directed by a providence, not by a command; He is hid sure enough from jezebel: he cannot be hid from the allseeing eye of God. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or Whither shall I fly from thy presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, 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 uttermost parts of the Sea, even there shall thine hand find me, and thy right hand shall hold me: Twice hath God propounded the same question to Eljiah: Once in the heart, once in the mouth of the Cave: Twice doth the Prophet answer, in the same words: Had the first answer satisfied, the question had not been redemanded. Now, that sullen answer which Elijah gave in the darkness of the Cave is challenged into the Light, not without an awful preface. The Lord first passeth by him with the terrible demonstrations of his power. A great & strong wind rend the Mountains, and broke the Rocks in pieces: That tearing blast was from God, God was not in it: So was he in it as in his other extraordinary works; not so in it, as by it to impart himself to Elijah: it was the ushier, not the carriage of God: After the wind came an Earthquake, more fearful than it: That did but move the air, this the earth; that beat upon some prominences of earth, this shaken it from the Centre: After the earthquake came a fire more fearful them either. The other affected the ear, the feeling: but this lets in horror into the Soul, by the eye, the quickest, and most apprehensive of the senses. Elijah shall see Gods mighty power in the earth, air, fire, before he hear him in the soft voice: all these are but boisterous harbingers of a meek, and still word: In that God was; Behold, in that gentle and mild breath there was omnipotency; there was but powerfulness in those fierce representations: There is not always the greatest efficacy where is the greatest noise: God love's to make way for himself by terror, but he conveys himself to us in sweetness: It is happy for us if after the gusts and flashes of the Law, we have heard the soft voice of Evangelicall mercy. In this very mount, with the same horror God had delivered his Law to Moses and Israel: It is no marvel if Elijah wrap his face in his Mantle: His obedience draws him forth to the mouth of the Cave; his fear still hides his head: Had there not been much courage in the Prophet's faith, he had not stood out these affrightful forerunners of the divine presence, though with his face covered: The very Angels do no less, before that all-glorious Majesty than veil themselves with their wings: Fare be it from us once to think of that infinite, and omnipotent Deity, without an humble awfulness. Fear changes not the tenor of Elijahs answer: He hath not left one word behind him in the Cave: I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant, thrown down thine Altars, and slain thy Prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away. I hear not a direct answer from the Prophet to the demand of God: then he had said, I run away from the threats of jezebel, and here I hide my head from her malicious pursuit: His guiltiness would not let him speak out all: He had rather say, I have been jealous for the Lord God of Hosts, then, I was fearful of jezebel: We are all willing to make the best of our own case: but what he wants of his own accusation, he spends upon the complaint of Israel. Neither doth he more bemoan himself, then exclaim against them, as Apostates from God's Covenant, Violators of his Altars, murderers of his Prophets: It must needs be a desperate condition of Israel, that drives Elijah to indite them before the throne of God: That tongue of his was used to plead for them, to sue for their pardon, it could not be but a forceable wickedness, that makes it their accuser. Those Idolatrous Israelites were well forward to reformation: The fire and rain from heaven at the prayers of Elijah had won them to a scorn of Baal; only the violence of jezebel turned the stream, and now they are resettled in impiety, and persecute him for an enemy, whom they almost adored for a benefactor; otherwise, Elijah had not complained of what they had been: Who would think it? jezebel can do more than Elijah: No miracle is so prevalent with the vulgar, as the sway of authority, whether to good, or evil. Thou art deceived, O Elijah; thou art not left alone; neither is all Israel tainted: God hath children and Prophets in Israel, though thou see them not; Those clear eyes of the Seer discern not the secret store of God: they looked not into Obadiahs' Caves, they looked not into the closerts of the religious Israelites; he that sees the heart, can say, I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him: According to the fashion of the wealthy, God pleaseth himself in hidden treasures; it is enough that his own eyes behold his riches: Never did he, never will he leave himself unfurnished with holy clients, in the midst of the foulest depravations of his Church: The sight of his faithful ones hath sometimes been lost, never the being: Do your worst, O ye Gates of Hell, God will have his own: He that could have more, will have some: that foundation is sure, God knoweth who are his. It was a true cordial for Elijahs solitariness, that he had seven thousand invisible abettors; neither is it a small comfort to our weakness, to have companions in good: for the wickedness of Israel God hath another receipt; the oil of royal, and prophetical unction; Elijah must anoint Hazael King of Syria, jehu King of Israel; Elisha for his successor: All these shall revenge the quarrels of God, and him; one shall begin, the other shall prosecute, the third shall perfect the vengeance upon Israel. A Prophet shall avenge the wrongs done to a Prophet: Elisha is found, not in his study, but, in the field; not with a book in his hand, but a plough: His father Shaphat was a rich farmer in Abel-Meholab, himself was a good husband; trained up, not in the schools of the Prophets, but, in the thrifty trade of tillage: and behold, this was the man, whom God will pick out of all Israel for a Prophet; God seethe not as man seethe: Neither doth he choose men because they are fit, but therefore fits them, because he hath chosen them, his call is above all earthly institution. I hear not of aught that Elijah said: Only he casts his cloak upon Elisha in the passage: That Mantle, that act was vocal: Together with this sign, God's instinct teacheth the amazed son of Shaphat that he was designed to an higher work, to break up the fallow grounds of Israel, by his Prophetical function: He finds a strange virtue in that Robe; and (as if his heart were changed with that habit) forgets his teme, and runs after Elijah; and sues for the leave of a farewell to his Parents, ere he had any but a dumb command to follow: The secret call of God offers an inward force to the heart, and insensibly draws us beyond the power of our resistance: Grace is no enemy to good nature; well may the respects to our earthly parents stand with our duties to our Father in heaven. I do not see Elisha wring his hands and deplore his condition, that he shall leave the world, and follow a Prophet, but for the joy of that change, he makes a feast: those oxen, those utensils of husbandry whereon his former labours had been bestowed shall now be gladly devoted to the celebration of that happy day, wherein he is honoured with so blessed an employment; If with desire; if with cheerfulness we do not enter into the works of our heavenly Master, they are not like to prosper in our hands: He is not worthy of this spiritual station, who holds not the service of God his highest, his richest preferment. Contemplations UPON THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE NINETEENTH BOOK. Wherein are Ahab and Benhadad. Ahab and Naboth. Ahab and Michaiah, or the death of Ahab, Ahaziah sick, Elijah revenged. The Rapture of Elijah. Elisha healing the Waters, cursing the Children, Relieving the three Kings. Elisha with the Shunamite. Naaman and Elisha. Elisha raising the iron, blinding the Syrians. The Famine of Samaria relieved. By IOS. HALL., D. of Divinity, and Deane of WORCESTER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, EDWARD LORD DENNY, BARON OF Waltham, my bountiful, and dear honoured Patron. Right Honourable, NOne can challenge so much right in these Meditations, as your Lordship, under whose happy shade they received their first conception: Under this Juniper of yours, have I (not driven by force, but drawn by pleasure) slept thus long, sweetly, safely; and have received these Angelical touches: How justly may your Lordship claim the fruits of your own favours? Your careful studies in the Book of God, are fit to be exemplary; which have so enriched you, that your Teacher shall gain. In this reach of divine thoughts, you shall see Benhadad's insolence taken down by Ahabs' victory, an humble (though Idolatrous) Israelite carrying it from an insulting Pagan: You shall see in Ahab the impotent passions of greatness; in Naboth, bleeding honesty; in jezebel bloody hypocrisy, cruel craft; plotting from hell, pretending from heaven: You shall see the woeful success of an unjust mercy; Ahab forfaiting what he gave, killed by him, whom he should have killed: You shall see resolute Michaiah opposing the mercenary Synod of Prophets, a beaten victor, an imprisoned freeman: You shall see Ahaziah falling through his grate; Elijah climbing up his Mount, mounting up to his glory; fetching fire from Heaven, fetched by a fiery chariot to heaven. Elisha the heir of his mantle, of his spirit, no less marvelous in his beneficences, in his revenges. What do I foretell all? Me thinks I feel myself now too like an Italian host, thus to meet your Lordship on the way, and to promise beforehand your fare, and entertainment: Let it please your Lordship rather to see and allow your cheer: Indeed the feast is Gods, and not mine, wherein store strives with delicacy: If my cookery hurt it not, it is enough: Through your hands I commend it to the world, as I do your Lordship, and my honourable good Lady, to the gracious protection of the Almighty, justly vowing myself Your Lordships in all faithful observance for ever to command, IOS. HALL.. Contemplations. AHAB and BENHADAD. THere is nothing more dangerous for any state, then to call in foreign powers, for the suppression of an homebred enemy; the remedy hath oft in this case, proved worse than the disease. Asa King of judah implores the aid of Benhadad, the Syrian, against Baasha King of Israel. That stranger hath good colour to set his foot in some out-skirt-townes of Israel; and now these serve him but for the handsel of more; Such sweetness doth that Edomite find in the soil of Israel, that his ambition will not take up with less than all; He that entered as a Friend, will proceed as a Conqueror; and now aims at no less than Samaria itself, the heart, the head of the ten Tribes: There was no cause to hope for better success of so perfidious a League with an Infidel: Who can look for other than war when he sees Ahab and jezebel in the Throne, Israel in the groves and temples of Baalim? The ambition of Benhadad was not so much guilty of this war, as the Idolatry of that wicked nation; How can they expect peace from earth, who do wilfully fight against heaven? Rather will the God of Hosts arm the brute, the senseless creatures against Israel, than he will suffer their defiance unrevenged. Ahab and Benhadad are well matched, an Idolatrous Israelite, with a paganish Idumaean; well may God plague each with other, who means vengeance to them both. Ahab finds himself hard pressed with the siege; and therefore is glad to enter into treaties of peace; Benhadad knows his own strength; and offers insolent conditions, Thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest are mine. It is a fearful thing to be in the mercy of an enemy; In case of hostility might will carve for itself: Ahab now after the diusion of judah, was but half a King; Benhadad had two and thirthy Kings to attend him; What equality was in this opposition? Wisely doth Ahab therefore, as a reed in a tempest, stoop to this violent charge of so potent an enemy: My Lord, O King, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have: It is not for the overpowred to capitulate; Weakness may not argue, but yield. Tyranny is but drawn on by submission; and where it finds fear, and dejection, insulteth. Benhadad not content with the sovereignty of Ahabs goods calls for the possession; Ahab had offered the Dominion, with reservation of his subordinate interest: he will be a tributary, so he may be an owner: Benhadad imperiously besides the command, calls for the propriety; and suffers not the King of Israel to enjoy those things at all, which he would enjoy but under the favour of that predominancy. Overstrained subjection turns desperate; if conditions be imposed worse than death, there needs no long disputation of the remedy; The Elders of Israel (whose share was proportionably in this danger) hearten Ahab to a denial: which yet comes out so fearfully, as that it appears rather extorted by the peremptory indignation of the people, then proceeding out of any generosity of his Spirit: Neither doth he say, I will not, but, I may not. The proud Syrian (who would have taken it in foul scorn to be denied, though he had sent for all the heads of Israel) snuffs up the wind like a wild Ass in the Wilderness, and brags, and threats, and swears, The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me: Not the men, not the goods only of Samaria shall be carried away captive, but the very earth whereon it stands; and this, with how much ease? No Soldier shall need to be charged with more than an handful, to make a valley where the mother City of Israel once stood: Oh vain boaster! In whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent: Victory is to be achieved, not to be sworn; future events are no matter of an oath; Thy gods (if they had been) might have been called as witnesses of thy intentions, not of that success, whereof thou wouldst be the Author without them: Thy gods can do nothing to thee, nothing for thee, nothing for themselves; all thine Aramites shall not carry away one corn of sand out of Israel, except it be upon the soles of their feet, in their shameful flight; It is well, if they can carry back those skins that they brought thither: Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off: There is no cause to fear that man that trusts in himself: Man may cast the dice of war, but the disposition of them is of the Lord. Ahab was lewd, but Benhadad was insolent; If therefore Ahab shall be scourged with the rod of Benhadad's fear; Benhadad shall be smitten with the sword of Ahabs' revenge, Of all things God will not endure a presumptuous, and selfe-confident vaunter; after Elijahs flight and complaint, yet a Prophet is addressed to Ahab; Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold I will deliver it into thine hand, this day, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: Who can wonder enough at this unweariable mercy of God? After the fire and ruin fetched miraculously from Heaven, Ahab had promised much, performed nothing, yet again will God bless and solicit him with victory; One of those Prophets whom he persecuted to death, shall comfort his dejection with the news of deliverance and triumph: Had this great work been wrought without premonition; either chance, or Baal, or the golden calves had carried away the thankes: Before hand therefore shall Ahab know both the Author and the means of his victory; God for the Author, the two hundred thirty two young men of the Princes for the means; What are these for the Vanguard, and seven thousand Israelite for the main battle, against the troops of three & thirty Kings, and as many centuries of Syrians, as Israel had single soldiers? An equality of number had taken away the wonder of the event; but now, the God of hosts will be confessed in this issue, not the valour of men; How indifferent it is with thee, O Lord, to save by many, or by few; to destroy many or few? A world is no more to thee then a man; how easy is it for thee to enable us to be more than Conquerors over Principalities and Powers: to subdue spiritual wickednesses to flesh and blood? Through thee we can do great things, yea we can do all things through thee that strengthnest us; Let not us want faith, we are sure there can be no want in thy power or mercy. There was nothing in Benhadad's pavilions but drink, and surfeit, and jollity; as if wine should make way for blood; Security is the certain usher of destruction: we never have to much cause to fear as when we fear nothing. This handful of Israel dares look out (upon the Prophet's assurance) to the vast host of Benhadad: It is enough for that proud Pagan to sit still, and command amongst his cups: To defile their fingers with the blood of so few, seemed no mastery; that act would be inglorious on the part of the Victors: More easily might they bring in three heads of dead enemies then one alive: Imperiously enough therefore doth this boaster out of his chair of state and ease, command, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive; There needs no more, but, Take them; this field is won with a word; Oh the vain and ignorant presumptions of wretched men that will be reckoning without, against their Maker. Every Israelite kills his man; the Syrians flee, and cannot run away from death: Benhadad and his Kings, are more beholden to their horses then to their gods, or themselves for life and safety, else they had been either taken, or slain, by those whom they commanded to be taken. How easy is it for him that made the heart, to fill it with terror, and consternation, even where no fear is? Those whom God hath destined to slaughter, he will smite, neither needs he any other enemy or executioner, than what he finds in their own bosom: We are not the masters of our own courage, or fears; both are put into us by that overruling power that created us: Stay now, O stay, thou great King of Syria, and take with thee those forgotten handfuls of the dust of Israel; Thy gods will do so to thee, and more also, if thy followers return without their vowed burden; Learn now of the despised King of Israel, from henceforth not to sound the triumph before the battle, not to boast thyself in the girding on of thine harness, as in the putting off. I hear not of either the public thanksgiving, or amendment of Ahab. Neither danger nor victory can change him from himself: Benhadad and he, though enemies, agree in unrepentance; the one is no more moved with mercy, than the other with judgement: Neither is God any changeling in his proceed towards both; his judgement shall still follow the Syrian, his mercy Israel: Mercy both in forewarning, and redelivering Ahab; judgement in overthrowing Benhadad. The Prophet of God comes again, and both foretells the intended reencounter of the Syrian, and advices the care, and preparation of Israel: Go strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou dost; for, at the return of the year, the King of Syria will come up against thee: God purposeth the deliverance of Israel, yet may not they neglect their fortifications; The merciful intentions of God towards them may not make them careless; The industry and courage of the Israelites fall within the decree of their victory; Security is the bane of good success; It is no contemning of a foiled enemy; the shame of a former disgrace and miscarriage, whets his valour, and sharpens it to revenge: No power is so dreadful, as that which is recollected from an overthrow. The hostility against the Israel of God may sleep, but will hardly die. If the Aramites sit still, it is but till they be fully ready for an assault; Time will show that their cessation was only for their advantage; neither is it otherwise with our spiritual adversaries: sometimes their onsets are intermitted; they tempt not always, they always hate us: their forbearance is not out of favour, but attendance of opportunity; happy are we, if out of a suspicion of their silence, we can as busily prepare for their resistance, as they do for our impugnation. As it is a shame to be beaten, so yet the shame is less, by how much the victor is greater; to mitigate the grief, and indignation of Benhadad's foil, his parasites ascribe it to gods, not to men; an humane power could no more have vanquished him then a divine power could by him be resisted; Their gods are gods of the hills; Ignorant Syrians, that name gods, and confine them; varying their deities according to situations; They saw that Samaria (whence they were repelled) stood upon the hill of Shemer: They saw the Temple of jerusalem stood upon mount Zion; they knew it usual with the Israelites to sacrifice in their high places, and perhaps they had heard of Elijahs altar, upon mount Carmel; and now they sottishly measure the effects of the power, by the place of the worship; as if he that was omnipotent on the hill, were impotent in the Valley; What doltish conceits doth blind Paganism frame to itself of a Godhead? As they have many gods, so finite; every region, every hill, every dale, every stream hath their several gods, and each so knows his own bounds, that he dares not offer to encroach upon the other; or, if he do, abvyes it with loss: Who would think that so gross blockishness should find harbour in a reasonable soul? A man doth not alter with his station; He that wrestled strongly upon the hill, loseth not his force in the plain; all places find him alike active, alike valorous; yet these barbarous Aramites shame not to imagine that of God, which they would blush to affirm of their own champions. Superstition infatuates the heart out of measure; neither is there any fancy so absurd or monstrous, which credulous infidelity is not ready to entertain with applause. In how high scorn doth God take it to be thus basely undervalved by rude heathen? This very mis-opinion concerning the God of Israel shall cost the Syrians a shameful, and perfect destruction; They may call a Counsel of War, and lay their heads together, and change their Kings into Captains, and their hills into valleys, but they shall find more graves in the plains, then in the mountains; This very mes-prison of God shall make Ahab (though he were more lewd) victorious; An hundred thousand Syrians shall fall in one day, by those few hands of Israel; And a dead wall in Aphek (to whose shelter they fled) shall revenge God upon the rest that remained; The stones in the wall shall rather turn executioners, than a blasphemous Aramite shall escape unrevenged. So much doth the jealous God hate to be robbed of his glory, even by ignorant Pagans, whose tongue might seem no slander. That proud head of Benhadad, that spoke such big words of the dust of Israel, and swore by his gods, that he would kill and conquer, is now glad to hide itself in a blind hole of Aphek; and now in stead of questioning the power of the God of Israel, is glad to hear of the mercy of the Kings of Israel; Behold, now, we have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are merciful Kings; Let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the King of Israel, peradventure he will save thy life. There can be no more powerful attractive of humble submission, than the intimation and conceit of mercy; We do at once fear, and hate the inexorable; This is it, O Lord, that allures us to thy throne of grace, the knowledge of the grace of that throne; with thee is mercy and plenteous redemption; thine hand is open before our mouths, before our hearts; If we did not see thee smile upon suitors, we durst not press to thy footstool; Behold now we know that the King of heaven, the God of Israel, is a merciful God; Let us put sackcloth upon our loins, and strew ashes upon our heads, and go meet the Lord God of Israel, that he may save our souls. How well doth this habit become insolent, and blasphemous Benhadad and his followers? a rope, and sackcloth? A rope for a Crown, sackcloth for a robe; Neither is there less change in the tongue, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me live; Even now the King of Israel said to Benhadad, My Lord O King, I am thine; Tell my Lord the King, all that thou didst send for to thy servant, I will do: Now Benhadad sends to the King of Israel, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me live: He that was erewhile a Lord and King, is now a servant; and he that was a servant to the king of Syria, is now his Lord: he that would blow away all Israel in dust, is now glad to beg for his own life at the door of a despised enemy; no courage is so haughty, which the God of hosts cannot easily bring under; what are men or devils in those almighty hands? The greater the dejection was, the stronger was the motive of commiseration; That halter pleaded for life; and that plea for but a life, stirred the bowels for favour: How readily did Ahab see in Benhadad's sudden misery the image of the instability of all humane things? and relents at the view of so deep and passionate a submission. Had not Benhadad said, Thy servant, Ahab had never said, My brother; seldom ever was there loss in humility; How much less can we fear disparagement, in the annihilating of ourselves, before that infinite Majesty? The drowning man snatches at every twig; It is no marvel if the messengers of Benhadad catch hastily at that last of grace, and hold it fast, Thy brother Benhadad; Favours are wont to draw on each other; Kindnesses breed on themselves; neither need we any other persuasion to beneficence, then from our own acts. Ahab calls for the King of Syria; sets him in his own Chariot; treats with him of an easy (yet firm) league, gives him both his life, and his Kingdom. Neither is the Crown of Syria sooner lost, then recovered; Only he that came a free Prince, returns tributary: Only his train is clipped too short for his wings; an hundred twenty seven thousand Syrians are abated of his Guard, homeward. Blasphemy hath escaped too well. Ahab hath at once peace with Benhadad, war with God; God proclaims it by his Herald, one of the sons of the Prophets; not yet in his own form, but disguised, both in fashion, and complaint; It was a strange suit of a Prophet, Smite me I pray thee; Many a Prophet was smitten, and would not; never any but this wished to be smitten; The rest of his fellows were glad to say, Save me; this only says, Smite me; His honest neighbour, out of love and reverence, forbears to strike; There are too many (thinks he) that smite the Prophets, though I refrain; What wrong hast thou done that I should repay with blows? Hadst thou sued for a favour, I could not have denied thee, now thou suest for thine hurt, the denial is a favour; Thus he thought; but Charity cannot excuse disobedience; Had the man of God called for blows, (upon his own head) the refusal had been just and thankworthy; but now that he says, In the Word of the Lord, Smite me, this kindness is deadly: Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me a Lion shall slay thee; It is not for us to examine the charges of the Almighty; Be they never so harsh, or improbable, (if they be once known for his) there is no way but obedience, or death. Not to smite a Prophet, when God commands, is no less sin, then to smite a Prophet, when God forbids; It is the divine precept or prohibition, that either makes or aggravates an evil; And if the Israelite be thus revenged, that smote not a Prophet, what shall become of Ahab that smote not Benhadad? Every man is not thus indulgent; an easy request will gain blows to a Prophet from the next hand; yea, and a wound in smiting. I know not whether it were an harder task for the Prophet to require a wound, then for a well-meaning Israelite to give it; Both must be done; The Prophet hath what he would, what he must will, a sight of his own blood; and now disguised herewith, and with ashes upon his face, he way-layes the King of Israel, and sadly complains of himself in a real parable, for dismissing a Syrian prisoner delivered to his hands, upon no less charge than his life; and soon receives sentence of death, from his own mouth; Well was that wound bestowed that struck Ahabs soul through the flesh of the Prophet; The disguise is removed; The King sees not a soldier, but a Seer; and now finds that he hath unawares passed sentence upon himself. There needs no other doom then from the lips of the offender: Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand, a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people: Had not Ahab known the will of God concerning Benhadad, that had been mercy to an enemy, which was now cruelty to himself, to Israel: His ears had heard of the blasphemies of that wicked tongue: His eyes had seen God go before him, in the example of that revenge; No Prince can strike so deep into his state, as in not striking; In private favour there may be public unmercifulness. AHAB, and NABOTH. NAboth had a fair Vineyard; It had been better for him to have had none; His vineyard yielded him the bitter Grapes of death. Many a one hath been sold to death by his lands and goods; wealth hath been a snare, as to the soul, so to the life; Why do we call those goods, which are many times the bane of the owner? Naboths vineyard lay near to the Court of jezebel; It had been better for him, it had been planted in the wilderness; Doubtless, this vicinity made it more commodious to the possessor; but more envious and unsafe: It was now the perpetual object of an evil eye, and stirred those desires, which could neither be well denied, nor satisfied: Eminency is still joined with peril, obscurity with peace: There can be no worse annoyance to an inheritance, than the greatness of an evil neighbourhood: Naboths vines stood too near the smoke of Iezebels chimneys: too much within the prospect of Ahabs' window; Now lately had the King of Israel been twice victorious over the Syrians; no sooner is he returned home then he is overcome with evil desires; The foil he gave was not worse then that he took: There is more true glory in the conquest of our lusts, then in all bloody Trophies; In vain shall Ahab boast of subduing a foreign enemy, whiles he is subdued by a domestic enemy within his own breast; Opportunity and Convenience is guilty of many a theft: Had not this ground lain so fair, Ahab had not been tempted: His eye lets in this evil guest into the soul, which now dares come forth at the mouth; Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house, and I will give thee a better vineyard for it, or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money; Yet had Ahab so much civility, and justice, that he would not wring Naboths patrimony out of his hand by force, but requires it upon a fair composition, whether of price, or of exchange: His government was vicious, not tyrannical; Propriety of goods was inviolably maintained by him; No less was Naboth allowed to claim a right in his vineyard, than Ahab in his palace; This we own to lawful Sovereignty to call aught our own; and well worthy is this privilege to be repaid with all humble and loyal respects. The motion of Ahab (had it been to any other than an Israelite) had been as just, equal, reasonable, as the repulse had been rude, churlish, inhuman. It is fit that Princes should receive due satisfaction in the just demands, not only of their necessities, but convenience, and pleasure; well may they challenge this retribution to the benefit of our common peace and protection; If there be any sweetness in our vineyards, any strength in our fields, we may thank their sceptres; justly may they expect from us the commodity, the delight of their habitation; and if we gladly yield not to their full elbowroom, both of site and provision, we can be no other than ingrateful; Yet dares not Naboth give any other answer to so plausible a motion, then, The Lard forbidden it me, that I should give thee the inheritance of my Fathers: The honest Israelite saw violence in this ingenuity; There are no stronger commands, than the requests of the great; It is well that Ahab will not wrest away this patrimony, it is not well that he desired it; The land was not so much stood upon, as the law; One earth might be as good as another, and money equivalent to either; The Lord had forbidden to alien their inheritance: Naboth did not fear loss, but sin; What Naboth might not lawfully do, Ahab might not lawfully require; It pleased God to be very punctual, and cautelous, both in the distinction, and preservation of the entireness of these jewish inheritances; Nothing but extreme necessity might warrant a sale of land, and that, but for a time; if not sooner, yet at the jubilee, it must revert to the first owner: It was not without a comfortable signification, that whosoever had once his part in the land of Promise, could never lose it; Certainly Ahab could not but know this divine restriction, yet doubts not to say, Give me thy vineyard; The unconscionable will know no other law but their profit, their pleasure; A lawless greatness hates all limitations, and abides not to hear men should need any other warrant but will. Naboth dares not be thus tractable; How gladly would he be quit of his inheritance, if God would acquit him from the sin? Not out of wilfulness, but obedience, doth this faithful Israelite hold off from this demand of his Sovereign; not daring to please an earthly King with offending the heavenly: When Princes command lawful things, God commands by them; when unlawful, they command against God; passive obedience we must give, active we may not; we follow then as subordinate, not as opposite to the highest. Who cannot but see and pity the straits of honest Naboth, Ahab requires what God forbids; he must fall out either with his God, or his King: Conscience caries him against policy; and he resolves not to sin, that he might be gracious. For a world he may not give his vineyard: Those who are themselves godless, think the holy care of others but idly scrupulous: The King of Israel could not choose but see that only God's prohibition lay in the way of his designs, not the stomach of a froward subject; yet he goes away into his house heavy and displeased; and casts himself down upon bed, and turns away his face, and refuses his meat; He hath taken a surfeit of Naboths grapes which mars his appetite, and threats his life: How ill can great hearts endure to be crossed, though upon the most reasonable and just grounds: Ahabs place called him to the Guardianship of God's Law; and now his heart is ready to break, that this parcel of that Law may not be broken: No marvel if he made not dainty to transgress a local statute of God, who did so shamefully violate the eternal Law of both Tables. I know not whether the spleen, or the gall of Ahab be more affected; Whether more of anger, or grief, I cannot say; but sick he is, & keeps his bed, and balks his meat, as if he should die of no other death, than the salads that he would have had: O the impotent passion, and insatiable desires of Covetousness! Ahab is Lord & King of all the territories of Israel; Naboth is the owner of one poor Vineyard; Ahab cannot enjoy Israel, if Naboth enjoy his Vineyard; Besides Samaria, Ahab was the great Lord Paramount of Damascus and all Syria, the victor of him that was attended with two and thirty Kings; Naboth was a plain townsman of jezreel, the good husband of a little Vineyard; Whether is the weathier? I do not hear Naboth wish for any thing of Ahabs, I hear Ahab wishing (not without indignation of a repulse) for somewhat from Naboth: Riches & poverty, is more in the heart then in the hand; He is wealthy that is contented; he is poor that wanteth more: Oh rich Naboth that carest not for all the large possessions of Ahab, so thou mayst be the Lord of thine own Vineyard; Oh miserable Ahab, that carest not for thine own possessions whiles thou mayest not be the Lord of Naboths Vineyard. He that caused the disease, sends him a Physician; Satan knew of old how to make use of such helpers; jezebel comes to Ahabs' bedside, and casts cold water in his face, and puts into him spirits of her own extracting; Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let thine heart be merry; I will give thee the Vineyard of Naboth. Ahab wanted neither wit, nor wickedness; Yet is he in both, a very novice to this Zidonian dame. There needs no other Devil, than jezebel, whether to project evil, or to work it: She chides the pusillanimity of her dejected husband, and persuades him his rule cannot be free, unless it be licentious; that there should be no bounds for sovereignty, but will; Already hath she contrived to have by fraud and force, what was denied to entreaty; Nothing needs but the name, but the seal of Ahab; let her alone with the rest; How present are the wits of the weaker sex for the devising of wickedness? She frames a letter in Ahabs' name, to the Senators of jezreell, wherein she requires them to proclaim a fast, to suborn two false witnesses against Naboth, to charge him with blasphemy against God & the King, to stone him to death; A ready payment for a rich Vineyard: Whose indignation riseth not to hear jezebel name a fast? The great contemners of the most important Laws of God, yet can be content to make use of some divine, both statutes, and customs, for their own advantage: She knew the Israelites had so much remainder of grace, as to hold blasphemy worthy of death; She knew their manner was to expiate those crying sins with public humiliation; She knew that two witnesses at least must cast the offender; all these she urges to her own purpose. There is no mischief so devilish, as that which is cloaked with piety: Simulation of holiness doubleth a villainy; This murder had not been half so foul, if it had not been thus masked with a religious observation; Besides devotion, what a fair pretence of legality is here? Blasphemy against God and his anointed may not pass unrevenged; The offender is convented before the sad and severe bench of Magistracy; the justice of Israel allows not to condemn an absent, an unheard malefactor; Witnesses come forth, and agree in the intentation of the crime; the judges rend their garments, and strike their breasts as grieved, not more for the sin, than the punishment; their very countenance must say, Naboth should not die, if his offence did not force our justice, and now, he is no good subject, no true Israelite, that hath not a stone for