of others the renowned Patriarks the blessed Prophets the religious Kings the holy Apostles The effectes of it the godly troupe of Martyres haue vsed it Thirdly the excellent effectes qualities properties and operations of this hearbe The first is to preuent and to preserue vs from the poyson and contagion of immoderate feare of death sicknesse or of any other calamitie The second is when thou art visited to expell the venome and poyson of impatience from thy mouth and thy heart The sick man although hee throweth off his cloathes and tosseth himselfe from side to side in the bedde for mitigation of paines is not thereby holpen the sicknesse still remaineth this is the onely hearbe to ease him If the carbuncle and filthy botch of impatience breaketh forth here is a playster to cure the wound It will drawe foorth the venome and make vs to humble our selues vnder the mightie hande of GOD. 1. Pet. 5.6 Patience is alumna dei the daughter of GOD saith TERTVLLIAN for want of which many are like birds in lime or snares which the more they striue to escape the more they are limed snared As the hearbs then of the bodily kings medicine are vsed both before infection after in fection euē so the hearb of patiēce is good both for the vnuisited to preuent and for the visited to expell Thirdly this hearbe will ease and mollifie thy paine plaisters are vsed to sweeten mollifie and mitigate the paine euen so the plaister of patience will make vs to ouercome all our troubles The heathens haue acknowledged this for one saith He that endureth patiently ouercommeth his paine This then will make vs to say with DAVID Lord because thou diddest it I am dumbe It filleth the heart with comfort spirituall ioy Fourthly it doth strengthen vs. Prou. 16.32 Fiftly it will heale and make vs perfect in Christ Iesus Iam. 1.4 It mooueth the Lord to pittie and mercie Iam. 5.11 Sixtly it is good cheape it will not cost golde or siluer onely pray for it and the Kings Physition will giue it you Seauenthly it is an vniuersall remedie for all manner of men for all diseases and at all times not onely for the time of Plague but for the time of famine warre and pouertie PLINIE saith that the earth Para cureth al manner of woūds this property may better be attributed to Christian patience If the patient reply that the hearbe of patience is not like vnto the hearbes of the bodily kings medicine for they are to be founde in euery mans Garden and so is not this I can giue him no other answere but this Let him pray for it and hee shall obtaine it As for impatience seeing that it is borne of the Diuell as TERTVLLIAN speaketh to him let vs leaue this plant which the hand of the Lord neuer planted and to his male-contented Imps who neuer learned how the linkes of that heauenly chaine are fastened one to another Rom. 5 that tribulation bringeth patience patience experience experience hope They breake the chaine at the first linke Let vs Christians hang vpon the chaine and clime to heauen by it through the merits of Christes death and passion wherof the last linke consisteth Let vs not ill entreat the Lords Embassadors DAVID tooke it not well when the AMONITES ill entreated his Embassadours afflictions are Gods Embassadors to repine or grudge against them is to entreate them ill I end with the wordes of AVGVSTINE Let vs not regarde so much what part wee haue in the whippe but what place in the Testament And thus much for the three parts and ingredients of the Kings Medicine The third part containing the Patients behauiour and the manner how Dauid tooke in this medicine KING DAVIDS behauiour is set downe in three things whereof of the first is that hee discouered and laide open his sore vnto his Physition with an humble confession 2. Sam. 24.10 I haue sinned exceedingly and I haue done verie foolishly In which discouery I discouer three things First the patient of the person discouering DAVID the King noted in this word I Secondly his sore or discase noted in two words sinned and foolishly Thirdly the Physition to whome he doth discouer it vnto the Lord. The patient discouering As for the patient it is DAVID who confesseth that hee was infected hee maketh an immediate confession and casteth forth the impostumated matter of a dissembling conscience which beeing concealed had beene present death And although a king yet he forgetteth his glorie setteth affection aside writeth as it were his fault in his browe and pointeth with his finger at his transgression Imitate the Kings behauiour in thy spirituall disease ô sinfull son of ADAM Couer it not with some defence as ADAM his nakednesse strangle it not within thy bones in a sullen and melancholike passion Two things hinder sometimes the diseased to discouer their disease feare and shame Let not these be impediments Be not ashamed to confesse thy sinnes Eccl. 4.26 Follow not the infected with the corporall plague who sometimes plucketh down the bill or defaceth the red crosse of his doore either for shame or temporall profit Secondly feare not it is a signe and argument of life and as the first argument of life which the widdowes sonne of Naim gaue was this he began to speake so in this spirituall resuscitation from the death of the soule the first token of our recouery is that we begin to speake with DAVID I haue sinned exceedingly If thou replyest this is also the voice of CAIN of the MOABITE Aegyptian and Elamite the answere is Confession is oris et cordis of the mouth and of the heart the first was onely in the Edomite let both bee in the Christian Six reasons vrging confession Let me according to the manner of the bodily Physition shewe vnto you the reasons which ought to perswade you to this discouery of your sores the which are sixe in number First the nature of your disease that is of sinne doth require it as long as it is hidden it biteth as a Scorpion which we hide in our bosome Woūds the closer they are kept the greater torture they bring saith GREGORIE Sinnes not confessed bring saith AVGVSTINE condemnation vpon vs. Secondly the counsaile of the spiritual Physitions commande it Eccl. 4-24 and of the rest whose prescriptions reade in the booke of God Thirdly the practise of the faithfull and their successe this is the voice of IOB Psal 32.5 EZRA DANIEL and the rest Fourthly the curing of your disease doth aske it for this is a meanes to haue it healed Pro. 28.13 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth them shall haue mercie O how auaileable saith AMBROSE are three syllables peccaui is but three syllables but the flame of an hearty sacrifice ascendeth therein into heauen and fetcheth downe three thousand blessings Fiftly the end and purpose of the Lord the supreame Physition for which hee
preaching of the Gospell Secondly beâ—ause we rendred not vp our hearts he hath erected vp his red tents threatning vs with an enemy without and an enemy within Lastly because this hath not auailed he hath erected the last yeere his blacke rents sending among vs mortalitie the funerals haue walked vp and downe our streetes with mourning and lamenting the parents for the children the children for the parents Let then the remaynders repent least they all likewise perish And thus much for the first Preacher of the former yeere the Lordes smart-preacher in his anger and in his justice There followeth now the second Preacher The Preacher of mercy which the Lorde whose mercies are infinite hath manifested in three thinges 2 The second Preacher of the former yeere the preacher of mercy manifested in three things in the giuing of a Prince in the fruits of the earth in the very Plague it selfe First by the gift of an honorable plant which his right hande it selfe hath planted among vs although I haue once already mentioned it before yet I would not esteeme it a tautologie to repeat it twentie and twenty times more vnto this benefite he hath added another The preseruing of him by his holy Angels his majesties safest garde First 1 In the guift of a Prince from the snare of the hunter and the noysome pestilence Secondly from intended treason against his sacred person Seeing the Lorde hath giuen vs a worthie instrument of his glorie to beate downe the walles of that Româ—sh IERICHO Satan would faine hinder it and thereby sheweth that hee hath no greater enemie in the world then our most Christian Prince Satan to vse the words of AVGVSTINE the former time was as a Lyon for then he raysed open persecution against the Church And now he playeth the subtile serpent and priuily lyeth in waite But although they all should stande vp as a huge mountaine against our ZOROBABEL Zac. 4.7 yet shall they bee made I hope a plaine as the prophet speaketh The second token of his mercie hath bene the blessing of a fruitfull yeere the aboundance of corne 2 In the blessing of a pleÌ„tifull yeere which the distilling dew of heauen hath comforted the sheaues whereof haue filled the mowers hands and the gleaners lap The heauens haue dropped their fatnesse and the earth hath made the hearts of manie to leape for joy and the barnes as it were to enlarge themselues for the receite of this blessed plentie This mercie of the former yeere is a Preacher preaching vnto you beloued of England the 8. verse of the 34. Psalme Taste and see how gracious the Lord is The third token of his mercie doeth appeare in the very Pestilence it self the Lord hauing shewen mercie as the Prophet speaketh in the middest of his justice 3 In the Pestilence it selfe as appeareth in foure things If this seemeth vnto you a paradoxe I will prooue and manifest it in foure things in regarde of the time of the number of the place of the kinde of punishment his mercie towardes vs rysing vppe by foure degrees like the water in EZECHIEL cap. 4.7 which at the first time came but to the ankles the second time to the knees the third to his loynes the fourth time was a deepe riuer First the time preacheth his mercy 1 In regarde of the time and that for our continuall sinnes without continuall repentance haue deserued a continuall Plague but the continuance of this rod hath notwithstanding not bene among vs The mercie of the Lorde towards vs in regard of the time doth appeare in two things before he commeth and when hâ— is come First before he commeth 1 Before hee commeth his greate patience and long sufferance he commeth leysurely but euery nine or ten yeeres once where as he might yeerely visite vs if he would deale with vs justly according to our sinnes 2 When hee is come Secondly when he is come the short continuance of the Pestilence feauen or eight Moneths at the most The Lord turning the storme to calme so that the waues thereof are still Psal 107.29 ô admirable lenitie and fatherlie kindnesse thus dealeth he not with other Nations Goe but vnto your neighbours they will preach vnto you Gods mercie towards you Aske the Pagans and they will tell it you witnesse that Plague begunne Anno 540. which lasted fiftie yeeres tormenting them Secondly the number preacheth vnto you Gods mercie Our infinite sinnes had deserued that millions and millions should haue beene swept awaye and yet there hath beene but a gleaning of few If you reply and set before mee 2 In regard of the number the greatnesse of the former Plague which seemeth to take awaie this mercie which I amplifie Aske but of DAVID and hee himselfe will open Gods mercie towardes you What is the number of thirtie seauen thousande in the space of a yeere in regarde of seauentie thousande in three daies Goe further and aske the Nations which knew not God they wil lay it opeÌ„ to you What is the number of 37. thousaÌ„d in regard of 2000. which dyed euery day in the time of VESPASIAN of 5000. euery day and sometime of 10000. in the time of IVSTINIAN of a hundreth thousande in the citie of Rome Anno 1521. Thou ô little kingdome of Bohemia which hast lost Anno 1577. 300000. mayest Preach vnto this kingdome the Lords mercie towardes her O Graecia thou hast in such manner bene consumed that there were almost none to burie thy dead Euseb lib. 9. Cap. 7 8 and yet thou ô England hast had not onely some to burie thy dead but to accompanie them decently and honorably to the graue It is then the Lordes mercy onely that we haue not all bene consumed Lam. 3. O that thou couldest ô England yet perceiue thy present happinesse and preuent a future horrour 3 In regarde of the place Thirdly the diuerse places vnuisited in this kingdome do Preach this mercy The Plague of the soule which had raigned in euery place had deserued that the Plague of the body should haue raigned also in euery corner The Lord might haue sent his Angel euen from Dan to Bershebah to strike not onely the head with some of the members but altogether and yet he hath not for although this Pestilence hath bene more generall then others yet many haue bene exempted Both DAVID and other nations doe Preach vnto thee ô England this admirable mercie Remember the 15. Prouinces of the Romaine Empyre wasted away in a short time by this smart-whippe In Egypt Exod. 12.30 there was no house where there was not one dead And yet behold there haue bene many housen I say not in England but in London it selfe which haue escaped To what shall we ascribe this but to the greate mercy of the Lord Fourthly the kinde of punishment wherewith we haue bene visited 4 In regard of the punishment it selfe and that in two respects
