the most exquisite and exact profession of christianity You that have so many golden oportunities of benefitting your selves and others You that in comparison of heathens and Pagans should be as Angells What doe you more then others More 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza tells us it is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid amplius facitis what doe you above others Junius and Tremelius render it Quid eximium facitis what excellent admirable extraordinary thing doe yee these lections doe not vary much the sense seems almost the same in all Then others These words are not exprest in the originall but they are necessarily understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a respective terme for when a man doth more then others they doe lesse then hee his doing some thing tells them they doe nothing Then others What others More then the covetous griping hypocriticall vaine-glorious selfe-admiring Pharises or the odious scandalous openly prophane and most wicked Publicans which were accounted the scumme and drosse of the people hated by the Jewes because they were the instruments of the Romans cruelty as much as many formerly hated our excise men sequestratours these even these can love men for their own ends or rather love themselves in those men These can salute their Brethren their friends but it is them onely and not others But as for you that either are my Disciples already or would be you that are or would be Christians you must not onely love your friends but also your very enemies as having somewhat of God upon them and being made after his owne image as well as you If ye doe the one you onely shew your selves grateful and escape blame but if ye doe the other ye deserve praise that is of nature this of grace that they doe as men and this you are to doe as Christians that is but ordinary but this excellent and extraordinary if ye salute your Brethren onely what doe you more then others do not even the Publicans do so This is the true genuine sence of the words according to Chrysostome Musculus Tostatus Maldonate Erasmus Beza Diodate and others compared together they afford us these two plain truths first That Christians should be civil and courteous not onely to their friends and kindsmen persons that they are obliged unto but even to strangers nay even to their very enemies If ye salute your Brethren onely 2. That the Disciples of Christ should doe somewhat extraordinary somewhat more then others more then Heathens more then worldings what doe you more then others 1. Of the former which is this that Christians should be civil and courteous not onely to their friends relations and acquaintance but also to strangers yea even to their very enemies In the prosecution ofit I shall use this Method first give you some Scriptures 2. Some Reasons 3. Apply 1. That Christians should extend their civility and courtesy not onely to friends and relations but even to strangers and enemies is clear from these Scriptures that we are to salute our Brethren do to do good to them that do good to us to greet one another with a kisse of charity to love the Brother hood all men will easily grant St. Pauls Epistles are full of such salutations and demonstrations of civilities and courtesiies But some think it a hard saying that their courtesies and civilities should reach even unto strangers and enemies the Scripture is no lesse expresse in this then the other Deut. 10. 19. Love thou therefore the strangers for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt not only your Brethren your Friends your allies those that your are obliged by the Lawes of gratitude to love upon particular accounts but also strangers such as are lovely only for Gods sake upō the general account of Christianity It is the Apostles exhortation that we should doe good to all men But especially such as are of the houshould of faith and if to all then surely to strangers enemies which is also meant by that Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self That is any one that may be an object of pitty and mercy Heb. 13. 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you and all the Saints that is respect honour your rulers be courteous not onely to some but even to all the Saints whether they be poor or rich whether related to you or not related to you Honour them not upon carnal but spiritual accounts Not because of any particular relation to you but because of that general relation that ye all stand in as to Christ your head in the 1 of Peter 2. and the 17. Honour all men that is be civil courteous to all men according to their respective dignities qualities and stations whether they be supperiours equals or inferiours whether freinds or strangers or enemies pregnant above all is that Text in Matth. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you This Text contains in it the very essence of charity all the perfection here acquirable upon earth it comprehends all the acts of it for if we are to love our enemies to blesse them that curse us to doe them good to pray for them we cannot deny them salutations and civilities which are but expressive and significative of that heavenly grace of charity In that the greater includes the lesse so much may suffice for the I. thing neither is this without reason for 1. As Tostatus tells us salutations and external civilities extended to all are signes and expresses of charity in the heart not only so but of the best and most diffusive in that that charity is best which like the Sun strives to doe good to the whole World at once when we love our friends onely and such as love us that is not so much to be termed charity as self love external acts of humanity and courtesy are lively demonstrations of internal charity they are none of the worst paraphrases upon a charitable well disposed spirit when we see the good fruits of civility and courtesy we may very rationally conclude that the Tree of charity is alive and full of sap such good fruits would not be without a good Tree by their fruits we may know the Trees of of charity 'T is true these are not infallible demonstrations such as we terme those of the Mathematicks it is not impossible for a fawning Hypocrite Judas like to betray us with a kisse but we must be content with them till we can get better It being Gods prerogative royall to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart and the tryer of the reines he onely made it and he only knows it being made Neither can we rationally think that that man will love us blesse us doe us good pray for us nay venture his own body for the salvation of our souls
