which cause good or evill times which haue much respect and no rest ever in motiō never freed in their persons actiōs or times being in great state they are greatest strangers to themselues haue if they duely execute their great places smal time to attend the health ether of body or minde Nay more thē others their provident watchfulnesse expressed in the Aegyptian Hierogliphicke Pier. Hierog sceptrum cum oculo she weth that day nor night any intermission should exclude their cares for the state they governe by the influence of their goodnesse seeing as the dignity so the burthē of duty is so great as that Seneca his speech vpon this occasion is found most true Quis quámne regno gaudet O fallax bonum Quantum malorum quà m fronte blandâ tegis The best of Kings findes that sometimes hee weares a Crowne of thornes Coronets and Chapplets of Oliues or Lillies or Lawrels or Roses or Violets or Gold or Pearle are not without somewhat that will often vexe the wearers and they will confesse that within that small circle there is the weight of a world The boystrous troubles attending on which caused the heathē to professe that if a Crowne lay before him on the ground he would not thinke it worth the taking vp Cassiodor confirming that by the neglect of the heathen Regnum est nolle regnare Cassiod Ep. 3. And therefore did our Blessed Prince lay his proiect for a kingdome out of compasse of trouble or treason Howsoever by the dues of Nature and custome and succession hee was haire apparant to three Crownes yet hee tooke vp the motto of that Reverend * St. Thomas Bodley Centurion who built vs a Synagogue Quarta Perennis and most divinely considered that an earthly kingdome was like the place where Paule rested called the faire havens Act. 27.8 yet Eur oclydon Act. 27.8 a tempestuous easterly winde may arise no safetie in a kings Palace be it never so strong not in his dining Chamber Belshazzar was astonished there nor in that Privy chamber Eglon was slaine there nor in the bed chamber Ishbosheth was slaughtered there nor in the Chappell Zenacherib was murthered there Only safetie is to be expected there where never harme entred in since Sathan was put out where there is a kingdome where the Prince is veritie the Lawes Charitie and the limits Eternitie where the meat is Manna the exercise reioycing the musicke Haleluiah the company Saints and the Quire Angels Not only a kingdome of Priests as in Exod. 19.6 or a kingdome of Prophets as in Luk. 13.28 but a kingdome of kings Rev. 1.5 but a prepared kingdom Mat. 25.34 A heavenly kingdome 2. Tim. 4.18 An eternall kingdome 2. Pet. 1.11 The kingdome of heaven Mat. 18.3 The kingdome of Christ Eph. 5.5 The kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 A kingdome where there is power and glory Into which kingdome power and glory that triumphant Saint blessed Prince Henry is already entred and having kept his faith fought his fight ran his race and finished his course he hath obtained a Crowne laid vp for him the Crown of life Iam. 1.12 a Crown of righteousnesse 1. Tim. 4. an immarcessible Crowne of Glory 1. Pet. 5.4 8 Learne hence yee dunghill muckwormes whose base earthly and beastly thoughts never straine further then to be ambitious of Mammon and to lay vp treasure where the rust and moath doth corrupt where theeues do breake in and steale never partaking anie sparke of a noble spirit whose soule is not only encouraged but enraged enflamed with the desire of a kingdome How ought this ambition of the soule to be of force to darken and dull all sensuall senses worldly regards and to carry yee vp vpon the wings of desire and hope that yee may performe the passage with more alacrity to come to this kingdome that when ye are no longer capable of this world ye may bee established in a kingdome of most happy condition It was the speech of Philip to his sonne Alexander Idoneum compar tibiregnum fili invenias quoniam Macedonia tui capax nō est Sonne seeing Macedonia is not a place fit for thee thou maist finde a more competible and capacious kingdome The world is not capable of vs it is a limited finite small compasse the soule though it be but the inmate of the body is a celestiall transcendent creature and being rightly guided is ever ascending vpwards not here transported either with desire of that which shee hath not or with carnall delight of that shee hath never entertaining at one time and togither those two extreames the loue of God and of the world her single eie not being able to behold heaven and earth togither and therefore neglecteth riches as a thorne pleasure as a spurre glory as a blast beauty as a flowre lust as a fire and Ioy as a fury It was Cyrus proclamation to animate his army and to draw valiant spirits to his party that whosoever would serue him in that warre should worthily be preferred Plut in vitae Pyrrbi whatsoever his condition were If he possessed a Cottage he would giue him a village If he had a village he should be governour of