in his death the Lord would tempt vs with a prodigious birth for so vnualuable a losse nor is it strange a sinfull people should be so threatned because it is vsuall with God to punish our pleasures by contrarie passions as he did the daughters of Sion when in steed of sweet sauour hee threatned a stinke and in steed â—f a girdle a rent in steed of brothered haire baldnes in steed of a stomacher a girding of sacke and sunburning for beautie why not England in steed of a Royal religious issue whereof we are vnworthie with a monsterous birth and mishapen broode of that whore of Babel whose Romish faith and faction the Lord he knoweth doth daily breed euen in the bowels of the kingdom wherin there are but to many doublefaced double harted and double handed fawning stil vpon vs and yet threatning our destruction both with eie heart and hand could they but gaine the opportunitie I speake not this to dismay any but to charge vs of vnthankefulnes for yet we are blessed with the hopefull issue of moe Princes and with many drops of much royall blood and by the grace of God this strong gable of so many cords wil neuer be broken if our sinnes burst it not yet with this caution that we repaire the ruines of this our late losse with speedie repentance and pray withall that God would establish the remaine of our religious hope for his sonnes sake and Syons safetie O but he hath left a desolate court I answere as Ambrose did of Theodotius Non sunt destituti quos pietatis sua reliquit haeredes they are not forsaken or left desolate whom he hath left heires and successors of his princely vertues Religion puissance pietie and clemencie the brightnes whereof will shine to Gods glory and Englands honour so long as Chronicles can speake and bookes be opened I might here obserue as many moe haue done what presages fell out vpon the fall of this faire flower and peerelesse Prince how the two glorious creatures of God both Sunne and Monne were troubled the Sunne scarce seene of twentie daies before his death the Moone opposed with a mightie Rainbowe in the dead and and darkenes of the night bended ouer that house of mourning where he died I might tell how the ayre earth and clouds seemed to be sensible of his fall and to condole his death whiles strange windes storms and tempests with continually shewers raignes and floods Many darke daies Clouds and foggie mists were vpon vs to warne vs of our woe as formerly hath beene obserued of Theodotius and Queene Elizabeth before their deaths Nor can I passe without passion what fell out in the sommer before Prince Henry died at Chattam Where and when a swarme of Bees knit vpon the maine mast of that Royall ship he had made for Englands defence tellng vs that ere long Angels foode from heauen more sweet then Hony or the hony Combe should fill the soule of this Saint to glory and Immortalie yea and swarmes of Gods holy Angels should come downe to fetch him from the maine mast of this earthly kingdome aboue the heauen of heauens there to raigne with God and his Christ for euer A blessed Bee dedeliuered from the sting of sinne and death to the endlesse glorie of life and immortalitie neuer to sin or die any more Nay more then all I haue yet said to make good that there is not an euill in the Citie which the Lord will not reuale to some of his Prophets that Prophet who preached in the morning of his sicknes pointed from aboue at the period of his life when he vttered that text and truth Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie It was powerfull in the preacher and passionate in the Prince to bring him to the thoughts of his mortalitie And so my deare brethren to conclude and make vse of all these fearefull signes and prodigies let all these together strike out an allarum to praier and repentance yea and to godly sorrow neuer to be repented of by the sweet perfume and priuiledge whereof soules are saued and bodies deliuered from threatned dangers And not bodies onely that is to say particular persons but states and kingdomes are preserued from all malice of the creatures be they neuer so implacable Are there monstrous and vntimely birthes pray to be regenerate and borne a new not of mortall seede but immortall by the word of God that liueth and endureth for euer Are there fearefull thunderclaps making thy wild heart to shake like the wildernes of Cades stand in awe and sinne not common with thine owne heart in thy chamber and be still say withall it is thou Lord onely that makest me dwell in safetie Are the Sonne and Moone eclipsed deficient in their light darke and bloodie The foole chaungeth like the Moone So saith Siracides and thou art changeable ô Christian when by the motion of Gods spirit thou begins to be religious and by and by falles to be sacriligious Sacriligium creatori committitur dum imbecillitas ascribitur creaturae And therefore it s not the Moone that laboureth for her light but it s thou that labourest in thy sinnes it s thou that chaungest like the Moone O if I might say we fooles chaunge like the Moone for shee shortly returnes to her fulnes we fooles linger our conuersation Illa velociter colligit quod amiserat lumen tu nec tarde fidem recipis quam negasti The Moone doth speedily gaine againe her light that she hath lost we fooles doe hardly in any time recouer the faith we haue denied