thou be diligent in declaring my will and giuing holy counsels to all thy fellow-members speake forth my praise in the great congregations which all attend willingly vpon thee and let me heare the voyce of thy constant and faithfull confession of me before the world The Church 14. Oh my Well-beloued flee away and be like vnto the Roe or to the yong Hart vpon the Mountaine of spices I Will most gladly doe what thou commandest O my Sauiour but that I may performe it accordingly be thou which art according to thy bodily presence in the highest heauens euer present with me by thy Spirit and hasten thy glorious comming to my full Redemption FINIS EPISTLES IN SIX DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE HENRY PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAINE Sonne and Heire Apparant to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES King of GREAT BRITAINE c. All glory in eyther world MOst Gratious Prince IT is not from any conceit of such worth in my labours that they durst looke so high A lower patronage would haue serued an higher work Jt were well if ought of mine could be worthy of popular eyes Or if I could wring ought from my selfe not vnworthy of a iudicious Reader J know your Highnesse wants neyther presents nor counsells presents from strangers counsells from your Teachers neyther of them matchable by my weaknesse onely duty herein excuseth me from presumption For J thought it iniustice to deuote the fruit of my labours to any other hand beside my Masters which also J knew to be as gracious as mine is faithfull Yet since euen good affections cannot warrant too much vilenesse in gifts to Princes lest while my modesty disparages my worke J should hazard the acceptation here shall your Grace finde variety not without profit J hate a Diuine that would but please and withall thinke it impossible for a man to profit that pleaseth not And if while my style fixeth it selfe vpon others any spirituall profit shall reflect vpon your Highnesse how happy am J who shall euer thinke I haue liued to purpose if by the best of my studies J shall haue done any good office to your soule Further which these times account not the least praise your Grace shal herein perceiue a new fashion of discourse by Epistles new to our language vsuall to others and as Nouelty is neuer without plea of vse more free more familiar Thus wee doe but talke with our friends by our pen and expresse our selues no whit lesse easily somewhat more digestedly Whatsoeuer it is as it cannot bee good enough to deserue that countenance so the countenance of such Patronage shall make it worthy of respect from others The God of Princes protect your person perfect your graces and giue you as much fauour in Heauen as you haue honour on earth Your Graces humbly-deuoted seruant IOS HALL EPISTLES THE FIRST VOLVME IN TVVO DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. THE TABLE DECAD I. EP. 1. TO IACOB WADSVVORTH lately reuolted in Spaine Expostulating for his departure and perswading his returne EP. 2. To the Lord DENNY my Lord and Patrone Of the contempt of the world EP. 3. To my Lord HAY. Of true honour EP. 4. To Master NEVVTON Of gratulation for the hopes of our Prince with an aduising apprecation EP. 5. To Sir THO CHALLONER A report of some Obseruations in my trauell EP. 6. To Sir DAVID MORAY Of the miracles of our time EP. 7. To Master W. BEDELL at Venice Lamenting the losse of some late eminent Diuines EP. 8. To the Earle of ESSEX Aduices for his Trauels EP. 9. To Sir ROBERT DRVRY and his LADY Concerning my Remouall EP. 10. To Master I. B. Against the feare of death DECAD II. EP. 1. To Sir RO DARCIE The estate of a true but weake Christian EP. 2. To Sir EDM BACON The benefit of Retirednesse EP. 3. To M. IOHN WHITING An Apology for Ministers mariage EP. 4. To Mrs BRINSLEY my sister Of the sorrow not to be repented of EP. 5. To M. HVGH CHOLMLIE Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalmes EP. 6. To M. SAM SOTHEBIE A Preface to his Relation of Russia EP. 7. To M. STAN BVCHINSKI The comfort of Imprisonment EP. 8. To M. GEORGE WENNYFF Exciting to Christian cheerfulnesse EP. 9. To M. THO BVRLZ Against immoderat griefe for losse of friends EP. 10. To Master I. A. Against sorrow for worldly losses TO IACOB VVADSVVORTH lately reuolted in Spaine EPIST. I. Expostulating for his departure and perswading his returne HOw vnhappily is my style changed Alas that to a friend to a brother I must write as to an Apostate to an aduersary Doth this seeme harsh You haue turned it by being turned your selfe Once the same walls held vs in one louing Society the same Diocesse in one honourable function Now not one Land and which I lament not one Church You are gone we stand and wonder For a sheepe to stray through simplicity is both ordinary and lamentable but for a Shepheard is more rare more scandalous I dare not presume ouer-much vpon an appeale to a blinded conscience Those that are newly come from a bright candle into a darke roome are so much more blinde as their light was greater and the purest yuory turneth with fire into the deepest blacke Tell vs yet by your old ingenuity and by those sparkes of good which yet I hope lie couered vnder your cold ashes tell vs what diuided you Your motiues shall once be scanned before an higher barre Shame not to haue the weake eyes of the world see that which once your vndeceiueable Iudge shall see and censure What saw you what heard you anew that might offer violence to a resolued minde and make it either to alter or suspend If your reasons be inuincible informe vs that we may follow you but if as they are slight and feeble returne you to vs returne and thinke it no shame to haue erred iust shame to continue erring What such goodly beauty saw you in that painted but ill-fauoured Strumpet that should thus bewitch you so to forget your selfe and contemne the chaste loue of the Spouse of your Sauiour I saw her at the same time in her gayest dresse Let my soule neuer prosper if I could see any thing worthy to command affection I saw and scorned you saw and adored Would God your adoration were as farre from superstition as my scorne from impietie That God iudge betwixt vs whether herein erred yea let men iudge that are not drunke with those Babylonish dregs How long might an indifferent eye looke vpon the comicall and mimicke actions in those your mysteries that should be sacred your magical exorcismes your clericall shauings your vncleanly vnctions your crossings creepings censings sprinklings your coozning miracles garish processions burning of noone-day christning of bels marting of pardons tossing of beads your superstitious hallowing of candles waxe ashes
Mercy to bee eminent amongst his vertues when Parsons himselfe yeelds it And if a vertue so continuing could bee capable of excesse this might seeme so in him For that which was said of Anastasius the Emperor Euagr. l. 3. c. 34. that hee would attempt no exploit though neuer so famous if it might cost the price of Christian blood and that which was said of Mauritius Euagr. l. 6. c. 1. that by his good will hee would not haue so much as a Traitor dye and that of Vespasian Sueton. Vesp Socr. l. 7. c. 22. that hee wept euen for iust executions and lastly that of Theodosius that hee wisht hee could recall those to life againe that had wronged him may in some sense bee iustly verified of our mercifull Soueraigne I pray God the measure of this vertue may neuer hurt himselfe I am sure the want of it shall neuer giue cause of complaint to his aduersaries But among all his Heroicall Graces which commend him as a Man as a Christian as a King Pietie and firmenesse in Religion calls me to it and will not suffer me to deferre the mention of it any longer A priuate man vnsetled in opinion is like a loose tooth in the head troublesome and vse-lesse but a publique person vnstayed is dangerous Resolution for the truth is so much better than knowledge by how much the possessing of a treasure is better than knowing where it is With what zeale did his Maiestie flie vpon the blasphemous nouelties of Vorstius How many solicitations threats promises profers hath hee trampled vnder his feet in former times for but a promise of an indifferent conniuence at the Romish religion Was it not an answer worthy of a King worthy of marble and brasse Watson B. Barl. answer to Parsons pag. 115. è Com. Northamp lib. that hee made vnto their agent for this purpose in the times of the greatest perill of resistance That all the Crownes and Kingdomes in this world should not induce him to change any iot of his profession Hath hee not so ingaged himselfe in this holy quarrell that the world confesses Rome had neuer such a◠Aduersarie and all Christian Princes reioyce to follow him as their worthy leader in all the battels of God and all Christian Churches in their prayers acclamations stile him in a double right Defender of the Faith more by desert than inheritance But because as the Sunne beames so praises are more kindly when they are cast oblique vpon their obiects than when they fall directly let me shew you him rather in the blessings we receiue from him than in the graces which are in him And not to insist vpon his extinguishing of those hellish feudes in Scotland and the reducing of those barbarous borderers to ciuilitie and order two acts worthy of eternitie and which no hand but his could doe Consider how great things the Lord hath done for vs by him in our Peace in our freedome of the Gospell in our Deliuerance Continuance detracts from the value of any fauour Little do we know the price of peace If wee had beene in the coat of our forefathers or our neighbours wee should haue knowne how to esteeme this deare blessing of God Oh my deare brethren wee neuer knew what it was to heare the murdering peeces about our eares to see our Churches and houses flaming ouer our heads to heare the fearefull cracks of their fals mixed with the confused out-cries of men Tum vero gemitus morientū sanguine in alto Armaque corporaque permisti caede virorum Semianimos voluuntur equi Virg. Aen. 11. killing incouraging to kill or resist dying and the shriekings of women and children we neuer saw tender babes snatcht from the breasts of their mothers now bleeding vpon the stones or sprawling vpon the pikes and the distracted mother rauished ere shee may haue leaue to die Wee neuer saw men and horses lie wallowing in their mingled bloud and the ghastly visages of death deformed with wounds The impotent wife hanging with teares on her armed husband as desirous to die with him with whom she may not liue The amazed runnings to and fro of those that would faine escape if they knew how and the furious pace of a bloudy victor The rifling of houses for spoile and euery souldier running with his load and ready to fight with other for our booty The miserable captiue driuen manicled before the insulting enemy Neuer did wee know how cruell an Aduersarie is and how burdensome an helper is in warre Looke round about you All your neighbours haue seene and tasted these calamities All the rest of the world haue beene whirled about in these wofull tumults onely this ILAND hath like the center stood vnmoueable Nam cum tristis hyems alias produxerit vndas Tum Nilum retinent ripae Claud. Epigr. Onely this ISLE hath beene like Nilus which when all other waters ouer-flow keeps within the banks That we are free from these and a thousand other miseries of warre Whither should we ascribe it but next vnder God to his Anointed as a King as a King of Peace For both Anarchie is the mother of diuision as we see in the State of ITALIE wherein when they wanted their King all ranne into ciuill broiles Otho Fris lib. 7. cap. 29. The Venetians with them of Rauenna Verona and Vincentia with the Paduans and Taruisians The Pisans and Florentines with them of Luca and Sienna And besides euery King is not a Peace-maker Ours is made of Peace Socr. lib. 7. c. 22. There haue beene Princes which as the Antiochians said of IVLIAN taking occasion by the Bull which hee stampt in his coyne haue goared the world to death The breasts of some Princes haue beene like a Thunder-cloud whose vapours would neuer leaue working till they haue vented themselues with terror to the world Ours hath nothing in it but a gracious raine to water the inheritance of God Behold He euen He alone like to NOAHS Doue brought an Oliue of peace to the tossed Arke of Christendome Hee like another AVGVSTVS before the second comming of CHRIST hath becalmed the world and shut the iron gates of warre and is the bond of that peace hee hath made And if the Peace-maker both doth blesse and is blessed how should we blesse him and blesse God for him and hold our selues blessed in him Now what were peace without religion but like a Nabals sheepe-shearing like the fatting of an Epicurean hogge the very festiuall reuels of the Deuill But for vs we haue Gloria in excelsis Deo sung before our Pax in terris in a word we haue Peace with the Gospell Discors l. 1. c. 20. Due continuoue successioni di principi virtuosi fanno grandi effetti Plato 8. de Rep. Machiauel himselfe could say in his Discourses that two continued successions of vertuous Princes fanno grandi effetti cannot but doe great matters Wee proue it so
in each other and blesse God and their King for this blessednesse As for the learning and sufficiencie of those Teachers whether Prelates or Presbyters our eares were for some of them sufficient witnesses and wee are not vvorthy of our eares if our tongues doe nor thankefully proclaime it to the world As for this Southerne part when I consider the face of our Church in an vniuersalltie me thinks I see the firmament in a cleare night bespangled with goodly starres of all magnitudes that yeeld a pleasing diuersitie of light vnto the earth But withall through the incomparable multitude of Cures and the incompetent prouision of some we cannot but see some of our people especially in the vtmost skirts like to those that liue vnder the Southerne Pole where the starres are thinner set and some starres there are in our Hemisphere like those little sparkles in the Galaxy or Milkie circle wherein yee can scarce discerne any light The desire of our hearts must bee that euery Congregation euery soule might haue a Timothy to deliuer the charge of God powerfully vnto it euen with Saint Pauls change of note That euery one which hath a charge were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to giue the charge and euery hearer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to take it Wherein I cannot but thankefully congratulate the happinesse of this famous Citie which if in other riches it equalize the best I am sure in this it exceeds all There is not a Citie vnder the cope of heauen so wealthy in the spirituall prouision yea there are whole countreys in Christendome that haue not so many learned Preachers as are within these walls and liberties Heare this ye Citizens and be not proud but thankefull Others may exceede you in the glory of outward structure in the largenesse of extent in the vniforme proportion of streets or ornaments of Temples but your pulpits doe surpasse theirs and if preaching can lift vp Cities vnto heauen ye are not vpon earth Happie is it for you if ye be well fed and taught and woe bee vnto you if you doe not thinke your selues happy Charge them but whom The rich The rich Man that came naked out of the wombe of the earth was euen then so rich that all things were his Heauen was his roofe or Canopie earth his floore the sea his pond the Sunne and Moone his Torches all creatures his vassals And if he lost the fulnesse of this Lordship by being a slaue to sinne yet we haue still Dominium gratificum as Gerson tearmes it Rom. 4.13 Euery sonne of Abraham is heire of the world But to make vp the true reputation of wealth for thus we may be as hauing all things and possessing nothing another right is required besides spirituall which is a ciuill and humane right vvherein I doubt not but our learned Wiclef and the famous Archbishop of Armach and the more famous Chancelor of Paris three renowmed Diuines of England France and Ireland haue had much wrong vvhiles they are accused to teach that men in these earthly things haue no tenure but grace no title but Charitie which questionlesse they intended in foro interiori Titulum Châ—ritatis Doâ—â—à Soto de Iustitia Iure in the Consistorie of God not in the Common-pleas of men in the Courts not of Law but of Conscience in which onely it may fall out that the Ciuill owner may bee a spirituall vsurper and the