Naboth. jezebel knew well to whom she wrote; Had not those letters fall'n upon the times of a woeful degeneration of Israel, they had received no less strong denials from the Elders, than Ahab had from Naboth; God forbidden that the Senate of jezreel should forge a perjury, belie truth, condemn innocency, broke corruption: Command just things, we are ready to die in the zeal of our obedience, we dare not imbrue our hands in the blood of an innocent. But she knew whom she had engaged; whom she had marred by making conscious. It were strange if they who can countenance evil with greatness, should want factors for the uniustest designs. Miserable is that people whose Rulers (in stead of punishing) plot, and encourage wickedness; when a distillation of evil falls from the head, upon the lungs of any State, there must needs follow a deadly consumption. Yet, perhaps there wanted not some colour of pretence for this proceeding; They could not but hear, that some words had passed betwixt the King and Naboth; Haply it was suggested, that Naboth had secretly over-lashed into saucy and contemptuous terms to his Sovereign, such as neither might be well borne, nor yet (by reason of their privacy) legally convinced; the bench of jezreel should but supply a form to the just matter, and desert of condemnation; What was it for them to give their hand to this obscure midwifery of justice? It is enough that their King is an accuser and witness of that wrong, which only their sentence can formally revenge. All this cannot wash their hands from the guilt of blood; If justice be blind, in respect of partiality, she may not be blind in respect of the grounds of execution; Had Naboth been a blasphemer, or a traitor, yet these men were no better than murderers; What difference is there betwixt the stroke of Magistracy, and of manslaughter, but due conviction? Wickedness never spoke out of a Throne, and complained of the defect of instruments; Naboth was (it seems) strictly conscionable, his fellow Citizens lose, & lawless; they are glad to have gotten such an opportunity of his dispatch: No clause of Ahabs' letter is not observed; A fast is warned, the city is assembled, Naboth is convented, accused, confronted, sentenced, stoned. His vineyard is escheated to the Crown; Ahab takes speedy and quiet possession; How still doth God sit in heaven, and look upon the complots of treachery and villainies, as if they did not concern him: The success so answers their desires, as if both heaven and earth were their friends. It is the plague, which seems the felicity of sinners, to speed well in their lewd enterprises; No reckoning is brought in the midst of the meal, the end pays for all; Whiles Ahab is rejoicing in his new garden-plot, and promising himself contentment, in this commodious enlargement, in comes Elijah, sent from God with an errand of vengeance. Me thinks, I see how the King's countenance changed; with what aghast eyes, and pale cheeks, he looked upon that unwelcome Prophet; Little pleasure took he in his prospect, whiles it was clogged with such a guest: yet his tongue gins first; Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Great is the power of conscience: upon the last meeting (for aught we know) Ahab and Elijah parted friends: The Prophet had lacquaied his coach, and took a peaceable leave at this Town's end; now Ahabs heart told him (neither needed any other messenger) that God, and his Prophet were fall'n out with him; His continuing Idolatry, now seconded with blood, bids him look for nothing but frowns from heaven: A guilty heart can never be at peace; Had not Ahab known how ill he had deserved of God, he had never saluted his Prophet by the name of an enemy; He had never been troubled to be found by Elijah, if his own breast had not found him out for an enemy to God; Much good may thy vineyard do thee, O thou King of Israel, many fair flowers, and savoury herbs may thy new Garden yield thee; please thyself with thy jezebel, in the triumph over the carcase of a scrupulous subject; let me rather die with Naboth, then rejoice with thee: His turn is over, thine is to come; The stones that overwhelmed innocent Naboth, were nothing to those that smite thee; Hast thou killed, & also taken possession? thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. What meanest thou, O Elijah, to charge this murder upon Ahab? He kept his Chamber, jezebel wrote, the Elders condemned, the people stoned; yet thou sayest, Hast thou killed? Well did Ahab know, that jezebel could not give this vineyard with dry hands; yet was he content to wink at what she would do; He but sits still whiles jezebel works; Only his Signet is suffered to walk for the sealing of this unknown purchase; Those that are trusted with authority, may offend no less in connivency, or neglect, than other in act, in participation: Not only command, consent, countenance, but very permission feoffs public persons in those sins, which they might, and will not prevent. God love's to punish by retaliation; Naboth and Ahab shall both bleed; Naboth by the stones of the jezreelites; Ahab by the shafts of the Aramites; The dogs shall taste of the blood of both; What Ahab hath done in cruelty, he shall suffer in justice; The cause and the end make the difference happy on Naboths side, on Ahabs woeful; Naboth bleeds as a Martyr; Ahab as a murderer: What ever is Ahabs' condition, Naboth changes a vineyard on earth, for a Kingdom in heaven. Never any wicked man gained by the persecution of an innocent; Never any innocent man was a loser by suffering from the wicked. Neither was this judgement personal, but hereditary; I will take away thy posterity; and will make thine house like the house of jeroboam: Him that dieth of Ahab in the City, the Dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field, shall the Fowls of the air eat; Ahab shall not need to take thought for the traducing of this ill gotten inheritance; God hath taken order for his heirs; whom his sin hath made no less the heirs of his curse, then of his body; Their father's cruelty to Naboth hath made them, together with their mother jezebel, dogs-meat. The revenge of God doth at last make amends for the delay; Whether now is Naboths vineyard paid for? The man that had sold himself to work wickedness, yet rues the bargain. I do not hear Ahab (as bad as he was) revile or threaten the Prophet, but he rends his clothes, and wears, and lies in sackcloth, and fasts and walks softly: Who that had seen Ahab would not have deemed him a true penitent? All this was the visor of sorrow, not the face; or if the face, not the heart; or if the sorrow of the heart, yet not the repentance: A sorrow for the judgement, not a repentance for the sin: The very devils howl to be tormented; Grief is not ever a sign of grace; Ahab rends his clothes, he did not rend his heart; he puts on sackcloth, not amendment; he lies in sackcloth, but he lies in his Idolatry; he walks softly, he walks not sincerely; worldly sorrow causeth death; Happy is that grief for which the soul is the holier. Yet what is this I see? This very shadow of penitence caries away mercy; It is no small mercy to defer an evil; Even Ahabs humiliation shall prorogue the judgement; such as the penitence was, such shall be the reward; a temporary reward of a temporary penitence: As Ahab might be thus sorrowful, and never the better; so, he may be thus favoured, and never the happier; Oh God, how graciously art thou ready to reward a sound, and holy repentance, who art thus indulgent to a carnal and servile dejection. AHAB and MICAIAH: OR, The Death of AHAB. WHo would have looked to have hard any more of the wars of the Syrians, with Israel, after so great a slaughter, after so firm a league; a league not of peace only, but of Brotherhood; The halter's, the sackcloth of Benhadad's followers were worn out, as of use, so of memory, and now they are changed for Iron and steel. It is but three years that this peace lasts; and now that war gins which shall make an end of Ahab: The King of Israel rues his unjust mercy; according to the word of the Prophet, that gift of a life, was but an exchange; Because Ahab gave Benhadad his life; Benhadad shall take Ahabs; He must forfeit in himself what he hath given to another. There can be no better fruit of too much kindness to Infidels: It was one Article of the league betwixt Ahab and his brother Benhadad, that there should be a speedy restitution of all the Israelitish Cities; The rest are yielded, only Ramoth Gilead is held back, unthankfully, injuriously: He that begged but his life, receives his Kingdom, and now rests not content with his own bounds: justly doth Ahab challenge his own, justly doth he move a war to recover his own from a perfidious tributary; the lawfulness of actions may not be judged by the events, but by the grounds; the wise and holy arbiter of the world knows why many times the better cause hath the worse success: Many a just business is crossed, for a punishment to the agent. Yet Israel and juda were now peeced in friendship; jehosaphat the good King of juda had made affinity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Israel: and, besides a personal visitation, joins his forces with his new Kinsman, against an old confederate; juda had called in Syria against Israel; and now Israel calls in juda against Syria: Thus rather should it be: It is fit that the more pure Church should join with the more corrupt, against a common Paganish enemy. jehosaphat hath matched with Ahab; not with a divorce of his devotion. He will fight, not without God; Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord, to day: Had he done thus sooner; I fear Athaliah had never called him father; This motion was news in Israel: It was want to be said, Inquire of Baal; The good King of judah will bring Religion into fashion in the Court of Israel; Ahab had inquired of his counsellor, What needed he be so devout, as to inquire of his Prophets? Only jehosaphats presence made him thus godly; It is an happy thing to converse with the virtuous; their counsel and example cannot but leave some tincture behind them of a good profession, if not of piety: Those that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affairs; with him they can be as valiant, as timorous without him. Ahab had Clergy enough, such as it was; Four hundred Prophets of the groves were reserved from appearing to Elijahs challenge; these are now consulted by Ahab; they live to betray the life of him who saved theirs. These care not so much to inquire what God would say, as what Ahab would have them say; they saw which way the King's heart was bend, that way they bend their tongues: Go up, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the King: False Prophets care only to please; a plausible falsehood passes with them above an harsh truth. Had they seen Ahab fearful, they had said, Peace, Peace; now they see him resolute, war and victory; It is a fearful presage of ruin when the Prophets conspire in assentation. Their number consent, confidence hath easily won credit with Ahab; We do all willingly believe what we wish: jehosaphat is not so soon satisfied; These Prophets were (it is like) obtruded to him (a stranger) for the true Prophets of the true God: The judicious King sees cause to suspect them, and now perceiving at what altars they served, hates to rest in their testimony; Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, beside, that we might inquire of him? One single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God, is more worth than four hundred Baalites; Truth may not ever be measured by the poll. It is not number, but weight that must carry it in a Council of Prophets: A solid Verity in one mouth is worthy to preponderate light falsehood in a thousand. Even King Ahab (as bad as he was) kept tale of his Prophets; and could give account of one that was missing; There is yet one man (Michaiah the son of judah) by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. It is very probable that Michaiah was that disguised Prophet, who brought to Ahab the fearful message of displeasure, and death for dismissing Benhadad, for which he was ever since fast in prison, deep in disgrace: Oh corrupt heart of self condemned Ahab: If Micaiah spoke true to thee, how was it evil? If others said false, how was it good? and if Micaiah spoke from the Lord, why dost thou hate him? This hath wont to be the ancient lot of Truth, censure and hatred; Censure of the message, hatred of the bearer. To carnal ears the message is evil, if unpleasing; and if plausible, good: If it be sweet, it cannot be poison: if bitter, it cannot be wholesome: The distemper of the receiver is guilty of this misconceit: In itself every truth as it is good, so amiable; every falsehood loathsome, as evil: A sick palate cries out of the taste of those liquors, which are well allowed of the heathfull. It is a sign of a good state of the soul, when every verdure can receive his proper judgement. Wise and good jehosaphat dissuades Ahab from so hard an opinion, and sees cause so much more to urge the consultation of Michaiah, by how much he finds him more unpleasing: The King of Israel, to satisfy the importunity of so great, and dear an ally, sends an Officer for Michaiah; He knew well (belike) where to find him; within those four walls, where unjust cruelty had disposed of that innocent Seer; Out of the obscurity of the prison, is the poor Prophet fetched in the light of so glorious a Confession of two Kings; who thought this Convocation of Prophets not unworthy of their greatest representation of State ad Majesty; There he finds Zedekiah, the leader of that false crew, not speaking only, but acting his prediction: Signs were no less used by the Prophets, than words; this arch-flatterer hath made him bornes of iron; the horn is forceable, the iron irresistible; by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians; as if there were more certainty in this man's hands then in his tongue; If this son of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of brass for impudence, and a heart of Lead for flexiblenesse to humours, and times, he had never devised these horns of iron; wherewith his King was gored unto blood: Howsoever, it is enough for him that he is believed, that he is seconded; All the great Inquest of these Prophets gave up their verdict by this foreman; not one of four hundred dissented: unanimity of opinion in the greatest Ecclesiastical assemblies is not ever an argument of truth; There may be as common, and as firm agreement in error. The messenger that came from Michaiah, like a carnal friend, sets him in a way of favour; tells him what the rest said, how they pleased; how unsafe it would be for him to , how beneficial to assent: Those that adore earthly greatness, think every man should dote upon their Idols; and hold no terms too high their ambitious purchases. Faithful Micaiah scorns the motion, he knows the price of the word, and contemns it, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak; Neither fears, nor favours can tempt the holily resolute; They can trample upon dangers, or honours, with a careless foot; and whether they be smiled or frowned on by the great, dare not either alter, or conceal their errand. The question is moved to Micaiah; He at first so yields, that he contradicts; yields in words, contradicts in pronunciation; The syllables are for them, the sound against them: Ironies deny strongest in affirming; and now being pressed home, he tells them that God had showed him those sheep of Israel should ere long, by this means, want their Shepherd; The very resemblance, to a good Prince, had been affective; The sheep is an helpless creature, not able either to guard or guide itself; all the safety, all the direction of it, is from the keeper; without whom, every cur chases and werries it, every track seduceth it; Such shall Israel soon be, if Ahab be ruled by his Prophets; The King of Israel doth not believe, but quarrel; not at himself, who had deserved evil, but at the Prophet, who foresignified it, and is more careful that the King of juda should mark how true he had foretell concerning the Prophet, then how the Prophet had foretell concerning him. Bold Micaiah (as no whit discouraged with the unjust checks of greatness) doubles his prediction, and by a second vision particularizeth the means of this dangerous error; Whiles the two Kings sat majestically in their Thrones, he tells them of a more glorious Throne, then theirs, whereon he saw the King of Gods sitting; Whiles they were compassed with some hundreds of Prophets, & thousands of Subjects, and Soldiers, he tells them of all the host of heaven, attending that other Throne; Whiles they were deliberating of a war, he tells them of a God of heaven justly decreeing the judgement of a deadly deception to Ahab; This decree of the highest is not more plainly revealed, then expressed parabolically. The wise and holy God is represented, after the manner of men, consulting of that ruin, which he intended to the wicked King of Israel; That increated, and infinite wisdom, needs not the advice of any finite, and created powers, to direct him, needs not the assent, and aid of any spirit for his execution; much less of an evil one; yet here an evil spirit is brought in (by way of vision mixed with parable) profeting the service of his lie, accepted, employed, successful; These figures are not void of truth; The action and event is reduced to a decree; the decree is shadowed out by the resemblance of humane proceed; All evil motions, and counsels are originally from that malignant Spirit; That evil spirit could have no power over men, but by the permission, by the decree of the Almighty: That Almighty, as he is no Author of sin, so he ordinates' all evil to good; It is good that is just; it is just that one sin should be punished by another: Satan is herein no other than the executioner of that God, who is as far from infusing evil, as from not revenging it. Now Ahab sees the ground of that applauded consent of his rabble of Prophets; one evil spirit hath no less deceived them, than they their master; he is one, therefore he agrees with himself; he is evil, therefore both he & they agree in deceit. Oh the noble and undaunted spirit of Micaiah; neither the Thrones of the Kings, nor the number of the Prophets could abate one word of his true (though displeasing) message; The King of Israel shall hear, that he is misled by liars, they by a devil; Surely jehoshaphat cannot but wonder at so unequal a contention; to see one silly Prophet affronting four hundred; with whom lest confidence should carry it, behold Zedekiah more bold, more zealous; If Michaiah have given him (with his fellows) the lie, he gives Michaiah the fist: Before these two great Guardians of peace, and justice, swaggering Zedekiah smites Michaiah on the face; and with the blow expostulates; Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak unto thee? For a Prophet to smite a Prophet, in the face of two Kings, was intolerably insolent; the act was much unbeseeming the person, more the presence; Prophets may reprove, they may not strike; It was enough for Ahab to punish with the hand; no weapon was for Zedekiah, but his tongue; neither could this rude presumption have been well taken, if malice had not made magistracy insensible of this usurpation: Ahab was well content to see that hated mouth beaten by any hand. It is no new condition of God's faithful messengers to smart for saying true. Falshood doth not more bewray itself in any thing, then in blows; Truth suffers, whiles error persecutes: None are more ready to boast of the Spirit of God, than those that have the least; As in vessels the full are silent. Innocent Michaiah, neither defends, nor complains; It would have well beseemed the religious King of judah, to have spoken in the cause of the dumb, to have checked insolent Zedekiah: He is content to give way to this tide of peremptory, and general opposition: The helpless Prophet stands alone, yet lays about him with his tongue, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber, to hide thyself. Now the proud Baalite shown himself too much; ere long he shall be glad to lurk unseen; his horns of iron cannot bear off this danger. The son of Ahab cannot choose; but in the zeal of revenging his father's deadly seducement, call for that false head of Zedekiah: In vain shall that Impostor seek to hide himself from justice: But, in the mean while, he goes away with honour: Michaiah with censure. Take Michaiah, and carry him back to Amon, the Governor of the City, and to joash the King's son; and say, Thus saith the King, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. An hard doom of Truth; The jail for his lodging; course bread and water for his food, shall but reserve Michaiah for a further revenge. The return of Ahab shall be the bane of the Prophet: Was not this he that advised Benhadad, not to boast in putting on his Armour, as in the ungirding it; and doth he now promise himself peace and victory, before he buckle it on? No warning will dissuade the wilful; So assured doth Ahab make himself of success, that he threats ere he go, what he will do when he returns in peace: How justly doth God deride the misreckoning of proud and foolish men; If Ahab had had no other sins, his very confidence shall defeat him; yet the Prophet cannot be overcome in his resolution; he knows his grounds cannot deceive him, and dare therefore cast the credit of his function upon this issue: If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me: And he said, Harken, O people, every one of you; Let him never be called a Prophet, that dare not trust his God: This was no adventure therefore of reputation, or life; since he knew whom he believed, the event was no less sure, then if it had been past; He is no God that is not constant to himself; Hath he spoken, and shall he not perform? What hold have we for our souls, but his eternal Word? The being of God is not more sure, than his promises, than his sentences of judgement. Well may we appeal the testimony of the world in both: If there be not plagues for the wicked; if there be not rewards for the righteous; God hath not spoken by us. Not Ahab only, but good jehoshaphat is carried with the multitude; Their forces are joined against Ramoth: The King of Israel doth not so trust his Prophets, that he dares trust himself in his own : Thus shall he elude Michaiahs' threat; Iwis the judgement of God, the Syrian shafts cannot find him out in this unsuspected disguise: How fond do vain men imagine to shift off the just revenges of the Almighty? The King of Syria gives charge to his Captains to fight against none, but the King of Israel: Thus doth the unthankful Infidel repay the mercy of his late victor; Ill was the Snake saved, that requites the favour of his life, with a sting: Thus still the greatest are the fairest mark to envious eyes. By how much more eminent any man is in the Israel of God, so many more, and more dangerous enemies must he expect; Both earth and hell conspire in their opposition to the worthiest. Those who are advanced above others, have so much more need of the guard, both of their own vigilancy, and others prayers. jehoshaphat had like to have paid dear for his love: He is pursued, for him, in whose amity he offended: His cries deliver him; his cries, not to his pursuers, but to his God; whose mercy takes not advantage of our infirmity, but rescues us from those evils, which we wilfully provoke: It is Ahab against whom; not the Syrians only, but God himself intends this quarrel: The enemy is taken off from jehoshaphat: Oh the just and mighty hand of that divine providence, which directeth all our actions to his own ends; which takes order where every shaft shall light; and guides the arrow of the strong Archer, into the joints of Ahabs' harness: It was shot at a venture, falls by a destiny; and there falls, where it may carry death to an hidden debtor: In all actions, both voluntary and casual, thy will, O God, shall be done by us, with what ever intentions. Little did the Syrian know whom he had stricken, no more than the arrow wherewith he struck: An invisible hand disposed of both, to the punishment of Ahab, to the vindication of Michaiah: How worthily, O God, art thou to be adored in thy justice, and wisdom, to be feared in thy judgements. Too late doth Ahab now think of the fair warnings of Michaiah, which he unwisely contemned; of the painful flatteries of Zedekiah, which he stubbornly believed; That guilty blood of his runs down out of his wound, into the midst of his chariot, and pays Naboth his arerages: O Ahab, what art thou the better for thine ivory house, whiles thou hast a black soul? What comfort hast thou now, in those flattering Prophets, which tickled thine cares, and secured thee of victories? What joy is it to thee now, that thou wast great? Who had not rather be a Michaiah in the jail, than Ahab in the Chariot? Wicked men have the advantage of the way, godly men of the end: The Chariot is washed in the pool of Samaria, the dogs come to claim their due: they lick up the blood of the great King of Israel: The tongues of those brute creatures shall make good the tongue of God's Prophet: Michaiah is justified, Naboth is revenged, the Baalites confounded, Ahab judged; Righteous art thou O God in all thy ways, and holy in all thy works. AHAzIAH sick, and ELIJAH revenged. AHaziah succeeds his father Ahab, both in his throne, and in his sin: Who could look for better issue of those loins, of those examples? God follows him with a double judgement; of the revolt of Moab; and of his own sickness: All the reign of Ahab, had Moab been a quiet Tributary; and furnished Israel with rich flocks, and fleeces; now their subjection dies with that warlike King, and will not be inherited: This rebellion took advantage, as from the weaker spirits, so from the sickly body of Ahaziah, whose disease was not natural, but casual: walking in his palace of Samaria, some grate in the floor of his Chamber, breaks under him, and gives way to that fall, whereby he is bruised, and languisheth: The same hand that guided Ahabs shaft, cracks Ahaziahs' lattesse: How infinite variety of plagues hath the just GOD for obstinate sinners? whether in the field or in the chamber, he knows to find them out: How fearlessly did Ahaziah walk on his wont pavement? The Lord hath laid a trap for him, whereinto, whiles he thinks least, he falls irrecoverably: No place is safe for the man that is at variance with God. The body of Ahaziah was not more sick, than his soul was graceless: None but chance was his enemy, none but the God of Ekron must be his friend: He looks not up to the Omnipotent hand of divine justice for the disease, or of mercy for the remedy: An Idol is his refuge, whether for cure, or intelligence: We hear not till now of Baalzebub: this new God of flies is (perhaps) of his making, who now is a suitor to his own erection: All these heathen Deities were but a Devil, with change of appellations; the influence of that evil spirit deluded those miserable clients; else, there was no fly so impotent as that outside of the god of Ekron: Who would think that any Israelite could so fare dote upon a stock or a Fiend? Time gathered much credit to this Idol; in so much as the jews afterwards styled Beel-zebub, the Prince of all the regions of darkness: Ahaziah is the first that brings his Oracle in request, and pays him the tribute of his devotion: He sends messengers, and says, Go inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease: The message was either idle, or wicked: idle, if he sent it to a stock; if to a devil, both idle and wicked. What can the most intelligent spirits know of future things, but what they see either in their causes, or in the light of participation: What a madness was it in Ahaziah to seek to the postern, whiles the foregate stood open? Can those evil spirits truly foretell events no way pre-existent, yet they might not, without sin, be consulted; the evil of their nature debars all the benefit of their information: If not as intelligencers, much less may they be sought to, as gods: who cannot blush to hear and see, that even the very Evangelicall Israel should yield Pilgrims to the shrines of darkness? How many, after this clear light of the Gospel, in their losses, in their sicknesses, send to these infernal Oracles, and damn themselves wilfully, in a vain curiosity: The message of the jealous God intercepts them, with a just disdain, as here by Elijah, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? What can be a greater disparagement to the True God then to be neglected, then to stand aside, and see us make love to an hellish rival? were there no God in Israel, in heaven, what could we do other? what worse? This affront of what ever Ahaziah cannot escape without a revenge: Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thou shalt not come down from that bed, on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. It is an high indignity to the True God, not to be sought to, in our necessities; but so to be cashiered from our devotions, as to have a false god thrust in his room, is such a scorn, as it is well if it can escape with one death: Let now the famous god of Ekron take off that brand of feared mortality, which the living God hath set upon Ahaziah: Let Baalzebub make good some better news to his distressed suppliant: Rather the King of Israel is himself (without his repentance) hasting to Beel-zebub. This errand is soon done; The messengers are returned, ere they go: Not a little were they amazed to hear their secret message from another's mouth; neither could choose but think: He that can tell what Ahaziah said, what he thought, can foretell how he shall speed: We have met with a greater God than we went to seek; what need we inquire for another answer: With this conceit, with this report, they return to their sick Lord, and astonish him with so short, so sad a relation: No marvel if the King inquired curiously of the habit, and fashion of the man, that could know this, that durst say this: They describe him a man whether of an hairy skin, or of rough, course, careless attire; thus dressed, thus girded: Ahaziah readily apprehends it to be Elijah, the old friend of his father Ahab, of his mother jezebel: More than once had he seen him (an unwelcome guest) in the Court of Israel: The times had been such, that the Prophet could not at once speak true, and please: Nothing but reproofs and menaces sounded from the mouth of Elijah; Michaiah and he were still as welcome to the eyes of that guilty Prince, as the Syrian arrow was into his flesh: Too well therefore had Ahaziah noted that querulous Seer, and now is not a little troubled to see himself (in succession) haunted with that bold, and illboding spirit. Behold the true son of jezebel; the anguish of his disease, the expectation of death cannot take off the edge of his persecution of Elijah: It is against his will that his deathbed is not bloody: Had Ahaziah meant any other than a cruel violence to Elijah, he had sent a peaceable messenger, to call him to the Court, he had not sent a Captain, with a band of Soldiers, to fetch him: the instruments which he useth, carry revenge in their face: If he had not thought Elijah more than a man, what needed a band of fifty to apprehend one? and if he did think him such, why would he send to apprehend him by fifty? Surely Ahaziah knew of old how miraculous a Prophet Elijah was: what power that man had over all their base Deities: what command of the Elements, of the heavens: and yet he sends to attach him. It is a strange thing to see how wilfully godless men strive against the stream of their own hearts: hating that which they know good, fight against that which they know divine. What a gross disagreement is in the message of this Israelitish Captain? Thou man of God, the King hath said, Come down; If he were a man of God, how hath he offended? and if he have justly offended the anointed of God, how is he a man of God? And if he be a man of God, and have not offended, why should he come down to punishment? Here is a kind confession, with a false heart, with bloody hands: The world is full of these windy courtesies, real cruelties: Deadly malice lurks under fair compliments, and whiles it flatters, killeth. The Prophet hides not himself from the pursuit of Ahaziah; rather he sits where he may be most conspicuous, on the top of an Hill: this band knows well where to find him; and climbs up, in the fight of Elijah, for his arrest: The steepness of the ascent (when they drew near to the highest reach) yielded a convenience both of respiration and parley: thence doth the Captain imperiously call down the Prophet. Who would not tremble at the dreadful answer of Elijah, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee, and thy fifty: What shall we say? That a Prophet is revengeful, that Soldiers suffer whiles a Prophet strikes; that a Prince's command is answered with imprecation, words with fire, that an unarmed Seer should kill one and fifty at a blow? There are few tracks of Elijah that are ordinary, and fit for common feet: His actions are more for wonder, then for precedent: Not in his own defence would the Prophet have been the death of so many, if God had not by a peculiar instinct made him an instrument of this just vengeance. The divine justice finds it meet to do this for the terror of Israel, that he might teach them, what it was to contemn, to persecute a Prophet; that they might learn to fear him whom they had forsaken, and confess that heaven was sensible of their insolences, and impieties: If not as visibly, yet as certainly doth God punish the violations of his ordinances, the affronts offered to his messengers, still and ever: Not ever with the same speed: sometimes, the punishment overtakes the act: sometimes dogs it afar off, and seizeth upon the offender, when his crime is forgotten. Here, no sooner is the word out of Elijahs mouth, than the fire is out of Heaven. Oh the wonderful power of a Prophet! There sits Elijah in his course Mantle, on the top of the Hill, and commands the heavens, and they obey him, Let fire fall down from heaven; He needs no more but say what he would have done: The fire falls down, as before, upon the sacrifice in Carmel, so now upon the Soldiers of Ahaziah: What is man in the hands of his Maker? One flash of lightning hath consumed these one and fifty. And if all the hosts of Israel, yea of the world, had been in their rooms, there had needed no other force. What madness is it for him whose breath is in his nostrils, to contend with the Almighty? The time was, when two zealous Disciples would fain have imitated this fiery revenge of Elijah, and were repelled with a check: The very place puts them in mind of the judgement: Not fare from Samaria was this done by Elijah, and wished to be done by the Disciples: So churlish a rejection of a Saviour seemed no less heinous, than the endeavour of apprehending a Prophet: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, as Elias did. The world yielded but one Elias; That which was zeal in him, might be fury in another, the least variation of circumstance may make an example dangerous; presently therefore do they hear, Ye know not of what spirit ye are: It is the calling that varies the spirit; Elijah was God's Minister for the execution of so severe a judgement, they were but the Servants of their own impotent anger; there was fire in their breasts, which God never kindled: fare was it from the Saviour of men, to second their earthly fire, with his heavenly: He came indeed to send fire upon earth; but to warm, not to burn; and if to burn, not the persons of men, but their corruptions: How much more safe is it for us to follow the meek Prophet of the New Testament, than that fervent Prophet of the Old: Let the matter of our prayers be the sweet dews of mercy, not the fires of vengeance. Would not any man have thought Ahaziah sufficiently warned by so terrible a judgement: Can he choose but say, It is no meddling with a man that can speak lightning and death: What he hath said concerning me, is too well approved by what he hath done to my Messengers; God's hand is with him, mine shall not be against him: Yet, now, behold, the rage of Ahaziah is so much the more kindled by this fire from heaven; and a more resolute Captain, with a second band, is send to fetch Elijah to death; This man is in haste; and commands not only his descent, but his speed; Come down quickly: The charge implies a threat; Elijah must look for force, if he yield not: There needs no other weapon for defence, for offence, than the same tongue, the same breath: God hath fire enough for all the troops of Ahaziah: Immediately, doth a sudden flame break out of heaven, and consume this forward Leader, and his bold followers: It is a just presage and desert of ruin, not to be warned: Worthily are they made examples, that will not take them. What Marble, or Flint is harder than a wicked heart? As if Ahaziah would despitefully spit in the face of heaven, and wrestle a fall with the Almighty, he will needs yet again set a third Captain, upon so desperate an employment: How hot a service must this Commander needs think himself put upon? Who can but pity his straits? There is death before him, death behind him: If he go not, the King's wrath is the messenger of death: if he go, the Prophet's tongue is the executioner of death; Many an hard task will follow the service of a Prince wedded to his passion, divorced from God: Unwillingly, doubtless, and fearfully doth this Captain climb up the Hill, to scale that impregnable Fort; but now, when he comes near to the assault, the battery that he lays to it, is his prayers; his surest fight is upon his knees: He went up, and came, and fell upon his knees, before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight: he confesses the judgement that befell his Predecessors; the monuments of their destruction were in his eye, and the terror of it, in his heart; of an enemy therefore he is become a suppliant, and sues not so much for the Prophet's yeeldance, as for his own life: This was the way to offer violence to the Prophet of God, to the God of that Prophet, even humble supplications; We must deprecate that evil, which we would avoid: if we would force blessings, we must entreat them: There is nothing to be gotten from God by strong hand, any thing