What should I say more Luna defectum luminis patitur tu salutis The Moone suffereth but the losse of her light thou of thy saluation Grauior ergo tua quam lunae mutatio More dangerous therefore by much is the eclipse of thy soule than is the eclipse either of Sunne or Moone But it may be some man will say doth neither Sunne nor Moone labour in the eclipse doubtles they doe and that continually For we cannot denie but they labour with other creatures as the Apostle saith and grone with vs also trauelling in paine together vnto this present desiring the day of their deliuerance out of the vanitie of corruption wherein they are Leaue off therefore to looke vpon the defects of those glorious lights vnles thou looke vpon the staines and blemishes of thy wicked life For how is it possible for the drunkard in his wine the wanton in his lust or the couetous man in his wealth to looke vpon the Moone and see the things that are in heauen when he knoweth not rightly how to vse or discerne of things that are on earth Are there new Stars vncoth and vnknowne Doe they blaze in the heauens and moue thee to wonder what may be the effect Say with the Sages and then art thou wise vidimus stellam eius in oriente
THE DRVMME OF DEVOTION Striking out an Allarum to Prayer by signes in heauen and Prodigies on earth Together with the Perfume of Prayer In two Sermons Preached by William Leigh Bachilor in Diuinitie and Pastor of Standish in Lancashire Luke 21. 28. And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your Redemption draweth neere LONDON Printed by Tho Creede for Arthur Iohnson dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the white Horse 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR Thomas Parry Knight one of his Maiesties most Honourable priuie counsell and Chanceller of his Highnes Dutchie of Lancaster together with the Right vertuous Religious Lady his wife grace be multiplied in this world and glory in a better Right honourable IF as the Psalmist saith The Lord hath so doone his maruellous workes that they ought to be had in rememberance and are much sought out of all such as feare him pardon me in your honourable patience while I presse with passion such prodigies as haue fallen out of old in former times and now of late in these moderne daies of danger wherein we liue All harbingers of Gods Irefull wrath and indignation for mans transgression And yet I know not how which is a wonder of wonders signes from heauen are not respected sinnes on earth are not repented for We can discerne the face of the skie like the Iewes in the Gospell taxed by our Sauiour and thereby we dare prognosticate of the effects of faire or foule weather to come but we cannot discerne either by signes from heauen or prodigies on earth how the Lord is rison out of his place and threatneth our destruction if we repent not The meditations hereof I am bold to put vnder the shelter of your honours protection and pray they may passe your iuditious eye in sort as they are tendered that is from the dutie and seruice I owe in many rspects being otherwise vnable to answere the same but in such passages of prayer and religious exercises as fall within the compasse of my profession And surely such passages are best suted to your selfe whom religion hath made honourable and worthy those great and waightie imployments you haue vndergone abroad in forraigne parts and at home within the kingdome vnder two religious Princes Besides spare me to seeke protection at your honours hands in regard of the place you beare with vs vnder God and the king our worthy Chancellor the sterne of which gouernment you haue moderated for many yeares with such iustice mixed with mercy as I dare appeale to your clemencie and milde censure in any thing I haue here tendered And for the latter Sermon which is the Perfume of prayer the Arrow of our deliuerance in the daies of danger I trust it shall not be offensiue if I make it proper to the Elect Lady your religious wife and consort whose practise of much pietie with prayers and teares Church-weapons haue beene are and will be a blessing to your house and an ornament to the Church of God whilst Anna-like she frequents the Temple house of God treading vpon that holy ground with no lesse due then true deuotion And now the Lord Iesus as he hath matched you together in grace and giuen you much honour with length of daies espouse you to himselfe in the kingdome of glorie that you may come to the feast and mariage of the Lambe crowned with glorie and clad with immortalitie ensignes of a better world whither Christ is gone before and hath traced you the way to follow after which because you haue faithfully done he will come and fetch you to himselfe in a time accepted that where he is there may ye also be Against which day and blessed houre the Lord God of heauen prepare you with your oyle and your lamps light that ye may meete him in the cloudes and so be caught vp to raigne with him for euermore Amen Amen Your honours most humble and at command William Leigh THE DRVM OF DEVOTION Striking out an Allarum to Prayer by signes in heauen and prodigies on earth ACTS II. 19 And I will shew wonders in heauen aboue tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapours of smoake 20 The Sun shal be turned into darkenes and the Moone into bloud