spirituall owner may be a ciuill begger God frames his language to ours and speaking according to that Iâ—s Gentium whereon the diuision of these earthly possessions are grounded he cals some rich others poore Those heretikes vvhich called themselues Apostolique as some-body doth now at Rome before the time of Epiphanius and Augustine which taught the vnlawfulnesse of all earthly proprieties seconded in Austens time by our countreyman Pelagius and in our times by some of the illuminate Elders of Munster are not worth confutation or if they vvere our Apostle hath done it to our hands in this one word Rich for there can bee neither rich nor poore in a communitie Neither doth he say Charge men that they be not rich but Charge the rich that they be not high-minded With these let vs couple our ignorant Votaries that place holinesse in want with vvhom their very crosses cannot deliuer their coyne from sinne which to make good the old rule that it is better to giue then to receiue giue all they haue away at once for but a licence to begge for euer Did these men euer beare that the blessing of God maketh rich That the wings of riches carie them vp to heauen That the crowne of the vvise is their wealth Do they not know that if Lazarus vvere poore yet Abraham was rich and Pium pauperem suscepit sinus diuitis It was the happinesse of poore Lazarus that he was lodged in the bosome of rich Abraham I am no whit afraid O ye rich Citizens lest this paradoxe of our holy Mendicants shall make you out of loue with your wealth I feare some of you would be rich though yee might not Now wee tell you from him whose title is Rich in mercy that yee may be at once Rich and holy In diuitiis cupiditatem reprehendit non facultatem saith Austen It is a true word of the sonne of Sirach which I vvould haue you carie home with you and vvrite it as a fit Motto in your Counting-house Bona est substantia si non fit peccatum in conscientia Substance doth well in the hand if there be not euill in the heart Ecclesiasticus 13.25 Charge the Rich. Who are they There is nothing wherein is greater misprision One man in a Laodicean conceitednes thinks himself rich when he hath nothing Another in a couetous humor thinks he hath nothing when he is rich and how easie is it for another man to mistake vs if we may thus easily mistake our selues I feare some of you are like the Pageants of your great solemnities wherein there is the shew of a solid body whether of a Lyon or Elephant or Vnicorn but if they be curiously look't into there is nothing but cloth and sticks and ayre Others of you contrarily are like a dissembling Couent that professes pouerty and purchases Lordships The very same did Salomon obserue in his time in the great Burgomasters of Ierusalem Pro. 13.7 For the auoiding of both extremes let vs inquire who is rich And though greatnesse and riches be in the ranke of those things which are held to haue no absolute determination but confit rather in respect and comparion for a rich Farmer is yet poore to a rich Merchant and a rich Merchant is but poore to a Prince and he to some great Emperor That great Mammonist would say he is rich that can maintaine an Armie A poore man vvould say according to that Italian inscription Hee is rich that wants not bread Yet certainly there are certaine generall stakes and
day light the first If man had been he might haue seene all lightsome but whence it had comne he could not haue seene as in some great Pond we see the bankes full we see not the Springs from vvhence that water ariseth Thou madest the Sunne madest the Light vvithout the Sunne before the Sunne that so Light might depend vpon thee and not vpon thy Creature Thy power will not be limited to meanes It was easie to thee to make an Heauen without Sunne Light vvithout an Heauen Day without a Sunne Time without a day It is good reason thou shouldest be the Lord of thine owne workes All meanes serue thee vvhy doe we weake vvretches distrust thee in the want of those meanes vvhich thou canst either command or forbeare How plainly wouldest thou teach vs that we Creatures need not one another so long as we haue thee One day we shall haue light againe vvithout the Sun Thou shalt be our Sunne thy presence shall be our light Light is sowne for the righteous The Sun and Light is but for the World below it selfe thine onely for aboue Thou giuest this light to the Sunne vvhich the Sunne giues to the World That light which thou shalt once giue vs shall make vs shine like the Sunne in glory Now this light which for three daies was thus dispersed through the whole heauens it pleased thee at last to gather and vnite into one body of the Sun The whole Heauen was our Sun before the Sun was created but now one Starre must be the Treasury of Light to the Heauen and E rth How thou louest the vnion and reduction of all things of one kind to their own head and centre so the Waters must by thy command be gathered into one place the sea so the vpper Wâ—ters must be seuered by these Aerie limits from the lower so heauy substances hasten downeward and light mount vp so the generall light of the first dayes must be called into the compasse of one Sunne so thou wilt once gather thine Elect from all coasts of Heauen to the participation of one glory Why doe we abide our thoughts and affections scattered from thee from thy Saints from thine anointed Oh let this light which thou hast now spread abroad in the hearts of all thine once meet in thee We are as thy Heauens in this their first imperfection be thou our Sunne vnto which our light may be gathered Yet this light was by thee inter-changed with darknes which thou mightst as easily haue commanded to be perpetuall The continuance euen of the best things cloyeth wearieth there is nothing but thy selfe wherin there is not satiety So pleasing is the vicissitude of things that the inter-course euen of those occurrents which in their own nature are lesse worthy giues more contentment then the vn-altered estate of better The day dyes into night and rises into the morning againe that we might not expect any stability here below but in perpetuall successions It is alwayes day with thee aboue the night fauoureth only of mortality Why are we not here spiritually as we shall be hereafter Since thou hast made vs Children of the light and of the day teach vs to walke euer in the light of thy presence not in the darknesse of error and vnbeliefe Now in this thine inlightned frame how fitly how wisely are all the parts disposed that the Method of the Creation might answer the Matter and the Forme both Iâ— hold all purity aboue below the dregs and lees of all The higher I goe the more perfection each Element superior to other not more in place then dignity that by these staires of ascending perfection our thoughts might climbe vnto the top of all glory and might know thine imperiall Heauen no lesse glorious aboue the visible then those aboue the earth Oh how miserable is the place of our pilgrimage in respect of our home Let my soule tread awhile in the steps of thine owne proceedings and so thinke as thou wroughtest When we vvould describe a man vve begin not at the feet but the head The head of thy Creation is the heauen how high how spacious how glorious It is a wonder that we can looke vp to so admirable a height and that the very eye is not tyred in the way If this ascending line could be drawn right forwards some that haue calculated curiously haue found it fiue hundred yeares iourney vnto the starrie Heauen I doe not examine their Art O Lord I vvonder rather at thine which hast drawne so large a line about this little point of earth For in the plainest rules of Art and experience the Compasse must needs be six times as much as halfe the height We thinke one Iland great but the Earth vnmeasurably If wee were in that Heauen with these eyes the whole earth were it equally inlightned would seeme as little to vs as now the least Starre in the firmament seemes to vs vpon earth And indeed how few Starres are so little as it And yet how many void and ample spaces are there beside all the Starres The hugenesse of this thy worke O God is little inferiour for admiration to the maiesty of it But oh what a glorious heauen is this which thou hast spred ouer our heads With how precious a Vault hast thou walled in this our inferiour world What vvorlds of light hast thou set aboue vs Those things which we see are wondrous but those which wee beleeue and see not are yet more Thou dost but set out these vnto view to shew vs what there is within How proportionable are thy workes to thy selfe Kings erect not cottages but set forth their magnificence in sumptuous buildings so hast thou done O King of glory If the lowest pauement of that Heauen of thine be so glorious what shall wee thinke of the better parts yet vnseene And if this Sun of thine be of such brightnesse and maiestie oh what is the glory of the Maker of it And yet if some other of thy Starres were let downe as low as it those other Starres would be Sunnes to vs which now thou hadst rather to haue admired in their distance And if such a skie be prepared for the vse and benefit euen of thine Enemies also vpon Earth how happy shall those eternall Tabernacles be which thou hast sequestred for thine owne Behold then in this high and stately building of thine I see three stages This lowest Heauen for Fowles for Vapours for Meteors The second for the Starres The third for thine Angels and Saints The first is thine outward Court open for all The second is the body of thy couered Temple wherein are those Candles of Heauen perpetually burning The third is thine Holy of Holâ—â—â— In the first is Tumult and Vanity In the second Immutability and Rest In the third Glory and Blessednesse The first we feele the second wee see the third we beleeue In these two lower is no felicitie for neither the Fowles nor Starres are
THE WORKS OF JOSEPH HALL Doctor in Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER With a Table newly added to the whole Worke. LONDON Printed for Nath. Butter dwelling neere Saint Austins Gate 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY MONARCH OVR DEARE AND DREAD SOVERAIGNE LORD IAMES BY THE good prouidence of God King of Great BRITAINE FRANCE and IRELAND the most worthy and most able Defender of the Faith and most gracious Patron of the Church All Peace and Happinesse Most gracious Soueraigne I Cannot so ouer-loue this issue of my owne braine as to hold it worthy of your Maiesties iudicious eyes much lesse of the highest Patronage vnder Heauen Yet now my very duty hath bidden mee looke so high tels me it would be no lesse then iniurious if I should not lay down my work where I owe my seruice and that I should offend if I presumed not Besides whither should the riuers runne but into the Sea Jt is to your Maiesty vnder the Highest that wee owe both these sweete opportunities of good and all the good fruites of these happy opportunities Jf we should not therefore freely offer to your Maiestie some praemetiall handfulls of that croppe whereof you may challenge the whole haruest how could wee bee but shamelesly vnthankfull J cannot praise my Present otherwise then by the truth of that heart from which it proceedeth Onely this J may say that seldome any man hath offered to your Royall hands a greater bundle of his owne thoughts Some whereof as it must needs fall out amongst so many haue beene confessed profitable nor perhaps more varietie of discourse for here shall your Maiestie finde Moralitie like a good handmaid waiting on Diuinity and Diuinity like some great Lady euery day in seâ—â—â—â—dresses Speculation interchanged with experience Positiue Theologie with Polemicall Textuall with discursorie Popular with Scholasticall J cannot dissemble my ioy to haue done this little good And if it be the comfort and honour of your vnworthy seruant that the God of Heauen hath vouchsafed to vse his hand in the least seruice of his Church How can it bee but your Crowne and reioycing that the same God hath set apart your Maiesty as a glorious instrument of such an vniuersall good to the whole Christian World It was a madde conceit of that old Heresiarch which might iustly take his name from madnes That an huge Giant beares vp the earth with his shoulder which he changes euery thirtieth yeere for ease and with the remouall causes an Earthquake If by the deuice hee had meant onely an Embleme of Kings as our ancient Mythologists vnder their Saint George and Christopher haue described the Christian Souldier and good Pastor he had not done amisse for surely the burthen of the whole world lies on the shoulders of Soueraigne authoritie and it is no maruell if the Earth quake in the change As Kings are to the World so are good Kings to the Church None can be so blinde or enuious as not to grant that the whole Church of God vpon earth rests her selfe principally next to her stay aboue vpon your Maiesties Royall supportation You may truly say with Dauid Ego sustineo columnas eius What wonder is it then if our tongues and pens blesse you if we be ambitious of all occasions that may testifie our cheerefull gratulations of this happinesse to your Highnesse ours in you Which our humble prayers vnto him by whom Kings reigne shall labour to continue till both the Earth and Heauens be truly changed The vnworthiest of your Maiesties seruants IOS HALL THE SEVERALL TREATISES contained in this BOOKE MEditations and Vowes 3. Centuries Page 1 Heauen vpon earth One Booke 73 Art of Diuine Meditation One Booke 105 Holy Obseruations One Booke 135 Some few of Dauids Psalmes metaphrazed 155 Characters of Vertues and Vices Two Bookes 173 Salomons diuine Arts. Ethicks In foure Bookes 207 Politicks One Booke 229 Oeconomicks One Booke 239 The Song of Songs paraphrased 249 Epistles in six Decads Three Volumes 1. 275 2. 315 3. 361 Sermons 1. Pharisaisme and Christianity 407 2. The Passion Sermon 423 3. 4. The Imprese of God In two Sermons 441 451 5. A Farewell Sermon to the Family of Prince Henry 461 6. An holy Panegyrick 473 7. The deceit of Appearance 489 8. The great Impostor 501 9. The best Bargaine 515 10. A Sermon at S. Iohns 525 11. The true Peace-Maker 537 12. Noah's Doue A common Apology against the Brownists One Booke 549 A serious Disswasiue from Popery 613 No Peace with Rome One Booke 633 Quo vadis Or a Censure of Trauell 669 The Righteous Mammon 693 The honour of the Married Clergie In three Bookes 1. 719 2. 753 3. 771 A short Catechisme 799 Contemplations vpon the principall passages of the holy Story Eight Bookes In two Volumes 1. 809 2. 883 Contemplations the third Volume In three Bookes 1. 967 2. 993 3. 1017 Contemplations the fourth Volume In foure Bookes 1. 1043 2. 1073 3. 1099 4. 1027 Contemplations vpon the History of the new Testament the fifth Volume In two Bookes 1. 1159 2. 1185 Contemplations the sixt Volume In three Bookes 1. 1231 2. 1255 3. 1281 Contemplations the seuenth Volume In two Bookes 1. 1311 2. 1351 MEDITATIONS AND VOWES DIVINE AND MORALL SERVING FOR DIRECTION IN CHRISTIAN AND CIVILL PRACTICE III. Centuries By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR ROBERT DRVRY KNIGHT ALL INCREASE OF TRVE HONOVR AND VERTVE SIR that I haue made these my homely Aphorismes publike needs no other reason but that though the world is furnished with other writings euen to satiety and surfet yet of those which reduce Christianitie to practice there is at least scarce enough wherein yet I must needs confesse I had some eye to my selfe For hauing after a sort vowed this austere course of iudgement practice to my selfe J thought it best to acquaint the world with it that it may either witnesse my answerable proceeding or checke me in my straying there-from By which meanes so many men as J liue amongst so many monitors I shall haue which shall poynt mee to my owne rules and vpbraid mee with my aberrations Why I haue dedicated them to your name cannot be strange to any that knowes you my Patron and mee your Pastor The regard of which bond easily drew mee on to consider that whereas my body which was euer weake began of late to languish more it would not be inexpedient at the worst to leaue behinde mee this little monument of that great respect which J deseruedly beare you And if it shall please God to reprieue me vntill a longer day yet it shall not repent me to haue sent this vnworthy scrowle to wait vpon you in your necessary absence neither shall it be I hope bootlesse for you to adioyne these my meane speculations vnto those grounds of vertue you haue so happily