preacheth also the Lords mercie to England and that in two things First that he hath not sent vnto vs the whole Trinitie of chastisements propounded vnto DAVID Secondly In that he hath not sent the heauiest of them three First our sins did deserue them all three together 1 Of the trinitie sending but one the famine and scarcitie of good workes famine and scarcitie of bread our fighting against the Lord the sword of the enemie the infection of the soule the infection of the body But the Lord who is mercifull hath called backe his anger and not stirred vp all his wrath Psal 78.38 The Low-countries may Preach the Lords mercie towardes England They haue sometimes felt at one time the trinitie of punishments and the former yeeres both warre and Pestilence wee in the meane time feeling but the rodde of DAVID Wee did I confesse expect a heauier judgement wee looked for nothing else but blood-shedding and fighting for a crowne behold we haue nothing but joye peace prosperitie and joyful ringing for a Crowne This our joy in the meane time being spysed with a litle bitternesse Secondly he hath not onely visited vs with one of the three 2 Sending not the heauiest but also with the sweetest and the best vsing not the rodde of reuenge but the scourge of correction And although our sinnes had deserued the heauiest yet he hath shewen to vs that mercie which he shewed to DAVID not suffering vs to fall into the handes of men If he had sent vs famine it would haue made many to haue morgaged their Landes to PHARAOS Gen. 47.20 to haue left the kingdome Gen. 12. Famine as the Prouerbe is is an euill counsellor when hunger had gryped vs it would haue egged men to thefts murthers deâ—eits Many would haue liued vppon the ayre and their owne moysture and so consumed away and in doing nothing to vse the saying of AVGVSTINE haue come to nothing Mothers you may be Preachers of Gods mercie if hee had sent a famine alas the tongue of the sucking childe had cleaued to the roofe of his mouth for thirst The yong children had asked bread no man should haue broken it vnto them And to vse further the words of IEREMIE the hands of the pittiful woman would haue sodden their own children as they did in the siege of Ierusalem Iam. 4.10 If he had sent vs hostile persecutioÌ„ Alas the vnmerciful souldier would haue laied opeÌ„ your hedges leauiled your houses with the ground emptied you yours of all their possessions Where had bin your cities your wiues your daughters where your temples your Prophets yea where your religion they would haue displayed the banner and set vp the ensigne of the Romish-beast erected the signes of their abhominatioÌ„s They would haue blaspheamed the God of Israel and said are these the Christians where is their God But nowe beloued they all remaine in their flowre prime the rod of DAVID hath not hindred vs to enter the temple nor the exercises of religion we see our signes and our prophets we enter into the house of the Lord with libertie of conscience there to behold her beautie Psal 27. and to adore the God of Israell in the spirit and trueth Wee strangers An apostrophe to strangers may also bee preachers ô Lorde of thy mercie in the middest of thy justice It is true thou hast much diminished the number of thy litle flock collected in this Kingdome yet better hath it bene for them that are exiled here for the name of thy Sonne for the testimony of thy eternal truth to haue falleÌ„ in thy hands then in the hands of meÌ„ of whose barbarous cruâ—lty both they their fore-fathers haue had experience and although they are buried in their exile yet thou hast transported theÌ„ in their heauenly father-land Thou which hast brought this vaine out of the Romish Egipt planted it in this land as in another Canaan make it fruiteful returne we beseech thee and now visite it in thy mercie and wee will not goe backe from thee but cal vpon thy name I returne to thee ô LondoÌ„ preach thou also the Lords mercie he hath not vndon or dissolued thy coÌ„position nor couerd thee with brambles hee hath not vtterly destroyed thee as Babilon The great Niniuie Troy Ierusalem and the rest of which wee may truely say O iam periere ruina the verie ruines of them are gone to ruine thou standest yet and I hope shalt flourish as much as thou euer didst if the former iudgement mooue thee to repentance I will conclude with a paradoxe Mercie we had desired the former yeere and mercy hee hath also shewen the former yeere A paradoxe the trueth whereof the euent of the former yeere hath manifested yea by the sending of the Plague The Lord hath heard our prayers If this seeme strange to you beloued I will expound the paradoxe In the beginning of the yeere when that Noble Princesse Elizabeth of famous memory fell sicke during her disease wee mourned sighed and lamented We were heauie and much troubled many righteous soules prayed vnto the Lord and in their prayers desired two thinges of the Lord first that if she should come to die that hee would not suffer them to fall into the hands of men Secondly that hee would bee mercyfull to Sion and not dispearse and scatter them but gather keepe together his church and beholde the Lord hath heard our prayers he hath not suffered vs to fal into the hands of men he hath sent a pestilence by which we are fallen into his handes for what is the Plague but a fall into God his hands according to the definition of DAVID Further he hath not dispersed but rather called and gathered many of vs vnto himselfe for what is death else but a gathering vnto our fathers a departure vnto God The Lord hath called many of his children froÌ„ Schoole froÌ„ the Schoole of this world where they had learned no good he hath called them to that heauenly vniuersity Many had desired to see the tryumphes of the cittie but the Lord in his mercy hath made them to see a better tryumph in that permanent Cittie and heauenly Ierusalem Many had desired to see the Coronation of their newe Prince but the Lord in hss mercy hath made theÌ„ to see a better Coronation the Coronation of the Prince of glorie of the true SALOMON Christ Iesus yea he hath made many the royall priest-hood Apo. 1. Thus theÌ„ beloued of LONDON I haue amplyfied vnto you the mercy of the Lord which hath onely staied the Angels sword or else it would haue gone forward There is no comparison betwixt the mercy of God and the mercy of men It is reported that MARCELLVS after that his souldiers had conquered SIRACVSA not without the great slaughter of many was so compassionate ouer them that hee went vp to the highest Towre in the Castle with teares lamented the
to them for Christ Iesus sake who hath deliuered vs You that haue alreadie the olde yeare sacrificed let not your goodnesse mercie goe backward like the shadow vpon Ahaz Dyall You that haue not let not your hearts bee like to the clay waxing harder harder let them be as waxe and let them melt vpon your brethren Let the benefit of your deliuerance bee as a sunne to melt them Oh how faire a thing is mercie in the time of anguish It is like a cloude of raine that commeth in the time of a drought Eccle. 35.19 And thus much for the second sort of Sacrifice The third kinde of sacrifice to bee offered this newe yeare is the sacrifice of thanksgiuing 3 The sacrifice of thanksgiuing which is to be offered vnto the Lord according to the direction of the holy Ghost Psal 50.14 Offer vnto God praise and pay thy vowes vnto the most high for hee that offereth praise shal glorifie mee These are the calues of our lips Hos 14.3 And seeing the Lord hath taken away our iniquitie and receiued vs gratiously Hos 14.3 Let vs therefore offer the sacrifice of praise to God the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name Hebr. 13.15 Let vs returne kindnesse for kindnesse DAVID Ps 170. setteth downe 4. kindes of men which are most indebted to GOD for deliuerance froÌ„ perils One of them are such that are freed from a mortall sicknesse London thou art in the coÌ„passe of one of these therfore you the remainders confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men offer the sacrifices of praise and deliuer his workes with reioycing Psalm 107.21.22 Exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the Elders Vers 32. Wee haue tasted the neuer stinting streame of his mercies what shall wee then render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towardes vs Let vs take the cuppe of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord pay our vowes vnto him euen now in the presence of all his people Psalm 116.12 The Leaper beeing cleansed by Christ returned with speede to giue GOD praise LONDON thou art now clensed and with HEZECHIAH hast receiued health and therefore say with the King Esd 38 20 The Lord was readie to saue mee therefore we wil sing my song al the daies of our life in the house of the lord If the Israelits haue bowed themselues and worshipped Exod. 12.27 because the Angell had spared them ought not thâ— remainders in all duetifull manner extol the glorious name of the Lord Israel beeing past thâ— red sea hath song vnto the Lord Exod. 15. anâ— shalt not thou ô London hauing now passed those waters which were entred euen to youâ— soule Psal 96 say with MOSES The Lord iâ— my praise and hee is become my saluation I will prepare him a Tabernacle and exalt him O that men would therefore praise the Lord foâ— his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Psal 107. Nature it selfe doth teach thee ô London this kinde oâ— sacrifice it hath imprinted a thankfull affection in brute beasts and impressed it in senselesse creatures One horse claweth another as it is in the Prouerbe in token of mutuall thankfulnesse The earth receiuing raine from the clouds whereby her thirst is quenched returneth vapours vnto the cloudes againe and so requireth the former benefit The streaming Fountaines and running riuers receiuing water from the Sea send their waters again into the Sea in signe of gratitude The boughes and braÌ„ches of trees in springtime sucking their sap from the roote send it againe in the fall of the leafe into the roote to nourish it in winter season If nature hath ingraffed this affection in senselesse creatures how much more ought reason guided by diuine knowledge leade thee ô London vnto the due coÌ„sideration of this necessarie duetie Aâ—as wee had not deserued to receiue such a benefit and speedy deliuerance wee may then say with DAVID Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name be this honour Psal 115. To what shall we ascribe it but to his greate mercy The Lord may answere vnto vs as Alexander the great vnto a certaine poore man vnto whom he had giuen two talents the poore man astonished with the greatnes of the gift vsing these words Most princely Sir I am not worthy to receiue so much to whome Alexander replyed I doe not respect good man what thou art meete to receiue but what beseemes mee so great a Potentate for to giue euen so God hath not regarded what wee most vnworthy creatures were worthy to receiue but what did become his mercy to bestowe and giue The greatnesse of his mercie then doth require that wee should sing the praises of God in the highest measure The cunning Musitian will not onely stretch forth his strings that they may bee heard but sometimes so that they may bee heard in the highest measure Such Musitians and singers of Gods mercie wee ought to bee this is the measure we must keepe this yeare vpon the Harpe of Dauid If we consider what cloudie daies haue gone ouer our heades and in how faire sunshine wee are set againe haue we not occasion to say with Dauid Psalm 92 It is a good thing to praise the Lord to sing vnto his name and to declare his louing kindnesse O let vs then with the best members and instruments wee haue bodies and spirits which the fingers of GOD haue harmonically composed praise the name of the Lord. Let vs not take without giuing as vnprofitable ground drinketh and deuoureth seede without restoring Let vs imitate Noah after the Floode in one thing and in another leaue him As Noah Gen. 8.20 after that the floode was ceased built an Altar and offered vnto the Lord so let vs after the deluge of the Pestilence offer vnto the Lord the sacrifice of thanksgiuing that the Lord may speake vnto vs as he said to Noah Encrease now again vpon the earth and replenish it But yet let vs take heede to surfet with Noah and forget the floode let the former iudgement which hath as a sworde beene shaken at vs for our sinne terrifie the whole Land Let vs not be like to the nine Leapers who beeing cleansed forgot him that cured them Little will hee yeelde which will not yeelde thankes which makes vs nothing the poorer Wee ought then to stirre vp our selues and with Dauid to speake Awake my tongue I will praise thee O Lord among the people Psalm 57.8 And as Deborah stirred vp her selfe Vp Deborah vp arise and sing a song Iud. 5.12 euen so O London stirre vp thy selfe vp London vppe arise sing a songe vpon the Harpe of DAVID Psalm 103 My soule praise thou the Lord and all that which is within mee his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits let vs euery where offer vp
this first day of the yeare for a newe yeares gift with the name of the Kings Medicine which the Treatise following will lay open vnto you It was a medicine vsed by King Dauid and the Elders of the people and therefore beeing a kingly medicine is not vnfit to bee dedicated vnto your Honour a Kings Lieutenant and also to you Right VVorshipful the Elders of the people The Lord grant that with the 24. Elders yee may fall downe before the throne of GOD and giue all praise glorie wisdome thanks honour power and might vnto GOD Reuel 4.10 for euermore Amen Your Honors and Worships to commaund and to vse in the Lord IAMES GODSKALL the younger THE KINGS MEdicine of the former yeere against the Plague of the bodie The first part TAke Sage of vertue The ingredients Rue otherwise called Hearb-grace Elder-leaues Red bramble leaues and Worme-wood of each of them a good handfull stampe them all together and then straine them through a fine linnen cloth and put to the iuyce a quart of perfect good White wine and a good quantitie of white wine Vinegar mingle them altogether put thereto a quarter of an ounce of White Ginger beaten to small powder vse to drinke this Medicine euery morning fasting for the space of nine daies together the quantitie of a spooneful at a time and this will by Gods helpe preserue you for the space of a whole yeere THE KINGS MEDIcine for this present yeere against the Plague of the soule and the effect thereof TAke the hearbe of vertue the doing of good The ingredients Psal 34.14 and the hearbe of patience otherwise called a waiting vpon the Lorde Psal 37.7 wherewith possesse your soules Luc. 21.19 Insteede of Hearb-grace take another called Christs grace and in the place of Elder-leaues Elders examples following and imitating the Elders of Israel 1. Chro. 21. prostrating your selues before the Maiestie of God Let not two things be the ingredients of this Spirituall Kings medicine which are in the corporall the Bramble the Wormewood Leaue out the proude bramble and his leaues for he would exalt himselfe aboue the other trees Iudg. 9.15 Secondly leaue out also the bitter worme-wood of hate anger and enuy and according to the counsel of God the best Physition deu 29.18 Let there not be among you any roote of bitternes and wormewood In steede of these two take the humble Fig-tree and his leaues who would not exalt himselfe aboue others Iudg. 9.11 Mingle herein the broad Fig-leaues of lowlinesse humbling your selues vnder the mightie hand of God 1. Pet. 5.6 couering your good workes as the Fig-tree his sweete fruite with the broad leaues of humilitie Take of each of these a good quantitie and be aboundant in good workes and in the work of the Lord as the Apostle speaketh being filled with all fulnesse of God Ephe. 3.9 Straine these through the fine