rigid and turbulent for the first I thinke some of them may be good subjects whatever the latter be Presbyters may be considered to wayes either in subordination or in contradistinction to Bishops either as they are subservient to them or as they would stand on their own bottome if ye be taken the first way as being men of parts and eminencies ye may be instrumental for Gods glory and your Countreyes good provided ye doe not Preach sedition and rebellion in an uncouth improper palliating dialect But if ye be considered the second way ye are sworn enemies both to God your King and your Countrey ye are the incendiaries of the World the fire-bands of Christendome and though I have a great deal of charity for your persons yet I have none at all for your opinions and damnable factions And now I have distinguish'd of you I tell you what you did more than others you with your auxiliary forces in iniquity the Independents Anabaptists Quakers the rest of the filth scum of the World you levied armies against your Soveraigne which is a Popish practise an arrow drawn out of Bellarmines Quiver you unstar'd the firmament of the Church you untreed the Paradise of God the Silver Trumpets of the Temple could not be heard for the noise of drums and Trumpets You laid the grave-stone upon mercy truth and peace you Preach'd the Funeral Sermon of all goodnesse loyalty piety civillity and Christianitie and because it is the excellency of a Preacher to live according to his Doctrine you lived accordingly you made a trayterous seditious bloudy Covenant 't was neither a Covenant of good works nor a Covenant of grace and therefore it was a spurious meretricious anti-scriptural one They talke of burning it but a man can never sufficiently burne it unlesse he could goe to hell-mouth and cast it there saying here Beelzebub take thy soule damning nation embroyling engine thine even thine in vention for none but Beelzebub could make such a one we are all now resolved to be good subjects Nero like you played upon your instruments of joy whil'st our Rome was on fire and who fired it Not the Christians but the Heathens the Publicanes did not even the Publicans so And what said thousands that had their houses on fire O! fling them all into those flames which they themselves have made Nec enim lex justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ But what said another of a more lambe-like and Christian-like temper stay I have found out a better way save their bodies and souls but burn all their opinions especially the Covenant it being like original sin all sins a Legion of transgressions And it would be a happy turn to burn a bundle of factions to keep precious and immortall souls from burning in Hell to all eternity And O that you would at length come and fling all your conjuring books that raised so many Spirits of division into the fire you can neither dispute for them nor Preach for them nor live for them Not dispute for them unlesse ye banish your reason not Preach for them unlesse you abjure the Scriptures not live for them unlesse any one of you would strive to out-live the worst fiend in Hell O you that never drew sword or turned tongue but for your own interests shall I tell you where it lyes Had you but eyes to see it it lyes in being subordinate to Bishops Alas can the miserable cabines of Presbytery think to escape when the great Soveraigne of Episcopacy is under water The Independent had like to have swallowed you both and me thinks this should make you agree Now I have spoken to you asunder give me leave to speak to you both together It is a great shame for men of peace for men of your cloath to trouble the World with Ceremonious disputes It would be far more Christian like for you on both sides to deny yourselves and they that would ever agree must abate somewhat on both sides Give me leave to tell you of a strang sight what 's that I saw the goodly Ship Religion and it was the best Ship that ever I saw it being man'd not with Turks or Heathens but Christians and not a few but all the Christians in the World and it highly concernes us to pray for the safe landing of it in that all our souls are in it this Ship sayld between two Rocks the one was as it were Scylla the other Charybdis the one was formallity and customarinesse on the one hand the other was ataxy and confusion on the other For you Episcopall men I would have you to beware of for mallity and superstition and you Presbyters of ataxy and confusion Whil'st the Ship sails directly between these two Rocks there is no fear of Shipwrack Inter utrumqne tene medio tutitssima curres God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth But this most be done decently and in order And as there is the deformity of vice so there is the beauty of holiness Some of you say that we have no grace Some of us say that ye have no grace and were I either able or worthy to say any thing I would say that neither of us have as much grace as we should have or else we would not be so uncharitable and censorious One saith I am of Paul a second I am of Cephas a third I am of Apollo one saith I am an Episcopal man another saith I am a Presbyterian the third I am an Iudependent and I would we could all say I am of Christ. 2. You Physicians what doe you more than others I heard them say that you could murther men when you pleased and never be called in question That the Physician of the soul had no great reason to be angry with the Physician of the body the one made work for the other the one killed them and the other buried them It may be said of many of you that you are like those Physicians of no value that would have given Physick to our distempered state Multitudo medicorum rempublicam interfecit Many Physicians have killed the patient and he hath more reason to be afraid of you than his disease You know that dilemma of Pliny either a disease is incurable or curable if in curable why doe you attempt to cure it If curable let nature work it out 't was Platos opinion that it was a bad Commonwealth where there were many Physicians But by his leave we must dissent from him We know how to distinguish between the good use and the abuse of a calling we will honour the Physician for our healths sake God hath created Medicines out of the simples of the earth and he that is wise will make use of them 3. What doe you lawyers above others you Are many of you the plague shame of a Nation the Locusts of a Kingdome you Seal up the Fountains of Justice you turn judgement into
