Imbecillity And overcame thee by his Subtilty Thou mightst have pry'd into his cunning Guiles And circumvented Satan in his wiles Thou mightst have cast him off by detestation And found his fraudulent dissimulation By contradicting thee Of every tree When God did preordaine no such decree Gen. 3.1 In contradicting Gods owne Majesty Chrys in his treaty of vertue and vice Thou mightst have found a false fierce enemy But Thou That faire occasion didst omit Which might have well discover'd Him in It Deliver'dst what thou hadst into his hands Becam'st obedient unto his commands Acquainted'st Adam fondly with thy state And of the Sinne mad'st him participate In an unusuall fashion seem'dst to teach Whose duty was to heare but not to preach 1 Tim 1 1â— O Adam Adam where was thy reproofe Thou should'st have chid her now in this behoofe A presideâ—â— Iob 2 1â— But thou art too too like her in Condition And therefore wilt partake of her Ambition Folly hath caught thee how art thou beguiled Eve is uncleane and Adam is defiled No sooner did he eate but straight their eyes Were open to let in their miseries The eye of Evill-knowledge lets him see VVhat he had gain'd by the forbidden Tree Note this And this same eye discovers all his Sinne And showes him what he is without within He findes his stomacke overmuch opprest And in it felt himselfe withall distrest A sudden Chilnesse strikes him to the Heart And he is naked now in Every-part He seekes for Leaves to hide his nakednesse Gen 3.7 And is Ashamed of his filthinesse He feeles the anguish of a mighty Rod And he hath lost the Image of his God His Soule polluted with Impiety His Heart is filled wlth Hypocrisie Rom 8 6. Ier. 4.22 His Will perverted by his wickednesse And all his Wisdome turn'd to foolishnesse His Ioy is turn'd to Infelicity His Faith is turn'd to Infidelity His Soule and Body both contaminated And Both from God most justly separated Rom 6.16 A guilty Conscience turnes him into Gall A wicked-Divell holdes him now in thrall An Expectation of great punishment Makes him to melt by inward languishment Eternall Death doth dogge him at the heeles And he the terrour of it somewhat feeles Chrys Hom in Gen. 16 He findes himselfe by Satans wiles deceiv'd He sees himselfe of all his Gifts bereav'd Recall againe his sinfull-deede he cannot To have accesse to God alacke he dares not He knew him Iust and being such a One In this case hope of pardon there was None He knew not then God being just and true How he could pardon and redeeme him too The blessed Angels will not comfort him The Other-Creatures doe astonish him Ioh 8.44 All his whole-Thoughts addicted are to Evill And he is now the Image of the Divell Gen 3.8 An uncouth Feare assaults him Inwardly And he must fly from Gods discovery O Adam Adam whither wilt thou flye From out the sight of his All-seeing Eye Psal 139.8 Mount 'bove the Heavens Adam pierce the aire Yet having done it he will finde thee there Ibid v. 9. Descend to Hell among that wicked rout And there in Iudgement he shall finde thee out Take wings and flie above Heavens Celsitude Yet he conteines thee by his Latitude Hide thee in darknesse yet know He is Light And therefore fondly thou do'st fly his Sight The Lord beholding Man full fraught with terrour 〈◊〉 The manner of God approach to Adam Den 32.35 Comes mildely to him to rebuke his errour He brings him salve to cure his misery And comes withall to plague his Enemy Man carelesse of himselfe flees his Phisition And hath no grace to offer his submission The Lord in mercy makes him to appeare Chrys hom in Gen 17. And gives him comfort to appease his Feare He doth not come in fearfull Apparition He doth not come in finall Soules-perdition He doth not come in dismall Flames of Fire As once he did to Sodome in his ire Gen 19.24 But he doth come with milde-Celerity To comfort Man in his extremity He comes in coolest part of all the day Gen. 3. â— Mat 1â— 8 He comes when Man by Sinne had lost his way He comes in Motion of his owne accord That Man might heare the presence of the Lord No whirling Tempest walking doth he make As when he made Mount Sinai for to shake Exo 19.18 Such was his pitty without Mans least Merit Such was his Mercy to Mans sinfull Spirit Gods mâ—â—cy to maâ— That he doth come not in austerity But in his wonted former clemency O