Strainer of vprightnes and integritie walking vprightly Psal 15. Auoyding al hypocrisie and laying aside all guile and dissimulation 1. Pet. 2.1 In steede of white Ginger put thereunto the hot ginger of loue towards God and thy neighbour let it be white and pure louing without dissimulation Rom. 12. verse 9. Further hote and feruent Aboue all things hauing feruent loue among you 1. Pet. 4. vers 8. Breake with the stamper of obedience and humilitie the hardnesse of thy heart Let it smite thee as DAVIDS did make as it were a small pouder of it through humilitie and if to day thou hearest the voice of the Lord harden not thy heart Heb. 3. In steede of white Wine put to the juice of these The perfect white and pure wine that is the blood of Iesus Christ and the sower Vinegar of his death and passion For onely by the vertue of this the medicine must operate Vse to take in this medicine euery daie fasting sometime outwardlie and corporally when in publique calamitie it is appointed by the superiour power to remooue a present judgement but alwaies inwardly Spiritually loosing the bandes of wickednes taking off the heauy burthens letting the oppressed goe free couering the naked dealing thy bread to the hungrie Esa 5.8 vse this I say not for the space of nine daies together but the whole yeere yea all the daies of thy life So continuing in the Lord. Phil. 4.1 and beeing not wearie of well doing 2. Thess 3 13. And this wil by Gods helpe preserue you from the Plague of the soule and the infection of this world I say not a whole yeere but all thy life time till against the future resurrection both with bodie and soule thou maiest liue eternally THE KINGS BOdily Medicine after infection The second part IF it fortune that one be strickē with the Plague before hee haue taken the former medicine then take the things rehearsed and put thereto a spoone-ful of Betony water and as much Scabious water and a prettie quantitie of fine Treacle and temper them well together and let the patient vse to drinke it often and it will expell the veneme or poyson forthwith But if the Botch do happen to appeare then take a good quantitie of Elder leaues red Bramble leaues and Mustard seede stampe them well together and make a playster thereof apply it to the sore and it wil draw foorth all the venome and corruption THE SECOND part of the Spiritual medicine IF it fortune that thou art stricken with the Plague before thou hast taken in the former Kings medicine of repentance then take the things afore rehearsed and least in thy affliction thou waxe impatient put thereunto not the balme of Gilead Jer. 46.11 But the Spirituall Triacle and Mithridate of the consideration of Gods will and prouidence Psal 39.9 opening not thy mouth because he doeth it and holding that nothing can happen vnto thee without his appoyntment Further that thou shouldest not distrust or dispaire of the remission of thy sinnes of the health of thy soule and of the goodnesse and power of God the Physition In steede of Betony water put there-unto a good quantitie of that Aqua benedicta of that blessed Water of Gods mercie praying with DAVID take away O Lord the trespasse of thy seruant 2. Sam. 24 10. and wash me that J may be whiter then snow Psal 51. This will coole the heate of thy conscience and comfort thy wearie bones Adde as much of the water of life Iohn 4.10 which is powred into our hearts by the holy Ghost vnto euerlasting life Fetch it by prayer of Christ the Phisitian and Doctor of our soules for hee doeth giue it to quench our thirst Ioh. 4.14 Put hereunto thy Baptisme water representing the blood of Christ Iesus It is one of the three witnesses 1. Iohn 5. assuring thee of the remission of thy sinnes Leaue out Scabious water I meane that Scabbie Holie-water with the Bulles and Indulgences of the Antichrist for it will make thee to get scabbes and sores in thy soule and be
the increasing of this spirituall infection yet notwithstanding reiected this his counsaile and followed his owne humor and therefore smarted for it for this spirituall Kings euill hath produced the corporal Plague wherewith the whole body of Israel hath been infected from DAN to Bershebah In the effect of the Kings sicknesse three things are to be obserued First it is propounded Secondly chosen The diuision of the second part thirdly sent propounded by the Prophet ChoseÌ„ by the King sent by the Lord. In the proposition note the persons propounding and the thing propouÌ„ded The persons propouÌ„ding two in nuÌ„ber First the principall 1 The proposition the Lord secondly â—he instrumentall the Prophet GAD who accorâ—ing to the wise Phisition produceth not his own â—easons but the saying of the Lord the supreme â—hisition So saith the Lord The thing propounâ—ed is a trinitie of punishments Two of them are â—uch fellowe-like companions that the Graecians â—istinguish them but by one letter calling the Plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Triniâ—ie may bee reduced vnto a double dichotomie The first Famine or the sword and that either the sword of man which is hostile persecution or the sword of an Angell which is the pestilence The â—econd is DAVIDS dichotomie which he maketh â—imselfe distinguishing them in two sortes the â—irst is a fall into the enemies hands The other two 〈◊〉 fall into God his hands Iustly thou sufferest ô â—onne of ADAM this trinitie of punishments for the â—hree sortes of sins which are to be found in thee â—he sinne of thought word and deede The Lord â—â—ghteth against thee by the hand of man 2 The Kings choâ—se because â—hou fightst against him by the hand of sinne â—carcity of bread there is sometimes in the land â—ecause scarcity of good workes in thee is often â—o bee found the infection of the Plague doth â—nnoy thee in thy bodie because the infection â—f sinne hath raigned in thy soule In the second â—ember of the second parte obserue First the Kings choyce secondly the reason of his choice â—n the choyce behold the Kings three vertues his wisdome charitie pollicy his pollicy ayming at the Churches enriching his charitie ayming at the easinesse of death thirdly his wisdome which appeareth in three things for which hiâ— choice was better than either famine or persecution if we respect first the persoÌ„ of God secondly the kings thirdly his subjects If the persoÌ„ of God his glorie by this kinde of punishment is betteâ— aduanced and that two manner of waies First in regard of the faithful people of God secondly of the infidels and enemies of God By the faithfull it is aduanced in two things making them to looke aboue beneath aboue acknowledging the mighty hand of God beneath the weaknesse and impotencie of man And taketh away a double coÌ„fidence first in our selues secondly iâ— others In regard of his owne person he chooseth one first that was just and reasonable secondly easiest thirdly best for his soule fourthly one thaâ— sheweth his charity to his people In regarde oâ— his subjects it was the best first for their soules secondly for their bodies that either in regard of the paine or of their good name thirdly foâ— the common-weale fourthly for the Church The amplifycations of these I leaue to the meditations of the Readers and come to the reason oâ— the Kings choise For thy mercie is great I will noâ— dilate euery particular The reason of his choise If you desire a large commentarie vpon the kings reason Read the Kingâ— Psalmes and in particular the 103. Psal Which vse as the best interpretour vpon it DAVID vttereth this reason by a double experience of the mercie of God and of the cruelty of man of the latter he hath also had a double experience hauing felt the crueltie and vnkindnes of the father and of the sonne of the Father in SAVL of the sonne either in IBOSHETH or ABSOLON I omit to shew vnto you beloued the difference betwixt the merciful hand of God and the vnmercifull hand of man And I appeale to those kingdomes Prouinces and cities which haue felt this trinitie of punishments propounded vnto DAVID to aske of them whither it be better to fall into the hands of God or in the hands of man because many can answere by experience I will onely aske it of the Low-Countries in the name of all they may speake for they haue had the experieÌ„ce of DAVID haue also felt this trinity of punishmeÌ„ts famine pestilence hostile persecution And note this with me that with DAVID they haue felt the cruelty vnkindnes and barbarous vnmercifulnes of man â—n the father and in the sonne First in the father in that Spanish SAVL king PHILIP of late memorye haue not the Spanish handes destroyed their Cities burnt their Temples dispersed their inhabitants whereof we strangers in this your kingdome dispersed liuing in exile for the name of Christ Iesus are vnto you all eye-witnesse I will not amplifye the Spanish cruelty Horresco referrens Psal 129 onely I say that with DAVID they may speake From my youth of Israel may say they haue afflicted me secoÌ„dly in the Sonne in that Spanish ISBOSHETH what haue they not suffered since the death of the father by the barbarous handes of his gouernours let them now answere and I doubt not hauing DAVIDS experience that if DAVIDS choise were propounded vnto theÌ„ they would come to the resolution of DAVID Let vs fall into the hands of God not into the hands of men for thy mercies are great O Lord. 3 The executioÌ„ The third member of the first part is the execution in which I leaue to your meditations foure things First the effect of the Kings euill a Pestilence Secondly the outwarde cause of that disease the Lord thirdly the inward cause of it the sin of DAVID and of his subjects Fourthly the patits Israel As for the effect it was a diminutioÌ„ of people wherin obserue First the equity of punishmeÌ„t Secondly the trueth of that rule obserued by the Wise man Wisd cap. 11. 13. Wherwith a man sinneth by the same also shal he be punished Experience hereof obserue in the effect of the kings euil DAVID had sinned in the multitude of the people therfore DAVID is punished with adiminutioÌ„ of people The discription of the outward cause deliuereth two things The agent the instrumeÌ„t Iehouah his angel In the ageÌ„t note the outward cause of the pestilence The Phystions and Naturians out of the booke of nature render a double cause of the Plague an outward and an inward 1 The outwarde cause of the plaguâ— the one without man the other within man the one prima causa morbi the first cause of the disease the second proxima the next the one placed without in the infectioÌ„ of the ayre the other within in the corrupted humours of the body Let vs
follow the Physitions methode not as naturians and Galenists but as Scripturians If wee search the outwarde cause out of the booke of God we shall finde that that wise Physition the holy Ghost maketh also in outwarde and an inward cause of the Pestilence one without maÌ„ another within man The first is the decree will prouidence of the Lord the second the sin of man the first is manifested in the plague three manner of waies if we respect the disease it selfe the persons infected the time when In all three the prouidence of the Lord worketh the trueth hereof fiue sufficient testimonies do prooue Fiue testimonies prooving the outward cause Deut. 28 Ier. 21.5 6 Esa 38 Iob 5.18 first the name of it the sworde rod out-stretched hand of the Lord secondly the Lords threatnings thirdly the remoouing of it which is proper to him Fourthly the instrumeÌ„t which the Lord vseth fiftly the choise giueÌ„ to the king Hauing found the outward cause imitate the good Phisition Two preseruatiues learne thereout to make preseruatiues and antidotes Out of the consideration of this will and prouidence wee may make a double preseruatiue for the time of infection Two preseruatiues One for the vnuisited the other for the visited For the first it is necessary to expel and to resist the poyson of immoderate feare 1 For the vnuisited Make it in this manner take the coÌ„sideration of the prouidence of the Lord without which nothing can happen apply this to thy soule and it will operate and make thee to saye why should I immoderatly apprehende and feare that which cannot happen and befall vnto mee without his will and which I cannot scape against his will If thou takest in Triacle Mithridate and other confections of arte to resist the poyson of the ayre what oughtest thou to do to expell the poyson of thy soule I shew you theÌ„ beloued here to make a spiritual Triacle and a heauenly Mithridate against this venome Secondly out of this consideration of Gods prouideÌ„ce 2 For the visited the visited and infected may learne to make a preseruatiue which is Christian patience necessary to resist and expell out of his soule the poyson of impatience grudging and murmuring Make it in this maner take the coÌ„sideration of Gods wil thus apply it to thy soule Psalm 39 as DAVID did Lord because thou diddest it I will be dumme and not open my mouth and saye as IOAB to ABISHAI his brother 2 Sam. 10.12 Let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes This preseruatiue is first necessary and forcible Secondly profitable thirdly comfortable fourthly tryed and experimented And thus much for the outward cause THe inward is the sinne of the King and of his subjects As the Physitions make the euill and corrupt humour ingendred in the body 2 The inward cause of the Plague the inward cause of the pestilence out of the booke of Nature So wee may make the inwarde corruptions in the soule the inward cause of the bodily infection out of the booke of God To the sinne of man I may attribute foure things First that it is the inward cause of the infection Secondly a just cause just First for God to send it Secondly for man to suffer it Thirdly a tryed and experimented cause for the experience of all ages hath obserued sinne to be the cause of the pestilence First â—ut of the Church Secondly in they Church Out of the Church this hath bin obserued by a double experience First by the experience of Historiographers Secondly Physition In â—he Church two things do prooue it First the sinnes for which he doth threaten to send it Secondly the sinnes for which he hath sent it Here might set before your eyes a cloude of witnesses and make a Christian Chronicle of â—xâ—mples but because I am loath to repâ—at that which others haue done already I ref rre you â—o their writings and to the booke of GOD. Fourthly sinne is the cause of Physical cause he cause both of the outwarde and inwarde â—ause rendreth by the Physition a cause of the infection of the ayre and of the corruption of the humours in the body Out of the consideration of the inward cause