governed by a wise just and merciful King God punisheth the wicked spares the good so doth the King the King is as it were a God on Earth I have said ye are Gods there is so neare a relation between God and the King that a Man cannot injure the one without offering an injury to the other he that touches the Lords annointed doth as it were touch God he that strikes at the King doth at the same blow to his power strike at God himself 3. Monarchy is the most ancient and universal Government and therefore likeliest to render a Nation happy As ancient Apostolicke truths make the Church so ancient Governments make the State happy innovations being equally dangerous in both As old truths are most wholesome for the Church so old Governments are most wholesome for the State That Monarchy is the most ancient Government in the World is indisputable it being as old as Adam whom God constituted Monarch of the World as we read in Genesis of the antiquity of this Government humane writings sufciently tell us and as it is the most ancient so it is the most universally received Government almost all the Nations in the World either have been or are governed by it Surely had not they found the happynesse of it above other Goverments they would not have so long acquiesced in it That which the General practise of the World the unanimous consent of all Nations tell us to be true we cannot rationally doubt of 4. My fourth argument is drawn from those appellations that the Philosopher gives a good King he styles him a Father a Physician a Shepheard all these termes bespeak a happinesse a blessing to the Common-wealth Augustus was termed pater patriae the Father of his Countrey Homer calls Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like was said of Moses Now if a good King be a Father sure it is to be careful over his Children if a Physitian it is to heal them if a Shepheard it is to feed them and surely that Nation cannot but be happy that hath a Father to provide for it a Physitian to heal it and a Shepheard to feed it 5. My fifth argument is drawn a Minori ad majus from the lesser to the greater if it be requisite that in a single house in a family for the happynesse thereof there should be a Governour a ruler a Master of it how much more in the great family of the Common-wealth If it be requisite for the welfare thereof that there shou'd be a chief Magistrate in the City how much more in a Kingdome the affairs of the one being far more urgent and important then those of the other a City may better subsist without a Major an University without a Vicechancellour then a Kingdome without a King A Kingdome without a King is like a body without a soul a good King is as were the soul of the body of the Commonwealth 6. Let us listen to the voice of instructing nature let us look into the Universe and there we shall find nothing but Kingdomes and Kings Nature it self prompts us to Monarchy Oh what beauty and order is there in the Commonwealth of bees Oh how obsequiously doe all the rest follow the Master beee Oh how do they mourn at his Funeral and when he is dead constitute another is not the Sunne King of Luminaries Prince of Planets doe not the Cranes follow their leader Is not the Whale King of Fishes The Eagle King of birds Is not the Lyon King of beasts Shall these irrational creatures acquiesce in Monarchy as most suitable to their nature condition and shall not we shall we be worse then Bruits shall they have more knowledge then wee go to the Ant thou sluggard saith Solomon as the Ant may teach us prudence and providence so these may teach us loyalty and as it is requisite to the happynesse of a Nation that it have a King or that he b◠the Son of Nobles one of Noble extraction one of the blood Royal this is the onely way to prevent divisions and to secure the peace of a Nation When it is otherwise every new Governour may be the cause of a new war In Government it is requisite that there should be some standard somewhat indubitable unquestionable besides a Person of Noble extraction is more apt to command obedience more likely to win upō the hearts of the people They look upon such as men designed for Government as men born to rule There is somewhat of Soveraignty and Majesty enstamped upon them people abhorre to be ruled either by inferiours or equals for the meanest of the people their brows were never made for Diadems neither have they those endowments and qualilifications which may be speak them fit for Empires They were born to Obey not to command So much may suffice for the second thing I proceed in the third place to shew you that it is the happynesse of our Nation in particular For the demonstration of this let us compare our former Estate under no King with our present Estate under a King let us look upon the miseries of the one and the felicities of the other and doubtlesse it will appear that it is our happynesse to be ruled by a good Prince contraries doe illustrate one another the ruder blasts of Winter make us more in love with the beauties of Summer No Musick more pleasing to the eare then when the sweetness of a concord takes away the harshnesse of a discord A Man that is upon the Land and hath escaped Shipwrack may look with pleasure upon the swelling heaven-threatning seas In the 2. of judges we read of the destruction of the whole tribe of Benjamin and many calamities that had befallen the Israelites would you know the reason of this the Holy Ghost tells us verse 25. In those dayes there was no King in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes If any one should aske me what was the occasion of all our misenies and distractions in England it was the losse of our gracious and merciful Soveraigne in those dayes there was no King in our Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes that deep-dyed hainious scarlet sin was not the least cause of all our miseries that blow that stuck him made three Nations reele like a drunken man it was not he only that dyed but our happinesse also dyed with him Our miseries like the waves of the Sea or like Ioh's sad messengers came crowding in upon us they did as it were strive which should be for most they may be reduced to these principally 1. Warre or want of Peace Warre is one of Gods scourges with which he whips a Nation for rebellion and treason it was but just with God to punish us with a Warre because we knew not how to value the blessings of Peace Jessurun-like we waxed fat and kicked with the heel we forgat to fear God and to honour
