eternity it selfe Iesus Christ our Saviour to perfect his Apostles in the way of salvation saith to them in generall Blessed are the mercifull c. As if hee had said I doe much hate and abhorre cruelty that I desire also that you that are my Disciples should expell and banish it quite from your hearts and thoughts and in her roome to admit and entertaine mercy that heavenly vertue which I both esteeme deerely and love and respect perfectly You must therefore practise this eternally praise-worthy vertue if you will be blessed for it is impossible to get into my Fathers favour if you be not furnished and armed with mercie You cannot ascend to the top of felicity before you have left sinne this heavâ—e and intolerable burthen I say before you have received pardon and absolution for your faults which you can never obtaine before you have forgiven your brethren their offences before you have shewed your selves favourable and willing to assist them In a word before you have exâ—ended and practised on them all sorts of mildnesse clemencie and meekenesse which they shall stand in neede of for I say vnto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie We reade words like unto these Luke 6.36 Be yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And againe after forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you give and it shall be given unto you And Eccl. 4. Be mercifull to the Orphans be unto them a father and to their mothers a husband and then yee shall be the obedient sonnes of the most high who will yet more liberally distribute unto you his great mercie And Pro. 11. The soule that doth good shall be exceedingly filled and replenished It is a principle flowing from our nature that we must not doe to another what we would not have done to our selves from which principle is derived that golden sentence of Christ. Luk. 6. With what measure you mete it shall be againe measured unto you And Iames 2. Condemnation without mercie shall fall on them that have not used mercie and mercie is glorified against condemnation Blessed then are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie In which words by Gods assistance which wee to this end implore wee will consider 1. Who be these mercifull And 2. The reason why they are termed blessed And first let us heare the sacred voyce of the eternall Sonne of God the Redeemer of our soules saying in the first part of our Text Blessed are the mercifull as if he had said O how great and altogether incomparable and incomprehensible are the favours blessings and graces laid up for them that shall practise the works of mercie they shall be Citizens of heaven the Angels companions and shall eternally enjoy and â—ossesse in heaven those bâ—atitudes which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard and that are not entred into the heart of man and this is the recompence that God hath prepared for them which practise mercie Now that we may the better know the definition of this word Mercifull which is the concrete or conjoyned we will firâ—t consider it in its abstract as the Philosophers speake to wit Meâ—cie which is commonly defined to be A hearty griefe or a sorrow for anothers miserie whom we assist and helpe with all our power The object of it is the miserie and affliction of other which makes her produce these gracious and pittifull effects because shee is unable to behold the sore without applying the remedie God being one cannot suffer any kinde of division there be no qualities nor accidents in him but all things are essentiall in him the Scripture to represent him unto us doth describe him all justice and all mercie so by reason of the fore-going maxime wee cannot say that mercie is one of his parts seeing that being one hee is indivisible but wee will more properly say that he is Mercie it selfe and therefore the faithfull that shall bee mercifull that shall practise the works of charity of clemencie and meekenesse may undoubtedly beleeve that they are the sonnes of the most high who hath communicated unto them a ray or sparke of his insinite grace and mercie that so they may thereby resplend and shine with the same light with their heavenly Father tread upon his steps and be made like him as much as may be Be mercifull saith Iesus Christ as your heavenly Father is mercifull Luke 6.36 Mercie said an ancient Doctor est fidei ornamentum it is the ornament of faith for faith sheweth her selfe by her fruits which are pious and charitable works and as trees are never so faire to behold as when they are loaden and covered with fruits so faith never appeareth so glorious as when she is adorned and crowned with the sweet and delightfull fruites of mercie Hee called it againe sâ—lutis domicilium the retreate and lodging of salvation bâ—cause that when sinners shall be called to give account of their actions before God when God shall aske them the reason of their administration as that Lord in the Gospell then the shortest and safest remedie is to flye to his mercie and to aske him forgivenesse Salomon that wise King counselleth us to make a carcanet of mercie to put it about our necke and that in this habit and ornament wee shall make the accesse of heaven free to our selves finding grace before God and men and indeed it is one of the most pretious stones and that is fit to beautifie and adorne the crowne