all those that favour the good of Jsrael more especially settle and inlarge his blessings upon you and your posterity that you may all do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem that you may be on earth instruments of his glory to the good of his Church so shall you be vessels of glory in the kingdome of heaven The which is his daily prayer who is Worthy Sir Yours ever in the Lord to be commanded THEOPH WODENOTE PErhaps some Reader may account prophane Descants from Records as are here humane But yet all wise men know how Humane story Vs'd by Divines tend much unto Gods glory And holy wisdome sweetly does extract A blessed use of each true famed fact As Rich men use in hospitality He first invites thee to this century Somewhat the better that prepare he might And satiate thy purer appetite Whose course of study I so fully know That for this Humane Century he can shew Of Sacred Story Chiliad-observation To gratifie at full all expectation And if unbias'd hearts these entertaiâ—e Hermes next time a Star will shine againe And out of holy Writ communicate His rich Select's in his Sequestred state And though an Olive doe begin the feast A Pearle at last shall helpe all to digest P. M. YOu that wed eHistories and from them draw out Only the Vulgar and the common Rout Of Observations mend your Pens by this Write by this Copy you can't write amisse Each Author here speakes his owne mind and we Receive their writings now for Prophecy For our sad Times they so exactly hit As if they first had seen them and then writ If th' Records Pagan were these Descants shall Bptize them all make them Canonicall P. M. NEW DESCANTS UPON OLD RECORDS IT was the complaint of the Emperour Adrian when he lay a dying Many Physitians have destroyed the Emperour a Their contrary conceipts Xiphilinus in Adriano and different directions he meant had hastened his death and cut him off before his time There are so many Censurers and Correctors of our not sick but sound Religion approved by the sacred Scriptures and attested by the blood of many faithfull Martyrs There are so many Reformers and Rectifiers of all ages sexes and degrees of all professions and trades that take upon them to order our Church according to their severall crooked imaginations that they have reduced all things in it to a Chaos and confusion and defaced and spoiled one of the most compleat Churches if not the principall both for doctrine and discipline now extant in the Christian world II. IF Timotheus had not been we had not had such musique but if Phrynes Timotheus his Teacher had not been we had not had Timotheus saith Aristotle (b) Meta. lib. 2. c. 1. If as he Musick we consider these times of Mourning we may as truly but with detestation say If there had not been discontented people abroad we had not heard of so great contentions and tumults suffered such plunderings and oppressions seene so many wounds and murthers but if there had not been such and such Schismaticall Priests like violent winds moving and troubling the brains of the people and inciting them to Rebellion we had not had such discontented people The people would have been peaceable and tractable as heretofore had not some false Prophets been as bellowes and brands of Insurrection had not seditious Oratours been as Drummers in a Campe and as Trumpetters sounding to a battell III. ANtisthenes the Philosopher being asked What a Feast was Answered That it was an occasion of much surfeiting and many other disorders If you make a question now what our Spirituall Feasts the best liked and most applauded Sermons are They are shiftings and juglings for a wrong Cause they are traducings of the KING and slanderings of the Foot-steps of Gods Anointed They are the countenancers and promoters of Civill Warre contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures and dictate of Religion and Conscience They are Alarums to stir up Sedition Rebellion Atheisme They are Invectives against all Learning and Loyaltie They are casters out of one Devill by another abolishers of Idolatry by Sacriledge They are the gall of bitternesse and the bond of Iniquity IV. THe Lord Ellesmor the Lord Chancellour of this Realme a great lover of mercy whose memoriall is still blessed was heard to professe as I have read that if he had beene a Preacher this should have been his Text A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast (c) Prov. 12.10 The Propheticall Incendiaries of the late fearfull unnaturall War how far were they from this disposition how far from thoughts and bowels of mercies how far from a desire to preach mercies when it was a common course with them by Vipcrine glosses to eate out the bowels of a mercifull Text when nothing was more usuall amongst them then with stony hearts and brazen faces to alledge the words of the Scripture against the meaning then to wrong and wring the Scripture till it bled but they would mis-construe and misapply it one way or other to stir and incite men