before that great notable day of the Lord come 21 And it shal be that whosoeuer shal cal on the name of the Lord shal be saued VPon the reading of this Scripture prophesied of by Ioel applyed by Peter and to be accōplished in the latter daies me thoght I heard the Lord speaking from heauen as hee did by another Prophet and say Write this vision and make it plaine vpon Tables that hee may runne that readeth it for the vision is for an appointed time and at the last it shall speake and not lie though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and not stay Now what it is that shall come and not stay is the subject of my speech and the division of my Text. There shall come signes and wonders in the latter dayes to provoke our repentance there shall come faith and confidence to all the godly to assure them of deliverance and to this end are wonders wrought as in heauen aboue so in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoake that the dampe of our sinnes might be put out by the breath of our Saviour whose presence wee may be assured then presseth neere vs when these his wonders are vpon vs. If Kings of the earth stirre the commons are moved shal the King of heauen rise either to bee iudged or iudge the world and shal the creatures sit still surely no for though we his reasonable religious creatures bee silent in our sinnes and say nothing yet shall the senselesse creatures grieue and grone after a deliverance I say deliverance from the bondage of corruption wherin they are and from the dampe of sinne wherewithall they are pestered Of these in order as God will And first of prodigies provoking our repentance next of the sweet perfume of prayer assuring vs of deliverance when feare and fire shall fine vs for our good for it shall bee that whosoever shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saved What may be the meaning of the spirit in this place touching the time and manner of these signes when and how they should appeare to the worlds wonder divers haue diuersly divined 1. Some say the accomplishment should bee at the second comming of Christ to judgement and bee harbingers of that dreadfull day 2. Others for it shall bee at the siedge and sacking of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespatianus of which opinion the Greeke Paraphrase is which citeth Iosephus writing thereof 3. Some say the accomplishment should bee at the death of Christ and in the day of his passion when all the world should bee passionate for him but not with him for hee must tread the
liued when Christ was dead yet should they see with their eyes that the truth should rise out of that type and when the Heyfer was slaine yet the Lambe should liue yea and that very Temple stones and all should turne to Greet Ne populus redirit ad Iudaizmum Lest the people might goe backe to Iudaizme 4. Fourthly nay yet more the great Brason doore as the Author saith being at the East end of the Temple which twentie men could hardly either open or shut at the sixt hower of the night flew open of it owne accord shewing a new way and passage of Christ to a better place and being euen vnto a Tabernacle not made with hands but pitched in the high heauens opening of it selfe without helpe of any 5. Together with these as Iosephus writeth in the 21. of May a gastly spirit of an vnspeakable height and bignes was seene in the citie a pregnaÌ„t prodigie of their imineÌ„t desolation when Zim Ohim Skritchowles Fairies Satyres did haunt their houses and fairest habitations 6. Chariotes in the ayre armed meÌ„ fighting by troups amoÌ„g the clouds appeared throughout al the Land of Iudea marched towards the Citie with fearce Encounters all presages of their future fall by the furie of warre which was at their doores and yet they repented not 7. Nay more in a solemn feast when the Priests were assembled by night as their manner was to sacrifice they heard this voice Migremus hinc migremus hinc let vs get hence let vs get hence the wonder they heard sell from heaven enioyning them silence and a cessation from all legall ceremonies and sacrifices now ended both Priest place and offering vpon the sole sacrifice of Christ whom they had cruelly murthered and therfore had need to be gone before the fire of his fierce wrath was kindled against that place people and kingdome Lastly and of all other prodigies to provoke their repentance vpon the Lords presence neere approch now ready to strike it was not the least which fell out in one Iesus the sonne of Ananias of the vulgar sort who foureteene yeeres before the siedge when al was in quiet peace and plentie this sonne of Ananias comming to the feast of Tabernacles when the manner was that the Princes of the people should doe their devotions to God in the Temple sodenly he cried out to the wonder of them all A voyce from the East a voyce from the West a voyce from the foure windes a voyce vpon Ierusalem a voyce vpon the Temple a voyce vpon the Bride and vpon the Bridegroome a voyce vpon all the people Thus night day he ran through euery street crying without thought of food or regard of any insomuch as when he was beaten by the mighty impatient of the prodigie I say beaten to the bare bones he neither shedde a teare or shewed himselfe suppliant but at euery stroke stil cried out Wo woe to the inhabitants of