And after we have quenched and put out the trouble of our hearts vexation of our soules caused by the fire of sinne when wee shall have scattered those flames that destroy and devoure that union and concord which God hath so strictly commanded us to keepe then shall wee be called to that heavenly Ierusalem which is the Citie of peace and there shall wee enter into the possession of the inheritance promised to adopted children in Iesus Christ our Lord wee shall partake with him eternall blessednesse hee shall be our head in those divine sessions and we shall be his members wee shall shine as the Sun the holy Ghost shall enlighten us and the God of peace shall be for ever with us Amen O Soveraigne Monarch of heaven and earth that governest all things by thy providence which to us is altogether incomprehensible we thy most humble Subjects calling unto thee from the bottome of our soules beseech thee by the greatnesse of thy compassions that it may please thee to plant in our hearts a holy and perfect justice which taking deepe rootes therein may bring forth fruites of peace and concord which thou straightly recommendest unto us in thy holy word Make us perfectly just that we may love peace perfectly as being the daughter of justice enkindle O good God the fire of thy love in our hearts and soules that we may love our brethren even as thou hast loved us give us a spirit of gentlenes meekenes that we may fly eschew quarrels contentions not only in our selues but also when we shal see them kindled among our brethren make us knowe O good Saviour that those enmities and dissentions are the devils daughters who loves nothing but noyse and disorder and that peace and mildnesse are the daughters of divine justice which thou lovest dearely which wee must embrace and practise if we will be honoured with the title of thy children and not onely be called so but also to be indeed children of God and heires of eternall and blessed life to the which the Father Sonne and holy Ghost bring us Amen The fourth way to Sion 1. PETER 2. 17. Feare God and honour the King AS rayes or Sunne-beames follow and beare observance to the Sunne As all rivers runne to the Sea and as many lines end and terminate in their center so there are many wayes to bring us to the Paradise of God to Ierusalem above which is our heavenly and happy Country Neverthelesse wee must herein use the Maxime of the Mathematicians who hold that the shortest line â—s still the rightest also in all these different wayes of new Sion the shortest is the best and surest When God gave his Law to Moses upon the Mountaine of Sinay he divided it into ten commandements which are so many perfect wayes to conduct and bring us to heaven for IESVS CHRIST the sweet Saviour of our soules being himselfe descended from Heaven to shew and point us out this way hee drew a short Compendium and Abridgement of all these Ten Commandements of the Law and reduced them to two as wee shall finde it written in the 22. Chapter of St. Mathew where wee see him disputing against a Doctor of the Law who demanded of him which was the first and greatest Commaundement and Iesus answered him Thou shalt love God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde which is the first and greatest commandement and the second is like unto it which is Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and of these two Commaundements depend the whole Law and the Prophets as our Apostle Saint Peter in the imitation of his blessed Master Christ after hee had instructed and admonished his faithfull flocke in all their duties in the precedent verses of our Text hee drawes an abridgement of all which concerned their saluation when he said Feare God and honour the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In these words we have all the instructions which we must practise in our soules and bodies concerning those divine and humane duties which wee must convert and reduce into practise which wordes naturally divide themselues into two severall branches or heads to wit 1. the feare which wee ought to beare unto God and 2. The honour which wee must obserue and give to the King The sweetest and most pleasingst sacrifice which we can offer up unto the Lord Almighty is a heart replenished and fraughted with the feare of his holy name a minde trembling before his sacred Majestie and a soule terrified with the sublimity and greatnesse of his fearefull judgements as the royall Prophet affirmeth in Psal 2.11 Serue the Lord with feare and reioyce with trembling And againe Psal 2.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy feare will I worship towards thy holy Temple We can offer up no sacrifice so pleasing nor performe no action or duty so acceptable to God as when wee adore him in all feare and reverence him in all astonishment trembling which lively depaynteth and prefigureth his Greatnesse and Magnificence perfectly demonstrateth us our Duties and witnesseth our humility and obedience which is exceeding delightfull and pleasing to him That Romane Emperour perspicuously expressed and deciphered the excellent power and effects of this feare when he caried for his Motto and Devise Oderint dum metuant Let those hate me that will so they feare me shewing thereby what small account and esteeme hee made of the hatred and how dearely he prised and respected the feare