then poore Adam why art thou affear'd VVhen in so still a Sound thy Lord is heard O'tis thy Sinne or rather 't is thy Shame VVhich makes thee thinke his presence not the same The second Person in the Trinity Iohn â— 18 Not in the substance of his Deity â—ug Civit. â—ei l. 16. â—29 But in assumed creatures ministry Vouchsafes in mercy to conferre with thee Mildly doth call thee by thy proper Name Inquiring of thy welfare when he came Where art thou Adam As if he should say Tertul in Marcion 2. In what Estate How farest thou to day Why art thou troubled Wherefore dost thou fly Pre'thee resolve me Adam tell me why Here thou hadst fit occasion to have said Lord I have sinn'd assist me with thy aid I have unjustly of mine owne accord Through my Ambition much offended Lord I have rebell'd against thy Majesty And beene obedient to thine Enemy Luk. 10 30 I have for him deprav'd my Happinesse Depriv'd my selfe of all my Righteousnesse And being now most justly plagu'd therein Rom 6.16 Psal 18.2 Psa 73.25 Am made his Captive and a Slave to sinne I have no other Refuge but to Thee I have no other now to comfort me I onely come now to implore thy grace To helpe me Lord in this my wretched case O what a blessed Convert had here bin If Adam had but thus confest his Sin How well had God accepted his Submission Iob 31.33 And prais'd him after for his sound Contrition But he past grace will hide his sinne outright And rob himselfe of pardon if he might Deut 29.19 He will adde thirst unto his drunkennesse Making God authour of his wickednesse Accuse our great Iehovah to his face And neither sue for mercy nor for grace But spend his time his words his breath in vaine And like a wicked wretch will thus prophane The woman which thou gav'st me made me eate Gen 3.12 As if God gave her onely to defeate August de Civit. Dei l. 14. c. 14. VVhen God in pitty as a helping-one Gave her to Adam when he was alone God made Her his Inferiour Him her Head To rule not by her to be rul'd misled 1 Tim 2.11 12 13. He should in duty have dissuaded her Even when the Divell had invaded her He should in
wisdome have excluded quite Her fond entising with the fruits delight By Gods law Deut. 13.6 And then betooke himselfe unto his will To have remained firme and constant still Now being to returne from his revolt He doth confesse the Act but not the Fault Question But was the Woman of her husbands minde Could she be gracelesse faithlesse sencelesse blinde Surely She would her faulty sinne confesse Because She made her Husband to transgresse Answer Alacke she was found tardy in the Fact And did conceale the Fault but not the Act. Examine but her weake Simplicity And you shall finde her sly Hypocrisie Consider but her drift and how she spake And what a slight Confession she did make Put these together in an even eye And wonder at her strange Audacity God summons her unto the Iudgement-seate Gen 3.13 She on the Serpent layes the guilt most great As if the Serpent had compell'd her to it When freely of her selfe her Will did doe it God will not in his Iustice put it up But with affliction hath filld full her cup And in a right-set order he will render An exact Punishment on Each offender And now because the Serpent was the first For whose offence the Creatures were accurst For whom the Earth and Heav'ns must all expire 1 Pet 3.7 And at the length consumed be with fire He first is punisht unto his desert That did their glory by his guile subvert The Divell Gen 3.14 Curst shalt thou be above each thing alive The Cattell Beast the Creature vegetive Vpon thy panting belly thou shalt glide And ever feede upon the Dust Beside Betweene her Seede and Thine I will set strife Which shall continue ever with their life Thou shalt in One full many sorrowes feele For he shall breake thy head thou bruise his heele The olde Serpent Thus God in mercy in This-Ones correction Remembers Adam of his Soules-refection And in the plaguing of his Enemy That is Christ Exod 34.6 Ier 23 6. Points him out One for his delivery So just is God withall so mercifull So wise so good so true so bountifull That in his Wisdome He Himselfe will give Rather than Man shall thus in Bondage live And being true and just he doth condemne The subtill Serpent that seduced them Who was compeld thereto against his will VVhom God afflicteth as the