That the motto of the most afflicted soule may be The mercies of our God are great The rather for these reasons following In the act of punishing God punisheth a little and pardoneth a great deale not suiting his plagues according to our deserts for then wee should be consumed but as a louing and mercifull Creditor when the debtor owes an hundred bids him take his pen and write fiftie or at the most foure score nay indeede not taking so much as fiue in the hundred of his debtors cutting off onely the hemme of our garment or the skirt of our rayment when we owe vnto him our soules as forfeit by reason of our transgression Any sinne committed against our infinite God deserues an infinite punishment If God therefore shall abate eternitie and send vs punishment is not his mercy great If when we deserue many stripes he giues vs but stripes is not his mercy great for man in this kind would haue had the vtmost farthing In the end of punishing farre is it from God to ayme at the destruction of his people nay hee aymes at their instruction that they might learne to keepe his Statutes and Commandements And whereas an enemie would funditus delere nocentem that his name Esa 55.8 nor the name of Israel might be had no more in remembrance Gods wayes are not as mens wayes God indeede sometimes destroyes the body that he may saue the soule he punisheth his children with the world that they may not be condemned with the world Others take vengeance out of hatred God out of his loue Castigans non quod odio habeat sed quod amet The originall of this action being so farre different must of necessitie suppose a contrary end A great Armada preuailing kills vp all A Powder-treason vndiscouered blowes vp all Ab vno intenditur ruina ab altero doctrina God meanes good man meanes mischiefe In the manner of punishing Gods mercies are great Albeit the iustice of God be mooued and his patience prouoked and though with men Laesa patientia vertitur in furorem Patience prouoked turnes to furie and yet not furor breuis a short furie but an irreconcileable hatred Yet God though offended will not alwaies be chiding Psal 103.9 neither keepeth he his anger for euer yea although he whet his sword and bend his bow and make ready his arrowes yet a poore soule may haue a present appeale a Deo irato ad Deum placatum being so appeasable and facile vnto such as shall vpon the bended knees of their soules sue out grace and pardon by renouncing of their sinnes and relying vpon his great mercies Nay the Lord himselfe of himselfe in this present plague without any intreaty to the comfort of penitent sinners I speake it did commaund the destroying Angell to hold his hand as grieuing to see the misery of his people and that so soon that Dauid had not time to offer any sacrifice propitiatorie but at the ceasing of the plague a free-will offering gratulatory for the remouall of so heauy a iudgement In this very punishment the Lord is more then iustifiable in all his wayes and holy in all his works and had he now decreed that whatsoeuer was left of the famine the sword should destroy and whatsoeuer was left of the sword the pestilence should destroy and so haue sent althose three furies of hell at once to haue assailed Israel what cursed Atheist durst haue said or thought but the Lord is iuste but now hehold him also mercifull he opens but one Seale sends but one punishment Nor is that positiuely set downe or cald out by name to enter combat with Israel but left arbitrary to Dauid Chuse one It is much if beggers may be chusers more if sinners Traian intending the death of Seneca bade him make choyce of the manner of his death Traian was cruell in his decree though kind in such a proffer God not cruell but mercifull vnto all his workes makes Dauid heere pronounce the sentence of iudgement Chuse one Is not heere great mercy Now Seneca in his wisedome chose the easiest to bleed to death in a bath and Dauid now hauing considered the mercies of God great of themselues but yet greater if compared with the mercies of men chuseth to fall into the hands of God who is iust and mercifull in the act of punishment gracious and mercifull in the end of punishment patient and merciful in his manner of punishment and lastly exceeding mercifull in this very punishment As the great mercies of God may iustly prouoke our admiration so Dauids wise choyce may be iustified as Christ did that of Mary he chose the better part Luk. 10.42 to fall into Gods hands whose mercies are great Can we now but wonder at Dauids choyce when all things considered ipsa iustitia Dei sit misericordia Foolish and vnfortunate was the ingresse into this sinne but most prudent and happy the euasion out of it Obiect But how was it so happy seeing the Apostle to affright from Sinne determines and defines It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10.31 After that I haue serued necessity in the reconciling these two places I must obey the time Thus then briefely Resp 1 Two things must here be considered First of what maner of sinne and sinners the Apostle speaketh Willet vbi supra namely of those that tread vnder foote the Sonne of God that count the bloud of the Couenant wherewith he was sanctified an vnholy thing and haue despited the spirit of grace as appeareth verse 29. But Dauids case and theirs are not alike his was a Sinne but of a child of God it was a Sinne but of infirmity Theirs are Sinnes but Sinnes of reprobates theirs are Sinnes but of that nature that the first is intolerable the second is like vnto it abhominable and the third as Christ the truth it selfe hath pronounced impardonable either in this world or in the world to come That is sauing