which hee would have given and borne to him Morall Philosophers affirme and say That Love and feare are two fister germanes because the one is conjoyned to the other and both linked together produce one the same effects for still the Lover is in care and feare of the thing beloved whereas wee never feare to lose that which wee hate but that Which wee love dearely and cherish tenderly and both of these together produce the conseruation of their object But this distinction takes no place but here on earth among creatures and doth neither regard nor looke up towards Heaven to God the Creator For God is all Love but he can never be capable of alteration or defect as is that feare which he hath left and given unto man for his portion and inheritance So he which is possessed with a perfect feare to offend his God or to lose his favour he is linked and joyned to God with the Gordian knots of his love which are then wholly made indivisible and inseparable and the Love of God conjoyned with the feare of man cause the conservation of the soule and this it is where the Apostle Saint Peter tells us in our text Feare God By which word feare wee must not understand a cowardize a pusillanimity or any irregular passion which freezeth our blood in our veines which causeth our hearts to pant and beat with an incessant motion which calls and attracts
mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie We reade words like unto these Luke 6.36 Be yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And againe after forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you give and it shall be given unto you And Eccl. 4. Be mercifull to the Orphans be unto them a father and to their mothers a husband and then yee shall be the obedient sonnes of the most high who will yet more liberally distribute unto you his great mercie And Pro. 11. The soule that doth good shall be exceedingly filled and replenished It is a principle flowing from our nature that we must not doe to another what we would not have done to our selves from which principle is derived that golden sentence of Christ Luk. 6. With what measure you mete it shall be againe measured unto you And Iames 2. Condemnation without mercie shall fall on them that have not used mercie and mercie is glorified against condemnation Blessed then are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie In which words by Gods assistance which wee to this end implore wee will consider 1. Who be these mercifull And 2. The reason why they are termed blessed And first let us heare the sacred voyce of the eternall Sonne of God the Redeemer of our soules saying in the first part of our Text Blessed are the mercifull as if he had said O how great and altogether incomparable and incomprehensible are the favours blessings and graces laid up for them that shall practise the works of mercie they shall be Citizens of heaven the Angels companions and shall eternally enjoy and possesse in heaven those beatitudes which eye hath not seene eare hath not heard and that are not entred into the heart of man and this is the recompence that God hath prepared for them which practise mercie Now that we may the better know the definition of this word Mercifull which is the concrete or conjoyned we will first consider it in its abstract as the Philosophers speake to wit Mercie which is commonly defined to be A hearty griefe or a sorrow for anothers miserie whom we assist and helpe with all our power The object of it is the miserie and affliction of other which makes her produce these gracious and pittifull effects because shee is unable to behold the sore without applying the remedie God being one cannot suffer any kinde of division there be no qualities nor accidents in him but all things are essentiall in him the Scripture to represent him unto us doth describe him all justice and all mercie so by reason of the fore-going maxime wee cannot say that mercie is one of his parts seeing that being one hee is indivisible but wee will more properly say that he is Mercie it selfe and therefore the faithfull that shall bee mercifull that shall practise the works of charity of clemencie and meekenesse may undoubtedly beleeve that they are the sonnes of the most high who hath communicated unto them a ray or sparke of his infinite grace and mercie that so they may thereby resplend and shine with the same light with their heavenly Father tread upon his steps and be made like him as much as may be Be mercifull saith Iesus Christ as your heavenly Father is mercifull Luke 6.36 Mercie said an ancient Doctor est fidei ornamentum it is the ornament of faith for faith sheweth her selfe by her fruits which are pious and charitable works and as trees are never so faire to behold as when they are loaden and covered with fruits so faith never appeareth so glorious as when she is adorned and crowned with the sweet and delightfull fruites of mercie Hee called it againe salutis domicilium the retreate and lodging of salvation because that when sinners shall be called to give account of their actions before God when God shall aske them the reason of their administration as that Lord in the Gospell then the shortest and safest remedie is to flye to his mercie and to aske him forgivenesse Salomon that wise King counselleth us to make a carcanet of mercie to put it about our necke and