Cause of Ill. â—imile Even as a Father that beholds his Childe In hazard of his life by weapon spoyld â—hrysost in â—en hom 7. Doth in his passion to the weapon runne And breakes the same for hurting of his Sonne So God in Iustice for a good intent â—ote this VVill plague this Fault though in the Instrument God did not aske the silly Serpent why He gull'd the Woman by his Treachery Because he knew him for a brutish creature â—Vho had no hand in plotting their defeature â—eing the Divels Instrument therein â—evoid of reason senselesse of the Sinne Calvin on Gen 3. Yet for because he was in it the Actour He must be punisht as a Malefactour Vpon his panting Belly he must goe VVhich was his pleasure once but now his woe A crooked Shape annexed to the same Iob â—6 13 Because through him our crooked Folly came His spotted Skinne must move astonishment Which was a rare and comely ornament And be casheer'd from Mans society To live by him in open Enmity Gen. 3.14 â—ut this addes more to his extremities â—he other creatures are his enemies â—hey for his inbred-malice will detest him â—nd seeke occasion ever to molest him â—eset with such a crue of Enemies â—e must indure extreame neeessities â—ometimes he feedes on Frogs on Birds on Flies Arist hist animal l. 8. c. 4. â—pon dead Carrion which before him lies â—ut frighted from it he full often must â—itten by Famine prey upon the Dust â—o fearefull of the creatures to be found Plin. l. 8. c. 39. That he delights to dwell within the ground â—ut if he can by any Wile or Chance â—hrough Mans owne Folly or Gods sufferance â—â—rprise him sleeping without full defence â—eing then subject to his violence â—e will not spare to venture life and lim â—o he may ruine or indammage him â—nd Man on t'other side all slghts will try â—ow to avoid and kill this Enemy Gen 3 14 So odious hath God made Him unto Man More then Behemoth or Leviathan Reve. 12.9 Reve. 20.2 But for the other Serpent-mysticall The Divels person Diabolicall As he was cursed in his fall before So in offending he is cursed more August de gen cont Manech 2.17 Curst above all the creatures that have life In that he first occasioned their strife Curst above every creature void of sense In that they smarted so for his offence Therefore he must partake the greater woe Because from him each creatures curse did flow Gen. 3.14 Dust he must eate here is his penury Denoting out his endlesse misery Cyprian in Symbol Past all recovery to his former state From which he did himselfe precipitate Because he being made in all perfection Aug. Tract in Ioh Evang 2.20 Inferiour to no creature till 's dejection But number'd was in that celestiall Traine VVho had as much as Creatures could containe VVhat state in Mercy could God bring him to Than that which formerly his Sinne did rue Man having sinn'd against the Lords injunction Might well be rais'd unto the Angels Function But Satan could no other state exceed Vnlesse he had beene made a God indeed Heb 6.4 5 6. Ibid. 10 27. Besides he sinn'd against that blessed Spirit That gave him all those graces to inherit And he despairing of Gods mercy fell VVithout provokement to the pit of Hell 1 Pet 2 4. Rev 20 10 VVhere he tormenting of the wicked lies VVhom God will suffer never more to rise For the fal of Adam VVhom he hath curst anew for this same deed To plague him greater in the Womans-seede When Christ in Iudgment shall with Vengeance come Iude v. 6. And more torment him in the Day of Doome NOw he is curst above all Beasts and Cattell Speaking of the time then present Immediately after the curse this decree of God took effect Now all the Saints are ranged in a Battell â—ow their Commander Saviour Christ doth goe â—o give him battell and an overthrow â—he glorious Martyrs are his Ancient-bearers The Saints his souldiers and his best obeyers The Angels are his Sentinels and stand To doe what ever he shall them command â—is Flagge before him is both white and red â—etokening his deare blood that should be shed â—is Scutch'on is his Crosse the Motto life â—o him that undertakes this godly Strife O This is He that hath subdu'd thy might Meaning Satans to whom the Authour speakes Col. 1.13 Fulgent de Praedest c. 13. â—issolv'd thy Power with thy Malice quite â—estored Adam to better State â—hen what he
