of the penitent the extasie of the reconciled the Saints Hosannah the Angels Hallelujah By this Noah swam in the Ark Moses was taken out of the Bul-rushes Jonas lived in the belly of the Whale the three Children walked in the fiery furnance Elias was taken up in a fiery Chariot Ordinances Oracles Altars Pulpits the gates of the Grave the gates of Heaven do all depend upon mercy It is the Load-star of the wandring the ransome of Captives the antidote of the tempted the prophet of the living and the ghostly father of the dying there would not be one regenerate Saint upon earth nor one glorified Saint in heaven were it not for mercy Therefore Jonas wouldst thou pluck out mine eye teare out my bowels thou art a man and thou shouldest be mercifull but I am a God and should not I be mercifull Yes if thou continuest the spighting Prophet I must be the sparing God Should not I spare Yes God will be mercifull for his own nature for the nature of mercy and for the nature of men 1. For his owne nature and that because first it is most proper to him for is it not inherent to him Yes the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isai 54.10 Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy Formaliter de nominans ipsum Aq. Psal 86.15 Yea he is usually called in Scripture Miserator misericors The mercifull and gracious God Mercy being so in God that it is constitutive and formally denominating Him yea he doth not desire to be known so much by his omnipotency majesty or eternity as by his mercy This then as it is most expected from God so it will be most expressed by God because it is most proper to him 2. Secondly It is most honourable to him for is God so exalted in anything as in shewing of mercy no his works of power are nothing like to his workes of mercy the pardoning of one sin and the saving of one soule is more then the framing of the Universe Aug. and the creating of Angels God is to be glorified in mercy Rom. 15.9 a whole quire of Angels sung an Hymn to the honour of mercy therefore except a man would leave the Church without a Chauntry or silence all the praises in heaven God must have liberty to expresse mercy for it is to him the thing most honourable 3. Thirdly It is to him the thing most uniting for what doth draw and gather the multitudes to God but mercy There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feard Psal 130.4 We are astonished at his glory we dread his power we flee from his justice but his mercy doth knit us to him Who would bâ— afraid of a compassionate God No the stretching out of this golden Scepter doth make us approach to him with confidence Deus est appetibilis propter bonitatem Aq. other things might separate us from God but God is appetible in respect of his goodnesse and kindness and favour and mercy Therefore that God might call in Believers and have his Courts througed with professors he doth exhibit mercy because he doth find it is the thing most uniting 2. He is mercifull for the nature of mercy For what is mercy but an efflux of a sweet disposition Condecentia bonitatis Contristants affectus ablatio mali debitae poenae remissio a sympathizing affection a remedying vertue a remitting vertue a prompt vertue which doth but expect a call and it doth present it selfe for he will be gratious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry Isai 30.19 Which doth imbrace when it might strike accept when it might abhor crown when it might crucifie which cannot contemn teares reject the prostrate nor give a repulse to the suppliant which is continually lighting up of Candles that sinners might see their errors and melting of consciences that converts might be new stamped bringing blood out of the wounds of a Redeemer â—â—at not a Captive might be left in prison it would draw men to be frighted with the pit to leap out of hell and to seale heaven Therefore God doth seem to be ravished with the beauty of this divine grace and would shew mercy even for the nature of mercy 3. He is mercifull for the nature of man For what is man in himself but one shut up in Caitiffes hole yes not only in durance under lock and key but ready to perish in the dungeon that cannot pay his Goal-fees much lesse hath money enough to buy his pardon no if God would offer him mercy yet he must not condition with him upon the easiest terms for he hath not an earnest penny to bind the bargain Breve est parvum est minus est Chrys whatsoever he can tender he is ashamed to have it mentioned it is short of the account small in respect of what is demanded yea lesse then the lowest proposition which can be made I am lesse than the least of thy mercies Gen. 32.10 If less than the least then how shall he deposite for the greatest Now how shall this necessitous creature be relieved The bitings of want are sharp and bitter Gravissimi sunt morsus necessitatis Salust At this exigent man is not wholly helplesse though he hath no succour at home yet he he hath a friend abroad Here is an object for pitty a place for divine compassion he cannot depend upon his owne meanes yet he hath something to relie on he shall be relieved out of the Exchequer If he can but cry at the grate there is a listning eare which doth hearken to him God doth expect such a suiter and is ready to satisfie his requests If he can but apprehend wants he hath felt his last of them For wherefore am I rich saith God but to supply the indigent Wherefore have I bounty but to make it a common treasury for the distressed Shall this man then perish No the mercifull God will preserve him He doth see his miseries he doth heare his plaints it is enough that he doth confesse that he doth stand in need of God and doth fly to him for redress he shal not be left without ayd yea there shal be commiseration because there is extremity God will be mercifull because of the nature of man Thus then ye see how Gods inclination is for mercy and the reasons for it how then is Jonah in a distraction he is too bold to inculcate upon the ruining point as if he would put indignation into Gods eye vengeance into his brest swords spears thunderbolts balls of wildsire into his hand Can God consent to such a furious Prophet no saith God neither mine own nature nor the nature of mercy nor the nature of man will suffer me to subscribe to thee therefore