Ierusalem and thus continuing during all the time of the siege and especially at their solemne feasts At last when the siege was at the hotest running round about the walles of the City without feare hee vttered the same voyce and said Woe to Ierusalem was to the people and woe to my selfe At which last woe Sagitta ictus occumbebat wounded with an arrow hee fell downe dead The vse is good and for vs in the height of this our security all these wonders and signes euery man interpreted as the story saith Pro sua libidine euen as best pleased himselfe some they neglected some they corrected some they contemned donec patriae exidin suaque pernieie eorum iniquitas confutata est till their error with their wickednesse was corrected with the destruction both of their country and of themselues they killed their Prophets they beleeved not Christ whom when they had slaine and silenced then was it time for prodigies to speake and say O bloudy City I dare giue remission vpon thy repentance but I dare giue no rest vpon thy rebellions Before the destruction of Troy as Virgil reporteth Fatis aperit Cassandra futuris era Dei Iussunec vnquam credita Tencris Cassandra foretold it ruine but could neuer be beleeved she spake from the holy Oracle but was not heard It s a fearefull thing when the Prophets are despised it s more fearefull when their Prophesies are set at nought but its fearefull aboue all feares when fire is a falling downe froÌ„ heauen that is when we with our Prophets and prophesying prodigies speake and wonders worke and yet wee repent not so it was with Israel I pray God it bee not so with England To speake of the signes wonders and prodigies that shall be seene vpon the worlds ending I dare not I cannot that feare and fire oppresseth my spirits in the thoughts thereof Et horret animus meminisse my very mind and soule melteth at the heat thereof And therefore hauing in some weake measure mentioned that dreadfull day heretofore in two other Sermons I leaue it vnder a vayle as Apelles did the imperfect portraiture of Agamemnon father of Iphigenia and come a little neerer home euen downe to our dayes Haue we no signes in heauen or prodigies in earth to moue our repentance Haue not the heavens of late yeeres strucke an alarum to provoke our prayers by vncoth signes never seene before It is some 40. yeeres agoe since that starre in the North appeared in Cassiâ—peia whereat the Astronomers stood agast Surely it was some star of Bethlehem conducting vs to that Babe of Bethlehem Non in cunis sed in Cathedra not lying swathled in the cratch but advanced into his chaire of high estate by a second birth of holy doctrine theÌ„ divulged through out all the world when the Gospell should beget faith in more abundance from the East to the West by North and by South I durst not thus presage of the effect of this star were I not well warranted by the judgements of two worthy Divines lights of this age Du Plessis and Beza who by that wonder in heauen are bold to say that the Lord hath prognosticated a second birth of Christ vpon the earth by the preaching of the Gospell vnto all nations vnder heaven neuer to bee backed by that wicked man whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shal abolsh with the brightnesse of his comming whereof these wonders in heauen are warnings on earth for all Gods children to bee prepared with our oyle and our Lampes light to meet him in the cloudes and so to bee caught vp to raign with him for â—ver And so to the next Not many yeeres after and right â—pposite to that in the North there appeared an other wonder in heauen a blazing starre both great and fearefull threatning some dangerous event to the Southerne parts of the world which the Affiricans in some measure felt when the Kings of Barbary and Portugall were slaine The cinders of that
c. wee haue seene his Star in the East and are come to worship him him not it lest any man might bake cakes to the Queene of heauen adore the creature for the Creator Yet follow it till it come to the place where the babe is then leaue it and offer of thy Gold Myrrhe Frankencence that is when these signes in heauen prodigies on earth haue brought thee to the sense of thy sinne and sight of thy Sauiour offer vp the sweet perfume of thy praier praise an euening and morning sacrifice vnto thy Christ Lastly are there rumors of warres abroad in the world or warres at home woes and wonders euen at thy doores Hannibal ad portas Is the enemie at thy gates Are the Barbarians abroad and is the Turke in armes Vibrans hastam in Christianos breathing after Christian blood desine peccare ciuitas non peribit cease to sinne and the citie shall not be sacked Quid fugis patriam si vis saluus esse tua potius peccata subter fuge si tu peccare deseris victus est inimicus Why leauest thou thy country nay rather if thou wouldest be safe flee from thy sinnes if thou leaue off sinning the enemie is conquered And how is he conquered Non Gladio Golias sed lapide prosternitur Goliah was not slaine with a sword but with a stone out of a sling that is to say by powerfull praier For so saith Dauid thou commest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts whom thou hast rayled vpon And thus you see how the Drum of deuotion in the hand of Gods creatures though senseles of themselues yet sensible of our sinnes hath stroken an allarum to praier Now let vs smell to that sweet perfume and presse both the power and priuiledge thereof to saue out of these words It shall be that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued But because I haue wearied you ouermuch in this I will spare both my selfe and you till a further opportunitie And so let vs pray O eternall God and most mercifull father c. The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND Sermon THE PERFVME OF PRAYER THE ARROWE OF OVR deliuerance in the daies of danger when signes from heauen and Prodigies on earth are on vs to moue our repentance Acts. 2. 