thesis That subjects may rebell against those whom God hath advanced to bee their lawfull Kings they come in with the hypothesis to inueigle the weake or malecontents that Kings excommunicated by the Pope are devested of that dignity as Sampson was of his strength by the shauing of Dalilah and therefore they may be dealt with as other men who are publique enemies to Christianitie Thus they cease not most diuelishly to spread in their slaunderous pamphlets virulent libels and secret whisperings which must goe by tradition from hand to hand to mislead simple women and worke on desperate humours who discontented that all things runne not as they would haue it assure themselues of redresse in any change whatsoeuer Now what is this in effect but to preach on Sheba's text We haue no part in David nor any inheritance in the sonne of Iesse What other conclusion doe they driue at in all their Volumes against the Kings Supremacy and subjects Oath of allegiance but to make their followers conceit that they haue no part in King Iames nor any inheritance in the lawfull Successour of blessed Queene Elizabeth This doctrine it should seeme the Earle Gowrie had learned and brought from Italy who in many things may be paraleld with Sheba to make vp the conclusion 10. As Sheba was vnus ex proceribus according to Strigelius Nobilis and celebris saith O siander Nobly and Honourably descended so was Gowrie Sheba liued in a place of note and credit amongst those of his Tribe and Countrey Gowrie herein was not much inferiour There neuer appeared other then good correspondence before betweene Sheba and King David the like was betweene Gowrie and our Soueraigne For after the just execution of his father in his Majesties minoritie he restored this traytour his sonne his lands and dignities advanced two or three of his Sisters to wait on the Queene in her privie chamber vsed that wretch Alexander graciously who so wretchedly was the chiefe actour in the plot But fauours rather exasperate then winne where a poysoned heartturnes all to the worst For as Sheba as it should seeme ever bore a secret grudge to David for a wrong conceaued offered to the house of Saul So did Gowrie to the King for the death of his Father Thus both played the hypocrites both watched but the opportunity both violently tooke it being offered both attempted and both by the providence of the King of Kings were wonderfully defeated Sheba is set down in my text to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dissolute son of Belial moulded in gall and venome without conscience to vndertake any villany And what can we make better of Gowrie a meere Atheist without any sense or touch of Religion as Sprott afterward confessed at his arraignment 1608 his complices Rashtiltaig Bowre of the same stamp his recourse to Necromancers and inchanted characters found at his death about him testifie no lesse So that Sheba here comes behind him for ought we finde as being not linked to Belial in so firme a band Last of all as Sheba sped afterward so Gowrie had his due at the first onset King Iames being deliuered as David to magnifie the Deliverer in the imitation of David which he there did presently vpon his knees in the midst of his owne servants they all kneeling round about him in the place of his deliuerie and hath celebrated this day ever since for a thankfull remembrance And now Beloued what remaineth for vs but to vnite our hearts and prayers in a thankfull congratulation David will well helpe vs to expresse our selues as in most of his Psalmes of thanksgiuing so most compendiously for this purpose in the 21. The King shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation His honour is great in thy salvation glory and great worship shalt thou lay vpon him And why Because the King putteth his trust in thee O Lord and in thy mercy we trust he shall never miscarry Let all his enemies O Lord feele thy hand let thy right hand finde out them that hate him Make them like a fierie ouen in the time of thy wrath Thou Lord shalt destroy them in thy displeasure and the fire shall consume them Their fruit shalt thou root out from the earth and their seed from among the children of men For they intended mischiefe against thine Anointed imagined such adevice as they were notable to performe Therefore hast thou put them to flight and the stringes of thy bow were made ready against the faces of them Bee thou therefore exalted O Lord in thy own strength that wee may ever sing and prayse thy power To whom three persons in one Deity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost bee ascribed all Honour and Glory Might Majesty and Dominion both now and evermore Amen Higgaion Selah FOR THE DISCOVERY OF THE POWDER-PLOT A SERMON PREACHED AT St MARIES IN OXFORD the fift of November By IOHN PRIDEAVX Doctor of Divinity Regius Professor and Rector of Exeter College OXFORD Imprinted by LEONARD LICHFIELD Anno Salutis 1636. HIGGAION ET SELAH PSALME 9.16 The Lord is knowne by the iudgement which hee executeth the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah THere is no man that compares the words of my text with the occasion of this dayes assembly but-will straight-way acknowledge the fitnesse of this acknowledgement as at all times never to bee forgotten so especially vpon this day and occasion with an Higgaion and Selah to be remembred The