Neighbours if they seem to out-top them and count them Giants Monsters of mankind if they have a larger proportion then themselves Why shouldst thou be my superiour why should not I be as great as thou This is with Tarquinius the proud to lop off the heads of the poppies in the Garden till all be brought to the same height or to serve men as that inhuman Hoast Procrustes served his guests who laid them all in one bed and they which were too long for the bed he cut them shorter and they which were too short for it he stretched them out to belonger But is there an equality in other things that people would expect a parity amongst men Are all stars of the same brightnesse all Pearls of the same lustre all Mines of the same richnesse all Fowls of the same swiftnesse all Beasts of the same bignesse all Trees of the same fruitfulnesse No Nature hath her differences and why not the like amongst men Yes before ye can reduce men to an evennesse and an identical greatnesse ye must first bring them all to the same height complexion strength Hecale pauperrima fuit de eâ dixit Plaut tus in â—istellaira St quidem eris ut â—olo nun â—uam Hecase fies humour wit and trade Indeed I know Nature cannot endure to be under or if people could live as some of their familiars do desire get promotions by wishes there would not be a Hecale that is a poor person in the world But this cannot be for there will be diversity of men if there were but two twins living alone upon earth howsoever as the world is now peopled Tu in legione ego in culina Nec toga nes focus est nec tritus cimice lectus Martial lib. 11. Epig. Si hunc sustuleris universum interit Chrys in Ps 148. it is but a stage of severall Actors the Adage saith well Thou a Commander in an Army another a drudge in the Kitchin there is one richly clad and hath his warm fires to beak himselfe at and soft lodging every night and another to whom their is neither coat nor hearth nor well drest bed Human society cannot subsist without a superiority take away a Chiefe and the whole world will go to ruine Were all the parts in Nebuchadnezzars Image alike The body is not one member but many if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling 1 Cor. 12. Therefore the Scripture speaketh of Princes of the Assembly Numb 16.2 Ancients of the people Isai 3.14 Such as are set over the Congregation Numb 27.16 Heads of the house of Jacob. Mic. 3.9 Dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 Principalities and Powers Tit. 3.1 Shields of the earth Psal 47.9 Foundations of the earth Psal 82.5 Mountaines of Israel Ezeck 36 1. Men higher then Agag Num. 24.7 Which have the key Isai 22.22 Bear the sword Rom. 13.4 Hold the Scepter Amos 1.5 And excellent Majesty is added to them Dan. 4.36 Therefore content thy selfe with thine own state and condition every one doth not carry a Governour about him nor doth he find a Ruler in his Scabbard nor puffe out himselfe a Magistrate by stout language He is not skinned Prince nor doth bring a Scepter out of his Cradle much less can Crown himself with the principle of equality what Myriads of Dynasts and Despots and Imperiall Creatures would there be if the Doctrine of parity were pure Revelation But in all Ages there have been and to the last age there will be Orders and Degrees yea to the world end we shall see the ignoble and the noble the impotent and the potent the needy and the full the subject and the soveraign the small City and the great City Should not I spare Nineveh a great City 3. This doth exhort every one to be sensible of his greatnesse for oh that God hath made thee great and that he hearth nothing of his own bounty that he hath raised thee and yet thou art silent under such a liberall Benefactor that thou art great onely in thy ostentation or haughtinesse but not in thy thankfulnesse where is thy praise for such preferment thy sacrifice for such greatnesse No the Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters Grib but God doth raise up servants which know not their own Master or hath maintained Pensioners that understand not the royall hand of their own gracious Prince Antoninus Caracalla doth vex Cilo Vexavit Cilonem qui eum educaverat Dion Nescire se utrum in numero hominum an Deorum poneret Plut. in Lycurgo who had brought him up So we grieve our Fost r-father Lycurgus that was so good that Apollo knew not whether he should put him into the number of men or Gods and which had given such singular laws to his Lacedemonians and done so many good offices for them yet his last reward was to have stones cast at him and after one of his eyes struck out to be banished the Country So we recompence God rather with injuries and indignities for his favours than with any commemoration of his mercies Bless the Lord O my soul saith David and forget not all his benefits Psal 103.2 A high duty and very few there are amongst us that are officious in it we receive many blessings out of his hands but he doth receive very few blessings out of our lips instead of not forgetting all his benefits there is scarce one that doth