learne to make phisick and preseruatiues for the time of the plague Preseruatiues to bee made out of the consideration of the inward cause against the plague that both for the visited vnuisited Two preseruatiues may bee made out of this consideration The first to remooue the poyson of impatience the second to remooue the cause of the pestileÌ„ce If the filthy Botch Carbuncle of impatience grudging doth arise in thy soule seeing the hande of God then take this consideration apply it in this manner to thy soule that which the Lord hath sent to me it is for my sinnes and iniquities why art thou theÌ„ disquieted ô my soule learne to judge aright of this his chastisement and say with the Prophet Mich. 7.9 J will beare the wrath of the Lord because J haue sinned against him This phisick is both profitable and comfortable profitable to huÌ„ble thee to teach thee the knowledge of thy self to make thee vse the poore suters phraise Lorde I suffer nothing but thâ— which infinitly more I haue deserued tak away O Lord the trespasse of thy seruant Secondly comfortable for it setteth before our eies thâ— admirable goodnesse and mercie of the Lord and mooueth vs to speake in this maner I hauâ— infinitely more deserued ô Lord by my tranâ—gression yet so great is thy mercy that thâ— art coÌ„tented to send me an afflictioÌ„ which toucheth only the skin a corporal plague a teÌ„poral chastisement O inequal proportion the creature hath offeÌ„ded her creator a silly earth-worme the majestie of heauen and yet for our infinite sins he sendeth vnto vs but temporall chastisements Thy mercies ô Lord ouercome thy judgemeÌ„ts herein I perceiue the truth of thy promise Os 11.9 J wil not execute the fiercenes of my wrath Be not theÌ„ disamied ô my soule seeing that the Lord doth not punish thee according to thy desarte and the quality of thy sin this is a testimony vnto thee that thy sinnes are remitted that this preseÌ„t rod is but a fatherly correction The Lord then visiting thee with the rod of DAVID doeth ayde thee with a double aide The first is with the aide of correction and discipline The second is with the aide of coÌ„fort By the first he doth exercise thee without by the second he doth assure the within by the first he bridleth thy insolencie by the secoÌ„d he encourageth thy pusillaminity by the first he maketh thee more aduised for the future by the second more deuotions The secoÌ„d preseruatiue The second preseruatiue is to remooue the cause that the effect may cease and seeing sinne is the inward cause flye from it as from a Serpent Ecc. 21. GALENS counsaile is that of
al remedies the best is to shun the infected ayre to depart in time to the purer aire But with GALENS leaue seeing sin is the cause of Physicall causes that it infecteth the ayre the best remedy of all according to the counsaile of the whole colledge of the spirituall Physitions is to flye from the infectious contagious aire of this world But I leaue to amplyfie this because I purpose to speake more of it in the kings medicine 4 The patients The last member of the second part are the patients who haue felt the effect of the Kings euill ISRAEL that is the subjects of DAVID In which obserue First the circumstance of the time how lōg it lasted secōdly of the place from Dan to Bershebah thirdly of the number seauentie thousand The Lord in all ages hath sought to reclaime the sonnes of men from the kings euill by sundrie corrections amongst the rest with the Pestilence which is the Lords beesome he hath swept away not seauenty but hundreth thousands and that in diuers places First without the church secondly within the church Againe in the Church either in the true or in the false church Further some haue been vniuersall some nationall and prouinciall some haue been of a long some of a short continuance so that this rod may be called the flying booke Zach. 5. Heere I might also make a large Chronicle of examples out of the booke of God the monuments of the church and the writings of mē but because others haue amplyfied this at large I referre you to their Chronicles being as cloudes of witnesses Now mee thinkes I heare an obiectiō against the justice of God for the cleering of these patiēts These Isralits had not sinned ergo vniustly visited The antecedēt is deyned the interpretours vpō the first verse of 2. Sam. 24. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against ISRAEL obserue diuers sinnes for then which the Lords anger was prouoked among the rest first their security and wantonnes after their peace victories prosperitie secondly the rebellion disobedience of some against their sacred Prince DAVID in the time of ABNER SEBAH ABSOLON and the rest the which sinnes hee hath deferred to punnish in due season with the sinne of DAVID And thus much for the second part the effect of the Kings euill Let vs now beloued of LONDON looke home-ward a little The applycation of the second part and is it were out of the Looking-glasse of this example by way of reflection If we holde out the glasse we shall descrie that justly we haue felt the effect of the kings euill The old yeere being past and the New appeared let vs apply to our selues the members of the second part to invert the order Let me beginne with the last as the subjects of DAVID after they had bene infected with the Plague of the soule and that DAVID now nine Moneths and twenty daies long had not regarded his sinne haue bene the Lords patients and haue felt the effect of the Kings euill a generall pestilence So likewise the subjects of our DAVID after that they haue now these nine yeeres more bene infected with the Plague of the soule not regarding their sores and the counsell of the spirituall Physitions haue justly also bene the Lords patients and felt the former yeere the effect of their spirituall contagion a generall pestilence almost through the whole body of the kingdome The inwarde cause of this effect hath bene two-folde First wee haue bene infected with the infection of DAVID and secondly of his subjectes As for the first the Lords Prophets as spirituall physitions haue a long time as IOAB did to DAVID shewed vnto vs the meanes how to preuent the increasing of our spirituall contagion they haue produced their reasons setting before vs the danger which should redounde both to our owne persons and to others But alas great hath bene our obstinacie we haue as bad patients followed our owne humours rejected the counsell of the spirituall physitions and our pride ambition spirituall idolatrie curiositie and disobedience haue preuiled against them and therefore the Lord hath sent a pestilēce in England there dyed not yet I am perswaded seauenty thousand If in the second place I set before our eyes DAVIDS subjects as a looking glasse therin alas we may discry the bleamishes of our faces First they had a famine 2. Sa. 21.1 But the Lord remooued that in his mercie and gaue them peace and prosperitie and yet they waxed wanton and insolent 1592 Since the last pestilence there hath bene a dearth in England in the daies of ELIZABETH but the Lord hath taken it away in his mercie and giuen plenty and choise store of earthly treasures we haue since seene and tasted how friendly the Lord is Psal 34. his mercies haue bene multiplyed vpon vs euen like vnto the dewe of Hermon that watered the dry earth that gaped for it His blessings both Temporall and spirituall haue bene as two hands to draw vs home to him and yet wee haue bene like to DAVIDS subjects As for their seconde sinne shall I bee so bolde to accuse some thereof Not I but the experience and euente of the former yeere doeth Preach it to the whole Kingdome The Londe hath giuen vs a gratious DAVID a man after Gods owne heart and as I may speake a man after our owne heart and yet beholde as some male-contented Israelites haue sought DAVIDS ruine an enuious SEBAH an ambitious ABSOLON A note out of the 2 Sam 2 agreeing with that which hath hapned the formes yere a false-harted ACHITOPHEL a seditious ABNER so some haue bene enuious with Satan of our DAVIDS felicity And note this with mee which I haue obserued out of the second booke of Sam. the 2 chap. that as in the first yeere of king DAVIDS raigne DAVID being but newly crowned king of Israel euen then beholde there was found a seditious ABNER and ASAHEL and an ISBOSHETH which rose vp against DAVID So in the first yeere of the raigne of our DAVID euen then hee being but newly crowned king of England as DAVID was king of Israel behold some ABNERS ASAHELS and ISBOSHETHS against their sacred and annoynted Prince But let this be our comfort in the tenth verse of that Chapter that the house of Iudah hath followed DAVID the companie of the true Professors and Confessors of God and that ABNER and his adherents are fallen before the seruants of DAVID Seeing then we are guiltie all of the first sinne and some of the second the Lord hath dealt justly with vs as with the subjects of DAVID sending vnto vs as he did to them after a famine or a dearth a pestilence So that the wrath of the Lord hauing been againe kindled against vs no bodie needeth to make an objection against his justice for our innocencie as it might haue been done for ISRAEL As there hath been a time for the Raigne of
the spirituall Plague so hath there been a time for the Raigne of the corporall Plague Let vs now farther vnfolde the flying booke that with Ierusalem Eze. 16. wee may beare our own shame The order calleth me now to the applycation of the two lâ—st meÌ„bers which will stores vs with some singular meditations obserue with me beloued of LoÌ„ndon in the entrie of this New-yeare Note the thinges following The two preacherâ— of the last yeere that the Lord hath vsed the former yere two kinde of Preachers to mooue vs to repentance First a Preacher of anger and justice summoning vs by his smart-Preacher Secondly a Preacher of mercie So that the old yeere hath preached both mercy and iustice hath kissed each other The first Preacher is his justice which hee hath shewen in two thinges crossing vs two manner of waies First with the rodde of DAVID Secondly with coÌ„traries First the Lord hath chastised vs as it were by Retaliation a like Plague for the like offence according to the rule of the wise man 1 Gods smart Preacher wherewith a man sinneth by the same also shall he bee punished hath sent a diminution of people England thou hast had the experience of DAVID thou hast gloryed in the number of the people and hast long bene busie with a vaine Arithmeticke in the numbring of thy riches prosperitie housen c and therefore the Lord hath punished thee with a diminution of people and hath teached thee another Arithmeticke Thou hast bene busie with addition multiplication and the Lorde hath bene busie with Substraction and diuision Hee hath taken away thousandes and ten thousands and hath by the weekly Bils taught vs to number three things First our sinnes for them Secondly the diminution of the people therby thirdly to number our daies Further because ordinarie magistrates had not done their duty behold he hath sent an extraordinary Magistrate froÌ„ heauen to reforme vs feare him rich poore honorable contemptible this hath bin the Lord chiefe iustice PareÌ„ts Parents you haue also had experieÌ„ce of this because some of you haue gloried in the nuÌ„ber of your children louing theÌ„ too much setting your harts vpon theÌ„ the Lord hath takeÌ„ them away and made whole families desolate PareÌ„ts maisters Maisters you should haue bin little magistrates to your families which you shold haue purged but for wanâ— of this duety he hath sent another Magistrate Magistrates which hath purged theÌ„ because you had deformed not reformed your selues he hath seÌ„â— his Reformer Leu. 26. Merchants Merchants because you haue been more busie to pay the debts of meâ— then to pay a debt which you owe to God which is repentance which hee hath long required by his seruants the Prophets therefore he hath sent his Sergjants and Purseuants to warne and arrest you The Lord hath among the rest three Sergjants age sicknes and deathâ— by the second he hath warned some of you by the third he hath arrested some you that arâ— not yet arrested by death pay this yeere the debts which you owe to God before you pay the debt which you owe nature Husbandmen Husbandmen because you haue been more carefull to gather your fruites and to fill your barnes and that your figge tree hath produced euill fruite and your sinnes filled the measure of iniquitie therefore your teeth haue ben iustly set on edge the Lord hath filled full the cup of his wrath and giuen vnto vs his deadly wine to drinke The haruest was come and because our sinnes were ripe he hath sent a sickle from heauen to cut them downe and this hath mowens many thousands Gentlemen Gentlemen some of you haue gloried in the number and multitude of our laÌ„ds but what hath this auailed for the Lord hath giueÌ„ to some of you so much measure of grouÌ„d to the length breadth of your bodies as hath onely serued to bury them in or so many handfulles of dust as your bodies go into after their consumption SOCRATES carried ALCIBIADES bragging of his lands to a Map of the world bad him demoÌ„strat where his laÌ„d lay he could not espie it for Athens it selfe was but a small thing The Lorde hath told you the former yere and yet telleth and sheweth you this yeere where your Lande lyeth so much measure of grounde to the length breadth of your bodies as may serue to bury them in This is my earth and his earth your earth therefore if ye wil glorie glorie in the Lord For why art thou proude ô earth ashes Ruffianly Swaggerers and Caualiers you that haue contemned the Lord and spoken with Rabsacs proude and high words alas a little Carbuncle and a little spot in the skinne hath cast downe some of the proudest of you al and as MOSES smote the hard rocke with his rod so the Lord hath smitten some of your rockie hearts with the rod of his vengeance and because your damnable othes Blasphemers haue as it were whipped and tormented the patience of God they haue also receiued a scourge for which they called for Worldlings Worldlings you had not bene a long time at rest the cares of this worlde had too much molested you and as the clocke can neuer stande still from running so long as the Peases and Plummets hang thereat euen so hauing infiniteÌ„ cares hanging vpon your minds as weights vpon the Clocke you haue had no rest and therefore the Lord hath sent one to make you rest for a time and hath made you MARIES insteede of MARTHA that ye might not be troubled about many things but remember that â—â—e thing which is necesarie The Lord graunt that in your weekely fastings through the whole Lande you haue bene MARIES and sate at the feete of Iesus with humilitie deuotion and reuerence Schollers children of the Prophets Cleargy men and also all ye inhabitantes of this kingdome that hath bene the subject a long time of your discourses but your profite benefices pleasures the glory of this world in the beginning of the former yeere of the tryumphs of this lande euen from Dan to Bershebah from Douer to Saint Dauies From Barwicke to the Mount court citie therefore the Lord hath giuen vs justly another subject to discourse vpon a subject to speake of our sinne our creator our permanent citie our miserie and our mortalitie If hee had not offered vs this subject we should haue forgotten him O what a happy time then hath it bene for the soule who hath not discoursed of this subject prepared and ordered his house The New-yeere being come forget not this subject thinke not as the Emperour OTHO did that it is a part of dastardy to speake of death Astronomers Astronomers because you haue bene more busie to behold the Ecclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone than the Ecclypse in your owne soules the worlde like vnto the Moone