is the Head canst thou drowne when thy Head is aboue was it not for thee that hee triumpht ouer death Is there any feare in a foyled aduersarie Oh my Redeemer I haue already ouercome in thee how can I miscarrie in my selfe O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Behold the Damosels of that heauenly Ierusalem come forth with Timbrels and Harps to meet thee and to applaud thy successe And now there remaines nothing for thee but a Crowne of righteousnesse which that righteous Iudge shall giue thee at that Day Oh Death where is thy sting Oh graue where is thy victorie The Thanksgiuing Returne now vnto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee O Lord God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my head in the day of battell O my God and King I will extoll thee and will blesse thy name for euer and euer I will blesse thee daily and praise thy Name for euer and euer Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible I will meditate of the beautie of thy glorious Maiestie and thy wonderfull workes Hosanna thou that dwellest in the highest heauens Amen FINIS HOLY OBSERVATIONS LIB I. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON OF WALTHAM MY most bountifull Patron Grace and Peace RIGHT HONOVRABLE THis aduantage a Scholar hath aboue others that hee cannot be idle and that he can worke without instruments For the minde inured to contemplation will set it selfe on worke when other occasions faile and hath no more power not to studie than the eye which is open hath not to see some thing in which businesse it carries about his owne Librarie neither can complaine to want Bookes while it enioyeth it selfe J could not then neglect the commoditie of this plentifull leasure in my so easie attendance here but though besides my course and without the helpe of others writings must needs busie my selfe in such thoughts as J haue euer giuen account of to your Lordship such as J hope shall not be vnprofitable nor vnwelcome to their Patron to their Readers J send them forth from hence vnder your Honourable name to shew you that no absence no imployment can make mee forget my due respect to your Lordship to whom next vnder my gracious Master J haue deseruedly bequeathed my selfe and my endeuours Your goodnesse hath not wont to magnifie it selfe more in giuing than in receiuing such like holy presents the knowledge whereof hath intitled you to more labours of this nature if I haue numbred aright than any of your Peeres I misdoubt not either your acceptation or their vse That God who hath aboue all his other fauours giuen your Lordship euen in these carelesse times an heart truly religious giue you an happy increase of all his heauenly graces by my vnworthy seruice To his gracious care I daily commend your Lordship with my Honourable Lady wishing you both all that little ioy earth can affoord you and fulnesse of glory aboue Non-such Iuly 3. Your Lordships Most humbly deuoted for euer in all dutie and obseruance IOS HALL HOLY OBSERVATIONS 1 AS there is nothing sooner drie than a teare so there is nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow which if it bee fresh and still bleeding findes some to comfort and pittie it if stale and skinned ouer with time is rather entertained with smiles than commiseration But the sorrow of repentance comes neuer out of time All times are alike vnto that Eternitie whereto wee make our spirituall mones That which is past that which is future are both present with him It is neither weake nor vncomely for an old man to weepe for the sinnes of his youth Those teares can neuer be shed either too soone or too late 2 Some men liue to bee their owne executors for their good name which they fee not honestly buried before themselues die Some other of great place and ill desert part with their good name and breath at once There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carcasse Contrarily the good mans name is oft times heire to his life either borne after the death of the parent for that enuie would not suffer it to come forth before or perhaps so well growne vp in his life time that the hope thereof is the staffe of his age and ioy of his death A wicked mans name may be feared a while soone after it is either forgotten or cursed The good man either sleepeth with his body in peace or waketh as his soule in glory 3 Oft times those which shew much valour while there is equall possibilitie of life when they see a present necessitie of death are found most shamefully timorous Their courage was before grounded vpon hope that cut off leaues them at once desperate and cowardly whereas men of feebler spirits meet more cheerefully with death because though their courage be lesse yet their expectation was more 4 I haue seldome seene the sonne of an excellent and famous man excellent But that an ill bird hath an ill egge is not rare children possessing as the bodily diseases so the vices of their Parents Vertue is not propagated Vice is euen in them which haue it not reigning in themselues The graine is sowne pure but comes vp with chaffe and huske Hast thou a good sonne He is Gods not thine Is he euill Nothing but his sinne is thine Helpe by thy praiers and endeuours to take away that which thou hast giuen him and to obtaine from God that which thou hast and canst not giue Else thou maiest name him a possession but thou shalt finde him a losse 5 These things be comely and pleasant to see and worthy of honour from the beholder A young Saint an old Martyr a religious Souldier a conscionable Statesman a great man courteous a learned man humble a silent woman a childe vnderstanding the eie of his Parent a merry companion without vanitie a friend not changed with honour a sicke man cheerefull a soule departing with comfort and assurance 6 I haue oft obserued in merry meetings solemnly made that somewhat hath falne out crosse either in the time or immediatly vpon it to season as I thinke our immoderation in desiring or enioying our friends and againe euents suspected haue proued euer best God herein blessing our awfull submission with good successe In all these humane things indifferencie is safe Let thy doubts be euer equall to thy desires so thy disappointment shall not bee grieuous because thy expectation was not peremptorie 7 You shall rarely finde a man eminent in sundry faculties of minde or sundry manuarie trades If his memorie be excellent his fantasie is but dull if his fancie bee busie and quicke his iudgement is but shallow If his iudgement bee deepe his vtterance is
proue thee with ioy therefore take thou pleasure in pleasant things yea I with-drew not my heart from any ioy Ec. 2.10 Ec. 2.25 Ec. 2.1 for my heart reioyced in all my labour and who could eat and who could haste to outward things more than I and behold this also is vanitie Not in riches 1. For he that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer Ec. 5.9 and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit of them this also is vanitie 2. When riches increase they are increased that eat them Ec. 5.10 Ec. 5.11 and what good commeth to the owners thereof but the beholding thereof with their eies yea much euill for whereas the sleepe of him that trauelleth is sweet whether hee eat little or much Ec. 5.12 contrarily The satietie of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe so there is an euill sicknes which I haue seene vnder the sunne riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill and ofter not for their good for there is another euill Ec. 6.1 Ec. 6.2 which I haue seene vnder the Sunne and it is frequent among men A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all it desireth but God giueth him no power thereof Pr. 27.24 Pr. 23.5 Ec. 5.14 and if hee haue that yet how long Riches remaine not alwaies but taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flyeth to the heauens And for their owner As he came forth of his mothers belly hee shall returne naked to goe as he came and shall beare away nothing of his labour which he caused to passe by his hand And this is also an euill sicknesse Ec. 5.15 that in all points as he came so shall he goe and what profit hath he that he hath trauelled for the wind §. 3. Not in magnificence of estate Royalty great attendance of works planting gathering Treasures building c. Ec. 1.12 Ec. 1.16 Ec. 2.9 Ec. 2.4 Ec. 2.5 NOt in honour and magnificence I the Preacher haue beene King ouer Israel in Ierusalem and I was great and increased aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem which also I shewed in effect for I made me great works I built mee houses I planted me Vineyards I made mee Gardens and Orchards and planted in them Trees of all fruits Ec. 2.6 Ec. 2.7 I made me Ponds of water to water therewith the woods that grow with trees I got men seruants and maids and had children borne in the house also I had great possessions of beeues and sheepe aboue all that were before me in Ierusalem I gathered to me also siluer and gold Ec. 2.8 and the chiefe treasures of Kings and Prouinces I prouided Men-singers and Women-singers and the delights of the sonnes of men musicall consorts of all kindes Can. 3.9 Can. 3.10 Yea I King Salomon made my selfe a Palace of the trees of Lebanon I made the pillars thereof of siluer and the pauement thereof of gold the hangings thereof of purple whose mids was paued with the loue of the daughters of Israel Ec. 2.11 Ec. 2.12 Then I looked on all my workes that my hands had wrought as who is the man that will compare with the King in things which men now haue done and on the trauell that I laboured to doe Ec. 2.11 and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit and there is no profit vnder the Sunne §. 4. Long life and issue reiected for certaine end vnperfect satisfaction remembrance and continuance of darknesse Ec. 6.3 NOt in long life and plenteous issue for If a man beget an hundred children and liue many yeeres and the dayes of his yeeres be multiplied and his soule bee not satisfied with good things and hee be not buried I say that an vntimely fruit is better than he For he commeth into vanity and goeth into darknesse and his name shall be couered with darknesse Ec. 6.4 Ec. 6.5 Also he hath not seene the Sunne nor knowne it therefore this hath more rest than the other And if he had liued a thousand yeeres twise told and had seene no good shall not all goe to one place and howsoeuer the light surely is a pleasant thing Ec. 6.6 and it is good for the eies to see the Sunne yet though a man liue many yeeres Ec. 11.7 Ec. 11.8 and in them all he reioyce if he shall remember the dayes of darknesse because they are many all that commeth is Vanity §. 5. Knowledge Though better than folly yet reiected vpon experience indifferency of euents imperfection NOt in learning and humane knowledge I haue giuen my heart to search and finde out wisdome in all things that are done vnder the heauen Eccl. 1.13 this sore trauell hath God giuen the sonnes of men to humble them thereby yea I thought in mine heart and said Behold I haue amplified and increased wisdome aboue all them that haue beene before mee in the Court and Vniuersity of Ierusalem Eccl. 1.16 and mine heart hath seene much wisdome and knowledge Ec. 2.9 for when I was at the wildest my wisdome remained with me Then I saw indeed that there is profit in wisdome more than in folly as the light is more excellent than darknesse For the wise mans eyes are in his head Ec. 2.13 but the foole walketh in darknesse but yet Ec. 2.14 I know that the same condition falleth to them all Then I thought in mine heart It befalleth to mee as it befalleth to the foole Ec. 2.15 why therefore doe I labour to be more wise For what hath the Wise-man more than the foole There shall be no remembrance of the wise nor of the foole for euer Ec. 6.8 Ec. 2.16 for that that now is in the daies to come shall be forgotten and how dieth the Wise-man as doth the foole Besides the imperfection of the best knowledge for the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing I thought I would be wise Ec. 1.8 Ec. 7.25 but it went far from me it is farre off what may it be and it is a profound deepnesse who can finde it yea so farre is it from giuing contentment Ec. 1.18 that in the multitude of wisdome is much griefe and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Lastly not in any humane thing Ec. 1.14 for I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit §. 6. Wherein Felicitie is i. In approuing our selues to God From hence Life Blessing Fauour Ioy Preseruation Prosperitie Long life c. WHerein then doth it consist Let vs heare the end of all Feare God Ec. 12.13 and keep his Commandements for this is the whole of Man the whole duty Pr. 12 24. Pr. 11 19. the whole scope the whole happinesse for Life is in the way of righteousnes and in
how excellent were her Masculine graces of learning valour wisdome by which shee might iustly challenge to bee the Queene of men So learned was shee that shee could giue present answers to Embassadors in their owne tongues or if they listed to borrow of their neighbours shee paid them in that they borrowed So valiant that her name like Ziscaes drum made the proudest Romanists to quake So wise Didymus veridicus that whatsoeuer fell out happily against the common Aduersaries in FRANCE NETHERLANDS IRELAND it was by themselues ascribed to her policie What should I speake of her long and successefull gouernment of her miraculous preseruations of her famous victories wherein the waters O nimâ—uÌ„ dilecta Deo cui militat aether coniurati veniunt ad classica venti Claud. Pro. 13.29 winds fire and earth fought for vs as if they had beene in pay vnder Her of Her excellent lawes of Her carefull executions Many daughters haue done worthily but thou furmountest them all Such was the sweetnesse of her gouernment and such the feare of miserie in her losse that many worthie Christians desired their eyes might bee closed before Hers and how many thousands therefore welcomed their owne death because it preuented Hers Euerie one pointed to her white haires and said with that peaceable Leontius Soz. l. 3. c. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Dolm. p. 1. p. 2 6. p. 2. p. 117. When this snow melts there will be a floud Neuer day except alwaies the fift of Nouember was like to bee so bloudie as this not for any doubt of Title which neuer any loyall heart could question nor any disloyall euer did besides Dolman but for that our Esauites comforted themselues against vs and said The day of mourning for our mother will come shortly then will wee slay our brethren What should I say more Lots were cast vpon our Land and that honest Politician which wanted nothing but a gibbet to haue made him a Saint Father Parsons tooke paines to set downe an order how all English affaires should be marshalled when they should come to bee theirs Consider now the great things that the Lord hath done for vs. Behold this day which should haue beene most dismall to the whole Christian world he turned to the most happie day that euer shone forth to this ILAND That now wee may iustly insult with those Christians of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. 