Bellarmines patience they shall not haue any sense or feeling of pardon in this world Explic. locus Mat. 12.32 or benefite of remission of sinnes in the world to come or as our Church in shorter termes neuer Here then is the case It is one case to appeare before a temporal Iudge as a malefactor in wrong or violence to my neighbour which may be answered and auoyded by some legall meanes or if not the punishment may extend to losse of goods or good name and not touch life It is another case when a man shall appeare as guilty of that roaring sin of Treason against his Soueraigne a monstrous sinne worthy ten thousand deaths if a malefactor had so many liues what a wofull and fearefull case is this So it is one thing to sinne and another thing to sinne with so high an hand and herein it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God The Apostle speakes not of
cum Dauide conferatur those whose most laudable part of their liues are odious if any way paralleld with Dauid If no sighes or teares or prayers could expiate his sin or diuert Gods iustly conceiued displeasure I say to them and yet not I but the spirit of God himself that albeit they shall hide themselues in dens Reu. 6.15 and in the rocks of the mountains that neither rocks nor mountaines though they should fall vpon them shal be able to hide them from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe If the meditation of this were seated in the hearts of vngodly and wicked men although no son-like yet euen a slauish feare would curbe and bridle the vntamed colts of the world when they shall consider how in euery sin they doe but heape vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God This being duly considered he that is vniust would scarse continue vniust still nor he that is filthy to be filthy still But hee that is holy would be holy still De libero arbitrio lib. 3. cap. 15 he that is righteous would be righteous still For as Augustine Qui non reddit Deo faciendo quod debet reddet ei patiendo quod debet Whoso doth not what he should shall suffer what he would not But lest while I keepe Dauid in this strait I should runne too much at large I come now in the last place to the bailing of this prisoner out of the tedious little-ease and to shew vnto you in the fourth circumstance propounded how he freed himself and with how much wisedom Qua prudentia euaserit Redimit se sapiens captum quam queat minimo When Iulian was opposed by the hand of heauen he was so obdurate in his Sinne that Vicisti Gelilaee and his bloud came out together this was horrible obstinacie 1. Sam. 31 4. When Saul was in a Strait he fell on his owne sword and dyed that was desperation 2. Chron. 28.22 When Ahaz felt the hand of God he sinned more and more this was flat rebellion Plutarch None of these courses like or please Dauid but as Theseus in the Labyrinth gate out by the helpe of Ariadnes Clew so Dauid by the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God and by spirituall Wisedome freed himselfe from this great Strait Some Hebrewes imagine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the last word of Gad in propounding gaue Dauid some hint and direction for his choyce because the same word Dabhar with some changing of points signifieth the Pestilence which in Gads speech signifieth indeed onely What word shall I carry him that sent me Dr Willet in locum and this by a reuerend and learned Diuine of our owne is worthily refused because Dauid was a prudent and wise man and needed not any direction for such a choyce But now Dauid being hard put to it thinkes with himselfe As I haue done foolishly in committing the sin I would faine deale wisely in the choyce of the punishment As hee that is immured within some high wall will make choyce of the lowest part to leape ouer Thus then he resolues I am indeede straited Lupum auribus â—eneo Now as ex duobus malis minus so ex tribus minimum est eligendum If I choose Warre I feare many enemies to offend me now melius est timere vnum quam multos If I choose Pestilence I feare but one If I choose Famine the poore will pay for it If Warre the weakest go to the walls Now Gad I am resolued tell the Lord that sent thee this is my answere Let vs now fall into the hands of God for his mercies are great and not into the hands of men In which choyce we cannot but obserue first Dauids Charitie secondly his Piety thirdly his Wisedome Charity Oftentimes yea and too often delirunt Reges plectuntur Achiui Dauid had now offended these poore sheepe of Israel what had they done Hee offers himselfe and his fathers house verse 17. for a peace offering but sith it is commune malum by Gods immutable decree he chooseth that euill wherein hee may be socius doloris willing indeed to beare a part in this doleful Tragedy neuer desiring like the Mariners to scape a generall danger in a cock-boat Act. 27.30 but offering himselfe to be a sharer in the present danger by chusing an euill which doth aequo pede pulsare pauperum tabernas Regumque turres We read of Cardinall Albert Ioh. Petit. hist Netherlands Iuven. Sat. 10. that at Newport battaile in Flaunders hee forsooke his armie and fled to Brussels and of Xerxes that he fledde vix vna naue cruentis fluctibus c. but Dauid more charitablie stayes the brunt and equals his weale or woe with his subiects whom his Sinne had brought to this extremitie His Pietie Warre would without resistance haue prooued but a massacre and this now French-tricke would haue made the field a shambles and turned the flourishing cities of Israel into Golgotha a place of skulls and into Aceld ama a field of bloud And the insulting enemie would haue spread their banners