to make him way But She good Soule could not obtaine this favour For none she had and yet she would not stay Such Faith as this will suffer no delay She came her selfe and He did Others send Mat 15 22 Christ her deni'd she forc't him in the end He for a Servant whom he dearely lov'd â—uk 7.4 7 Mat. 15 22 Made sute to Christ and did but once request She for a Daughter was extremely mov'd Because a Spirit had her Childe possest This Saint was weary of so foule a Guest O then if many Divells us invade Let 's flee to Christ as she did here for aide And let not us misdoubt the premisses Gods helping Grace is not to be restrain'd If we lay holde upon the Promises What is it but by Christ shall be obtain'd The Woman askt the good-Centurion gain'd His sute was granted and had no denyall But hers was not obtain'd without her tryall He e're our Saviour came into his sight â—uk 7 6 7 Sent backe to stay him by his Faiths Confession Her Faith makes to him in as swift a flight â—at 15.22 And plyes him with her outcryes for Compassion He suff'red in her yet did shew no passion â—â—id v. 23 Seeming as deafe no hearing to afford Seeming as dumb and would not speake a word Good harmelesse Soule how was her Heart deceiv'd Expecting comfort onely from his sight Now vieweth God the Word of speech bereav'd A gracious God a Convert for to slight A faithfull Woman and a Canaanite 〈◊〉 I One of the chosen Vessells of his Choyce Who felt him inward speake yet heard no Voice But when he spake for to deny her helpe Mat. 15 2â— To be her Saviour yet not sent for Her Reputing her no better than a Whelpe Verse 26. And so no Grace upon her to confer The God of Grace to be no Comforter Oh this might well have driv'n her to despaire And yet all this not makes her to forbeare But as an Eagle molts away her Feathers Simile Psal 103 5 And breakes her olde Bill to renew her strength So by Denyalls she more force regathers Vntill her Faith had conquered him at length And out of cinders burst to such a flame That now the World is blazed with the same MEDITATION 1. IS Faith of force to bring me to my Saviour To make him mine to keepe me in his favour To obtaine mercy and to cleanse my Heart Vniting me to Him never to part Lord give me Faith let me have no deniall Then when thou wilt Lord put me to my Tryall MEDITATION 2. LOrd when thou wilt then let thy Spirit come Speake then unto my Soule when thou seem'st dombe Let me then heare the Presence of thy Voice When thou seem'st Deafe to make my heart rejoyce Then like This Woman shall my faith have strength And through thy Mercy overcome at length MEDITATION 3. ARe Rich and Poore great Emperours and Kings Devoid of Christ counted but brutish things As whelps dogs foxes vipers swine let mee Sweet Iesus have my Part and Name in thee So when thy glorious Comming shall appeare Thy Saints shall sing when Dogs shall howle for feare FINIS Dedicated To all the Captaines Lieutenants Ensignes and Serjeants of the Trayned Bands of London Middlesex Bristo Exeter Norwich and Kent OF whom should Homer or the Muses sing If not of Souldiers or the Souldier King Whose actions are Heroike and whose Armes Protects as King the meanest man from harmes Oh did his Majesty behold you all Each in your Armes acting the Generall He would surmise Epaminondas by Or you transform'd to his Imagery Wish all his subjects were but â—uch as you Having his wish tell you what he would doe â—he Emâ—erour Aâ—rian made â—n this Iâ—â—nd a wal â—â—o miles â—ong Gods Arâ—y divided â—nto three â—arts â—antguard â—iddleâ—ard Rearâ—ard The Kings strength in his subjects doth consist And such an Army who can well resist He needs no Adr'an wall to guard his Land Your hearts defend his heart for you doth stand You are part of his Army of his host You are of Gods owne Army therefore boast Gods mighty Army hath three severall parts Subsisting of these Noble valiant hearts As Adam Noah Abraham and Iob To make the Front in that Celestiall Globe With all the Prophets Peter Iames and Iohn The Saints and holy Martyrs dead and gone The Middleward subsists of them that die And of our selves waiting mortality The Reareward are those Saints which must survive To meet our Saviour in the clouds alive Now being Militant reflect your eye On Sampsons strength and on his Chivalrie See what our Israels Champion can afford And as he was be Champions