21. And it shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued SIgnes in heauen and prodigies on earth as I haue told you are nothing else but drums of deuotion prouoking our prayer in the sweet perfume whereof whiles we walke the Lord will either deliuer vs from deserued iudgements or giue vs patience to abide the fyrie triall And therfore pardon me yet further to ceaze vpon your religious eares and hearts on Gods behalfe and in tender of your saued soules Pardon me to presse you to powerfull praier thereby to make the Lord propitious ayding assisting when workes of wonder both aboue and belowe doe threaten our destruction The wicked in that day shal wring their hands rent their garments teare their haire and cry vpon the mountaines to fall vpon them but the godly shall haue boldnes in that day they shall lift vp their heads and knowe that the day of their redemption draweth neere yea as it is in my text they shall call vpon the name of the Lord and be saued I say all such as feare God shall feare no fire but call vpon the name of the Lord and be saued Yet so as the holy Ghost euer giues the gust power and spirit of prayer without which it is no perfume but a stinch in the nosthrills of the Lord of Host And therefore as you may here see the blessed Apostle clearing the imputation of Drunkennes both in himselfe and the rest his associats euen in the height of that high feast of Penticost doth in ebriat the soules of Gods Saints with a pregnant prophesie of the abundance of the spirit which should glad the hearts of the godly in the latter daies So then I may safely say that as the fire is knowne by it heate the Sunne by it light and the tree by it fruit so may you by prayer know whether the spirit of God be in you or no As also whether ye shall be saued when prodigies are abroad wonders in heauen aboue and tokens on earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of smoake Much prayer and much passion is euer from a powerfull spirit and it argueth a Royall presence of the holy Ghost for euen as in water face answereth face so in plea of saluation spirit answereth spirit Gods spirit answereth our spirit that we are his children yea and the insence of our prayer answereth the perfume of his spirit in which sweet ayre we are carried and breath vnto saluation VVhy then it may seeme where there is much prayer there is much spirit where there is little praier there is little spirit and where there is no prayer there is no spirit and if who soeuer shall call vppon the name of the Lord hath much spirit and shall bee saved it will follow that whosoeuer shall not call vpon the name of the Lord hath no spirit and shall not be saved And I cannot but wonder that sith the vision is for an appointed time and now is the time euen in the latter daies which are the dayes of Christ wherein God hath promised to power out his spirit vpon all flesh euen the spirit of grace and compassion so as euery one should weepe apart because of him whom they haue pierced And yet our praier should be so scanted and our spirits so dull as wee seeme to bee dead in our deuotion Surely wee dire the Deity with our sinnes wee quench the spirit wee grieue it wee despite it and therefore wee pray not because the spirit breathes not Some few droppes of this heauenly fountaine distilled vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets of old but the cundits of grace were neuer so fully opened as in these latter dayes of Christ when with the effusion of his blood hee vented out the abundance of his spirit and powred it vpon all flesh and is it not strange thē that men should so liue as if they stood in doubt whether there bee an holy Ghost or no and in these last dayes of mans redemption they should breath more weakly and pray more faintly then in the first dayes of the worlds creation when Abel was slaine by Caine it is of speciall observation that vntill the dayes of Enoch men were silent in their deuotion and cared not for their God for then as it is in the Text men beganne to call vpon the name of the Lord Caines sinne had so corrupted Seths seed sanctity that till Enoch repaired the ruines by his holy profession there was little prayer little spirit litle pietie in that world