of perfection it selfe Wee will therefore compare it to the Oppall stone Irius which represents the same colours that appeare in the Raine-bowe so the mercifull makes all sorts of graces and blessings to shine upon his forehead and to appeare in his actions this Oppall stone Irius is greene red and white the greene colour represents unto us that Hope which we have to finde grace before the soveraigne Iudge of our soules and bodies The red colour represents unto us the pure blood of Christ shed upon the Crosse to obtaine this grace for us she also denoteth unto us the rednesse of our sinnes according to the Prophets phrase Though our sinnes were as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snowe Isa. 1.18 and the white colour figureth unto us the divine justice covered â—nd overcome by the whitenesse of his mercie as it is noted in the Rainebow that his white colour covereth and exceedeth the red if faire weather to be follow They marke besides that this Oppall easeth the paines and labours of women with childe so mercie lighteneth much the miseâ—ie and griefe of the afflicted We will here make no diâ—ficulty to uâ—e in this place the fabulous inventions of the Poets following the example of Salomon who tooke of Hiram though a Pagan all the wood and stones needfull for the building of the temple They usually describe Mercury the messenger of the imaginary Gods with a wand in his hand composed of hornes of
that the charity which we give and exercise to our neighbours hee will accept as done to himselfe alas who would be so savage and hardened with rigour who would be so defiled with ingratitude that having received favours from a King would yet refuse to obey him and to serue him with all his power should not hee be worthy of the greatest torments of the most cruell punishments that have ever beene imagined would not the heaven the elements and all the creatures together rise up in judgement to aske punishment for so grievous a crime since it is most true that ingratitude is the basest and damnablest vice that can infect the soule of man Let us remember that we have nothing but what we haue received of our heavenly Father and if wee have received it from his favourable and fatherly hand why should wee be so ungratefull as to refuse him a small portion of it when â—ee asketh for it Now and at all times when we heare and see the poore praying and crying unto us in the streetes or at our doores it is the voyce of God himselfe tha calleth us to acknowledge his benefits as often as wee see one afflicted that asketh us helpe and consolation let us râ—nâ—e to him and give him occasion of joy and gladnesse for it is Christ himselfe which was comforted by an Angell in the Garden when praying to God his Father hee sweated drops of blood which made him pronounce these lamentable words so full of griefe My soule is full of sorrow even unto death When we have bin offended by our neighbour and that he will cast himselfe at our feete to aske us forgivenesse let us not be such tygers and so unnaturall as to refuse him his request remembring that it is a condition needfull to obtaine the pardon for our owne sinnes which wee shall never obtaine untill wee have first forgiven our brethren their offences but let us follow the example of our heavenly Father who saith That at what time so ever a sinner repenâ—eth him of hiâ— sinnes he will put away his wickednesse out of his remembrance And when wee must appeare before the terrible and dreadfull Throne of the Soveraigne Iudge when wee shall be called to a strict account for the talents and administration which hath beene committed to our charge by our heavenly Master let us then I say follow the example of that wise Steward let us make our selues friends with the riches of iniquity let us fill the hand of the poore which is the Alâ—ar of God upon the which hee affectionatly recâ—iveth the Incense of our prayers as a delightfull and pleasing Sacrifice to the glory of his holy name Then I say shall wee heare that sweet and heavenly voyce of the Saviour of our soules speaking graciously to us after this manner Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world Amen Amen The Prayer O Lord God full of mercy and compassion O favourable Father that art the fountaine of pardon and remission and the refuge of them that truely repent who desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live wee thy poore and miserable creatures who by the weaknes of our flâ—sh by the malice of our mindes by our owne vitious inclination to follow ill examples have provoked thee to make thy wrath and indignation fall upon our sinfull heads we have many wayes and times by our transgressions incited thee to cast upon our sinfull soules the thunderbolts of thy judgements we have made sinne our delight and iniquity the height of our happinesse Thy juâ—tice did cry and runne after us like a roaring and ravening Lyon seeking to devoure us thy judgements were ready to cast our bodies and soules into hell but that the excellent greatnesse of thy mercie O bountifull and gracious Father hath interposed her selfe and hath not permitted that we should be cast downe into the depth of eternall death and condemnation thy hand O sweet Saviour hath upheld us and thy clemencie O our Redeemer hath perfectly delivered us therefore O gracious Father seeing thou