Lord is knowne by the iudgement which hee executeth the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands This perchance will receiue the more life when it snall appeare that David in this whole Psalme may well bee made our spokes-man as composing it for a celebration of some extraordinary deliuerance and leauing it to the Church as a patterne for imitation And so much may bee collected from the title it selfe that in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our last Translators as you may see frame to the chiefe Musician and his instrument Iunius to the tune of treble or countertenor an excellent applying of such faculties which now most commonly are abused But others either by disioynting the words or straining the poynts or taking vantage of inversion of letters and divers significations of the same roote as n = a In hunc locum Moller and Lorinus at large informe bring it about either to be a thankesgiuing for Pharaoh's destruction and the first borne of Egypt or Goliah's overthrow or Nabals fall or Hanun's discomfiture for abusing Davids messengers or according to Saint Hierome and Aquinas expressed in the vulgar edition out of the Septuagint pro occult is filij for the discouering and punishing of the secret plots of Absalom his sonne For those that expound it of Christs Victory over death and Satan mistake an application for an interpretation as Burgensis well taxeth Lyra And others obserue not the
Chron. 13. in these very words If it seeme good vnto you saith he and that it be of the Lord let vs send abroad vnto our brethren every where that are left in all the land of Israell and with them also to the Priests and Levits which are in their Cities and Suburbs that they may gather themselues vnto vs and let vs bring the Arke againe vnto vs for we enquired not at it in the daies of Saul What should not such words of a King worke with well affected subiects There wanted not in himselfe wisdome to dispose or authority to command or resolution to execute yet it pleaseth him to advise with the present and send for them that are absent and make himselfe a party by calling them Brethren and acknowledge the common fault that all might joyne for amendment Such kinde vsage leaues most commonly the greatest impression in liberall dispositions and workes often more sweetly then imperious commands Here it appeares it did in the words next following 1. Chron. 13.4 And all the Congregation said that they would doe so for the thing was right in the sight of all the people All the people therefore from Shihor to Hemah the vtmost borders of the kingdome came flocking with all alacrity to giue their readiest attendance It could be no small company when 30000 are noted for choice men of Israell and the rest left numberlesse vnder their severall Captaines and Commanders These we finde here marching from Ierusalem as it should seeme to Baalah from Baalah to Kiriath-iearim 1. Chron. 13.6 in which Citty on a hill thence called Gibeah stood Abinadabs house where the Arke had remained after its returne from the Philistines and the plague of the Bethshemites for prying into it full twenty yeares together Thence it is now taken as a man would thinke with the greatest solemnity and reverence that might be devised A new cart is made for the purpose 1. Sam. 7.2 to prevent the least suspicion of pollution or prophanenesse Abinadabs sonnes who had attended it so long in their Fathers house haue their charge continued to bee the nearest Guardians about it Achio is before Vzzah comes after the rest keepe their due distance A goodly sight it must needs be of such well ordered troupes vpon so sacred a peece of service The King reioyceth the Musicke soundeth the multitude shouteth and no doubt but that prescribed forme of prayer at the Arkes removing was then often repeated Rise vp Lord And let thine enemies be scatterd and let them that hate thee flie before thee Numb 10.35 But what more vsuall then mens surest expectations to be deceaued and their best intentions crossed Crosses and contentments take their turnes not as men would haue it but as God disposeth They that travelled here so contentedly with such variety of good company and musicke how suddenly not long after their first setting forth doe they meet with an accident which puts them all out of heart and their instruments as it were out of tune For 2 When they came to Nachons threshing floore Vzzah put forth his hand to the Arke of God and tooke hold of it for the Oxen shooke it And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah and Godsmote him there for his errour and there he died by the Arke of God Wherein may it please you to obserue in generall these three parts 1. The danger that the Arke was in The Oxen shooke it 2. Vzzah's fault he put forth his hand and tooke hold of it 3. The present punishment inflicted vpon the fact God smote him there for his errour and there he died c. The first intimates against the Papists that the most setled estate of the Church while it is here militant is not priviledged from shaking nor its chiefest vpholders from stumbling The second against the Puritans that every man in such a case is not to thrust forth his hand to be a Reformer farther then his place and calling warrant him The third against the Atheisticall Politicians that God cannot be deluded as men are hee will espy a fault