stand upon record or is engraven into our thankful souls no we are so far from singing a Benedictus that the blessing is no sooner handed but we are ready to sing a Valedictus How us this Land embroydered with mercies Blessings are the chekerwork of heaven but are there any carved pillars amongst us where these favours are cut out and graphically pourtrayed God many Temples in this Nation but few of them are consecrated Te Deum is not sung in them God doth not seem to inhabit the praises of Israel We leave God so soon as our turns are served as Diomedes left Callirhoe so soon as shee had saved him from the fury of her father Lycas Sabel l.c. 7.2 who was wont to sacrifice all his strange guests upon the Altar of Mars Pro gratiarum actione nihil aliud scripsit Caesari quam Mihi nihil Macrob. Saturn l. 2. c. 4. Augustus paid all the debts of a decayed Senator unasked but he returned him no other thanks but this unthankful rescript To me nothing so let God disburse never so much to us or for us yet we suppress all his bounty we cast up all the sums in naked empty Ciphers To us nothing But oh beloved doth man for favours meet with no better requitall Yes the Abideni having their City taken by slaves they upon a certain time being drunk a woman leaping over the wall and acquainting them with the accident to the honour of the woman they set up an Image with her
thou hast neglected them he may have sent many motions to thy conscience and thou hast quenched them he may inflict many judgements upon thee and thou hast contemned them but hath God no more arguments yet to use Yes he hath pleasure in unrighteousnesse hardnesse of heart consusion everlasting damnation yet to urge thee with either on earth or in hell God will have the upper hand When thou thinkest God hath spoken all yet he hath more to say as here he had used many reasons to Jonas and he is able to make an addition an enlargement And also Thirdly This doth shew That God is most passionate for mercy ye never find that God doth argue for justice as here he doth plead for mercy no he will reason and enlarge for mercy Mercy pleaseth him Miseri cordia scepetrum tenet Fasciculus Temp. p. 2. Quid est misericordia mea Totum quicquid sum de misericordia tua sum Fecistâ— me ut sim sed non fecisti me uthonus sim Aug. Concion 2. in Ps 59. he doth bear the name of it and it is his delight God hath many attributes but mercy holdeth the Scepter God is the God of my mercy Psal 59.17 What is this God of my mercy Namely whatsoever I am I am of mercy for thou hast made me that I should be but thou hast not made me that I should be good no this doth come from mercy so that mercy is above all the Creation How is God desirous to shew mercy how is he angry when he cannot shew mercy He cometh leaping over the mountains Cant. 2.8 when he should shew mercy Currit dum succurrit He doth ran that he might relieve but he doth make no such hast when he should execute judgment no what a going down and examining parlying and expostulating is there Non dixit Ponam sagittam in nubibus sed arcum Amb. l. de Noah arca c. 17. Playfer Concion ad Cler. post pestem in verbum Sufficit before he will powre vengeance upon Sodom it self He hath set his how in the clouds It is not said he hath set his arrow in the clouds no his bow without an arrow as if God must be forced beyond his Covenant when he doth let fly an arrow to stick in the brest of a sinfull person or a sinfull Nation He cannot deny himself there is meant by himself his mercy yet as one well observeth it is not said he cannot deny his mercy but he cannot deny himselfe because his mercy is himselfe it is so himselfe that when justice is mentioned in scripture mercy is doubled The Lord is merciful and righteous yea our God is mercifull Ps 116.5 as if mercy were a Counter-guard on this side and on that before and behind to justice Oh then that mercy is thus dear unto God and not so precious unto us that we desire any thing in God rather then his mercy we would have his wisdom perhaps or his power and if we could his glory and eternity but we care not for his mercy What affections do there glow in us towards mercy what motions have we made for mercy what preparations are we qualified with for entertainment of mercy no this Mannah this Angels food is light bread in our esteems we will not step out of our Tents to gather a gomer full of it People refuse the waters of Shiloah which run softly Esa 8.6 But oh beloved let us desire to enjoy from God that which is most divine that which is the most principall efflux of his everlasting essence and is not mercy most eminent in God yes it is the bosom and bowels of God How excellent mercy is in Gods esteem ye may find here in my Text he hath never done reasoning and pleading to be a sparing God he hath argument and enlargement for it And also Fourthly this doth serve to shew that one of the most incorrigible sins is envy for Jonah is spightfull and with what a difficulty doth God reclaim him he is enforced to use argument upon argument and at last to put in an enlargement And also Anger is cruell and wrath is raging but who can stand before envy Prov. 27.4 the Devill is called The envious No marvail our Saviour gave his new commandement for love and his last legacy for peace for mans heart is inclined to any thing rather then to love and peace malice and pertinacy envy and obstinacy usually go together the envious heart of Esau against Jacob of Saul against David of the Jews against the Gentiles do hardly come down yea next to originall sin this sin is propagated it doth run in a blood it is crimen semen partûs the sinne as well as the seed of the birth Invidia genus est inimicitiae