by suit. The life of the Captain is preserved: Elijah is by the Angel commanded to go down with him, speedily, fearelesly. The Prophet casts not with himself: What safety can there be in this journey? I shall put myself into the hands of rude Soldiers, and by them, into the hands of an enraged King; if he did not eagerly thirst after my blood, he had never sought it, with so much loss: But, so soon as he had a charge from the Angel, he walks down resolutely, and (as it were) dares the dangers of so great an hostility: He knew that the same God, who had fought for him, upon the hill, would not leave him in the Valley; he knew that the Angel which bade him go, was guard enough against a world of enemies. Faith knows not how to fear; and can as easily contemn the suggestion of perils, as infidelity can raise them. The Prophet looks boldly upon the Court; which doubtless was not a little disaffected to him, and comes confidently into the bedchamber of Ahaziah; and sticks not to speak over the same words to his head, which he had sent him not long since by his first messengers: Not one syllable will the Prophet abate of his errand: It is not for an Herald of Heaven to be out of countenance; or to mince aught of the most kill messages of his God. Whether the inexpected confidence both of the man, and of the speech amazed the sick King of Israel, or whether the fear of some present judgement (wherewith he might suspect Elijah to come armed upon any act of violence that should be offered) overawed him; or whether now at the last, upon the sight and hearing of this man of God, the King's heart began to relent, and check itself for that sin, for which he was justly reproved: I know not; but sure I am, the Prophet goes away untouched; neither the furious purposes of Ahaziah, nor the exasperations of a jezebel can hurt that Prophet, whom God hath intended to a fiery Chariot: The hearts of Kings are not their own: Subjects are not so much in their hands, as they are in their Makers: How easily can God tame the fierceness of any creature, and in the midst of their most heady career, stop them on the sudden, and fetched them upon the knees of their humble submission: It is good trusting God with the events of his own commands; who can at pleasure either avert evils, or improve them to good. According to the word of the Prophet, Ahaziah dies: not two whole years doth he sit in the Throne of Israel: which he now must yield (in the want of children) to his brother. Wickedness shortens his reign; he had too much of Ahab, and jezebel, to expect the blessing, either of length, or prosperity of government: As always in the other, so ofttimes in this world doth God testify his anger to wicked men: Some live long, that they may aggravate their judgement; others die soon, that they may hasten it. The Rapture of ELIJAH. LOng and happily hath Elijah fought the wars of his God; and now after his noble, and glorious victories, God will send him a Chariot of Triumph: Not suddenly would God snatch away his Prophet without warning, without expectation; but acquaints him beforehand with the determination of his glory. How full of heavenly joy was the soul of Elijah, whiles he foreknew, and looked for this instant happiness: With what contempt did he cast his eyes upon that earth which he was now presently to leave? with what ravishment of an inward pleasure did he look upon that heaven which he was to enjoy? For a meet farewell to the earth, Elijah will go visit the schools of the Prophets, before his departure: These were in his way: Of any part of the earth they were nearest unto Heaven: In an holy progress therefore he walks his last round, from Gilgal, (near jordan) to Bethel, from Bethel to jericho, from jericho to jordan again: In all these sacred Colleges of Divines, he meant to leave the legacy of his love, counsel, confirmation, blessing. How happy a thing it is, whiles we are upon earth to improve our time & gifts to the best behoof of God's Church? And after the assurance of our own blessedness, to help others to the same heaven? But, O God, who can but wonder at the course of thy wise and powerful administrations? Even in the midst of the degeneration, and Idolatries of Israel hast thou reserved to thyself whole societies of holy Prophets; and out of those sinful and revolted Tribes, hast raised the two great miracles of Prophets, Elijah, and Elisha, in an immediate succession: judah itself under a religious jehoshaphat, yielded not so eminent, and clearly illuminated spirits: The mercy of our provident God will neither be confined, nor excluded: neither confined to the places of public profession, nor excluded from the depraved Congregations of his own people; where he hath loved, he cannot easily be estranged: Rather, where sin abounds, his grace aboundeth much more; and raiseth so much stronger helps, as he sees the dangers greater. Happy was Elisha in the attendance of so gracious a Master, and the more happy that he knows it: Feign would Elijah shake him off at Gilgal; if not there, at Bethel; if not yet there, at jericho. A private message (on which Elijah must go alone) is pretended, from the Lord: Whether shall we say the Prophet did this for the trial of the constant affection of his careful and diligent servant; or, that it was concealed from Elijah that his departure was revealed to Elisha: Perhaps he that knew of his own reception into heaven, did not know what witnesses would be allowed to that miraculous act: and now his humble modesty affected a silent and un-noted passage; Even Elisha knew something that was hid from his Master, now upon the threshold of heaven: No mere creature was ever made of the whole counsel of the Highest: Some things have been disclosed to babes and novices; that have been closed up to the most wise and judicious: In natural speculations the greater wit, and deeper judgement still caries it; but in the revelations of God, the favour of his choice sways all; not the power of our apprehension: The master may both command and entreat his servants stay, in vain: Elisha must be pardoned this holy and zealous disobedience, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee: His master may be withdrawn from him, he will not be withdrawn from his Master. He knew that the blessing was at the parting; and if he had diligently attended all his life, and now slacked in the last act, he had lost the reward of his service. The evening praises the day; and the chief grace of the theatre is in the last Scene: Be faithful to the death, and I will give thee a Crown of life. That Elijah should be translated, and what day he should be translated, God would have no secret: The sons of the Prophets at Bethel, at jericho, both know it, and ask Elisha if he knew it not: Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy Master from thy head this day? and he answered, Yea, I know it, hold ye your peace. How familiarly do these Prophet's inter-know one another? How kindly do they communicate their visions? Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart: The grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment. The removal of an Elijah is so important a business, that it is not fit to be done without noise: Many shall have their share in his loss: he must be miss on the sudden: it was meet therefore that the world should know his rapture should be divine and glorious. I do not find where the day of any natural death is notified to so many; by how much more wonder there was in this Assumption, by so much more shall it be fore-revealed. It is enough for ordinary occurrents to be known in their event: supernatural things have need of premonition, that men's hearts may be both prepared for their receipt, and confirmed in their certainty. Thrice was Elisha entreated, thrice hath he denied, to stay behind his now-departing Master; on whom both his eyes and his thoughts are so fixed, that he cannot give allowance so much as to the interpellation of a question of his fellow-Prophets: Together therefore are this wonderful pair comen to the last stage of their separation, the banks of jordan. Those that were not admitted to be attendants of the journey, yet will not be debarred from being spectators of so marvelous an issue. Fifty men of the sons of the Prophets, went and stood to view afar off; I marvel there were no more: How could any son of the Prophets stay within the College walls that day; when he knew what was meant to Elijah? Perhaps, though they knew that to be the Prophet's last day; yet they might think his disparition should be sudden, and insensible; beside, they found how much he affected secrecy in this intended departure: yet the fifty Prophets of jericho will make proof of their eyes, and with much intention assay who shall have the last sight of Elijah: Miracles are not purposed to silence and obscurity: God will not work wonders without witnesses; since he doth them on purpose to win glory to his name, his end were frustrate without their notice. Even so, O Saviour, when thou hadst raised thyself from the dead, thou wouldst be seen of more than five hundred brethren at once; and when thou wouldst raise up thy glorified body from earth into Heaven, thou didst not ascend from some close valley, but from the Mount of Olives; not in the night, not alone, but in the clear day, in the view of many eyes; which were so fixed upon that point of thine heaven, that they could scarce be removed by the check of Angels. jordan must be crossed by Elijah in his way to heaven: There must be a meet parallel betwixt the two great Prophets, that shall meet Christ upon Tabor; Moses and Elias; Both received visions on Horeb, to both God appeared there in fire, and other forms of terror; both were sent to Kings; one to Pharaoh, the other to Ahab: Both prepared miraculous Tables, the one of Quails and Manna in the Desert, the other of Meal and Oil in Sarepta: Both opened heaven, the one for that nourishing dew, the other for those refreshing showers: Both revenged Idolatries with the sword, the one upon the worshippers of the golden Calf, the other upon the four hundred Baalites: Both quenched the drought of Israel, the one out of the Rock, the other out of the Cloud: Both divided the waters, the one of the Red Sea, the other of jordan: Both of them are forewarned of their departure: Both must be fetched away beyond jordan; The body of Elijah is translated, the body of Moses is hid: What Moses doth by his Rod, Elijah doth by his Mantle; with that he smites the Waters, and they (as fearing the divine power which wrought with the Prophet) run away from him; and stand on heaps, leaving their dry channel for the passage of those awful feet: It is not long since he mulcted them with a general exsiccation: now he only bids them stand aside, and give way to his last walk; that he might with dry feet mount up into the celestial chariot. The waters do not now first obey him: they know that Mantle of old; which hath oft given laws to their falling, rising, standing: they are passed over; and now when Elijah finds himself treading on his last earth, he proffers a munificent boon to his faithful servant, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken from thee; I do not hear him say, Ask of me when I am gone; In my glorified condition, I shall be more able to bestead thee; but, ask before I go. We have a communion with the Saints departed, not a commerce: when they are enabled to do more for us, they are less apt to be solicited by us: It is safe suing where we are sure that we are heard. Had not Elijah received a peculiar instinct for this proffer, he had not been thus liberal: It were presumption to be bountiful on another's cost, without leave of the owner: The mercy of our good God allows his favourites not only to receive, but to give: not only to receive for themselves, but to convey blessings to others: What can that man want that is befriended of the faithful? Elisha needs not go fare to seek for a suit; It was in his heart, in his mouth: Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. Every Prophet must be a son to Elijah; but Elisha would be his heir, and craves the happy right of his primogeniture, the double share to his brethren: It was not wealth, nor safety, nor ease, nor honour that Elisha cares for, the world lies open before him, he may take his choice: the rest he contemneth, nothing will serve him but a large measure of his master's spirit: No carnal thought was guilty of this sacred ambition: Affectation of eminence was too base a conceit to fall into that man of God: He saw that the times needed strong convictions, he saw that he could not otherwise wield the succession to such a Master, therefore he sues for a double portion of spirit; the spirit of prophecy to foreknow, the spirit of power to work: We cannot be too covetous, too ambitious of spiritual gifts, such especially as may enable us to win most advantage to God in our vocations. Our wishes are the true touchstone of our estate; such as we wish to be, we are: worldly hearts affect earthly things; spiritual, divine: we cannot better know what we are indeed, then by what we would be. Elijah acknowledges the difficulty, and promises the grant of so great a request: suspended yet upon the condition of Elishaes' eyesight. If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be: What are the eyes to the furniture of the soul? What power is there in those visive beams to draw down a double portion of Elijahs Spirit? God doth not always look at efficacy & merit in the conditions of our actions, but at the freedom of his own appointments: The eye was only to be employed as the servant of the heart; that the desires might be so much more intended with the sight: Vehemence is the way to speed both in earth, and in Heaven: If but the eyelids of Elisha fall, if his thoughts flacken, his hopes are dashed: There must be fixedness and vigilance; in those that desire double graces. Elijah was going on, and talking, when the Chariot of heaven came to fetch him: Surely, had not that conference been needful and divine, it had given way to meditation: and Elijah had been taken up rather from his knees, then from his feet. There can be no better posture, or state, for the messenger of our dissolution to find us in, then in a diligent prosecution of our calling. The busy attendance of our holy vocation is no less pleasing to God, than an immediate devotion: Happy is the servant whom the master (when he comes) shall find so doing. Oh the singular glory of Elijah! What mortal creature ever had this honour to be visibly fetched by the Angels of God to his heaven? Every soul of the elect is attended and carried to blessedness by those invisible messengers, but, what flesh and blood was ever graced with such a convoy? There are three bodily Inhabitants of Heaven; Henoch, Elijah, our Saviour Christ. The first before the Law; the second under the Law; the third under the Gospel; All three in a several form of translation. Our blessed Saviour raised himself to and above the heavens, by his own immediate power: he ascended as the Son, they as servants: he as God, they as creatures: Elijah ascended by the visible ministry of Angels; Henoch insensibly: Wherefore, O God, hast thou done thus, but to give us a taste of what shall be? to let us see that heaven was never shut to the faithful: to give us assurance of the future glorification of this mortal and corruptible part? Even thus, O Saviour, when thou shalt descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trump of God, we that are alive & remain shall be caught up together with the raised bodies of thy Saints, into the clouds, to meet thee in the air, to dwell with thee in glory. Many forms have those celestial Spirits taken to themselves in their apparitions to men: but of all other, most often hath the Almighty made his messengers a flame of fire: never more properly then here: How had the Spirit of God kindled the hot fires of zeal in the breast of Elijah? How had this Prophet thrice commanded fire from heaven to earth? How fitly now at last do these Seraphical fires carry him from earth to heaven? What do we see in this rapture of Elijah, but violence and terror, whirlwind and fire? two of those fearful representations which the Prophet had in the Rock of Horeb: Never any man entered into glory with ease: Even the most favourable change hath some equivalency to a natural dissolution. Although doubtless to Elijah this fire had a lightsomness and resplendance, not terror: this whirlwind had speed, not violence: Thus hast thou, O Saviour, bidden us when the Elements shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be flaming about our ears, to lift up our heads with joy, because our redemption draweth nigh. Come death, come fire, come whirlwind, they are worthy to be welcome that shall carry us to immortality. This arreption was sudden, yet Elisha sees both the Chariot, and the horses, and the ascent; and cries to his now changed Master, between heaven and earth, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. Shaphat of Abel-meholab, hath yielded this title to Elijah; the natural father of Elisha, to the spiritual; neither of them may be neglected, but, after the yoke o● oxen killed at the farewell, we hear of no more greetings, no more bewailings of his bodily parent●; and now that Elijah is taken from him, he cries out, like a distressed Orphan, My father, my father; and when he hath lost the sight of him, he rends his in pieces, according to the fashion of the most passionate mourners: That Elisha sees his master halfway in heaven, cannot take away the sorrow of his loss: The departure of a faithful Prophet of God is worthy of our lamentation: Neither is it private affection that must sway our grief, but respects to the public: Elisha says not only, My father, but the chariot and horsemen of Israel. That we have forgone a father, should not so much trouble us, as that Israel hath lost his guard. Certainly, the view of this heavenly chariot and horses that came for Elijah, puts Elisha in mind of that chariot and horsemen, which Elijah was to Israel. These were God's chariot, Elijah was theirs: God's chariot and theirs are upon the same wheels mounted into heaven: No forces are so strong as the spiritual; the prayers of an Elijah are more powerful, than all the Armies of flesh: The first thing that this Seer discerns, after the separation of his Master, is, the nakedness of Israel in his loss. If we muster Soldiers, and lose zealous Prophets, it is but a woeful exchange. Elijahs Mantle falls from him in the rising; there was no use of that, whither he was going, there was, whence he was taken: Elisha justly takes up this dear monument of his glorified master: A good supply for his rend garments: This was it which (in presage of his future right) Elijah invested him withal, upon the first sight, when he was ploughing with the twelve yoke of oxen; now it falls from heaven to his possession: I do not fee him adore so precious a relic, I see him take it up, and cast it about him: Pensive and masterless doth he now come back to the banks of jordan, whose stream he must pass in his return to the Schools of the Prophets. Ere while he saw what way that river gave to the Mantle of Elijah; he knew that power was not in the cloth, but in the spirit of him that wore it: to try therefore whether he were no less the heir of that spirit, then of that garment, he took the mantle of Elijah and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Elisha doth not expostulate, and challenge, but pray; As if he said, Lord God it was thy promise to me by my departed master, that if I should see him in his last passage, a double portion of his Spirit should be upon me: I followed him with my eyes in that fire, and whirlwind; now therefore, O God, make good thy gracious Word to thy servant; show some token upon me for good; make this the first proof of the miraculous power wherewith thou shalt endue me: Let jordan give the same way to me, that it gave to my master. Immediately the stream (as acknowledging the same Mantle, though in another hand) divides itself, & yields passage to the successor of Elijah. The fifty sons of the Prophets having been a fare off witnesses of these admirable events, do well see that Elijah (though translated in body) hath yet left his Spirit behind him; they meet Elisha, and bow themselves to the ground before him: It was not the outside of Elijah which they had wont to stoop unto, with so much veneration, it was his Spirit; which since they now find in another subject, they entertain with equal reverence: No envy, no emulation raiseth up their stomaches against Elijahs servant, but where they see eminent graces, they are willingly prostrate. Those that are truly gracious, do no less rejoice in the riches of others gifts, then humbly undervalue their own. These men were trained up in the schools of the Prophets, Elisha at the plough and cart, yet now they stand not upon terms of their worth, and his meanness, but meekly fall down before him whom God will honour: It is not to be regarded who the man is, but whom God would make him. The more unlikely the means is, the more is the glory of the workman: It is the praise of an holy ingenuity to magnify the graces of God where ever it finds them. These young Prophets are no less full of zeal, than reverence; zeal to Elijah, reverence to Elisha: They see Elijah carried up into the air; they knew this was not the first time of his supernatural removal; Imagining it therefore possible that the Spirit of God had cast him upon some remote mountain, or valley, they proffer the labour of their servants to seek him: In some things, even professed Seers are blind: Can they think God would send such a Chariot and horses for a less voyage than heaven. Elisha (knowing his master beyond all the sphere of mortality) forbids them: Good will makes them unmannerly; their importunity urges him till he is ashamed; not his approbation, but their vehemence caries at last a condescent: Else he might perhaps have seemed enviously unwilling to fetch back so admired a Master: and loath to forgo that mantle. Some things may be yielded for the redeeming of our own vexation, and avoidance of others misconstruction, which out of true judgement we see no cause to affect. The messengers tired with three days search, turn back as wise as they went: some men are best satisfied, when they have wearied themselves in their own ways: nothing will teach them wit, but disappointments. Their painful error leads them to a right conceit of Elijahs happier transportation: Those that would find Elijah, let them aspire to the heavenly Paradise: Let them follow the high steps of his sincere faithfulness, strong patience, undaunted courage, fervent zeal; shortly, let them walk in the ways of his holy and constant obedience: at last, God shall send the fiery chariot of death to fetch them up to that heaven of heavens; where they shall triumph in everlasting joys. ELISHA Healing the Waters. Cursing the Children. Relieving the Kings. IT is good making use of a Prophet whiles we have him. Elisha stayed somewhile at jericho; The Citizen's resort to him with a common suit: Their structure was not more pleasant, than their waters unwholesome, and their soil by those corrupt waters: They sue to Elisha for the remedy? Why had they not all this while, made their moan to Elijah? Was it that they were more awed with his greater austerity? Or was it that they met not with so fit an opportunity of his commoration amongst them? It was told them what power Elisha had exercised upon the waters of jordan, and now they ply him for theirs: Examples of beneficence easily move us to a request, and expectation of favours. What ailed the waters of jericho? Surely, originally they were not ill affected: No men could be foolish as to build a city, where neither earth, nor water could be useful: Mere prospect could not carry men to the neglect of health, and profit. Hiel the Bethelite would never have re-edified it with the danger of a curse, so lately as in the days of Ahab, if it had been of old notorious for so foul an annoyance: Not therefore the ancient malediction of joshua, not the neighbourhood of that noisome lake of Sodom, was guilty of this disease of the soil, and waters, but the late sins of the inhabitants. He turneth the rivers into a wilderness, and water springs into a dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein: How oft have we seen the same field both full and famishing? How oft the same waters both safe, and by some irruption, or new tincture, hurtful? Howsoever natural causes may concur, heaven and earth, and air, and waters follow the temper of our souls, of our lives; and are therefore indisposed because we are so: jericho began now to make itself capable of a better state, since it was now become a receptacle of Prophets: Elisha is willing to gratify his hosts; it is reason that any place should far the better for the presence of Divines: The medicine is more strange than the disease. Bring me 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 virtue in it, what could a Cruse-full do 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 calls for Salt in a new Cruse. God (who wrought this by his Prophet) is a free agent; as he will not bind his power to means; so will he by his power bind unlikely means to perform his will. Natural proprieties have no place in miraculous works: No less easy is it for God to work by contrary, then subordinate powers. The Prophet doth not cast the Salt into the channel, but into the spring of the waters: If the fountain be redressed, the streams cannot be faulty; as contrarily, the purity and soundness of the stream avails nothing to the redress of the fountain: Reformation must begin at the wellhead of the abuse: The order of being is a good guide to the method of amending. Virtue doth not run backward: Had Elisha cast the Salt into the brooks and ditches, the remedy must have striven against the stream, to reach up to the spring: now it is but one labour to cure the fountain: Our heart is a Well of bitter and venomous water, our actions are the streams: In vain shall we cleanse our hands, whiles our hearts are evil. The Cruse and the Salt must be their own; The act must be his; the power, Gods: He cast the Salt into the spring, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death, or barrenness. Fare was it from Elisha to challenge aught to himself: Before, when he should divide the waters of jordan, he did not say, Where is the power of Elisha, but, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and now, when he should cure the waters of jericho, he says not, Thus says Elisha, but thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. How careful is the man of God that no part of God's glory should stick to his own fingers. jericho shall know to whom they own the blessing, that they may duly return the thankes. Elisha professes he can do no more of himself then that Salt, then that Cruse; only God shall work by him, by it: and what ever that almighty hand undertakes, cannot fail, yea is already done: neither doth he say, I will heal, but I have healed: Even so, O God, if thou cast into the fountain of our hearts, but one Cruse-full of the Salt of thy Spirit, we are whole, no thought can pass between the receipt and the remedy. As the general visitor of the Schools of the Prophets, Elisha passeth from jericho to that other College at Bethel. Bethel was a place of strange composition: there was at once the golden Calf of jeroboam; and the School of God: True religion and Idolatry found a free harbour within those walls: I do not marvel that God's Prophets would plant there: there was the most need of their presence, where they found the spring head of corruption: Physicians are of most use where diseases abound: As he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the City, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up thou bald-head; Go up thou bald-head. Even the very boys of Bethel have learned to scoff at a Prophet; The spite of their Idolatrous parents is easily propagated; Children are such as their institution; Infancy is led altogether by imitation, it hath neither words, nor actions, but infused by others; If it have good or ill language, it is but borrowed; and the shame or thank is due to those that lent it. What was it that these ill-taught children upbraided to the Prophet, but a sleight natural defect, not worthy the name of a blemish, the want of a little hair; at the best, a comely excrement, no part of the body; Had there been deformity in that smoothness of the head, which some great wits have honoured with praises, a faultless and remediless eyesore had been no fit matter for a taunt: How small occasions will be taken to disgrace a Prophet? If they could have said aught worse, Elisha had not heard of this; God had crowned that head with honour, which the Bethelitish children loaded with scorn. Who would have thought the rude terms of waggish boys worthy of any thing but neglect? Elisha looks at them with severe brows, and (like the heir of him that called down fire upon the two Captains and their fifties) curses them in the name of the Lord; Two shee-Beares out of the would hasten to be his executioners, and tear two and forty of them in pieces. O fearful example of divine justice! This was not the revenge of an angry Prophet, it was the punishment of a righteous judge: God and his Seer looked through these children, at the Parents, at all Israel; he would punish the parents mis-nurturing their children (to the contemptuous usage of a Prophet) with the death of those children, which they had mis-taught: He would teach Israel what it was to mis-use a Prophet: And if he would not endure these contumelies unrevenged in the mouths of children, what vengeance was enough for aged persecutors? Doubtless some of the children escaped to tell the news of their fellows; what lamentation do we think there was in the streets of Bethel? how did the distressed mothers wring their hands for this woeful orbation? And now when they came forth to fetch the remnants of their own flesh, what a sad spectacle it was to find the fields strawed with those mangled carcases? It is an unprofitable sorrow that follows a judgement; Had these parents been as careful to train up their children in good discipline, and to correct their disorders, as they are now passionate in bemoaning their loss, this slaughter had never been; In vain do we look for good of those children, whose education we have neglected; In vain do we grieve for those miscarriages which our care might have prevented. Elisha knew the success, yet doth he not balk the City of Bethel; Do we not wonder that the furious impatience of those parents, whom the curse of Elisha rob of their children, did not break forth to some malicious practice against the Prophet? Would we not think the Prophet might misdoubt some hard measure from those exasperated Citizens? There lay his way; he follows God, without fear of men; as well knowing that either they durst not, or they could not act violence. They knew there were Bears in the wood, and fires in heaven, and if their malice would have ventured above their courage, they could have no more power over Elisha in the streets, than those hungry beasts had in the way. Whither dare not a Prophet go when God calls him? Having visited the schools of the Prophets, Elisha retires to mount Carmel, & after some holy solitariness, returns to the City of Samaria; He can never be a profitable Seer, that is either always, or never alone; Carmel shall fit him for Samaria; contemplation for action; That mother City of Israel must needs afford him most work: Yet is the Throne of Ahaziah succeeded by a brother less ill than himself, than the parents of both: Ahabs impiety hath not a perfect heir of jehoram: That son of his hates his Baal, though he keeps his calves. Even into the most wicked families it pleaseth God to cast his powerful restraints, that all are not equally vicious: It is no news to see lewd men make scruple of some sins: The world were not to live in, if all sins were affected by all. It is no thank to Ahab and jezebel that their son is no Baalite: As no good is traduced from parents, so not all evil; there is an Almighty hand that stops the foul current of nature, at his pleasure: No Idolater can say, that his child shall not be a convert. The affinity betwixt the houses of Israel and juda, holds good in succession; jehoram inherits the friendship, the aid of jehoshaphat: whose counsel (as is most likely) had cured him of that Baalisme. It was a good war whereto he solicits the good King of judah. The King of Moab (who had been an ancient Tributary from the days of David) falls now from his homage, and refuses to pay his hundred thousand Lambs, and hundred thousand Rams with fleeces, to the King of Israel; The backs of Israel can ill miss the wool of Moab, they will put on iron to recover their cloth. jehoshaphat had been once well chid, well frighted, for joining with Ahab against Aram; yet doth he not stick now again to come into the field with Iehoram against Moab; The case is more favourable, less dangerous; Baal is cast down; The Images of the false gods are gone, though the false Images of the true God stand still; Beside, this rebellious Moab had joined with the Syrians formerly against judah, so as jehoshaphat is interessed in the revenge. After resolution of the end, wisely do these King's deliberate of the way. It is agreed to pass through Edom; that Kingdom was annexed to the Crown of judah; well might jehoshaphat make bold with his own: It was (it seems) a march fare about in the measure of the way, but nearest to their purpose: the assault would be thus more easy, if the passage were more tedious; The three Kings of Israel, judah, Edom, together with their Armies, are upon foot. They are no sooner comen into the parching wilds of Edom, than they are ready to die for thirst; If the channels were far off, yet the waters were further; the scorching beams of the Sun have dried them up; and have left those rivers more fit for walk, than entertainment; What are the greatest Monarches of the world, if they want but water to their mouths? What can their Crowns, and Plumes, and rich Arms made them, when they are abridged but of that which is the drink of beasts? With dry tongues and lips, do they now confer of their common misery; jehoram deplores the calamity, into which they were fall'n; but jehoshaphat asks for a Prophet; Every man can bewail a mischief; every man cannot find the way out of it: still yet I hear good jehoshaphat speak too late; He should have inquired for a Prophet, ere he had gone forth; so had he avoided these straits; Not to consult at all with God, is jehorams sin; to consult late, is jehoshaphats; the former is atheous carelessness; the later, forgetful oversight; The best man may slacken good duties, the worst contemns them. Not without some specialty from God doth Elisha follow the camp: Else, that had been no Element for a Prophet; Little did the good King of judah think that God was so near him; Purposely, was this holy Seer sent for the succour of jehoshaphat, and his faithful followers, when they were so fare from dreaming of their delivery, that they knew not of a danger: It would be wide with the best men, if the eye of divine providence were not open upon them, when the eye of their care is shut towards it; How well did Elisha in the wars? The strongest squadron of Israel was within that breast; All their Armour of proof had not so much safety, and protection, as his Mantle; Though the King of Israel would take no notice of the Prophet, yet one of his Courtiers did, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah; This follower of jehoram knows Elijah by his own name, by his fathers, by his masters; The Court of Israel was profane, and Idolatrous enough, yet, even there God's Prophet had both knowledge, and honour; His very service to Elijah was enough to win him reverence; It is better to be an attendant of some man, then to be attended by many: That he had poured water on Elijahs hands was insinuation enough, that he could pour out water for those three Kings: The three Kings walk down (by the motion of jehoshaphat) to the man of God; It was news to see three Kings going down to the servant of him, who ran before the chariot of Ahab: Religion and necessity have both of them much power of humiliation, I know not whether more; Either zeal or need will make a Prophet honoured. How sharply dares the man of God to chide his Sovereign, the King of Israel? The liberty of the Prophets was no less singular, than their calling; He that would borrow their tongue, must show their Commission; As God reproved Kings for their sakes, so did not they stick to reprove Kings for his sake: Thus much freedom they must leave to their successors, that we may not spare the vices of them, whose persons we must spare. justly is jehoram turned off to the Prophets of his father, and the Prophets of his mother; It is but right, and equal, that those which we have made the comfort, and stay of our peace, should be the refuge of our extremity; If our prosperity have made the world our God, how worthily shall our deathbed be choked with this exprobration? Neither would the case bear an Apology, nor the time an expostulation; Iehoram cannot excuse, he can complain; he finds that now three Kings, three Kingdoms are at the mercy of one Prophet; it was time for him to speak fair; nothing sounds from him but lamentations, and entreaties; Nay, for the Lord hath called these three Kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab; jehoram hath so much grace as to confess the impotency of those, he had trusted; and the power of that God whom he had neglected; Every sinner cannot see, and acknowledge the hand of God in his sufferings; Already hath the distressed Prince gained something by this misery; None complains so much as he, none feels so much as he; All the rest suffer for him, and therefore he suffers in them all. The man of God, who well sees the insufficiency of jehorams humiliation, lays on yet more load; As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, Surely, were it not that I regard the presence of jehoshaphat, the King of judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee; Behold the double Spirit of Elijah; the master was not more bold with the father, than