a City if Ruler of a City he would make him Prince of a Region or king of some Coūtry What he promised to the best of his God proclaimeth to the least of his even a kingdome even a kingdome of such maiestie that neither in desire this cā wish nor in hope aspire nor in imagination faine any greater glory What empty and spungy creatures then be they who desire to satisfie their fill with any thing and bestowe all their liues in seeking onely those things which be wisht sine providentia and kept non sine poenitentia What fruit can appeare in those things Quae possessa onerant Aug. in 119. Ps amata inquinant amissa cruciant in possessing wherof they burden in louing whereof they defile in loosing whereof they torment themselues S. Chrysost fitly proposeth a great man in the highest spheare of earthly Elevation and thus bespeaketh him O man Chrys Is es quem sensus fallit tempus deserit c. Thou art hee whom sense deceaueth and time forsaketh whome Pompe hurteth and age changeth the greater fret thee and the lesser flatter thee ever in feare never in rest all this but golden miserie When Sathan tempted our Saviour with the greatest temptation Mat. 4. he presumed to offer him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them It was a great offer all the kingdomes of the world and yet small glory that it could bee shewed ictu oculi in the twinckling of an eye as S. Luke readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an instant of time the glory that is in the Celestiall kingdome Non videt oculus no eie hath seen It was a great traunce in Peter when at Christs transfiguration he cryed out Let vs make three Tabernacles one
may be said to liue The life of mā is but a spā long nay lesse it is but instans tēporis a moment Number weigh the time past it is spent it weighs nothing Number and weigh the time to come it is vncertaine we cannot weigh it Number weigh the time present is is not a dram a graine a mite it is but a moment Eudaeus Villalpanda nor all the measurists haue waight or measure to expresse such a fragment a moment being not so much in proportion to eternity as the least moat in the aire to the body of the whole earth Wherefore if God even beyond the course of the natural compasse of life do vouchsafe those whō he hath chosen from the world called out of the world to endow them with the life of grace to the end they may seeke his glory and even in the frailtie of life to afford many so blessed gratious opportunities to seek him let vs gird vp our loines and seeing the day starre hath shined in our hearts and the day sprang from on high hath visited vs let vs runne with patience vnto the race that is set before vs Heb. 12.1 looking seeking striving earnestly endeavouring and pressing hard to the marke vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith whom if we seeke we shall finde and with him all things necessary for vs. To which glorious acquisition as this blessed Prince was faithfully addicted so now is he of it in soule fully possessed 7 Whose noble thoughts aymed at more then either his Royall birth could designe him or Regal succession assure him desiring to improue his Patrimonie * Regna extera Regna extera that is coelica Regna or * Pithagorei vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex adverso sitā Terram Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 5. cap. vlt. Regna extera quaerere that is Regna ex terra or extra terram celestial kingdomes were his aime hope a kingdome that hath no end for termination no confines for limitation farre aboue principalities and powers wherein no man can resolue whether his sanctified ambitiō were more high or more happy For had his desires level'd at the regaining of a neighbour kingdome which either by match hath beene conioyned or by prowesse hath beene conquered the example had not wāted followers nor the enterprise honours Our Chronicles haue bequeathed a testimony vnto al posterity in this kinde of a * renowmed Prince of Wales whose honour shall not lie in the dust * The victorious Blacke Prince while the life and light of books shall remaine whose much honoured example no doubt did much adde valour to Great HENRIES disposition of warlike honor in the atchieving of some Princely adventure and giving life to that honourable though now lamentable estate of English Martialists Whose valiant service against Popish and Turkish enemies hath beene sealed with their blood and they had in high esteeme among al the military men in the world whose renowne had enioyed a resurrection had this Loadstarre of honour appeared longer But his designes being directed to a more spirituall marke heaven was his hope beginning his voiage to glory in the way of grace through which kingdome of grace he passed not as an alien or traveiler but as an inheritour not as a servant but as a Prince ly sonne an heire a coheire acquainted in his passage with the word and accompanied with the Angels of God Seeing al worldly things