spoile and ouerturne Hom. Odys He is not Iupiter inermis as one thought but as another spake his weapons be innumerable his hands vnresistable The religious Saints of God acknowledged this Dauid shal speake for all O Lord thy anger thy heauy displeasure Psal 38. thy arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth downe sore The rebellious children of Israel acknowledged this when Ierusalem as we finde in the old Testament had bin 7. times assailed by Shishak King of Egipt in Rehoboams dayes 1 Kin. 14. 2 Chro. 25 23. Isa 7.1 2 Kin. 18. 2 Chro. 33 2 Kin. 33. 2 Kin. 25. by Ioas King of Israel in Amaziahs time by Rezin King of Aram in the raigne of Ahaz by Zenacherib King of Ashur in the time of Hezekias by the captaines of the Assyrians who tooke Manasses captiue by Pharaoh Necho that carried away Iehoas prisoner lastly by the Chaldeans who burnt the Temple and defaced the Citie and that they had enemies round about them on the East the Moabits Ammorites Assyrians on the west side the Philistines on the North the Syrians on the South the Aegiptians Arabians and Idumeans all most infestuous to them yet still cry out in their vexations vnto God thou hast couered vs with wrath thou hast made vs the off-scouring of the people Nay superstitious heathens haue acknowledged this Lam. 2.43 Exo. 8.19 the Enchanters that the plague of Lice was the finger of God Tiberius that Thunder was the power of God Homer that the plague was the arrow of God Hip. in prog Hypocrates that a great plague among them was a punishment sent from God Nay blasphemous reprobates haue confessed this for the damned at what time the storme fell vpon them in the Reuelation they blasphemed God Reu. 16.24 because of that plague of Haile Vse A doctrine to confute those that put the iudgements of God farre from themselues by putting them far from the true author of them God himselfe Naturall beastly men who make naturall causes the reasons of supernaturall euents who to the wantonnesse of wit adde wickednesse of will Psal 73 9. and belike to those spoke of in the Psalmes that talke presumptuously and set their mouth against Heauen making the power of God to be circumscribed by the power of reason who because they beleeue no more then they see and feare no more then they feele they goe no further then the presence neuer goe into the priuy-chamber of Gods iudgements second causes must remoue it from the first author But I aske as the Apostle doth O thou man who art thou that disputest with God or rather who art thou that deniest the prerogatiue of God seeing he hath sayd I doe strike I will smite Applic. In this our incomparable losse of which though I shall neuer thinke or speake without an indiuidual companion sorrow sorrow attended with the vtmost remembrance and reuerence limited vnder heauen I may vrge this one part of my Text vnto them who neuer looking vp to heauens vnresistable stroke doe complaine that eyther the want of care or skill in the Phisitians shipwrackt all our hope in that blessed Arke the Prince I stand not heere to dawbe with vntempered Morter neither to feare nor flatter any I doe beleeue that they were both sorrowfull beholders and faithfull helpers so far as Art Vigilance and diligence could extend But when ego percutiam is once proclaimed no Phisitian can cure Asa his legs or lay a plaister vnto Fzekias botch or cure the Shunamites child crying my head No balme in Gilead can help the feuers dropsies or bloody issues which Christ healed though the patient Patients bestowal they haue vpon those honorable instruments for so the son of Syrach calleth Phisitians And therefore as those in the Prophet cryed a Conspiracie a Conspiracie so these Poyson Poyson How probable soeuer that may be let them looke vnto the poyson of their owne soules the onely infection that brought this heauy affliction vpon vs. And whatsoeuer second causes there might be let vs leaue the consideration thereof to them to whom they belong and let vs which doth only concerne our selues with feare and reuerence and humilitie confesse it was Gods hand Greg. Mar. lib. 1. as both Gregorie confesseth vpon the affliction of Iob Ambrose before him of all such punishments Cum Diabolus vulnerat Domini sunt sagittae Whatsoeuer the second causes be yet the supreme rule of all is in Gods hand But while I am thus informing others my owne soule becomes a sceptick and questions thus Could God forget to be gratious would he in displeasure so smite Him that was our ioy hope Yes that he might more fully settle our hope vpon the true obiect God himselfe But would he so smite as to take him away in the Sunne-shine of his time yes that he might bestow farre greater brightnesse vpon him Alas he was in the flower