intractabile quidem atque admodum insuperabile Bas Serm. in Invidiam Non sic abibunt odia vivaces aget violentus iras animus saevus dolor aeterna bella pace sublata geret Sen. in Here. Fur Canes educatione mansuâ—scunt Leonâ—s obsequio tractabiles fiunt Invidi tantum officiis agrâ—stiores evadunt Bas ser de Invidia the child doth partake of the Parents envy as well as his name or nature it is ex traduce it is hereditatory howsoever a pernicious sin it is and very permanent fires may be quenched and diseases may be cured but many engines must work to put out this flames and the skilfullest Physitians administer to purpose to remove this malady Envy is a kind of displeasure intractable and almost insuperable As Juno said against Hercules so do too many pronounce against their enemies Hatreds shall not thus depart an enraged spirit shall drive on living distasts and cruell spight all peace laid aside shall wage everlasting wars Dogs with usage will grow gentle and â—ions with observance wax tractable but the envious with courtesies remain savage Take heed therefore how thou dost strike fire into his tinder how this leaven doth spread in the lump how this root of bitternesse doth come to spread in thy affections for if thou beest envious thou art even inexorable how must thou be waited upon and worshipped how many motions must be made how many meetings must be set how many meek men must be troubled about one stubborn man how many wise men about one mad man before a disterence can be compromised or a displeasure forsooth perhaps not worth a flies spleen or a dogs anger can be taken out of thy festered heart Thou maist see it here in my Text how is God molested here with froward Jonah his splenative Prophet he had conceived a spight against Nineveh and what a pleading must there be to bring him into his right temper again there must be an amplifying of reasons terque quaterque three and four times to be perswaded will not serve the turn no God must presse many particulars and after a multitude of arguments he must bring in an enlargement And also Should not I spare
worship and all reverence superstition Oh what an Optimus Maximus art thou what a Pâ—ssimus Minimus is God thou art a Potentate he is but an Infimate thou a Praegrand but he a Perpufill a Petite But what is this but to seaze upon Gods Crown-land and to deprive him of his Regalities and Numinalities Shall not the generall include particulars shall not the Landlord have all the rights of the Tenant Shalt thou which dost sit upon thy wooden chair and art not as big as an Elephant which hast upon thy back but a few garments of the Dâ—ers puke and the hairs of thy head not so comely as the alablaster which canst not make a leaf nor create a guat whose feet do daily touch the Earth and hast none but a company of Flesh-worms creeping about thee as Attendants vie priviledges with him which doth sit upon a Throne who is bigger then the whole Creation whose garments are as wite as swow the hairs of his head like the pure wooll which formeth the Mountains createth the wind buildeth his stories in the Heavens and hath thousand and ten thousand Angells ministring unto him No God is thy Superiour whatsoever is allowed thee must be granted him For Hadst thou and should not I Part 3. Now let us come to the stream which should flow from it and that is mercy sparing Should not I spare From hence observe that Gods naturall inclination is to compassion if he be offended doth the grievance alwaies stick at his heart no He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Micha 7.18 Mercy is his pleasure and his plea indeed ordinative justice is in God essentially but punitive justice is in God accidentally Justitia ordinans Justitia puniens because it is a strange worke strange from his sweet nature At what leisure doth he lift up the Rod he doth not punish till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 With what a difficulty doth he reject a people He cast them not from his presence as yet 2 King 13.23 for as Uladislaus King of Hungary did put up so many injuries Mutum Idolum Dubrav l. 32. that he was called the Mute Idol so God is deafe and dumb to infinite provocations Yea as Pericles when one had rayled upon him all day and followed him home at night with clamours he shewed himselfe not to be discontented at it but onely said to his servant mildly Ito hunc civem ad domum reducito Plut. in Pericle Beneficium se putabat accipere augustissimae memoriae Theodosius cum râ—garetur ignoscere Amb. de obit Theodos Go thou and lead home this Citizen to his owne house so God doth endure oftentimes our molestations patiently by day and causeth us at night to be lead home quietly Theodosius counted it for a favour when any one would intreat him to forgive and nothing is more acceptable to God than when any doth sue to him for compassion He doth wait that he may have mercy upon him Isai 30.18 Instead of bringing in an ext inguisher he doth light up a Candle Psal 18.28 instead of searing up the roots he is as the dew to the roots Hos 14.5 his cup is a cup of consolation Jer. 16.7 his bands are bands of love Hos 11.4 mercies are the sounding of his bowels Isai 63.15 the shining of his face Dan. 9.17 he doth take no delight in wounding but healing Hos 14.14 not in recording trespasses but blotting them out Nehe. 4.5 If people have any remorsefull preparations in them the comforter which should relieve their soules is not farre from them Lam. 1.16 if they can restore their obedience he will restore comforts to them Isai 57.18 if he would be accounted to abound in any thing it is to be rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 if he would be