beneath him he esteemed them as sublunary neither altogither worthy of contempt nor any way as able to afford content to his spirit which like an Eagle fled vp into the spheare of divine contemplation and so farre was he aboue his nature by grace as hee was by Royall birth in nature aboue other men A kingdome he might haue affected for worldly honours sanctified may be sought by those whom God hath therevnto appointed Gen. 49.1 Iacob besides his legacie of spirituall blessing left temporall legacies to his sonnes the blessing of the Sea to Zabulon blessing of fruits of the land to Issachar Iudgement to Dan victory to Gad staffe of bread to Asher Eloquence to Nepthali fruitfulnesse to Ioseph the scepter to Iudah so of the rest And it was Davids acknowledgement The king shall reioice in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he bee of thy salvation Thou hast given him his hearts desire hast not denyed him the request of his lips Psal 21.3 Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodnesse thou hast set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head Psal 21.3 When the kingly Prophet confesseth with much ioy the blessings he had received from the Lord generally here as in other places particularly hee nameth these blessings of good things how he was chosen before his brethrē wiser then his teachers worthyer then the ancients stronger then his enemies and not only expresseth God to be the author of his Royall power but also of his Martiall prowesse Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight my goodnes my fortresse my tower my deliverer my shield Psal 140.1 Psal 140.1 Yea and the preservations of him in vtero ex vtero ab vtero to bring him to that dignity by covering him in his mothers wombe Psal 139.13 by receiving him from the wombe Psal 22.10 yea by taking him out of the wombe Psal 71.6 All religious Princes will acknowledge Tuum est regnum Potentia gloria his was the Practique well as the Theorique he put kingdomes in the scales of iudgement to examine as wel the weight of their worth Gods blessing in so great gifts as the weight of their labyrinths of cares feares and Maeanders of troubles he found the honours to be transcendent that good kings were the Dearlings of God his deputies stars in his hands signets on his finger the great lights of his firmament those to whom he not onlie partaked his scepter his power his honour but even of his owne omnipotent Titles not only as the woman of Tekoa gaue the attribute to David 2. Sam. 14.17 My Lorde the king is wise as an Angell of God but God bestowing his owne name Dixi quod Dij estis I haue said yee are Gods Psal 82. and his sons name Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not my Christs Psal 105. and not only the name but the power and speech of his spirit as in David Spiritus Domini loquutus est per me the spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me 2. Sam. 23.2 and that they haue ever beene esteemed the chiefest of the sonnes of men the chariots of Israel Oracles of wisdome Chāpions of valour Guardians of Iustice the Gemmes Diadems of governments beauty Yet in al this Soveraignty they are subiect to more violence of storme then their subiects they are no more free from emptinesse wearynesse thirst heate cold sweat labour They are like the heavenly bodies
for Thee Mat. 17. one for Moses one for Elias Moses Tabernacle was dissolued hee must haue none hee had no commission to make a new one Elias was taken vp into heaven he rested on the holy hill more glorious thē to abide in a Tabernacle hee needed none Christ would not enioy so much as a hole to hide his head on earth much lesse a Tabernacle on a hill hee would haue none It had beene glorious to be present at the maiestie of that meeting where in body were represented Elias from heaven Moses from the graue Peter and others from the world nay where Pater in voce filius in carne spiritus sanctus in nube where the blessed Trinitie as at the Baptisme before so now againe at the Transfiguration were all present the Father in the voice the Sonne in the flesh the holy spirit in the cloud as the ancients haue collected Vpon this short shewe of the glorious presence of Christ Peter was in an extasie faciamus Tabernacula yet this felictie had bin but momentary if made Tabernacles had served though S. Peter had made them for Saint Paule telleth vs Non manufactum Tabernaculum it is not a Tabernacle made with handes will serue but the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitcht and not man Heb. 8.2 and which David asked of in his 15. Psalme Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest vpon thy holy hil The Monarches of the earth that shall enter hereinto may cast away their crownes as Elias left his cloake and repent of nothing saue that they came no sooner hither It was as it seemeth an honourables and a Commendable ambition in the Disciples that there was a strife among them who shoulde bee the greatest