3.15 Where are your prophesies O yee fond Papists Our snow lies here melted where are those flouds of bloud that you threatned Yea as that blessed soule of Hers gained by this change of an immortall crowne for a corruptible so blessed be the name of our God this Land of ours hath not lost by that losse Many thinke that this euening the world had his beginning Surely a new and golden world began this day to vs and which it could not haue done by her loynes promises continuance if our sinnes interrupt it not to our posterities I would the flatterie of a Prince were treason in effect it is so for the flatterer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kinde murtherer I would it were so in punishment If I were to speake before my Soueraigne King and Master I would praise God for him not praise him to himselfe Euseb de vita Const l. 4. c. 4. A Preacher in CONSTANTINES time saith Eusebius ausus est Imperatorem in os beatum dicere presumed to call CONSTANTINE an happy Emperour to his face but he went away with a checke such speed may any Parasite haue which shall speake as if he would make Princes proud and not thankfull A small praise to the face may be adulation though it be within bounds a great praise in absence may be but iustice If we see not the worth of our King how shall we be thankfull to God that gaue him Giue me leaue therefore freely to bring forth the Lords Anointed before you 1 Sam. 10.24 and to say with SAMVEL See you him whom the Lord hath chosen Euagr. l. 5. c. 21. As it was a great presage of happinesse to Mauritius the Emperour that an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a familiar Deuill remouing him from place to place in his swathing bands yet had no power to hurt him So that those early conspiracies wherewith Satan assaulted the very cradle of our deare Soueraigne preuailed not it was a iust bodement of his future greatnesse and beneficiall vse to the world And hee that gaue him life a 〈◊〉 Crowne together and miraculously preserued them both gaue him graces fit for his Deputie on earth to weild that Crowne and improue that life to the behoofe of Christendome Let mee begin with that which the Heathen man required to the happinesse of any State his learning and knowledge wherein I may safely say he exceedeth all his 105 Predecessors Our Conqueror King William as our Chronicler reports by a blunt prouerbe that he was wont to vse against vnlearned Princes Malmesbur made his sonne Henry a Beauclearc to those times But a candle in the darke will make more show than a bonefire by day In these dayes so lightsome for knowledge to excell euen for a professed student is hard and rare Neuer had England more learned Bishops and Doctors which of them euer returned from his Maiesties discourse without admiration What King christned hath written so learned volumes To omit the rest his last of this kind wherein he hath so held vp Cardinall Bellarmine and his Master Pope Paulus is such that Plessis and Mouline the two great lights of France professe to receiue their light in this discourse from his beames and the learned Iesuite Salkeild could not but be conuerted with the necessitie of those demonstrations and I may boldly say Poperic since it was neuer receiued so deepe a wound from any worke as from that of His. What King euer moderated the solemne acts of an Vniuersitie in all professions and had so many hands clapt in the applause of his acute and learned determinations Briefely such is his intire acquaintance with all sciences and with the Queene of all Diuinitie that he might well dispute with the infallible Pope Paulus Quintus for his triple Crowne and I would all Christian quarrels lay vpon this duell His iustice in gouerning matcheth his knowledge how to gouerne for as one that knowes the Common-wealth cannot bee vnhappy wherein according to the wise Heathens rule law is a Queene and will a subiect Plato He hath euer endeuoured to frame the proceedings of his gouernment to the lawes not the lawes to them Witnesse that memorable example whereof your eyes were witnesses I meane the vnpartiall execution of one of the ancientest Barons of those parts for the murder of a meane subiect Wherein not the fauour of the blocke might be yeelded that the dishonour of the death might bee no lesse than the paine of the death Yet who will not grant his
this day wherein religion is not onely warmed but locked in her seat so fast that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it There haue beene Princes and that in this land which as the heathen Politician compared his Tyrant haue beene like to ill Physitians that haue purged away the good humors and left the bad behind them with whom any thing hath bin lawful but to be religious Some of your gray haires can be my witnesses Behold the euils we haue escaped shew vs our blessings Here hath bin no dragging out of houses no hiding of Bibles no creeping into woods no Bonnering or Butchering of Gods Saints no rotting in dungeons no casting of infants out of the mothers belly into the mothers flames nothing but Gods truth abundantly preached cheerefully professed incouraged rewarded What nation vnder heauen yeelds so many learned Diuines What times euer yeelded so many preaching Bishops When was this City the City of our ioy euer so happy this way as in these late successions Whither can we ascribe this health of the Church and life of the Gospell but next to God to His example His countenance His endeuours Wherein I may not omit how right he hath trod in the steps of that blessed Constantine in al his religious proceedings Let vs in one word parallel them Euseb de vita Const l. 4. c. 36. Constantine caused fifty Volumes of the Scriptures to bee faire written out in parchment for the vse of the Church Lib. 3.61.62 King Iames hath caused the Bookes of Scriptures to bee accurately translated and published by thousands Constantine made a zealous edict against Nouatians Valentinians Marcionites King Iames Lib. 3.63 besides his powerfull proclamations and soueraigne lawes hath effectually written against Popery and Vorstianisme Constantine tooke away the liberty of the meetings of Heretickes King Iames hath by wholesome lawes inhibited the assemblies of Papists and schismatickes Constantine sate in the middest of Bishops Lib. 1. c. 37. In media istorum frequentia ac congressu adesse vna considere non dedâ—gnatus Basil dor as if hee had beene one of them King Iames besides his solemne conferences vouchsafes not seldome to spend his meales in discourse with his Bishops and other worthy Diuines Constantine charged his sonnes vt planè sine fuco Christiani essent that they should be Christians in earnest King Iames hath done the like in learned and diuine precepts which shall liue till time bee no more Yea in their very coynes is a resemblance Constantine had his picture stampt vpon his mettals praying Lib. 4.15 King Iames hath his picture with prayer about it O Lord protect the kingdomes which thou hast vnited Lastly Constantine built Churches one in Ierusalem another in Nicomedia Lib. 3.43 King Iames hath founded one Colledge which shall helpe to build and confirme the whole Church of God vpon earth Yee wealthy Citizens that loue Ierusalem cast in your store after this royall example into the Sanctuary of God and whiles you make the Church of God happy make your selues so Brethren if wee haue any relish of Christ any sense of heauen let vs blesse God for the life of our soule the Gospell and for the spirit of this life his Anointed But where had beene our peace or this freedome of the Gospell without our deliuerance and where had our deliuerance beene without him As it was reported of the Oake of Mamre that all religions rendred their yeerely worship there Socr. l. 2. c. 3. The Iewes because of Abraham their Patriarch the Gentile because of the Angels that appeared there to Abraham The Christians because of Christ that was there seene of Abraham with the Angels So was there to King Iames in his first beginnings a confluence of all sects with papers in their hands and as it was best for them with a Rogamus Domine non pugnamus like the subiects of Theodosius Ribera in prophet min. ex Ioseph Antiq. lib. 9 vlt. â— mritam Iudaeos cognatos appellari soliti quamdiu illis bene erat At vbi contra c. 1 King 12. Flectâ—re si nequco c. But our cozens of Samaria when they saw that Salomons yoke would not bee lightned soone flew off in a rage What portion haue wee in Dauid And now those which had so oft looke vp to Heauen in vaine resolue to dig downe to Heli for aid Satan himselfe met them and offered for sauing of their labour to bring Hell vp to them What a world of sulphur had hee prouided against that day What a brewing of death was tunned vp in those vessels The murderous Pioners laught at the close felicity of their proiect and now before-hand seemed in conceit to haue heard the cracke of this hellish thunder and to see the mangled carcasses of the Heretickes flying vp so suddenly that their soules must needs goe vpward towards their perdition their streets strewed with legges and armes and the stones braining as many in their fall as they blew vp in their rise Remember the Children of Edom O Lord in the day of Ierusalem which said Psal 117.7 Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground O daughter of Babel worthy to bee destroyed blessed shall hee bee that serueth thee as thou wouldest haue serued vs. But hee that sits in Heauen laught as fast at them to see their presumption that would bee sending vp bodies to heauen before the resurrection and preferring companions to Elias in a fiery Chariot and said vt quid fremuerunt Consider now how great things the Lord hath done for vs The snare is broken and wee are deliuered But how As that learned Bishop well applied Salomon to this purpose Diuinatio in labijs Regis Pro. 16.10 B. Barlow p. 350 If there had not beene a diuination in the lips of the King wee had beene all in iawes of death Vnder his shadow wee are preserued aliue as Ieremie speaketh It is true God could haue done it by other meanes but hee would doe it by this that wee might owe the being of our liues to him of whom wee held our well-being before Oh praised be the God of heauen for our deliuerance Praised bee God for his anointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suet. by whom wee are deliuered Yea how should wee call to our fellow creatures the Angels Saints heauens elements meteors mountaines beasts trees to helpe vs praise the Lord for this mercy Addit neque me liberosque meos cariores habebo quam Caium eius sorores Clodoneus Otho Fris l. 4. c. 32. Clodoucus Otho Fris l. 4. c. 31. And as the oath of the Romane souldiers ranne how deare and precious should the life of Caesar bee to vs aboue all earthly things how should wee hate the base vnthankfulnesse of those men which can say of him as one said of his Saint Martin Martinus bonus in auxilio charus in negotio who whiles they
death but the poore soules that when they are crushed yeeld the iuyce of teares exhibit bils of complaint throw open the new thornes maintaine the old mounds would these men be content to be quietly racked and spoiled there would be peace In the City not the impure Sodomitish brothels that sell themselues to worke wickednesse not the abominable Pandars not the iugling Cheater not the Counterfeit Vagrant but the Marshall that drawes these to correction Not the deceitfull Merchant that sophisticates his commodities inhanceth prices sels euery inch of what he cannot warrant Time Not the vnconscionable and fraudulent Artisan but the Promoter and the Bench. In the Common-wealth not the cruell robber by sea or land that lies in the way like a spider in a window for a booty for bloud Not the bold night-walker that keepes sauage houres fit for the guilty intentions of his burglaries but the watch that takes him Not the ranke adulterer that neighs after his neighbours wife and thirsts after onely stolne waters but the sworne men that present him Not the traiterous Coyner that in euery stampe reades his own conuiction whiles he still renewes that face against which he offends but the Sheriffe that attaches him Not the vnreformable drunkard that makes a God of his liquor a beast of himselfe and raues and swaggers in his cups but the Constable that punishes him would these Officers conniue at all these villanies there would be peace In the Church not the chaffering Patron or periured Chaplaine not the seducing heretike or seditious schismatike not the scandalous Leuite not the carelesse Questman not the corrupt Officiall but the clamorous Preacher or the rigorous High-Commission In the world lastly Not the ambitious incrochers vpon others dominions not violaters of leagues not vsurpers of mis-gotten titles and dignities not suborners or abettors of conspiracies and traitors but the vnkinde patients that will not recipere ferrum I wis the great Potentates of the world might see a ready way to peace Thus in family countrey city common-wealth Church world the greatest part seeke a licencious peace in a disordered lawlesnesse condemning true iustice of cruelty stripping her of the honour of peace branding her with the censure of troublesome Foolish men speake foolish things Oh noble and incomparable blessing of peace how iniuriously art thou ascribed to vniust neglect Oh diuine vertue of iustice how deseruedly haue the Ancients giuen thee wings and sent thee vp to heauen in a detestation of these earthly indignities whence thou comst not downe at all vnlesse it please that essentiall and infinite Iustice to communicate thee to some choise fauourites It is but a iust word that this Iland hath beene long approued the darling of heauen We haue enioyed peace to the admiration to the enuy of neighbourhood Would we continue it would we traduce it to ours Iustice must doe it for vs. Both Iustice and Peace are from the throne Peace is the Kings Peace and iustly descends from Soueraignty by coÌ„mission let me haue leaue to say with the princely Prophet a word that was too good for the frequent text of a Pope Diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram Still ô God giue thy Iudgment to the King and thy Iustice to the Kings son And if any shal offer wrong to the Lords anointed in his person in his seed the worke of that iniustice shall be war yea Bellum Domini the Lords war 2 Sam. 25.28 Then let him who is both the Lord of Hosts and the God of Peace rise vp mightily for his anointed the true King of peace that he who hath graciously said all this while Da pacem Domine Giue peace in our time O Lord may superscribe at the last his iust Trophees with Blessed be the Lord which teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight Ye haue heard of the spirituall Iustice and Peace Ye haue heard of the Ciuill may it please you to mix both of them together My text alone doth it if you doe but with our most accurate Translation reade Righteousnesse for Iustice So shall you see the spirituall disposition of Righteousnes produce the ciuill effect of Peace What is righteousnesse but the sincere vprightnesse of the heart to God in all our wayes He is perfect with God that would be so What need I tell you that this is the way to true inward peace Nil conscire Not to be guilty of ill A cleare heart will be a quiet one There is no feast to a good conscience this is meat musicke welcome It seemes harder that time spirituall honesty should procure euen outward peace Heare wise Salomon By the blessing of the vpright the city is exalted Prou. 11.11 When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh euen his enemies to be at peace with him Pro. 16.7 Righteousnes exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people Pro. 14.24 It followes then as a iust corâ—llary That the honestest and conscionablest man is the best subiect He may perhaps be plaine perhaps poore perhaps weake but the state is more beholden to his integrity than to the ablest purse than to the strongest arme Whereas the graceles vicious person let him be neuer so plausible a talker neuer so careful an officer neuer so valiant a Leader neuer so officious a Courtier neuer so deepe in subsidies neuer so forward in actions is no other than an enemy to the state which he professes to adore Let no Philosopher tell me of maius vir boâ— usicâ—uis I say from better authority An il man a good subiect that a lewd man can no more be a good subiect than an ill subiect can be a good man Heare this then wheresoeuer ye are ye secret oppressors ye profane scoffers ye foule mouth'd swearers ye close adulterers ye kinde drunkards and who euer come within this blacke list of wickednesse how can ye be loiall whiles you lodge traitors in your bosomes Protest what ye will your sinnes breake the peace and conspire against the sacred Crowne and dignity of your Soueraigne What care we that you draw your sword and vow your bloud and drinke your healths to your Gouenours when in the meane while you prouoke God to anger and set quarrels betwixt your Country and Heauen That I may winde vp this clew It were folly to commend to you the worth of peace we know that the excellency of Princes is expressed by serenity what good hath the earth which God doth not couch vnder the name of Peace Blessed be God and his Annointed we haue long and comfortably tasted the sweetnesse of this blessing the Lillies and Lions of our Salomon haue beene iustly worded with Beati pacifici Would we haue this happinesse perpetuated to vs to posterity Oh let Prince and people meet in the ambition to be Gens iusta a righteous nation righteous euery way First let God haue his owne His owne dayes his owne seruices his feare his loue his all Let