those fair copies which they have drawn us I proceed in the seaventh place to make use 1. This may be for the just reproof of all unjust Stewards all straight handed Divese's those that doe not discharge their trusts that doe not disburse their goods to those good ends uses for which they were bestowed upon them whether publick or private Oh! how many unprofitable Vacias are there in the world that are good for nothing but seeme to be buried whilst they are alive how many are there of whom it may be said as they said of degenerated Alexander that how was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burthen of the earth how many are there that are like Cypresse-trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stately and high but fruitlesse But such Trees they are not for Paradise they are fit onely to be hewen down cast into the fire How many are there in the World that Cleopatra like spend whole Kingdomes upon their lusts Whose God is their belly whose end is destruction They spend so much on their own bellies that they can spare nothing for the bellies of the poore it will be a sad thing when God shall say to such men you were my stewards why did ye not cloath the naked give meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked and ye did not cloath me sicke and ye did not visit me Nay how many sacrilegious Persons are there in the World that are so far from building Churches and colledges that they would pull them down They are like the King of Scicily that to enlarge his Palace pulled down a Temple Oh how many are there that to enlarge their owne houses can be content to pull down the house of God We have had too sad experience of this in our own Nation those two wide-mouthed Cormorants pretended piety liberty had allmost swallowed up Church and State It was of the Lords mercies that we were not consumed and because his compassions fail not I think this Nation hath been one of the most Sacrilegious Nations under the cope of Heaven I am verily perswaded that that deep dyed Crimson Heaven deriding sin of Sacriledge was one of the greatest causes of this Nations miseries But now that Justice which seemed to sleep all this while hath at length over taken the Authours and Achans of our miseries by this time some of them know what it is to kill Kings rob Churches and may all men that propose to themselves no better ends have no better ends for those that are unexecuted though I cā wish no great good to their bodies yet in charity I wish much good to their souls I wish that God may be more merciful to their souls than they have been to other mens bodies and that those that thirsted so much after blood would at length thirst after the bloud of Jesus 2. Are we to do good to lay out those blessings that God hath beē pleased to bestow upō us for publicke private uses O then let me here in the more especial presence of God and his Holy Angels beseech and intreat you to doe good to lay out your gifts graces goods for Gods glory the benefit of your Brethren look upon your selves as born not so much for your selves as for Gods glory and the good of others look upon your selves as lent onely to your selves and wholly given to others O you that are rich in this World and have so many golden opportunities of doing good endeavour to be rich in good works as God hath made you great so endeavour to be good and to doe good though greatnesse and goodnesse seldome meet together yet they are not incompatible inconsistent it is not impossible for the same man to be great good and just O cloath the naked give meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty entertain the stranger redeem the Captive visit the sicke consider that ye are not Lords to doe what ye please with what ye have nor treasurers to hoard up but ye are stewards ye are the hands of God to disburse and wo be unto you if ye not doe so Consider that when ye come trembing and shivering before Christs dreadful Tribunal it will not be asked you how great ye were but how good ye were It will not be for your comfort that ye had an abundance but that ye were abundant in well disposing of that ye had O ye that are Magistrates doe good and distribute Justice vindicate the right of the Fatherlesse and the Widow see that Gods purer Worship be maintained that Justice be executed that the peace be kept O let noti the sword of Justice lye rusty in the scabbard but draw it against all Sabbath-breakers contemners of Church discipline blasphemers swearers drunkards scandalous irregular livers know that God stands in the assembly of the Gods And you O my Fathers and Brethren of the Ministery if the slenderness of your fortunes will not permit you to doe good to your Brethrens bodies yet doe good to their souls There is a charity to the soul as well as to the body and it is as much nay more charity to relieve a fainting languishing soul than to relieve a fainting languishing body O bind up the broken strengthen the weak comfort the comfortlesse visit the sicke doe good by your Preaching doe good by your writing doe good by your living doe not onely talke of God but walke with God doe not onely Preach in the Pulpit but out of the Pulpit doe not onely Preach Sermons but live Sermons the whole life of a good Divine should be nothing else but a Sermon he should be an Angell in comparison of other men taller than others by the head and shoulders in piety O consider that you are Suns and if ye be in an Eclipse the whole World will take notice of you people are apter to take notice of one vice in a Minister more than of a hundred vertues A copy should be fair a line straight and he that is to teach others to walke should be no cripple himself How unbeseeming a thing is it for a Minister that Preacheth humility to be proud For a man that discourseth whole years of Heaven to be earthy O my Brethren do not cloyster your excellencies hide your Tallents in a Napkin doe not like dark Lanthornes shine onely to your selves but let your light so shine that men secing your good works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven O ye that are Tutours do good to your pupils be not unfaithful to God and men and for your encouragement consider that when ye doe good to a pupil ye doe good to a whole Nation nay peradventure to the whole world Who knowes but such a one may prove an Ursine an Usher an Andrewes a Cedar in learning