and splendor of his youth he was lesse taynted lesse blemished His death was the vndoing of many his poore seruants but God is able to prouide for them better then he could Psal 37. Let them trust in the Lord and verily they shall be fed He was taken away in this solemne expectation of Nuptiall-ioy and triumph He is gone to greater ioy to the Marriage of the Lambe to those ioyes triumphs Angels Quire Songs to which no burden nor no end belongs He was taken away as it were somewhat sodainly and vnexpectedly yet not so sodainely as the fiery enemies of God and the King entended in that furious sulphureous plot to haue blowne him vp 2 King 23. neither so sodainely as Iosias the dearling of God who had no more warning then while an arrow made a doore in his breast for Death 2 Chro. 35.20 But our Iosias was taken away in a seasonable comfortable visitation when he was full of beautie full of glory full of pietie full of Religion full of admiration full of lamentation Beloued in a word as the Apostle speaketh Comfort your selues one another with these words Iob 1. Ionas 2. The Lord gaue him and the Lord hath taken him and as Ionas Marriners acknowledge Thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee As it followeth Thou hast smitten the Shepheard Cir. 2 To haue smit a Wolfe deuouring the sheepe had bin mercy to haue smitten one sheepe of the fold had bin iudgement with mercy but to smite the shepheard may seeme iudgement and fury In this houre time of mourning now we sit as in the shadow of death it is fitter for you to feed on the tree of life then on the tree of knowledge therefore I desire to confine my speech only vpon meditation but the word shepheard leades me forth further then I thought besides the waters of comfort A shepheard was the first tradesman though the second son of all the children of Adam Gen. 4.2 and after Abel many shepheards were in
vengeance vpon Israel for Iosias sake holy and reuerend be his name for euer I haue numbred and weighed the words hastily and in the Scales of sighes and sorrow let vs see what measure of them commeth to our share Vse And first was sinne the cause of smiting the Shepheard Indeede Sinne is the ouerthrow of Iudgement the staine of Conscience the roote of all peruersitie infection of all actions affections but is it so harmefull to vs so hatefull to him that is the all-seeing all-being all-pure and sacred Maiestie that not onely his owne Sonne blessed for euer and euer was smitten Esay propter scelus populi as Esay speaketh but also those excellent and choise and blessed Instruments of his glory Kings and Princes are often-times taken away for the sins of the people Let vs all then looke into the Calender of these dayes wee haue seene and found and felt their effects and let vs obserue whether the sinnes of this Land and especially this Citie and Court be not equall to any of any Land see whether the sins now be culpable or damnable winckt at onely by the eyes of men or crying in the eares of Heauen You shall finde them to be aspiring mounting towring sinnes Sinnes of the highest eleuation and those sins now committed which in times past durst not be named Men like women women like Diuels common to salute and stab kisse and betray common cheating whoring drinking swearing as common as breathing Neuer were such varnishes put vpon rotten causes or Lawes made such quirkes for mercenary wits or goodnes so deformed Iustice so guilty Vertue so needy Religion so scorned or Whoredome so painted In a word to let passe the Couetousnesse of the rich idlenesse of the poore want of age wantonnesse of youth prophanenesse of all I aske the honest Religious Soule that mourneth for the misery of Zyon Is it not strange that after so long preaching of the Gospel there should be such an inundation of Popery this generation of Vipers seeming to multiply in our time as the Arrians did encrease in the time of the ancient Fathers who preached and wrote against them Ezekiels Prophecie may seeme fulfilled the Idol of indignation is among vs there be some Ancient Idolaters some idolatrous women some idolatrous Priests in our Land These be causes why our Iosias was smitten our sinnes opened that Vena Basilica Secondly would no other Sacrifice serue but the death of Iosias No. Zeph. 1.7.8 The former Prophet Zephany maketh it plaine in his 1. Chapter 7. and 8 verses The Lord hath prepared a Sacrifice and in that day of the Lords Sacrifice he will visit the Princes and the Kings Children No other sacrifice will serue but the branches of the Oliue tree the blossomes of the Figge tree the beautifull young Cedar the glory of the Forrest the beauty of the Garland the Coronet of succession the Patron of Religion the ioy of the