in inconstancie being betwixt you and the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus therefore jâ—stly the Lord sent the tempest of the Pestilence to take away the loue of this worlde to remooue this moone that yee might beholde this amiable Sunne Further wee were as it were all asleepe and therfore he hath justly awaked vs made the whole countrey to stirre For loe the Citizens haue fled the Court hath broken vp the Vniuersities haue remooued Poore-men Poore-men there hath bene in some of you a famine and want of good workes and therefore there hath bene for a time as it were a famine and want of Gods mercie Martiall-men Martial-men you haue bene fighters against God Act 5. and therefore the Lord of Hoastes hath sent his souldiers his Angels and his arrowes against you in the Land Noble-men Noble-men because ye haue bene busier to hunt your Deeres also after the honours pleasures and riches of this life than after the liuing God therefore justly the Lord hath sent his Hunter in the Land as it is called Psal 91.3 to hunt slay vs who hath catched some walking some feeding some sporting some sleeping as the experience of the former yeere doth witnesse But to leaue generals I come to thee ô LONDON in particular An apostrophe to London thou hast suffered the heauiest brunt If the Nations that passe by the citie aske as they did of Ierusalem Jer. 22. Wherefore hath the Lord done this to this great citie What answere can we giue but that answere Ierem. 22. Because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lorde their God The mightines of thy state multitude of thy people hauâ— not bin able to keep out the Lords Purseuant nor to driue backe the Gun-shot of Gods displeasure Alas what hath bene thy greatnessâ— compared vnto the greatnesse of Iehouah thâ— number and height of thy proude Turrets could not threaten heauen for the closer they haue pressed to the seate of God the neerer they haue layen to his lightning Thou hast tryumphed in thy braueries and therefore the Lord hath the former yeere tryumphed ouer thee in his justice and of thee ô LONDON of whom it might haue bin said as it was of TYRVS whose riuer hath bene as the Haruest of thy reuennewes and a Mart of the Nations of thee we haue had occasion to say Esa 23. Esa 23. Is this that glorious citie of yours whose Marchants are Princes and her chapmen the Nobles the Lord of Hoastes hath stayned the pride of thy glorie To come vnto particulars London thou hast heard the former yeere a sorrowfull musicke which hath sounded in thy eares daye and night But what hast thou heard that thou hast not deserued Thou hadst brought ouer thy time in worldlie merriments dedespysing the harpe of DAVID Moreouer thou hast had a continuall allarum of Belles they were the Trumpets of Iehouah thy sinnes caused that allarum and they haue beene a witnesse that the Lorde had taken in your Citie and that you were not able to keepe him out The Lords spirituall Trumpets which haue sounded in our eares you haue not heard Es 58.2 but contemned and therefore hee hath made the very Bels his Preachers to be reproches to vs of our obstinacie and because wee haue not heard the Bels of the Pulpit he hath made vs to heare the Bels of the steeple What maruell if there haue bene heard within our walles continuall knels and ringing of Bels seeing there hath bene heard the continuall Bels of our tongues which by their oathes and blasphemies haue dishonoured the Lord of heauen I do appeale to the children in thy streetes ô Lord out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings from whence thy glory should haue proceeded Psal 8.2 from thence hath sprong that which hath dishonoured thee If the filthie Playes with the blast of a Trumpet haue sooner called thither thousandes then an houres tolling of a Bell bring one hundred to the Sermon what maruaile that tolling of Belles hath bene heard for another purpose Citizens you had not purged your streetes from the plague of sinne and therefore the Lord hath sent his heauenly Beesome to sweep away multitudes you had not taken away corruption within therefore he placed corruption without You haue bin too busie to adorne your houses neglecting the house of the Lord and therefore he hath made them desolate many for-saking them so that Nettles and Thistles might haue growen in your Pallaces Esd 30.20 Fraude oppression and stealing had walked vp and downe your streetes and therefore justly that flying booke Zach. 5. hath entred into your housen and taken hold of the stone and timber thereof LONDON thou hast had occasion to say Zach. 5. I see a flying booke thou hast seene it for it hath entred your housen and remained in the midst of them Alas wee haue all mourned and sighed for the great number that the pestilence hath encreased weekely aboue three thousande but what maruaile seeing there is none of vs in whom haue not raigned aboue three thousand sinnes The increasing voyce then of the Pestilence hath reproached vnto vs the increase of our sinnes The vnsatiable mouth of the graue hath craued still more and more and neuer thought it had enough and spared not to swallow vp our sweetest comforts Had we not deserued that by our couetousnesse our hearts had bene as vnsatiable graues still crying for more as SALOMON speaketh Remember Londoners how that some of your inhabitants haue ruffled in their royall-like garments and that therefore they haue bene adorned with a winding-sheete others gloryed in their bu ldings and therefore the Lord hath made Coffens and Graues for their habitations some in the multitude of their traine and attendants and therefore haue had other attendants the very wormes of the earth to attende vpon them and to eate them vp Learne hereby beloued of LONDON on the one side that greatnes of sinnes can shake the foundations of the greatest cities If their heads stood amongst the stars iniquitie would bring theÌ„ downe multitudes of offences wil consume multituds of meÌ„ Ier. 49. although the streets were soweÌ„ with the seede of man yet that they shall be so scarce that a childe may tel them On the other side learne your mortalitie to number your dayes that you may apply your hearts to wisedome Psal 90. The end of those royal citizens whom CONSTANTIVS entring Rome called reges Kings was death The Emperour asking of HORMISDA maister of his workes what hee thought of them answered that he tooke not pleasure in any thing but in learning one lessoÌ„ which was that men also dyed in Rome This is also your ende royall citizens and therefore with HORMISDA take pleasure this New-yeare to learne one lesson that meÌ„ die also in LondoÌ„ I haue further obserued foure things the former yeere Foure things to be obserued in the former yeere where-with I will acquaint you beloued of LONDON
in the entrie of the New-yeere which are as it were foure Preachers to Preach vnto vs the doctrine of Repentance The olde yeere hath bene a yeere of wonders as fitly I may tearme it Witnesse the strange alterations like vnto the variable estate of the Moone As King AHASHVEROSH called to minde out of the booke of Records and the Chronicles the things fore-past Euen so call to your mindes out of the booke of your memories and the Chronicle of the former yeere the thinges which then haue hapned The Lorde hath visited vs the former yeere at diuerse times with foure visitations In the beginning in the middest in the ende Two of them are visitations of sorrow two of joye Two of them haue beene Funeralles two haue bin deliuerances and Coronations Two haue concerned a Prince two a Princely City These haue ben diuersly intermingled sorrow and joye haue followed and kissed each other Sorrow hath begunne the yeere joye hath ended it both joye and sorrow haue walked in the middest To particularize 1 A visitation of sorrowe with the funerals of a Noble Princesse The first hath bene a visitation of sorrowe and the funeralles of a Prince in the beginning of the yeere the Lord first visiting with sicknesse and afterwardes taking away that Noble Princesse of famous memorie that worthie instrument of Gods glory by whose sacred Scepter the faithful Protestant aswel we strangers as the natural inhabitants haue found a secure and fertile nurcery At that time ô the sighes of the righteous ô the coÌ„plaints of the godly ô the feare doubting of many Spemque metumque inter dubij some fearing some hoping 2 Chro. 35 Then as IOSIAS was mourned for by all IVDAH and Ierusalem and IEREMY mourned for IOSIAS al singing men and singing women Euen so all the coÌ„panies and Orders of the Realme the Princes and the prophets plentifully watered their cheekes euen from the honourable counsailor to him that grindeth at the Mill. This began a little to mooue vs as it were to taste the medicine of repentance for the death of a good Prince is one of the Lords Preachers to make many at that time to pray vnto the Lord that hee would be mindfull of Sion and not permit vs to fall againe in the superstitions of the Antichrist This part of the tragedy ended behold there followed the second alteration the visitation of ioy and mercie the proclamation of a new Prince and afterward his ioyfull Coronation At that time ô the admirable ioy euen from Dan to Bershebah 2 A visitation of ioy with the Proclamation and Coronation of a new Prince from th' one part of the land to the other for this heauenly gift of a noble renowned godly Religious vertuous wise learned Prince a man after Gods own heart and vnfeignedly I may speak a man after our owne heart long desired and wished for in the hearts of the Godly subjects true professours Sorrow in the first visitation was as it were a heauy stone vpon our hearts but in the second visitation hee hath as it were sent an Angell from heauen to speake to the whole Kingdome Feare not In the first the whole land was as it were laid down in the bed of sorrow but by the second there arose a new Sun whose beames were comfortable to the whole land This then hath bin another of the Lords Preachâ—rs But hath this mooued vs either to continue or to goe forward in the waies of the Lord alas wee haue not altered the colour or haire of our heads nor added one inch to our stature since all these thinges haue bin accomplished among vs our hearts haue bene as the adamant that the impiession of Gods graces haue not entred And therefore there followed the third visitation of sorrow lamentation the deluge of the Pestilence the second Funerall The funeralls of whole families and the funeralles of a Princely Cittie which was as it were going to her graue if the Lord in his mercy had not commaunded his Angel to put vp his sword into the scabberd this was an other kinde of Preacher The consideration of the second visitation 3 A newe visitation of sorrow with the funerals of a princely citie had made vs to say in our hearts with DAVID in his prosperitie Psa 30. I shall neuer be mooued The Pestilence of securitie did beginne to raigne among vs I doe appeale vnto the words speeches of the inhabitants which then were vsed in the Lande and therefore the Lord came and mingled our joy with sorrow sprinckled a little salt ouer the joy of the country and by a mortalitie hee did put vs in minde of our mortality As Christ shewed vnto PETER and the rest vpon the Mountaine when they were in the midst of their joye and that PETER said Let vs make heere three tabernacles as hee shewed I say to them MOSES and ELIAS which were dead men Euen so in the midst of our ioy and glory when wee were saying It is good to bee heere and to make our tabernacles heere euen then he shewed vnto vs MOSES and ELIAS and sent vs a mortallity It was vsuall amongst the Egiptians that in the middest of their feasts solemnities a resemblance of death all trembling and shaking was brought and carryed round about to make them remember it to learne sobrietie Euen so in the midst of our solemnities for the joye of a newe Prince death hath been carried round about the Land that we should not waxe to wanton and forget the Lord. It is storied that when the Emperours were crowned the Sepulchers of dead men were shewed vnto them to make them mindefull of death euen so when our King the former yeere was Crowned the Lord hath shewen vnto him and to vs the Sepulchers of dead men and by the continuall allarum of Bels put vs in minde of death which mindfulnesse as CASSiANVS an ancient writer speaketh is a generall restraint from euil Let this Preacher beloued of London teach you that as IOSEPH of Arimathea had a sepulchre in the midst of his beautiful garden eueÌ„ so you ought in the midst your prosperity felicity to be mindful of your mortal being The fourth last visitatioÌ„ in the end of the yeere hath ben a visitation of joy a deliueraÌ„ce froÌ„ the PestileÌ„ce as it were a second Coronation A newe visitation of ioy with a second Coronation a Coronation of your citie the Lord compassing it round about with joyful deliueraÌ„ce Ps 32. Ps 103.4 crowning it with his accustomed kindnes with mercy coÌ„passion But of this more at large in King DAVIDS sacrifycing To proceed I told you beloued before that the Lord by the smart-Preacher of his justice and anger hath crossed vs two maner of waies First punishing vs as it were by Retaliation for our glorying in the number and multitude with a diminution Secondly by contraries 2 The second thing where in