Word workes judgements mercies providences nay even their very afflictions The whole creation serves them and surely they are blame-worthy if they doe not in a more eminent manner serve the creator Souls in some respect are like bodies some bodies are drawn in bright and orient colours as if nature had made use of a Sun beam for her pensil others are drawn in more dusky coale-like colours The brightest colours have aliquid umbrae and the darkest aliquid lucis If we look into the excellencies of the Soul those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those internal colours of the soul we may see the same God hath given some more glittering souls bespangled with light from the Sun of righteousnesse souls embroydred with all perfections here acquirable He hath been pleased to give others more sad and dark coloured Spirits as the brightest souls have somewhat of a cloud to teach them humility so the darkest have somewhat of a beam to keep them from discouragement and that others may not insult over them Those that have the brightest souls God expects they should shine like Stars in the Firmamēt Let your light so shine that men seing your good works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven God hath open'd the Scholars mouth therefore he exspects his lips should shew forth his praises The rich man is Gods Lord treasurer he is the hand of God and he expects it should be alwayes opened to the necessities of the poor and needy he should be like the mercies of God beneficial to the whole World at once God may accept of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons from the poor but he expects that the rich should bring their Plate Gold and Jewels to the Temple God expects that Bezaliels and Aholiabs that are cunning to work in Gold should not onely build or lay common stones but carve and polish the Tempe Eunapius calls a mean Scholar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a drop of Helicon and surely if a mean Scholar be a drop of Helicon a good Scholar is all Helicon or rather an Ocean of learning And if so God requires an Ocean of service from him an Ocean of service is but propottionable to an Ocean of learning Though the whole World besides be but as the dry heath and barren Wildernesse yet the Chuch is the Eden of the World the Paradise of God and in Paradise if any where God may look for Trees bearing fruit pleasant to the taste Christians should be men of better lives than uncultitated Barbarous Asiaticks Affricans Americans 2. The second argument is drawn from the nature of perfection Christians should be perfect if so thy must doe somewhat more than others for he that is more perfect in his profession than another doth a great deal more than he in it be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And can a man be as perfect as his Father which is in Heaven No there is a twofold perfection a perfection of of equallity and a perfection of similitude we cannot be like our Father as to the former but we may as to the latter We have onely somewhat like God in us as to every grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be not many times so legible And he that would attain to this perfection must do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat extraordinary somewhat above and more than others That man that would have the World believe that he is one of the best Musitians in it his compositions must be more sweet rare and harmonious than other mens his judgement must be more solidd and piercing his hand must be more commanding he must be all ear and a man would say what ever other mens souls were yet his was nothing but harmony He that would be accounted a rare Painter must draw better pictures than thousands of ordinary Painters can he must so draw a man that it would be a hard matter to tell whether it were the man himself or his picture if any one should come into the room if he did not know the man very well yet presently salutes his picture as deeming it to be the very man himself if he cannot do so he disgraces his profession he doth not doe it to the life He that either really is or would be accounted one of the best Orators in the universe saies thus to his words Goe smite spirits wound soules captivate affections command hearts be victorious make sure of passions he steeres a congregation with an expression he never is look'd upon but either with an eye of envy or admiration or both and he that eyes his auditors gathers by their looks and deportments that their bodies nay their very soules have nothing else to doe for that time but like servants and willing prisoners to wait upon and attend his speeches And it is the great unhappinesse of the universe that it hath not one eare and that chained to his soule ravishing soule enthralling discourses And if it should happen not to be so 't is not because Rhetorick wants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat to perswade but because the Orator wants Rhetorick surely if a man had had the happinesse to have heard golden Mouthed sweet tongued Cicero though he had never seen him he need not aske who it was Cicero would have spoken it had been Cicero though he had spoken not a word about that thing Aristotle was accounted the best Philosopher in the world in his time because he did more than all others and wrote better hence is that deserved commendation of M. Hooker that he had discover'd allmost more of natures Mysteries in the whole body of Philosophy then the whole series of ages since hath in any particular member thereof The Christian that would be perfect must do more then Pharisees Publicans Heathens Ordinary Christians He is more Eagle-eyed in spiritualls then others his judgement is more solid and searching his thoughts are more orderly and harmonious his affections are more spirituall and Christ-like his whole conversation is more becoming the Gospell than thousands of other mens his whole life is nothing else but a continued Sermon He is full of Faith patience humility heavenly-mindednesse contentednesse mortification of sinne moderation of passion and he knows very well how to rule his tongue which is no small matter And were the Bible and all graces lost which God forbid we might find them all in him though not in their perfect degrees yet as to all their parts not only inchoated but above halfe finished If a Prince should offer him his Scepter he would refuse it as judging that nothing but heaven could make his condition better If he owes a man any thing though he be five hundred mile off yet out of Conscience he paies him and dares doe no otherwise If any one affronts him he forgives him long before he askes forgivenesse and though he did never aske yet he would doe so He never looks into the world but to look upon it