and strike perchance suddenly though never so faire a glosse be set vpon the action Of these in their order as God shall enable me and your Royall patience giue way And first of the first which is the danger the Arke was in This is here prefaced vnto vs with foure circumstances 1. Of the Time when 2. Of the persons They. 3. Of the progresse Came. Lastly of the place to Nachons threshing-floore All which to discusse apart were to shew more curiosity then iudgement and to insist vpon quiddities as the manner of some is to gaine applause of wit in that the Holy Ghost never meant I came not to this place with any such intent but to discharge my duty in preaching Christ Iesus for the winning of soules Their grounds to mee are vnknowne that dare to doe otherwise May it please you therefore to beare with plainenesse and to expect no deeper speculations then this Historicall text affordeth which here in the first entrance puts vs to a stand with David and his chosen company 3 And when they came to Nachons threshing floore That which it pleaseth the Holy Ghost to register is not for man to neglect according to that of the Rabbines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not a one title of the text of Scripture but mountaines of matter may be observed in it Threshing and threshing floores are seldome mentioned in prophane Authors but in Scripture sometime yeeld illustration of God's execution vpon the wicked So Babylon is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sonne of Gods threshing floore in respect of the pressure it was to vndergoe Isaiah 21.10 Sometimes of his favour so Ephraims faire necke was not grated with the plow-yoake but appointed a more favourable taske as a Heifar to tread out the corne Hos 10.11 These threshing floores the Israelites esteemed no lesse then their stateliest mansions In the 15. of Numb we haue a heaue offring of the threshing floore and of this the Levites receiue a benefite cap. 28. And how many matters of consequence are registred to haue happened in threshing floores The great mourning of Egypt for Iacob the miracle on Gedeons fleece Gen. 50. Iud. 6. 2. Sam. 24. 2. Chron. 3. The apparition of an Angell with his sword drawne against Ierusalem then an Altar erected by David after the Temple it selfe by Solomon all in Threshing-floores Now this Threshing-floore which is here said to bee Nachon's in 1. Chron. 13. is stiled Chidon's taking that name as most Interpreters haue it from that saying of God to Iosuah V. 18. cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lift vp thy speare or shield toward Ai. But that place in my mappe lyeth too farre out of the way to haue any neighbour-hood with Nachons Threshing-floore The Chaldye Paraphrase reads it by the appellatiue Locum praeparatum and that for two respects as Caietane giues the
other of the like nature which our Adversaries so stifly stand vpon referred to the dignity of the worker imports a meritorious cause But in regard of the worke it selfe or of the humane Nature apart a consequent to that which went before and a passage to the reward which followes vpon it So much the word merit commonly among the Ancients signified and therefore is fitly expounded by compararare acquirere obtinere adipisci to get to receaue to obtaine to take possession In which sense the most Advised Divines ever vnderstood their Predecessors But this contents not our moderne Merit-mongers Merit is the Popes Mint and therefore must be alway kept going The merit of Christs humanity and the merit of blessed Angels between the instant of their creation and possession of eternall happinesse must be so strictly vrged to make way for Monkish merit and fill their own Church Treasure with workes of superrarogation Otherwise the doctrine of Iustification by faith alone would quickly make them all turne mendicants The more it stands vs vpon Beloued to weigh their peeces before we take them for pay and not to be too liberall in granting them such premisses whereby they shall be animated to venture vpon worse conclusions In a contrary strayne how dangerously doth Socinus take vantage by affirming that Christ so meriting for himselfe serued his own turne only and not ours in that behalfe and therefore his doings and sufferings were only exemplary for our imitation not satisfactory for our redemption Which cuts off all the assurance comfort of our salvation Such dangerous heresies may arise from the misconstruing of one particle as combustions from the neglect of the smallest spark The Master of the sentences shall shut vp this point as being sounder in it then most of his Schollers If Christs virtues and Actions saith he were enough to cleare himselfe from blame wherefore should he suffer and dye His answere is prote non prose for thee not for himselfe But how for mee Vt ipsius passio tibi esset forma causa forma virtutis humilitatis causa gloriae libertatis That his passion might be to thee a patterne and cause a pattern of virtue and humility a cause of glory eternall freedome And here wee may not let slippe that vse which a reuerend Father of our Church hath wittily obserued vpon the like connection Here saith he on earth there is an exaltauit oftentimes a lifting vp of the head to preferment without a propter quod so Sobna and Haman and Sanballat with others of the like merit are sometimes exalted but