olde hope of young comfort of all Nothing would serue but that precious Iewell which Nature only shewed the world and so put vp againe that happy New Starre new eye of Heauen of whose station and influence while we argued it went out againe Nothing must serue but Iosias Si sic in viridi quid fiet in arido what shall become of the negligent ignorant windy emptie shadowy Creatures who liue to eate and eate to play the Beasts He was taken from the euill to come vpon such to the ioy he enioyes Hee is gone to rest with more tokens of Gods fauour then euer Iosias had his precious Soule is bathed in the precious bloud of his blessed Sauiour Patience did here comfort him Confidence did hence crowne him annointed Cherub blessed Angell gracious Master thou art now in glory though wee poore scattered sheepe haue lost thee Teares blind me and sighes chooke and here I cease sorrow doth silence me Correct vs no more in thy fury O Lord let not thine arrowes sticke so fast in vs northy hand presse vs so down lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Magnifie thy arme of Mercy as thou hast exalted thine arme of Iudgement and let neuer the like losse come vpon vs againe till thy Sonne our Sauiour come to vs againe Amen The second Sermon Matth. 26.31 The Sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered WHen Elias was departing the Whirlewinde mouing the fiery Chariot mounting and Elias in his transmigration neque inter viuos nec mortuos as Bias spake of Saylers being not gone vp into the aire as Moses on the Mount or rapt vp into the third heauens for a time as Saint Paul in his Vision but as Henoch before so he vnder the Law caught vp into the heauens for euer 2 King 2.14 Elisha the Prophet lamenteth Elias with the same wordes that afterwards Ioash the King lamented Elisha 2 King 13.14 O my father my father the Chariot of Israell and the horse-men thereof A lamentation sitting our losse who haue lost our Father our Maister the Cedar of Lebanon and Chariot of Israel In the 16. of Numbers it was an heauy Numb 16.49 weighty iudgement that in so small a time so great a number as 14700 should die Moses then cryeth out as if with sorrow shaking his head wringing his hands There is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Wee will borrow the words of him it is miserable men that we are I say it is our case Wrath is gone from the Lord the plague is begun Now is a time of mourning of cloathing our selues in sacke cloth and ashes nay in dust and ashes and in the shadow of death that as we spent our first dayes in sinne so wee may spend our last dayes in sorrow Is not wrath come from the Lord when our Lilly of the vallyes is blasted our Rose of the field is blemished I say not that our Oliue branch is cut off but the Doue with the Oliue branch is fled from vs. We are the men whom Ieremy mentioneth in his Lamentations we haue seene the affliction in the rod of indignation the breath of our nosthrils the blessed of the Lord is taken from vs our daunce is turned into mourning and the crowne of our head is fallen Lam 5.15 Woe vnto vs that euer we sinned our heart is heauy and our eyes are dimme because this Mount of Zion shall be desolate My Text doth epitomize what euer my sorrow can conuince The Shepherd is smitten and the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered I haue gathered so much dew of Meditation from the first part as a day and night could yeeld my sorrowfull head and heart to receiue that was our Maisters part this next ours The sheepe shall be scattered In speaking whereof as that wonder of misery the vnhappy Mother in the besiege of Ierusalem hauing eaten one part of her Childe could not thinke of eating the other without vnspeakeable sorrow so assure your selues my sobs and throbs and throwes
LAMENTATIONS FOR the death of the late Illustrious Prince Henry AND the dissolution of his religious Familie Two Sermons Preached in his Highnesse Chappell at Saint IAMES on the 10. and 15. day of Nouember being the first Tuesday and Sunday after his decease By DANIEL PRICE Chaplaine then in attendance MICAH 7.8 Reioyce not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall rise againe LONDON Printed by THO. SNODHAM for ROGER IACKSON and are to be sould at his shop neere to Fleetstreet Conduit 1613. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE PRINCE CHARLES THE IOY OF OVR SORROW AND THE HOPE OF SVCCESSION ENGLANDS CHARLEMAINE DANIEL PRICE WITH THE DEDICATION OF THESE HIS TWO MITES WISHETH THE ACCRVMENT OF ALL HAPPINESSE WITH THE DOVBLING OF THE SPIRIT OF HIS BLESSED BROTHER VPON HIM TO THE HONOVRAble Religious and worthy Gentlemen the great Officers to the late renowmed Prince To the Ho. worthy Gentlemen of the Bed-chamber to his Reuerend Brethren the Chaplaines and to all the rest of the Gentlemen and Officers of that Princely familie THe importunity of some the expectation of many and the kinde acceptation of all of you hath caused me to cast these two Mites into the Treasure of the publike sorrow and to present that now to your hands which in my attendance in this woefull time J prouided for your hearts They are plaine both because sorrow dislikes descant and plaine stuffes are fittest for Mourners they are passionate for in my meditation by the riuers of sorrow I sat downe wept and hanged my Harpe vpon the willow trees for euer tuning it to comfort or melody againe and when ye required this song of mee in my heauinesse I knew not how to sing any song of the Lord but a song of sorrow in this strange land strange for the sinnes strange for the iudgements They are yours they once breathed with you and now euer shall liue with you a pledge of that hart that neuer reioyced in any sublunary obiect more then to see while our Sunne did shine such an happy friendly aspect of so many principall Planets and sweet plants in this place let Charity interpret me and none will be offended that vpon impetuous importunity I publish these last offices to the memory of that illustrious Prince our Maister for whom the sound of all tongues and applause of all hands testifie neuer was any more honoured in his life neuer any more lamented in his death that euer beheld the light of heauen in this land My best deuotion faithfulest seruices are presented with these and so I remaine Yours in all Christian dutie Daniell Price The first Sermon Matth. 26.31 I will smite the Shepheard and the Sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered A Great Prince is falne in Israel 2 Sam. 3.38 1 Sam. 4.21 Zach. 11.2 Aust de Pas the ioy of the Christian world is deceased Ichabod the glory of Israel is departed Howle ye poore Firre Trees your Cedar is fallen Lachrimis non verbis miserationibus non orationibus opus est I know it is contrary to the grounds of Art presently at the first entrance to hoise vp sayles in such a sea of lamentation and sorrow But miserie obserues no rules of Oratory and therefore without any further Proeme wee should all take vp that Elegy of Dauid 2 Sam. 1. 2 Sam. 1. O noble Israel he is slaine vpon thy high places Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in Ascalon least the daughters of the vncircumcised reioyce O ye Mountaines of Gilboa vpon yee be neither dew nor raine there the shield of the mighty was cast downe Ionathan was lonely and pleasant in his life swift as an Eagle strong as a Lyon ye sonnes of Israel weepe for Ionathan which clothed you in Scarlet with pleasures and hanged ornaments of Gold vpon your apparell All of you of what condition soeuer heare with silence what you feele with sorrow the very thunderbolt of heauen I will smite the Shepheard and the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered Take vp a lamentation Ierem. sayth the Lord to the Prophet A lamentation such as was not in the daies of our fathers Alas no lamentation will sit our losse a deluge of teares is little enough to beare the arke of our sorrow Austin is sayd to weepe a shoure of teares Ambrose a flood of tears but you will tell me Doct. Swale Rhetorie intur Patres I am sure Ieremy wished for a fountaine of teares and my sorrowing louing brother hath brought you a Saboath dayes iourney towards this Fountaine him I follow with paces of lamentation and loue and with as faithfull as sorrowfull obseruance to his memory for whom we are commanded to continue these our last accomplishments of attendance we shall both endeuor to teach you that last lesson of our Sauiour Weepe not for me but weepe for your selues I haue at this time setled the foundation of my meditations vpon the farewell of Christ to his Disciples A prophecy found in Zachary 400. yeeres before it was vsed heere Zach 13.7 Mark 14.28 Ioh. 16.27 repeated in Matthew in Mark and Iohn in all these places prophecying of the death of the lord of life Hypocrisie is a true Pharisie but griefe is a bad Scribe expect neither order nor matter sorrow hath deuided such shares among vs the scattered sheepe and flocke of this fold that our soules are euen deuided within vs. The words themselues without any descant be words of amazement and astonishment I will smite the shepherd and the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered Rom. 1.16 Ier. 23.29 Heb. 4.12 Eph. 6.17 Euery word of the Lord is a power a fire a hammer a Pyoner to ouerthrow strong holds a sword to deuide the reynes and the marrow But this an extraordinary word it is the alarum to a battel the voice of a Trumpet an