honoured in any thing it is in being magnified in mercy Gen. 19.19 The Saints which cannot rely upon him for every thing yet they can depend upon Him for this for Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity Job 7.21 Spare thy people O God and give not over thy heritage as a reproach Joel 2.17 Spare me according to thy great mercy Nehe. 13.22 and I will spare them as a father spareth his own children Mal. 3.17 A Judge oftentimes cannot forgive because he is tied to the will of another Judex veniam peccatis dare non potest quiâ— voluntati servit alienae Deus autem potest quia suae legis est dispensator judex Tertul Deus tam liberaliter omnem condona vit injuriam ut jam nec damnet ulciscendo nec confundat improperando Bern. Quo non alter amabilior but God can because he is the dispenser and judge of his own law God so liberally doth pardon all sinne that he doth damne none by revenging nor confound them by hastning their destruction Therefore let none say that we have a rigid God no the Lord with whom we have to doe is very pittifull James 5.11 Know ye not his name it is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Know ye not his Throne it is the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 If the whole world were destitute of mercy yet with thee is mercy Psal 130 4. Than Augustus there was none more courteous So than God there is none more compassionate The molten Sea the Shewbread the bright Lampes the sweet Incense the Smoak of the sacrifices Moses Chayr Aarons breast-plate the preaching of the Cross the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven doe not all these proclaim mercy who would ever enter into a sanctuary heare counsail search conscience look up to heaven pray or sancrifice name a God or think of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God if there were no mercy Doe not all visions revelations covenants promises messages mysteries legall purifications evangelicall pacifications confirm this Yes mercy is the ayr in which we breathe the dayly light which doth shine about us the gracious rain of Gods inheritance it is the publique spring for all the thirsty the common Hospitall for all the needy all the streets of the Church are paved with these stones yea the very presence-Chamber is hung with nothing but this curious Arras What should become of the children if there were not these brests of consolation how should the Bride the Lambs wife be trimmed if her Bridegroom should not deck her with these abiliments how should Eden appeare like the Garden of God if it were not watered with these Rivers It is mercy that doth take us out of the wombe feed us in the dayes of our pilgrimmage furnish us with a souls stock close up our eyes in peace and translate us to a secure resting-place It is the first Petitioners suit and the first Believers Article the contemplation of Enoch the confidence of Abraham the Syrophoenicians Physick Mary Magdalens laver St Peters teare-stancher St Pauls scale-dropper the expedient
most high God Gen. 14.10 to shew that the most high things shall have from him the most high respect Can a Maid forget her ornament or a Bride her attire Knolls in the Turkish History Jer. 2.32 Can a Maker forget then his ornament or a Bridegroom forget his marrying vest Muleasses at the taking of the Castle of Tunes grieved to see the rude Souldiers trample under foot the rich colours and costly perfumes So it doth grieve God to see any one undervalue that which is choise therefore he will not underprize it himselfe Thou wilt not willingly break a rich Glass throw away a Pearl rend a Robe God then will not readily destroy that which is precious No if a thing be worthy it is fit for Gods eye if it be great Periturum se potius quà m perditurum Suet. it is fit for his preservation As it was said of Titus that noble Emperour That he had rather perish himselfe then destroy So God will as soon part with his essence as his compassion He will bear long before he will deface and have his long sufferance tryed to the height before he will make a wast of eminency There is not that great Ruler or that great Nation or that great Church or that great Saint but he doth tender to the height before he doth stretch out his punishing hand See how he doth here plead and expostulate with Jonah about Nineveh he would spare it because it was eminent it was that great City Should not I spare Nineveh that great City 1. Now God will spare Nineveh that great City first to teach the world that things of eminency are to be prized The Apostle doth command us to approve of things which are excellent Phil. 1.10 For we have strange eyes in our heads which cannot see beams in those things which excell all other as farre as light doth excel darknesse Eccles 2.13 Whatsoever things are amabilia lovely if there be any vertue any praise thinke of these things Phil. 4.8 They are bad Merchants in our calling which know not the worth of those things which cannot be valued with gold that the Topaz of Ethiopia is not to be compared unto them that there shall be no mention made of Corall in respect of them Wherefore do ye kick against my sacrifice 1 Sam. 2.29 So wherefore doe ye lift up your heels against that which is eminent shall not that be valued which is invaluable then ye are not to be valued It was ill to despise Mannah so is it to dis-esteeme that which is of high esteeme We should have nothing but peerlessenesse in our thoughts and eminency in our eyes Lum'n aeternitatis in simo mortalitatis Aug. de catechis rudibus For this is to have the light of eternity in the slime of mortality The very Aegyptians cryed out Abrech before Joseph The Queen of the South came to