no man can guesse or imagine why or wherefore But with God it is alwaies otherwise Proptereà must goe before exaltavit the race before the meed the therefore before the lifting vp of the head labouring in the vineyard before the distribution of the penny faithfulnesse in a little before the rule over much The Corne must first dye before it blossome out the blade or eare and wee dye before wee rise and drinke our part of the brooke before the head be lifted vp Which falleth on the manner of our Saviours exaltation and the matter I intend to conclude with 9. Shall he lift vp the head The lifting vp of the head most commonly signifieth in scripture the Advancement from an inferiour condition to a better So Evilmerodach lifted vp the head of Iehoiakim his Captiue to a freer estate 2. Kings and the last Thou art my worship and the lifter vp of my head Psalm 3. In the 52. of Isaiah wee haue three words in the same verse which note in this kinde the three degrees of comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high v. 13. Which the ancient Rabbins with the Chalday Paraphrase expound expresly of the Messias Howsoeuer the latter contradict it for as in his humiliation all were amazed at his visage mangled and marred more then any mans so in his exaltation they admire the vnexpected change and Kings shut their mouthes at the hearing and seeing of those things they thought incredible as it followeth there immediatly to the'nd of the Chapter All this is here comprized Hee not another saith S. Ierome but the person that was abased in the Incarnation and Passion Shall by his owne power not vpon a vantage occasionally taken but by an absolute decree set downe from eternity Life vp the head to spoyle principalities by his triumphing over the powers of darknesse to trample the world vnder his feet by his glorious Ascention Rule in the midst of his enemies by the Iron rod of his wrath conquer the Nations to be converted by the two edged sword of his word and rescue and redeeme his owne elect by his euerlasting Priesthood Lift vp your heads therefore O yee Gates and bee yee lifted vp yee everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Who is the King of glory Hee that was a man of sorrowes brought as a Lambe to the slaughter Isai 53. and buried in the graue with the wicked But after he had made his soule an offering for sinne and quitted himselfe from the brooke of all those miseries then the pleasure of the Lord prospered in his hand to divide the spoyle among the mighty Then brake he the arrowes of the bowe the sword the shield and the battle became of more honour then the hills of the robbers and shewed himselfe triumphantly to be the King of glory 10. And now Beloued is it not meet that the members by drinking and swimming with all resolution and perseverance should prepare to lift vp their heads also by following this their head But alas how should Cain lift vp the head who hath slayne his brother Abel or Achab that hath made away poore Naboth to possesse his vineyard Or Iudas that hath betrayed his Master Or Simon Magus that is in the gall of bitternesse or Ananias Saphira who goe about to cosen the holy spirit of God With what face can that head bee lifted vp which is drowsie with drunkennesse or distracted with idle or pernitious plots or whirled about with vaine glory or poring still on muck through covetousnesse or looking askew through envie and implacable malice Awake thou therefore that sleepest and lift vp thy head and he that beholdeth thy tossings will ever keepe it aboue water neuer feare of drowning as long as he directeth and such a Pilot hath thee in his charge If thou sinking cry out with Peter his hand will bee quickly stretcht out to saue thee and set thee at last in the surest landing Regino reports in the first of his Chronicles pag. 19. that Guntranne a German King sleeping on a time by a brooke there came a little thing out of his mouth which sought a passage ouer but dared not to venture Wherevpon his
world amazed at the Prodigie would in those dayes haue yeelded some forraine Mathematicians to haue recorded it Besides the text every where insisteth vpon the shadow and but once mentioneth the Sunne and then not going back in the heauen but brought back in Ahaz his Dyall To that which is objected out of the 31. verse that notice was taken of this in other Countries seeing some were sent from Babylon to inquire of the wonder they answer out of the same place They came to see the wonder that was done in the Land whereof they might heare not of the going backe of the Sunne the dayes miraculous length which at home they had seene I am not ignorant how Mathew Toring replies on this of Burgensis If saith he the shadow should yeeld vs this miracle without the Sunne then God should be put to creare a new light which should haue a motion without a subject and bee brighter then the Sunne to obscure his shadow and make his owne apparent But to this Burgensis might answere that God might so inflect and dispose the Sunne-beames which naturally are darted out at a right line to cast a shadow forth or back from any grosse body as His wisedome should hold most convenient Howsoever a great miracle it must needs bee and no lesse perchance to finde the shadow goe backe when the Sunne keepes his course as the Sunne to change his course and the shadow to attend on it