to the shedding of blood Arme arme Fight fight Bloud bloud Kill these Cavaliers these Popish Pagans were still with them deductions from their Texts V. CAmbyses demanding of his Counsellors Whether he might not marry his sister by the Law of the Land They answered They found no Law that allowed a brother to marry his sister but one that permitted the King of the Persians to doe as he list (d) Heredotus Our proud peevish Brownists impatient of Government sons of Belial a rebellious and obstinate people having necks as an iron sinew and brows of brasse cannot in all the Scriptures find any sound or seeming proofe for this their foule rebellion Neither can their false Prophets their chiefe Counsellours find out any such places for them but therefore they use in a wrong sense so to inlarge and amplifie the great benefit of our Christian liberty the which indeed is a freedome from all hellish slavish feare but not from a holy and sonne-like feare a freedome from the curse but not from the obedience of the Law that they have now made many simple people little seene in heavenly matters beleeve that the reines are pulled from Christians necks and they left to their owne dispositions that there is a liberty purchased for Christians to doe what every man liketh and to live under no obedience to Ecclesiasticall or Civill Governors VI. WHen Mahomet was now about to establish his abominable superstition wherein he had mingled the lawes and doctrines of Heathens of Jewes of false Christians and Hereticks with the illusions and inventions of his own braine he gave it forth for a maine principle how God at the first to Man-kind sent Moses after him Jesus Christ who were indued with the power to work miracles but men gave small heed to them Therefore he determined to send Mahomet a Warriour without Miracles that whom
faith which she had made to her husband at his departure but still remained faithfull What Regiments what Fleets of schismaticall and hereticall wooers are now in the world who under pretence of devotion zeale and good intendments compasse Sea and Land to make one of their profession and what a great cunning crew of them in these Kingdomes every man striving what he may to advance and advantage his cause These wooe the silly and simple sort of people and with words of deceit cease not to entice unstable soules to wrong Christ to breake covenant with him and contract themselves with new husbands new Lords that have new Laws which Christ never used but ô take heed and beware let none of these wooers wooe you or if they wooe you let them not win you be true to Christ your loving Ulysses your true bridegroome your dear Soveraign your gratious Saviour O forget not his parables his precepts his sentences his Sacraments his prayer his peace that he left with you LI. IT was Annibals saying of Marcellus that he had to do with him who could never be quiet neither Conqueror nor Conquered l Plate in vita Annib. but Conquering he would pursue his victories and Conquered labour to recover his losse but much rather may a man say the like of Satan that great ramping Lion the Arch-envier of our peace and happinesse who is the most wrathfull and the most watchfull enemy who is never idle but ever imployed in sowing cockles amongst the Lords good corne who though we stoutly resist him and overcome him for a time yet will never rest nor give over but will be tempting againe yea will not cease to assay us againe and againe with the same temptations hoping at length to win our consents and to give us the foile Wherefore having often well fought against him and subdued him yet watch we still and pray we continually to God that we be not over-mastered by him LII I Would never sit upon that seate said Themistocles from which my friends should receive no more benefit from me then strangers And indeed how often do friends sway the ballance of Justice who hath not seen how private respects cause too many Judges to leave the truth and to hear the falsehood but ô the Scriptures teach Magistrates a clean contrary lesson when they put on the persons of Judges to put off the persons of friends when they sit in the place of Justice not to thinke they are now husbands or parents or kinsmen or neighbours but Judges and therefore without all by respects to discharge that truth which the great God of heaven and earth hath reposed in them and expecteth from them not once remembring their foes for any pressures and altogether forgetting their friends for any partiality LIII I Socrates an Athenian Orator in his counsell to Demonicus a young Gentleman man like to be called to a great place saith thus unto him Depart not from an Office more rich but more honourable then when thou undertookest it The instruction given by this heathen may shame many Christians our Officers regard not with what dishonour or dishonestie they keep or leave their places so they may be rich never fear though they tread their Wine out of other mens grapes reape their