is this proud Philistim that he should reuile the Host of the liuing God Thou commest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hostes the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon It would be too long to tell of all but this is the summe by the power of prayer diuels are dispossessed the dead are raised maladies are cured eyes are opened tongues are vntied and sinowes are losed prayer fatched done fire from heauen and it staied the sunne in Gibion it openeth heauen it shutteth hell and shaketh all the powers of darkenes it conque reth God it quieteth the conscience it sacketh sinne and to conclude as it is in my text it saueth soules for it shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued These words are three times mentioned in the scriptures of God to make vs the more attentiue they are riuited with a stiddy hand a treble stroke to make vs y e more apprehensiue of y e Lords mercies they are driuen in like holie nailes of the holy Sanctuarie wheron t◠hang our saluation on the daies of triall when there shall be signes in the heauens aboue tokens in the earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of smoke then whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And such priuiledge haue all his Saints but the diuels damned shall either be silent dum in the day of danger or if they speake they shall call to the mountaines to fall vpon them The Lord God of spirits prepare vs euer to pray and by that way and meanes giue vs passage into the presence of our good God there to haue both audience and answere for his sonnes sake who hath saued vs from our sinnes by shedding of his most pretious blood thereby to redeeme the world of his Elect. To that God and Christ with the power of the holy Ghost proceeding from both be all honour and glorie this day and euer Amen Amen FINIS Habacuk 2. 2 Psal 7 46. Heb. 12. 19. Deut. 33. 2. Heb. 12. 21 Psal 68. 8. Ioel. 3. 16. Suidas in Thulis Suidas in vita Angusti Niceph. l. ◠Hyri c. 17. Ezech. 12. 1. King 13. 2. Iob. 14. 13. Lib. 7. Cap. 12. 2. Thess 2. 8. Gen. 7. 20. Gen. 7. 22 Buried at Standish Church in Lancastshire Aprill 17. 1613. Isay 3. 24. Amos. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 1. 1. Peter 1. 23. Gen. 5. 24. Ps 45. 2. Mark 11. 24. Math. 21. 22. Iam. 1. 5. Ps 145. 18. 2. Iud. 9. 11. 3. Isay 66. 2. Oseah 12. Isay 39. 14. 2 King 20 5. 4. Isay 62. 7. 1. King 18. 43. 44 Iob. 1. 5. Dan. 6. 10. Ps 55. 17 1. Thes 5. 17 Act. 10. 9 10. Iud. 8. 5. 2. Part first impediment Pro. 1. 14. Pro. 28. 9. A second impedimēt Isaih 1. 15 c. Isaiah 59. 1. 2. Lam. 3. 4. 1. Sam. 28. 15. 3. Impediment Prou. 21. 13. 4. Impediment Mark 11 25. Eccl. 17. 23. 5. Impediment Ieremiah 7. 16. Ezech. 14. 14. Numb 11 10. 30. 1. Sam. 8. 6. 7. Deut. 17. 14. 2. Cor. 12. 7. Isay 62. 6. 1. Tim. 4. 4. 5. Ioh. 17. 1. Cant. 5. 5. Exod. 3. 32. Leui. 4. 31. Heb. 7. 24. 25. Gen. 20. 3. 7. Numb 16. 41. c. Iob. 5. 1. The Papists abuse this place to make good their prayer to Saints which is spoken not of the dead but of the liuing Saints Rom. 15. 30. 31. c. Act. 12. 5. 6. c. Gen. 25. 1. Sam. 1. 2. King 4. Luk. 113. Exod. 17. 1. Sam. 7. 2. Chron. 20. 6. 1. Sam. 17. 45. Ioel. 2. 23. Rom. 10. 13.
wine-presse alone Lastly and the least in reputation of iudgement are the Iews who euen at this day vnderstand it to bee meant of the warres of the Israelites with Gog and Magog Ezechiel 38. 39. But that I seeme not more opinatiue then orthodoxall I may safely say with the precedent words of my Text that these shall bee accomplished in the latter dayes which are alwayes taken for the dayes of Christ when with the effusion of his bloud hee will power out the abundance of his spirite vpon all flesh and withall shew his wonders from time to time to a senselesse world senselesse of it Sauiour so as from the first day of his comming in grace to the last day of his appearance in glory wonders shall appeare more or lesse to the comfort of the godly and confusion of the wicked And surely it is respectiue to see how sparing the Lord is of his judgements and how plentifull in his mercies his bloud and spirit are powred out in al abundance his signs prodigies are but sparingly shewed and pointed at as harbingers of his wrath to moue vs to repētance bloud shed spirit powred out O bottomlesse depth of mercy signes but shewed and prodigies but pointed at limitting both feare and fire that it fall not vpon vs before we repent there was never mercy either met it on earth or matched it in heaven and therefore I know not whether I shal more willingly admire his loue in spending his mercies vpon vs or his vndeserued fauors in prouoking our repentance David in the person of the faithfull and in a case nothing different mourneth over Sion with this wofull complaint Wee see not our signes and there is no Prophet left but Lord how long Where it is to be observed that they doe not complaine because they haue no Captaine to lead them in the field but that they haue no Prophet to instruct them in the faith accounting it a greater calamity to lacke the heauenly food then the earthly fight nay more and to come neerer the proper Subiect I haue in hand these Saints in Sion sorrow not for that they haue no Ensignes to follow on earth but because they haue no signes shewed them from heauen to assure them of the Lords presence to fight their battels and be propitious deeming it more disasterous to faile of signes about then of Ensignes below where prophesie is not there the people perish and where neither wonders from heaven wound vs to repentance nor tokens below provoke vs to prayer we are in danger and die in our security Are not all things as they were in the beginning so saide a secure world in the dayes of Peter musicke mirth and minstrelsie were in their feastes