heare the wisdom of Solomon Herod desired to see Christ Wheresoever there is worth there ought to be an high regard whatsoever hath excellency in it it ought to be looked upon with an eye of reverence Telemachus having viewed Menelaus stately House with all the Gold Ivory princely Couches in it did he give it a Title beneath it selfe no Jovis aula Homer no he said It was fit to be Jupiters Court. Nicostratus beholding a rare picture which Zeuxis had made stood sixing his eyes so long upon it that one asked him why he would stand gazing so long upon a dead picture saith he Aelian Lux aeterna erat in templo Jovis Hammonis Plut. de defect Orac. Thou wouldst do so if thou hadst mine eyes Cleombrotus could not admire enough the everlasting light that was in the Temple of Jupiter Hammon which ever burnt and shoon most brightly and yet every year spent lesse oyl Agesilaus seeing Epaminondas though an enemy marching out against him in brave order he cryed out Oh magnificent man Oh hominem magnificum Plut. in Ages Mahomet the Great said he held himselfe the greatest Captain in the world except Matthias Matthias was eminent even in Mahomets esteem The house of Nestor at Pylen was admired Cuspinian even in the dayes of Pausanias Incisia was much honoured Pausan in Messen because of Elephants bones which were found in the earth to testifie that Hannibal passed through that Town Jovius l. 27. Hist A. Gell. Attic. Noct. l. 25. c. 20. Aug. Confes l 4. c. 11. when he came from the Alpes The Salaminians were wont to shew a Cave where Euripides wrote his Tragedies St Ambrose out of reverence to his high sanctity was so respected that his very enemies would not hurt him Epiphanius Bishop of Ticinum when Theodoricus took the City was so regarded by the barbarous Souldiers though of a contrary judgement that they used him with all civility Evod. in ejus vita whilst they stayed with him and wept at their departure from him Porphyrius though a deadly opposite to St Origen yet he was wont to call him the most learned man and the Prince of Philosophers Platin. Libanius was an Heathen and S. Chrysostome a Christian yet being demanded whom he would have to succeed him in his Rhetorick-Lecture Id. when he was dead he said Chrysostome What should I speak of more Alexander himselfe reverenced Jaddas Theodosius kissed the dead eye of Paphnutius The majesty of the face of Marius so daunted the Souldier that should have taken away his life that he said I cannot kill Marius The Turks so honoured the memory of Scanderbeg that they digged up his bones at Lyssa and wore them like Jewels in their Turbants Shame then to them which abase that which is precious and can honour nothing but that which is contemptible Do ye know the cast of your own eyes or are ye acquainted with the sparklings of your own hearts then to what things doe your eyes glaunce and your hearts glow are not the rarities of nature and the specious things of this world more endeared unto you then the most excellent graces and made more eminent then the endowments of the spirit Oh eminent Spectators and Judges what is this but to unconsecrate piety to underprize preciousnesse to prophane the gold of the Sanctuary with Michol to mock at a spiritual trance nay with Saladin to defile with dung the very sepulchre of our Saviour All singular things then ought to have a singular account God here hath exemplified it he would spare Nineveh because it was eminent That great City Secondly God would spare Nineveh That great City to shew that his mercy is not to be limited Jonas would have it destroyed above all places because it was that great City full of sinne full of provocation But God would have it spared above all places because it was that great City full of danger and had most need of mercy Is thine eye evil because mine is good Man is a very precipitate censurer woe be to the world
liberty be so much tendered how much more life Oh there is not a more crimson sinne then when blood toucheth blood Hos 4.2 That is That there is no end in blood-shed when blood is powred out as dust and flesh as dung Zeph. 2.17 When widows are increased like the sands of the Sea Jer. 15.8 When a Land is soaked with blood Isai 34.7 Oh that men to men should be such Tigers and Furies as if it were a mirth to open the Conduits of life to gush forth till the last drop and to water fields with tempests of blood What dreadfull examples of cruelty do we meet withall in ages Pericles as Plut. reporteth exterminating the Calcidenses and Estienses The French after the defeat at Thermopylae as Pausanias saith destroying the Callienses to a man plucking the Children from their Mothers brests and killing them tearing in pieces the marriagable virgins so that happy were they which could get a Frenchmans sword to dye upon without further torture Totila as Gregorius Turon reporteth flaying quick Herculanus the Bishop of Perusium and cutting off the heads of all the Citizens Sylla slaying twelve thousand in one City of Preneste Attila 30000 at the sacking of Rome Abderamen an hundred thousand at one battell in Gallicia Marius so busie in killing his Country-men that he wished himselfe the onely Roman to be left alone Hanibal so eager in destroying Flaminius and his Souldiers that he felt not an earth quake which happened in the time of the battel Don Pedro the cruell making Spain in his time a Charnel house full of nothing but dead mens bones Mahomet the great causing the streets and Temples of Constantinople to swim with blood Selim the Turk killing the Persians so with without mercy that he built a Tower barely of their dead heads Oh these men if it were in their power how would they exanimate nature