corne out of other mens fields so they may store their owne houses with provision so they may make their children great and turne them into gallants they take no care make no scruple though they turne their own souls into hell LIV. IT is written of Charles of Prague that he supped often with a few sentences and arguments in the Schooles m D. Humfred in vita Juelli his meditation was all the meat he had for that meale But if some of the most devout Sequestrators now a daies most abounding with lip holinesse and righteousnesse were restrained and tied for a while to no better allowance the which yet were great kindnesse to their covetous straitnesse and continuall cruelty towards their prisoners there is no doubt to be made but you should quickly hear them complaine of short commons I make no question but you should soone hear them with no small passion exclaime upon their persecutors malice covetousnesse pride seeking by others ruines to be Grandees and to advance their heads above all that is called their neighbour you should then hear at large of their owne good breeding great worth and deserts whereof they were never guilty you should then hear the subjects property displaied and set forth at full and approved by Laws and reasons both humane and Divine LV. HErod as we find in authentick historie making full account to destroy Christ amongst the rest not only slew all the other children near the place where Christ was borne but spared not his own child the fruite of his own loines flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone n Euscb lib. 1. c. 9. Macrob. Saturu lib. 2. cap. 4. what bones made he to pluck up that affection to his child which nature had planted in him or further to set unnaturall murther in the place The which being reported to Augustus the Emperour It is better saith he to be Herods sow then his son To such heavy sufferings to such hard distresses to such evident and extreame calamities have they been driven to in these unmercifull times who have spent their times their spirits their lives their patrimonies for the good of the Church such unconscionable and violent wrongs and oppressions have been practised of late upon grave learned and conscientious Divines the chariots and horsemen of our Israel by the horsemen and footmen in our Israel that just cause have they to cry out and say to such persecutors shame saving the honour due unto God Better be the peoples plowmen then Priests LVI IT was the Poets vaine and groundless conceit of Hector that so long as he lived Troy could not be destroyed terming him the immovable and inexpugnable pillar of Troy But well may it be said of a faithfull man that he is a mighty stay strength a maine defender and upholder of the place where he liveth for whose sake for whose presence and prayers out of the Lords abundant kindnesse to all his even the wicked are often within the shadow of Gods protection spared as for one just Lot the Angels spared the City Zoar Zoar might perhaps be as bad as Sodom but here was a difference It had a righteous Lot within Sodom had none o Gen. 19.21 LVII DIonysius the younger confessed that he maintained many Sophisters not that he did admire them but that for their sakes he might himselfe be admired Though there be no great number now a daies that are further liberall to Scholars and Ministers then only in outward complement yet I fear a great part of them also part not with their kindnesses to please God who requireth it at their hands whom they ought to make reckoning of above all and to
greatest delights they may have secret heart-burnings and grievous vexations what God and themselves only know The Lord hath spoken it twice and therefore it must needs be plaine and peremptory that there is no peace to the wicked t Esay 48.22.57 21. Their lookes may be sometimes lively but their hearts are alwayes heavy LXXXV DIonysius Heracleotes a soure and severe defender of that Stoicall unfeelingness of passions being tormented in his reines cried out that all things were false which he had till then held and maintained of paine and griefe as that it might be easily borne and endured whatsoever it was for now he felt the contrary that paine pincheth and will be felt and is able to make the strongest stoope notwithstanding all plaisters of phylosophie and humane reasons A wounded conscience many no doubt thinke is not so hard to bear as some talke may easily be salved up by many outward carnall helps Feasting and merry company eating and drinking musick and gaming and things of like nature can easily smooth it over but if ever they feele it indeed they will assuredly confesse that all such medicines are nought worth against spiritual qualmes and that the horrour of a terrified conscience is an importable burthen no way to be asswaged but by the only mediation of Christ Jesus LXXXVI PHilip King of Macedon said that he was bound to the Athenian Oratours which reviled him because they were to him as fire to gold wind