velvet silke and sables were on their backes their coffers were full of siluer gold and pearle their dishes were filled with dainties their garners with graine their stawles with fatlings and their Orchards with all manner of fruit their gardens and fields diaperde with all variety of fruites they felt neither sinne within nor sorrow without no wonders in heaven aboue or tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoake were vnneath seene and therefore no marvell if they put farre away the evill day and suncke in their security When Israel was full then shee kicked against the Lord and her sin increased as the signes decreased til tokens from the Lord had taught her another discipline the vapour of smoake blasted her garland when it was at the greenest famine sword fiery Serpents brake her heart to better obedience and the Lord was mercifull vpon their repentance VVe thinke it goeth well with vs when our waters keepe the course of their wonted Channels without inundations when the North is clear and light without fiery inflammaons when neither Sunne nor Moon laboureth of an Eclipse we deeme the day blessed when the ayre is pure and the windes are still when the seas are calme and no thunder breaketh the cloudes yet better it were if thunder-clappes from aboue did breake our hearts and prodigies below plowed them vp for a softer mould against the day of haruest when the Lord shall come in the cloudes with his fanne in the one hand to winnow all fire in the other hand to purge all the corn for heaven and the chaffe for hell Moabs rest was Moabs ruine and surely I could never yet see but the world that flattereth vs is more dangerous then the world that persecuteth vs according to that periculosior mundus blandus quam molestus It was said of David by one who saide well factus est securus devictis hostibus praessura caruit tumor excrevit When he had no fight hee fell from his God and the proud tumor of his lust the lesse it was handled the more it rankled The doctrine is good for the generall and so I will descend to a more particular vse of signs it may be to shew that he can be mercifull without means the Lord will sometimes be silent shew no wonders but passe vs like the sweet running waters of Shiloh that goe softly by Sion but when it pleaseth him for our loude crying sins to come in judgement then wil hee swell like the turbulent waters of Iorden that run roughly thē wil his signs wonders bee harbingers of his wrath warning vs of his neare approch ready to destroy if we repent not But to worke a certainety out of such wonders as the Lord hath wrought either by himselfe in th◠old Testament or by his Christ in the new It is to be observed that ever vpon his comming to a worke of judgement or a worke of mercy there hath gone before him a commotion of Creatutes to present his presence for as I haue already saide If when Kings of the earth stirre the people are moued shall the God of heaven rise from his rest and the creatures sit still I say sit still before his presence in whose voice there is feare and in whose face there is fire for even our God is a consuming fire When the Law should bee divulged from the holy Mount the Lord came from Sinai and rose vppe from Seir vnto them and appeared clearely from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of Saints and at his right hand a fiery Law the ayre thundered the hils trembled burning blacknes and darkenes were his pauilion and so terrible was the sight which appeared that Moses said I feare and quake It was a great day fearefull and fiery because of a fiery Law what maruell then if vpon the approch of so great a majesty the earth shooke the heauens dropped at the presence of this God even the God of Israel What should I say more of Israels God sith at the brightnes of his presence the red sea was diuided Iorden was driven backe Quailes fell from heaven and the Rocke gushed out water springs the sunne stood still in Gibion
starre yet kindleth a combustion in the hearts of the two Kings of Marocco and Fez nor is the flame extinct in Spaine but yet burneth in the breast of Sebastians blood against that of Castile And surely it may bee a warning to all Christian Kings and Princes of the world to stir vp their zeale and melt their coldnes to fight for the christâ—â—â— an faith against the Infidels whiâ—… rather then they should liue vncoâ—…trolled the heavens will threateâ—… their destruction by sheathing theâ—â—… swords in the blood one of anotheâ—… Chronicles made it an honourabl◠〈◊〉 fight which christian Kings had and vndertooke against the Sarazens foâ—… the holy land But the holy Sepuâ—chre is now buried in oblivion anâ— the Turke hath tied it to his taxe and territories whom while Christian Kinges should resist with all their powers fight for the christiaÌ„ faith they fall in faction one against another and so spend and blend their bloods together Surely Domestica mala maiora sunt lacrhymis these home bredde evils among christian kings are greater than can be expressed with teares therfore I leaue it in the silence of my soule and to the praier of al Gods Saints that their souraignes may ioyne in a holy warre against the Heathen And so I passe â—…o the rest That Mirabilis annus will never 〈◊〉 forgotten when the seas rockes 〈◊〉 shelues fought for England and â—…ade vs