Earthquake shaking the Pillars of the Earth I will smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered I will smite vox furoris doloris sayth a Glosse the voyce of fury in God Gloss Bern. Leu. 27. Deut. 28. Reu. 3.19 the voyce of misery to man It had beene more milde if as in Leuiticus I will punish or in Deuteronomy I will correct or in the Reuelation I will chastise But who is able to beare his blow who is able to stand before him if he be angry by the least of his blowes wee are cut downe dryed vp and withered I will smite the Shepheard not the sheepe of his Pasture not the Ewes great with yong not the Lambes of the Fold if the sheepe onely had bin smitten Psalme Dauids prayer had serued how long wilt thou proceed in anger against the sheep of this pasture But the stroke is greater more grieuous it is falne vpon the shepheard the guider the glory the Prince of the people I will smite the shepheard And the sheepe shall be scattered his poore followers haue no better phrase
then the sheepe of his flocke silly simple innocent creatures Wolues haue dens Foxes holes Birds of the heauen nests but Sheepe wander out of the way in the wildernesse Errant in montibus agni they haue no Citie to dwell in If the seruants of our Sauiour had no more misery then they may collect out of the condition and consideration of being called sheep it is much Poore creatures when they are strongest together they haue no meanes to withstand the incursions inuasions of the Wolues but the Text stirreth vp more sense of sorrow The sheepe shall be scattered Be scattered it were as if they were scattered consumed Be dispersed it is as if they were destroyed Lorinus Psal 119. di-sperdere is bis-perdere they shal be as Dauid speaketh either gone astray like the sheep that perished or as Christ speketh as sheepe prouided for the slaughter Scattered they must be I wil smite the shepherd the stocke shal be seattered Diuisio The parts are two Part. 1 first the death of the Shepheard secondly the dispersion of the sheepe The death of the shepheard plainely in these words I will smite the Shepheard wherein because I will not trouble you with vnnecessary fractions Looke vpon first The person smiting I will smite secondly The person smitten I will smite the Shepheard Secondly in the dispersion of the sheepe in these words and the sheepe shall be scattered obserue first the denomination of Christs Seruants The sheepe secondly the desolation of these sheep The sheep shall be scattered I will smite Nazianzen Non nisi coact us percuitis saith Nazianzen it is neither the Nature nor pleasure of God to be smiting Abaddon Apolluon be the names of Sathan in the Reuelation Reuelat. but the Lord is a gratious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse repenteth him of the euill Gloss Ord. Ioel 2. Exod. 34.6 Benignus affectu misericors effectu saith the Glosse vpon the second of Ioel Moses in the thundring and lightning heard no other attributes vpon the Mount Dauid in his sorrowes acknowledged no other Ionas in the belly of the Whale bottome of hel among all the waues and surges remembreth no other Ioel in his day of darkenesse and blacknesse repeateth no other affections of the Lord Ioel 2. but these the Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse repenteth him of the euil Psal 145. The Psalmist giues God these titles the Lord is strong and patient there is hony in the Lyon sweetnesse in strength he is not onely strong and patient but strong in patience he doth foreslow his vials and forbeare his vengeance till the cart-roapes of sinne doe hurry downe his iudgements It may be he will vpon long expectation cut away the lappe of our garment as Dauid did by Saul but it is a rare example that hee proceedeth againstany as Satans motion was against Iob to stretch out his hand Iob 1.11 August touch all that he had There were foure ages of the Iewes in all foure the people continued sinfull the iudgements expected were fearefull In the first age of the Patriarkes he promised a blessing to their posteritie in the second age of Iudges he setled their Common-wealth and Policy in the third age of Kings he built them a Citie to dwell in in the fourth of Prophets he built them a temple to pray in hee might haue blasted them in their Spring but he suffereth them to come to their Autumne nay further hee endured them till their owne loosenesse brought them to the fall of the leafe It is the most vile and base condition of man that when as God hath no other Fountaine then the fountaine of Grace in Zachary Zach. 4. nor other riches then the riches of his mercy in the Psalmes nor other bowels then the bowels of compassion and that the vnlimited extent of his gracious affection is beyond