Especially since the reason that Ioseph Acosta fetches from the persons which should be the subiect of those Wonders holds as equally for both Indies Ios Acosta l 2. de sâ—l Ind. c. 9. as an Almanack made for the Meridian of one Citie serueth the Neighbours Hitherto then the Prologue of my infamous falshoods such as if all my Writings could haue afforded any equally hainous these had neuer beene chosen out to grace the front of his Detection There must needs be much terrour in the sequel The rest of this storme fals vpon our learned Professor D. Collins one of the prime ornaments of our Cambridge the partnership of whose vniust disgrace doth not a little hearten my vnworthinesse The world knowes the eminency of that mans Learning Wit Iudgement Eloquence His workes praise him enough in the Gate Yet this Malapert Corner-creeper doth so basely vilifie him for ignorance fillinesse pratling rusticitie lying as if in these onely he were matchlesse Indeed whom doth the aspersion of that foule hand forbeare Vilium est hominum alios viles facere I appeale to all the Tribunals of Learning thorow the World whether all Doway haue yeelded ought comparable to that mans Pen whether he haue not so * * This Booke of Doctor Coll. C. E falsly insinuateth to haue bin suppressed All Stationers shops can conuince him of a lye Nothing euer fell from that learned hand without applause coniured downe his Caco-Daemon Ioannes that he neuer dares to look backe into the light againe whether his Ephatha be not so powerfull that if his Aduersarie were any otherwise deafe then the blocke which hee worships it might open his eare to the Truth It angers C.E. to heare that Kings should not dye or perhaps that they whose heads are anointed should dye by any other then anointed fingers The sentence of his Cardinall and Iesuites both de facto and de jure of deposing and murdering Kings is now beside our way Onely we may reade afarre off in capitall Letters Arise Peter kill and eate Hee knowes the word with shame enough I will not so much wrong that worthy Prouost as to anticipate his quarrell rather I leaue the superfluitie of this malice to the scourge of that abler hand from whom I doubt not but C. E. shall smart and bleed so well that he may spare the labour of making himselfe his owne Whipping-stocke on Good-Friday THE HONOVR OF THE MARIED CLERGIE maintained c. The first Booke SECT I. NEither my Charitie nor my Leisure nor my Readers Patience vvill allow me to follow my Detector in all his Extrauagancies nor to change idle vvords of Contumely with a Babbler Declarationes ambitiosorum o era otâ—â—orum cihi sunt Scal. Exer. His twelue first Pages are but the light froth of an impotent Anger wherein hee accuseth my bitternesse and professeth his owne For me I appeale vnto all eyes if my Pen haue been sometimes zealous it was neuer intemperate Neither can he make me beleeue that my Passions need to appeare to my shame in calling Rome Prostitute or himselfe shamelesse Prostituta illa Ciuitas or in citing from the Quodlibet of his owne Catholike Priests the Art of his Iesuites in a a â—he particulars of this â—istorie he shall receiue in due place Drurying of young Heires There is neither Slander nor Shame in Truth For himselfe hee confesseth to haue sharpened his Pen and to haue dipt it perhaps too deepe in Gall But where his Inke is too thicke hee shall giue mee leaue to put a little Vineger to it that it may flow the better In the meane time he shall goe away with this glory That a fouler Mouth hath seldome euer wip'd it selfe vpon cleane Paper After those waste flourishes his thirteenth page begins to strike Refut p. 13. wherein hee chargeth me with odious basenesse and insufficiencie in borrowing all my proofes from Bellarmines Obiections dissembling their Solutions The Man were hard driuen that would go to borrow of an Enemy If al my proofes be fore-alledged and fore-answered by his Bellarmine to what purpose hath this Trifler blurred so much Paper There he saith shall the Reader see all my Scriptures answered the Doctrine of Deuils explicated there that other Let him bee the Husband of one Wife and Mariage is honorable Answered indeed but as he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerlessely Such cleare Beames of Truth shine in the face of these Scriptures that all the Cob-web Vayles of a Iesuites subtiltie cannot obscure them Their very Citation confutes their Answer And where had we this Law That if a Iesuite haue once medled with a Scripture all Pens all Tongues are barred from euer alledging it If Satan haue mis-cited the Psalme Hee shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee for Temptation may not we make vse of it for the comfort of Protection Briefely let my Cauiller know that it is not the friuolous illusion of any shuffling Iesuite that can driue vs from the firme Bulwarke of the holy Scriptures In this they are clearely ours after all pretences of Solution as he shall well feele in the Sequel and shall secure vs against all humane Opposition Before the disquisition whereof somewhat of must force be premised concerning the state of our Question SECT II. WHere that all Readers may see how learnedly my wise Aduersary hath mistaken me and himselfe I must tell my Detector That all his tedious Discourse sits beside the Cushion Refut p. 12. For thus he writes of my Epistle so as his whole Scope is to disproue the single life of Catholike Priests and thereby to oppugne our Doctrine in that behalfe vpon which conceit he runs into a large proofe of the strong Obligation of Vowes the necessitie of their Obseruation the penaltie and danger of their Violation the praise of Virginitie the possibilitie of keeping it and vpon this very ground builds he the tottering wall of his whole ensuing Confutation insomuch as pag. 130 he sayes That Mariage all times without contrary Iniunction was lawfull is not denyed nor will it be proued in haste That Priests or such as had vowed the contrary might vse that libertie and we say not that Virginitie is violently to be opposed on any for it commeth by free election but where the Vow is free the Transgression is damnable Thus he Now let all indifferent eyes see whether the onely drift of mine Epistle be not to iustifie our Mariages not to improue their Singlenesse to defend the lawfulnesse of the Mariage of our Clergy not to iustifie the Mariages of the Romish to plead for the mariage of our Ecclesiastiques not of Popish Votaries In expresse tearmes I dis-auowed it The interuention of a Vow makes a new state Let Baal plead for himselfe What is it to me if the Romish Clergie may not bee Husbands or if according to the French Prouerbe they haue a Law not to marry and a Custome not to liue chaste Let it be
many and strong contradictions of decrees in the frequent long and desperate Schismes of the Romish Church This lash is indifferently fit for all backs let him that hath no cause to smart complaine What needed this foule mouth then to breake forth into so palpable slanders of that holy Archbishop and Martyr Doctor Cranmer Refut p. 212. charging him vvith deepe dissimulation in soothing vp both these Kings in their contrary Decrees When it is most manifest that this Worthy Metropolitan was the onely man which durst for three dayes together openly in Parliament oppose those vvickedly proiected Articles of King Henry and this in speciall Insomuch as he vvas vvilled out of the house till the act might passe which notwithstanding he well knew King Henry hee stoutly refused Would this man thinke we care to bely all the Saints in Heauen for an aduantage What will not hee dare to say that vvill obiect inconstancie to him who sealed Gods truth with his blood The contradictions and weaknesses that he findes in this Synode of Constantinople Refut p. 1◠〈◊〉 doe no whit moue vs If he can allow and commend and cite against vs the seuen and thirtieth Canon of the councell for the worship of the Crosse or the fourescore and fifteenth for the holy Chrisme and yet disallow the thirteenth why may not we by the same Law cite and approue the thirteenth Canon against them and yet disauow those other SECT XVI NEither was it for vvant that I mentioned onely this Councell of Constantinople Refut p. 220. The more ancient Constitutions of Ancyra and Gangra and the first and fourth of Toledo besides the Apostolicall and Nicene might haue beene vrged by mee It vvas not mine intent vvith this blabber to say more then all but onely to take an handfull out of the Sacks mouth for a taste to the buyer That faire flourish therefore of Councels which hee musters vp against me herein will be but Refut p. 225. Arma armis contraria Wherein since my Refuter will needs make himselfe so busie let mee intreat him by the way to compare the Councell of a a Aboâ—â— Ann. 324. Câ—ngra with the Decree of his Pope Hildebrand The Councell sayes flatly Si quis discernit Presbyterium coniugatum c. If any man make difference of a maried Priest so as that by occasion of his mariage hee ought not to offer and doth therefore abstaine from his oblation let him bee accursed But his Hildebrand vxoratos Sacerdotes à diuino remonit officio laicis missam eorum audire interdixit nouo exemplo c. That is remoued maried Priests from their diuine office and forbade Lay-men to heare their Masses saith b b Sigeb de Gregor Pap. an 1074 Idem Math. Paris Sigebert Therefore by the sentence of the Councell Pope Hildebrand is accursed And accursed for that very point which made him a Romish Saint When my Refuter hath gnawed awhile vpon this bone he may hope to be rewarded with a crust Refut p. 225. vsque ad 234. And now for his Councels to make vp the number hee names for the foreman of the Quest the Councell of Ancyra somewhat before the Nicene one who hath passed a direct verdict against him allowing Deacons vpon their profession to marry The miserable euasions of his c c Vid. Bin. ibid. Binius and Baronius in this point argue both a minde and a cause desperate vvhiles without all colour of vvarrant they imperiously turne downe these maried Deacons to a lay-communion and faine this libertie onely in a forced Ordination not in a voluntarie Refut p. 226. As for that first Canon which hee citeth of the Councell of Arles That a man cannot be made Priest in the band of Wedlocke vnlesse hee promise conuersion It is a grosse counterfeit And that the world may see wee vse not to passe these censures vvithout euident reason It mentions the Arrians vvhich were not yet hatched It mentions Bonosus which liued long after in the time of Innocent 1. It mentions the Concilium Vasense which was yet later in the time of Leo the first When his authors can agree of the time and make good the Synode hee shall receiue an answer to it In the meane time it was either before the Councell of Nice or after it if before it was corrected by the Nicene a Prouinciall must yeeld to a Generall if after it was presumptuous in decreeing that peremptorily which the Generall determinately left free Refut pp. 227. Carthaginen 5. African Can. 3. sub Coelest Can. 37. Secundum proprios terminos vel propria statuta Where they read it Secundâ—â— priora statuta The Councell of Arausica is cited by him in direct termes opposite to the Ancyran He must make them friends ere hee can bring it forth against an enemie As for the maine stay of this cause of his which is the two Councels of Africke lent him by his Bellarmine it is grounded as our learned Iunius hath probably answered vpon meere corruption and mis-taking the Latine Copies taking propria for priora The charge of the Councell being onely that Deacons Priests Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their turnes of ministration should abstaine from their Wiues which no modest Diuine will not willingly subscribe vnto Moreouer I am sure if the one word be not corrupted the other is ambiguous and may as well signifie Balsamons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if these Canons were first Latine and after translated into the Greeke yet the Greeke shewes what was the first Latine and may well correct the mistaken Originall But to discusse the seuerall Councels which he onely thinkes fit to name and vtter by whole-sale against vs were a worke for a volume a part The old word is Dolosus versatur in generalibus There is deceit in generalities It were easie to shew that some of these are impertinent others plainly against them others corrupted to speake against vs as that of Mentz and Wormes whereof in the sequell others partiall to the faction of Rome So then here Obruimur numero He thinkes to cary it by number not by weight where with vs one piece of Gold is worth a whole bagge of Counters But if after the Tyrannicall impositions of his Siritius and Innocentius tooke place in the Church he could name for euery one of his Prouinciall Synods an hundred it were all one to vs wee are not the worse his cause no whit the better This Tradition after that in an emulation of the Montanisticall vaunt of Virginitie it had gotten head in the Church ranne like fire in a traine Those Prouinces that held correspondence at Rome according to the charge of d d Ad similitudinem sedu Apostolicae eos cuncta obseruare constituat Greg. Epist lib. 3. 34. Gregory spake as shee did prompt them What should they doe but follow their Mistresse The Greeke Church and those that either had dependance vpon it
that led them about in forty yeares iourney thorow the Wildernesse yet now leades them the neerest cut to Iericho He will not so much as seeke for a Foord for their passage but diuides the waters What a sight was this to their heathen aduersaries to see the waters make both a lane and a wall for Israel Their hearts could not choose but be broken to see the streames broken off for a way to their enemies I doe not see Ioshua hasting thorow this channell as if hee feared lest the Tide of Iordan should returne but as knowing that watery wall stronger then the wals of Iericho he paces slowly And lest this miracle should passe away with themselues he commands twelue stones to be taken out of the channell of Iordan by twelue selected men from euery Tribe which shall be pitched in Gilgal and twelue other stones to be set in the midst of Iordan where the feet of the Priests had stood with the Arke That so both land and water might testifie the miraculous way of Israel whiles it should bee said of the one These stones were fetcht out of the pauement of Iordan of the other There did the Arke rest whiles we walked dry-shod thorow the deepes of Iordan Of the one Iordan was once as dry as this Gilgal Of the other Those waues which drowne these stones had so drowned vs if the power of the Almighty had not restrained them Many a great worke had God done for Israel which was now forgotten Ioshua therefore wil haue monuments of Gods mercy that future Ages might be both witnesses and applauders of the great workes of their God Of the Siege of Jericho IOshua begins his warres vvith the Circumcision and Passeouer Hee knew that the way to keepe the blood of his people from shedding was to let out that Paganish blood of their vncircumcision The person must be in fauour ere the worke can hope to prosper His predecessor Moses had like to haue beene slaine for neglect of this Sacrament when hee went to call the people out of Egypt he iustly feares his owne safety if now he omit it vvhen they are brought into Canaan vve haue no right of inheritance in the spirituall Canaan the Church of God till vvee haue receiued the Sacrament of our matriculation So soone as our couenants are renued with our Creator wee may well looke for the vision of God for the assurance of victory What sure worke did the King of Iericho thinke he had made hee blocked vp the passages barred vp the gates defended the wals and did enough to keepe out a common enemy If we could doe but this to our spirituall aduersaries it were as impossible for vs to be surprised as for Iericho to be safe Me thinkes I see how they called their councell of warre debated of all meanes of defence gathered their forces trained their souldiours set strong guards to the gates and wals and now would perswade one another that vnlesse Israel could fly into their City the siege was vaine Vaine worldlings thinke their Rampiers and Barricadoes can keepe out the vengeance of God their blindnesse suffers them to looke no further then the means The Supreme hand of the Almighty comes not within the compasse of their feares Euery carnall heart is a Iericho shut vp God sets downe before it and displayes mercy and iudgement in sight of the wals thereof It hardens it selfe in a wilfull securitie and faith Tush I shall neuer be moued Yet their courage and feare fight together within their wals within their bosomes Their courage tels them of their owne strength their feare suggests the miraculous successe of this as they could not