the servant was with the son: Elisha was a subject, and a Prophet; He must say that as a Prophet, which he might not as a subject; As a Prophet he would not have looked at him, whom as a subject he would have bowed to: It is one thing when God speaks by him, another, when he speaks of himself; That it might well appear his dislike of sin stood with his honour of Sovereignty, jehoshaphat goes away with that respect which jehoram miss; No less doth God and his Prophet regard religious sincerity, than they abhor Idolatry, and profaneness: What shall not be done for a jehoshaphat? For his sake shall those two other Princes, and their vast Armies live, and prevail; Edom and Israel, whether single or conjoined, had perished by the drought of the desert, by the sword of Moab; One jehoshaphat gives them both, life, and victory: It is in the power of one good man to oblige a world; we receive true (though insensible) favours from the presence of the righteous; Next to being good, it is happy to converse with them that are so: if we be not bettered by their example, we are blest by their protection. Who wonders not to hear a Prophet call for a Minstrel, in the midst of that mournful distress of Israel and judah? Who would not have expected his charge of tears and prayers, rather than of Music? How unreasonable are songs to an heavy heart? It was not for their ears, it was for his own bosom, that Elisha called for Music: that his spirits after their zealous agitation, might be sweetly composed, and put into a meet temper, for receiving that calm visions of God: Perhaps it was some holy Levite, that followed the Camp of jehoshaphat, whose minstrelsy was required, for so sacred a purpose: None but a quiet breast is capable of divine Revelations; Nothing is more powerful to settle a troubled heart then a melodious harmony; The Spirit of Prophecy was not the more invited, the Prophet's Spirit was the better disposed, by pleasing sounds: The same God that will reveal his will to the Prophet, suggests this demand; Bring me a Minstrel; How many say thus when they would put God from them? Profane mirth, wanton music debauches the soul; and makes no less room for the unclean spirit, then spiritual melody doth for the Divine. No Prophet had ever the Spirit at command; The hand of the Minstrel can do nothing without the hand of the Lord; Whiles the Music sounds in the ear, God speaks to the heart of Elisha, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches; Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be full of water, etc. To see wind, and rain in the height of that drought, would have seemed as wonderful, as pleasing; but, to see abundance of water, without wind or rain, was yet more miraculous; I know not how the fight of the means abates our admiration of the effect; Where no causes can be found out, we are forced to confess omnipotency; Elijah relieved Israel with water, but it was out of the clouds, and those clouds rose from the sea; but whence Elisha shall fetch it, is not more marvelous than secret. All that evening, all that night must the faith of Israel and judah be exercised with expectation; At the hour of the morning sacrifice no sooner did the blood of that Oblation gush forth, than the streams of waters gushed forth into their new channels, and filled the Country with a refreshing moisture; Elijah fetched down his fire, at the hour of the evening sacrifice; Elisha fetched up his water, at the hour of the morning sacrifice; God gives respect to his own hours, for the encouragement of our observation; If his wisdom hath set us any peculiar times we cannot keep them without a blessing; The devotions of all true jews (all the world over) were in that hour combined; How seasonably doth the wisdom of God pick out that instant, wherein he might at once answer both Elishaes' prophecy, and his people's prayers. The Prophet hath assured the Kings, not of water only, but of victory; Moab hears of enemies, and is addressed to war; Their own error shall cut their throats; they rise soon enough to beguile themselves; the beams of the rising Sun glistering upon those vaporous, and unexpected waters, carried in the eyes of some Moabites a semblance of blood; a few eyes were enough to fill all ears with a false noise; the deceived sense miscarries the imagination; This is blood, the Kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another; now therefore, Moab to the spoil: Civil broils give just advantage to a common enemy; Therefore must the Camps be spoiled, because the Kings have smitten each other. Those that shall be deceived, are given over to credulity; The Moabites do not examine either the conceit, or the report; but fly in, confusedly, upon the Camp of Israel; whom they find, too late, to have no enemies but themselves; As if death would not have hastened enough to them, they come to fetch it, they come to challenge it; It seizeth upon them avoidable; they are smitten, their Cities razed, their Lands marred, their Wells stopped, their trees felled; as if God meant to waste them but once. No onsets are so furious as the last assaults of the desperate; The King of Moab now hopeless of recovery, would be glad to shut up with a pleasing revenge; with seven hundred resolute followers; he rushes into the battle, towards the King of Edom; as if he would bid death welcome, might he but carry with him that despighted neighbour; and now, mad with the repulse, he returns: and whether as angry with his destiny, or as barbarously affecting, to win his cruel gods with so dear a sacrifice, he offers them with his own hand the blood of his eldest son in the sight of Israel, and sends him up in smoke to those hellish Deities. O prodigious act, whether of rage, or of devotion! What an hand hath Satan over his miserable vassals? What marvel is it to see men sacrifice their souls, in an unfelt oblation, to these plausible tempters, when their own flesh and blood hath not been spared? There is no Tyrant to the Prince of darkness. ELISHA with the Shunamite. THE holy Prophets under the old Testament, did not abhor the marriage bed; they did not think themselves too pure for an institution of their Maker; The distressed widow of one of the sons of the Prophets comes to Elisha to bemoan her condition; Her husband is dead, and dead in debt; Death hath no sooner seized on him, than her two sons (the remaining comfort of her life) are to be seized on, by his creditors, for bondmen: How thick did the miseries of this poor afflicted woman light upon her; Her husband is lost, her estate clogged with debts, her children ready to be taken for slaves: Her husband was a religious, and worthy man; he paid his debts to Nature, he could not to his Creditors; they are cruel, and rake in the scarce-closed wound of her sorrow; passing an arrest, worse than death, upon her sons: Widowhood, poverty, servitude have conspired to make her perfectly miserable. Virtue and goodness can pay no debts; The holiest man may be deep in arerages; and break the bank: Not through lavishness, and riot of expense; (Religion teaches us to moderate our hands; to spend within the proportion of our estate) but through either iniquity of times, or evil casualties; Ahab and jezebel were lately in the Throne, who can marvel that a Prophet was in debt? It was well that any good man might have his breath free, though his estate were not: wilfully to over-lash our ability cannot stand with wisdom, and good government; but no providence can guard us from crosses; Holiness is no more defence against debt, then against death: Grace can keep us from unthriftiness, not from want. Whither doth the Prophet's widow come to bewail her case, but to Elisha: Every one would not be sensible of her affliction, or if they would pity, yet could not relieve her; Elisha could do both; Into his ear doth he unload her griefs. It is no small point of wisdom to know where no plant our Lamentation; otherwise, in stead of comfort, we may meet with scorn and insultation. None can so feelingly compassionate the hard terms of a Prophet as an Elisha; He finds that she is not querulously impatient, expressing her sorrow without murmuring, and discontentment; making a loving, and honourable mention of that husband, who had left her distressed; readily therefore doth he incline to her succour: What shall I do for thee? Tell me what hast thou in thine house? Elisha, when he hears of her debt, asks of her substance; Had her house been furnished with any valuable commodity, the Prophet implies the necessity of selling it for satisfaction; Our own abundance can ill stand with our engagement to others; It is great injustice for us to be full of others purses: It is not our own which we own to another, What is it other than a plausible stealth to feed our riot with the want of the owner? He that could multiply her substance could know it; God and his Prophet love's to hear our necessities out of our own mouths (Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house save a pot of oil.) It is neither news nor shame for a Prophet to be poor; Grief and want perhaps hastened his end; both of them are left for the dowry of his careful widow; She had not complained, if there had been any possibility of remedy, at home; bashfulness had stopped her mouth thus long, and should have done yet longer, if the exigence of her children's servitude had not opened it; No want is so worthy of relief, as that which is loathest to come forth. Then he said, Go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels, borrow not a few; and when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. She that owed much, and had nothing, yet must borrow more, that she may pay all: Poverty had not so discredited her with her neighbours, that they should doubt to lend her those vessels empty, which they had grudged full: Her want was too well known; it could not but seem strange to the neighbours, to see this poor widow so busily pestering her house with empty tubs; which they knew she had nothing to fill; they knew well enough she had neither field nor vineyard, nor orchard, and therefore must needs marvel at such unprofitable diligence; If their curiosity would be enquiring after their intentions, she is commanded secrecy. The doors must be shut upon herself, and her sons; whiles the oil is increasing; No eye shall see the miracle in working, enough shall see it once wrought; This act was no less a proof of her faith, than an improvement of her estate; it was an exercise of her devotion, as well as of her diligence; it was fit her doors should be shut, whiles her heart and lips were opened in an holy invocation; Out of one small jar was poured out so much oil, as by a miraculous multiplication filled all that empty cask: Scarce had that pot any bottom: At least the bottom that it had, was to be measured by the brims of all those vessels; this was so deep, as they were high; Can they have held more, this pot had not been empty: Even so the bounty of our God gives grace, & glory, according to the capacity of the receiver; when he ceaseth to infuse, it is for want of room in the heart that takes it in; Can we hold more, O God, thou wouldst give more; If there be any defect, it is in our vessels, not in thy beneficence; How did the heart of this poor widow run over, as with wonder, so, with joy and thankfulness, to see such a river of oil rise out of so small a spring; to see all her vessels swimming full with so beneficial a liquor; justly is she affected with this sight, she is not transported from her duty; I do not see her run forth into the street, and proclaim her store, nor calling in her neighbours, whether to admire or bargain; I see her running to the Prop hets door, and gratefully acknowledging the favour, and humbly depending on his directions, as not daring to dispose of that, which was so wondrously given her, without the advice of him, by whose powerful means she had received it; Her own reason might have sufficiently suggested what to do; she dares not trust it, but consults with the Oracle of God; If we would walk surely; we must do nothing without a word; Every action, every motion must have a warrant; We can no more err with this guide, than not err without him. The Prophet sets her in a right way; Go sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live, thou, and thy children, on the rest; The first care is of her debts, the next, of her maintenance; It should be gross injustice to raise means for herself, and her charge, ere she have discharged the arerages of her husband; None of the oil was hers, till her creditors were satisfied; all was hers that remained; It is but stealth to enjoy a borrowed substance; Whiles she had nothing, it was no sin to owe; but when once her vessels were full, she could not have been guiltless, if she had not paid, before she stored. God and his Prophets were bountiful; after the debts paid, they provide not only against the thraldom of her charge, but against the want. It is the just care of a religions heart to defend the widow and children of a Prophet from distress and penury. Behold the true servant, and successor of Elijah; What he did to the Sareptan widow, this did to the widow of a Prophet; That increase of oil was by degrees, this at once; both equally miraculous; this, so much more charitable, as it less concerned himself. He that gives kindnesses, doth by turns receive them; Elisha hath relieved a poor woman, is relieved by a rich. The Shunamite, a religious and wealthy matron, invites him to her house, and now after the first entertainment, finding his occasions to call him to a frequent passage, that way, moves her husband to set up, and furnish a lodging for the man of God; It was his holiness that made her desirous of such a guest; Well might she hope that such an Inmate would pay a blessing for his house-rent; Oh happy Shunamite that might make herself the Hostess of Elisha! As no less dutiful than godly, she imparts her desire to her husband; whom her sure hath drawn to a partnership in this holy hospitality; Blessed of God is that man, whose bed yields him an help to heaven. The good Shunamite desires not to harbour Elisha in one of her wont lodgings, she solicits her husband to build him a chamber on the wall apart: she knew the tumult of a large family unfit for the queit meditations of a Prophet; retiredness is most meet for the thoughts of a Seer; Neither would she bring the Prophet to bare walls, but sets ready for him, a bed, a table, a stool, and a Candlestick, and what ever necessary utensils for his entertainment: The Prophet doth not affect delicacy, she takes care to provide for his convenience; Those that are truly pious, and devout, think their houses and their hands cannot be too open to the messengers of God; and are most glad to exchange their earthly commodities for the others spiritual. Superfluity should not fall within the care of a Prophet; necessity must; he that could provide oil for the widow, could have provided all needful helps for himself; What room had there been for the charity and beneficence of others, if the Prophet should have always maintained himself out of power? The holy man is so fare sociable as not to neglect the friendly offer of so kind a benefactor: Gladly doth he take up his new lodging; and, as well pleased with so quiet a repose, and careful attendance, he lends his servant Gehezi, with the message of his thankes, with a treaty of retribution; Behold, thou hast been careful for us, with all this care; What is to be done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King, or to the Captain of the Host? An ingenuous disposition cannot receive favours without thoughts of return: A wise debtor is desirous to retribute in such kind, as may be most acceptable to his obligers: without this discretion, we may offer such requitals, as may seem goodly to us, to our friends, worthless: Every one can choose best for himself; Elisha therefore (who had never been wanting in spiritual duties to so hospital a friend) gives the Shunamite the election of her suit, for temporal recompense also; No man can be a loser by his favour to a Prophet. It is a good hearing that an Elisha is in such grace at the Court, that he can promise himself access to the King, in a friend's suit: It was not ever thus; the time was, when his master heard, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy: Now the late miracle which Elisha wrought in gratifying the three Kings, with water, and victory, hath endeared him to the King of Israel; and now, Who but Elisha? Even that rough mantle finds respect amongst those silks and tissues: As bad as jehoram was, yet he honoured the man of God; He that could not prevail with an Idolatrous King, in a spiritual reformation, yet can carry a civil suit; Neither doth the Prophet in a sullen discontentment, fly off from the Court, because he found his labours unprofitable, but still holds good terms with that Prince, whom he cannot reclaim, and will make use notwithstanding of his countenance in matters, whether of courtesy, or justice; We may not cast off our due respects even to faulty authority; but must still submit & persist, where we are repelled: Not to his own advancement doth Elisha desire to improve the King's favour, but to the behoof, to the relief of others; If the Shunamite have business at the Court, she shall need no other Solicitor; There cannot be a better office, nor more beseeming a Prophet, then to speak in the cause of the dumb, to befriend the oppressed, to win greatness unto the protection of innocence. The good matron needs no shelter of the great; I dwell among mine own people; as if she said; The courtesy is not small in itself, but not useful to me; I live here quietly in a contented obscurity, out of the reach either of the glories, or cares of a Court; free from wrongs, free from envies: Not so high as to provoke an evil eye, not so low as to be trodden on; I have neither fears, nor ambitions; my neighbours are my friends; my friends are my protectors; and (if I should be so unhappy, as to be the subject of main injuries) would not stick to be mine Advocates; This favour is for those that either affect greatness, or groan under oppressions; I do neither, for I live among my own people. O Shunamite, thou shalt not escape envy! Who can hear of thine happy condition, and not say, Why am not I thus? If the world afford any perfect contentment, it is in a middle estate, equally distant from penury, from excess; it is in a calm freedom, a secure tranquillity, a sweet fruition of ourselves, of ours; But what hold is there of these earthly things? How long is the Shunamite thus blessed with peace? stay but a while, you shall see her come on her knees to the King of Israel, pitifully complaining that she was stripped of house, and land; and now Gehezi is fain to do that good office for her, which was not accepted from his master; Those that stand fastest upon earth have but slippery footing; no man can say that he shall not need friends. Modesty sealed up the lips of the good Shunamite; she was ashamed to confess her longing; Gehezi easily guessed that her barrenness could not but be her affliction; she was childless, her husband old; Elisha gratifies her with the news of a son: About this season according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son; How liberal is God; by his Prophet, in giving beyond her requests; not seldom doth his bounty overreach our thoughts, and meet us with those benefits, which we thought too good for us to ask. Greatness and inexpectation makes the blessing seem incredible, Nay, my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie to thine handmaid: We are never sure enough of what we desire; We are not more hard to believe, then loath to distrust beneficial events: She well knew the Prophet's holiness could not stand with wilful falsehood; perhaps, she might think it spoken by way of trial, not of serious affirmation; as unwilling therefore that it should not be, and willing to hear that pleasing word seconded, she says, Do not lie to thine handmaid. Promises are made good, not by iteration, but by the effect; The Shunamite conceives, and bears a son, at the set season: How glad a mother she was, those know best, that have mourned under the discomfort of a sad sterility. The child grows up, and is now able to find out his father in the field, amongst his Reapers: His father now grew young again with the pleasure of this sight; and more joyed in this spring of his hopes, then in all the crops of his harvest; But what stability is there in these earthly delights? The hot beams of the Sun beat upon that head which too much care had made tender, and delicate; The child complains to his father, of his pain; Oh that grace could teach us, what nature teaches Infants, in all our troubles to bemoan ourselves to our heavenly Father! He sends him to his mother; upon her lap, about noon, the child dies; as if he would return his soul into that bosom, from which it was derived, to his; The good Shunamite hath lost her son, her faith she had not lost; Passion hath not rob her of her wisdom; As not distracted with an accident so sudden, so sorrowful; she lays her dead child upon the Prophet's bed, she locks the door; she hides her grief, lest that consternation might hinder her design; she hastens to her husband, and (as not daring to be other then officious in so distressful an occasion) acquaints him with her journey, (though not with the cause) requires of him both attendance, and conveyance; she posts to mount Carmel; she cannot so soon find out the man of God, as he hath found her; He sees her afar off; and like a thankful guest, sends his servant hastily to meet her, to inquire of the health of herself, her husband, her child; Her errand was not to Gehezi, it was to Elisha; no messenger shall interrupt her; no ear shall receive her complaint but the Prophets; Down she falls passionately at his feet, and, forgetting the fashion of her bashful strangeness, lays hold of them, whether in an humble veneration of his person, or in a fervent desire of satisfaction. Gehezi, who well knew how uncouth, how unfit this gesture of salutation was, for his master, offers to remove her, and admonisheth her of her distance; The merciful Prophet easily apprehends that no ordinary occasion could so transport a grave, and well-governed matron; as therefore pitying her unknown passion, he bids, Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. If extremity of grief have made her unmannerly, wise and holy Elisha knows how to pardon it; He dares not add sorrow to the afflicted; he can better bear an unseemliness in her greeting, than cruelty in her molestation; Great was the familiarity that the Prophet had with his God; and as friends are wont mutually to impart their counsels to each other, so had the Lord done to him; Elisha was not idle on mount Carmel; What was it that he saw not from thence? Not heaven only, but the world was before him, yet the Shunamites loss is concealed from him; neither doth he shame to confess it; Oft-times those that know greater matters may yet be ignorant of the less: It is no disparagement to any finite creature not to know something. By her mouth will God tell the Prophet, what by vision he had not; Then she said, Did I desire a son of my Lord? Did I not say, do not deceive me? Deep sorrow is sparing of words; The expostulation could not be more short, more quick, more pithy; Had I begged a son, perhaps my importunity might have been yielded to, in anger; Too much desire is justly punished with loss. It is no marvel if what we wring from God, prosper not; This favour to me was of thine own motion; Thy suit, O Elisha, made me a mother: Couldst thou intent to torment me with a blessing? How much more easy had the want of a son been, than the miscarriage? Barrenness then orbation? Was there no other end of my having a son, then that I might lose him? O man of God, let me not complain of a cruel kindness; thy prayers gave me a son, let thy prayers restore him; let not my dutiful respects to thee be repaid with an aggravation of misery; give not thine handmaid cause to wish that I were but so unhapy as thou foundest me; Oh woeful fruitfulness, if I must now say, that I had a son. I know not whether the mother, or the Prophet were more afflicted, the Prophet for the mother's sake, or the mother for her own; Not a word of reply do we hear from the mouth of Elisha: his breath is only spent in the remedy; He sends his servant with all speed, to lay his staff upon the face of the child; charging him to avoid all the delays of the way: Had not the Prophet supposed that staff of his able to beat away death, why did he send it? and if upon that supposition he sent it, how was it that it failed of effect? was this act done out of humane conceit, not out of instinct from God? Or, did the want of the mother's faith hinder the success of that cure? She, not regarding the staff, or the man, holds fast to Elisha; No hopes of his message can lose her fingers: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; She imagined that the servant, the staff might be severed from Elisha, she knew that where ever the Prophet was, there was power; It is good relying upon those helps that cannot fail us. Merit and importunity have drawn Elisha from Carmel to Shunem: He finds his lodging taken up by that pale carkeise; he shuts his door, and falls to his prayers; this staff of his (what ever became of the other) was long enough (he knew) to reach up to Heaven; to knock at those gates, yea to wrench them open; He applies his body to those cold and senseless limbs; By the fervour of his soul he reduces that soul, by the heat of his body he educeth warmth out of that corpse; The child neeseth seven times; as if his spirit had been but hid for the time, not departed, it falls to work a fresh; the eyes look up, the lips and hands move; The mother is called in to receive a new life, in her twice-given son: she comes in, full of joy, full of wonder, and bows herself to the ground, and falls down before those feet, which she had so boldly laid hold of in Carmel. Oh strong faith of the Shunamite, that could not be discouraged with the seizure, and continuance of death; raising up her heart still to an expectation of that life, which to the eyes of nature had been impossible, irrevocable; Oh infinite goodness of the Almighty, that would not suffer such faith to be frustrate, that would rather reverse the laws of nature, in returning a guest from heaven, and raising a corpse from death, than the confidence of a believing heart should be disappointed. How true an heir is Elisha of his master, not in his graces only, but in his actions? Both of them divided the waters of jordan, the one as his last act, the other as his first; Elijahs curse was the death of the Captains, and their troops; Elishaes' curse was the death of the children; Elijah rebuked Ahab to his face; Elisha jehoram; Elijah supplied the drought of Israel by rain from heaven; Elisha supplied the drought of the three Kings by waters gushing out of the earth; Elijah increased the oil of the Sareptan; Elisha increased the oil of the Prophet's widow; Elijah raised from death the Sareptans' son; Elisha the Shunamites: Both of them had one mantle, one spirit; both of them climbed up one Carmel, one heaven. ELISHA with NAAMAN. OF the full showers of grace which fell upon Israel and judah, yet some drops did light upon their neighbours: If Israel be the worse for her nearness to Syria, Syria is the better for the vicinity of Israel. Amongst the worst of God's enemies some are singled out for mercy. Naaman was a great Warrior, an honourable Courtier, yet a Leper; no disease incident to the body is so nasty, so loathsome, as Leprosy. Greatness can secure no man from the most odious & wearisome condition; how little pleasure did this Syrian Peer take, to be stooped to by others, whiles he hated to see himself; Even those that honoured him, avoided him; neither was he other then abhorred of those that flattered him; yea his hand could not move to his mouth, without his own detestation; the basest slave of Syria would not change skins with him, if he might have his honour to boot; Thus hath the wise God thought meet to sauce the valour, dignity, renown, victories of the famous General of the Syrians; Seldom ever was any man served with simple favours; These compositions make both our crosses tolerable, and our blessings wholesome. The body of Naaman was not more tainted with his lepry, than his soul was tainted with Rimmon, and, besides his Idolatry, he was a professed enemy to Israel, and successful in his enmity: How fare doth God fetch about his purposes? The leprosy, the hostility of Naaman shall be the occasions of his salvation; That leprosy shall make his soul sound; That hostility shall adopt him a son of God; In some prosperous inroads, that the Syrians under Naaman's conduct, have made into the land of Israel, a little maid is taken captive; she shall attend on Naaman's wife; and shall suggest to her mistress the miraculous cures of Elisha. A small chink may serve to let in much light; Her report finds credit in the Court, and begets both a letter from the King and a journey of his Peer; whiles the Syrians thought of nothing but their booty, they bring happiness to the house of Naaman; The captivity of a poor Hebrew girl is a means to make the greatest Lord of Syria, a subject to God; It is good to acquaint our children with the works of God, with the praises of his Prophets. Little do we know how they may improve this knowledge, and whither they may carry it; perhaps the remotest Nations may light their candle at their coal: Even the weakest intimations may not be neglected; A child, a servant, a stranger may say that, which we may bless God to have heard: How well did it become the mouth of an Israelite to extol a Prophet; to wish the cure of her master, though an Aramite; to advice that journey, unto the man of God, by whom both body and soul might be cured; True Religion teacheth us pious and charitable respects to our Governors, though Aliens from the Commonwealth of God. No man that I hear blames the credulity of Naaman; upon no other ground doth the King of Syria send his chief Peer, with his letters to the King of Israel; from his hands requiring the Cure; The Syrian supposed, that what ever a subject could do, a Sovereign might command; that such a Prophet could neither be out of the knowledge, nor out of the obedience of his Prince; never did he dream of any exemption, but imagining Iehoram to be no less a King of Prophets, then of people, and Elisha no less a subject, than a Seer, he writes, Now when this letter is comen to thee, behold, I have herewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. Great is the power of Princes; every man's hand is theirs, whether for skill, or for strength; Besides the eminency of their own gifts, all the subordinate excellencies of their subjects, are no less at their service, then if they were inherent in their persons; Great men are wanting to their own perfections, if they do not both know, and exercise the graces of their inferiors. The King of Israel cannot read the letter without amazement of heart, without rending of garments, and says, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me, to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, and see, I pray you, how he seeketh a quarrel against me? If God have vouchsafed to call Kings, Gods; it well becomes Kings to call themselves, men; and to confess the distance wherein they stand to their Maker; Man may kill, man cannot kill and make alive; yea, of himself, he can do neither; with God, a Worm, or a fly may kill a man; without God, no Potentate can do it; much less can any created power both kill, and revive; since to restore life is more than to bereave it, more than to continue it, more than to give it; And if leprosy be a death; what humane power can either inflict, or cure it? It is a trouble to a well-affected heart to receive impossible commands; To require that of an inferior which is proper to the highest, is a derogation from that supreme power whose property it is: Had jehoram been truly religious, the injury done to his Maker in this motion, (as he took it) had more afflicted him, than the danger of his own quarrel. Belike, Elisha was not in the thoughts of the King of Israel; He might have heard that this Prophet had made alive, one, whom he killed not: Himself with the two other Kings had been eye-witnesses of what Elisha could do: yet, now the Calves of Dan and Bethel have so often taken up his heart, that there is no room for the memory of Elisha; whom he sued to in his extremity, now his prosperity hath forgotten; Carnal hearts (when need drives them) can think of God, and his Prophet; when their turn is served, can as utterly neglect them, as if they were not. Yet cannot good Elisha repay neglect, and forgetfulness: He listens what is done at the Court, and finding the distress of his Sovereign, proffers that service, which should have been required; Wherefore hast thou rend thy ; Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel. It was no small fright, from which Elisha delivers his King: jehoram was in awe of the Syrians, ever since their late victory, wherein his Father Ahab was slain, Israel and judah discomfited: nothing was more dreadful to him, than the frowns of these Aramites: the quarrel which he suspected to be hatched by them, is cleared by Elisha: their Leper shall be healed; both they, and Israel, shall know they have neglected a God, whose Prophet can do wonders: Many eyes, doubtless, are fastened upon the issue of this message. But what state is this that Elisha takes upon him; he doth not say, I will come to him; but, Let him come now to me: The three Kings came down once to his Tent, it is no marvel, if he prevent not the journey of a Syrian Courtier: It well beseems him that will be a suitor for favour, to be obsequious: We may not stand upon terms of our labour, or dignity, where we expect a benefit: Naaman comes richly attended with his troops of servants and horses, and waits in his Chariot at the door of a Prophet: I do not hear Elisha call him in; for though he were great, yet he was leprous; neither do I see Elisha come forth to him, and receive him with such outward courtesies, as might be fit for an honourable stranger; for in those rich the Prophet saw an Aramite; and perhaps some tincture of the late-shed blood of Israel; Rather, that he might make a perfect trial of the humility of that man, whom he means to gratify, and honour, after some short attendance at his door, he sends his servant with a message to that Peer, who could not but think the meanest of his retinue, a better man than Gehezies' Master. What could the Prophet have done other to the Lackey of Naaman's man? He that would be a meet subject of mercy, must be thoroughly abased in his own conceit; and must be willingly pliable to all the conditions of his humiliation; Yet, had the message carried in it either respect to the person, or probability of effect, it could not have been unwelcome: but now it sounded of nothing, but sullenness, and unlikelihood; Go, and wash in jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean: What wise man could take this for any other than a mere scorn, and mockery? Go, wash? Alas, What can water do? It can cleanse from filthiness, not from leprosy; And why in jordan? What differs that from other streams? and why just seven times? What virtue is either in that channel, or in that number? Naaman can no more put off nature, than leprosy; In what a chafe did he fling away from the Prophet's door; and says, Am I comen thus far to fetch a flout from an Israelite? Is this the issue both of my journey, and the Letters of my King? Can this Prophet find no man to play upon, but Naaman? Had he meant seriously, why did he think himself too good to come forth unto me? Why did he not touch me with his hand, and bless me with his prayers, and cure me with his blessing? Is my misery fit for his derision? If water could do it, what needed I to come so fare for this remedy? Have I not oft done thus in vain? Have we not better streams at home, than any Israel can afford? Are not Abana and Pharphar, Rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Folly and pride strive for place in a natural heart, and it is hard to say whether is more predominant. Folly in measuring the ●ower of God's ordinances by the rule of humane discourse, and ordinary e●ent; pride, in a scornful valuation of the institutions of GOD; in comparison of our own devices. Abana and Pharphar, two for one; Rivers, not waters; of Damascus, a stately City, and incomparable; Are they not? Who dares deny it? Better, not as good; then the waters, not the rivers; all the waters, jordan, and all the rest; of Israel, a beggarly Region to Damascus. No where shall we find a truer pattern of the disposition of Nature; how she is altogether led by sense, and reason; how she fond judges of all objects by the appearance, how she acquaints herself only with the common road of God's proceed; how she sticks to her own principles, how she misconstrues the intentions of God, how she over-conceits her own, how she disdains the mean conditions of others, how she upbraids her opposites with the proud comparison of her own privileges. Nature is never but like herself: No marvel if carnal minds despise the foolishness of preaching, the simplicity of Sacraments, the homeliness of ceremonies, the seeming inefficacy of censures: These men look upon jordan with Syrian eyes; One drop of whose water set apart by divine ordination, hath more virtue, than all the streams of Abana, and Pharphar. It is a good matter for a man to be attended with wise and faithful followers; Many a one hath had better counsel from his heels, then from his elbows: naaman's servants were his best friends: they came to him, and spoke to him, and said, My Father, If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean. These men were servants, not of the humour, but of the profit of their master; Some servile spirits would have cared only to soothe up, not to benefit their Governor; and would have encouraged his rage, by their own; Sir, will you take this at the hand of a base fellow? Was ever man thus flouted? Will you let him carry it away thus? Is any harmless anger sufficient revenge for such an insolence? Give us leave at least to pull him out by the ears, and force him to do that by violence, which he would not do out of good manners. Let our fingers teach this saucy Prophet what it is to offer an affront to a Prince of Syria: But these men loved more their master's health, than his passion; and had rather therefore to advice, then flatter; to draw him to good, then follow him to evil; Since it was a Prophet from whom he received this prescription, they persuade him not to despise it; intimating there could be no fault in the sleightness of the receipt, so long as there was no defect of power in the commander; that the virtue of the cure should be in his obedience, not in the nature of the remedy: They persuade, and prevail. Next to the Prophet, Naaman may thank his servants that he is not a Leper; He goes down (upon their entreaty) and dips seven times in jordan, his flesh riseth, his leprosy vanisheth; Not the unjust fury and tetchiness of the patient shall cross the cure: lest whiles God is severe, the Prophet should be discredited. Long enough might Naaman have washed there in vain, if Elisha had not sent him: Many a Leper hath bathed in that stream, and hath come forth no less impure: It is the word, the ordinance of the Almighty which puts efficacy into those means, which of themselves are both impotent and improbable: What can our Font do to the washing away of sin? If God's institution shall put virtue into our jordan, it shall scour off the spiritual leprosies of our hearts; and shall more cure the soul, then cleanse the face. How joyful is Naaman to see this change of his skin, this renovation of his flesh, of his life: Never did his heart find such warmth of inward gladness, as in this stream. Upon the sight of his recovery, he doth not post home to the Court, or to his family, to call for witnesses, for partners of his joy; but thankfully returns to the Prophet, by whose means he received this mercy: He comes back with more contentment, than he departed with rage: Now will the man of God be seen of that recovered Syrian, whom he would not see leprous: His presence shall be yielded to the gratulation, which was not yielded to the suit: Purposely did Elisha forbear before, that he might share no part of the praise of this work, with his Maker; that God might be so much more magnified, as the means were more weak and despicable. The miracle hath his due work. First, doth Naaman acknowledge the God that wrought it; then the Prophet, by whom he wrought it: Behold, now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Oh happy Syrian that was at once cured of his leprosy, and his mes-prison of God: Naaman was too wise, to think that either the water had cured him, or the man: he saw a divine power working in both: such as he vainly sought from his Heathen Deities: with the heart therefore he believes, with the mouth he confesses. Whiles he is thus thankful to the author of his cure, he is not unmindful of the instrument. Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant: Naaman came richly furnished with ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, ten changes of raiment: All these and many more would the Syrian Peer have gladly given to be delivered from so noisome a disease: No marvel if he importunately offer some part of them to the Prophet; now that he is delivered; some testimony of thankfulness did well, where all earthly recompense was too short: The hands of this man were no less full of thankes, than his mouth. Dry and barren professions of our obligations, where is power to requite, are unfit for noble and ingenuous spirits. Naaman is not more frank in offering his gratuity, than Elisha vehement in refusing it, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. Not that he thought the Syrian gold impure; Not that he thought it unlawful to take up a gift, where he hath laid down a benefit: But the Prophet will remit of Naaman's purse, that he may win of his soul: The man of God would have his new convert see cause to be more enamoured of true piety; which teacheth her Clients to contemn those worldly riches and glories which base worldlings adore: and would have him think, that these miraculous powers are so fare transcending the valuation of all earthly pelf, that those glittering treasures are worthy of nothing but contempt, in respect thereof: Hence is it, that he who refused not the Shunamites table, and stool, and candlestick, will not take naaman's present: There is much use of godly discretion in directing us when to open, when to shut our hands. He that will not be allowed to give, desires yet to take: Shall there not, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules load of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering, nor sacrifice to other Gods, but unto the Lord. Israelitish mould lay open to his carriage, without leave of Elisha: but Naaman regards not to take it, unless it may be given him, and given him by the Prophet's hand: Well did this Syrian find that the man of God had given a supernatural virtue to the water of Israel; and therefore supposed he might give the like to his earth: Neither would any earth serve him but Elishaes'; else the mould of Israel had been more properly craved of the King, than the Prophet of Israel. Doubtless it was devotion that moved this suit: The Syrian saw God had a propriety in Israel, and imagines that he will be best pleased with his own: On the sudden was Naaman half a Proselyte, still here was a weak knowledge with strong intentions: He will sacrifice to the Lord; but where? in Syria, not in Jerusalem: Not the mould, but the Altar is that God respects; which he hath allowed no where but in his chosen Zion. This honest Syrian will be removing God home to his Country; he should have resolved to remove his home, to God: And though he vows to offer no sacrifice to any other God, yet he craves leave to offer an outward courtesy to Rimmon; though not for the Idols sake; yet for his masters: In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon, to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. Naaman goes away resolute to profess himself an Israelite for Religion; all the Syrian Court shall know that he sacrifices upon Israelitish earth, to the God of Israel: they shall hear him protest to have neither heart, nor knee for Rimmon: If he must go into the house of that Idol, is shall be as a servant, not as a suppliant; his duty to his Master shall carry him, not his devotion to his Master's God; If his master go to worship there, not he; neither, doth he say, When I bow myself to the Image of Rimmon; but, in the house: he shall bow, to be leaned upon, not to adore: yet had not Naaman thought this a fault, he had not craved a pardon; his heart told him that a perfect convert should not have abide the roof, the sight, the air of Rimmon; that his observance of an earthly master should not draw him to the semblance of an act of outward observance, to the rival of his master in Heaven, that a sincere detestation of Idolatry could not stand with so unseasonable a courtesy. Fare therefore is Naaman from being a pattern, save of weakness: since he is yet more than half a Syrian; since he willingly accuses himself, and in stead of defending, deprecates his offence: It is not for us to expect a full stature in the cradle of conversion. As nature, so grace rises by many degrees, to perfection: Leprosy was in Naaman cured at once, not corruption. The Prophet, as glad to see him but thus forward, dismisses him with a civil valediction: Had an Israelite made this suit, he had been answered, with a check: thus much from a Syrian was worthy of a kind farewell; They are parted. Gehezi cannot thus take his leave; his heart is maled up in the rich chests of Naaman, and now he goes to fetch it: The Prophet and his man had not looked with the same eyes upon the Syrian treasure; the one with the eye of contempt, the other with the eye of admiration, and covetous desire. The disposition of the master may not be measured by the mind, by the act of his servant: Holy Elisha may be attended by a false Gehezi: No examples, no counsels will prevail with some hearts: who would not have thought that the follower of Elisha could be no other than a Saint? yet, after the view of all those miracles, this man is a mirror of worldliness. He thinks his master either too simple, or too kind, to refuse so just a present from a Syrian; himself will be more wise, more frugal: Desire hastens his pace, he doth not go, but run after his booty: Naaman sees him, and, as true nobleness is ever courteous, alights from his Chariot, to meet him: The great Lord of Syria comes forth of his Coach to salute a Prophet's servant: not fearing that he can humble himself overmuch to one of Elisha's family: He greets Gehezi with the same word wherewith he was lately dimitted by his Master: Is it peace? So sudden a messenger might seem to argue some change. He soon receives from the breathless bearer news of his master's health, and request: All is well, My Master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim, two young men of the sons of the Prophets: Give me, I pray thee, a talon of silver, and two changes of garments. Had Gehezi craved a reward in his own name, calling for the fee of the Prophet's servant, as the gain, so the offence had been the less, now, reaching at a greater sum, he belies his Master, robs Naaman, burdens his own soul. What a sound tale hath the craft of Gehezi devised? Of the number, the place, the quality, the age of his Master's guests? That he might set a fair colour upon that pretended request: so proportioning the value of his demand, as might both enrich himself, and yet well stand with the moderation of his master. Love of money can never keep good quarter with honesty, with innocence: Covetousness never lodged in the heart alone; if it find not, it will breed wickedness. What a mint of fraud there is in a worldly breast? How readily can it coin s●ttle falsehood for an advantage? How thankfully liberal was this Noble Syrian; Gehezi could not be more eager in taking, than he was in giving; As glad of so happy an occasion of leaving any piece of his treasure behind him, he forces two Talents upon the servant of Elisha; and binds them in two bags, and lays them upon two of his own servants; his own train shall yield Porters to Gehezi: Cheerfulness is the just praise of our beneficence: Bountiful minds are as zealous in over-paying good turns, as the niggardly are in scanting retributions. What projects do we think Gehezi had all the way? How did he please himself with the waking dreams of purchases, of traffic, of jollity? and now▪ when they are comen to the tower, he gladly disburdens, and dismisses his two Syrian attendants, and hides their load, and wipes his mouth, and stands boldly before that Master, whom he had so foully abused: Oh Gehezi! where didst thou think God was this while? Couldst thou thus long pour water upon the hands of Elisha, and be either ignorant, or regardless of that undeceivable eye of providence, which was ever fixed upon thy hands, thy tongue, thy heart? Couldst thou thus hope to blind the eyes of a Seer? Hear then thy indictment, thy sentence, from him, whom thou thoughtest to have mocked with thy concealment; Whence comest thou, Gehezi? Thy servant went no whither. He that had begun a lie to Naaman; ends it to his Master; who so lets his tongue once lose to a wilful untruth, soon grows impudent in multiplying falsehoods. Of what metal is the forehead of that man, that dares lie to a Prophet? What is this but to outface the senses? Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his Chariot to meet thee? Didst thou not till now know, O Gehezi, that Prophets have spiritual eyes, which are not confined to bodily prospects? Didst thou not know that their hearts were often; where they were not? Didst thou not know that thy secretest ways were over-looked by invisible witnesses? Hear then, and be convinced: Hither thou goest, thus thou saidst, thus thou didst, thus thou sped'st: What answer was now here but confusion? Miserable Gehezi, how didst thou stand pale and trembling before the dreadful Tribunal of thy severe Master, looking for the woeful sentence of some grievous judgement for so heinous an offence? Is this a time to receive money, and to receive garments and (which thou hadst already purchased in thy conceit) Olive-yards, and Vineyards, and Sheep, and Oxen, and manservants, and Maidservants? Did my mouth refuse, that thy hands might take? Was I so careful to win honour to my God, and credit to my profession, by denying these Syrian presents, that thou mightest dash both, in receiving them. Was there no way to enrich thyself, but by belying thy Master? by disparaging this holy function in the eyes of a new convert? Since thou wouldst needs therefore take part of Naaman's treasure, take part with him in his Leprosy, The Leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. Oh heavy Talents of Gehezi! Oh the horror of this one unchangeable suit, which shall never be but loathsomely white, noisomely unclean! How much better had been a light purse, and an homely coat, with a sound body, a clear soul? Too late doth that wretched man now find, that he hath loaded himself with a curse, that he hath clad himself with shame; His sin shall be read ever in his face, in his seed; All passengers, all posterities shall now say; Behold the characters of Gehezies' covetousness, fraud, sacrilege! The act overtakes the word: He went out of his presence, a Leper as white as snow: It is a woeful exchange that Gehezi hath made with Naaman; Naaman came a Leper, returned a Disciple; Gehezi came a Disciple, returned a Leper: Naaman left behind both his disease and his money; Gehezi takes up both his money and his disease: Now shall Gehezi never look upon himself but he shall think of Naaman, whose skin is transferred upon him with those talents; and shall wear out the rest of his days in shame, and pain, and sorrow: His tears may wash off the guilt of his sin, shall not (like another jordan) wash off his Leprosy; that shall ever remain as an hereditary monument of divine severity. This son of the Prophets shall more loud and lively preach the justice of God by his face, than others by their tongue. Happy was it for him, if whiles his skin was snow-white with Leprosy, his humbled soul were washed white as snow with the water of true repentance. ELISHA raising the iron, blinding the Assyrians. THere was no loss of Gehezi; when he was gone, the Prophets increased: an ill man in the Church, is but like some shrubby tree in a Garden, whose shade keeps better plants from growing: A blank doth better in a room, than an ill filling: The view of God's just judgements doth rather draw clients unto him, then alienate them. The Kings of Israel had succeeded in Idolatry, and hate of sincere Religion, yet the Prophets multiply: Persecution enlargeth the bounds of the Church. These very tempestuous showers bring up flowers and berbs in abundance. There would have been neither so many, nor so zealous Prophets in the languishments of peace: Besides, What marvel is it, if the immediate succession of two such noble Leaders, as Elijah, and Elisha, established, and augmented religion; and bred multitudes of Prophets: Rather who cannot marvel, upon the knowledge of all their miracles, that all Israel did not prophesy? It is a good hearing that the Prophets want elbowroom; out of their store, not out of the envy of neighbours, or incompetency of provision: Where vision fails, the people perish; they are blessed, where it abounds. When they found themselves straitened, they did not presume to carve for themselves, but they craved the leave, the counsel of Elisha: Let us go, we pray thee, unto jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place where we may dwell: And he said, Go ye: It well becomes the sons of the Prophets, to enterprise nothing, without the allowance of their Superiors. Here was a building towards, none of the curiousest; I do not see them making means for the procurement of some cunning artificers, nor for the conquisition of some costly marbles, and Cedars; but every man shall hue, and square, and frame his own beam. No nice terms were stood upon by these sons of the Prophets: Their thoughts were fixed upon the perfection of a spiritual building: As an homely roof may serve them, so their own hands shall raise it: The fingers of these contemplative men did not scorn the Axe, and Mallet, and Chesell: It was better being there, then in Obadiahs' Cave; and they that dwell now contentedly under rude sticks, will not refuse the squared stones, and polished contignations of better times. They shall be ill teachers of others, that have not learned both to want, and to abound. The master of this sacred Society, Elisha, is not stately, not austere: he gives not only passage to this motion of his Collegiates, but assistance: It was fit the sons of the Prophets should have convenience of dwelling, though not pomp, not costliness. They fall to their work; No man goes slackly about the building of his own house: One of them, more regarding the tree then the tool, let's fall the head of his axe into the river: Poor men are sensible of small losses: He makes his moan to Elisha; Alas Master, for it was borrowed; Had the axe been his own, the trouble had been the less to forgo it; therefore doth the miscarriage afflict him, because it was of a borrowed axe: Honest minds are more careful of what they have by loan then by propriety: In lending there is a trust, which a good heart cannot disappoint without vexation: Alas poor novices of the Prophet, they would be building, and were not worth their axes; if they would give their labour, they must borrow their instruments. Their wealth was spiritual: Outward poverty may well stand with inward riches: He is rich, not that hath the world, but that can contemn it. Elisha love's and cherishes this just simplicity; rather will he work a miracle, than a borrowed axe shall not be restored: It might easily be imagined, he that could raise up the iron out of the bottom of the water, could tell where it fell in; yet even that powerful hand calls for direction: In this one point, the son of the Prophet knows more than Elisha: The notice of particularities is neither fit for a creature, nor communicable: a mean man may best know his own case: this Novice better knows where his axe fell, than his Master: his Master knows better how to get it out, than he. There is no reason to be given of supernatural actions: The Prophet borrows an axe to cut an helue for the lost axe: Why did he not make use of that handle which had cast the head? Did he hold it unworthy of respect, for that it had abandoned the metal wherewith it was trusted? Or did he make choice of a new stick, that the miracle might be the more clear, and unquestionable? Divine power goes a contrary way to Art: We first would have procured the head of the axe, and then would have fitted it with an helue: Elisha fits the head to the helue; and causes the wood, which was light, and knew not how to sink, to fetch up the Iron, which was heavy, and naturally uncapable of supernatation. Whether the metal were stripped of the natural weight, by the same power which gave it being; or whether retaining the wont poise, it was raised up by some spiritual operation, I inquire not: Only, I see it swim, like Cork, upon the stream of jordan, and move towards the hand that lost it: What creature is not willing to put off the properties of nature, at the command of the God of Nature: Oh God, how easy is it for thee, when this hard and heavy heart of mine is sunk down into the mud of the world, to fetch it up again by thy mighty Word, and cause it to float upon the streams of life; and to see the face of heaven again? Yet still do the sides of Israel complain of the thorns of Aram; The children of Ahab rue their father's unjust mercy: From an enemy, it is no making question whether of strength, or wile: The King of Syria consults with his servants, where to encamp for his greatest advantage; their opinion is not more required, than their secrecy: Elisha is a thousand Scouts; he sends word to the King of Israel of the projects, of the removes of his enemy: More than once hath jehoram saved both his life, and his host, by these close admonitions. It is well that in something yet a Prophet may be obeyed: What strange State-seruice was this, which Elisha did, besides the spiritual? The King, the people of Israel own themselves, and their safety to a despised Prophet. The man of God knew, and felt them Idolaters: yet how careful, and vigilant is he, for their rescue: If they were bad, yet they were his own: If they were bad, yet not all; God had his number amongst their worst. If they were bad, yet the Syrians were worse. The Israelites mis-worshipped the True God: The Syrians worshipped a false: That (if it were possible) he might win them, he will preserve them; and if they will needs be wanting to God, yet Elisha will not be wanting to them; their impiety shall not make him undutiful. There cannot be a juster cause of displeasure, than the disclosing of those secret counsels, which are laid up in our ear, in our breast. The King of Syria, not without reason, stomaches this supposed treachery. What Prince can bear that an adverse power should have a party, a pensionary in his own Court? How famous was Elisha, even in foreign Regions? Besides Naaman, others of the Syrian Nobility take notice of the miraculous faculties of this Prophet of Israel: He is accused for this secret intelligence: No words can escape him, though spoken in the bedchamber: O Syrian, whosoever thou wert, thou saidst not enough: If thy master do but whisper in thine ear, if he smother his words within his own lips; if he do but speak within his own bosom, Elisha knows it from an infallible information: What counsel is it, O God, that can be hid from thee? What counsel is it, that thou wilt hide from thy Seer? Even this very word that accuseth the Prophet is known to the accused: He hears this tale, whiles it is in telling; he hears the plot for his apprehension: How ill do the projects of wicked men hang together? They that confess Elisha knows their secretest words, do yet confer to take him. There are Spies upon him, whose espials have moved their anger, and admiration: He is descried to be in Dothan, a small town of Manasses; A whole Army is sent thither to surprise him: The opportunity of the night is chosen for the exploit. There shall be no want either in the number, or valour, or secrecy of these conspired troops: and now when they have fully girt in the village with a strong and exquisite siege, they make themselves sure of Elisha; and please themselves to think, how they have incaged the miserable Prophet, how they should take him at unawares in his bed, in the midst of a secure dream; how they should carry him fettered to their King; what thankes they should have for so welcome a prisoner. The successor of Gehezi riseth early in the morning, and sees all the City encompassed with a fearful host of foot, horse, charets. His eye could meet with nothing but woods of pikes, and walls of harness, and lustre of metals, and now he runs in affrighted to his Master: Alas, my Master, what shall we do? He had day enough to see they were enemies that environed them, to see himself helpless, and desperate; and hath only so much life left in him, as to lament himself to the partner of his misery. He cannot flee from his new master, if he would; he runs to him with a woeful clamour, Alas, my Master, what shall we do? Oh the undaunted courage of faith! Elisha sees all this and sits in his chamber so secure, as if these had only been the guard of Israel, for his safe protection. It is an hard precept that he gives his servant, Fear not; As well might he have bid him not to see, when he saw, as not to fear when he saw so dreadful a spectacle; The operations of the senses are not less certain, than those of the affections, where the objects are no less proper: But the task is easy, if the next word may find belief [For there are more with us, then with them;] Multitude and other outward probabilities do both lead the confidence of natural hearts, and fix it: It is for none but a David, to say, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Flesh and blood riseth, and falleth, according to the proportion of the strength, or weakness of apparent means. Elishaes' man looked about him; yet his Master prays, Lord open his eyes that they may see; Naturally we see not, whiles we do see; Every thing is so seen, as it is: Bodily eyes discern bodily objects, only spiritual can see the things of God: Some men want both eyes, and light; Elishaes' servant had eyes, wanted illumination; No sooner were his eyes open, than he saw the mountain full of horses, and charets of fire round about Elisha. They were there before, (neither doth Elisha pray that those troops may be gathered, but that they may be seen) not till now were they descried. Invisible armies guard the servants of God, whiles they seem most forsaken of earthly aid, most exposed to certain dangers; If the eyes of our faith be as open as those of our sense, to see Angels as well as Syrians, we cannot be appalled with the most unequal terms of hostility: Those blessed Spirits are ready either to rescue our bodies, or to carry up our souls to blessedness; whether ever shall be enjoined of their Maker: there is just comfort in both, in either. Both those Charets that came to fetch Elijah, and those that came to defend Elisha, were fiery: God is not less lovely to his own, in the midst of his judgements, than he is terrible to his enemies, in the demonstrations of his mercies. Thus guarded, it is no marvel if Elisha dare walk forth into the midst of the Syrians. Not one of those heavenly Presidiaries struck a stroke for the Prophet; neither doth he require their blows; only he turns his prayer to his God, and says, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness: With no other than deadly intentions did these Aramites come down to Elisha, yet doth not he say, Smite them with the Sword, but, Smite them with blindness: All the evil he wishes to them, is their repentance; There was no way to see their error, but by blindness: He that prayed for the opening of his servant's eyes, to see his safeguard; prays for the blinding of the eyes of his enemies, that they might not see to do hurt. As the eyes of Elishaes' servant were so shut that they saw not the Angels, when they saw the Syrians: so the eyes of the Syrians shall be likewise shut, that when they see the man, they shall not see the Prophet: To all other objects their eyes are clear, only to Elisha they shall be blind, blind not through darkness, but through misknowledge: they shall see, and mistake both the person, and the place. He that made the senses, can either hold, or delude them at pleasure: how easily can he offer to the sight other representations, than those which arise from the visible matter, and make the heart to believe them? justly now might Elisha say, This is not the way, neither is this the City, wherein Elisha shall be descried. He was in Dothan, but not as Elisha; he shall not be found but in Samaria; neither can they have any guide to him, but himself. No sooner are they come into the streets of Samaria, than their eyes have leave to know both the place and the Prophet. The first sight they have of themselves, is in the trap of Israel, in the jaws of death: those stately Palaces, which they now wonder at unwillingly, carry no resemblance to them, but of their graves: Every Israelite seems an executioner; every house a jail; every beam a Gibbet; and now, they look upon Elisha transformed from their guide, to their common murderer, with horror and paleness: It is most just with God to entangle the plotters of wickedness, in their own snare. How glad is a mortal enemy to snatch at all advantages of revenge? Never did the King of Israel see a more pleasing sight, than so many Syrian throats at his mercy: and, as loath to lose so fair a day, (as if his fingers itched to be dipped in blood) he says, My father, shall I smite, shall I smite them? The repetition argued desire, the compellation, reverence: Not without allowance of a Prophet, would the King of Israel lay his hand upon an enemy, so miraculously trained home: His heart was still foul with idolatry, yet would he not taint his hand with forbidden blood: Hypocrisy will be still scrupulous in fomething: and in some awful restraints is a perfect counterfeit of conscience. The charitable Prophet soon gives an angry prohibition of slaughter; Thou shalt not smite them: Wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive, with thy sword, and with thy bow? As if he said, These are God's captives, not thine; and if they were thine own, their blood could not be shed without cruelty: though in the hot chaces of war, executions may be justifiable; yet in the coolness of deliberation, it can be no other than inhuman, to take those lives which have been yielded to mercy: But here, thy bow and thy sword are guiltless of the success; only a strange providence of the Almighty hath cast them into thine hands, whom neither thy force; nor thy fraud could have compassed: If it be victory thou aimest at, overcome them with kindness: Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink: Oh noble revenge of Elisha, to feast his persecutors! To provide a Table for those, who had provided a grave for him: These Syrians came to Dothan full of bloody purposes to Elisha: he sends them from Samaria full of good cheer, and jollity. Thus, thus should a Prophet punish his pursuers: No vengeance but this is heroical, and fit for Christian imitation: If thine enemy hunger, give him bread to eat; if he thirst, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head; and the Lord shall reward thee: Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. The King of Israel hath done that by his feast, which he could not have done by his sword: The bands of Syria will no more come by way of ambush, or incursion, into the bounds of Israel. Never did a charitable act go away without the retribution of a blessing: In doing some good to our enemies, we do most good to ourselves: God cannot but love in us this imitation of his mercy, who bids his Sun shine, and his rain fall where he is most provoked; and that love is never fruitless. The Famine of Samaria relieved. NOt many good turns are written in Marble: soon have these Syrians forgotten the merciful beneficence of Israel: After the forbearance of some hostile inroade, all the forces of Syria are mustered against jehoram: That very Samaria which had relieved the distressed Aramites, is by the Aramites besieged, and is affamished by those, whom it had fed. The famine within the walls was more terrible than the sword without. Their worst enemy was shut within; and could not be dislodged of their own bowels: Whither hath the Idolatry of Israel brought them? Before, they had been scourged with war, with drought, with dearth, as with single cords; they remain incorrigible, and now God twists two of these bloody lashes together, and galls them even to death: there needs no other executioners than their own maws. Those things which in their nature were not edible, (at least, to an Israelite) were now both dear, and dainty. The Ass was (besides the untoothsomnesse) an impure creature: that which the law of Ceremonies had made unclean, the law of necessity had made delicate and precious: the bones of so carrion an head could not be picked for less than four hundred pieces of silver: neither was this scarcity of victuals only, but of all other necessaries for humane use; that the belly might not complain alone, the whole man was equally pinched. The King of Israel is neither exempted from the judgement, nor yet yields under it: He walks upon the walls of his Samaria, to oversee the Watches set, the Engines ready, the Guards changed, together with the posture of the enemy: when a woman cries to him out of the City, Help my Lord, O King: Next to God, what refuge have we in all our necessities, but his Anointed? Earthly Sovereignty can aid us in the case of the injustice of men, but what can it do against the judgements of God? If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn floor; or out of the winepress? Even the greatest powers must stoop to afflictions in themselves, how should they be able to prevent them in others? To sue for aid where is an utter impotence of redress, is but to upbraid the weakness, and aggravate the misery of those whom we implore: jehoram mistakes the suit; The suppliant calls to him for a woeful piece of justice: Two mothers have agreed to eat their sons: The one hath yielded hers to be boiled and eaten; the other, after she hath taken her part of so prodigious a banquet, withdraws her child, and hides him from the knife; Hunger and envy make the Plaintiff importunate; and now she craves the benefit of royal justice: She that made the first motion, withholds her part of the bargain; and flies from that promise, whose trust had made this mother childless. Oh the direful effects of famine, that turns off all respects of nature, and gives no place to horror, causing the tender mother to lay her hands, yea her teeth upon the fruit of her own body; and to receive that into her stomach, which she hath brought forth of her womb: What should jehoram do? The match was monstrous: The challenge was just, yet unnatural: This complainant had purchased one half of the living child; by the one half of hers, dead. The mother of the surviving Infant is pressed by covenant, by hunger; restrained by nature: To force a mother to deliver up her child to voluntary slaughter, had been cruel: To force a Debtor to pay a confessed arrearage, seemed but equal: If the remaining child be not dressed for food, this mother of the devoured child is both rob, and affamished: If he be, innocent blood is shed by authority. It is no marvel if the question astonished the judge; not so much for the difficulty of the demand, as the horror of the occasion: to what lamentable distress did jehoram find his people driven? Not without cause did the King of Israel rend his garments, and show his sackcloth; well might he see his people branded with that ancient curse which God had denounced against the rebellious: The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee of a fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young; And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates; And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons, and of thy daughters: The tender and delicate woman, her eyes shall be evil towards her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and towards the children which she shall bear, for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straightness. He mourns for the plague, he mourns not for the cause of this plague, his sin, and theirs: I find his sorrow, I find not his repentance. The worst man may grieve for his smart, only the good heart grieves for his offence: In stead of being penitent, jehoram is furious, and turns his rage from his sins, against the Prophet: God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, shall stand on him this day: Alas, what hath the righteous done? Perhaps Elisha (that we may imagine some colours of this displeasure) fore-threatned this judgement; but they deserved it; perhaps he might have averted it by his prayers; their unrepentance disabled him: Perhaps he persuaded Iehoram to hold out the siege; though through much hardness, he foresaw the deliverance. In all this how hath Elisha forfeited his head? All Israel did not afford an head so guiltless, as this that was destined to slaughter. This is the fashion of the world; the lewd blames the innocent, and will revenge their own sins upon others uprightness. In the midst of all this sad estate of Samaria, and these storms of jehoram, the Prophet sits quietly in his own house, amongst his holy Consorts; bewailing no doubt both the sins, and misery of their people; and prophetically conferring of the issue; when suddenly God reveals to him the bloody intent, and message of jehoram, and he at once reveals it to his fellows. See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head. Oh the unimitable liberty of a Prophet! The same God that shown him his danger, suggested his words; He may be bold, where we must be awful: Still is Naboths blood laid in jehorams dish; The foul fact of Ahab blemisheth his posterity; and now when the son threats violence to the innocent, murder is objected to him as hereditary. He that foresaw his own peril, provides for his safety; [Shut the door and hold him fast at the door.] No man is bound to tender his throat to an unjust stroke; This bloody commission was prevented by a prophetical foresight: The same eye that saw the executioner coming to smite him, saw also the King hasting after him, to stay the blow; The Prophet had been no other than guilty of his own blood, if he had not reserved himself a while, for the rescue of authority: Oh the inconstancy of carnal hearts! It was not long since jehoram could say to Elisha, My father, shall I smite them? now he is ready to smite him as an enemy, whom he honoured as a father; Yet again, his lips had no sooner given sentence of death against the Prophet, than his feet stir to recall it: It should seem that Elisha, upon the challenges & expostulations of jehorams messenger, had sent a persuasive message to the King of Israel, yet a while to wait patiently upon God for his deliverance; The discontented Prince flies off in an impotent anger, Behold, this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer? Oh the desperate resolutions of impatient minds! They have stinted God both for his time and his measure; if he exceed either, they either turn their backs upon him, or fly in his face: The position was true, the inference deadly: All that evil was of the Lord; they deserved it, he sent it: What then? It should have been therefore argued, He that sent it, can remove it: I will wait upon his mercy, under whose justice I suffer: Impatience and distrust shall but aggravate my judgement; It is the Lord, let him do what he will: But now to despair because God is just, to defy mercy because it lingers, to reject God for correction, it is a presumptuous madness, an impious pettishness. Yet in