then the oile of Aaron more fructifiing then the deawe of Hermon That so we maie be al knit together without anie disiūction that whether we bee supplicants to the throne of grace wee maie al of vs come togither as ioint petitioners or whether we be the singers of thanksgiuing in the house of the Lord we maie al sing in the harmonie of the spirit or whether we be as the company of an army to stand in the gap to entreat for Cōditions of peace we may all cry togither Spare vs good Lord spare thy people bee not angrie with thine inheritance so al of vs being as so many beames issuing from the Sun of righteousnes all as brookes comming frō the fountaine of goodnes al of vs as nerues proceeding frō the head of wisdom al of vs as arteries springing from the hart of loue all of vs as veines deriued from the liver of life al of vs as lines drawne from the center of grace Al of vs going one way through truth vnto life through light vnto truth through loue vnto light hauing one hope one faith and grace of God in Christ Jesus the one only meanes of our saluation The vse hereof is to exhort al the Saints Vse seruāts of God to an vniformity in Christianity and the profession thereof that so there may be no diuision in the body for seeing a body a house a kingdome cannot stand if once deuided Alas how shal the Church of Christ the body of Christ the houshold of the faithful the kingdome of heauen vpon earth stand if there be so manie Sizers and Concisers Cutters Carvers of her members Liuie Rome in that ciuil or rather vnciuil discord betweene Crassus and Caesar and Pompey had almost lost by this threefold discorde the threefold cord of their concorde and many other Cōmon wealths haue been much wasted and impaired by the monster dissention Tacitus in vita Agrico lae Tacitus in the life of Agricola describing the figure fashion complexion chiualrie and resolution of the Britaine 's in that time obserueth this also that they were then drawne into pety partialities and factions Britan gens vali dissima Tacit and the greatest helpe that the Romanes had adversus validissimas gentes as he calleth our natiō was that they had no cōmon coūcel togither but each citty fought against their neighbours Et ita dum singuli pugnant vniversi vincūtur whilest one by one fighteth al are subdued The Romanes are againe entring our land they expect an aduantageous successe by our home-bred factions and schismes dissentions But Lord let it neuer come to passe let our Common-wealth and Church be as Ierusalem a Citty at vnitie safe as Mount Syon that shal neuer be remoued Let thy Church here be for euer the house of peace O let not her Peace-makers be her Peacebreakers let not her fathers be foster-fathers of dissention but let Patrones be patternes of vnity let her Presidents be the presidēts of vnity her Antients beare the standards of vnity let her be begirt with the wals of vnitie let her and her seruants her sonnes be guided by thee O God the God of vnity till the comming of thy Sonne Christ Iesus to iudgment J knowe J speak to an intelligent and ingenious auditorie J need not expatiat in this of the profit pleasure blessing faelicitie of vnitie You al know that she is the greatest gift of God cheifest ioy of Angels highest happines of mē fearfullest terror of diuils holiest harmonie of Saints heauenlyest Antheme of Celestial Cherubins The Empresse of the world whose priuie Counsel be the vertues whose Ladies of honor bee the Muses whose nearest attendants bee the Graces whose Gard be the Angels whose Court is prosperitie whose state is felicitie whose statuts veritie whose continuance eternitie David his Ecce as the roial vsher of this Empresse bids you behold how good gratious and happy and holy and heauenlie a thing it is to dwel together in vnity Hold it and behold it entertaine her retaine her that you maie al saie as these converts Come let vs goe vp And so J end this point and follow them in their going vp Come and let vs goe vp The life of a Christian is not the life of speculation 2 Obs not a professing life but a practising not a talking life but a walking they must not only Come together but goe together they must walke goe clime goe vp Goe repent goe vp perseuerance 1. Repent This ditty their dutie Come and let vs goe vp Jn the word go we may note their repentance in their going vp their perseuerance For the first they had lōg layen vpon the lees of vngodlines vnstird vnmoued they sat in the seat of the scornful or if they stood vp they stood but in the waie of sinners or if they walkt they walked but in the counsell of the wicked gressus digressus but now they take a newe iourney in hand they chuse new liuing waies they goe egressus regressus they goe goe out and goe on and goe vp and turne from the waie of their wickednes and from the wickednes of their waies Doctrine The doctrine gathered from the word goe is this that it