with an eye of pitty and to weepe over it as our Saviour did over Jerusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem hadst thou but known even in this thy day those things that concerne thine everlasting peace O sinfull Universe O sinfull Universe hadst thou known in this thy day the things that concerne thy peace He never travels into it but to teach it civility morality Christianity His sober life tells the Drunkard that hee must be drunk no more His pious cautious abhorrence of oathes tells the swearer that he must swear no more His heavenly world contemning carriage tells the coveteous griping worldling that he is not for this but for a better world When you see him walk you think he walkes here no he walkes in the streets of the new Jerusalem His busy thoughts and meditations are upon his eternall rest God the chiefest good the blessed company of angells and the spirits of just men glorify'd The eyes of his soule are fixed upon the beauties of the third heaven the pearly gates of the palace of God Hee desires to doe every action of importance so as that he needs not be ashamed or afraid to be found in it at the dreadfull day of judgement He would be such a one in his life as he would be in his death and such a one in his death as he would be found when he stands before Christs Tribunall He lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one ashamed that he should carry a body the hinderer of his happinesse about him And if it were not for Gods glory and the good of his brethren he would not care much how soon he were rid of it And were he as much master of the great as he is of the little World he would tread upon the Globe all at once and make it a step to heaven When he rises he thinks that will be his last day and when he goes to bed that that will be his last night therefore having but one pretious and invaluable jewell and that is his immortall soule he cabinets it in the Heaven of Heavens as finding no place upon earth fit for it And can there be any place in this world fit for a soule to take a nights lodging in that is better than ten thousand Worlds What shall it profit a man to gain the whole World and loose his own soule or what shall a man give in exchange the whole World nay ten thousand worlds weighed in the ballance they are all found too light So much may suffice for the second thing the Reasons I proceed in the third place to make use 1. This may be for the just reproofe of all the Christian world at once all Christian Kings Arch-Bishops Bishops Nobles Gentlemen Divines Physitians Lawyers Souldiers Tradesmen all men in all places that doe not act proportionably to those peerelesse means of grace received to those golden talents that God hath entrusted them with A man may very well put our Saviours interrogatory to any of them What do you more then others And more particularly 1. What doe you Christian Kings more than others Most is the pitty to the great disgrace of Christianity and griefe of all good men You embroyle the Christian world in bloud and unnecessary warres only for the accomplishment of your own ambitious unwarrantable antiscripturall designes great Grotius might have saved himselfe a labour of writing De jure Belli Pacis for you and your Court parasites can make any warre lawfull provided it be for your own ends if that ye be likely to get the better But because either you do not or will not know what ye should doe I will tell you Be Wise O ye Kings and be instructed O ye judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling You should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spend your hatred some other way and joyne hearts and hands against those sworn enemies of God and all goodnesse the Turke and the Pope that are ready to overrunn all Christendome the one with his Tyrannicall sword the other with his Tyrannicall word this would be a happy Synchristianismus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an act worthy of all the Christian Kings in Christendome were this but once done how soon would the seaven hills be made plaine nor should thy triple Idoll O Anti-christian Rome resist the Christian swords As you are above others in Place so you should be above others in grace As you are the best of men for greatnesse so you should be the best of men for goodnesse As you have no superiours in degree so neither should you in vertue Consider you are the Fathers of Christendome therefore you should provide for its welfare you are the shepheards of Christendome therefore you should feed it You are the Physitians of Christendome therefore you should heale it And now I am speaking of the actions of Kings pray what doth His Majesty of England He doth to the admiration of all his friends and envy of all his enemies There are three or foure potent Sects in England just a drawing one upon the other and He partly by his piety partly by his policy partly by his promises sweetens them all and keeps them from drawing and long may he doe so But what did he doe Among many other good acts he made an Act of Oblivion which may be termed the Cement and glue of this Kingdome It were to be wished that as he made an Act of Oblivion for his enemies so he would make an Act of Remembrance for his friends Though it be the height of Christianity to forgive our enemies yet it cannot be denied but that it is somewhat of Christianity to remember our friends I chanced to overheare many poor sufferers say they were un-univers'd un-commonwealth'd they seemed to have no part to act upon the stage of England durst I say any thing I would say that they are hated and slighted by most men hated by their enemies because they are not of their pernicious Popish principles and slighted by many of those that should be their friends because they are some few of them richer then they as it is naturall with rich men unlesse they have more than ordinary supplies of grace to forget God themselves and their brethren Me thinks those few sufferers that the King hath been pleased to look upon thy are just like men that have newly escaped drowning they are so taken with their landing that they will not as much as cast a planke into the Sea for the landing of their Brethren that are strugling with the boisterous swelling Seas 2. What do you Noble men above others As there are many of you truly noble vertuous honourable so there are many of you that are the staine of your Families the shame of your Ancestors and the disgrace of Christianity you are as farre above others in wickednesse as you are in bloud and degree I would have all the Noble men in Europe consider that whether they have respect