but thinke inchanted generation and now whiles they haue shut out their enemy they haue shut in their owne terror The most secure heart in the world hath some flashes of feare for it cannot but sometimes looke out of it selfe and see what it would not Rahab had notified that their hearts fainted and yet now their faces bewray nothing but resolution I know not whether the heart or the face of an hypocrite be more false and as each of them seekes to beguile the other so both of them agree to deceiue the beholders In the midst of laughter their heart is heauy who would not thinke him merry that laughs Yet their reioycing is but in the face who would not think a blasphemer or prophane man resolutely carelesse If thou hadst a window into his heart thou shouldest see him tormented vvith horrors of conscience Now the Israelites see those walled cities and towers whose height was reported to reach to heauen the fame whereof had so affrighted them ere they saw them and were ready doubtlesse to say in their distrust Which way shall wee scale these inuincible fortifications what ladders what engines shall we vse to so great worke God preuents their infidelity Behold I haue giuen Iericho into thine hand If their wals had their foundations laid in the center of the earth If the battlements had been so high built that an Eagle could not soare ouer them this is enough I haue giuen it thee For on whose earth haue they raised these castles Out of whose treasure did they digge those piles of stone Whence had they their strength and time to build Cannot he that gaue recall his owne O ye fooles of Iericho what if your wals be strong your men valiant your leaders skilfull your King wise when God hath said I haue giuen thee the Citie What can swords or speares doe against the Lord of Hosts Without him meanes can doe nothing how much lesse against him How vaine and idle is that reckoning wherein God is left out Had the Captaine of the Lords host drawne his sword for Iericho the gates might haue been opened Israel could no more haue entred then they can now be kept from entring when the wals were falne What courses soeuer we take for our safety it is good making God of our side Neither men nor deuils can hurt vs against him neither men nor Angels can secure vs from him There was neuer so strange a siege as this of Iericho Here was no mount raised no sword drawne no engine planted no Pioners vndermining Heere vvere trumpets sounded but no enemy seen Here were armed men but no stroke giuen They must vvalke and not fight seuen seueral dayes must they pace about the wals which they may not once look ouer to see what was within Doubtlesse the inhabitants of Iericho made themselues merry with this sight When they had stood six daies vpon their wals beheld none but a walking enemy What say they could Israel finde no walke to breathe them vvith but about our wals Haue they not trauelled enough in their forty yeares Pilgrimage but they must stretch their limmes in this circle Surely if their eyes were engines our wals could not stand wee see they are good footmen but when shall vve try their hands What doe these vaine men thinke
haile-stones that now the Amorites may see both these reuenges come from one hand These bullets of God doe not wound but kill It is no wonder that these fiue Kings flie they may soone runne away from their hope neuer from their horror If they looke behinde there is the sword of Israel which they dare not turne vpon because God had taken their heart from them before their life If they looked vpwards there is the haile shot of God fighting against them out of heauen which they can neither resist nor auoid If they had no enemie but Israel they might hope to runne away from death sith feare is a better footman then desire of reuenge but now whither-soeuer they runne heauen will be about their heads And now all the reason that is left them in this confusion of their thoughts is to wish themselues well dead there is no euasion where God intends a reuenge We men haue deuised to imitate these instruments of death send forth deadly bullets out of a cloud of smoke wherein yet as there is much danger so much vncertaintie but this God that discharges his Ordinance from heauen directs euery shot to an head and can as easily kill as shoot It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God he hath more waies of vengeance then he hath creatures The same heauen that sent forth water to the old world fire to the Sodomites Lightning and Thunder-bolts to the Egyptians sends out hailestones to the Amorites It is a good care how we may not anger God it is a vaine study how we may flie from his iudgements when we haue angered him if we could runne out of the world euen there shall we finde his reuenges farre greater Was it not miracle enough that God did braine their Aduersaries from heauen but that the Sun and Moone must stand still in heauen Is it not enough that the Amorites flie but that the greatest Planets of heauen must stay their own course to witnesse and wonder at the discomfiture For him which gaue them both being and motion to bid them stand still it seemes no difficultie although the rarenesse would deserue admiration but for a man to command the chiefe Starres of heauen by whose influence he liueth as the Centurion would doe his seruant Sunne stay in Gibeon and Moone stand still in Aialon it is more then a wonder It was not Ioshua but his faith that did this not by way of precept but of praier If I may not say that the request of a faithfull man as wee say of the great commands Gods glory was that which Ioshua aimed at he knew that all the world must needs be witnesses of that which the Eye of the world stood still to see Had he respected but the slaughter of the Amorites he knew the Haile-stones could doe that alone the Sunne needed not stand still to direct that cloud to persecute them but the glory of the slaughter was sought by Ioshua that he might send that vp whence those Haile-stones and that victory came All the Earth might see the Sunne and Moone all could not see the Cloud of Haile which because of that heauy burden flew but low That all Nations might know the same hand commands both in Earth in the Clouds in Heauen Ioshua now praies that he which disheartned his enemies vpon earth and smote them from the cloud would stay the Sunne and Moone in Heauen God neuer got himselfe so much honour by one dayes worke amongst the Heathen and when was it more fit then now when fiue Heathen Kings are banded against him The Sun and the Moone were the ordinary gods of the world and who would not but thinke that their standing still but one houre should be the ruine of Nature And now all Nations shall well see that there is an higher then their highest that their gods are but seruants to the god whom themselues should serue at whose pleasure both they and Nature shall stand at once If that God which meant to work this miracle had not raised vp his thoughts to desire it it had beene a blameable presumption which now is a faith worthy of admiration To desire a miracle without cause is a tempting of God O powerfull God that can effect this O power of faith that can obtain it What is there that God cannot doe and what is there which God can doe that faith cannot doe The Altar of the Reubenites REuben and Gad were the first that had an inheritance assigned them yet they must enioy it last So it falls out oft in the heauenly Canaan the first in title are the last in possession They had their lot assigned them beyond Iordan which though it were allotted them in peace must be purchased with their warre that must be done for their brethren which needed not be done for themselues they must yet still fight and fight formost that as they had the first patrimony they might endure the first encounter I doe not heare them say This is our share let vs sit downe and enioy it quietly fight who will for the rest but when they knew their owne portion they leaue wiues and children to take possession and march armed before their brethren till they had conquered all Canaan Whether should we more commend their courage or their charity Others were moued to fight with hope they only with loue they could not win more they might lose themselues yet they will fight both for that they had something and that their brethren might haue Thankfulnesse and loue can doe more with Gods children then desire to merit or necessity No true Israelite can if he might chuse abide to sit still beyond Iordan when all his brethren are in the field Now when all this warre of God was ended and all Canaan is both won and diuided they returne to their owne yet not till they were dismissed by Ioshua all the sweet attractiues of their priuate loue cannot hasten their pace If heauen be neuer so sweet to vs yet may we not runne from this earthen warfare till our great Captaine shall please to discharge vs. If these Reubenites had departed sooner they had been recalled if not as cowards surely as fugitiues now they are sent backe with victory and blessing How safe and happy it is to attend both the call and the dispatch of God! Being returned in peace to their home their first care is not for Trophees nor for houses but for an Altar to God an Altar not for sacrifice which had been abominable but for a memoriall what God they serued The first care of true Israelites must be the safety of Religion the world as it is inferiour in worth so must it be in respect hee neuer knew God aright that can abide any competition with his Maker The rest of the Tribes no sooner heare newes of their new Altar but they gather to Shiloh to fight against them they had scarce breathed from the Canaanitish
imployed it that it hath stolne away their hearts from God and yet while it is molten into an image they thinke it dedicated to the Lord. If Religion might be iudged according to the intention there should scarce be any Idolatry in the world This woman loued her siluer enough and if she had not thought this costly piety worth thanks she knew which way to haue imployed her stocke to aduantage Euen euill actions haue oft-times good meanings and those good meanings are answered with euill recompences Many a one bestowes their cost their labour their blood and receiues torment in stead of thanks Behold a superstitious sonne of a superstitious mother She makes a god and hee harbours it yea as the streame is commonly broader then the head he exceeds his mother in euill He hath an house of gods an Ephod Teraphin and that he might bee complete in his deuotion he makes his sonne his Priest and feoffes that sinne vpon his sonne which he receiued from his mother Those sinnes which nature conuayes not to vs we haue by imitation Euery action and gesture of the Parents is an example to the childe and the mother as she is more tender ouer her sonne so by the power of a reciprocall loue she can worke most vpon his inclination Whence it is that in the history of the Israelitish Kings the mothers name is commonly noted and as ciuilly so also morally The birth followes the belly Those sonnes may blesse their second birth that are deliuered from the sinnes of their education Who cannot but thinke how far Micha ouer-lookt all his fellow Israelites and thought them profane and godlesse in comparison of himselfe How did he secretly clap himselfe on the brest as the man whose happynesse it was to ingrosse Religion from all the Tribes of Israel and little can imagine that the further he runs the more out of the way Can an Israelite be thus paganish O Micha how hath superstition bewitched thee that thou canst not see rebellion in euery of these actions yea in euery circumstance rebellion What more gods then one An house of gods beside Gods house An Image of siluer to the inuincible God An Ephod and no Priest A Priest besides the family of Leui A Priest of thine owne begetting of thine owne consecration What monsters doth mans imagination produce when it is forsaken of God It is well seen there is no King in Israel If God had been their King his lawes had ruled them Moses or Ioshua had beene their King their sword had awed them If any other the courses of Israel could not haue beene so headlesse We are beholden to gouernment for order for peace for religion Where there is no King eueryone will be a King yea a God to himselfe Wee are worthy of nothing but confusion if wee blesse not God for authority It is no maruell if Leuites wandred for maintenance while there was no King in Israel The tithes offerings were their due if these had bin paid none of the holy Tribe needed to shift his station Euen where Royall power seconds the claime of the Leuite the iniustice of men shortnes his right What should become of the Leuites if there were no King And what of the Church if no Leuits No King therefore no Church How could the impotent childe liue without a Nurse Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queenes thy nurses saith God Nothing more argues the disorder of any Church or the decay of Religion then the forced stragling of the Leuites There is hope of growth when Micha rides to seeke a Leuite but when the Leuite comes to seeke a seruice of Micha it is a signe of gasping deuotion Micha was no obscure man all Mount Ephraim could not but take notice of his domesticall gods This Leuite could not but heare of his disposition of his mis-deuotion yet want of maintenance no lesse then conscience drawes him on to the danger of Idolatrous patronage Holinesse is not tyed to any profession Happy were it for the Church if the Clergy could be a priuiledge from lewdnes When need meets with vnconscionablenes all conditions are easily swallowed of vnlawfull entrances of wicked executions Ten shekels and a sute of apparell and his diet are good wages for a needy Leuite He that could bestow 11000. shekels vpon his puppets can afford but ten to his Priest so hath he at once a rich Idoll and a beggerly Priest Whosoeuer affects to serue God good cheape shewes that he makes God but a stale to Mammon Yet was Micha a kinde Patron though not liberall He cals the young Leuite his father and vses him as his sonne and what he wants in meanes supplies in affection It were happy if Christians could imitate the loue of Idolaters towards thē which serue at the Altar Micha made a shift with the Priesthood of his owne sonne yet that his heart checkes him in it appeares both by the change and his contentment in the change Now I know that the Lord will be good to me seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest Therefore whiles his Priest was no Leuite hee sees there was cause why God should not bee good to him If the Leuite had not comne to offer his seruice Michaes sonne had been a lawfull Priest Many times thy conscience runnes away smoothly with an vnwarrantable action and rests it self vpon those grounds which afterward it sees cause to condemne It is a sure way therefore to informe our selues throughly ere we settle our choice that we be not driuen to reuerse our acts with late shame and vnprofitable repentance Now did Micha begin to see some little glimpse of his owne errour He saw his Priesthood faulty he saw not the faults of his Ephod of his Images of his gods and yet as if he thought all had been well when he had amended one he sayes Now I know the Lord will be good to me The carnall heart pleases it selfe with an outward formality and so delights to flatter it selfe as that it thinkes if one circumstance be right nothing can be amisse Israel was at this time extremely corrupted yet the spies of the Danites had taken notice euen of this young Leuite and are glad to make vse of his Priesthood If they had but gone vp to Shilo they might haue cōsulted with the Arke of God but worldly minds are not curious in their holy seruices If they haue a god an Ephod a Priest it suffices them They had rather enioy a false worship with ease then to take paines for the true Those that are curious in their diet in their purchases in their attire in their contracts yet in Gods businesses are very indifferent The author of lies sometime speakes truth for an aduantage and from his mouth this flattering Leuite speaks what he knew would please not what he knew would fall out The euent answers his prediction and now the spies magnifie him to their fellowes Michaes Idoll is a god and the Leuite