in the kingdome of heaven Mat. 18.1 Their other ambitious thoughts were not so law full It was I confesse a monstrous sight to see the Saviours servants who should not haue savoured of earthly things disputing who should be the greatest among them as in Marke 9.34 a much more prodigious spectacle to behold a contentiō among them in an ambitious manner at the Lords table in the time of the Passeover Luk. 22.24 nay of the last Passeover that ever Christ did eate with thē which he had desired with such a desire to eate with them it was much to dispute it more to striue for it much to question in the way contention for it at the Table much to doe it when their Lord heard them not as in Marke when no danger neere their Lord more now when their Lord heard them and they saw him in sorrow when it was but the day before his death bitter Passion then his comfort a quarrell of his Disciples this Passover was truely eaten with bitter hearbes Both these contentions were grievous in common men more grievous in the lights and fathers Chariots and horsemen of Israel But the question propounded in S. Mathew 18.1 may seeme tolerable Mat. 18.1 for our Saviour had taught them Primum quaerite Regnum Dei first seeke the kingdome of God and now they desire but to learne Quis primus in regno Dei who should be the first and greatest in the kingdome of God And in the answer to this seeming tolerable and Commendable question Christ not only teacheth but taxeth thē for the swelling ambition of that question and answereth thē that vnles they were converted would become as little children they could not enter into the kingdom of heaven Mat. 18.4 He instanceth in a little child thus Whosoever therfore shal humble himselfe as this little child the same is greatest in the kingdome of heaven teaching thereby that Humility is the gate to heaven that though the childrē of God must lead an inoffēsiue kind of life yet they thinke meanely of themselues and the more holy a man is the more hath he sense of his owne corruption Hee must walke with God yet humble himselfe vnder the mighty hand of God No opinion in his own wisdome no confidence in his owne power no hope in his owne works he must deny himselfe if he professe Christ And here by the consequence of the instance he reproveth his disciples that did confound the good motion by the swelling disposition of their minde not content to bee inheritours of the kingdome of heaven but tooke vpon them to striue for superiority in that kingdome where the meanest inhabitant shall be a king the meanest reward a Crowne and all shal be like the Angels of God Where our New-borne Prince now is and enioyeth a permanent triumph most glorious among them that follow the Lamb whither so ever he goeth among those which are redeemed from among men and are the first fruits vnto God and to the Lamb having there the Royalty of happynesse as he had here the right of inheritance 9 Ambition could not tempte him nor slaunder staine him that ever his thoughts did seeke that which was not lawful neither in his intentions did he approue nor in his actions did appeare any shew of vniust acquisition * Fas. Fas was the limitation of all his resolutions The ancient revenewes which his Royal progenitors had designed in his Principality and Dukedome he regained frō the vniust possessors for the Patrimony of Prince Priest hath been is intruded vpon but such Princely clemency herein appeared that law having restored their landes and revenevves vnto his Highnesse his gracious bounty restored the possessours vpon small considerations vnto that which without right they formerly had detayned Hereby giving a taste as well of Provident managing of his state as of his benigne regarde of any that had any tenure vnder him as if his lawe had beene rather Ius Praetorium then Ius Censorium and he had affected the rules of Chauncery more thē the kings bench what Equity did yeeld him his Clemency moderated and law in his breast was attended as Virgo in heaven as with Leo on the one side the power of a Prince so with libra on the other side scales to try the weight of right wherein as in the divine scales of omnipotency so in his weights the worth of mercy outweighed the right of Iustice. So farre was he from gathering the Treasures of wickednesse by the balance of deceit from countenancing Lawes to bee snares to good mindes or quirkes to mercenary wits from denying the Kings measure to any man or turning Iudgement into wormewood that in many things he desisted from acquiring his own right when the right hand of aequitie led him thereto though the heathen observed that Iustice is a vertue in nature so conioyning with the heart of man that there is no greater sympathy betweene the Loadstone Iron then betweene Iustice and the heart So that in a Prince especially absolute Iustice in its rigour cannot seeme deformed that of Heraclitus being most true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prince the Image of God Heracl