all imaginable proportions yet notwithstanding man will vnsheath Gods sword will violently force him to his armory to put on his habergion and brigandine as Esay speaketh to whet his sword 〈◊〉 59 1◠to bend his Bow and to prouide him deadly weapons to ordaine his arrowes against them that persecute him as the Psalmist threatneth Psal 7.13 that Heauen shall afford millions of Angels Hell legions of wicked spirits Orbs and Arches of Heauen Stars to fight in their order Elementary regions Haile Frost Snowe Stormes Tempests Mildew Blastings and the earth his great artillery-yard to send out Lice Mice Flyes Wormes the very Nissets Palmerwormes Locusts Caterpillers Cankerwormes small creatures yet great armies as he calleth them in Ioel hereby causing Iordan to runne backe Ioel 2.25 his mercy to retire yea constrayning him to alter his owne desire and nature and tenor of speech as in this place I will smite not onely so but as before they cause the stroke so afterwards they neglect the stroke Pliny as if the iudgements of God were like to those Bruta fulmina among the Romanes which because they fell vpon the beastes neuer came to obseruation So wicked and beastly men neuer obserue neither why hee striketh nor who it is that striketh A father hath no ioy in the continuall chiding or scourging or cursing of his sonne nay his very bowels yearne within him for sorrow his affection can be no lesse Prou. 31.1 then of the mother of Lemuel O my sonne O the son of my wombe O the sonne of my desires The compassion of the Lord can be no lesse whose mercies be aboue all his works yet if a man will not turne he will whet his sword and bend his bow Chrysost in Psal 7. acerbitatem poenae gladius celeritatem designat arcus saith Chrysostome In vaine doe any attribute the inuentions of swords to the Lacedemonians Plin. lib. 7. Nat. Histor Ludolph or of bowes to the Scrythians God hath prepared them eius sunt arma cuius sunt verba ego percutiam Obseruation First The obseruation collected from the words I will smite is this that in all iudgements we ought truly to iudge of the true author he that being asked his name by Moses answered I am that I am Exod. 3.14 he it is that afterwards threatens I will bring famine I will bring the sword I will bring the pestilence In the ten plagues of Egipt in the beginning of them his words be In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord Exod. 7.17 Exod. 15.3 I will smite He is a man of War in the same booke Nay the Lord of hosts and armies often called in his own booke Murraine of cattell is called his hand Pestilence his sword Exod. 9.3 1 Chro. 21 Psal 91. sicknesses his arrowes his bow hangeth in the cloud his sword is euer in his hand his axes hammers be in readines he it is that doth hurt and shoot wound and strike and
Psalme knappeth the speare in sunder casteth the arrowes in the fire I say why would he let the Archers shoot at King Iosias 1 King 22 It was the voyce of the King of Aram to his Captaines concerning wicked King Ahab fight ye neither against great nor small but against the King but that the Lord should direct that fatall arrow to be the death of his darling Iosias this arrow strikes vs with admiration I cannot but beare part with those mourners in Megiddo Alas for this great day Alas for that good Prince Alas that Iosias is smitten When Dauid numbred the people the people dyed they suffered for his sinne 1 Chro. 21 plectuntur Achiui and Dauid cryeth What haue they done it is euen I that haue sinned Is it not I that haue commanded to number the people but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand be on me and on my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction There the people were plagued for the offence of the Prince but heere the Prince is smitten for the offence of the people I finde especially two causes why Iosias was smitten First for the sinnes of the time The first cause of the death of Iosias the sinnes of those dayes I collect out of Zephany to be strange and horride In the front of the Prophecie you may see that he prophesied in the dayes of Iosias Zeph. 1.1 in the second verse of that Chapter there is a fearefull destruction pronounced such as in so few wordes is not to be found in all the Prophets It is a generall obseruation that where we heare some strange desolation threatned there is some strange abhomination committed Obserue both here first the desolation thretned I will surely destroy all things from the Land Zeph. 1.1.2 saith the Lord I will destroy man and beast I will destroy the fowles of the heauen and the fishes of the sea and ruines shall be to the wicked and I will cut off man from the land saith the Lord c. It is so terrible as if that in the