hast preserued us from evill conserue us still in good things receive if such bâ— thy good pleasure the incense of our prayers oâ—r sacriâ—ice of thankesgiving which wee most humbly offer upon the sacred Alâ—ar of thy divine compassions Put up our teares into thy bottels accept our contrite hearts broken with griefe to have offended thee for a pleasing Sacrifice receive our griefes and displeasures for thy satisfaction and behold thy Sonne thy onely thy welbeloved Sonne his head pricked with thornes for our sinnes his hands his sides and his feete pierced with Lances and nayles for our iniquities for his torments sake for his paines and for his deaths sake restore us unto life forgive us our sinnes O great God blot out our iniquities that so following thy example wee may doe the like to them that have offended us change in us our hard hearts and make them gentle and easie to pardon and forgive and suffer not our soules to be defiled and infected with the venome of revenge but that leaving it unto thee we may thinke of nothing else but to be obedient unto thee blessing those that curse us speaking well of those that slaunder us and praying for those that persecute us O good God kindle in our soules an holy love towards our afflicted brethren that wee may partake with them in their afflictions and so ease them that they may the better beare that burthon which thou hast imposed upon them We most humbly beseech thee also O good Saviour to give us charitable hearts and full of compassion to helpe the poore in their neede remembring that they are oâ—r brethren that thou art the Father of us all and that we are the children of the same mother that a glasse of cold water onely given unto them is of an inestimable price before thee because thou acceptest of it as willingly and recompensest it as largely as if it had beene given to thy selfe make us understand and know that thou art the King and great Master of the world that all that is therein justly belongeth unto thee that wee are but thy Stewards to dispose of thy goods to them of thy houshold to wit the poore who as well as we have that honour to beloâ—g to thy house to be thy servants yâ—a to beare the name of thy children that when it shall please thee to call us to account wee may bee found to have used with profit the talent committed unto us and that it may please thine infinite goodnesse not for our sakes but through thy mercy for thy welbeloved Sonneâ— sake to call us good and faithfull servants and to make us enter into our Masters joy which is the heavenly Ierusalem Amen The second Way to Sion THE PRAISE OF PVRITIE MATH 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall
plenty wreathed with serpents they also give him wings with which he with incredible celerity flyes whether soever he is sent In this fable wee see a remarkable morall which is that it is a symbole of the Mercifull who quickly and without delay takes pitie of the miserie of others according to this axiome no lesse common then true Bis dat qui cito dat he giveth twice that giveth speedily Secondly he lives in all plâ—nty and abundance because that God blesseth him in all his goods as the Psalmist speaketh Hee hath given largely to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for ever his horne shall be exalted in glory and he shall have whereof to lend all the dayes oâ— his life Psal. 112.9 Thâ— serpent useth once a yeare to cast off his skinne to assume another that thereby he may be more healthfull and faire so those who are mercifull leave and cast off their wealth and substance in favour of them that need it that so they may appeare faire in the eye of the most high give your almes and all things shall bee cleane vnto you putting off the old man But that we may walke in the sacred pathes of the holy Scripture let us compare Mercie to the Serpentine rod of Moses that faithfull servant of God for if this had done many miracles in Egypt that hath done as many wonders in the world If this was called the finger of God that is an excellent vertue that maketh us come neare to God but contrarily if the rod hath turned the waters into blood Mercie turneth the blood of wrath into the water of mildnesse and mansuetude If that hath caused darknesse this bringeth light if that wounds this cures In this they agree that as the one divided the red Sea to deliver the people from Pharaohs slavery so the other maketh us passe the red waters of Gods divine justice to shunne the devils seizing of us and to come to the Sanctuarie of caelestiall goodnesse according to the sense of the beatiâ—ude described in our Text Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercie O happy and infinitely glorious therefore shâ—ll those be that use mercie towards their afflicted brethren who open the bosome of liberality and reach out the hands of goodnesse and compassion to draw them to them there and thereby to shelter them from the miseries and calamities that compasse them about for when the soveraigne Iudge of our soules and bodies shâ—ll come to keepe his Assises when hee I say shall come accompanied with thousand millions of Angels who are the Heraulds and great Officers of his divine Iustice when heaven and earth shall shake before his face when all the elements and all the creatures together shall quake for feare in his presence when hee shall judge by an eternall decree the living and the dead among all the most grievous and notable reproaches whereuâ—to the wicked shall be subject that of cruelty shall be the most remarkable he will not then so much taxe them of having beene theeves drunkards murtherers fornicators as of not having beene piâ—tifull to the poore and needie Math. 25.42 Goe will he say ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels for I was hungry and ye gave me not to â—ate I was thirstie and ye gave mâ— no drinke I was naked and you clothed me not I was in prison and ye visited me not But contrariwise hee will alter his voyce when speaking to his Elect with a sweet smiling and gracious coâ—ntenance hee will pronounce this favourable sentence of congratulation Math. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the inheritance prepared for you before the foundation of the world for I was â—ungrie and ye gave mee to eate I was thirstie and you gave mee drinke I was naked and you have cloathed mee I was in prison and you have visited mee The end and center of the law of God in the second Table is this Thou shalt love thy neighbours as thy selfe in these few words wee see all the offices all the duties and all the services which we owe to our neighbour to wit to love him as we love our selves for as no man is so unnaturall unlesse hee hath lost the use of reason and be ready to precipitate himselfe into despaire that would in his neede for his good refuse himselfe any thing that shâ—uld be in his power so likewise let us represent to our selues that our neighbour is our other selfe and that to refuse him any needfull thing yea not to prevent him in his wants and incommodiâ—ies is a sinne in him that is infected with it which makes him unworthy to be compared or placed among the Pagans and Infidels for they helpe one anoâ—her with all their might but with a great deale of reason and justice we may say â—hat he is farre worse then a brute beast for we may obserue and marke that those of thâ— same kinde helpe and succour one another As we read in Plinie that when a great and heavie Elephant is fallen being for his heavinesse not able to rise sâ—â—ing specially they have no joynts in their legges his fellowes doe then assemble and raise him up with their snowâ—s It is noted that when Stagges intend to swimme over some swift River they gather themsâ—lues together and because their heads laden with such great hornes would make them sinke they lay them on the hinder parts the one of the other and because the foremost hath no place to leane his upon every one in his turne supplieth that place and what should wee not doe although we had no naturall affection would not the very beasts accuse us of crâ—elty and barbarousnesse if being all to passe together the vast and deepe Ocean of this tempâ—stuous life in hope once to arrive in the delightfull Haven of salvation If I say feeling our heads laden with so many miseries imperfections and calamities we did not mercifully assist and ease one another and so wee should not accomplish the Apostles command saying Beare ye one anothers burthens that you may fulfill the law of Christ. St. Chrysostome with his golden mouth as his name importeth tells us in generall that all men represent unto us but one body whereof the greatest and most honourable are like thâ— braine the eyes the mouth and the eares and that so orderly according to their dignities they possesse and take their place and nevertheleâ—se there is so great an affinity betweene all thâ—se different members that they all helpe and succour one another the eye helpeth the foot and the foot serveth the eye the mouth is serviceable to the hand and the hand to the mouth and besides that experience teacheth us that if there be the least ach in the head the face becommeth pale the eyes often times flow with teares and all the other members participate of her paines according to the proverb Quando caput dolet caetera membra aolent If the foot chance to
the fishes follow the Dolphin and the beasts are pliant and humble before the Lyon and should man that is made after Goâ—s image be worse then all other living creatures This is to be neither man nor beast but the off-spring of those abominable spirits which rebelled in heaven against God and therefore received the punishment due to their foolish ambition in hell but wee will no longer stay our contemplation about these deâ—estable men hoping that our age is not so unhappy as to be corrâ—pted by them But we will now speake of the reward profit and recompence which those shall certainely receive that obey this commandement of God in honouring the King All the Interpreters of the law of God with one consent agree that the first commandement of the second table to wit Honour thy Father and thy Mother is to be understood of all them that have any power or dominion over us and chiefely of Kings and Princes to whom wee are subject and to whom wee owe both our lives and goods and besides that all the Fathers are of that opinion yet we also see it proved in the 13. Chap. to the Romanes where the Apostle teaching the faithfull all the lawes which they must observe hee runnes over all the Commandements of God and yet speakes not of this word Father because hee comprehendeth it sufficiently under that of King because the Father is King in his Family