knowledge maketh vs to goe vnto the Physition and to seeke a remedie for the curing of our disease as the Israelites beeing stung by the fierie Serpents fled to the Brasen Serpent Wee are all infected with the Plague of sinne and yet there is a great difference in the pati nts Some see it not at all Some see it too much Some feele it and feare it Some neither feele nor feare it Of these foure sortes the third sorte is onely carefull to seeke a remedie Happie is the sinner whose heart doeth beginne to smite with DAVID They that are smitten with the corporall Plague feele paine at the heart which often is a signe of death But if beeing smitten with the spirituall Plague our hearts doe beginne once to feele it and to smite vs it is a signe of life The heart is the fountaine of life the first thing that liueth and the last thing that dyeth As it is first in corporall life so let it be first in the spirituall life The heart is like an instrument if it be in tune and well strung it makes a sweet melodie As in the repentance of Nineueh when the King beganne to arise from his throne the rest followed So in the repentance of DAVID after that his heart which sits in the bodie as a King in his throne and hath all the inferiour partes at commaund beganne to arise the rest of his members followed him his mouth confessed his handes put off the royall garment and sacrificed vnto the Lorde The heart is like vnto a clocke if the ballance thereof stirre all the other instruments and weights followe in a good course But if that stande still euerie one of the rest goe out of order Euen so if our hearts mooue and smite vs if they stirre and steppe forwarde al the rest wil follow but if the hart stay the whole body is apter to receiue any corruption The ship is a great vessel but if the rudder be well guided the whole body thereof is directed without hazard So if the heart go aright it goeth not alone This is then a profitatable knowledge it is a key that openeth the doore to the closet where all our bookes of accounts doe lie which is in the heart It is a looking glasse or the eye of the soule whereby she seeth her self The excellencie of this knowledge looketh into her whole estate It is a spirituall hammer to breake the stonie hardnes of our harts This knowledge surpasseth all humane knowledge What is it by Arithmeticall account to know the deuision of the least fractions and not to know that the multitude of our sins doe make a deuision betwixt God and vs. What is it by Geometricall practise to measure the longitude of the most spacious prospects and not to measure the height of our sinnes which ascende as high as heauen What is it to haue the knowledge of Musicke and not to know that for want of good gouernement wee lead a life all out of tune What is it with the Astronomer to know the motion of the heauens and to be ignorant that our hearts lie buried in the earth With the Naturalist to know the cause the effects of euery thing and not to know the effect and cause of our disease With the Historian to know what others haue done to neglect the true knowledge of our selues With the Lawer to prescribe many Lawes and not to know the Law of God which teacheth vs the knowledge of our sins Let vs therfore haue this knowledge this detestation sorrow for our sins this heauenly dew of deuâ—tion neuer faleth but the sun of righteousnes drawes it vp and vpon whose face soeuer it drops it makes the same most amiable in the sight of God And thus much for the first parte and ingredient of the Kings medicine The second parte and ingredient is his desire of health and spirituall life The seconde ingredient desire of health Take away the trespasse of thy seruant Which wordes deliuer two things First the desire it self Secondly the Phisition of whom he doth desire it the Lord his desire is remission of sinne a healing of the Plague of the soule that the Lord as a merciful skilful Surgion would take away those pestilential Carbuncles deuils-tokeÌ„s which were risen in his soule Among other ingredients of the bodily kings medicine the second hearb is hearb-geace very excellent against the bodily infectioÌ„ Insteed of this there is another thing which we may call Gods grace or Christs grace which is excellent to cure the infection of the soule This necessarie Hearbe we see is heere in the spirituall Kings medicine for DAVID sueth for the grace of God to cure his euill Hee had lost the health of the soule yea it was like dead For sinne is first the death of our selues Secondly the death of Christ Thirdly on the other side it is the life of death And fourthly the life of the Deuill And therefore DAVID prayeth his Physition to restore vnto him both health and life Further as the king had this desire so he had also a stedfast hope faith and confidence in the mercie of the Lord he did not presume or dispaire but beleâ—ued that his health should be restored that his Physition was able to doe it This his faith he expresseth in this his petition by two things First by the name which hee giueth to his Physition Dauids faith and hope of mercie calling him Lord SecoÌ„dly by the name which he giueth to himself being the patient calling himselfe his seruant of thy seruant Imitate the king in the taking in of this medicine of repentaÌ„ce Hauing obtained the knowledge of thy disease haue a desire of spirituall life and health And secondly let thy desire be mingled with DAVIDS hope stedfast coÌ„fidence in the mercies of God First desire this health and the curing of this sore aboue all other things desire not this life as much as the spirituall life for alas this life as AVGVSTINE speaketh is a continuall weaknes which followeth vs to our death The heathen man SOCRATES could say he liueth not who mindeth nothing but this life for is this a life where the house is but claye the breath a vapour or smoke the body a body of death our garment corruption As the wombe of the earth doth breede vs so the wombe of the earth must againe receiue vs. There is a threefolde life the life of the body the life of the soule and the life of glorie If wee will obtaine the last wee must seeke to get the second for as concerning the life of the body thinke not saith Augustine that in this life thou hast properly health immortalitie shall bee our true and perpect health If wee escape the Plague of the body and retayne the corporall life and that our soules in the meane time want this life and health of the spirite alas wee may esteeme our selues but Dead The
Grecian Ladyes count theyr age and the beginning of their life from the time of theyr Marryage not from the day of theyr Birth and if they bee demaunded how olde they bee they beginne to reckon from theyr Marriage for then only say they wee beginne to liue Euen so we may esteeme the beginning of our life not from the day of our birth and corporall life for it is but a shadowe which passeth and perisheth but from the day that wee as spirituall Virgins haue been Married with Christ Iesus and by the vertue thereof haue begun to liue this spiritual life Sin is an vnsupportable burdeÌ„ who would not therefore with DAVID pray Lord take it away Blessed are they whose sins are bound vp in a bundle and drawne into a narrow roome Secondly let thy desire be mingled with faith and a stedfast perswasion that thy sore shall be healed Let the perswasioÌ„ of the gratiousnes kindnes of the Lord enter into your hart for a man without this hope is without his best aduocate the God of DAVID is yet the Lord and thou which art infected with the infection of DAVID art his seruaunt This medicine will heale thy maladie throwe not your blood in the ayre with IVLIAN spill it not vpon the ground with SAVL sacrifice it not vpon a Ladder with IVDAS the Lord doth open heauen and you shut it not hee nailed the writings vppon the Crosse and you renewe them not Hee that hath not this hope hee denyeth three thinges saith AVGVSTINE the truth the mercy and the power of the Lorde The knowledge of sinne is needefull but not sufficient for wee neede a double eye one eye in our selues and in our sinne the other on Christ and his merits DAVID hath had this double eye and being conducted by mercie and faith hee leaped out from the hot-house of desperation As wee neede a double eye so wee neede a double vertue feare and loue loue to looke vpon Gods mercie feare to looke vpon his justice the first to stay vs froÌ„ desperation the second from presumptioÌ„ These two support our faith as the two Lions supported SALOMONS Throne As wee neede these two vertues so let vs take heede from these two extremities our hope is placed betwixt these two As in a ballance if there be any ods in the scales wee take out that which is the heauier and put in that which is the lighter till there be egalitie Euen so wee must way ourselues that wee bee not too heauie for our sinnes despayring nor too light for Christs mercy presuming these two are Serpents which infect the soules of many treade vpon the heades of both The Surgion doth promise helpe to thy sore and shalst thou the patient thrust thy nailes into it and answere him nay but it shall not bee healed let vs therefore as Christian Souldiers keepe this helmet and this buckler and then although wee should dye yet shall wee liue It is storied of EPAMINONDAS who being stricken through with a Speare and his blood saying him asked if his Target were safe and whether the enemie were put to the flight and vnderstanding all to bee answerable to his hearrs desire sayd my fellowes in armes it is not an ende of my life that is now come but a better beginning Euen so although we bee stricken with the Plague and that our life nowe fayleth vs this is no great losse if the Target of our fayth bee safe for not an ende of our life is come but a better beginning namelye of the life of glorye ô yee faintyng and declining consciences set the Pillers of hope and fayth vnder you sayle not vpon the dangerous rocke of desperation let the breath winde of faith and hope stop that wretched course cut the throat of desperation which hath cut the throate of many IVDAS saith IEROME offended more in dispayring The reasons why wee ought to mingle in this medicin this confidence theÌ„ in betraying If now you are desirous to know the causes for which we ought to mingle in this kings medicine this confidence Christs grace they are three in number The first is the counsell of the spiritual Physitions Christ Iesus prescribeth it Repent and beleeue Secondly the practise of others and their successe DAVID EZECHIAS the Prodigal sonne the Publican tooke it in this manner Thirdly the necessitie of it to auoyde the increasing of the spirituall contagion and the death of the soule As it is not sufficient to the sicke-man to know that he s sicke except there be a desire in him of health euen so it is not enough to know that we are infected with the contagion of the soule vnlesse there be in vs the desire of DAVID take away the trespasse of thy seruant This desire is health it selfe thus is it not in the diseases of the body thy desire cannot procure thee thy health If â—hen we haue taken in the kings medicine of tâ—e former yeere because we were dâ—sirous of life Let vs not from hence-foorth forget this ingredâ—ent of this spirituall kings meâ—iciâ—e for the life and health of the spirite And so much for the desire it selfe Th Kâ—â—gs Phiâ—â—tion Thâ—re followeth the PhisitioÌ„ of whom he desireth this health Lord This is the Kings Physition who healeth all our infirmities as the king himselfe doeth speake of him Psal 103.3 In this Physition all needeful qualities are found and there is nothing wanting in him which serueth for our healing First His qualities if yee are desirous to haue a wise and a skilfull Physition such one is this Lord the authour of al wisdome who knoweth whereof we are made Ps 103.14 and the greatnes of our disease and also the way to cure it Some Physitions are vnskilfull in their profession such as PLINIE speaketh of Experimenta per mortes agunt they kill men to get experience Secondly if ye desire to haue a faithfull and trusty one such is also this Lord in whose hands you may trust al that you haue this faithfulnesse is often wanting in the earthly Physitions some will lye to their patients make them carelesse extenuate the heauinesse of their disease of whom may be saide that of the Psalme 146. Put not your trust in the sonnes of mâ—n Thirdly if you desire one who is powrefull and able to cure thee such a one is this Physition Es 43. his name doth prooue his power and although our sinnes were as crimson hee is able to make them white as Snowe Es 1.18 This power is wanting in the bodilie Physition for it is onely this Physition who must blesse the meanes Fourthly if you lacke one who is willing such a one is also the Lord his goodnesse and his promise do prooue his willingnes as a father hath compassion in his children so hath the Lorde compassion on vs. Ps 103. Willingnes is often wanting in the bodily Phisition in the time of the Plague Fiftly if you desire one that will cost