that in this habit and ornament wee shall make the accesse of heaven free to our selves finding grace before God and men and indeed it is one of the most pretious stones and that is fit to beautifie and adorne the crowne of perfection it selfe Wee will therefore compare it to the Oppall stone Irius which represents the same colours that appeare in the Raine-bowe so the mercifull makes all sorts of graces and blessings to shine upon his forehead and to appeare in his actions this Oppall stone Irius is greene red and white the greene colour represents unto us that Hope which we have to finde grace before the soveraigne Iudge of our soules and bodies The red colour represents unto us the pure blood of Christ shed upon the Crosse to obtaine this grace for us she also denoteth unto us the rednesse of our sinnes according to the Prophets phrase Though our sinnes were as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snowe Isa 1.18 and the white colour figureth unto us the divine justice covered and overcome by the whitenesse of his mercie as it is noted in the Rainebow that his white colour covereth and exceedeth the red if faire weather be to follow They marke besides that this Oppall easeth the paines and labours of women with childe so mercie lighteneth much the miserie and griefe of the afflicted We will here make no difficulty to use in this place the fabulous inventions of the Poets following the example of Salomon who tooke of Hiram though a Pagan all the wood and stones needfull for the building of the temple They usually describe Mercury the messenger of the imaginary Gods with a wand in his hand composed of hornes of plenty wreathed with serpents they also give him wings with which he with incredible celerity flyes whether soever he is sent In this fable wee see a remarkable morall which is that it is a symbole of the Mercifull who quickly and without delay takes pitie of the miserie of others according to this axiome no lesse common then true Bis dat qui cito dat he giveth twice that giveth speedily Secondly he lives in all plenty and abundance because that God blesseth him in all his goods as the Psalmist speaketh Hee hath given largely to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for ever his horne shall be exalted in glory and he shall have whereof to lend all the dayes of his life Psal 112.9 The serpent useth once a yeare to cast off his skinne to assume another that thereby he may be more healthfull and faire so those who are mercifull leave and cast off their wealth and substance in favour of them that need it that so they may appeare faire in the eye of the most high give your almes and all things shall bee cleane vnto you putting off the old man But that we may walke in the sacred pathes of the holy
so at all times he may beare abundantly the gracious and delectable fruits of charity compassion and meekenesse This tree is divided into three branches which we see is set forth unto us Luke 6. whereof of the first sheweth us that wee must not rashly judge of our neighbour but that wee judge of him charitably The second teacheth us that wee must liberally distribute and dispose of our faculties in favour of the needy that thereby wee must partake of their miserie and sigh with them in their afflictions The third and last branch is to forgive our enemies and cast away from us all desire of revenge Saint Luke in the Chapter before cited after hee had exhorted us to bee mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull divideth this mercie into three kindes as we have already shewed saying first 1 Iudge not and ye shall not be judged 2 Give and it shall be given unto you 3 Love your enemies and ye shall be the children of the most high for he is kinde unto the unkinde and to the wieked Let us a while attentively consider the three offices and duties of the mercifull but rather let us practise them heartily that we may be recompensed with the felicity promised unto us Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie The corruption of this age is come to that height that it seemeth that the best discourse that men can finde is to speake ill of one to detract from another to judge so hardly of the best actions that one might think them voyd of reason and of the feare of God and to be partakers with the devill in vexing and slandering the life of those who are good examples to all and the subject of thanksgiving to all them that feare the Lord and therefore the holy Ghost admonisheth us in this first kinde of mercie not to be rash in our judgements least we suffer the paines and incurre the rigours of Talions law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudge not that ye be not judged Math. 7.1 Wee must then observe these maximes in judging the actions of others that if they be manifestly good wee praise and imitate them that those that did them may be encouraged to continue and that the wicked leaving their wicked wayes may follow them for examples move more then rules or precepts If in all likelihood they may bee thought evill neverthelesse wee must practise and conferre on them the works of charity and construe them favourably seeing that it is God alone who searcheth the hearts and who trieth the reynes and thoughts and who is onely able to judge of our good or bad intentions for now Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light