gall and the fruits of righteousnesse into hemlock instead of deciding controversies you make them like the Seidge of Troy of ten years standing and where as you say you are peace makers you are the greatest peace breakers and troublers of our Israel You make your selves questions like Hydras heads the taking away of one is the setting on of another you draw black lines because ye make use of a silver Plummet No wonder ye cannot see clearly if your eyes be bloudshot You are like the Polonian Ictus that knew not how to resist so many men in compleat armour the Coin of the Country was so stamped Good lawyers are stiled the oracles of the City the rulers of the Law a good ruler should see that he have skill to rule that his parchment be spread abroad before him that his eye be upon the rule the rule of the Law he must have nothing in his hand but his Plummet his hand must be steady not shaking he must be nimble handed to draw lines speedily 2. What doe you Women you Ladies more than others Having spoken to most of the considerable men in the World give me leave to speak a word or two to the Women first the Man and then the Woman It was Solomons question can a Man find a vertuous Woman If he had lived in our dayes he would have had as much a doe to find one as ever he had This question doth not imply an impossibility but onely the difficulty and rarenesse of it that it is a hard and rare thing to find a vertuous Woman for in Prov. 31. 29. Solomon tells us of many Daughters that have done vertuously and of one that excell'd all the rest and pray what did she doe Surely she had a Bible alwayes in her hand no she opened her mouth with wisdome in her tongue was the Law of kindnesse she looked well to the wayes of her household she did not eat the bread of idlenesse O! how many Women with us eat the bread of idlenesse it would pusle a Cherubin to know what they doe besides eating drinking sleeping and dressing themselves from one end of the year to the other I know that there are some few that doe vertuously this is not spoken to them Now I have told you what many of you doe doe I will tell you what ye should doe those that have families should provide for them but all should read hear pray Meditate Act. 16. 14. It was Lydias commendation she was one that feared and worshipped God As there is the beauty of the body so there is the beauty of the soul though the one be great yet the other is farre greater Me thinks you that have such beautiful bodies should strive to get beautifull souls a deformed soul in a beautiful body is just like a Toad in a golden Cabinet That of Solomon is good Scripture Prov. 31. 30. Favour is deceitful beauty is vain but a Woman that fearth the Lord shall be praised No beauty to the beauty of holynesse no Jewels to those precious and in estimable Jewels the graces of the Spirit no Pearle to the Pearle of price I have endeavoured to say somewhat to you all asunder now be pleased to hear what God sayes to you all together me thinks I hear God speaking thus to England O England what dost thou more than others Surely I have done somewhat more for thee than any other Nation and I expect that thou shouldst doe somewhat more for me I have freed thy tender neck from the galling yoke of thy insulting Tyrannizing enemies I have sheathed that tayterous sword that was wont to be sheathed in the bowels of thy Princes Of an Aegypt of black Schismes and Haeresies I have once more made thee a Goshen a Land of light I have crowned thee with the mercies of my right hand and of my left with the choisest richest and most distinguishing mercies in all my Cabinet I have brought thee from the Nadir of misery to the very Zenith of happinesse though in my Justice for thy sins and Rebellions I took away a good King from thee yet in my mercy I gave thee another as good And it is a great question whether thou wert more miserable in the losse of the one or are now happy in the miraculous restitution of the other I expect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat extraordinary Shall God do so much for us and shall we doe nothing for him What shall we doe Let us act suitably and proportionably to those precious meanes advantages and opportunities God hath intrusted us with Let us be of one mind of one heart of one Spirit Let us love as Brethren pray and preach for the peace of Jerusalem pray that God would give us a Spirit of uniformity and meeknesse For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart Alas who layes the divisions of our Reuben to heart Doe we not rather widen the breaches wound our very wounds and vex our very vexations We are by Gods goodnesse better in condition but very few of us in life and manners 't Is the glued bowe that doth execution that instrument that is best glued makes the best harmony surely were we more cemented and glued together we would make more heavēly Musicke in the ears of God good men Divisibile est corruptibile a Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand and surely if we be so divided we may expect that we cannot stand We have all been tryed sufficiently in the furnace of afflictions and God expects that now at length we should come forth like pure Gold he hath done a great many things for us and let us doe one thing for him what is that Onely let us fear the Lord and serve him in truth and consider what great things he hath done for us and not doe wickedly left we be consumed both we and our King Galatians 4. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth DIfferent have been the entertainments not only of humane but divine truth with different men some have embraced it for a season others for ever and it is not impossible even for a Herod for a time to heare a Iohn Baptist gladly Such was the Laodicean temper of these Apostate Galatians to whom our Blessed Apostle directs this Epistle They had once high and reverent thoughts of his Ministry and they seem to acknowledge and embrace those heavenly truths delivered by him they received him as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus vers 14. But soon after as the learned Estius observes by reason of the crafty and subtile insinuations of false teachers they change their note they desert the truth their thoughts of him before were not so high and honourable as they are now meane and low they that before looked upō him as their happiness now look look upon him as their enemy S. Paul wonders at their sudden change and defection and knowing no reason of it in himselfe