to corne file to rust soape to linnen because they were an occasion to make him the more vertuous and advised and enforced him all his life long both in his actions and words to prove them lyars I will therefore so live saith he that no man shall beleeve them that if I cannot bar the mouthes of the slanderers yet I may stop the eares of the hearers u Plutar. in his Apotheg There is hardly now a learned Orthodoxe and consciencious Divine amongst us that is not traduced for a Papist by a sort of sawcy schismaticall hungry cormorants that gape for our meanes how wisely shall we profit by their malitious reproach if thereupon we carry our selves every day to the end of our lives more virtuously then other having better consciences that whereas they speak evill of us as evill doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse our good conversation in Christ w 1 Pet. 3.16 LXXXVII CRates having lost all by shipwrack go too fortune quoth he I know what thou meanest thou intendest only to call me to Phylosophie Thus he being a Pagan that knew not fortune from God And shall Christians no sooner begin to fall into misery but be at their wits end shall not they perceive the end of Gods afflicting them that he doth it to instruct them the better to know him themselves and the world to know him whom they have so often offended and turne unto him by true repentance to know their mortall and fraile nature that weareth and wasteth away with outward crosses to know the mutability of the world and the deceitfulnesse of the world shall not they consider that when they are judged they are chastened by the Lord that they should not be condemned with the world x 1 Cor. 11 32. LXXXVIII I Read how Phydius was apt for all practises could turne his hand to any trade could shew his cunning as well in any other mettall or matter as in brasse This cannot all doe neither is it fit for all to do Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called y 1 Cor. 7.10 Study to be quiet and to do your owne businesse saith the Apostle z 1 Thes 4 11. It is not fit for men to meddle in other mens trades neither shall we likely find such another Phideas but howsoever a true Christian though he cannot fashion his hand to every trade yet should learne to frame his heart to every estate he should know how to rise and how to fall how to want and how to abound he should be able to swimme in prosperity without pride and to suffer in adversity without peevishnesse humbly and thankfully imbracing whatsoever favour the Lord sendeth him and kissing whatsoever cross he laieth on his back LXXXIX IN the Olympian combatings set forth and solemnized in the honour of Sathan they only woare the Crowne who overcame by doing harme to others they which struck the greatest blow went away with the prize but in our spirituall conflicts not they which strike but these which bear the greatest stroake shall go away with the reward they rather are Crowned who win the victory by suffering wrong of others suffering is the way to glory Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heaven for as they suffer here with Christ so they shall raigne hereafter with Christ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you a Mat. 5.10 11 12. XC WHat a bitter and cruell wrong was that offered to Mauritius the Emperour when his ungratefull subject and servant Phocas slew before his face his Wife and five Children And yet were not his thoughts so much upon the Adversary to be vexed as upon the righteous God to be humbled And yet spake he not one word to the enemy no not in such a woefull case b Abbas Urs 158. but considering weighing his own sins continued still crying till the sword sundred his head from his body just art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements Why then do we of inferiour places so many degrees behind Mauritius in these times of persecution so earnestly looke to the heavines and grievousnes of the wrongs offered why then do we so passionately presse the unkindnesse and injustice of the outward agents and instruments why do we not rather looke up as we ought to him that sitteth at the sterne and guideth all particulars why do we not rather recount and ponder how many wayes we our selves have offended God and our neighbours for which we may justly suffer why do we not rather consider that it commeth not upon us without our deserts because God is just nor will it be without our profit because God is good XCI EXceeding is the love of earthly heathenish mothers to children when Agrippena Neroes mother being with child with him was after great consultation seriously fore-told by Astrologers that her son should be Emperour but when he was advanced should kill his mother let me be slaine saith shee so he may raigne and much more no doubt is the love being better ordered by Gods word of true Christian parents but ô how infinite is Gods love to his adopted sons and daughters Can a woman forget her sucking child saith the Lord by the