Psalm were fulfilled Destructions are come to a perpetuall end Psalm 9. a deluge and Cataclisme a deuastation desolation vnspeakable The greatest plagues that euer came on the world were either the particular in the Iudgements on Egipt or the generall in the drowning of the World In Egipt besideâ— flyes and lice and frogs and darknesse there was the killing of the first-borne Murraine of Beasts death of Fishes by the water turned into bloud but I find no where that their fowle of heauen were destroyed In the drowning of the World all mankinde was not destroyed eight Soules were preserued and although the beasts of the field and fowles of the ayre perished yet I can no way collect the destruction of the fishes those watry creatures kept their Colonyes In Egipt beasts and fishes were destroyed not the fowles In the floud beasts and fowles not the fishes but in this Man and Beast Fish and Fowle all things threatned to be destroyed from the earth Secondly therefore consider the abhomination committed in those times you may at first sight collect them out of the following verses In the 4. verse Zeph. 1.4.1 there was a remnant of Baall in the land resembling our Papists Secondly Priests and Chemarims fit parallels to our Priests and Iesuits Verse 5 Thirdly in the 5. verse there were some that sware by the Lord and sware by Malcham equalling the false-harted halfe hollow-harted Hipocrites of two Religions in these dayes Verse 6 Fourthly in the 6. verse some that turned backe from the Lord like to our Ephraimitall Apostaticall reuolters Fiftly some that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him shadowing the Atheists of our land Verse 8 Sixtly in the 8. verse such as were cloathed with strange apparell the characters of the guls and gallants of our dayes Verse 9 In the 9. verse some that daunced vpon the threshold so proudly the note of the quaint Crane-paced Courtiers of this time Lastly those that filled houses by cruelty and deceit the brand of the sinfull and couetous Citizens of this Citie Now measure with the cubit of the Sanctuary whether desolation be not fitted to abhomination Runne to and fro through the streete of that Chapter and see and heare and feare and tremble Sinnes were the cause of that threatned destruction sinnes were the Cart-ropes Engines Pioners the Earthquakes Whirlewindes Thunderbolts finall downefall and funerall and deuastation of that State In the time of the Iudges Iudg. 20.44 the Lord almost extinguished the Tribe of Beniamin eighteen thousand at one time 1 King â—2 In the time of the Kings ten Tribes fell from Israell But this misery is more Roote and Branch head and tayle as the Prophet sore-told Man Beast Fish and fowle are destroyed For sinnes he doth stretch out his hand vpon Iudah and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinnes he doth worry the Sheepe and smite the Shepheard This is the first reason why Iosias is smitten The second cause of smiting Iosias The second reason that Iosias was smitten was that hee might not see the misery threatned to be brought vpon Israell his eyes should not see that euill Euill must come but not in the dayes of Iosias The word of the Lord is good saith Hezekias onely let peace be in my dayes The Israelites must be bond-slaues in the land of Egipt Genesis but not till the Patriarkes sleepe in peace Tenne Tribes shall be diuided from the twelue yet Salomons eyes shall first be shut Ierusalem shall be destroyed but not till they who mourne in Zyon be marked Ezek. 9.4 Al Italy grieuously troubled but Ambrose must first be at rest Africa shal be spoiled but not till Austine decease Germany was distracted but Luther first must peaceably honourably be buryed England was persecuted and fiered but blessed King Edward must first be receiued into Abrahams bosome God reserueth his iust determinate plagues and stayeth his Vyals till his appointed times All the States of the World haue their Criticall dayes and Climactericall yeeres beginnings setled stations declinations and dissolutions at Gods appointment Certo veniunt ordine Parcae Seneca It was a speech that commands admiration from vs that God should say to Lot Get thee hence I can doe nothing till thou art gone hence Was the power of God limited by himselfe he did actiuely limit his power it was not passiuely limitted by Lot God did limit his wil Genesis or rather both were determinated then limited or terminated It exceedes our thoughts that he in so fauourable a Compassion will forbeare for his loue to some particular Seruant the great wrath he hath laid vp in store for a Nation Gen. 39 5. Gen. 30.27 He doth not onely blesse Potiphar for Ioseph and Laban for Iacob but hold his hand stay his Vials forbeare his