in defiance of the Lord this would haue cut Dauid to the heart to haue seene not onely the place of his honour made a reproach but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own honor into shame for though his enemies had beene but the rod of Gods furie they would haue ascribed their victory to the power and mercy of their gods as once the Philistims did to Dagon and so haue robbed God of the honour due vnto his Name which Dauid most deerely tendring Iud. 16.24 chose rather to haue God the auenger of his own quarrell then to haue the daughters of the vncircumcised either reuell in the ruins of Israel or take away the glory of God which he will giue to none other His Wisedome not grounding his choyce vpon Sands as a foolish builder or vpon stat pro ratione voluntas like an vntuterd moralist nor yet vpon a bare Theorie or contemplation as the naturalist but vpon a setled and grounded experience of the mercies of God Which he knowes so well that his knowledge doth apprehend them and his tongue dare boldly pronounce them that his mercies are great or as the Originall in the discrete quantity they are many Nor doth hee choose to fall into the hands of God because his iudgements are few but because his mercies are many Note But why now speakes Dauid of Gods mercies when God is now bent to punish and it seemes hath forgotten to be gracious Because that God in the very act of administring iustice and punishing his children doth shew and set forth no small measure of his goodnesse and mercy If any shall demaund as Nicodemus in another case how can these things be doe but see and you shall vnderstand doe but obserue and you will consent
temporall iudgement but eternall Now in eternall iudgement it is a most fearefull thing indeed in regard of the vnlimited power of God Luk. 12.5 Mat. 10.28 who is able after he hath killed to destroy both body and soule in hell fire yea I say againe him feare but as for temporall iudgments it is farre better to put our selues vpon God then vpon our countrey For there is mercy with the Lord. Homo is called homini lupus but God is homini Deus But because contraria iuxta se posita clarius elucescunt see we in a word what the mercies of men are I remember their dealings dashing of Infants braines against the stones I remember and that with amazement ripping vp of women with child Ioseph I remember the lamentable siege of Ierusalem when the glory of the Land the holy Citie the glory of that Citie the Temple the glory of the Temple Sanctum Sanctorum was vtterly ruined and wasted by the hands of mercilesse Romans Franc. Petit. hist Netherlands I remember that French Captaine Bordett chose rather to be shott by a Muskettier of his owne Company then to fall into the hands of the bloudy Duke of Alua. But now hoping that all this Christian Assemblie came hither to learne I beseech you learne these two things of one whose face perhaps few of you haue seen before and it may be neuer shall see hereafter especially in so publike a place as this holy Mount where on I stand First if the worst of our condition shall betide this sinfull Nation of ours namely to suffer for our sinne let vs say to God as Zeba and Zalmanna did to Gideon Iudg. 8.21 Fall thou vpon vs for as is the man so is his strength So Lord if wee must suffer fall thou vpon vs for as is the Lord so is his mercy England is encompassed with the Sea which for the most part is beneficiall though sometimes hurtfull encompassed with Gods mercies which are alwayes helpfull neuer hurtfull encompassed with enemies alwayes hurtfull neuer helpfull If the Sea break in the worst is death and no more if our enemies breake in if they preuaile what proud insulting what cruell tormenting what shall be wanting to make vs miserable Lord wee haue sinned with our Fathers and haue deserued the vialls of thy fierce wrath But O Lord doe thou correct vs for thou wilt not doe it in thine anger nor chasten vs in thine indignation but neuer giue vs ouer into the hands of men Seeing our originall is sinfull as well as all the Sonnes of Adam and that wee haue deserued Gods heauy iudgements as well as others Oh now seeing God hath withheld his reuenging hand so long let vs learne that counsell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.24 to break off our sinnes by righteousnesse and our iniquity by mercy and let there be an healing of our error Let vs in the name of God turne before it be too late lest wee repent when it is too late Lord open our eyes that wee may see the day of our visitation and preuent that fearefull doome of hauing these good things hidden from our eyes O fortunatos nimium bona si sua nossent Britannos we distast the enioying of that whose losse our Christian neighbours bewaile The Christians in Polonia cry out for ayde The Protestants in Bohemia groane vnder a heauie and intolerable burden The Protestants of France send many sighes to heauen for peace or bare security Happy Britaines wee sit vnder our owne Vines and our owne Fig-trees God of his mercy continue it Let vs not cut off our welfare by our wickednesse Wee haue not Famine but Plenty not Warre but Peace not Pestilence but Health and Soundnesse Now in a word as the Romans dealt with Victory clipping of her wings that she might neuer flie from them againe so let vs doe with our happinesse Happinesse it selfe Seeing it may God knowes how soone be hidden from vs stay her flight by thankfulnesse and obedience If there be amongst vs that thinke happinesse absent I wish them to prepare her way and make her paths straight that shee may come in and dwell with vs. Or if she be amongst vs as the God onely wise and immortall knoweth that