for the Lord. Yours to imitate Edâ—â—â—d Câ—â—â—â— Strong Sampsons Birth his mighty strength His many conquests death at length Hid Manna of the History Revealed in th' Analogy HISTORY SAMPSON VVHat God doth promise he will sure perform In the full time When Israel as a worme Is trod upon Iudg. 13. then Manoahs Comforter Though barren beares them a Deliverer Now is their Bondage with the Philistins No whit so during as their lordly Sinnes Verse 1. Nor can their Sinnes oblitterate his Favour That gave his Sonne sent Sampson for a Saviour An Angel brings the tidings of his Birth Iudg. 13 â— Or else the God of Angels treads on Earth Shap'd as a Man in our Humanity Angel in Place God in Authority Sampson doth grow in Stature Strength and than The Spirit moves him in the Campe of Dan Tweene Zorah and Eshtaol Verse 25. Iudg 14. â— bids him arise And goe to Timnath for new Enterprise The Nazarite obeyeth Seekes a Wife Verse 1. A Lyon comes against him for his Life 5. He rents him as a Kid immediatly 6. There Sweetnesse findes in Her Disloyalty 9â— He slayeth thirty Philistins for spoyle 10. Destroyes their growing Corne upon the Soyle Iud g 15 Their standing Stocks the Vineyards by the same For which the Timnite with his House doth flame 6. But Sampson well repayes their cruelty And smites them Hip and Thigh abundantly Goes to Rocke Etam They invade the Land Versâ— 8.9 1â— Sampson is bound betrayed to their hand 14. He breaks the bands discomforts all their host 15. He slayes a thousand with a Bone doth bost 18. He thirsteth fainteth prayeth doth obtaine 19 And from the Bone Water doth flow amaine He drinketh of the Rocke for Christ was by The Substance will not let the Shadow dye Chap 16 2 Verse 2. He speeds to Gaza seeth Dalila Hazards his Life beareth the Gates away 17. He doteth she betrayes his Lockes are cut 20. His strength doth faile he to the Mill is put 21. His Eyes thrust out conducted to the Court 25. To be their laughin stocke the Vulgers sport 28 He prayeth to his God strength comes againe 30 He plucketh downe the
Executioner doth stand He which will not his Makers hests obey Nor yet believe what God himselfe doth say 1 Kin 20 36. Shall for his folly be to slaughter led And feare those Creatures which him once did dread Learning by this same Iudgement as it stands Heb. 10 31 What 't is to fall into his Makers hands The guilt of sinne made Adam them to feare And this same guilt torments us every where When Man became offensive to his God Then every Creature did become his Rod. Gen. 1.24 The Earth which by the sentence of the Lord Because the figge-tree was barren Christ did curse it being made fruitfull in the Creation it shold have continued so Mark 11.13 14. Gen 3.17 18 19. Brought forth such plenty of her owne accord Being fill'd with all variety of Fruite For every Season as Divines dispute Doth now surcease her late Fertility And brings him Thornes through her Sterelity In stead of Wheate she brings superfluous Weedes In stead of Fruite she Thistles Briers breedes In stead of Ease she brings him Painfulnesse And with her Plenty much Laboriousnesse She brings him Sorrow with Maturity She brings him Cares with this Saturity She brings him Losse by her Aridity And makes him moane for meere Necessity He gets his Living chiefly from the ground He feeles the Smart wherein the Gaine is found He sobbs he sighes he works he groanes he plowes Till Sweat on Sweat distilleth from his Browes Yet still she doth retaine her Barrennesse Till God doth bid her turne to Fruitfulnesse Then like a Sea she overflowes amaine And fills his empty Storehouse full of Graine Psa 65.9 Being overswai'd by Gods almighty power She makes his Sweete turne Bitter in an houre And now oh England A Digression Thou maist truly feare The like disaster this disast'rous yeare For God against thee commeth in a Cloud By unseasonable weather To drowne thy Sweetnesse with amaritude Riding upon a pale destroying-Horse Whose name is Death He neigheth for a Corse Rev. 6 8 Next him in Harnesse see a Sable one Whose name is Famine He comes trotting on 5. The Scutchions have their Trophies The Imbose A paire of Ballance and a Ruddy Crosse Thy Neighbouring Nations have the bitter sense Of wofull famine rageing Pectilence They seeke for change of Ayre They cry for Food The Arrowes of the Lord