is a certaine signe of salvation in a penitent sinner vpon the first knowledge acknowledgment of his sinnes to goe to the throne of grace Austin Reason St Austin giueth the reason of this doctrine Man by his going from God is deformed and poluted and altogether void of al spiritual blessings and by his returne and going back to God he obtaineth al those blessings he formerlie lost Excedendo frigescit ascendendo fervescit Recedendo tenebrescit revertendo clarescit therfore these conuerts resolue here as those did of whom St Austin speaketh In 70. Psal Conferamus nos ad te bene erit nobis de nobis malum est nobis de nobis quia commisimus malum dimisisti nos nobis The state of Christians in their conuersion is vndoubtedly most heauenlie that though Sathan hath assaulted them and sinne hath wounded them and the world tempted them and the flesh betraied them and temptation entrapped thē yet al these enimies remoue their beeseedg when the soule is desirous to turne to his God O how happie is the Christian then when he hath the father calling the sonne mouing the holy spirit perswading the word directing the rewarde inuiting Saints conuersing Angels reioicing and he himselfe singing that sweet holy Hymne Nūc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace from the wicked waies of the world the flesh the deuil and frō the companie of al infernall complices loe J come J walke J goe J runne J clime J goe vp to the house of the Lord J repent my sinns past video meliora proboque J follow hard to the marke for the high price of my saluation Thus
RECVSANTS CONVERSION A SERMON PREACHED AT St. JAMES before the PRINCE on the 25. of Februarie 1608. BY DANIELL PRICE Master of Arts of Exeter Colledge in Oxford At Oxford Printed by Ioseph Barnes 1608. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE HENRIE PRINCE OF Great Britaine and DVKE of CORNWAYL the glory of grace in this life and the grace of glorie in the future REligious most Gratious Prince let me craue pardon for my presumption in offring that vnto the eie of the world which I lately preached in the eare of your Highnesse The vnde served vnexpected attention and former acception of these labours haue drawne this little gift in representation of my remembrance therein VVith this I present my selfe and service being ever ready with all my power to doe your Highnesse the humblest duty thinking my selfe happie when I may performe any thing which may testifie my true zealous and dutiful affection Your highnesse hath already cunning Aholiab and Bezaleel sweet singing David Parable speaking Ecclesiastes Sinne smiting Micaiah Ionas powerfull for Contrition Peter potent for compunction Barnabas singuler for Consolation These all haue dedicated and consecrated their labours to the building of Gods temple in you For my owne part I confesse I am not able with these to bring taches or rings or earings or bracelets or iewels of gold or Onix stoÌ„es or Sittim wood or ointmeÌ„ts or spices or perfumes but the little oile which I haue I desire to present for the light of the Temple Your Grace is the comforte of the old the hope of the young and the ioy of all tanquaÌ„ ad clarum beneficum sidus certatim ad volant they striue to flocke to your Highnesse as to the comfortable starre of their happinesse wishes praiers presents be their offrings VVith me it is worse then with many I haue nothing to present vnlesse as Eschines did to Socrates I should present my selfe and ah las in my selfe I finde that there is such a disproportion betweene a presents worthinesse and my weaknesse that even in this I had beene disanimated had I not beene by your gratious favour encouraged It now remaineth that in the huÌ„blest manner I can devise I wholy resigne my selfe studies labours endeavours course of life to your Highnesse protection and disposition craving pardon for my boldnesse and ever praying for your Highnesse blessednesse that you may be truly gratious in this life and truly glorious in the life to come Your Highnesse most humbly devoted in all service DANIELL PRICE Esay 2.3 Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob WHen the Lord for many yeeres togither had manifested himselfe to be the God of Israell expected that his people would become the Israell of God it proved at the leÌ„gth that Israels sins made them to become Ismaels sonnes of a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a peculiar people a holy nation they became an vnwise and foolish generatioÌ„ a disobedient and rebellious generation a generation that set not their harts aright whose spirit was not confident in their God dishonouring Gods Maiestie despising Gods mercy abusing his goodnes abasing his glory prophaning the Kings holyday the Saboath of the Lord poluting the Sanctuary the Chamber of Presence of the Lord neglecting his precepts the Acts of Parliament of the Lord conteÌ„ning his