you nothing go to this Physition he will aske thee nothing but repentance Ierem. 3.22 Returne and I will heale your rebellions Sixtly if you desire one which is neere and whom you may haue at all times such a one is the Lord who as DAVID speaketh is neere vnto them that are of a contrite heart Psa 34.18 The consideration of these sixe qualities ought to mooue vs to vse no other Physition then this Lorde As long as wee are in this infectious worlde wee shall neede him for we cannot our selues take away our trespasses As RACHELS cattell could not drinke of the waters of the Brooke Gen. 27. before IACOB had rolled away the stone that couered it euen so we cannot drinke in this Kings medicine and of the waters of repentance vnlesse this Physition who is the God of IACOB doeth himselfe remooue the stonie hardnesse of our hearts There hath bene a disease in this Land called the Queenes euill the which shee was able to cure But as for the Kings euill nobody can cure it but the King of heauen who is this Physition Let vs make therefore much of this Physition It is reported that SOCRATES neuer needeed a physition in his life time but as for vs we shall neede this Physition continually and therefore as we honour the bodily Phisition so let vs giue to this Physition the honour which is due to him If the weake consciences object their vnworthines therefore dare not presume to goe vnto this Physition Let them not feare this Lord is also the Lord Iesus who biddeth vs to come to him Mat. 11. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will case you His blood will purge our consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 Hee is a Physition for euery diseased soule the plaster and very purgation it self For Christs sake the sonne of this Lord we shall be heard The story of THEMISTOCLES is not vnfitly applyed who hauing offended PHILIP king of Macedon takes vp his yong sonne ALEXANDER in his armes and so comes to aske mercie if not for his owne sake yet for his sonnes sake whom hee did present vnto him Euen so wee that haue offended the King of heauen wee craue pardon for our sinnes not in the confidence of our owne worthinesse but for the name of Christ Iesus the Kings sonne Hee is that adoriferous Hysope in the fifty one Psalme Purge me ô Lorde with Hysope AVGVSTINE sayeth that Hysope hath force to purge the inwarde partes Euen so this spiritual Hysope the hart the soule of mā his blood as SAVARANOIA speaketh is as a pretious balsame in our woundes Vnto whom sweet BERNARD consenteth I doe acknowledge the greatnes of my danger but the son of God is slaine that he might cure and heale my woundes by the gretious balsame of his blood A Physition saide to CONSTANTINE the Emperour that there was no meanes to cure his leprosie but by bathing of himselfe in the blood of a childe to whom he answered I would rather alwaies be sicke then to get my health by such a remedie As for vs beloued we neede not vse such an answere a childe is borne vnto vs Es 9. In whose blood we may wash the leprosie and plague of our sinne For by his stripes saith the Prophet we are healed Es 51.5 In which fewe words is described the sick-mans cure in foure things The Phsition curing the sicke patient the Physicke curing the operation of the Physicke Before I ende this poynt Many not contented with king Dauids Physition let me let before your eyes a companie of bewitched Idolaters who erre both in the medicine and the Physition The Iusticiaries runne to their workes The Votaries to their vowes the superstitious to the Pope and to Sainct SEBASTION vsing not the Prayer of DAVID Lorde take awaie the trespasse of thy seruant but Sancte SVDARI ora pro nobis sudarium Christi liberet nos a peste morte tristi O holie NAPKIN pray for vs and deliuer vs from the Pestilence and euil death But let the Pope promise health by his pardons Buls and indulgences they are but euen a potion of ranke poyson prepared by the Diuell his Apothecary This is a counterfaite physicke which cannot purge This Physition hath deceiued his Patients and hath wrought no more cure on the soules of men then ELISHA his staffe did recouer the SVNAMITES childe when GEHEZI laide it vpon the face thereof 2. Reg 4-3 The Popes patients are sicke still for all the Popes drugges and still will be as the SVNAMITES childe was deade till ELISHA came I see another sort who wander vp and downe The pilgrime and runne farre and wide to seeke Physitions the one to Spaine the other to Italy the third to Ierusalem Alas why goe yee not to DAVIDS Physition who is neere and whome yee may haue at all times As the trauailer that hath beene round about the world is not therefore the neerer heauen euen so when yee shall haue compassed all the world yee shall not bee the neerer to Christ the true Physition As the Doue then found no rest till she returned to the Arke euen so you shal finde no rest for your distressed consciences till you returne to Christ Iesus As for vs with the lame and the halte in the Gospell we will cry to Christ alone O IESV the sonne of DAVID haue mercie vpon vs. Luk. 17.13 And thus much for king DAVIDS Physition Now followeth the third ingredient of the kings medicine The third ingredient which is the hearbe of patience the hearbe of patience 2. Sam. 24.14 Let vs fall into the hands of the Lord. DAVID hearing the will of the Lord by the Prophet GAD that the Lord would send a Pestilence in Israell hee murmureth and grudgeth not but receiued patiently the hand of God First hee doth not alleadge or produce any thing in regard of his sinne to excuse and extenuate the same Secondly in regarde of the punishment propounded to aggrauate it but possessing his soule in patience hee breaketh forth into these words Let vs fall into the hāds of God Imitate and followe the king in the taking in of the kings medicine if the Lord visit thee with the rod of Dauid or with any other calamity The third hearb of the kings medicine for the bodie are Bramble leaues In steade of these take the hearbe of patience so called in euery mans mouth for as the common prouerb is Patience is a good hearb but it groweth not in euery mans garden As for the bramble leaue him out Three reasons to vrge the vse of it for hee exalted himselfe aboue the other trees Iud. 9.15 Three things ought to mooue vs to vse this excellent hearbe First it is prescribed by the colledge of the spirituall Physitians Christ himselfe commaundeth the vse thereof Luk. 21.19 Possesse your soules with patience DAVID the King Psalme 37.7 Waite patiently vpon the Lord. Secondly the practise
this robe as the Ap. exhorteth Cast off lying and speake euery man trueth vnto his neighboure Zeph. 4-25 The thirde sorte of indumentes Garments to put off which with the old yeere wee must put off to take in this medicine are according to the counsayle of the Apostle Col. 3.8 put yee away wrath anger cursed speaking and filthie speaking out of your mouth The fourth is hate for as loue is the liuerie of a christian as Tertullian tearmeth it so hate and enuie is the badge and liuerie of Sathan an ornament of the prince of darkenesse The fift is hypocrisie and dissimulation 1. Pet. 2-1 Lay aside all guile and dissimulation The sixt the robes of curiositie vanitie and pride and facion not your selues like vnto this world Rom. 12-2 Wiues it is the Apostles precepte 1. Pet. 3.3 bee subiecte to your husbandes and let not your apparelling be outward as with broyded hayre and golde put about or in putting on of apparell Sicke men which are to take in medicines for their bodily health which are cast down vpon theyr beds take no care for the adorning and attyring of their bodies neither doe take pride in theyr apparell but cloathe themselues as patientes and sicke men euen so seeing wee are infected and sicke of the plague of sinne and that wee are to take in this medicine for to recouer our spirituall health shall wee busie our selues to adorne and trimme vppe these mortall bodies and take delight in these outward ornaments Alas sinne and shame were the first taylors that shaped ADAMS garments and the garmentes on our backes they are signes that we are sick with the plague of the soule For as the bill and red crosse vpon the doore is a token that that house is infected with the Plague euen so the garments vpon our backes are as a bill and red crosse shewing that the houses of our hearts with our whole bodie are infected with the plague of sinne Should he not be accounted foolish who should glorie himselfe of the red crosse vpon his doore It is maintained by the vulgar experience that the bodily plague doth or can lye sticke in the apparell and by this meanes that others are infected whether this be true or no I can not affirme But this is certaine that there is a plague which lyeth and sticketh in the apparell the plague of strange fashions of curiositie vanitie and pride which plague infecteth others It is also maintained that the plague can be brought out of other contries in the apparel wares and merchandises whether this also bee true I will not dispute but this we may affirme that the plague of pride curiositie vanitie and strange fashions is brought out of other countries into England as out of Italy Spaine and Fraunce and so infecteth vs English-men If wee shunne the garment which is suspected of bodily infection shall not wee fly from the induements which are stained with the spirituall contagion Let vs not then giue countenance by them vnto our beggery alas what is their nature they are but the painting of a graue or whiting of a rotten wall the couer and case to a lumpe of mortall flesh they make vs honourable in the sight of men but worke no reuerence or estimation before the Lord of Hostes And yet good God how are wee degenerated from our father ADAM When God made apparell for man hee made it but of the skinnes of beastes but now this fashion is quite out of fashion we robbe al the creatures of the world to adorn vs by taking from some their wool from some their skins frō others their fur frō some their very excrements rather then we wil be vnfurnished of any thing we will not sticke to diue into the verie bottome of the sea for pretious stones O how many are there of those fooles of which Bias speaketh He that wasteth much to followe euery fashion may bee called the Mercers friend the Tailors foole and his owne foe Many doe erre in the taking in of this Kings medicine and bring other guises and shewes in repentance but as for vs there must bee in vs not DAVIDS Iewish putting on but his penitent putting off Lustie gallants if yee will take in the kings medicine for this yeare you must put off your Absolons haire painted Iesabels you can not take it in with your painted faces open breasts monstrous verdingales long staring ruffes ruffianly lockes Daintie dames if you will vse this medicine you must not gird your selues so straight to bee fine and small but you must girde and pinch the loynes of your mindes Royall citizens Luke 12. if you will take in this royall medicine you must put off your princely furniture your wanton disdainefull superfluous sailes of pride wherein yee esteeme not warmth but the colour and die wearing them for their price more then necessitie They are as AVGVSTVS the Emperour of Rome termeth them vexillum superbiae nidusque luxuriae the banner of pride neast of riotousnesse The cause of Gods anger against vs and which hath brought many to shame and beggery hath it not beene their backe and their bellie Let vs therefore crush these vipers and not suffer them any longer to liue amongst vs. This excesse hath beene one of the two daughters of the horse-leach which hath suckt the bloode of the whole lande and consumed in vaine the substance of manie and therefore let vs crosse it in our repentance And as BENADAD 1. Reg. 20. hauing receiued an ouerthrowe of an hundred thousande foote-men vpon that miserie wherewith hee and his seruantes were toucht his seruantes saide we haue heard that the Kinges of ISRAEL are mercifull kings let vs put on sackcloath and ropes about our heads and goe to the king of Israel c euen so ô England hauing receiued the former yeare an ouerthrowe of many thousands by the Lords Angell and knowing that the God of Israell is a mercifull God leaue your prince-like furniture goe vnto him that you may receiue mercie To conclude this point whensoeuer we see the Lord is angry let vs imitate ABIGAIL 1◠Sam. 25. who perceiuing Dauid to be angry arose and went to meete him with a present to appease his wrath and laded her asses with two bottles of wine and frailes of raisons euen so let vs lade our bodies and sinful carcasses which we haue vsed as Asses to beare the huge burthen of our sinnes with fasting sackcloath mourning which are the armour of repentance Le◠our eyes bee as two bottles of wine to carrie with vs the teares whereof wee may drinke to comfort vs in the assurance of Gods mercie le◠vs present our broken and contrite hartes the which hee will receiue kindly at our hands and lay his sworde downe and bid vs to returne in peace vnto our houses And thus much for the Robes of the olde yeare which wee must pu◠off 2 The garments for this newe yeare which vve
this sacrifice publikely in the congregation in our streetes in our houses let vs fill our meetings and conferences with this heauenly harmonie and sweete sounding melodie Prouoke one another citizens to praise the Lord for his miraculous deliuerance Vp yee families vppe yee parents vp yee children vp euery particular soule whome the lord by the shadowing wings of his mercie hath preserued Ministers preach it in your Temples sing it in your streetes rich men write it vpon your doore postes paint it vpon your walles cut with an Adamant vpon the tables of your hearts You neede such remembrances for memorie as SENECA writeth is most delicate tender and brittle and soone forgetteth a benefit Citizens neitheir eate or drinke without this condiment to it The Lord bee praised for our deliuerance Daintie Dames let the frontlets beteene your eyes the bracelets vpon your armes and the gards vpon your garmentes bee thanks-giuing 24. Elders of the citie sing with the 24. Elders Reuel 4.10 Praise honour and glorie be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne It is hee onely not our prudence our phisitions the colde or the frost but as the Prophet speaketh Saluation is the Lords Here is an excellent posie and Epiphoneme Beloued of London I haue a suite vnto you if you doe erect your tryumphant arches against the entrie of him of whome wee may say as the Israelites did of Dauid Psalm 118. Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord forget not among the rest to adorne theÌ„ with Posies preaching the Lords mercies in this your deliuerance and to write this Saluation is the Lords write it in the Calender of Gods deliuerances and leaue a Chronicle of it to all posterity As for the newe yeare let the accustomed Lord of misrule and your vnlawful sports be banished and bring it ouer in the praises of him who hath deliuered you Shew your spirituall deuotions in the openest places as Dauid built an Altar in the threshing floore of Araunah Lastly offer vp this sacrifice not onely for your selues like vnto the Athenians who woulde offer sacrifice onely for their owne citie and their neighbours of Chios but for the whole bodie for the father for the mother for the daughters And thus much for the third kinde of sacrifice 4 Our children The fourth and last kinde of sacrifice are our children which must bee offered vp this newe yeare vnto the Lord. This concerneth you ô Christian parents Many haue offered them a long while some to Sathan teaching them the language of Sathan to sweare lye and blaspheeme some to the world and the pride therof bringing them vp in all voluptuousnesse delicious fare others to theft oppression and deceipt for which the Lords anger hath bene prouoked and hath also beene a part of our deserued pestilence Bring them therfore better vp then you haue done and as the wise man exhorteth Ec. 7.23 If thou haue sonnes instruct them and holde their neck from their youth If thou haue daughters keepe their bodies Worthy is the saying of Ferus Let vs learne to offer vp our children vnto the Lord non occidendo c. not murthering and slaying them as they did the beasts in the law but bringing them vp in the feare of God and accustoming them to religious exercises for this is a sacrifice acceptable to God Parents seeke rather to leaue your children honest then wealthy for which preposterous care Crates the Theban would deride manie if he liued that your children watch not for your death as the Eagles for a carcasse Families are the fountaines of all common-weals purge the fountaines that the streames may bee cleane And as the Israelites after that the slaying Angell was departed and had spared their children Exo. 13 offered sanctified vnto the Lord all the first borne euen so the lords slaying Angel being departed let vs offer saÌ„ctifie vnto the lord not onely our first borne but all the progenie by good instructions wholsom admonitions keeping them froÌ„ the infection of this world Further as you must saÌ„ctifie them so forget not the sacrifice of good Iob to sacrifice offer your prayers also for theÌ„ Iob. 1.5 shewing therby your religious care for them These are then the foure kindes of sacrifices the â—â—crifice of the heart of the mouth of the hand of the wombe which this newe yeare we must offer vp vnto the lord in the ceasing of the Pestilence Differre not to offer them but as Abraham rose vp earely in the morning in the beginning of the day to sacrifice his sonne euen so beloued of London rise vp early to offer theÌ„ in the verie morning beginning of the yeare A new yeares gift for England to bestowe vpon the Lord. And thus I haue absolued the Kings Medicine Now because it is the manner that one friend bestoweth a newe yeares gift vpon another giue mee leaue belooued of England to shewe vnto you out of the whole frame of the precedent discourse a newe yeares-gift to bestowe vpon the best friende wee haue If ye are desirous to knowe it it is the repentance of King DAVID vnto the bestowing of which three reasons ought to perswade vs. First the reliques of the Kings euill and of the spirituall Plague which yet remaine in vs that it may serue as a medicine to heale them Secondly the prints markes and reliques of the corporall Plague which in some places yet are to be seen that it may serue as a spiritual weapon to chase and driue them from among vs. Thirdly the decreasing of the pestilence in the mother citye from whence the other members receiue their maintenance as the senses and nerues of the bodie from the heade that seeing the Lord hath answered repentance with repentance we may againe returne repentance for repentance Holy and commendable hath beene your zeale and diligence Reuerend Elders of the English Israell that yee haue sanctified a fast blowen the trumpet in Sion called a solemne assembly gathered the Elders and all the inhabitants of the Land into the house of the Lord. Ioel. 1.14 Great hath also beene your obedience blessed inhabitants of this Land that yee haue all come togither mourned togither fasted and cryed togither and the Lord graunt repented togither Beholde therefore the blessed fruites of your zeale diligence and obedience the wrath of the Lord appeased his hand hath not beene shortned that hee coulde not helpe neither his goodnesse abated that hee woulde not heare Wisd 11. And to vse the wordes of that hony Father BERNAD you haue founde honie in the Lyon mercie in the feareful God of heauen I finde that verified among vs which Socrates found in the Lacedemonians who perceiuing that in certaine wars betweene the Athenians and them the Athenians offered much gold vnto their Idols and yet departed still beaten out of the field asked the Oracle what might be the cause of it It was answered that the praiers of the Lacedemonians preuailed more then
the golde of the Athenians Euen so I may say that the prayers of the Church of England haue preuailed more then the gold of the Papists and more than if we had presented with the wisemen golde Incense and Myrrhe Math. 2 and that for these the Lords Angell is departed This mercie and bountifulnesse of the Lord doth call vs all this newe yeare vnto repentance 1 The tribe of Iudah First it doth appeale vnto you ô Royall Court ô tribe of Iudah in honour degree and dignitie the first as you offer vnto the Prince a newe yeares-gift so forget not to offer this present to the Prince of Heauen Doe homage vnto the King of Heauen who rideth vpon the wings of the Cherubins bowe the neckes of your soules before the throne of his maiestie put on the royal garment of King DAVID and take in this year a Kings medicine for the soule a royall medicine becommeth a royall Court Honourable Counsellors meditate the lawe of the most high and vse King Dauids counsellors Psalm 119.24 Great men let your wils not bee inordinate and hauing the raignes of dominion in your hands proclaime not with Nero My authoritie giueth mee license to doe all things gouerne by lawe and not by lust Noble peeres take heede of the sinne of Zimri Numb 25.14 Possesse you vessels in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of cōcupiscence 1. Thessa 4. You that are in high places bee patient of iniuries forget nothing but iniuries as Caesar esteeme with Theodosius a Christian Emperour that yee haue receiued a benefit as often as yee are entreated to forgiue or say with Marcus Cato vnto him that smote him beeing now desirous to make amends I remember not that I was smitten For as Lactantius speaketh Ira mortalium debet esse mortalis the anger of mortall men must bee mortall You that haue adorned and imbossed your speaches with oathes come out of this humour esteeme them not the humour of gentilitie nor an ornament to your discourses chāge blasphemies into prayers and let your tongues bee bels to sound the praises of him who hath deliuered vs. Let not the voluptuous pamper themselues more in carnall delights nor sport themselues with sinne as Sampson with Dalilah let them shake it off and not account this world a siluer shrine Painted Dames bee contented with the naturall colour of your Creator Altogither bee not senselesse at the former stroke of Gods hammer but spend your time in the royall pastime of King Dauid 2 The tribe of Leuie Secondly the bountifulnesse of the Lord doth appeale vnto you ô tribe of Leui. Giue vnto the Lord this newe yeares gift Prophets take in this yeare a Prophets medicine Reuerend fathers and Elders prostrate your selues with DAVID and the Elders of Israel and as the holy Ghost exhorteth you Act. 20.28 Take heede vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloode You the other Prophets bee vnreproueable watching sober modest harberous apt to teach not giuen to wine or filthy lucre 1. Tim. 3.2 Vnto you that are in the office of Archippus Col. 4.17 it is also saide Take heede to the ministerie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it It is a worke not a play onus non honos a burthen not an honour a seruice not a vacancy You that should guide others to the Land of promise come not short your selues Wee that build Arkes for others let vs not bee drowned our selues Wee that are the Lords Seers let vs not bee blinde wee that are the Lords Cryers let vs not bee dumbe and tongue-tide and because sinne is impudent and cannot blush let vs from hence-forward arme our selues not with the speare but with the zeale of Phinees for the gentle spirit of Eli is not sufficient to mende children past grace let vs not put hony into the sacrifice in steade of salt but bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sonnes of thunder You the two Vniuersities 3 The two Vniuersities obtain in this rank the third place vnto you also the Lords bountifulnesse doth appeale giue vnto him this excellent newe yeares-gift children of the Prophets take one another by the hande yee two sisters and say with DAVID wee haue also done foolishly O Lord. Let the Kings medicine come among you take it in against the kings euill Your schooles haue beene broken vp the former yeare the newe yeare beeing come breake the strength of sinne that the Lords Angell disperse you not againe You that should bee fountaines and welsprings of good life to others bee not dryed vp that if men seeke for the water of life at your hands they returne not with an emptie pitcher or else as Iob speaketh 13.4 You are Physitions of no value Sende forth skilfull Bezaleels and Aholiabs filled with the spirit of Wisdome and vnderstanding to worke with all the wise-hearted all manner of workmanship for the seruice of the Lords Sanctuarie for the vniting of the Saints and for the edification of the mysticall bodie of Christ Iesus that from you the two heades as the pretious ointment from the head of Aaron was deriued vnto the very skirts of his garments many pretious oyntments may be deriued to all the members of the Kingdome Lastly because the haruest is great suffer your selues to bee thrust into the haruest Fourthly it appealeth to you that obtaine the fourth place 4 Magistrates and Iudges and who are the politicall Elders the Iudges and magistrates Present vnto the magistrate and Iudge of heauen and earth this newe yeares gift and take also in the Kings medicine for this present yeare You haue ordained and prescribed the former yeare good orders for the staying of the bodily infection shewe now your diligence to prescribe good orders for the staying of the spirituall infection Bee rather desirous of the maintenance of good lawes and reformation of manners then of honour preferre the weale-publike before your priuate good take heede of the spirituall Plague First bee not louers of giftes which blinde the eyes Deut. 18.21 Secondly differre and delay not to giue iudgement in the righteous cause and if yee can doe your neighbour good to day say not to him come to morrowe Prouerb 3.28 Viewe your selues in Iob that right paterne of a good Iudge Iob. 31. Let your sentence bee to the oppressed as the comfortable raine to the thirsty ground Iob. 29.23 Thirdly haue not respect of persōs in iudgemēt Deut. 1.17 hear the small as well as the great fear not the face of man You are the pillers Ps 75.3 If the pillers be weakned if the nail be broken or the strong mē bow themselues the house the burden all falleth that leaneth vpon them By the way it speaketh to you also lawyers Lawiers men of counsell magistrates attedāts offer vp also this newyeers gift to the Lord
beware of dogs Phil. 3.2 suffer not the detractiōs slaunders Further let vs ayr our housē our harts with the fire of loue hauing aboue all things feruente loue among vs. 1. Pet. 4.8 Lastly let vs cary with vs when we go abroad that heauēly pomāder confection of good works of the fear of god this wil preserue vs against the infectiō of this world You haue vsed the old yeere wormewood against the plague this yeer let me tel ye of a wormwood frō which ye must abstaine for it is very naught against the spirituall plague if you desire to know it Moses telleth it vnto you Deut. 29.28 Let there not be a root of bitternesse or wormwood amongst you To leaue you ô Londō for the cōtinual knils alarum of bels the trūpets of Iehouah which haue sounded within thy walls let the tongues of thy inhabitants be bels trūpets to publish the praises mercy of the Lorde towards them O you that are not yet turned to your earth how are you bound to think of your creator redeeme therefore this new yeere with newnesse of liues the former yeers misspent In the last place I must not leaue you vnspokē vnto The other Sister cities townes and villages you the glorious Sisters cōfederates of the mother city you the daughters other mēbers of which some of you haue also groned vnder this burdē offer vp vnto god with your mother this new yeers gift take in also this spirituall kings medicin draw instructiōs from your mothers breasts change your Moriās skins put of your stained coats wash your feet not only your feet but your heads also And because all the ioynts of the whole body of the lād haue bin disquieted that now the lord hath salued thē with his sauing health concur together to sing the praises of that god of Israel Great hath bin your diligēce to auoid the bodily infection be not now negligēt to expel the spiritual cōtagiō Were it not madnes to haue cried for the woūd not to pul out the arrow for the coale which hath burnt you not to remooue it You haue bewailed those sins which ye had cōmitted now cōmit not those sins ye haue bewailed He hath not retained his anger shal we retain our sins the cause of his anger he hath returned to vs by his grace shal not we return to him by repentāce he hath had cōpassiō on vs shall not we haue cōpassiō on our own soules He hath taken away that which took away his fauour shall not we seek to continue that which keepeth his fauor we haue lōg bē al like to the Moon in her decreasing for thē she doth turn the opening of her bowe down towards the earth her backe toward heauē euē so we haue decreast failed in vertue piety zeale we haue turned the doore of our harts the opening of our desires altogither to this world But now with the new yeere let vs be like the Moone in her increasing for then she turneth her open side vp towards heauen and her backe towardes the earth and so groweth to a perfect light In like manner let vs encrease in pietie zeale charitie let vs turne our backes towardes the worlde but our harts opening of our desires to god heauē And for the decreasing let vs encrese not in iniquitie but in faith honesty let vs not forgoe for a little mony that which for no mony cā be had again I may speak brethrē vnto you that of the psalm The lord hath looked down frō the height of his sāctuary that he might heare your mourning deliuer the childrē appointed vnto death You haue al called vpon the lord and behold the successe of good seed hath bin cōsequēt to your prayers they haue been ioyned together as if their souls had been knit togither like the souls of Dauid Ionathā Continue therfore in your repentance let it not be as a morning cloud or as the morning dew which goeth away Hos 6.4 or else neuer look for sauing sound cōtinuing health but euē with Gehezi to die a leprous man if not with the plague of the body yet with the plague of the soul Lord most mighty most gracious most mercifull wound vs with thy fear possesse our souls with an awfull dread of thy power which thou hast shewn the former yeer rebuild the ruines of the house of our harts make vs fit for thy holy seruice make vs thy spirituall Ierusalē our harts the tēples of the holy ghost that thy Angel may spare vs as he did Ierusalē Psal 51. Create in vs ô lord with this new yeere a clean hart renew a right spirit within vs. I end with the prayer wherewith I begun Lord teach vs to number our days that we may apply our harts to wisedome Psal 90. Amen FINIS