are drencht in blood Then England sleepe not in security Rather prepare and meet God instantly Meet him for he in Iustice doth begin That he in mercy may remit thy sinne And dissipate denounced punishment Who never yet chang'd counsell or intent But be thou changed that thy God may see His grace is not in vaine infus'd in thee Repent thee of thy oathes and Blasphemie The breach of Saboths thy Hypocrisie Abuse of Plenty Peace thy murmuring Against thy God thy good deserving King Thy many Murthers thy hard-heartednesse For which the Earth retaines her Barrennesse For which of late she did dilate her wombe And two plough horses ploughing did intombe Within her bowells Nothing did appeare Of these two horses but one horses eare To tell us all that he hath eare and eye To see and heare when his afflicted cry To tell us he will have it knowne of all For all his Iudgements are Iudiciall Then as the Sinne such is the punishment In three peckes of corne not abate 3 pence Penny wise pouÌ„d foolish I. R Hee had there 5 horses at Harrow or Plough one sunke not the Ploughman cutting the harnesse saved him â—wo were â—igged â—ut alive â—wo dead We plough the poore God ploughes us to repent We will be strict for Three and will not trust God spares us one of three and God is just So delt our God with Russell when to One God did returne him two when foure were gone I leave the Farmer But retaine the Man From whom I did digresse Now I goe on The Elementall Streames by distillation Threatens his ruine by huge inundation The Fire with the Water takes a part And will his Glory in the end subvert The Heavens inforc'd by some distemperment In Thunder break forth to 's astonishment And darting Lightning from the upper Spheare Make all the creatures quake with him for feare The rageing Sea as discontented rores Foaming his frothy-matter on the Shores And did not God by strong pow'r hold it in It would immediatly drowne all for sin The blustring Winde unseene to any wight Doth make huge Mountaines totter in his sight And should not God restraine them in their course They would o'retumble All they have such force The Creatures all are in a mutiny The antiâ—athy of â—he Creaâ—ures aâ—ainst maÌ„ And this is long of Mans Impiety They are in open fierce Hostility Both against him and his Posterity The Suns bright Beames as blemisht doth repeate How they shall shortly scorch him by their heate And nipping Winter with her forked sting Threatens to blast the glory of his Spring Man beseâ— with enemies The Ayre infected gives intelligence Of some ensuing Plague or Pestilence A thousand dangers now in sundry shapes For his destruction like Abyssus gapes He in himselfe is much distempered He findes his person now disfigured Sicknesse and Age upon him doe attend Aug Civ Dei l. 14. c. 15. And Death on Age to bring him to his end Man thus beset with all his Enemies Begins to faint through his Infirmities God his Physitian makes to him apace Deu. 32 39 Gives him his Hand upholds him by his Grace Directs him onward guides him on the Way And bids him still against Temptations pray The Flesh he must subdue and mortifie Conquer the World by Faith and Purity Rom. 8 1 1 Ioh. 5 4 Iam. 4 7 Resist the Divell as he findes the Season And conquer all his Passions by his Reason Beare with the Creatures rude unrulinesse Being the Cause of their ungentlenesse And for his Bodies foule Infirmities They must befall him through debilities Being subject to them 't is not much amisse For dust thou art saith God and tells him this Which is as much as if the Lord should say Gen. 3 1â— O Adam know thou art but Earth and Clay Gods speeâ— to Adam out of thâ— word duâ—â— Prosopâ—â—â— Dei. I my owne selfe created thee of Dust Made thee a living Creature good and just Thou in an earthly Bodies Heritage Didst beare my heavenly undefil'd Image Rom 6.6 12 Rom. 7.23 Through thy default the Forme is perished And by the earthly Image blemished That which remaines as spirituall and good Is now made subject unto Flesh and Blood For this cause it is meete that thou shouldst ever Continue thus corrupted cleansed never Leo Serm. 5 de Nativ Dom. But be restored to thy Glory lost Or feele eternall Torments to thy cost Now that thou maist have full delivery 'T is fit thou should indure adversity Psa 39 13 And feele the smart of death