and hypocrites his imitatours doe so perfectly counterfeit the just that it is altogether impossible to discerne truth from falshood Satan hath made them so deceiptfully crafty On the other side the just doe sometimes commit actions which seeme to be evill and notwithstanding are in themselues very good though they doe not appeare to bee such as when Christ was found alone speaking with the Samaritane but it was to teach her the way of Salvation When hee delighted in the kisses of Mary Magdalene who was so impudent in her life and manners in so much that the Pharisie that had invited him was offended at it yet the end and the answer which Christ gave them made them thinke otherwise when speaking to the Pharisie he said Ioh. 11.2.12.3 Simon seest thou this woman I entered into thine house and thou gavest mee no water to wash my feete but shee hath washed my feete with teares and wiped than with the haires of her head Thou gavest me no kisse but shee since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete Thou diddest not annoint my head with oyle but shee hath annointed my feete with pretious oyntment Wherefore I say unto thee many sinnes are forgiven her for shee loved much to whom a little is forgiven he doth love a little And he said unto her thy sinnes are forgiven thee Luke 7.44 c. Iesus Christ take this example more did often eat with Publicans and sinners but it was purposely to convert them and yet the Scribes and Pharisies that envied him did not interpret it so for they called him a glutton a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Math. 11.19 Behold how the best and wholesomest meates are converted into ill humors by ill disposed stomacks whence comes the proverb Ictericis omnia videntur esse flavia all things seeme yellow to them that have the Iaundize the wicked measure other by themselues and thinke that all imitate them in doing ill The second branch of this divine tree is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give and it shall be given unto you that is that Iesus Christ by these words exhorteth us to distribute freely and liberally of our meanes to the poore assuring us to hold it as done to himselfe and that he will repay it a thousand fold unto us by giving us eternall life Make you friends saith hee Luke 16.9 with the riches of iniquity that when ye shall want they may receive you into everlasting habitations Iesus Christ Math. 19.21 speakes thus to a young man that asked him what he should doe to inherite eternall life after he had bidden him keepe the commandements he saith moreover unto him If thou wilt be perfect goe sell all that thou hast and give it to the poore and then thou shalt have treasure in heaven One of the chiefest lawes which God commanded and recommended to his people Israel was to be mercifull to the poore and needy as we reade Deut. 15.7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of the gates of thy land thou shalt not harden thine heart against him nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother but thou shalt open thine hand unto him and shalt lend him sufficient to sustaine his needs and wants and let it not grieve thine heart to give it unto him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand to And Prou. 28.27 Hee that giveth unto the poore shall not lacke but hee that hideth and shutteth his eyes from him shall have many curses It is a wonder to see and behold the admirable effects and workes of the Almighty that which commonly makes those to abound in wealth that bestowe largely upon the poore like a good spring or fountaine which the more it is emptied the more it overflowes in the excellencie of her waters so the more the faithfull gives to the poore the more God sendeth his graces and blessings upon his wealth so that the almes which hee gives are like seede fallen into good ground which yeeldeth a hundred for one It is like a little piece of leaven among a great deale of dowe which raiseth and maketh it to encrease and therefore the Wiseman exhorteth us to give
that asketh us helpe and consolation let us runne to him and give him occasion of joy and gladnesse for it is Christ himselfe which was comforted by an Angell in the Garden when praying to God his Father hee sweated drops of blood which made him pronounce these lamentable words so full of griefe My soule is full of sorrow even unto death When we have bin offended by our neighbour and that he will cast himselfe at our feete to aske us forgivenesse let us not be such tygers and so unnaturall as to refuse him his request remembring that it is a condition needfull to obtaine the pardon for our owne sinnes which wee shall never obtaine untill wee have first forgiven our brethren their offences but let us follow the example of our heavenly Father who saith That at what time so ever a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes he will put away his wickednesse out of his remembrance And when wee must appeare before the terrible and dreadfull Throne of the Soveraigne Iudge when wee shall be called to a strict account for the talents and administration which hath beene committed to our charge by our heavenly Master let us then I say follow the example of that wise Steward let us make our selues friends with the riches of iniquity let us fill the hand of the poore which is the