made to bee seene he ouerlookes all Israel in height of stature for presage of the eminence of his estate from the shoulders vpward was he higher then any of the people Israel sees their lots are falne vpon a noted man one whose person shewed he was borne to be a King and now all the people shout for ioy they haue their longing and applaud their owne happinesse and their Kings honour How easie is it for vs to mistake our owne estates to reioyce in that which we shall find the iust cause of our humiliation The end of a thing is better then the beginning the safest way is to reserue our ioy till wee haue good proofe of the worthinesse and fitnesse of the obiect What are wee the better for hauing a blessing if we know not how to vse it The office and obseruance of a King was vncowth to Israel Samuel therefore informes the people of their mutuall duties and writes them in a booke and layes it vp before the Lord otherwise nouelty might haue beene a warrant for their ignorance and ignorance for neglect There are reciprocall respects of Princes and people which if they be not obserued gouernment languisheth into confusion these Samuel faithfully teacheth them Though he may not be their iudge yet he will be their Prophet he will instruct if he may not rule yea he will instruct him that shall rule There is no King absolute but he that is the King of all gods Earthly Monarchs must walke by a rule which if they transgresse they shall be accountable to him that is higher then the highest who hath deputed them Not out of care of ciuility so much as conscience must euery Samuel labour to keepe eauen termes betwixt Kings and Subiects prescribing iust moderation to the one to the other obedience and loyalty which who euer endeauors to trouble is none of the friends of God or his Church The most and best applaud their new King some wicked ones despised him and said How shall he saue vs It was not the might of his Parents the goodlinesse of his person the priuiledge of his lot the fame of his prophesying the Panegyricke of Samuel that could shield him from contempt or winne him the hearts of all There was neuer yet any man to whom some tooke not exceptions It is not possible either to please or displease all men while some men are in loue with vice as deeply as others with vertue and some as ill dislike vertue if not for it selfe yet for contradiction They well saw Saul chose not himselfe they saw him worthy to haue beene chosen if the Election should haue beene carried by voices and those voyces by their eyes they saw him vnwilling to hold or yeeld when hee was chosen yet they will enuy him What fault could they find in him whom God had chosen His parentage was equall his person aboue them his inward parts more aboue them then the outward Malecontents will rather deuise then want causes of flying out and rather then faile the vniuersall approbation of others is ground enough of their dislike It is a vaine ambition of those that would be loued of all The Spirit of God when he enioynes vs peace with all he addes if it be possible and fauour is more then peace A mans comfort must be in himselfe the conscience of deseruing well The neighbouring Ammonites could not but haue heard of Gods fearfull vengeance vpon the Philistims and yet they will be taking vp the quarrell against Israel Nahash comes vp against Iabesh Gilead Nothing but grace can teach vs to make vse of others iudgements wicked men are not moued with ought that fals beside them they trust nothing but their owne smart What fearfull iudgements doth God execute euery day resolute sinners take no notice of them and are growne so peremptorie as if God had neuer shewed dislike of their wayes The Gileadites were not more base then Nahash the Ammonite was cruell The Gileadites would buy their peace with seruility Nahash would sell them a seruile peace for their right eyes Iephtha the Gileadite did yet sticke in the stomacke of Ammon and now they thinke their reuenge cannot be too bloody It is a wonder that hee which would offer so mercilesse a condition to Israel would yeeld to the motion of any delay Hee meant nothing but shame and death to the Israelites yet hee condescends to a seuen dayes respit Perhaps his confidence made him thus carelesse Howsoeuer it was the restraint of God that gaue this breath to Israel and this opportunity to Sauls courage and victory The enemies of Gods Church cannot bee so malicious as they would cannot approue themselues so malicious as they are God so holds them in sometimes that a stander-by would thinke them fauourable The newes of Gileads distresse had soone filled and afflicted Israel the people thinke of no remedie but their pittie and teares Euils are easily grieued for not easily redressed Onely Saul is more stirred with indignation then sorrow That GOD which put into him a spirit of prophesie now puts into him a spirit of fortitude Hee was before appointed to the Throne not setled in the Throne he followed the beasts in the field when he should haue commanded men Now as one that would be a King no lesse by merit then election he takes vpon him and performes the rescue of Gilead he assembles Israel he leads them he raiseth the siege breakes the troops cuts the throats of the Ammonites When God hath any exploit to performe he raiseth vp the heart of some chosen Instrument with heroicall motions for the atchieuement When all hearts are cold and dead it is a a signe of intended destruction This day hath made Saul a compleat King and now the thankfull Israelites begin to enquire after those discontented Mutiners which had refused allegeance vnto so worthy a Commander Bring those men that we may slay them This sedition had deserued death though Saul had beene foiled at Gilead but now his happy victorie whets the people much more to a desire of this iust execution Saul to whom the iniurie was done hinders the reuenge There shall no man dye this day for to day the Lord hath saued Israel that his fortitude might not goe beyond his mercy How noble were these beginnings of Saul His Prophesie shewed him miraculously wise his Battell and Victory no lesse valiant his pardon of his Rebels as mercifull There was not more power shewed in ouercomming the Ammonites then in ouercomming himselfe and the impotent malice of these mutinous Israelites Now Israel sees they haue a King that can both shed blood and spare it that can shed the Ammonites blood and spare theirs His mercy winnes those hearts whom his valour could not As in God so in his Deputies Mercy and Iustice should be inseparable wheresoeuer these two goe asunder gouernment followes them into distraction and ends in ruine If it had beene a wrong offered to Samuel the
the goods Wise and holy Dauid whose prayse was no lesse to ouercome his owne in time of peace than his enemies in warre cals his contending followers from Law to equitie and so orders the matter that since the Plaintifes were detained not by will but by necessity and since their forced stay was vse-full in garding the stuffe they should partake equally of the prey with there fellowes A sentence wel-beseeming the Iustice of Gods Annoynted Those that represent God vpon earth should resemble him in their proceeding It is the iust mercie of our God to measure vs by our wils not by our abilities to recompence vs graciously according to the truth of our desires and endeauours and to account that performed by vs which hee only letteth vs from performing It were wide with vs if sometimes purpose did not supply actions Whiles our heart faulteth not wee that through spirituall sicknesse are faine to abide by the stuffe shall share both in grace and glorie with the Victors The death of SAVL THe Witch of Endor had halfe slaine Saul before the Battell it is just that they who consult with Deuils should goe away with discomfort Hee hath eaten his last bread at the hand of a Sorceresse and now necessitie drawes him into that field where hee sees nothing but despaire Had not Saul beleeued the ill newes of the counterfeite Samuel hee had not beene strooke downe on the ground with words Now his beliefe made him desperate Those actions which are not sustayned by hope must needes languish and are only promoted by outward compulsion Whiles the mind is vncertaine of successe it relieues it selfe with the possibilities of good in doubts there is a comfortable mixture but when it is assured of the worst euent it is vtterly discouraged and deiected It hath therefore pleased the wisdome of God to hide from wicked men his determination of their finall estate that their remainders of hope may harten them to good In all likelihood one selfe-same day saw Dauid a victor ouer the Amalekites and Saul discomfited by the Philistims How should it bee otherwise Dauid consulted with God and preuailed Saul with the Witch of Endor and perisheth The end is commonly answerable to the way It is an idle iniustice when wee doe ill to looke to speede well The slaughter of Saul and his sonnes was not in the first Scene of this Tragicall field that was rather reserued by God for the last act that Sauls measure might bee full God is long ere hee strikes but when hee doth it is to purpose First Israel flees and fals downe wounded in Mount Gilboa They had their part in Sauls sinne they were actors in Dauids persecution Iustly therefore doe they suffer with him whom they had seconded in offence As it is hard to bee good vnder an euill Prince so it is as rare not to bee enwrapped in his iudgments It was no small addition to the anguish of Sauls death to see his sonnes dead to see his people fleeing and slaine before him They had sinned in their King and in them is their King punished The rest were not so worthy of pittie but whose heart would it not touch to see Ionathan the good sonne of a wicked father inuolued in the common destruction Death is not partiall All dispositions all merits are alike to it if valour if holinesse if sinceritie of heart could haue beene any defence against mortalitie Ionathan had suruiued Now by their wounds and death no man can descerne which is Ionathan The soule onely findes the difference which the body admitteth not Death is the common gate both to Heauen and Hell wee all passe that ere our turning to either hand The sword of the Philistims fetcheth Ionathan through it with his fellowes no sooner is his foot ouer that threshold than God conducteth him to glory The best cannot bee happy but through their dissolution Now therefore hath Ionathan no cause of complaint hee is by the rude and cruell hand of a Philistim but remoued to a better Kingdome then hee leaues to his brother and at once is his death both a temporall affliction to the sonne of Saul and an entrance of glorie to the friend of Dauid The Philistim-archers shot at randome God directs their arrowes into the bodie of Saul Lest the discomfiture of his people and the slaughter of his sonnes should not bee griefe enough to him hee feeles himselfe wounded and sees nothing before him but horror and death and now as a man forsaken of all hopes he begs of his Armour-bearer that deaths-blow which else hee must to the doubling of his indignation receiue from a Philistim Hee begges this bloudie fauour of his seruant and is denyed Such an awefulnesse hath God placed in souereigntie that no intreatie no extreamitie can moue the hand against it What metall are those men made of that can suggest or resolue and attempt the violation of Maiestie Wicked men care more for the sâ—â—â—e of the World than the danger of their soule Despâ—â—â—â— Saul will now supply his Armor-bearer and as a man that 〈◊〉 armes against himselfe he falls vpon his owâ—â— Sword What if he had died by the 〈◊〉 of a Philistin So did his sinne Ionathan and lost no glory These conceits of disreputation preuaile with carnall hearts aboue all spirituall respects There is no greater murderer 〈◊〉 glory Nothing more argues an heart voide of grace than to bee transporte onâ— idle popularity into actions preiudiciaâ—â—â— to the Soule Euill examples especially of the great neuer escaped imitation the Aâ—â—â—or-beateâ— of Saul followes his Master and came doe that to himselfe which to his King hee durst not as if their owne Swords had beeing more familiar executions 〈◊〉 they yeelded vnto them what they grudged to their pursuers From the beginning was Sauls euer his owne enemy neither did any hands hurt him but his owne to and now his death is sutable 〈◊〉 his life his owne hand paies his â—â—â—ard of all his wickednesse The end of Hypocrites and enuious men is commonly fearefull Now is the bloud of Gods Priests which Saul shed and of Dauid which hee would haue shed required and requited The euill spirit had said the euening before To â—â—rrow thou shalt bee with mee and now Saul hasteth to make the Deuill no Liemâ—â—â—â—â—er than faile he giues himselfe his owne Mittimus Oh the wofull extremities of a despairing soule plunging him euer into a greater mischiefe to auoide the lesse He might haâ—â— beene a patient in anothers violence and faultinesse now whiles hee will needs act the Philistins part vpon himselfe he liued and died a Murderer The case is deadly when the Prisoner breakes the Iayle and will not stay for his deliuery and though we may not passe sentence vpon such a soule yet vpon the fact we may the soule may possibly repent in the parting the act is hainous and such as without repentance kils the soule It was the next day ere the Philistims knew
beene worthy to inioy him for her honest compassion Not more iustly then wisely therefore doth Salomon trace the true mother by the footsteps of loue and pity and adiudgeth the child to those bowels that had yearned at his danger Euen in morality it is thus also Truth as it is one so it loues intirenesse falshood diuision Satan that hath no right to the heart would be content with a peece of it God that made it all will haue either the whole or none The erroneous Church striues with the true for the liuing childe of sauing doctrine each claimes it for her owne Heresie conscious of her owne iniustice could be content to goe away with a leg or an arme of sound principles as hoping to make vp the rest with her owne mixtures Truth cannot abide to part with a ioynt and will rather endure to leese all by violence then a peece through a willing conniuency The Temple IT is a weak and iniurious censure that taxeth Salomons slacknesse in founding the house of God Great bodies must haue but slow motions He was wise that said the matters must be all prepared without ere we build within And if Dauid haue laid ready a great part of the metals and timber yet many a tree must be felled and squared and many a stone hewne and polished ere this foundation could be laid neither could those large Cedars be cut sawne seasoned in one yeare Foure yeares are soone gone in so vast a preparation Dauid had not beene so intire a friend to Hiram if Hiram had not beene a friend to God Salomons wisdome hath taught him to make vse of so good a neighbour of a fathers friend he knowes that the Tyrians skill was not giuen them for nothing Not Iewes onely but Gentiles must haue their hand in building the Temple of God Onely Iewes medled with the Tabernacle but the Temple is not built without the aide of Gentiles They together with vs make vp the Church of God Euen Pagans haue their Arts from heauen how iustly may we improue their graces to the seruice of the God of Heauen if there be a Tyrian that can worke more curiously in gold in siluer in brasse in iron in purple and blew silke then an Israelite why should not hee be imployed about the Temple Their heathenisme is their own their skill is their Makers Many a one workes for the Church of God that yet hath no part in it Salomon raises a tribute for the worke not of money but of men Thirty thousand Israelites are leauied for the seruice yet not continuedly but with intermission their labour is more generous and lesse pressing it is enough if they keep their courses one moneth in Lebanon two at home so as euer ten thousand worke whiles twentie thousand breathe So fauourable is God to his creature that he requires vs not to be ouer-toyled in the workes of his owne seruice Due respirations are requisite in the holiest acts The maine stresse of the worke lyes vpon Proselytes whose both number and paines was herein more then the Natiues An hundred and fifty thousand of them are imployed in bearing burthens in hewing stones besides their three thousand three hundred ouer-seers Now were the despised Gibeonites of good vse and in vaine doth Israel wish that the zeale of Saul had not robbed them of so seruiceable drudges There is no man so meane but may bee some way vsefull to the House of God Those that cannot worke in gold and siluer and silke yet may cut and hew and those that can doe neither yet may cary burdens Euen the seruices