holy-ones the Privy Counsell of the Lord not regarding him as a father who had adopted them his sonnes or as a Master who had hired them his servants or as a husband who had espoused them as his wife or as a Lord who had delivered them as his people out of the fieâ—y furnace of the land of Aegypt of the house of bondage HerevpoÌ„ the Lord sent forth his heavenly heralds the Prophets with their celestiall proclamations to signifie his anger conceiued against their sinnes and yet his mercie if it were received by sinners that so he might inviâ—e those that did rebel incite those that did neglect hasten those that did linger and recall those that did wander to sue out their pardons and to recouer those places that they had lost in the house of his Courts Etym. nom Prophetarum Thus sent hee forth Esay his health to heale their sicknesse Ieremie his exaltation to bring them to humiliation Esekiell his strength to helpe their weaknes Daniel his iudgement to manifest his mercie by these 4. as by 4. truÌ„pets or by the 4. windes or by the 4. rivers of Paradise or by the 4. Evangelists he doth send out his spirituall Pursevants with their celestiall proclamatioÌ„s Our Prophet Esay is one of these foure who having sounded a Parle in the former Chapter and having contested with this people Summa totius primi capitis proueth that they are a sinfull nation a people full of iniquity seed of the wicked corrupt children their whole head sicke and their whole hart beauy so that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head nothing but wounds and sores swelling corruptioÌ„ the land wast the cities burnt Zion like a beseedged Citie the faithful Citie become a harlot the siluer drosse the wine water the Princes rebellious and that therfore the Lord would consume theÌ„ and vtterly ouerthrowe them Yet not withstanding all this their miserie in this Chapter hee prophecieth of Gods great mercie that there shal be a time of the restauration of the Church of the erection of the Temple of the election of the Gentiles the house of the Lord shal be prepared vpon the mountaine and the mountaine of the house of the Lord shal bee prepared on the top of the mountaines shal be exalted aboue al the hills and the people shal resort thervnto and shal mutually and reciprocally excite and solicite each others with these words of my Text. Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord to the mountaine of the God of Jacob. Which words emblematicallie doe describe Ecclesia militantis symbolum triumphantis exercitium the true signe of the Church militant on earth and the holy exercise of the Church triumphing in heauen Wherin if devotion compunction conuersion assention or religion may moue let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith vnto the Church or rather what the Church speaketh with the spirit come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob. If vnitie amitie or vnamitie maie moue if the prophet who was a noble courtier or the people who were worthy Converts or the place they goe to to the house of God or the God of that house Deus Iacobi maie draw attention from you O then come see and heare tast the gratious goodnes of the Lord in the society of his Saints with one minde one mouth inuiting one another with these words come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the
when they returne and for sinnes sake leaue sin and leauing sins repent of sins though the lees thereof remaine in them if for righteousnes sake they labour for righteousnes though an esseÌ„tial righteousnes be not inherent in theÌ„ though they do not al the good they loue but in loue desire to doe it though they leaue not al the sinnes they hate but in hatred labour to resist them by this returning the good we doe is accepted the good we desire to doe is imputed the euil we leaue is discharged the euill wee desire to leaue shal not be imputed But alas how many put from them the thought of repentance When notwithstanding that they haue their conscience accusing them their sins oppressing them Gods iudgement threatning theÌ„ Gods spirit warning them Gods mercie exciting them And yet alas yet they are so lulled in securitie as that they thinke not of their returne before the Lord quite turne them of Strabo in Geog. l. 13 These bee like those of whom Strabo writeth in his Geographie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they deferre til it be to late like to Hanniball in surprising Rome Quando potui non habui voluntatem quando volui non habui potestateÌ„ They haue vocem corvinam to cry Cras to procrastinate their returne but haue not vocem columbinaÌ„ mox mox They remember not that God hath left but 2 Tenses to man praesens prateritum and hath taken the future into his owne hands to dispose therof himselfe and if they haue beene deceiued of the time past and are deceiued of the time present howe much more