spite of all these provocations both of King, and people, Elisha hath good news for jehoram; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flower be sold for a Shekel, and two measures of Barley for a Shekell in the gate of Samaria: Miserable Israel now sees an end of this hard trial; One days patience shall free them both of siege, and famine. God's deliverances may over-stay our expectation, not the due period of his own counsels. Oh infinite mercy, when man says, No longer, God says, To morrow; As if he would condescend, where he might judge; and would please them who deserved nothing but punishment. The word seemed not more comfortable, then incredible; A Lord, on whose hand the King leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? Prophecies, before they be fulfilled, are riddles; no spirit can aread them, but that by which they are delivered. It is a foolish and injurious infidelity to question a possibility, where we know the message is Gods: How easy is it for that omnipotent hand to effect those things, which surpass all the reach of humane conceit? Had God intended a miraculous multiplication, was it not as easy for him to increase the corn or meal of Samaria, as the widow's oil? was it not as easy for him to give plenty of victuals without opening the windows of heaven, as to give plenty of water without wind or rain? The Almighty hates to be disinherited: This Peer of Israel shall rue his unbelief; Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof: The sight shall be yielded for conviction, the fruition shall be denied for punishment; Well is that man worthy to want the benefit which he would not believe; Who can pity to see Infidelity excluded from the blessings of earth, from the glory of heaven? How strange a choice doth God make of the Intelligencers of so happy a change: Four Lepers sit at the entering of the Gate, they see nothing but death before them, famine within the walls, the enemy, without: The election is woeful, at last they resolve upon the lesser evil: Famine is worse than the Syrian; In the famine there is certainty of perishing; amongst the Syrians, hazard; Perhaps the enemy may have some pity, hunger hath none: and, were the death equally certain, it were more easy to die by the sword, then by famine: upon this deliberation they come down into the Syrian camp, to find either speed of mercy, or dispatch. Their hunger would not give them respite till morning; By twilight are they fall'n upon the uttermost tents: Behold, there was no man; They marvel at the silence, and solitude; they look, and listen; the noise of their own feet affrighted them; their guilty hearts supplied the Syrians; and expected fearfully those which were as fearfully fled: How easily can the Almighty confound the power of the strong, the policy of the wise? God puts a Panic terror into the hearts of the proud Syrians; he makes them hear a noise of charets, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; They say one to another, Lo the King of Israel hath hired against us the Kings of the Hittites, and the Kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us; they arise therefore in a confused rout, and leaving all their substance behind them, flee for their lives. Not long before, Elishaes' servant saw charets and horses, but heard none; Now, these Syrians hear charets and horses, but see none; That sight comforted his heart, this sound dismayed theirs; The Israelites heard no noise within the walls, the Lepers heard no noise without the gates; Only the Syrians heard this noise in their camp: What a scorn doth God put upon these presumptuous Aramites? He will not vouchsafe to use any substantial stratagem against them; nothing but an empty sound shall scatter them, and send them home empty of substance, laded with shame, half-dead with fear; the very horses that might have hastened their flight, are left tied in their Tents; their very garments are a burden; all is left behind, save their very bodies, and those breathless for speed. Doubtless these Syrians knew well to what miserable exigents the enclosed Israelites were brought, by their siege; and now made full account to sack, and ransack their Samaria; already had they divided, and swallowed the prey; when suddenly God puts them into a ridiculous confusion; and sends them to seek safety in their heels; no booty is now in price with them but their life, and happy is he that can run fastest. Thus the Almighty laughs at the designs of insolent men, and shuts up their counsels in shame. The fear of the four Lepers began now to give way to security; they fill their bellies, and hide their treasures, and pass from one Tent to another, in a fastidious choice of the best commodities; they who erewhile would have held it happiness enough to have been blessed with a crust, now wantonly rove for dainties; and from necessity leap into excess. How fare self-love caries us in all our actions; even to the neglect of the public? Not till their own bellies, and hands, and eyes were filled, did these Lepers think of imparting this news to Israel: at last, when themselves are glutted, they begin to remember the hunger of their brethren, and now they find room for remorse; We do not well, this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: Nature teaches us that it is an injury to engross blessings: and so to mind the private, as if we had no relation to a community; we are worthy to be shut out of the City-gates for Lepers, if the respects to the public good do not oversway with us in all our desires, ●n all our demeanour; and well may we with these covetous Lepers fear a mischief upon ourselves, if we shall wilfully conceal blessings from others. The conscience of this wrong and danger sends back the Lepers into the City; they call to the Porters; and soon transmit the news to the King's household; The King of Israel complains not to have his sleep broken with such intelligence; He ariseth in the night, and not contemning good news, though brought by Lepers, consults with his servants of the business. We cannot be too jealous of the intentions of an enemy; jehoram wisely suspects th' s flight of the Syrians to be but simulatorie, and politic, only to draw Israel out of their City, for the spoil of both: There may be more peril in the back of an enemy, then in the face; the cruelest slaughters have been in retiring: Easily therefore is the King persuaded to adventure some few forlorn Scouts for further assurance: The word of Elisha is out of his head, out of his heart, else there had been no place for this doubt: Timorous hearts never think themselves sure; those that have no faith, had need of much sense. Those few horses that remain, are sent forth for discovery, they find nothing but Monuments of frightfulness, pledges of security: Now Israel dares issue forth to the prey; There (as if the Syrians had comen thither to enrich them) they find granaries, wardrobes, treasures, and what ever may serve either for use or ostentation: Every Israelite goes away filled, laden, wearied with the wealthy spoil. As scarcity breeds dearth, so plenty cheapness: To day a measure of fine flower is lower rated, then yesterday of dung. The distrustful Peer of Israel sees this abundance, according to the word of the Prophet, but enjoys it not: he sees this plenty can come in at the gate, though the windows of heaven be not open. The gate is his charge; The affamished Israelites press in upon him, & bear him down in the throng; Extreme hunger hath no respect to greatness: Not their rudeness, but his own unbelief hath trampled him under feet. He that abased the power of God by his distrust, is abased worthily to the heels of the multitude; Faith exalts a man above his own sphere; Infidelity depresses him into the Dust, into Hell: He that believes not is condemned already. FJNIS. AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE WHOLE WORK. AAron his Censer and Rod, pag. 925 Aaron's courage or mercy, whether to be more marvelled at, 925, 926. Absence: The absence of God is hell itself, 915 Sins not afflictions argue God's absence, 976, 977. Abigail: The signification of her name, 1102. With her sorrow, ibid. Her carriage to David, 1104. Ability: A caution for concealment of our abilities, 852. Carnal hearts are carried away with the presumption of their own abilities, 1081. Abimelech: his usurpation, 985. Of him and David, 1091. Abner and joah, 1119. Abraham: Of him and his trials, 831. None of them like to that of sacrificing Isaac, 834 Absolom: Of his return and conspiracy, 1148. In his banishment is shadowed the misery of such as are shut out of heaven, 1149. Of his pride & treason, 1150. His death, 1237. Acception: Acception of persons a good note of it in joshua and the Gibeonites, 966. Achan: his one sin what it doth to all Israel, 954. His hope of secrecy in his sin what it doth, 955. His confession, 956. Achish, Of him & David, 1106. Achitophel: Of him and his counsel, 1234 His father's mourning for him, 1240. Acquaintance: Our strangeness with God condemned, being so often invited to his acquaintance, 52. Long acquaintance maketh those things which are evil to seem less evil, 145. Actions: All our actions of faith and charity shall be sure of pay. 953. No action can give us comfort but that which we do out of the grounds of obedience. 1027 Admonition: With what impatience a gaulled heart doth receive admonition, 898 Sweet compellations how helpful to the entertainment of good admonitions, 956 How we must deal with admonitions to our brethren. 1104 Adonijah, he is defeated. 1255. Adversity, what it teacheth. 24 Affections: good affections make heavy things light. 3 Heavenly affections must be free without composition. 37, 38 Love and fear are two main affections of the soul. 475 The affections how deceitful. 504 Affectation: it is a great enemy of doing well. 14 Nothing forced by affectation can be comely. 59 The vanity of being carried away with the affectation of fame. 66 Afflictions: Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness. 7 A method in suffering afflictions. 38 A notable enducement to suffering afflictions. 45, 46. Afflictions in love better than prosperity without it. 51 A good rule for behaving of ourselves in afflictions. 65 No marvel why the wicked are no more afflicted. 149 A discourse of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions. 366 The wicked grow worse by afflictions. 835 Gods hand is often heavy on those whom he love's. 855 Nothing so powerfully calls home a man as affliction. ibid. The affliction of Israel. 893 In our afflictions when we seem most neglected, then is God most present, instance in Moses. 866 The wicked in their afflictions like the beasts that grow mad with baiting. 874 Every main affliction is the godly man's Red-Sea. 883 A way to discern the afflictions of God and Satan. 884 The enduring afflictions commendable. 887 Afflictions send men to prayer. 930 The purpose of affliction is to make us importunate. 971 When God hath beaten his child he will burn the rod. 971 The advantage which afflictions have. 994 our afflictions more noted of the sender, then of the sufferer. 995 It is the infirmity of our nature ofttimes to be afflicted with the causes of our joy. 997 An example of Gods making our afflictions beneficial. 1000 Extremity of distress will send the profanest to God. 1109, 1110 Agag, of him and Saul. 1073 Ag●: a pretty division of our ages and hopes in them, 46 and burdens also. 48 Agnus Dei: The virtue of that which was sent by Pope Vrbanus the fift, unto the Greek Emperor. 621 Ahab, of him & Benhadad. 1351 Of him and Naboth. 1356 His spleen against Naboth, whether of anger or grief. 1357 Iezebels comforting him. 1357 The power of conscience in him. 1359 His sorrow censured. 1359 Of his death. 1360, etc. The number of his Prophets. ibid. All: Satan's subtlety in desiring not all, but half the heart. p. 2 Our service to God must be total. 477. 478 Whether all may read the Scriptures. 617 Trust him in nothing, that hath not a conscience in every thing. 1006 Partial conversion of man, is but hateful hypocrisy. 1051 The worst men will make head against some though not all sins. 1109 Allegiance: of the oath and just suffering of those that refuse it. 342, etc. Alms: it ought to be like Oil. 708 Alone: Sin is not acted alone. 1138 Altar: the altar of the Reubenites. 967 No gain so sweet as of a rob altar. 1054 The Altar cleaved to in danger by joab, but otherwise not regarded. 1261, 1262 But 'tis no fit place for a bloody Homicide. 1262 Alteration: the itching desire of alteration manifested. 1053 Amalek his foil. 893 His sin called to reckoning. 1074 Ambition: an ambitious man is the greatest enemy to himself. 5 It hath torment enough in every estate. 16 Pretty steps of ambition. 95 Its Character. 197 Hard to say whether there be more Pride or Ignorance in ambition. 985 Ambition ever in travail. 1150 Ammon: of him and Thamar. 1144 His lust prettily laid out. 1146 Anabaptists: their Kings or Captain's pride. 443 Their dissension at Amsterdam prettily set out. 445 Angels: of the offices and acts of good and evil Angels. 66, 67 The use that we should make of them as our friends and foes. ibid. The danger of wicked men which have Gods Angels to oppose them. 934 Good Angels have their stints in their executions, ibid. How forward the good Angels are to incite to piety. 997 Hearty sacrifices are an Angel's feast. ibid. 'tis presumption to discourse of their Orders, Titles, etc. 997 Of the Angel and Zacharie. 1159 They rejoice to be with us whilst we are with God, 1161 What it is to pray to Angels, in the Virgin's salutation. 1163 Anger: the small difference between anger and madness. 140 Anna and Peninna. 1028 Of Eli and Hanna. 1030 Amsterdam: vid. Title Brownists and Separatists: their separation injury to the Church, with the censure and advice. 315 Antiquity: of popish depraving antiquity. 349 Apparel: the children of God have three suits of apparel. 37 The glory of apparel is sought in novelty, etc. with a sharp reproof of out-running modesty in it. 1135 Appearance: nothing more uncertain than it. 489 Of appearance of things and Men. 490 Appearance may be reduced into three heads. ibid. Where appearance is the rule, see how the ordinances of God become to be scorned, 492 The Saints mis-deemed, the Gallants estate misjudged. 493 And false religion seem true. 494 Appearance is either a true falsehood, or an uncertain truth. 1078 Application the life of doctrine. 1142 Apocrypha: whether it be to be received as Scripture. 614 Austerity: there is ever an holy austerity must follow the calling of God. 995 Ark: How to be reverenced. 949 The strength of God's Ark. 952 The Ark and Dagon. 1043 The profane Philistims toil in carrying the Ark, shames many our attendance at it. ibid. The Arkes' revenge and return. 1046 The Israelites joy of the return of the Ark. 1049 The remove of the Ark. 1050 Of Vzzah and the Ark. 1127 Arts: all arts are handmaids to Divinity. 143 Asa: of him. 1326 Four principal monuments of Asa his virtues. 1327 Astonishment: By it God makes way for his greatest messages. 870 Authority: An impression of Majesty in lawful authority. 904 The error of the mighty is armed with authority. 917 Authority the mark of envy. 920 Awe: The awfulness that God hath put into Sovereignty. 1116 awfulness is a good interpreter of God's secret acts. 1129 B BAdam: Of him. 931 And of his Ass. 934 His madness in cursing the people. 936 A pretty use of baalam's death. ibid. Babblers: a good note of them. 12 Baptism: A discourse of the necessity of it, and of the estate of those which necessarily want it. 367 Of Christ's baptism. 1189 It gives virtue to ours. ibid. Bathsheba: Of her and David and Vriah. 1137 She mourns for her husband's death. 1141 Beasts: God will call us to account for our cruelty to dumb beasts. 935 Beauty: If it be not well disciplined it proves not a friend but a foe. 1145 Beelzebub: Who he was. 1289 Beginnings: We must stop the beginnings of sin. 937 Strange beginnings are not usually cast away. 994 Those affairs are like to proceed well that have their beginnings of God. 1025 Little can we judge by the beginnings of an action what will be the end. 1053 As it is seen in Saul. 1056 Belief: First believe then conceive. 25 vide Faithfulness. Benjamin: His desolation. 1019 Beneficence: Our cheerfulness thereto excited. 373 Benefits: We lose the comfort of them if we renew not our perils by meditation. 1000 Birth: Not to be too much discouraged by the baseness of our birth. 991 The very birth and conception of extraordinary persons is extraordinary. 994 Bishops, Whether ours be Antichristian? 578 Blood, It is a restless suitor. 1262 Boaz and Ruth. 1025 Body, How to be carried in the worship of God. 13 The gesture of the body should express and help the devotion of the soul. 894 Dead bodies are not lost but laid up. 942 Boldness, It's usual issue without ability. 5 It is dangerous to be too bold with the ordinances of God. 949 Fearful to use the holy Ordinances of God with an unreverend boldness. 1049 Boldness and fear are commonly misplaced in the best hearts. 1052 A good conscience will make a man bold. 1060 Books: Of neglecting good books. 411 A bewailing the want of order & judgement in reading Popish books. 412 God hath two books, one of his word, another of his works. 1124 Brownists, vide Separatists, their scandalous aspersions on the Church of England. 551 As of Apostasy. 561 Notably confuted. 562 The Brownists acknowledgement of the graces of the Church of England. 563 Instances of their horrible railings. 564 Their unnaturalness. ibid. and 565 What they think themselves beholding to the Church of England for. 565 Our Church justified by them against their wills. 552 And that in instancing some particular men whom they acknowledge Martyrs. 573 The four pillars of Brownists. 595 Their wronging of us about Ceremonies. 596 An eleven crimes that they have laid on the French and Dutch Church. 601 Their imputation of our impure mixtures. 604 Their scorn of our people. 608 Burial: Of decent burial. 1326 Bush: The burning Bush a perfect Emblem of the Church. 870 Busybodies: His Character. 188 Buying: A rule in buying and selling. 697 C Calf: Of the golden Calf. 899 Calling: remedies against dulness in it. 375 Honest men may not be ashamed of their lawful Callings. 869 When God finds us in our calling, we shall find him in his mercy. 870 Gross sins cannot prejudice the calling of God. 900 The people's assurance of the Ministers calling very material. 927 The approbation of our calling is by the fruit. ibid. An honest man's heart is where his calling is. 1017 Never any calling of God was so conspicuous, as not to find some opposites. 1119 Our devotions attended without neglect of our calling. 1186 Diligence in our calling makes us capable of blessedness. 1200 Cana: The marriage in Cana. 1202 Canaan: Of its Searchers, 916 Cappucine: prettily painted out. 282 Carelessness: Of an holy carelessness. 64 Carnal: A carnal heart cannot forgo that wherein he delights. 1009 Cares: Of taking cares on a man's self. 48 Worldly cares fitly compared to thorns. 142 Censure: The conscionable sometimes too forward in censuring. 1030 There must be discretion, there may not be partiality in our censures of the greatest. 1063 Centurion: Of the good Centurion. 1205 His humility. 1206 His faith. 1207 Christ marvels at him. ibid. Ceremonies: some are typical: some of order and decency. 426 A passionate speech concerning our divisions about ceremonies. 426, 427 Ceremonies must give place to substance. 1092 Challenges: Whence they came. 1081 Charity: vid. Love, not suspicious. 1088 Cheerfulness: an excitation to Christian cheerfulness, 306 and in our labour: 375 Nothing more acceptable, than cheerfulness in the service of God. 1028 Children: an excellent child, of an excellent parent, a rare sight, and why. 135 What they own their parents. 242 A good note for children which cover their parent's shame. 828 It is both uncharitable & injurious to judge of the child's disposition by the Father. 867 Iepth●'s daughter a notable pattern for our children towards their parents. 994 children's contempt of their parents for pottery, censured. 1025 Of our over love to our children. 1028 What children are most like to prove blessings. 1031 A caveat for mocking children. 1374 Christ: his Annunciation. 1164 He hath nothing in the whole work of our Redemption ordinary. 1162 No man may search into that wonder of his Conception. 1166 Of his birth. 1167 Of his lodging, Cradle, etc. 1169 The use of this his abasement, ibid. how found of the Wise men. 1172 Of his flight from Egypt, and the use of it. 1177 His being among the Doctors. 1185 His Baptism. 1 89 His temptation. 1191 He is carried up to a pinnacle of the Temple. 1195 Christian and Christianity: how a Christian should be both a Lamb, and a Lyon. 6, 7. His happiness. 13 He is a little Church with n himself. ibid. More difference between a natural man and a right Christian, then betwixt a man and a Beast. 27 A wise Christian hath no enemies. 47 An half- Christian life's most miserably. 62 A Christian compared to a Vine. ibid. There is more in a Christian then any can see. 66 A Christian man in all his ways must have three guides. First, Truth: Secondly, Charity: Thirdly, Wisdom. 137 Christianity both an easy and hard yoke: 143 The estate of a true, though but a weak Christian. 293 The difficulty of it. 323 His description & difference from a worldling. 366 A conscionable Christian in sorrow sweetly described. 493 Church: That Church's happiness wherein Truth and Peace meet together. p. 6 A Christian is a little Church within himself. p. 13 An excellent rule for our carriage in Church-dissentions. 29 Church Schisms, how bred, fostered, and confirmed. 29, 30 The needlessness of our conformity to ancient Churches in all things. 364 The Church of England is the Spouse of Christ. 570 How it hath separated from Babylon. 571 Why our Churches may stand. 593 It is good coming to Church for what end soever. 870 The way to have a blessing at home is to be devout at Church. 1031 What institutes a Church. 1159 Cold: When all hearts are cold and dead, it is sign of an intended destruction. 1059 Combats: of single combats. 338. 339 The censure of it. 1120 Comforts, the intermission of them what they do. 857 Commendations: the commendation of diverse good men, with the use of imitation. 287 Community: care of it a sign of b●ing spiritual indeed. 902 Company: the evil of evil company discyphered. 2 What company we should delight in. 4 A rule in choice of our companions. 140 Company in sin how it infects a sinner. 901 And how it brings punishment on him. 921 The entireness with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chains of hell. 931 Company, in the Church what it doth. 1186 Compassion, vide Mercy, how it must be ruled. 1103 Compellations: sweet compellation how helpful for the entertainment of good admonitions. 956 Concord is the way to conquest. 1136. vide Peace. Concubine, of the Levites Concubine. 1015 Confidence, what maketh it. 141 Described. 226 A presumptuous confidence commonly goes bleeding home, when as an humble fear returns in triumph. 1062 Confession: how much it honours God. 956 how he is pleased with it. 1009 David's confession. 1142 Confession, how hardly gotten out of us. 1143 Conscience, a good conscience keeps always good cheer. 46 The torment of an evil conscience. 76 The joy of such but dissembled. ibid. The remedy of an unquiet conscience. 77 our peace of conscience comes by faith. 78, 79 The vain shifts of the guilty conscience. 79 Crosses a main enemy to the peace of conscience. 80 A second rank of enemies to peace of conscience. 87, 88, 89. The Shipwreck of a good conscience is the casting away of all other excellencies. 148 A wide conscience will swallow any sin. 1006 Trust him in nothing that hath not a conscience of every thing. 1006 When we may look to have rest to our Conscience. 1031 A good conscience will make a man bold. 1060 None can be sure of him that hath no conscience. 1089 The power of conscience. 1359 Conspiracy, Corahs' conspiracy. 919 Constancy, Of it. 109 An encouragement unto it. 399 It must be like fire. 911 One act is nought without constancy. 919 Const●●●tion, what it is. 557 Constraint, Whether constraint may have place in the lawful reformation of a Church. 558 Contemplation, a discourse of the study of it. 341 Contemplation of the creation of the World. 809 Of Man. 812 Of Paradise. 815 Of Cain and Abel. 817 Of the Deluge. 819 Of Noah. 827 Of Babel. 829, etc. Content, an inducement to contentment in want. 3 A reason to be so. 4 Earth yields no contentment. 12 How to provoke a man's self to contentation. 28 What brings contentment in earthly things. 58 Pretty enducements to be content with our present estates. 95, 96. None live so ill but that they content themselves in somewhat. 136 Contentation a rare blessing, 886 It oft falls out that those times which promise most content, prove most doleful in the issue. 993 Contention, a right behaviour in contention. 10 Contention, what it doth. 219 Continency, what, with its contraries. 225 Conversation, of having it in the world. 603 Convert, of his welcome home. 965 Corah, his conspiracy. 919 Corruption, the best thing corrupted is worst. 147 Cost, the Israelites cost to a calf shall judge us in our want of it for true Religion. 901 Councillor, and counsel for soul and state. 231 What is required in a Councillor. ibid. It is sign of a desperate cause when once we seek to make Satan our counsellor. 931 Counsel good and ill whereto compared. 1145 Countenance: dishonesty grows bold, when it is countenanced by greatness. 1138 Courtier, six qualities of a Courtier. 233 Two mischiefs of the Court Flattery and Treachery. 280 The description of a good & faithful Courtier. 331 Covetousness hath a great resemblance with Drunkenness. 8 A base thing to get goods only to keep them. 24, 25. The covetous like a spider. 55 The covetous character. 193 The covetous described. 221 The covetous restless. 933 934 Creation: of our contemplation therein. 809 The head of our creation is Heaven. 811 The wonderfulness of it seen in man. 813 Creatures, how they all fight for God. 531, 872, etc. 929 How observant they are to him that made them. 949, 950 The power of nourishment is not in the creature, but in the Maker. 996 God would rather have his creatures perish any way then to serve for the use of the wicked. 1003 There is a special providence in their motion. 1049 Creed, the confession of the same creed is not sufficient with Rome for peace. 637 Credulity, it is the daughter of Folly. 1102 Crosses, of them. 80 of such as arise from conceit, and of true and real crosses. 80, 81 Remedies of crosses before they come. 81 And when they are come. 83 against sorrow for worldly crosses. 309 Crucify, excellent things of our crucifying Christ a new. 431 432 Cruelty, it is commonly joined with error. 564 God will call us to account for our cruelty against dumb beasts. 935 sudden cruelty stands not with religion. 969 Yet sometimes a virtue. 996 It is no thanks to themselves that wicked men cannot be, cruel. 1003 The mercies of God in turning the cruelty of the wicked, to the advantage of the godly. 1004 Insultation in the rigour of justice argueth cruelty. 1020 Curious: A censure of the curious in diet and apparel, that are negligent or indifferent in God's business. 1110 Curse: a causeless curse whom it hurts. 1009 Of Shemei his curse. 1231 Custom: It shall be no plea for sin or error. 38 Custom in sin will so flesh us as to deny or forswear any thing. 1009 D DAnger: there should we bend our greatest care where we find our greatest danger. 1193 Dancing allowed, described, and censured. 677 In a case disallowed. 1021 David: his choice or Election. 1076 Called to the Court. 1079 Of him and Goliath. 1080 David's reproach by his brother. 1081 His preparation to the Combat. 1084 An excellent use of it. ibid. His deliverance out at a window. 1089 Of samuel's harbouring him. 1090 Of David and Abimetech. 1091 A notable demonstration of his royalty. 1101 A description of David's and his people's perplexity. 1113 David a type of Christ in his wars, ibid. His too much credulity. 1133 David, a spectacle of infirmity. 1137 What in war, and what in peace. 1137 An expostulation with David about his sin. 1138 Of David and Nathan. 1141 His confession. 1142 Observations of David's child's death. 1143 David is not more sure of forgiveness then of smart. 1144 The relation of his particular pay. ibid. His carriage in Shemeies' curse. 1232 His patience draws on his impudency. 1233 Of his numbering the people. 1246 His admirable charity. 1249 His honour in welcoming the Prophets. 1257 David's end. 1258 Day: That all days are Gods, but some more specially. 441, 442 Holy days how observed in the Church of England. 589 Death: It hath three messengers. p. 4 The wicked therein hath three terrible spectacles. 7 Its desire how lawful. ●5 Man's unwillingness to die. 53 To be unwilling is sign of being in a bad case. 61 Of the importunity and terror of death. 84 The grounds of the fear of death. 85 The remedy of the last and greatest breach of peace arising from death. 86 A meditation of death. 126 Of that Epicurean resolution, Let us eat and drink, for etc. 1 Cor. 15.32. 139, 140 What resoluteness doth to death. 148 An Epistle against the fear of death. 291 Of immoderate mourning for the dead. 307 A discourse of due preparation for death, and the means to sweeten it. 317 An effectual preparation of a murderer to his death. 379 Sweet comforts in the meditation of Christ's death. 434 A pretty item in mourning for the dead. 913 Every circumstance of our dissolution is determined. 939 The difference of a godly and wicked man's death. ibid. How God forewarns us of death. 940 Dead bodies are not lost, but laid up. 942 'tis just with God that he that life's without grace should dye without comfort. 1105 Death is not partial. 1116 Deceit: Its kinds and judgements. 218, 219 The hearts deceit in its faculties and affections largely described, 504, etc. A pretty description of deceiving others. 506 and of the devil's deceit. ibid. Described by its effects. 507 Oh the deceit of sin. 1140 Decree: It is in vain to strive against God's decree when we know it. 1057 Delay: An argument not to delay our repentance till the last day. 63 Delay dangerous. 948 Desire: A man besotted with evil desires is made fit for any villainy. 937 Where God sees fervent desire, he stays not for words. 977 Despair: Then it no greater wrong to God. p. 35 Excellent examples against it. 946 To what mad shifts men are driven to in despair. 1210 Detraction: or detractor: our behaviour with or against such. p. 2 A sweet resolution against detraction. 3 Devil: He ●ill we have sinned is a Parasite, but when we have sinned he is a Tyrant. 1112 He is no less vigilant than malicious. 1103 The dumb devil ejected. 1285 Sin gives him possession. 1286 There is the devil most tyrannous, where he is most obeyed. 1293 There is no time wherein the devil is not tormented. 1298 Ever doing mischief. 1302 And delights in it. 1303 Devotion: Of the deceit of deferring our devotions on conceit of present unfitness, and its evil effect. 29 An excellent means to stir us to devotion. 138 A direction how to conceive of God in our devotions and meditations. 347 Of the Pharisees and Papists devotion, how fare exceeding ours. 411 Miserable is the devotion that troubleth us in the performance. 993 The morning fittest for devotion. 1044 Superstition is devotions' ape. 1047 A good heart is easily won to devotion. 1052 Devotion so attended, as not to neglect our particular calling. 1186 Difference: No difference between servants, friends, and sons with God. 50 Diligence: What, and how profitable. 222 Discretion: In a good action how good. 6. What it is, and what it worketh. 212 A good guide for zeal. 968 Discontent: Its Character. 190 Discontented humour seldom escapes unpunished. 930 Discourse: It is but the froth of wisdom. 1271 Dishonesty: It grows bold when it is countenanced by greatness. 1139 Dissembler: Of dissimulation four kinds. 218 Its craft. 932 Dissimulation: how clad. 958 One degree of dissimulation draws on another. 1109 Dissension: An excellent rule for our carriage in the dissensions of the Church. 29 The cause of dissensions, with the devil's joy at them, should make us to cease from them. 56 Dissension in Religion, an insufficient motive of unsettledness in it. 324 An earnest dissuasion from dissension. 413, 414 Oh the misery of civil dissension. 1120 Dissolution: Pretty things of it by way of comparison. 464, 465 Not to hasten our dissolution. 968 Distrust: It makes our dangers greater. 917 Divorce: Concerning matter of divorce in case of apparent adultery: with advice to the innocent party in that behalf. 328 Doctrine: This and exhortation must go together. 54 Doubt: Of the mind that never doubts, and that ever doubts. 1270 Dreams: Of what use of old, and also even now. 50 Drunkenness: Its resemblance with Covetousness. 8 Of Noah's drunkenness. 827, 828 Drunkenness the way to all bestial affections. 837 A drunkards style. 1030 A beast or a stone is as capable of instruction as a drunkard. 1105 A drunkard may be any thing save good. 1140 Duel: The first challenge of Duel whence. 1081 The censure of Duels. 1120 Dullness: Remedies against dulness in our calling. 375 E Earnestness: What it doth in prayer. 10 Earth: It yields no content. 12 A pretty use of that that we are earth. 68 The earth is made only for action, not for fruition. 939 Ease: Good things seldom gotten with ease. 5 Of enduring a false worship with ease. 1011 Youth and ease let lose their appetites. 1145 Education: A complaint of the mis- education of our Gentry. 393 What education works. 867 Parents should have both of them a like care of their children's education. 996 Education hath no less power to corrupt than nature. 1327 Egypt: Its plagues. 872 Eglon: His reverence in receiving a message from God. 972 Ehud, and Eglon. 970 Elegance, what without soundness, 10 Elijah with the widow of Sarepta. 1330 Of his tempestuous coming in to Ahab. ibid. Of his being fed by the Ravens. 1331 His deeds with the Baalites. 1335 His Heroical spirit. 1336 Of his running before Ahab, & flying from jezebel. 1340 His cordial in his journey. 1344 He is revenged on Ahab. 1364. His rapture. 1368 The happiness of Elisha in attending him. ibid. Elisha, his happiness in attending Elijah. 1368 What he cared for. 1370 He s; awe his master's departure 1371 His healing the waters. 1378 Cursing the children. 1374 Relieving the Kings. 1374 Of his being with the Shunamite. 1378 Of him and Naaman. 1383 His raising the Iron & blinding the Assyrians. 1390 Elizabeth, that Queen praised, and of whom envied in life, and scorned after death. 479 Ely, of him and Hanaah. 1030 His zealous breach of charity. ibid. Of him and his sons. 1032 We read of no other fault that he had but indulgence. 1034 His admirable faith. 1035 Ambassadors, their names sacred 1135 Emptiness: as in nature, so spiritually there ought to be no emptiness. 1 End, Satan's assaults are sorest at our end. 63 The lives of most are misspent only for want of a certain end of their actions. 147 The end commonly answerable to the way. 1116 Enemy, we are so to God actively and passively. 529 A good use to be made of an enemy. 868 If God be our enemy we shall be sure of enemies enough. 971 Even all the creatures. 531, 872 and 929 A fearful thing to be at the mercy of an enemy. 1351 Enterprises, the undertaking of great enterprises had need both of wisdom and courage. 973 Envy, vide Malice, a proud man is always envious, even to all. 52 Envy a sin & punishment, 55 The envious character. 198 Its kinds and effects. 219 Envy curious. 914 Envy in a malicious man once conceived what it brings forth. 1029 Envy is blind to all objects save to other men's happiness. 1087 An envious breast a fit lodging for the evil spirit. ibid. An example of envies casting off shame. 1088 Envy like the jaundice. 1089 Error, is commonly joined with cruelty. 564 The false patrons for new errors compared to the Gibeonites. 958 Esau: ●e Contemplation on Esau and jacob. 843 Esteem: Two things make a man esteemed. 5 Evil: an evil man described, 12 Not to be evil when there are provocations thereto is commendable. 65 In evil how ready the devil is to set us forward. 140 The not doing of evil is requited with good. 865 The infection of evil is much worse than the act. 920 Whether we may do evil that good may come thereof. 946 Every Christian the better for his evils. 1000 If we be not as ready to suffer evil as to do good, we are not fit for the consecration of God. 1004 The abetting of evil is worse than the committing it. 1019 It is one of the greatest praises of God's goodness that he can turn the evil of men to his own glory. 1055 Examples: as the sins of great men are exemplary, so are their punishments. 937 Where the examples of the weak serve. 1103 Exceptions: there was never any, of whom some took not exceptions. 1058 Excellency: Twelve things that are excellent to behold. 136 Excess: it is never good, but commonly with admirable faculties there are great infirmities. 61 Excess a great argument of folly. 1105 Excuse, none for sin. 911, 912. Exhortation: Doctrine and exhortation must go together. 54 Expectation, what it doth in a resolved mind. 3 Extremity: sudden extremity is a notable trial of faith. 15, 884 Extremity distinguisheth friends. 25 Nature is too subject to extremities. He that hath found God present in one extremity may trust him in the next. 1081 Extremity of distress will send the profanest to God, 1109, 1110 Eye: A faithful man hath three eyes: 1 Of Sense, 2 Of Reason, 3 Of Faith. 34 How it betrays the heart, etc. 956 He can never keep covenant with God, that cannot keep his eyes. 1138 How temptation is let in at the eye. 1198 F FAction: How to quell it, drawn from an order in the body and soul. 55 Falsehood: where that is in any, it makes us to suspect others 1134 Fame: the vanity of being carried away with the affectation of fame. 66 Fame is always a blab, & oftentimes a liar. 1270 Fashion: an excellent description of a man of fashion. 700 immodesty of outward fashion betrays ill desires. 851 Of the fashions out-running modesty. 1135 Fasting, it merits not, but it prepares for good. 908 Fathers what they own to their children. 242 Favour: it makes virtues of vices. 