dispeople the earth and leave the world a wildernesse Wounds are their feats of activity blood their cordiall crying groans their musick gastly faces their looking-glasses shivered bones the reliques of their puissance and dead carkasses the emblems of their glorious triumphs But wo and alass to such harsh Encomiasticks I which never slew man nor have yet seen a man slain do account such praises which have blood for the ground of the ditty but sad honours These things may be famous amongst Pagans but they are but dolefull accidents amongst Christians For we which are commanded so keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and to be courteous and tender-hearted one towards another and to love one another with a pure heart fervently are so unsainted that if we speak with the tongue of men and Angels and have not charity we are but as the sounding brass and the tinkling Cymballs doubtlesse the thought of these things should make us oftentimes either to sheath up the sword in affection or to go to War in tears Whence come Wars whence come contentions are they not from hence even from the lusts that are in your members And are lusts justifiable pleaders at Gods Throne Is there a judge is the reckoning hastening on will blood be one of the most criminall guilts at that Tribunal then how ought we to skreen and riddle our soules concerning the steyn of blood-shed He which hath slayn his brother how shall he shew his face before that Father he which hath a bloody hand how shall he lift it up with innocency at the white Throne How will the lives of men go at an high rate at that day when here God doth prize the chiefe Treasures of a City to be these Persons Wherein are Persons Should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are Persons Sixscore thousand 4. Now let us come to the quantity of the Treasures Sixscore thousand So many there were in the minority of yeares how many then were there of riper age From hence observe That a great blessing to a Citty is to abound in people Numerosa multitudo isocrates Civitas est societas ex multis viciniis constans Pet. Greg. Stante Coronâ Ovid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—rip in Phrixo for a true City is a numerous multitude yea an happy City is a society consisting of many neighbourhoods When a Crown of living souls seemeth to stand together and a whole Country is met in a Ring for Cities are a confluence of men and not desolate wildernesses That as it is said Who can tell the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel Num. 23.10 So who can tell the multitudes of a populous City Oh it is a glorious thing when a City doth passe Arithmetick when the totall sum can scarce be cyphered up Who can tell Who can number when such a loud peal is rung within the walls that a City is full of noise Isai 22.2 when there is such a crowd for room that the place is too narrow for men to dwell in Isai 49.19 when new hangings must be bought for such a large family or new Bedsteads set up for the plenty of guests that come to lodge there that a City doth spread out the Curtains of her habitations and increase on the right hand and on the left Es 54.2 3. When such a flood of Inhabitants doth seem to stream in the streets that the Citizens are like many waters Rev. 17.1 when such swarms of living souls do skip up and down in the streets that they are as the grashoppers for multitude Judg. 6.5 When the sand-heaps do scarce exceed the number of their lovely issues the fruitfull Mothers seeming to have gotten shoals and shores of progenies into their wombs the ofspring of their bowels being as the gravell Esai 48.19 Is not this glory is not this honour yes this is to be a City with an excellency as Ninevehs fame and felicity is here described to be great that she can reckon by her many thousands even sixscore thousand Application 1. This doth serve first to present to you your Life-Blessing are ye not peopled Vnd undique circum Fundimur Virg. 3. Aeneid Quôque capit latis immensum moenibus orbem Ovid. 2. de Ponto turba vias impleverat agmine denso Lucan ad Cal. Pl. Veteri exhausta habitatore H. Boeth Pudendus ex ercitus ex maneipiis Plut. yes the City of Numbers every street and lane stored with dwellers yea a City so plenished with Inhabitants that it doth seem to contain a world within her walls the waies seem to be too streight for frequency of passengers If it should be said to you as it is Num. 1.40 Take the sum of the people or give in the full tale 1 Sam. 18.27 what troops might here march forth what armies might be drawn out Armorica Bretaigne in France was so thinned of men after the wars of Maximian that it was afraid that the Country should be drained of the old Inhabitant after the battle of Cannae Rome was so desolate that
prosecute her she is the party that will most bow and stoop before a mercifull Creditor Thou canst say that if there be two Debtors and the one be forgiven 50 and the other 500 pence that that party will love most to whom is most forgiven then why should not I pronounce that Mary Magdalen will have the most fervency kindled in her breast towards me Yes in respect of thy sparkes she will have flames so that in the point of pardon and favour she doth far exceed thee and not so likewise in the point of provision and the feast Yes I might object that she came of her own accord thou hadst some motive she for favour thou for same she to serve me thou to observe me she to be acquitted by me thou to be acquainted with me sheto seek reconciliation thou to seck resolutions she for gracious answers thou for difficult questions she to satisfie conscience thou to satisfie curiosity she as a sinner thou as a