so glorious by deliverance 〈◊〉 the wonder of all Christenâ—ome Nay more I may not bee silent â—…ow this our Goshen and land of â—â—…ht was sodainely turned into an â—â—…yptian darkenesse when vpon 〈◊〉 darke Saturday neere hie noone at what time vsually the Sun giueth out his fairest shine a sodaine darknesse was over all the land and so fearefull as men were at their wits ends panted in soule left off al secular care betook them to their best prayers not knowing what would be the Issue till the Lord againe and ere wee thought vpon his mercy remoued the judgement In token of our intollerable neglect of the light of his Gospell whereof that gloomy day was a sure Sacrament taxing our dim sight with his sharpe censure that because for a long season the light had shined in darkenes and the darkenes comprehended it not he could if hee would remoue the candlesticke candle and all and put out the eye of faith as hee had dearned the light of heauen Nay more and aboue al I haue said to make the prodigie yet of greater wonder it was observed by many how during the darkenes of the day all thinges were husht and so still as leaues stirred not beasts fed not birds sung not but stood agast as if they had beene filled with astonishment And you know how not long after this darke day the light of Israel was put out fot a time Queene Elizabeth died a dearne day to England had it not beene presently repayred with as cleare a light from Scotland in whose Sunne-shine now wee walke and sing still with solace the Songs of Sion in our owne land It may be so sodaine a darkenes presenlty relieued with so great a light was a Symball or Sacramenr of our Soueraignes dead and liuing two peereles Princes both relieued with their desired lights Hee of Englands honour Shee of heavens glory yea and we their Subjects delivered from that dark and dangerous night of Queene Elizabeths death by the speedy arising luster of that morning starre our Soveraigne Lord the King whose day wee pray may euer dawne It may bee some sharpe sight may censure me in the applying of this darke day to the death of Queen Elizabeth yet dare I say and I hope with good warranty that when godly Kings and Princes die Quid ni mundus ipss defleret eum principem esse rapiendum per quem duramundi istius reÌ„perari solerent So saide Ambrose of the death of Theodosius Why may not this worlde deplore such a Prince to bee taken away by the violence of death as by whome the dangers and difficulties thereof haue beene moderated Nay hee proceedes further and nearer the point I ayme at Hoc nobis motus terrarum graves hoc iuges pluviae minabantur vltra solitum caligo tenebrosior denunciabat quod clementissimus Imperator Theodosius recessus esset è terris This the great Earthquakes wee haue felt with the continuall raine wee haue had and a more palpable darkenesse than vsuallie we haue seene haue denounced and threatned that Theodosius a most milde and mercifull Emperour should depart this world You are religiously wise to discerne of what is said when Christ suffered the Soueraigne of all Soveraignes there was a commotion of all the creatures All were moved to see and behold so dolorous a spectacle Earth quaked rockes riued the Sunne was darkned and the Moone became bloodie Starres fell from Heauen there was blood fire and the vapour of smoake before that greate and notable day of the Lord came And what was Iesus of Nazareth other then a King then conquering our enemies for a better world And what was Theodosius Queene Elizabeth with all of their rancks and Religion lesse than Princes in his stead to tule in this world And why may not the creatures of God condole alike vpon their dissolutions Next it will bee remembred whiles Chronicles can speake how the earth was bound by a prodigious frost to Londons wonder when Thames was paved for cart and carriage for horse and man able in one day to support a waight of wonder and vpon the other dissolved into weake Water It pierced deepe into the bowels of the earth and to this day the flowers hearbes plants and trees nay more man and beast fish and fowle haue not recovered their decayed strength but yet feele the effects thereof all to warne vs of our chillerie zeale to God more colde then the Isickles hanging at our doores and strange it is that so many Sunne-shines as haue beene since and showers of Gods mercies still powred vpon vs should not melt our frozen hearts to more speedy repentance and provoke vs to prayer with more deuotion I passe by many strange Eclipses both of Sunne and Moone more frequent and vniuersall than haue been of old darkesome sun bloody Moone prognostications of our dearne light and dead life in the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ wherein with those glorious lights the Sunne of righteousnesse seemes to bee vayled as with the cloud and curtaine of our sinnes Alas and woe is mee therefore wee are fallen from our first loue wee worke not wee shine not as wee did in the dayes of persecution when fire and fagot fined vs for our God And the late inundations with vnseasonable weather in their extremities as of cold so of heate windes and tempests are nothing lesse then prodigies of an irefull God to tell vs of the deluge of our sinnes that of the old world swelling but 15. cubits aboue the highest hils this reaching from the