our King that sword which being pampered with Peace we wantonly drew God would not sheath till he had beat us with It and sheathed it in our Bowels How destructive Warre is to a Nation I need not tell you we have too too long tasted of the bitter fruits of it ever since that constrained departure of his Majesty from his Palace the devouring sword hath been among us till the happy restitution of our now Raigning Soveraigne How did our own mercilesse fellow subjects like the Tyrants of Athens or like so many Wolves or Tygers worry us That usurped Dominion which they unlawfully got by the sword they as unlawfully maintained by the sword O what summes did they extort from us that they might consume it upon their lusts O what armies did their appaled guilty consciences levy O how did they scarre us into a constrained obedience Though our bodies were subject to them yet our hearts and souls onely to our lawful Prince 2. As we wanted Peace so also truth instead of ancient Apostolique truths we had onely divided novelties figments Chimeras the dreams and fancies of deluded mens brains who would own nothing for truth but what made for their own interests Instead of Preaching loyalty they Preached rebellion instead of Preaching unity they Preached Schisme and Heresy The Church mourn'd the Woman was fled into the Wildernesse Religion put on black our pious learned teachers were driven into corners the blind led the blind our Starres of the first magnitude were overclouded there were no stately Cedars left in the Lebanon of the Church few or no Trees that bare pleasant fruit were standing in the Paradise of God Those Divines that were most eminent for piety and learning were silenced their adversaries works were the works of darknesse therefore they hated the light and the dispencers of it The seers themselves were blind the people perished because there was no vision England was turned Amsterdam any one that had lost his Religion might have found it here every family had a certain Religion peculiar to it self The Universities were discountenanced the Church revenues converted to private mens uses They that had no reverence for the Crown had lesse for the Mitre 'T was no wonder that they that would have no King would have no Bishop England that was the Goshen of the World a Land of light was now turned into an Egypt a Land of darknesse It was such darknesse as we afterwards felt in those swarmes of Heresies and blasphemous opinions that were among us 3. The want of Lawes and the due administration of Justice As it is one of the great happinesses of a Nation to have good Lawes and to have them executed so it is the great misery of a Nation either to be without Lawes or without the execution of them this was our misery the Fountains of Justice were Sealed the Streams were dam'd up those Servants that ruled over us they turned judgement into gall and the fruits of righteousnesse into hemlock they trampled upon all the Fundamental Lawes of the Land they raced the very Foundations of Government they knew no Lawes but their lusts and what ambition prompted them to The voice of Justice could not be heard for the beating of Drums sounding of Trumpets the prerogative of the King the priviledges of Parliament the just rights and liberties of the people were violated and trodden upon it was death as much as to name any of these a man could call nothing his own neither was there any certainty of any thing We were nothing else but a sacrifice to their ambition and cruelty For the iniquities of our Nation many were our Princes we that would not submit to the Government of one pious mercifull King before were afterwards compelled to submit to the Tyranny of thirty or fourty mercilesse ones these these were the miseries these were the heavy burdens we sighed and groaned under when we had no King in this our Israel Now we have seen the black let us now see the white we have heard the harsher and more grating let us now hear the sweeter and more ear-pleasing notes Let us view those blessings that we enjoy now God hath bin pleased to give us a King in this our Israel As the setting of our first Sun King Charles the I. the mirrour of Kings and glory of Martyrs was one of the greatest causes of our miseries darknesses ever since so the rising of King Charles the II. is under God the greatest cause of our light warmth and comfort This Sun like the Sun of Righteousnesse did arise with healing under his wings Parallell and answerable to all our fore mentioned wounds In King Charles the II. we have a salve 1. We have peace our wound was war now oursalve is peace What can be more acceptable to a Nation so long worried with wars than peace Peace it is the glue that cements and sodders a divided distracted Nation It is a choice mercy a token of Gods love and favour Surely if warre be a great judgement then by the rule of contraries peace cannot but be a great mercy Peace is the Mother of plenty the nourisher of arts and ingenuity it is hard to tell whether a Nation be more miserable by war or happy by Peace whether the one doth it more harme or the other good Now our insulting Tyrannizing lawlesse armies are disbanded that were wont to destroy not defend us and blessed by God we can sit in Peace and quietnesse under our own Vines and Fig-tree and there is none to make us affraid 2. As we have Peace so we have also truth Peace and truth doe well together it is our happinesse that we have both now our eyes behold our teachers such as have the tongue of the learned and know how to speak a word in due season such as can divide the word of truth aright pastours that can feed us with knowledge Now the Starres of the Church are fixed the Trees of Paradise take root Universities are in couraged the Churches revenues are restored Religion learning and what soever is praise worthy flourish The word is Preached the Sacraments are administred in a reverent decent manner all things are done decently and in order The face of all things both in Church and State is more amiable and lovely 3. As there is respect had to Divine so also to humane Lawes we are now governed by the ancient fundamental Lawes of our Realme these are the compasses that we steer by these are the standing rules of the Nation Justice now runs down like a mighty stream and waters all our Land the cryes of the Fatherlesse and Widow are heard courts are open grievances are redressed the Kings prerogative the Priviledges of Parliament the liberties of the subject are all preserved inviolate These are the happinesses we enjoy under the wings of a gracious Prince and surely happy is the people that is in such a case If we reflect upon our former and