and the King is the Father of his people As for that objection that thâ—re is no mention made of a King in the Decalogue the reason is cleare and manifest first the Israelites had no neede of it because God did every day appeare visibly unto them spake to them at all times and wrought coâ—tinually so many miracles among them that they could not be doubtfull of his presence secondly there is no mention made neither of Governour nor of Prince and yet it is unlikely that God had forgotten Moses who had delivered them before God wrote the Law with his owne finger on the mountaine of Sinai but the reason is that by the word Father God understandeth as well Kings and Princes as those that have begotten us all the curses made against the rebellious and disobedient to this commandement are common both to the rebellious to their Prince and to the disobedient to their Father as on the contrary those that are obedient to both shall bee equally rewarded with the same blessing and the promise made to them by God who doe honour their parents is also to be extended to those who honour their Kings and Princes which promise is happinesse and length of dayes upon the land Which promise though it often seeme otherwise is alwayes fulfilled for when an obedient sonne to his father or a faithfull subject to his Prince dieth young and in the flower of his age God neverthelesse accomplisheth his word and fulfilleth truely his promise for if it bee good for the faithfull to remaine in the land GOD will make him abundantly to prosper therein but if his admirable and incomprehensible providence see that hee should be sundry wayes grievously afflicted he ofâ—en times putteth him in safety and calleth him unto him in his mercy and yet hee is still as good as his word as if a man promised mee a hundred pounds and should give me three hundred hee thereby breakes not his promise so God having promised us here belowe the possession of this world and seeing that our dwelling in it is not for our profit bereaving us of this hee admitteth us into the incorruptible Kingdome of glory more excellent without comparison then the first and so whether hee let us dwell here belowe or whether hee call us above to himselfe we shall alwayes be in a most happy condition if we obey his commandement in Honouring the King This word and dignity of a King is so knowne and familiar to all kinde of nations that we should seeme to light a candle at noone day to see the light of the Sunne if wee should exactly seeke out the definitions and Ethymologies of it We will onely say with Saint Augustine in the Citie of God that the name of King is the auncientest title given to the Governours and Rulâ—rs of peoples yea when the earth devoyd of all ambition enjoyed the sweetnesse and felicity of an inestimable peace For as Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tâ—eri There is no lesse vertue in conserving then in purchasing so you see that the peaceablest of the Auncients have provided for their conservation in chusing Kings and Princes under whose shadowe they enjoyed quiet rest for the Kingdome being as a body the King must alwayes be the head which being seated on the top and elevated over the rest of the members hee fore-seeth the dangers to avoyd them and conâ—idereth the advantages to embrace them Now as in the head is seene the glory and beauty of man according to these auncient verses Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera â—erram Os homini sublime dedit coeluâ—que tueri Iussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus All living creatures alwayes behold the earth but God hath made and erected mans face that he might behold the heaven and the starres even so must we consider the beauty of the subjects in the Kings face and Majestie as being the head thereof As you see that all the senses both internall and externall are seated and take their beginning from the head so all the counsells all the resolutions justice the lawes in a word all that is necessary for the Kingdomes conservation is all to be found in the King as in his center and in the place whence they take their beginning Let us then examine particularly since wee have a Royall subject in hand all the circumstances by which the King in comparison of his subjects is just as the head is over the rest of the members wherein reason holdeth her Assizes and Sessions the better to governe this Microcosme or little world The two chiefest and noblest faculties of the soule are the Vnderstanding and the Will the same which we note in the soule wee may also marke to be in the King which is as it were the soule of the people for as from the understanding proceede the counsels resolutions and enterprises needfull for the conservation of mans body even so from the King proceedes the meanes and inventions for the right and just government of his Realme As by the Will wee see that man accepteth those things which are good and rejecteth those that are hurtâ—ull even so the King by his wonderfull prudence and wisedome seeketh what is good profitable to his subjects contrarily rejecteth and preventeth whatsoever is hurtfull and dangerous to them In a word as all the parts of the body and all the appetites of the soule stirre according to the motion of the will so the people should never have any other desire thought or intention but the