In this difference being out of my profession I take not vpon me to be vmpire Wee may make vse of both Jn the first a good King resembles that Sun that giueth life and influence to all the rest of the starres cannot haue his course stayed but by an almighty hand and leaueth darknesse and horrour whensoeuer he departeth In the second our life is a shadow euery minute mouing forward in the Dyall of our time which none can stop or set backe but he that gaue Hezekiah a signe And signes hee giueth also to vs Beloued of his extraordinary mercies and favour in another kinde if our vnthankfulnesse would but take notice of what wee fully enioy A most gracious Soueraigne a flourishing Church a peaceable Common-wealth reward for vertue punishment for vice Infinite such signes may be reckned but what reformation they worke in vs our own conscience can best informe vs. Theodoricus Archbishop of Colen mentioned by Aeneas Sylvius in the second booke of his Commentaries of the deeds of King Alphonsus when the Emperour Sigismund demanded him of the directest course to happinesse Performe saith he when thou art well what thou promisedst when thou wert sick And blessed are they that so are visited by Gods hand that they pray with Hezekiah and so pray that God may speake vnto them and so speake that signes accompany it of his mercifull favour The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost bee with vs all evermore AMEN PEREZ-VZZAH OR The Breach of VZZAH As it was deliuered in a Sermon before His MAIESTY at Woodstocke August the 24. Anno 1624. By IOHN PRIDEAVX Rector of Exeter Colledge His MAIESTIE'S Professor in Divinity at that time Vice-Chancellour of the Vniversity of OXFORD 1. COR. 7.17 As God hath called every man so let him walke AC OX OXFORD Imprinted by LEONARD LICHFIELD Anno Salutis 1636. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IAMES EARLE OF ARREN LORD OF EVENNA ANDINNERDALE c. all the blessings of this life and that hereafter Right Honorable GIue mee leaue to present only to your View that which you heard not long since distractedly vttered I haue ever obserued your extraordinary favours toward me which I wish I could as well deserue as thankefully acknowledge When importunity therefore had extorted from me the publishing of these troubled Meditations I could not bee to seeke of a Patron Your Heroicall disposition in generall and particular respect to mee being so fresh in memory Weake frames need the stronger supporters and often times a poore Pamphlet becommeth passable by a rich frontispice I desire this may be admitted not as an acquittance for former debts but an obligation for future payment which were I as able as ready should not bee long behind But where true Noblenesse is radicall harmelesse presumption and vngarded plainnesse for want of Court complement seldome meets with a checke This emboldens mee to depend on your tryed acceptance who am Oxford Exeter Colledge Octob. 22. 1624. Your Honours most bounden to be commanded IOHN PRIDEAVX 2. SAM 6. 6 And when they came to Nachons threshing floore Vzzah put forth his hand to take the Arke of God and tooke hold of it for the Oxen shooke it 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah and God smote him there for his errour and there he died by the Arke of God 1 MY Text intimates a kind of progresse vndertaken by King David with his Peeres and People to remoue the Arke of God from Gibeah of Kiriath-iearim 1. Chro. 16.1 where it sometimes soiourned and rest it at Ierusalem in the Tabernacle he had erected for it The least reflection on the argument of the former chapter will cleare the Connection and shew the dependence of this passage vpon that which went before After the death of Saul's sonne Ishbosheth the vnion of Israel and Iudah 2. Sam. 4.7 Ib. c. 5.1.3 Ver. 6. Ver. 17. 22. and their ioynt homage performed to David in Hebron the besieging of Jerusalem and winning it from the Iebusites with two other notable victories against their bad neighbours the Philistins The first thing this good King thinks vpon is the setling of Gods service He held it a neglect no longer to be indured that the Arke of God should want a Tabernacle or the Tabernacle bee so farre from Ierusalem his chiefe abode that he might not daily resort vnto it He considered that Abinadabs private house could not be fit for such publike worship and all the time of King Saul little harkening was there after such matters But now peace being established by the devoluing of the Scepter to him Religion began to looke out as the Sunne after a storme Esth 2. The Persians perhaps with Assuerus would haue revelled vpon such successe more then an hundred and fourescore daies together and the Romanes haue pageanted our lesse victories in many an ambitious triumph But Gods children seeke not their owne but the glory of him that protects them Impediments may sometimes hinder or distractions divert or crosses disable their best designes but their hearts are alwaies fixed on the right as here King Davids was to expresse it selfe vpon the first opportunity afforded A Parliament therefore is proclaimed and consultation had with the thousands and hundreds of the choisest Priests and People of all Israel It would doe a man good to consider the gratious speech of this religious King then had in this Parliament though here omitted yet registred in 1.