67 Extraordinary favours to the wicked make way for judgements, and are forerunners of their ruin. 876 The purpose of any favour is more than the value. 1088 Favour not used aright doth justly break out into Indignation. 1135 Faith: sudden extremity is a notable trial of faith. 15 The bond of faith is the strongest bond. 29 A discourse of the proofs and signs of true faith. 348 Of sense and faith. 437 Of the power of faith. 704 A notable means to hearten our faith. 894 No life to that of faith. 908 A pretty observation of the difference of sense & faith. 916, 1162 All our actions done in faith and charity shall be sure of pay. 953 Faith ever overlooks the difficulties in the way, and hath eye to the end. 972 The strongest faith hath ever some touch of infidelity. 977 1106 Faith gives both heart and arms in War. 1084 The weak apprehensions of our imperfect faith are not to be so much censured as pitied. 1162 Where our faith is not wanting to God, his care cannot be wanting to us. 1331 Faithfulness: a faithful man hath three eyes: Of sense, of Reason, of Faith. 34 The Character of a faithful man. 174, 175 Faithfulness in reproof. 216 None so valiant as the believer. 918 It is no small happiness to be interessed in the faithful. 1052 Faithless: no charity binds us to trust those whom we have found faithless. 1102 Fear: Fear and service must go together. 474 Fear distinguished. 474 It fits the mind for Love.. ibid. Love and fear never go asunder where they are true. 475 Fear, what it signifies in the original. ibid. Distinguished. ibid. Defined. ibid. Our fear must be reduced to service. 476 A notable encouragement against fear of all oppositions. 531 Mere fear is not sinful. 892 Fear and familiarity God love's in the use of his Ordinances. 897 The most secure heart hath its flashes of fears. 951 A fearful man can never be a true friend. 1004 Boldness and fear are commonly misplaced in the best hearts. 1052 Where there is no place for holy fear, there will be place for the servile. 1109 Feasts: A check for our newfound feastings. 476 Fight: How all the creatures fight for God. 531 Fishing: Of the Ministers being compared to Fishermen. 1201 Flatterer, or flattery: Its character. 192 His success & remedy. 218 Fatterie what it doth. 280 Flattery a sure token of a false teacher. 920 A just doom for false flatterers, fully described in the Amalekite that brought tidings to David of saul's death. 1117, 1118 A flatterer most notably discovered. 1132, 1133 Flesh: in the matters of God we must not consult with flesh and blood. 835 Flight: whether we may fly in time of danger. 1177 Fellow: never was seen so bad course, but had some followers or applauders. 138 Food: the soul is fed as the body with milk & strong meat. 145. 146 Fools: three sorts. 213 The success of their folly. ibid. All sin hath power to befool a man. 1006 Force: a pretty Emblem of force and wiliness joined together to work mischief. 1002 Fortitude: in general and special. 226 True Christian fortitude what it teacheth? 918 True Christian fortitude wades through all evils. 1023. A note of true fortitude. 1027 Forwardness: It argues insufficience. 871 Force: a pretty Emblem of the Fo●ces tayes tied together. 1002 Freedom: none free but God's servants. 9 Freewill: That error foisted on the Church of England, by the Parlour of Amsterdam 583 The Romish error of freewill. 645 Friend: how to use him. 5 When known. 25 Friendship, Three grounds of friendship. 29 What only should part friends. 30 True friendship necessarily requireth patience. ibid. No time lost that is bestowed on a true friend. 31 The right behaviour of a true friend. ibid. Of the loss of a friend, 31, 32 How to make men our friends perforce, that will not be so in love. 47 A true friend the sweetest contentment in the world. 53 How to deal with an offending friend. 55 What we must do in meddling with friends faults. 57 Rich men can hardly know their friends. 59 The character of a true friend 177 A fearful man can never be a true friend. 1004 The fruition of friends a great comfort. 1016 The purpose of any friendship is more than the value. 1088 Fulke: Doctor Fulke commended. 287 Funerals: Our Church's practice in them commendable. 591 G GAderens: Christ among their herds. 1293 Why they besought Christ's departure. 1303 Gain: How many in fear of poverty se●k to gain unconscionably, and dye beggars. 1003 No gain so sweet as that of a rob altar. 1054 Gallant: His description in his jollity. 493 Gamester: he is prettily deciphered. 1001 Gergesens: Christ among them. 1293 Gesture: vid. body. Gibeonites: Their wisdom but not falsehood commended. 958 Their smooth tale told for themselves. ibid. The rescue of Gibeon. 965 The Gibeonites revenged. 1243 Gideon: His calling. 957 His preparation & victories. 981 There is no greater example of modesty then in Gideon. 985 Gifts, or giving: God love's not either grudged or necessary gifts. 39 Gods former gifts arguments of more. 144 Speed in giving, how acceptable. 966 In gifts, intention is the favour, not the substance. 972 God will find a time to make use of any of his gifts bestowed on any man. 991 We measure the love of God by his gifts. 1027 God love's not to have his gifts lie dead, where he hath conferred them. 1265 Glory: God's glory must be the chief of all our actions and desires. 902 God: The use of his presence. p. 12, 13 The absurd impiety of Israel's desire of having other gods. 899 A miserable god that wants helping, 1044 With what security they walk that take their directions from God. 1047 Godliness: Never was any man a loser by true godliness. 1129 Goliath: Of him and David. 1080 How fitly he terms himself a dog. 1084 His end is a picture of the end of insolency and presumption. 1085 Good: Of doing good with an ill meaning. 63, 64 Of good ill used. 64 All our best good is insensible. 146 A good man will ever be doing good. 868 Good done, but not out of conscience, what they meet with. 1090 Goodness: Its power. 7 No good man that mends not. 8 It is of a winning quality. 1023 Those men are worse than devils that hate any for goodness. ibid. Gospel: The enjoyment of it what a favour it is. 907 Its sweetness. 929 Governors: vid. Kings and Princes. How it pleaseth the people to hear the governors taxed. 1920 Corrupt governors lose the comfort of their own breast. 921 A praying governor. ibid. No small happiness to an estate to have their governors chosen by worthiness. 941 Governors must not respect their own ends in public actions. 984 Grace: It will grow. p. 8. How chained. 136 Patience is a good proof of grace. 913 The folly of them that refuse Gods graces, because they are found in ill men. 1000 It is just with God that those that want grace should want wit too. 1044 Grace is not tied either to number or means. 1050 Grace is by gift, and not by inheritance. 1052 An unmannerly ungodliness not to say grace at meat. 1055 Nothing but grace can make us to make use of others judgements. 1058 A special token of a gracious heart. 1100 The graces of God how they should attract our Love.. 1109 Grace makes no differences of sexes. 1160 Greatness: Not respected of any, but of man. 1 There is an affable familiarity that becomes greatness. 1055 Dishonesty grows bold when it is countenanced by greatness. 1138 Settled greatness cannot endure change, or partnership. 1171 Guides: A Christian must in all his ways have three guides. First, Truth. Secondly, Wisdom. Thirdly, Charity. 137 It is a great confirmation to any people to see God to be their guide. 883 No better guide than God in his Word & Sacraments. 948, 949 Guiltiness. what fear there is in it. 909 It needs no Prophet to assure us of punishment. 1035 Every thing affrights the guilty. 1171 H Half: an half Christian lives most miserably. 62 Hanun: Of him and David's Ambassadors. 1133 Happiness: How to be happy in despite of all the world. 52 Who is happy enough. 58 A happy man's Character. 181 Wherein it is not, 201 etc. Wherein it is. 209 The suddenness of man's happiness. 515 A good heart cannot endure to be happy alone. 867 Hardness, or hardening: How to keep from it. 329 Many hardened by the Word. 836 Harlot: Her deadly danger prettily described. 1007 Hast: Of making haste to be good. p. 2 Just jealousy of being over- hastily holy. 33 Hatred: Between the Christian and the world. 61, 62 Hearing: a note for bearers that come for eloquence. 62 An enducement to hear often. 149 Heart: How small, how great. 6 The heart & tongues correspondence. 38 A true sign of a false hart is, to be nice in small matters, and contrary in great. 147 How to keep from hardness of heart. 329 The heart hath many names. 502 Deceitful in every faculty. ibid. A man's inward disposition presageth his event. 948 A good heart can frame itself to all conditions. 1080 Saul the very picture of a false heart. 1087 The foulest heart doth oft enjoy good motions. 1089 No heart but sometimes will relent. 1101 Our heart compared to a City enclosed. 1243 Heaven, its pleasure prettily described. 5, 811 Heaven compared to an hill. 10 The way to heaven foul and thorny. 37 Hell is not more obscure in comparison of the earth, than the Earth in respect of Heaven. 66 Heavenly and earthly things represented unto us by the two lights of Heaven the Sun and the Moon. 68 the different degrees of heaven's glory. 326 heavens joys prettily expressed. 467, 468 Heaven double, Gloriae & Ecclesiae. 529 The three Heavens notably described. 811, 812 Never any entered heaven with ease. 1371 Heels: what the iniquity of ones heels is. 1101 Henry: A lamentation for prince Henry. 63 Heraldry: its antiquity. 443 Heretics: How fare 'tis lawful to have converse with them. 330 Herod, of his trouble about Christ's birth. 1171 His fear dissembled. 1172 Of him & the Infants. 1176 His slaughter of the Infants. 1178. Holy days, how they are observed in the Church of England. 586 Holiness: Fearfully abused by the Pope. 445 A double holiness, one for use another for virtue. 445, 446 Our shame in the want of holiness, and a sharp reproof for it. 446 Of whom it is rejected. ibid. Who so holy as sins not, example in Miriam and Aaron against Moses. 914 Holiness not tied to any profession. 1010 The Throne and the Pulpit chief call for holiness. 1060 Holy duties how regarded of the wicked. 1066 No man brags so much of holiness as he that hath it not. 1075 A little honesty worth much illumination. 1320 No temptation so dangerous as that which comes under the vale of holiness. ibid. Honest, or honesty: its character. 174 Honest actions never shame their doers. 1110 Honour: How honour and charge are of an inseparable connexion. 48 An Epistle of true honour. 278 They that are most unworthy of it are in hottest chase for it. 985 Honour is heavy when it comes on the best terms. 1057 Honour will show the man. 1086 Hope: It is not more necessary for men to be cheeted with hopes, then to be feared with dangers. 1051 The description of an hopeless man. 1100 Hosts: God styled, The God of Hosts an hundred and thirty times by the Prophets, with the use thereof. 531 Housholder, His properties. 239 Humiliation: It is a right use of affliction. 1132 'tis the way to glory. ibid. Humility: how God accepts of it. 145 The character of an humble man. 175 Humility, with the contrary vice. 224 Humility is both a sign of following glory, and the way unto it. 977 Humility is ever the way to honour. 1026 True humility finds out the worst of himself. 1207 Hunger: Sweet comforts to the hungry soul. 65, 66 Husband, how he must carry himself. 239 Hypocrite, or Hypocrisy: reasons why it is a very madness to be an hypocrite. 4 A worldling is an hypocrite. 6 The Hypocrites Character. 185 A worthy caution for an hypocrite. 416 Prettily described in the profession of holiness. 446 Hypocrites how contrary to Moses in the vailing his face. 910 Hypocrisy gets this, that it may do evil unsuspected. 936 No means hath so enriched hell as beautiful faces. 937 Hypocrites have good tongues. 1048 Hypocrites only rest in formalities. 1063 An Hypocrite will sooner find out another man's sin then his own. 1066 The folly and impudence of Hypocrisy descried. 1075. Saul the very character of hypocrisy. 1067, 1087 Hypocrites partial in their detesta●ions. 1121 A special note of an hypocrite, even to make use of God for his own purposes. 1121 Wicked Hypocrites care not how they play with God so they may mock men. 1150 What an idleness it is in Hypocrites, to hope that they shall dance in a 〈◊〉 unseen of heaven. 1325 I IAel, and Sisera. 973 Of jaels' courtesy to Sisera. 974 jaels expostulations about Sisera's death. ibid. jacob: The contemplation of jacob and Esau. 843 Idleness: It is very troublesome. 34 The Idol man is the devil's Cushion 54, 55. God never graceth the idle with visions. 870 Idleness what it does. 1137 Idols, and Idolatry: Things abused to it, may be employed to God's service. 978 no trusting the honesty of an Idolater. 1011 The obstinacy of Idolatry. 1045 jeptha. 991 His Vow. 992 A pretty expostulation of Ieptha's daughter in meeting her father. 993 jericho: Of the siege of jericho. 950 Of their fear and courage. 951 A pretty use to be made of the people's walking about jericho seven days. 952 jeroboam: 1315 He set up two calves in Dan and Bethel. 1316 Of his wife. 1323 She is disguised, but found out. 1324, 1325 The Prophet's thunderclaps of vengeance against him. 1325 jesuite: A caveat for Kings to beware of them. 372 Their covetousness and ambition. 416, 417 The jesuites cunning insinuations into those whom they hope to pervert. 679, 680 Accompanied with horrible untruths. 681, 682 Their conjurations. 683 They have nothing but the ouside of Religion. 684 jezabel: Of her counsel to Ahab in the matter of Naboth. 1357 Ignorance: It is a wise Ignorance not to pry into things not revealed. p. 1 Ignorance cannot acquit; if it can abate our sin. 1067 the affectation of ignorance desperate. ibid. Imitation: A caution to be had in it. 59, 60 These sins that nature conuaies not, we have by imitation. 1010 Impatience: The ill wishes of the impatient often heard. 929 Importunity: It's good speed. 1205 Imprisonment: Of its comfort. 305 Impunity: Hope of it draws on sin with boldness. 1111 Inconsiderateness: What it oft doth. 969 Inconstancy: The inconstant is unfit for society. 36 The unconstants Character. 191 Increase: A certain way of it. 1032 Indifferency: In humane things it is most safe to be indifferent. 136 Indulgences: Popish Indulgences censured, as against antiquity, reason, and Scripture. 433 Parent's indulgence: what. 1015 Cruel to themselves. 1034 It is a notorious sin in Parents. ibid. Infants: Of them, and Herod. 1176, etc. Infidelity: Its Character. 196 A sharp reproof of it. 425 505 Infidelity is crafty, yet foolish. 891 It is lawful enough to deal with Infidels, with a caveat. 1017 Infirmities: Even the best of God's Saints have them. 1077 When they best appear. 1108 Ingratitude: Three usual causes of ingratitude. 26 Very Nature hates ingratitude. 895 Inheritance: Our heavenly inheritance glorious, and not subject to alteration. 64 Injuries: Three things follow an injury, so fare as it concerns ourselves. p. 16 Injuries hurt not more in the receiving, then in the remembrance. 30 Injuries like a wound. 857 Innocence: It is no shelter for an evil tongue. 921 Inquisition: Its tyranny, with a fearful example on the executioners. 283 Insultation: That, in the rigour of justice, argueth creation. 1020 Intention: Good intentions cannot warrant unlawful acts. 1128 What betrays evil intentions more than vicious Agents. 1312 Inward: Our inward disposition is the life of our actions. 934 And a man's inward disposition doth presage the event 948 joab and Abner. 1119 joabs' execution. 1261 john Baptist: Of his baptising Christ, & his modesty. 1190, 1191 jonathan: Of his victory. 1064 His admirable faith. ibid. Of his love, and saul's envy. 1086 His and David's love prettily set out. ibid. jordan: Of it divided. 948 joseph: His brethren's envy prettily described. 853 joseph twice stripped of his garment. 854 joseph praised for his patience and wisdom. ibid. joy, vid. Rejoice: It is shameful for true Christians not to be joyful. 46, 47 Of worldling's joy, and the godlies. 51 The joy of such as have an evil conscience is but dissembled. 76 'tis the safest way to reserve our joy till we have good proof of the worthiness and fitness of its object. 1058 Isaac: He sacrificed. 834, 835 Israel: His affliction. 863 Israel's just now scoured. 864 Israel fed with Sacraments. ●92 Of their seven mutinies against Moses. 928 What pretences ●re be made, a true Philistim will be quickly weary of a true Israelite. 1002 The great change in Israel. 1127 judaisme: The fearful danger of being in it. 426 judges: A note for them in regard of partiality. 1074, 1075 judging: We may judge, but we must take heed to the order. 491 The not judging according to appearance is a useful rule for avoiding error in judging. 491 Excellent things of judging a man's self. 1060 God separates before he judgeth, and so should we. 1074 What to do that we may not care to be censured of men. 1287, 1288 judgements: God is to be magnified in his judgements. 49 The Day of judgement how terrible shown by resemblance. 898 Wicked men never care to observe God's judgements until themselues be touched. 931 Gods sentence of judgement certain. 941 Gods mercy in letting us to see his judgements on others. 1035 God knows no persons in the execution of judgements. 1048 Nothing but grace can teach us to make use of other men's judgements. 1058 The judgements of God are not always open, but just. 1093 When we make a right use of the judgements of God. 1128 judgement assuredly attends on those that dare oft up their hands against God's Vicegerents. 1263 junius commended. 287 justice, It gives to every man his own. 215 A buyer of places of judicature will surely sell justice. 519 Of the twofold justice, Legal and Evangelicall. 538 Of Legal and distributive justice. 1540 How justice is a notable work of mercy. ibid. The Church's peace ariseth from justice. 541 Insultation in the rigour of justice argueth cruelty. 1020 We may not always measure the justice of God by present occasions. 1121 The beautiful face of justice both effects and light and comes to it. 1245 justification: The Romish heresy concerning it. 643 K KIng, vid. Princes, described by his qualities & actions Natural & Moral. 229, etc. Our King commended. 479 Paralleled with Constantine. 482, 483 The near relation of sin and punishment in the Sovereign and subject. 484 Of Kings humouring their people in their sins. 900 Kings sins are a just stop to the people. 915 Gods ancient purpose to raise up a King to his people. 1052 In Kings, mercy and judgement should be inseparable. 1059 A Kings first care must be to advance Religion. 1127 It well beseems a King to hear a Prophet. 1142 Kingdom: Every man hath a Kingdom within himselfe· 14 Kneeling at the Sacrament defended. 583 Knowledge What 〈◊〉 best to know. p. 31 Knowledge of a man's self is the best knowledge. 36 Of knowledge without soundness. 53 We must labour, if we will have a right relish of divine knowledge. 63 Of our knowing one another in heaven. 326 The itch of impertinent knowledge is hereditary. 1110 L LAbour labouring minds are the best receptacles for good motions. 1017 Laugh: There is nothing more lamentable then to see a man laugh when he should mourn. 1109 Law: Of it. 896 How terrible in its delivery. 898 The power of it 〈◊〉 man's soul. ibid. Learning: Who fit to learn, and and who to teach. p. 10 Humane learning well improved makes way for divine. 1170 Legion▪ What it imports. 1300 Levite: Of Micha's Levite: 1010, 1011, etc. The Levites Concubine. 1015 Liberality: What, 221 The extremes thereof. ibid. Life: He that life's well cannot but dye well. p. 9 The shortness of life how man's happiness. 17 Of his dissolution. 23 Three things wherein the whole life is exercised. 25 To live in God is the way not to live a wearisome life. 65 Of Gods being called, The Living God, with a sweet use of it. 705 Our course of life mus● either allow or condemn us: 1327 Light: It was created before the Sun was. 810 A sweet Contemplation of the light. ibid. Little: Of guiding a little well. p. 46 Lot: Of him and Sodom. 835 Love: 'tis but base love to love for a benefit. p. 9 A true note of self-love. ibid. It is both a misery and shame to be a bankrupt in love. 31 Three things that a man may love without exception. 51 Love to God and men. 219 Love's strength after reconcilement. 856, 857 Open defiance is better than false love. 1001 Love procures truer servitude than necessity. 1016 Love cannot be separated from a desire of fruition. 1024 Love must suffer both fire and Anvil. ibid. 'tis a vain ambition to seek to be loved of all. 1058 jonathans' love. 1086 A good note of true and false love. 1131 Lust: It commonly ends in loathing. 848 Lust's madness. 854 Lust is quicksighted. 1138 Liar: His fashion, manifestation, and punishment. 217 Whether we may lie for the promotion of a good cause. 946 Liars: behold their pedigree. 1198 Lyon. His rage against Samson in that encounter prettily described. 999 Where our strength lies against that Lion the Devil. 1000 A lesson of thankfulness learned from the Lion's carcase. ibid. M Madness: he is a rare man that hath not some kind of madness in him. 143 Magic: It is through the permission of God powerful. 931 Magistrate: The Character of a good Magistrate. 179 What is required in a Magistrate. 231 An excellent pattern for a Magistrate in a troublesome government. 919 A special note of a good Magistrate. 920 A Magistrate his pace in punishment of offenders must be slow and sure. 957 Majesty: An impression of Majesty in lawful authority. 904 Malice, vid. Envy: of smiling Malice. 849 God will ever raise up secret favourers to his own, among those that are most malicious 853 Malice witty. 854 No sin, whose harbour is so unsafe as that of malice. 864 There is no looking for favour at the hand of malice. 893 Malice regards not the truth, but the spite of an accusation. 921 Malice cares not so much for safety, as for conquest. 931 Malice in a wicked heart is the King of passions. 965 Their malice hastens their destruction. ibid. Malicious wickedness of all others shall never go without payment. 1073 Truth and justice hath no protection against malice. 1087 The malicious like him that hath the jaundice. 1089 Malice hid doth but lurk for opportunity. 1147 Malice will ever say the worst. 1288 Man: The contemplation of his Creation. 813 The description of him ad parts. ibid. By his internal parts. ib. etc. Manhood: Of sinful manhood. 338, 339 Marina: Of it and Quails. 886 Marina● how many ways a Miracle. 889 The difference between the true and typical Manna. ibid. Mano●h: Many things of him. 996, 997. etc. Marah● waters. 883 Marriage: An apologetical discourse of the marriage of Ecclesiast call persons. 297 A question of separation of a married couple with joint-consent whether lawful. 377 Whether the Church of England maketh marriage a Sacrament. 587 Of Minister's marriage whether lawful. 721 Those that are unequally yoked may not look ever to draw one way. 869 They seldom prosper. 914 Sampsons' marriage. 998 Not without the consent of his Parents. ibid. His Parent's expostulation of his motion of marriage with a Philistim. ibid. Of an even carriage in the case of marriage both of the Parents and Children. 999 another expostulation about the lawfulness of Sampsons' marriage. ibid. His woe that is married to a Philistim, or unequally yoked. 1001 'Slight occasions may not break off the knot of mariage-love. 1002 Not by imaginations, but by proofs. ibid. Of disparietie of Religion in marriage. 1021 God owes shame to such as will be making matches betwixt himself and Belial. 1044 Marriage made a plot for mischief. 1088 The bonds of marriage how strong they should be. 1090 A picture of those marriages that are made for money, not for the Man. 1102 Those marriages were well made wherein virtues are matched, and happiness is mutual. 1106 The marriage in Cana. 1202. The happiness of that wedding which Christ is at. ibid. The marriage that we are all invited unto. 1203 Martyrs, their undauntedness. 436 Marry: vid. Virgin. 436 Mass: concerning it. 658 Masters: what they must be. 243 Matthew: He is called. 1290 Described. 1291 Means: It without God cannot help, but God without it can. p. 12 That a man's mind should be to his means, expressed by sweet similes. 59 Small and unlikely means shall prevail where God hath appointed an effect. 847 The means must be used with faith. 889 To seek the second means without the first, is a token of a false faith. 891 Prayer without means is but a mockery of God. 894 We must not look for immediate redress from God, but rather by means. 901 Means can do nothing without God. 951 In humane things, but not in divine, is good to look to the means. 972 Small means shall set forward that which God hath decreed. 1080 The means nothing without God's blessing. 1194 Meat: of milk and strong meat. 145, 146 Meditation: It must be continued. p. 1 The benefit and uses of meditation. 105 Its descriptions and kinds. ibid. Of extemporal meditations. 106 Cautions in them. ibid. Of deliberate meditation. 107 The hill of meditation may not be climbed with a profane foot. ibid. His qualities therefore are prescribed. 108, 109 Of other circumstances of meditation, as the place and time. 110 Gesture of the body, and the subject. 111 Of its order, entrance, and proceeding. 112, 113 The Scale of meditation. 114 with many excellent things a pag. 114, ad 125 A meditation of death. 126 Or the heart enured to meditation. 141 Three things wherein God's mercy abundantly appeared to us. ibid. etc. Mediocrity. That is safest and firmest. 1107 Mephibosheth: Of him & Ziba. 1131 His humility. 1132 A pretty pitying of Mephibosheth. ibid. Mercy, vid. Compassion: the infinite sweetness of God's mercy shadowed. 8 Mercy, what it doth. 220 Who offends against it. ibid. God's mercies to Israel and England exactly numbered, and sweetly paralleled, 478, 479 We can look no way, but that we shall meet with, and behold and embrace mercy. 706 Gods Majesty seen of his sons in his mercy. 871 Gods great mercy to murmurers set forth. 887 The use that God's servants should make of his mercies towards their & his enemies, the wicked. 887 Mercy must not hearten us to sinning. 900 An excellent example of mercy, that may keep any from despair. 946 It is a curse mercy that opposeth God's mercy. 953 A true property of mercy to be most favourable to the weakest. 1029 Mercy draws more tears from God's friends, than judgements do from his enemies. 1051 It is good to take all occasion of renewing the remembrance of God's mercies. 1093 Merit: Concerning it. 647 Method: A false method the bane of many hopeful endeavours. 279 Micha: His idolatry. 1009 Michaiah The Prophet, commended. 1362, etc. His sentence by Ahab. 1363 Michal: her wile. 1088 Her scorn and end. 1130 Mildness: This and fortitude must lodge together, as in Moses. 915 Mind: Of tranquillity of mind. p. 32 Of doing good with an ill mind. 63, 64 Minister: A pretty description of a bold minister without abilities. p. 5 Of much ostentation with little learning in a minister. p. 5 An apology for the marriage of Ministers. 297, etc. Of the ministers great charge 344, etc. Whether a minister upon conceit of insufficiency may forsake his calling. 379 A ministers wisdom in taking his time to speak. 474 The truth and warrant of the ministry of the Church of England. 575 Certain arguments against it. ibid. The censure of such as think that they can go to heaven without the ministry of the Word. 694 Of the Church of England approving an unlearned minister. 590 Whether ministers should endure themselves silenced. 597 Of ministers marriage whether lawful. 717, etc. A means to make the ministry effectual. 870 A pretty picture of the ministers portion among a discontented people. 875 A note for ministers in reproving▪ 915 An excellent example for a minister among a troublesome people. 919 Flattery in a minister: what. 920 The ministry will not grace the Man, but the Man must grace the ministry. 922 The regard that should be unto the ministry. 925, 1017 Ministers must not stand on their own perils in the common causes of the Church. 926 The lawfulness of a ministers calling, a thing very material. 927 The approbation of our calling is by the fruit. ibid. The world's little care of the ministers blessings. 932 The honour that Heathen gave to the Prophets will judge or shame our times towards their ministers. 935 A note for ministers not to go beyond their warrant. 940 Another note for to induce ministers to mildness in their admonitions. 956 A good ministers loss is better seen in his loss then presence. 970 Holy ministers, a sign of happy reconciliation with God. 973 It is no putting of trust in those men that neglect Gods ministers. 974 Of not caring for a ministers doctrine that is of an evil life. 1000 The ministers poverty is religions decay. 1010 A pretty censure of the good cheap minister. 1011 The withdrawing the ministers means, is the way to the utter desolation of the Church. 1012 Minister: Mercy how well fitting a minister. 1016 Where no respect is given to the minister, there is no religion. 1017 If ministers be profane, who shall be religious. 1028 The ministry not free of uncleanness. 1033 No minister's unholiness should bring the service of God in dislike. ibid. The sins of Teachers, are the teachers of sin. 1061 He is no true Israelite that is not distressed in the want of a minister, of a Samuel. 1062, 1063 For ministers to hear religion scorned, and be silent, is not patience, but want of zeal. 1130 An excellent note for ministers. ibid. A note for young ministers. 1187 Ministers called Fishers. 1201 Of niggardliness to our ministers. 1271 Of all others, the sin of a minister shall not go unrevenged. 1321 There is nothing wherein the Lord is more tender than in the approving of the truth of his ministers. 1335 The ministers message is now counted evil, it unpleasant. 1361 The departure of a faithful minister worthy our lamentation. 1371, 1372 Miracles: concerning the miracles of our time. 284, 285 The desiring a miracle without a cause is a tempting of God. 967 Miracles are not purposed to silence and obscurity. 1369 Miriam: Of Aaron and Miriam. 913 Mischief, they that seek it for others, fall into it themselves. 1099 Mockers, their sin, judgement and end seen in Michol. 1130 A caveat for mockers. 1374 Modesty: with that which is contrary to it. 224 What Christian modesty teacheth. 910 Those that pass its bounds grow shameless in their sins. 938 Monument: What is a man's best monument. 12 Those monuments would God have remain in his Church which carry in them the most manifest evidences of that which they import. 928 Motions: good motions make but a thoroughfare in wicked men's hearts. 874, 875 Labouring minds are the best receptacles for good motions. 1017 The foulest heart ofttimes entertains good motions. 1089 The wicked are the worse for good motions. 1091 Good motions in wicked men's hearts what like. 1106 Mourning of immoderate mourning for the dead. 307 A pretty item in mourning for the dead. 913 Moses: Or his birth and breeding. 866 His mother's affection sweetly described. ibid. The Contemplations of his killing the Hebrew. 867 His calling. 869 The hand of Moses lifted up. 893 Of his Veil. 907 Of his modesty. 910 Mildness & fortitude how they meet together in him. 914 Two patterns of his meekness. 916 An admirable pithy speech of his to Israel at their desire of going back to Egypt. 918 Moses death. 939 What an example of meekness he was in his death. 941 Multitude: the success of dealing with an obstinate multitude 919 A multitude is a beast of many heads. 1303 Murmurers: God's mercy to them. 887 Music, what good it doth to Saul in his dejection. 1079 N NAaman: Of him and Elisha. 1383 Nabal and Abagail. 1102 His churlish answer to David's servants. 1105 Naboth: Of him and Ahab. 1356 His denial of Ahabs request censured. 1317 Name: A man's good name once tainted, what compared to. 16 A good name worth the striving for. 60 Observations of a good name. 135 Of significant names. 1031 Naomi, and Ruth. 1022 Nathan: Of him and David. 1141 Nature: Natural: more difference betwixt a natural man and a Christian a then between a man and a beast. 27 How ready nature is to overturn all good purposes. 143 Nature and grace described in Cain and Abel. 817 Nature not content except it might be its own carver. 929 Necessity: It will make us to seek for that which our wantonness hath despised. 921, 922 None to be contemned for their necessity. 1103 near: When we come too near to God. 870 neutrality: Wherein odious, wherein commendable. 139 Hateful to God in matters of Religion. 1337 New: God makes new. 466 We must be made so too. ibid. A reproof of our new things. ibid. O● our New-year's gifts to God. ibid. News: Ill news doth either run or fly. 1036 Noble: The character of one truly noble. 178 Nourishment: The power of it is not in the creature, but in the Maker. 996 Number: Of David's numbering the people. 1246 His sin therein. ibid. O OAth: Of the oath of allegiance, and just suffering of those that have refused it. 342 Of the oath Ex officio. 988 How sacred and unviolable an oath should be. 947 Oaths for conditions of Peace whether bond to be kept if they be fraudulent. 959 The sequel of a breaking an oath. ibid. Even a just oath may be rashly taken. 1020 What an oath requires. ibid. Obedience: All the creatures more obedience then Man. 37 All our obedience cannot bear out one sin with God. 940 Obedience is a fit entrance into sovereignty. 1053 Blind obedience when it doth well. 1054 True obedience is ever joined with humility and fear. 1075 The truth and heartiness of our obedience respected of God in the meanest. 1175 Obstinate: Neither scourges nor favours can work with them. 341 Occasion: He that would be free from the acts of sin, must avoid the occasions. 853 How the Devil watcheth his occasions to lay his temptations. 1193 Old: Nothing more odious the fruitless old age. 9 Of Gods not acceptance of the dregges of our old age. 140 One: One sin what it doth. 954 Opinion: Among diversities of opinions how to carry ourselves. 15 Opportunity: It with convenience is guilty of much theft. 1356 Opposition: No calling of God so conspicuous, as not to find some opposition. 1119 Ostentation: Of great ostentation with little learning. 5 Seldom a good end of ostentation. 1085 Ordinances: A sweet description of God's ordinances. 492 That God at once requires both familiarity and fear in our approach to them. 897 It is a dangerous thing to be too bold with the ordinances of God. 949 A consideration of the poorness and weakness of God's ordinances. 933 With what security they walk that take their directions from God. 1047 A fearful thing to use God's ordinances with unreverent boldness. 1049 Gods children cannot be discouraged from God's ordinances. 1050 How well it goes with them that take God and his Ministers with them in his ordinances. 1114 Outward: The outward face or countenance makes commentary on the heart. 61 Of outward preparation how necessary. 897 What may be well said to such as use outward devotion more than sincere obedience 972 How to look on outward privileges. 991 No measuring Religion by outward glory. 1044 When men are carried away with outward shows, it is a sign that God means them a delusion. 1053 Own: What a man should account his own. 6 The conceit of owning hardens a man against many inconueniencies. 56 Of both overprizing & neglecting that which is our own. 67 P PArables: They sped well with David. 1148 Paradise: A contemplation of it. 815 Satan even in it. 816 The place of Paradise, whether to be sought for. 817 Pain: It shall humble them, whom shame cannot. 1045 Painting: a notable invective against our painted plaister-faced Iezebels. 700 Papists: Of popish depraving Antiquity. 349 The papists and the ancient jews paralleled. 415 Their superstitious, heathenish and ridiculous worship of Idols. 661 No possible reconciliation with papists. 663 They have nothing but the outside of Religion. 684 Pardons: popish pardons censured 433, 651 Pardons may well stand with temporal afflictions. 1143 Parents: A good note for them in the education of their children. 996 Parent's indulgence a patron of vanity. 1015 Reverence to Parents never goes unrecompensed. 1025 Parents that have bad children what they must do, 1032 Indulgent parents cruel to themselves. 1034 A good note for parents in the example of saul's father. 1053 The sanctity of the parent cannot bear out the sin of the son. 1128 Passion: nothing so befools a man as passion. 81 Christ's passion sweetly laid out. 427, 428. The application of it. 431 How subject the best are to passion. 1103. Unruly passions ever run into extremities. 1146 Patience: the character of a patiented man. 177 In God's affairs and man's injuries. 226 How well gods children are paid for their patience. 854 A forceable argument thereto. 890 There is no greater token of grace then to smart patiently. 913 Patrons: Their epithets being evil. 412 A serious exhortation to them. ibid. Peace: The happiness of that Church which hath Truth and peace kissing each other. 6 Impossible for an inferior to live at peace, except he hath learned to be contemned. 35 A persuasion to a study of the common peace. 395 An earnest persuasion to live in peace. 413, 414 The price of peace. 481, 482 Peace what without religion. 482 Of true and false peace. 529 Where to seek for peace. 530 Who gives it. ibid. How made between God and man. 537 Who are not, and who are indeed the true enemies unto peace. 542, 543 The commodities and conditions of peace. 625 As the wicked have no peace with God, so the godly have no peace with them. 847 Whether peace may be held on oath, which is made by fraudulent conditions. 959 Nothing so worthy of pity as the sinner's peace. 1006 It is the safest policy to be at peace with God. 1062 It is an unreasonable in equality to hope to find God in trouble, that would not regard him in peace. 1110 Propension to peace becomes a Victor● 1120 When peace is a friend to religion. 1127 Of the abo●e of peace. ibid. Penitent: The Character of a true penitent. 280 Penance how enjoined in the Church of England. 590 Penuel & Succotl● their revenge. 989 Perfection: the imperfectness of it, expressed by our Creation. 809 Perish: those that perish are blinded, etc. 921 Perkins commended. 287 Permission: even that in thing we may remedy, makes us no less actors than consent. 