that are more homely are not lesse necessarie Who can dis-hearten himselfe in the conscience of his owne insufficiency when he sees God can as well serue himselfe of his labour as of his skill The Temple is framed in Lebanon and set vp in Sion Neither hammer nor axe was heard in that holy structure There was nothing but noise in Lebanon nothing in Sion but silence and peace What euer tumults are abroad it is fit there should bee all quietnesse and sweet concord in the Church Oh God that the axes of schisme or the hammers of furious contentions should bee heard within thy Sanctuary Thine house is not built with blowes with blowes it is beaten downe Oh knit the hearts of thy seruants together in the vnity of the spirit and the bond of peace that we may minde and speak the same things that thou who art the God of peace maist take pleasure to dwell vnder the quiet roofe of our hearts Now is the foundation laid and the wals rising of that glorious fabricke which all Nations admired and all times haue celebrated Euen those stones which were laid in the Base of the building were not ragged and rude but hewne and costly the part that lyes couered with earth from the eyes of all beholders is no lesse precious then those that are most conspicuous God is not all for the eye he pleaseth himselfe with the hidden value of the liuing stones of his spirituall Temple How many noble graces of his seruants haue been buried in obscuritie not discerned so much as by their owne eyes which yet as hee gaue so hee crowneth Hypocrites regard nothing but shew God nothing but truth The matter of so goodly a frame striues with the proportion whether shall more excell Here was nothing but white Marble without nothing but Cedar and Gold within Vpon the Hill of Sion stands that glittering and snowy pile which both inuiteth and dazeleth the eyes of passengers a farre off so much more precious within as Cedar is better then stone gold then Cedar No base thing goes to the making vp of Gods House If Satan may haue a dwelling he cares not though he patch it vp of the rubbish of stone or rotten sticks or drosse of metals God will admit of nothing that is not pure and exquisite His Church consists of none but the faithfull his habitation is in no heart but the gracious The fashion was no other then that of the Tabernacle onely this was more costly more large more fixed God was the same that dwelt in both hee varied not the same mysterie was in both Onely it was fit there should be a proportion betwixt the worke and the builder The Tabernacle was erected in a popular estate the Temple in a Monarchy it was fit this should sauour of the munificence of a King as that of the zeale of a multitude That was erected in the flitting condition of Israel in the desert this in their setled residence in the promised Land it was fit therefore that should bee framed for motion this for rest Both of them were distinguished into three remarkable diuisions whereof each was more noble more reserued then other But what doe we bend our eyes vpon stone and wood and metals God would neuer haue taken pleasure in these dead materials for their owne sakes if they had not had a further intendment Me thinkes
owes them and Salomon a whipping The frowardnesse of Rehoboam shal pay it them I see Ieroboams plot the peoples insolence the yong mens mis-aduice the Princes vnseasonable austerity meeting together through the wise Prouidence of the Almighty vnwittingly to accomplish his most iust decree All these might haue done otherwise for any force that was offered to their will all would no more doe otherwise then if there had beene no predetermination in heauen that God may be magnified in his wisdome and iustice whiles man wittingly perisheth in his folly That three daies expectation had warmed these smoking Israelites and made them ready for a combustion vpon so peremptory a resolution of rigour the flame bursts out which all the waters of the Well of Bethlehem could neuer quench The furious multitude flies out into a desperate reuolt What portion haue wee in Dauid neither haue we inheritance in the sonne of lesse To your Tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid How durst these seditious mouthes mention Dauid in defiance One would haue thought that very name had beene able to haue tempered their fury and to haue contained them within the limits of obedience It was the father of Rehoboam and the sonne of Dauid that had led Israel into Idolatry Salomon hath drawne contempt vpon his father and vpon his sonne If Israel haue cast off their God is it maruell that they shake off his anointed Irreligion is the way to disobedience There can bee no true subiection but out of conscience They cannot make conscience of ciuill duties who make none of diuine In vaine shall Rehoboam hope to preuaile by his Officer when himselfe is reiected The persons of Princes cary in them characters of Maiesty when their presence workes not how should their message If Adoram sollicit the people too late with good words they answer him with stones Nothing is more vntractable and violent then an inraged multitude It was time for Rehoboam to betake himselfe to his Charet hee saw those stones were throwne at him in his Adoram As the messenger suffers for his master so the master suffers in his messenger Had Rehoboam beene in Adorams clothes this death had beene his Onely flight can deliuer him from those that might haue beene subiects Ierusalem must be his refuge against the conspiracy of Shechem Blessed bee God for lawfull gouernement Euen a mutinous body cannot want an head If the rebellious Israelites haue cast off their true Soueraigne they must choose a false Iereboam the sonne of Nebat must be the man He had need bee skilfull and fit sure that shall backe the horse which hath cast his Rider Israel could not haue any where met with more craft and courage then they found in this Leader Rehoboam returnes to Ierusalem lighter by a crowne then he went forth Iudah and Beniamin sticke still fast to their loyalty the example of a generall rebellion cannot make them vnfaithfull to the house of Dauid God will euer reserue a remnant free from the common contagion Those tribes to approue their valour no lesse then their fidelitie will fight against their brethren for their Prince and will hazard their liues to reduce the crowne to the sonne of Salomon An hundred and fourescore thousand of them are vp in armes ready to force Israel to their denied subiection No noise sounded on both parts but military no man thought of any thing but blood when suddenly God sends his Prophet to forbid the battle Shemaiah comes with a message of cessation Ye shall not goe vp nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel returne euery man to his house for this thing is from me saith the Lord The word of one silly Prophet dismisses these mighty armies He that would not lay down the threats of his rigour vpon the aduice of his ancient Counsellors will lay downe his sword vpon the word of a Seer Shall wee enuie or shame to see how much the Prophets of the Old Testament could doe how little those of the new If our commission be no lesse from the same God the difference of successe cannot goe away vnreuenged There was yet some grace in Rehoboam that hee would not spurne against that which God challenged as his owne worke Some godlesse Ruffian would haue said whosoeuer is the Author I will be reuenged on the instruments Rehoboam hath learned this lesson of his Grandfather I held my peace because thou Lord hast done it If hee might striue with the multitude hee knew it was no striuing with his Maker quietly therefore doth he lay downe his armes not daring after that prohibition to seeke the recouery of his kingdome by blood Where Gods purposes are hid from vs wee must take the fairest wayes of all lawfull remedies but where God hath reuealed his determinations wee must sit downe in an humble submission our strugling may aggrauate cannot redresse our miseries IEROBOAM AS there was no publique and vniuersall conflict betwixt the ten Tribes and the two so no peace Either King found reason to fortifie the borders of his owne territories Shechem was worthy to be deare to Ieroboam a Citie as of old seasoned with many treasons so now auspicious to his new vsurpation The ciuill defection was soone followed by the spirituall As there are neare respects betwixt God and his anointed so there is great affinitie betwixt treason and idolatry there is a connexion betwixt Feare God and Honour the King and no lesse betwixt the neglects of both In vaine shall a man looke for faith in a mis-religious heart Next to Achitophel I doe not find that Israel yeelded a craftier head then Ieroboams so hath hee plotted this conspiracy that what euer fall there is no place for a challenge not his owne intrusion but Israels Election hath raised him to their Throne neither is his cunning lesse in holding a stolne Scepter Thus he thinkes in himselfe If Israel haue made me their King it is but a pang of discontentment these violent thoughts will not last alwayes sudden fits haue commonly sudden recoueries their returne to their loyaltie shall forfeit my head together with my Crowne They cannot returne to God and hold off from their lawfull Soueraigne They cannot returne to Ierusalem and keepe off from God from their loyalty Thrice a yeere will their deuotion call them vp thither besides the exigence of their frequent vowes How can they be mine whiles that glorious Temple is in their eye whiles the magnificence of the royall Palace of Dauid and Salomon shall admonish them of their natiue allegeance whiles besides the sollicitation of their brethren the Priests and Leuites shall preach to them the necessitie of their due obedience and the abomination of their sacrifices in their wilfull disobedience whiles they shall by their presence put themselues vpon the mercy or iustice of their lawfull and forsaken Prince Either therefore I must diuert them from Ierusalem or else I cannot liue and reigne It is no diuerting
of ioy and thankfulnesse Hee knew well this meteor was not at the biggest it was newly borne of the wombe of the waters and in some minutes of age must grow to a large stature stay but a while and Heauen is couered with it From how small beginnings haue great matters arisen It is no otherwise in all the gracious proceedings of God with the soule scarce sensible are those first workes of his spirit in the heart which grow vp at last to the wonder of men and applause of Angels Well did Elijah know that God who is perfection it selfe would not defile his hand with an inchoate and scanted fauour as one therefore that fore-saw the face of heauen ouer-spread with this cloudy spot hee sends to Ahab to hasten his Charet that the raine stop him not It is long since Ahab feared this let neuer was the newes of a danger more welcome Doubtlesse the King of Israel whiles hee was at his diet lookt long for Elijahs promised showers where is the raine whose sound the Prophet heard how is it that his eares were so much quicker then our eyes Wee saw his fire to our terrour how gladly would we see his Waters When now the seruant of Elijah brings him newes from heauen that the clouds were setting forward and if hee hastened not would be before him The winde arises the clouds gather the sky thickens Ahab betakes him to his Charet Elijah girds vp his loynes and runnes before him Surely the Prophet could not want the offer of more ease in his passage but he will be for the time Ahabs lacquey that the King and all Israel may see his humility no lesse than his power and may confesse that the glory of those miracles hath not made him insolent Hee knew that his very sight was monitorie neither could Ahabs minde be beside the miraculous workes of God whiles his eye was vpon Elijah neither could the Kings heart be otherwise then well-affected towards the Prophet whiles he saw that himselfe and all Israel had receiued a new Life by his procurement But what newes was here for Iezebel Certainly Ahab minced nothing of the report of all those astonishing accidents If but to salue vp his owne honour in the death of those Baalites hee made the best of Elijahs merits hee told of his challenge conflict victorie of the fire that fell downe from Heauen of the conuiction of Israel of the vnauoidable execution of the Prophets of the prediction and fall of those happy showers and lastly of Elijahs officious attendance Who would not haue expected that Iezebel should haue said It is no striuing no dallying with the Almightie No reasonable creature can doubt after so prodigious a decision God hath wonne vs from Heauen hee must possesse vs Iustly are our seducers perished None but the God that can command fire and water shall bee ours There is no Prophet but his But shee contrarily in stead of relenting rageth and sends a message of death to Elijah So let the gods doe to mee and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time Neither scourges nor fauours can worke any thing with the obstinately wicked All euill hearts are not equally dis-affected to good Ahab and Iezebel were both bad enough yet Ahab yeelds to that worke of God which Iezebel stubbornly opposeth Ahab melts with that water with that fire wherewith Iezebel is hardened Ahab was bashfully Iezebel audaciously impious The weaker sexe is euer commonly stronger in passion and more vehemently caried with the sway of their desires whether to good or euill She sweares and stamps at that whereat shee should haue trembled She sweares by those gods of hers which were not able to saue their Prophets that she will kill the Prophet of God who had scorned her gods and slaine her Prophets It is well that Iezebel could not keepe counsell Her threat preâ—eâ—ted him whom shee had meant to kill The wisedome and power of God could â—â—ue found euasions for his Prophet in her greatest secresie but now he needs no other meanes of rescue but her owne lips She is no lesse vaine then the gods shee sweares by In spight of her fury and her oath and her gods Elijah shall liue At once shall she finde her selfe frustrate and forsworne She is now ready to bite her tongue to eat her heart for anger at the disappointment of her cruell Vow It were no liuing for godly men if the hands of Tyrants were allowed to be as bloody as their hearts Men and Deuils are vnder the restraint of the Almighty neither are their designes more lauish then their executions short Holy Elijah flees for his life wee heare not of the command of God but we would willingly presuppose it So diuine a Prophet should doe nothing without God His heeles were no new refuge As no where safe within the ten Tribes hee flees to Beersheba in the Territories of Iudah as not there safe from the machinations of Iezebel hee flees alone one dayes iourney into the wildernesse there hee sits him downe vnder a Iuniper tree and as weary of life no lesse then of his way wishes to rise no more It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers O strange and vncouth mutation What is this wee heare Elijah fainting and giuing vp that heroicall spirit deiected and prostrate Hee that durst say to Ahabs face It is thou and thy fathers house that troubleth Israel hee that could raise the dead open and shut the Heauens fetch downe both fire and water with his prayers hee that durst chide and contest with all Israel that durst kill the foure hundred and fifty Baalites with the sword doth hee shrinke at the frownes and threats of a woman doth hee wish to be rid of his life because hee feared to lose it Who can expect an vndaunted constancie from flesh and blood when Elijah failes The strongest and holiest Saint vpon earth is subiect to some qualmes of feare and infirmitie To bee alwayes and vnchangeably good is proper onely to the glorious Spirits in heauen Thus the wise and holy God will haue his power perfited in our weaknesse It is in vaine for vs whiles wee carie this flesh about vs to hope for so exact health as not to be cast downe sometimes with fits of spirituall distemper It is no new thing for holy men to wish for death Who can either maruell at or blame the desire of aduantage For the weary traueller to long for rest the prisoner for libertie the banished for home it is so naturall that the contrary disposition were monstrous The benefit of the change is a iust motiue to our appetition but to call for death out of a satietie of life out of an impatience of suffering is a weaknesse vnbeseeming a Saint It is not enough O Elijah God hath more worke yet for thee thy God hath more honoured thee