Pharisee she to give me spirituall sustenance thou to give me natural she to satiate me with tears thou with juncates she to refresh my desire thou my appetite she to feast my soule thou my body in these respects Mary Magdalen hath the precedency the sinners banquet doth excell the Pharisees she hath the best Cook-room and may carry it at the supernaturall dresser But to let passe these things and to come to those accidents contingencies and coincident things which have happened at the banquet thou hast feasted me in state she in humility thou in pompe she in dejections thou like a worthy she like a wretch thou like a Pharisee she like a sinner she hath given me more then thou didst bestow upon me for since I entred into thy house thou gavest me no water for my feet but she hath fetched water out of a new spring she hath washed my feet with her teares and she hath been more compleat in her provision for thou allowedst me nothing to dry and clean my feet but she hath brought a towel along with her the strangest and finest that ever touched flesh she hath wiped my feet with the hairs her head she hath been more debonair then thou thou didst entertain me onely with a few faire looks thou wert too haughty to be too familiar but she hath made me the better man used me like a Lord honouring the meanest part about me Thou gavest me no kiss but she hath not ceased to kisse my fees She hath made me to smell in the room but what perfumes didst thou bestow upon me no nourishment was enough for me from thee but ointments thou thoughtest were too chargeable My head with oyl thou didst not annoint but this woman hath annointed my feet with oyntment What now then thinkest thou of thy selfe what thinkest thou of this woman thou hast been looking on her a great while hast thou eyed her rightly No I doubt thou hast beheld her all this while with the Pharisee's eye For feare therefore that thou shouldest wrong her with thine eye though she hath all this while stood at my back yet I will now turn my face upon her take a sight of her yea I look and look thou again take a better view of her Seest thou this woman this woman this rare precious peerlesse woman thou lookest for high praise for thy entertainment and I praise thee but thou must not except equall thanks or honour with this woman no thou hast spread thy Table but Mary Magdalen is the Feast-maker Her water and napkin and kiss and oyntment far exceed the variety of Dishes which thou hast prepared So that the Penitent with Christ doth carry the credit from the Precisian Mary Magdalen hath more commendation from the Saviours lips then the Pharisee and the Pharisee it seemeth thought so for as a man convinced after Christ had expressed the inequality he doth make no replication The Pharisee is silenced and now our Saviour doth continue his discourse he doth leave the Pharisee and enter into parley with the woman yea whereas we do not find that he justified the Pharisee but doth leave him to his Synagogue balsomes this woman hath what she doth come for she is paid for her water and napkin and kisse and oyntment Woman stand up stand forth thou hast given me water and I rinse thee thou hast wiped me and I spunge thee thou hast kissed my feet and I set my Saviours lips to thy soul thou hast annointed me and I perfume thy spirit thou camest a sinner but I will not send thee away a sinner no thou hast seen thy last minutes of a sinner Thy sins are forgiven Luk. 7.48 And whereas there are new murmurers arise that after the Pharisee hath left muttering inwardly there are others that say in themselves a cavilling generation which had learned their spirit of contradiction from their old opposing Master that when he had laid down his weapons they renew the assault being loath that the woman should go away without her old name the Sinner traducing Christ that he should dare to absolve her For they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves Who is this that forgiveth sins also v. 49. That the woman might not be troubled with this interposition and alteration Christ doth renew his authorizing grant putting another seal to the pardon For he said to the woman Thy faith hath saved thee go in peace v. 50. So that the woman now is cleared and discharged forgiven and saved Oh gracious Saviour oh blessed Mary Magdalen All this long discourse have I used that by one full instance ye might see when God is pleased to shew mercy he will find out all the incentives that may conduce to compassion a here ye see that God omitteth nothing that might bring off this penitent creature with honour there is not onely an assertion that she was worthy but here is a dissertion a large dispute about it Christ hath a gradation of arguments for her And is it not so here in my Text Yes there was a discussion and an enforcement that Nineveh was to be spared because it was a City a great City that great City and that great City which hath things of price in it persons and their multitudes and surplusage mentioned that they had sixscore thousand and more and their disabilities that they cannot and in a thing of the highest consequence that they cannot discern and not for intricate things but for common triviall things they cannot discern between their right hand and their left and lest all this should be too little that the sparing grace should not be condiscended to God if he hath not said enough he will say more adds to the affirmation a confirmation and to the enforcement an enlargement And also Should not I spare Nineth that great City wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons which cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand And also Application First this