966 Persecution: a pity description of it. 482 Bloody persecution an argument of an evil cause, and the reason. 865 Person: the person must be in favour that will have his work to prosper. 950 One sinful person how pernicious. 954 The person honours the place, and not contrariwise. 1162 Pharaoh: his Emblem. 872 He is like a beast that grows mad in baiting. 874 Pharisaisme: What. 408 Whether an order or Profession. ibid. An austere sect. 409 Their employment. ibid. The difference between the Pharisees and Scribes. ibid. Of the seven kinds of Pharisees. ibid. About their strictness. ibid. The jews sottishness in believing of the Scribes and Pharisees. 410 How fare Christians are behind them. 411 Phineas. 936 His heroical spirit and courage. 938 Philosophy: or Philosophers: The censure of it and them. 73 Piety: vid: godliness. True piety is not uncivil. 997 A forced piety is thankless. 1110 There is no villainy but hath some show of piety. 1172 Pilgrims: A very fit meditation for them. 51 A pilgrims pain for heaven prettily paralleled. 54 The misery of our pilgrimage in respect of our home. 811 No perfume so sweet to a pilgrim as his own smoke. 1017 The perilous passage in our pilgrimage. 1065 Pity: vid. Mercy: Foolish pity is humane and dangerous. 970 Place: It honours not the person, as the person doth it. 1162 Therefore must we not be transported too much with the glory of places. 1163 Plague: Whether lawful for Pastor or people to fly in time of the plague. 350 plausibility: Not fit for regeneration. 1189 Pleasure: It must not be bought at too dear a rate. 13 How to carry ourselves in the enjoyment of pleasure and pain. 14, 15 No worldly pleasure hath any absolute delight in it. 25 A rule in taking of pleasure. 139 A discourse of the use of true and lawful pleasures. 337 Pleasures are but pain in their loss. 887 Poetry: Notable examples of godly poets, and a fearful one of a profane Poet. 153 Policy: Lewd men call wicked policy wisdom. 864 Lawful policies what they have. 867 The safest policy is always to be at peace with God. 1062 Nothing worse then to make Religion a stalking horse for policy. 1121 The policy of wicked men befools them at the last. 1261 Policy & Religion how they may meet. 1335 Pope, or popery: vid. Rome: The causes and means of its increase. 361 Wherein popery destroys the foundation. 388 Of the Pope's writing of holiness, where it is not, and blotting it out where it is. 445 Of his horrible pride in challenging Headship. 541 A serious dissuasive from popery. 613 Popery pictured. 620 Popularity: It is hateful. 12 Possessions: Earthly possessions are not always accompanied with wit and grace. 1102 Sin gives the devil possession. 1286 Poverty: Of popish voluntary poverty. 695, 696 How many in fear of poverty, seek to gain unconscionably, and yet dye beggars. 1003 Of feeding the poor. 1026 Prayer. How acceptable. 457 How not. ibid. Often prayer what it doth. 871 Prayer without means is but a mockery of God. 894 about the virtue of the place of prayer. ibid. Whose prayer is acceptable. 895 Concerning long and short prayers. ibid. Fervent prayer how it holds God's hand. 902, 926. Impatient prayers often heard 929 It is better sometime in our prayers to have gracious denials then angry yielding. 933 Prayers want of success may cause suspicion of want of heart. 971 Prayer the universal receipt of all evils. 1030 A rule, to be heard in our prayer. ibid. God will rather work miracles then our prayers shall return empty. 1031 The prayers of the wicked sometimes heard. 1066 If any thing can avert judgements it is prayers. 1144 Prayers resemblance with incense. 1160 Delay of effect may not discourage us from prayer. 1162 Praise: A censure for praising of Princes. 480 Preaching, or Preacher: of doing it by roate what. 37 Powerful preaching how defamed. 506 How God preacheth as well by actions as by words. 885 He is no true Israelite that is not distressed at the want of a Samuel. 1062, 1063 The preacher of the Gospel was an Angel. 1164 Plausible preaching is not fit for Regeneration. 1189 1189 Prelacy: Whether ours be Antichristian? 578 Preparation: of preparation for hearing. 896 For any of God's service. 897 God ever prepares his servants for employments. 1035 Presence: Concerning the real presence. 657 Of the difference of God's presence to sinners and saints. 871 The withdrawing of God's presence is the presence of his wrath. 915 The awful respect we own to God's presence. 949 A good man's loss better found in his loss then in his presence. 970 Presumption: Its character. 195 Presumption doth the same in wicked men which faith doth in the holiest. 1036 Presumption and boldness in undertaking ho●y callings, and touching holy things, punished, see in Vzzah. 1128 The just judgement of God upon presumptuous sinners. 1146 Pride, vid. Ambition, a proud man prettily described. 52, 699, 700 And what judgement follows justly. ibid. Always envious to all. ibid. The folly of pride. 701 Ever discontent and looking high. 829 Gods indignation against it. 830 Pride the ground of sedition 914 Deformity a fit cure for pride 915 A remedy for pride. 921 Pride and malice care not so much for safety, as for conquest. 931 Proud men have seldom contentment. 965 That which pride hath projected, it will find means either by bribes or favours to effect. 985, 986 Princes: Their peril, or portion. 884 The Princes sins are a just stop to the people. 913 The reciprocal respects between Princes & people. 1058 Where Prince and Priest combine not together, see what follows. 1062 No Prince safe without a Prophet. ibid. The near relation of Prince and people. 1117 Nothing can be worse then for young Princes to meet with ill Counsellors. 1135 No disparagement to Princes to take counsel of their Ministers. 1257 Their honour to Ministers ancient. 1261 Princes & Prophets both necessary in judgement. 1318 Prodigal: He is described. 221 Professors: An excellent speech and caveat to professors. 416 Profit: The love of it how powerful. 849 Promises: Gods promises most faithful. 3 yea as if they were of joane, or debt, or desert. 46 Profane: His character. 189 Extremity will send the profanest unto God. 1109, 1110 Prophet: A good prophet is a common treasure-house. 1102 The seduced prophet. 1319 Of all others, the sin of a prophet shall not go unrevenged. 1321 Prosperity: There is no more hateful sight to the wicked, then to see the prosperity of the godly. 863 The wicked in their prosperity will hardly give God his own. 873 In prosperity how jocund and devout. 886 Wickedness can seldom brag of any long prosperity. 1020 No measuring Religion by outward prosperity. 1044, 1337 God is often angry with those that do outwardly. prosper. 1054 Outward prosperity a false note of the Church. 1337 Providence: That God's providence doth overrule and dispose in the least action and event, is no detracting from his Majesty. 48 Of reliance on God's providence. 94 Of providence what it is, what are her objects, what her effects. 212 The comfort of his providence. 1331 Provocations: We must beware of them. 848 Prudence: vid. Wisdom. Psalms: Their use. 1080 A torment to the Tempter. ibid. Public: The main care of a good heart is for the public good. 976 Publican: called. 1290 Described, 1291 Punishment: There is no less Charity than justice in the punishment of sinners. 904 No policy in a sudden removal of a just punishment. 916 A madness to run from punishment, and not from sin. 922 As the sins of great men are exemplary, so are their punishments. 937 How often the infliction of a less punishment hath avoided a greater. 939 It is to no purpose to pray against punishment while the sin continues. 955 A Magistrates pace in punishments must be both slow and sure. 957 God doth in justice make one sin the punishment of another. 971 God punisheth when men least think of it. 1059 Of punishment deferred. 1073 There can be no evil of punishment, wherein God hath not a hand. 1248 The delay of punishment is neither hindrance to God's justice, nor comfort to our miseries. 1261 Purification: Of Mary's purification. 1173 The contempt of women's purification censured. ibid. The law of purification proclaims our uncleanness. 1174 Purgatory: concerning Rome's error in it. 651 Purposes: Wicked purposes are easily checked, but not so easily broken off. 1099 How fare God looks beyond our purposes. 1105 Q QVailes: of the Quails and Manna. 886 Quarrels: Of going into the field on quarrels. 338 An ill quarrel once undertaken, shall be maintained even with blood. 1119 Question: Of a short answer to a weighty question. 26 Quietness: What and wherein it consists. 73, 74 Seneca's rules of tranquillity abridged. 74 Rejected as insufficient. 75 The enemies of quietness. ibid. The subordinate rules of tranquillity. 92 R RAhab: Of her. 945 The Author's censure of her, whether an harlot in respect of filthiness. ibid. Her house a token of the true Church. 947 Her delivery, with the use of it. 953 Rareness: It causeth wonder: with the application of it. 49, 50 Rebels: Vengeance against them may sleep, but cannot dye. 1263 Regeneration: it must make way for our glorification. 466 Rehoboam: 1311 His taking counsel with the young ones. 1313 Rejoice: How easily we can rejoice in that which we shall find the just cause of our humiliation. 1057 Relapse, vide revolting: It is desperate. 888 Religion: Of the feeling of the power of it in ourselves. 37 Who is the greatest enemy to Religion. 141 A discourse of the trial and choice of true religion. 319 Dissensions in religion an insufficient motive of unsettledness in it. What both a private & public person is compared unto that is unsettled in his religion. 481 Nothing reputed so superfluous as religious duties. 865 A reproof of our not being willing to be at cost with religion. 901 The pompous shows of the false religion. 936 The care of religion must have the first place. 968 Religion gone, humanity will hardly stay long after. 986 Where no respect is given to God's Ministers, there is no religion. 1017 No measuring of religion by outward glory. 1044 It is no small privilege to dwell where religion is. 1054 Nothing worse than to make policy a stalking horse for religion. 1121 The Princes first care to advance religion. 1127 If Ministers be meal-mouthed in the scorns of religion they may not be counted patiented but zealelesse. 1130 Religion makes not men uncivil. 1134 Want of religion is the way to disobedience. 1314 Religion and policy how they must meet. 1335 God hates nothing more than a neutrality in religion. 1337 Remembrance, the remembrance of former favours how it heartens our faith. 894 Reprehension: that there must not be one uniform in reprehension. 24 Reprehension better than flattery. ibid. Corruption checked grows mad with rage. 865 A galled heart impatient of reprehension. 868 What a wicked man looks to in hearing reprehension. ibid. Where sin is not ashamed of light, God love's not that reprehension should be smothered. 915 Reprehension makes way for consolation. 975 It is sign of a horse galled, that stirs too much when he is touched. 1030 In vain do we reprehend those sins abroad which we tolerate at home. 1033 An easy reproof doth but encourage wickedness. 1034 Of the choice of seasons for reproof. 1060 Reproovers should strive to be innocent. ibid. Resolute wickedness is impatient of reprehension. 1318 Repentance: an excellent inducement to it. 68 The character of a true penitent. 180 A universal Antidote for all the judgements of God. 916 In vain to profess repentance whilst we continue in Idolatry. 1051 O● the marvelous power of repentance. 1143 Repentance cannot always turn a temporal judgement 1248 Rephidim, Its rock. 891 Reproaches: Such as are cast upon us in the causes of God may safely be repaid. 1130 Reubenites: Of their Altar. 967 Reprobation, a fearful sign of it. 1110 Revenge, vide vengeance: God always takes his part that seeks not to revenge himself. 914 God can revenge with ease. 922 Every creature rejoiceth to execute God's vengeance. 929 There is no evasion where God intends revenge. 966 Revolter, vide Relapse: much difference between him and a man trained up in error. 143 An Epistle to new reuolter, a Minister. 275 Reynolds commended. 287 Riches, vide Wealth: Rich men are not Gods treasurers but his Stewards. 26 How a virtuous man esteems of riches. 28 Hard to be rich and righteous. 33 A notable argument to draw yea d●iue men from the desire of riches. 35 The way to be rich indeed. 36 Rich men's misery in this, that they cannot know their friends. 59 A rich man may go to heaven, but hardly a covetous. 137 The rich that speak with command must also be commanded. 694 How rich man was in his innocency. 695 Who is rich indeed. 696 What we should do to be rich. 697 The strangeness of a rich man's being proud, and that in two respects. 699 A rich man prettily described. ibid. The confidence that some put in riches 701 What riches cannot do. 702 A pretty rule how to use riches. ibid. Riches uncertain. ibid. etc. What should be the rich man's stay. 704 A straight charge to rich men. 707 Righteous: righteousness, of our jealousy of a man's being suddenly righteous. 3 Rome, vide Popery: the state of the now Roman Church. 633 The obstinate and averse opposition of the Romanists. 636 The impossibility of being reconciled with Rome. 639, 663 The Romish error concerning justification. 643 Freewill. 645 Merits. 647 Satisfaction. 648 Purgatory. 650 Pardons. 651 Mortal & venial sins. 652 The Canon of the Scripture. 653 The insufficiency of the Scripture. 655 Transubstantion. 656 The Multipresence of Christ's body. 657 The sacrifice of the Mass. 658 The number of Mediators. 659 Their ridiculous worship of Rome. 661 Ruth and Naomi: 1022 S SAcraments: when they have their true effect. 954 Sacrifice: A threefold sacrifice acceptable to God. First, Poenitentiae. Secondly, justitiae. Thirdly, Laudis. 456 Hearty sacrifices are the Angel's feast. 997 We must not dare to sacrifice unsanctified. 1078 Sacrilege: The largeness of its punishment. 957 Saints: of innovation of Saints 659 Solomon: Of his beginning. 1258 His dutiful carriage to his mother. 1260 His choice, and judgement on the two harlots. 1264 The experiment of salomon's wisdom in saying Divide the child. 1266 His building the Temple. 1266 His defection. 1273 Samaria: Its famine. 1394 Samson: Conceived. 994 His marriage. 998 His victory. 1002 His end. 1005 A pretty passage about Sampsons' leaving his wife. 1002 Sampsons' victory with the jawbone of an Ass applied to a weak Christian. 1005 Samuel: vid. Saul. His contestation. 1059 Of samuel's harbouring David. 1090 Satisfaction: The Papists error concerning it. 648 Saul and Samuel their meeting, 1052 samuel's kind entertainment of Saul. 1055 saul's fair beginnings. 1056 saul's Unction. ibid. saul's inauguration. 1057 saul's sacrifice. 1061 He rejected of God is no more a King, but a Tyrant. ibid. saul's sacrifice prettily set out. 1063 saul's oath. 1064 Saul and Agag. 1073 An excellent expostulation on saul's doings with the Amalekites. 1075 saul's rejection, and David's choice. 1076 Saul the very character of hypocrisy. 1076 saul's madness had not bereft him of his craft. 1087 Saul in David's cave. 1099 Of him and the Witch of Endor. 1109 saul's hardiness at the raising of Samuel prettily described. 1111 saul's death. 1116 A pretty description of the messenger that brought tidings to David of saul's death. 1117, 1118 Scandal: A good heart is no less afraid of scandal then of sin. 1027 Scribes: Their name and sorts. vid. Pharisees. 408 Schisms: how bred, fostered, and confirmed. 29, 30 Scriptures: whether the Apocryphal books are to be received as scripture. 614 Which of the translations are most to be adhered to. 615 Whether it be easy or obscure. 616 Whether all men may or must read the scriptures. 617 Whether the scriptures depend on the authority of the Church. 618 Concerning the Cannon of scripture. 653 Of its insufficiency. 654 And authority. 655 They that wrist the scriptures, see of what race they come. 1197 Scorns: They with taunts are the best answers for serious Idolatry. 1338 Sea: Every affection is the good man's Red Sea. 883 Seasonableness: It is best in all things. 137, 138 Secrets: How to do in holding and disclosing them. 28 To whom to reveal a great secret. ibid. et in finem. He that doth not secret service with delight, doth but counterfeit his public. 144 A note of sin's secrecy. 954 The hope of secrecy what it doth with sinners. 955 Secrecy the cause of corruption. 970 Great men's sins are seldom secret. 1140 Security: secure minds never startle till God comes home to their senses. 931 The most secure heart hath its flashes of fears. 951 We can never be secure in the strongest places that are without God. ibid. The worldling's security laid out in jaels' entertainment of Sisera. 974 The close bordering of security and ruin. 1005 Security and presumption ever attend at the threshold of ruin. 1043 Sedition: Pride is its ground. 914 Self: Men that cannot endure to examine themselves are like unto the Elephant. 23 None hurt us so much as we do our selves. 37 Of condemning others in that of which we are faulty our selves. 58 We should know our selves. ibid. Not to love our selves before the publike-good. 976 Self-love doth sometimes borrow the face of true zeal 1121 Selfe-conceipt: He that hath it is a fool. 16 It makes a man unreasonable 914 Selling: A rule in buying and selling. 697 Separation, and Saparatists, vide Brownists: Their injury to the Church, and censure, with advice. 315 A dissuasion from separation. 389 The kinds of separation, and which is just. 552 The antiquity of separation. 553 What separation is to be made in Churches in their planting or restauration. 555 What separation the Church of England hath made. 556 573, 576, 577, 578 The main grounds of separation. 574 Separation from the world how required. 600 The issue of separation. 607 Serpent: he was seen in Paradise, much more in our corruption. 816 Of the brazen serpent. 928 The application of that serpent. 930 Servant: The freedom of God's servants. 9 Many wear God's cloth that are none of his servants. 50 Servants what they must be. 243 To be God's servant is an high style. 477 The happiness of servants that have virtuous Masters. 1110 A good thing to have faithful servants. 1386 Service: The homeliest service in an honest calling with conscience, to the commandment of God shall be crowned. 137 He that doth not secret service with delight, doth but counterfeit his public. 144 Fear and service must go together. 474 Our service must be grounded on fear. 476 What the life of service is. ibid. Service briefly described. ib. Sin makes God to serve us. 476, 477 How men cousin themselves in doing service to Satan. 477 Gods service must be true and total. ibid. The voluntary service of the wicked is often more painful than the duties enjoined by God. 1066 A religious service must partake of fear and joy. 1295 service-book: Whether ours be made an Idol. 584 Shameless: they that once break the bonds of modesty grow even shameless in their sins. 938 Sheba: Of her & Solomon. 1270 Shebae: His rebellion. 1240 Shemei: of him and his cursing 1231 His execution. 1261 Shunamite: of the Shunamitish woman. 1378 Sight: the sight or beholding of sinners how it infects. 901 Silence: Its praise. 63 Simon: he is called. 1199 His humility rewarded with an Apostleship. 1201 Sin, its power. 7 No sin small. 24 A most thankless office to be a man Pander unto sin, 49 Sin hath commonly been accounted to have two roots, Love and fear. 51 Since sin came in, we are sent to the silliest to learn our duty. 54 Sin is sometimes an evil, and a punishment. 65 Solicitations to sin remedied. 79 It is seldom seen that all affect all sins. 136 Its use. 137 Remedies against sin, and means to avoid it. 386 Sin makes God to serve us. 476, 477 It makes a forfeiture of all favours. 484 No sin but hath punishment. ibid. 485 Of hiding and shifting off sin. 505 Of giving foul sins fine names. ibid. The distinction of venial and mortal sins. 652 Sin paid home in its own coin. 846 What difference God puts between sins of wilfulness and infirmity. 851 One sin commonly made a veil for another. 853 He that would be free from the acts of sin, must fly the occasions. ibid. Sin's shamelessness ibid. etc. Gross sins cannot prejudice the calling of God. 900 Fowl sins seek fair pretences, as is instanced in the Golden Calf. 901 No sin so unnatural, but that the best is subject unto without God. 914 Behold a circle of sins and judgements. 925 Sin is no less crafty than Satan. 937 We must stop the beginnings of sin. ibid. As the sins of great men are exemplary, so are their punishments. 937 Those that have once past the bounds of modesty, they grow shameless in their sins. 938 Whether we may sinne for for the promotion of a good cause. 946 A note for sin's secrecy. 954 It is to no purpose to pray against punishment, whilst the sin remains. 955 Sins round circle. 970 Gods justice makes one sin the punishment of another. 971 Sins not afflictions argue God's absence. 977 Sin is steep and slippery. 1006 All sins have power to befool a man. 1006 Sins wages. 1018 Where it is suppressed it will rise, but where it is encouraged it will tyrannize. 1019 Our sin doth not only strip us of our hope in earth, but heaven also. 1064 Sin besots the wisest. 1075 Sin; a good heart how easily stayed from sin, and how glad to be crossed in ill purposes. 1104 Sin is not acted alone. 1138 Sin's deceit. 1140 Great men's sins are seldom secret. ibid. How easily we get into it, how hardly out of it. 1143 In that that a man sinneth, in that is he punished. 1144 How God censures sins 1246 Where ever sin is, Satan is. 1186 Sinner: he is like the Lark, in stooping at a feather, whilst he is caught of the Fouler. 26 A sinner so foul as that he is half a Beast, half a Devil. 39 So is his Pander. 49 The sottishness of wilful sinners. 530 Sinners oft paid home in their own coin. 846 One sinner how pernicious to thousands. 954 Nothing so worthy of pity, as the sinner's peace. 1006 It must be a strong evidence that must make a sinner convict himself. 1061 Nothing but violence can persuade a resolved sinner. 1146 Two chains fit for outrageous sinners. 1294 Singularity: A dissuasion from the affectation of it. ●95 Sisera: and jael. 973 Of Sisera's entertainment with jael. 974 Slanderer: His exercise and entertainment. 217 Sloth: Its character. 192 The properties and danger of it. 222 Small: A true note of a false heart, is to be nice in small matters, and negligent in great. 147 Society: Christian society how good. 15 Our behaviour in society and privacy. 30, 31 An inconstant man unfit for society. 36 Solitariness: How dangerous. 15 The benefit of it. 296 No cause hath he to be solitary that hath God with him. 976 An help to the speed of temptation. 1192 Sorrow: How to be well resolved in sorrow. 16 Of the sorrow not to be repent of. 301 Against sorrow for worldly crosses. 309 Soul: Gods and the world's proffer for the soul, compared. 52 Our carelessness for our soul set down. 437 Spa: Described to be more wholesome, then pleasant, and more famous than wholesome. 282 Speech: The praise of a good speech. 10 A good thing to inure youth to good speech. 11 The censure of much speech, and little wit. 12 Not what, or how, so much as the end of a man's speeches are to be considered. 145 Spirit: It is good to try the spirits. 1112 Spiritual: spiritual things how sovereign or hurtful. 1046 State: Where the temporal and spiritual state combine not together, see what follows. 1062 Strife: There are three things that wise and honest men never strive for. 27 Subject: His duty to Prince and fellow subjects. 233, 234 The close relation between Prince and subject. 1117 The Sovereign is smitten in his subject. 1259 Success: We must not measure our spiritual success by our own power, etc. 917 Good success oft lifts up the heart with too much confidence. 955 The custom of success what it doth in sin. 1007 Suffer: In suffering evil we must not look to second causes. 26 Suggestions: It is more safe to keep ourselves out of the noise of suggestions, then to stand upon our power of denial. 1007 Sun: Of its standing still at Iosua's prayer. 967 Superfluity: The affectation of it what. 141 Nothing seems so superfluous as religious duties. 865 Superstition: Its character. 198 What it doth. 900 It is devotions' ape. 1047 How injurious to God. 1117 Superstition how it befools men. 1354 Suspicion: Charity itself when it will allow suspicion. 958 Where it is good to be suspicious. 972 Suspicion is quicksighted. 1144 Swine: What swine the Devil enters into. 1302 T TAbernacle: Sweet allusions of the Tabernacle with heaven 467 Tamar: Of her and Ammon. 1144 Her bewailing her virginity. 1146 Teachers: The sins of Teachers, are the teachers of sin. 1061 Tears: Observations of them. 135 That here our eyes are full of tears. 462 How precious. 463 The world full of causes of weeping. 464 Temperance: In diet, words, actions, and affections. 223 Temple: Both the Tabernacle and it, were resemblances of the holy Church of God. 467 The Temple abused to Idolatry whether it may be used to God's service. 593 Of their founders and furnishers. ibid. The state of the Temple and our Church in resemblance. 597 It is good coming to the Temple howsoever. 870 There is now no Christian but is a Temple. 1175 The building of the Temple. 1266 Four Temples to be seen in that one. 1268 The resemblances of it with the Temple of our body. 1268, 1269 Temporals: they are all troublesome. 47 Temptations, they are more perilous in prosperity then in adversity. 13 Those temptations are most powerful which fetch their force from pretence of Religious obedience. 1100 Christ's temptation. 1191 Strong temptation is a sign of sound holiness. ibid. The Devil's boldness in tempting Christ. ibid. Solitariness a great help to it. 1192 In every temptation there is appearance of good. 1193 Satan's motive in the temptation of Christ worse than his motion. ibid. 1194 No place left free from his temptations. 1198 No temptation so dangerous as that which comes under the veil of holiness. 1320 Tempter: he that would always be our tormenter cares but sometimes to be our tempter. 1294 Testaments: the marvelous accordance between the two Testaments. 896 Thankfulness: we can never do though for a thankful man. 866 A true token of a thankful heart. 1032 Throne, what it signifies. 465 Thoughts: good thoughts make but a thorough are in the wicked. 874 Time, its preciousness, and reasons of redeeming it. 48 What to do that time may neither steal on us nor from us. 60 Our wisdom in taking times for aught we do. 474, 1051 Tongue, the tongues and hearts correspondence. 38 The tongue will hardly leave that which the heart is enured to. 149 A foul tongue punished with a foul face. 915 Innocency no shelter for an evil tongue. 921 How should men be hypocrites if they had not good tongues. 1048 Of the threefold use of the tongue. 1287 Traditions: the Papists and Pharisees parallel in matter of traditions. 413 Traffic. 697 Tranquillity, vide Quietness. Travels: advice therein, with the description of some men's ends therein 288 Two occasions of travail 669 Youth not so fit for travel as some think. 670 Of too much speed in sending them forth. 671 Early travel and early rising compared in 3 things. 672 What the travels of our Gentry robs them of. 674, 675 Travel for tabletalk censured. 676 The Travellers stake for the goodly furniture of his Gentry. 678 The travellers entertainment in popish places. 680 What by travel men get for manners. 685 A suit to his Sovereign and the gentry in this thing. 686 Transubstantiation: concerning it. 656 Treachery what it doth. 280 Truth: the Church's happiness when truth and peace kiss each other. 6 Divine truth is most fair and scorneth to borrow beauty. 139 Truth in words. 217 Truth in dealings, with its practice and reward. 218 Truth within keeps the walls without. 281 The vein wherein truth lies. 516 Not bought with ease. ibid. It is of an high rate. 517 Why men though do not so much as cheapen it. ibid. It is excellent always thou the issue be distasteful. 518 It stands not more in judgement then in affection. ibid. Of petty chapmen which sell truth for trifles. 519 How near truth and falsehood meet together. 933 Truth is not afraid of any light. 1060 Truth how it may be concealed though not denied. 1077 1078 Truth must not be measured by the poll. 1361 Truth's lot. ibid. V Vainglory, Its Character. 294 Valiant: the character of a valiant man. 176 All valour is cowardice to that which is built upon religion. 1136 Vengeance: God's vengeance when it is hottest, it maketh differences of men. 921 vide Revenge. No strength can keep sinners for God's vengeance. 951 God hath more ways for vengeance than he hath creatures. 967 Small comfort in the delay of vengeance. 1074 Vengeance against rebels may sleep, but cannot die. 1263 Virtue: every virtuous action hath a double shadow, glory and envy. 57 Virtue not looked upon alike with all eyes. 853 Every virtue a disgrace when every vice hath a title. 865 Those men are worse than devils that hate men for virtue. 1023 Virtue, what great riches it is. 1027 Vestals: Prettily described. 281 Vice: Every vice hath a title, when every virtue hath a disgrace. 865 Victory: The victories of God go not by strength, but by innocence. 955 Virgin: The Virgin Mary's extraordinary Honour, favour, and happiness. 1163 Of her Purification. 1173 Her woeful mourning in the missing of her son. 1186 Visions: God never graceth the idle with visions. 870 Not to be proud of seeing visions, the reason. 934, 935 Unanimity: It is not in the greatest Ecclesiastical assemblies ever an argument of truth. 1361 Ungodliness: An unmannerly godlessness to take God's creatures without his leave. 1055 Unity: Where God uniteth heart, carnal respects are too weak to dissever them. 1086 Unseasonableness: The unseasonableness of our actions rather hurt than benefit us. 653 unthankefulness: It is not in generous natures. 1259 Unthrift: His character. 198 Unworthy: It is no small misery to be obliged to the unworthy. 991 Vocation: vid. Calling: Honest men may not be ashamed of honest vocations. 869 Vow: Ieptha's vow. 992 Vows are like Scents. ibid. An unlawful vow not to be kept. 993 The obligation of a secret vow. 1032 How sacred our vow should be in things just and expedient. 1066 Rash vows seldom free from inconueniencies. ibid. Of David's Vow. 1104 Vriah: Of him, and David, and Bathsheba. 1137 How his austerity doth condemn David's wantonness, 1139 Use: It makes masterdom. 143 Uzzah: And the Ark. 1127 Of his death, and pretty observations thereon. 1128 His sin. ibid. W WAnt: There is no want for which a man may not find a remedy in himself except grace. 56, 57 Want meeting with impatient minds, how it transports. 885 By want will Satan tempt us to unwarrantable courses. 1194 Wantonness: our wantonness in the enjoyment of the Word notably expressed. 62 No sin more plausible than it. 936 War: Their names and censure, who hold that war is forbidden under the Gospel. 452 There must be in war two grounds, two directions. 452 Wars misery described. 481, 482 There is no warring against God. 951 A good rule to be observed in the success, or want of success in war. 955 To make war, any other but our last remedy is not courage, but cruelty in God's sight. 992 Not fury but discretion must be the guide of war. 1081 War: It is a noble dissposition in a victor, to call for cessation of war. 1120 Warfare: Our spiritual warfare admits no intermission. 539 Warning: Not taken, is a presage of destruction. 1007 No warning will serve the obdurate heart. 1051 Warrant: A note of doing unwarrantable actions. 1011 Water: What it doth in Baptism. 1190 Ways: A Christian in all his ways must have three guides. First, Truth. Secondly, Charity. Thirdly, Wisdom. 137 Weakness: Wherefore serves the examples of the weak. 1103 Wealth, vid. Riches; worldly wealth, how to be esteemed. 698 The strangeness of a wealthy man's being proud, and that in two respects. 699 No judging of men by their purses. 1103 White: It was ever the colour of joy, and linen was light for use. 1130 Whitakers commended. 287 Wicked: vid. sin and wickedness: The wicked hath three terrible spectacles. 7 No marvel of the wicked man's peace. ibid. The wicked afraid of every thing. 32 The wicked own themselves to the good. 837 Wickedness is ever cowardly. 863 The wicked in their prosperity will hardly give God his own. 873 The company of the wicked dangerous. 921 The wicked never care for observing Gods judgements until themselves be touched. 931 Wickedness meeting with power what it doth. 933 It is not enough to gaze on the wickedness of the times, except we set too to redress it. 938 When God by the wicked hath beaten his children, he will burn the Rod. 971 It is no thankes to themselves that wicked men cannot be cruel. 1003 Wicked men never see fairer prospects, then when they are upon the brink of destruction. 1004, 1005 Wicked men cannot see their prosperity a curse. 1019 Wickedness can seldom brag of any long prosperity. 1020 Wicked men when by carnal means they think to make their peace, plunge themselves into deeper misery. 1076 The world hath none so great enemy to him, as he is to himself. 1107 The mercy of the wicked cruel. 1322 Widow: A widow's son raised. 1281 Wife: How she must carry herself. 240 The good house- wife many ways. 241 A good note for wives. 996 What it is to follow nothing but the eye in the choice of a wife. 998 All the riches of the world, not worth a virtuous & prudent wife. 1028 The hurt that came to Solomon by his wives. 1273 Of jeroboams wife. 1323 Will: The will of God is the rule of all good, and therefore it is not good to inquire after any other reasons of it. 1108 Wilfulness: wilful men that are blind in all dangers, are deaf to all counsels. 105 Willingness: of it how God will accept. 896 Wine: it is a Mocker. 1140 Wise, or wisdom: the character of a wise man. 173 Wherein it consists. 211 Its fruits. 212 Lewd men call their wicked policy's wisdom. 864 Good discourse is but the froth of wisdom. 1271 Witches: saul's seeking to them. 1079 Wherein he may seem a saint to some of our times. ibid. Of the witch of Endor. 1109 She was no less crafty than wicked. 1111 Witness: we can do nothing without a million of witnesses 64 Wonder: Rareness causeth it. 49 The application of it. 50 They that affect to tell wonders fall into many absurdities. ibid. A fruitless wonder that ends not in fear. 1188 Word: the milk and strong meat therein. 145, 146 Many hardened by the word. 836 Words: saul's fair words. 1087. O Nabals evil words. 1103 Works: Two things, viz honour and profit go together in good works: 54 Our faith must be manifested by our works. 415 When we make a right use of the works of God. 947 World: It is a stage both in regard of good and bad. 27 Worldly cares fitly compared to thorns. 142 An Epistle on the contempt of the world. 276 How to use tne world without danger. 385 Worldly wealth how to be esteemed. 698 The overprizing of worldly things what it doth. 956 The world's courtesies what 1001 The vain hopes of worldly men cost them dear. 1047 The holiness of the worldly minded. 1066 A worldly mind can rise easily but knows not how to descend with patience or safety. 1080 The quicksighted worlding pu● blind in spirituals. 1245 Worldling: His life most miserable. 4 Every worldling an Hypocrite. 6 Worship: concerning the superstitious, heathenish and ridiculous worship of Papists. 661 Of enjoying a false worship with ease. 1011 Y YOuth: It must be studious that old age may be fruitful. 9 A good thing to 〈◊〉 youth to speak well. 11 God will not accept of the dregs of old age if we give him not the head of our youth. 140 An admonition to parents for being careful of their youth. 670 Of too much speed in sending our youth to travel. 671 Where youths lawlessenesse can find pity, what wickedness can it forbear. 1015 Youth and ease let lose their appetites. 1145 A lesson for youth from Christ's being so timely in the Temple. 1187 The ways of youth steep and slippery. 1273, 1274 Youth described very largely 1313 Z ZAcharie: Of him and the Angel. 1159 How chosen to his ministration. 1160 Why an Angel, and why this Angel was sent to him. 1161 Of his speechlessenesse. 1163 Zeal: the goodness of God in winking at the errors of honest zeal. 903 The zeal of God bars out weak deliberations. 938 Gods love to our zeal. ibid. Wisdom is a good guide for zeal. 968 We may learn zeal of Idolaters. 1008 Good zeal cannot bear out presumption. 1019 The heat of zeal what prejudice it doth sometimes. 1120 Self-love doth sometimes borrow the face of true zeal. 1121 Worldly hearts can see nothing in actions of zeal, but folly and madness. 1130 Ziba: of him and Mephibosheth. 1131 His flattery and falsehood discovered. 1132 His due what it was deservedly. 1133 Ziglag: spoilt and revenged. 1113 Gentle READER, THE end of making Tables is not that thereby men might be made Truants, but it is rather to help to those memories that are weak; or whose occasions are so great, as that they cannot intent to turn over such a Volume as this (though worth thy daily and diligent reading and reviewing.) For the further benefiting of thyself therefore take to thee this Rule. Where ever thou findest any Observation or Aphorism, there (if thou wilt make any further use) cast thine eyes on that which goes before, or follows after, and thou shalt find it offering thee both excellent comfort, and a furthering of thine invention, to the benefiting both of thyself, and others. And this I will promise thee further; that if God shall lend this Mellifluous Bernard of Our Times the time of perfecting His Contemplations, thou shalt have in an other Volume as complete a Table as this, for finding every particular word or Sentence. And because there is fear on the Buyers part, that there shall be still additions of his Contemplations, whereby he is discouraged from buying this Volume, let me assure thee that it is the Author's intention to set out no more parts thereof, until it riseth to a complete second Tome. But content thyself with this that thou hast, and pray to God with me for the life and health of this Great Light, and shining Lamp of our Church, and I doubt not but he will give good satisfaction unto those that are industrious and ingenious. And so I rest. Thine as fare as thou wishest well to this Workman and his Labours, Ro. Lo.