may they be of the time future The Saints and seruants of God are carefull vpon the first knowledge of their sins and errors to returne vnto the Lord. So did a Act. 9.6 Paule from Gentilisme in persecuting the Jewes b Mat. 26.75 Peter from Iudaisme in denying his Master c 2. Sam. 12. David from his adultery d Eccl 1.1 Salomon from his Jdolatry e 2. Chro 32.26 Hesekias the father f 2 Chro. 33 12. Manasses his son g Act. 8.37 The Ennuch h Act. 10 1. Cornelius the i Iud. 2.5 Israelites k Ioan. 3 6. Ninivits l Iud. 7.19 Bethulians m Act 8 12 Samaritanes n Thessalonians and infinite more The vse of this doctrine is that we confesse that we haue al gon astraie and done wickedly euerie one of vs hath wandered out of the waie and therfore that wee seek to the throne of grace there to seek this conuersion this especial gift of God this ioie of Angels this salue of sinnes this hauen of sinners denied to Angels and therfore they became deuils denied to deuils and therfore they remaine damned and only a gift bestowed on the sonnes of God O howe oft hath repentance and conuersion beene preached and yet how little hath it beene affected Jt hath beene preached by Naoh to the old world by Lott to Sodome by Moyses to Aegypt by the Prophets to Israel by Iohn Baptist to Christ by Christ before the Apostles and by many thousands of the Saints and seruants of God since in many places and how often it hath bin preached in this place and to this presence the very wood and stones and seats and senclesse creatures caÌ„bear witnesse O it wil be to late to returne Corpus cuÌ„ causa when the sentence of condemnation is come from the Kings bench Come therfore let vs worship and fal downe and kneele before the Lord our maker for hee is the Lord our God and we are the people of his pasture to daie if ye wil heare his voice harden not your harts and now euen now while it is time and daie remember to returne vnto the Lorde whatsoeuer thou art that hast straied from the Lord by pride returne by the holy waie of humilitie or by hard harted crueltie returne by the blessed waie of mercy or if by envie returne by charitie or if by couetousnes returne by liberalitie or if by drunckennes returne by sobrietie or if by filthinesse returne by chastitie In a worde J end this point with the words of our prophet in the 5. verse of this chapter O house of Iacob come yee let vs walke in the light of the Lord Esay 2.5 And so J come to step a step higher from the goeing to their going vp Come and let vs goe vp They goe and walke and clime and goe vp They continue 2. Perseuerance Goe vp they perseuere with Hanniballs souldiers they proceed forwards in their iourney notwithstanding the rough rocks and craggy clefts of the Alpes God cannot abide haulting in his seruice delaying in religion loitering in profession limmits in Christian procession he cannot but distast any snaile-like withdrawing anie peece-like recoilling any Hypocriticall faining anie wearisome fainting anie Dial-like staying anie poole-like standing anie Ephraimite starting anie foolish virgin neglecting anie drowsey Apostle sleeping The professioÌ„ of a Christian must not be like to Fabia in Quintilian Quint. which for 30. yeares to gether would not confesse she was a yeare elder or like to the sunne in Ioshuaes time that stood still or rather the sunne in Hesekiah his time which went backward or like to that Mounke who in his quotidian deuotions St Thomâ— Moore was wont to saie the 1 daie Gloria Patri the 2 filio the thirde spiritui sancto and in the ende it was sicut erat in principio Iuc in dialog Eras in chuyâ—…ds Hoâ— de aâ— Pot. dubling ouer his orisons or like to Mandrabulus in Lucian who the first yeare offred a sheep of gold the second a sheep of siluer the third a sheep of brasse or in a word like to the picture in the Poet Definit in piscem mulier formosa superné Many there be who make good entrance but weake coÌ„tinuance they runn wel at the first but they either tier or retire they begin in the spirit end in the flesh the blossomes be faire but when their fruit should be ripe it is rotten their beginning is good laudable but the end is lewd and damnable The Lorde hateth these and therfore as the especial thing hee requireth in a ChristiaÌ„ is to be faithful so the most especial thing in the faithful is to bee perfect euen to be faithful to the death The Doctrine that I hence gather from the words goe vp Doctrine is this that the Christian that hath entred into pathes of righteousnesse Reason must resolue to walke therein al the daies of his life The reason of this doctrine is the position of Christ himselfe he that putteth his hand to the plow draweth it backe is vnfit for the kingdome of heauen A Christian therefore must remember that as God is α and ω so he wil haue his servants to run from α to ω from the beginning to the ending in the constant professioÌ„ of the faith they