Altar of God upon the which hee affectionatly receiveth the Incense of our prayers as a delightfull and pleasing Sacrifice to the glory of his holy name Then I say shall wee heare that sweet and heavenly voyce of the Saviour of our soules speaking graciously to us after this manner Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world Amen Amen The Prayer O Lord God full of mercy and compassion O favourable Father that art the fountaine of pardon and remission and the refuge of them that truely repent who desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne from his wickednesse and live wee thy poore and miserable creatures who by the weaknes of our flesh by the malice of our mindes by our owne vitious inclination to follow ill examples have provoked thee to make thy wrath and indignation fall upon our sinfull heads we have many wayes and times by our transgressions incited thee to cast upon our sinfull soules the thunderbolts of thy judgements we have made sinne our delight and iniquity the height of our happinesse Thy justice did cry and runne after us like a roaring and ravening Lyon seeking to devoure us thy judgements were ready to cast our bodies and soules into hell but that the excellent greatnesse of thy mercie O bountifull and gracious Father hath interposed her selfe and hath not permitted that we should be cast downe into the depth of eternall death and condemnation thy hand O sweet Saviour hath upheld us and thy clemencie O our Redeemer hath perfectly delivered us therefore O gracious Father seeing thou hast preserued us from evill conserue us still in good things receive if such be thy good pleasure the incense of our prayers our sacrifice of thankesgiving which wee most humbly offer upon the sacred Altar of thy divine compassions Put up our teares into thy bottels accept our contrite hearts broken with griefe to have offended thee for a pleasing Sacrifice receive our griefes and displeasures for thy satisfaction and behold thy Sonne thy onely thy welbeloved Sonne his head pricked with thornes for our sinnes his hands his sides and his feete pierced with Lances and nayles for our iniquities for his torments sake for his paines and for his deaths sake restore us unto life forgive us our sinnes O great God blot out our iniquities that so following thy example wee may doe the like to them that have offended us change in us our hard hearts and make them gentle and easie to pardon and forgive and suffer not our soules to be defiled and infected with the venome of revenge but that leaving it unto thee we may thinke of nothing else but to be obedient unto thee blessing those that curse us speaking well of those that slaunder us and praying for those that persecute us O good God kindle in our soules an holy love towards our afflicted brethren that wee may partake with them in their afflictions and so ease them that they may the better beare that burthen which thou hast imposed upon them We most humbly beseech thee also O good Saviour to give us charitable hearts and full of compassion to helpe the poore in their neede remembring that they are our brethren that thou art the Father of us all and that we are the children of the same mother that a glasse of cold water onely given unto them is of an inestimable price before thee because thou acceptest of it as willingly and recompensest it as largely as if it had beene given to thy selfe make us understand and know that thou art the King and great Master of the world that all that is therein justly belongeth unto thee that wee are but thy Stewards to dispose of thy goods to them of thy houshold to wit the poore who as well as we have that honour to belong to thy house to be thy servants yea to beare the name of thy children that when it shall please thee to call us to account wee may bee found to have used with profit the talent committed unto us and that it may please thine infinite goodnesse not for our sakes but through thy mercy for thy welbeloved Sonnes sake to call us good and faithfull servants and to make us enter into our Masters joy which is the heavenly Ierusalem Amen The second Way to Sion THE PRAISE OF PVRITIE MATH 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God IN the holy and sacred Temple of wise King Salomon there were three things chiefely considerable that is 1. The body of the temple whereto the people came 2. The holy place appointed for the Levites and those that ministred at the Sacrifices And 3. the Sanctum Sanctorum or the most holy place consecrated for the Arke of the Lord who had appointed it for his ordinarie dwelling and residence wherein he commonly appeared in the forme of a darke clowd out of which were heard the divine Oracles and the irrevocable sentences of his sacred judgements It was a place whereinto none upon paine of death could come except the high Priest and that but onely once every yeare and yet with many precautions and circumstances for hee was first to purifie himselfe to wash his body and to change his cloathes before he appeared in the terrible and fearefull presence of the living God By this faire and meruailous Temple of King Salomon is lively represented unto us the world adorned and diversified with so many faire and admirable creatures By the Body of the Temple where the children of Israel heard the reading of the law of God his Spouse the